recounts how
in early April 1885 Peter Erasmus was operating a HBC trading post at Whitefish Lake (in today's Smoky Lake). This was at the time of Louis Riel's 1885 Metis Rebellion. Erasmus born at the Red River Settlement was Metis, but his loyalty to the government was never in doubt. Some Cree also rose up at the same time, and Erasmus's post was threatened. He made a worried journey to Edmonton, lost and found his family, and lived.
Here is his story, including how he met up with the mysterious "Umla" and how they both were almost killed by raiders. It is told (in different version) in Alberta History magazine of summer 1973.
Interestingly, just at the time that Riel and Dumont declared a provisional rebel government and carved out a rebel enclave at Batoche, a solar eclipse ofccured in Western Canada. Norbert Welsh traveling from Saskatoon to Fish Creek noticed his travelling companion was looking green in the gills, The companion said the same of him, and they saw that the sun was obscured and the day was dark.
(from The Last Buffalo Hunter, written by Mary Weeke as told by Norbert Welsh)
In early April a messenger arrived at Erasmus's post at Whitefish Lake to say that fighting had broken out at Batoche. (Riel had declared a provisional government under rebel control and his people had taken captive local people who were known to be in opposition to the new government. A force of NWMP and local volunteers had tried to go to Duck Lake (near Batoche) to secure guns and ammo stored there and had suffered a defeat at the hands of Dumon's armed Metis.)
The messenger also reported that some of Big Bear's band had killed two priests and several other white officials at Frog Lake.
As the news of the rebellion spread, it was kicked around that the Metis were planning to take possession of all the HBC posts that were vulnerable. And some residents of Saddle Lake decided to form up a reading party and attack Victoria Settlement, a prominent settler centre/fur trading post SE of Smoky Lake along the North Saskatchewan River (100 kms east of Edmonton). (Today there is an Alberta Historic site at the location, which is near the active and growing Native-owned recreational centre of Metis Crossing.)
A first step toward this project was to seize Erasmus's post at Whitefish to obrainthe guns and ammo stored there. Also it was hoped such a success would embolden members of Pakan's band to join in the attacks. Chief Pakan of the Cree was upset at how the Pakan reserve was smaller than had been promised, but he was unwilling to join in any attacks.
Meanwhile Erasmus felt exposed in part because his post actually had few guns and little ammo. Leaving his adopted son, Peter Shirt, and other loyal Metis in charge, he went for reinforcements. He first travelled to a mission near Lac Lac Biche and met up with Harrison Young, the factor at LLB, who was on a similar mission for his post.
They set off together to Edmonton, hoping to get guns and ammo and return to their respective posts before attacks were launched by rebellious Native (particularly from members of Big Bear's band).
When they arrived at Edmonton, the found General Strange's Alberta Field Force in strong position and no sign of rebellion in that area. After obtaining guns and ammo, they found no dray-men would carry their goods, being scared for their lives.
Erasmus and Young then returned alone. When they arrived at Victoria they found the place deserted. Rev. McLaughlin appeared and told them the whites from Victoria and from the adjoining Riverlot community of Lobstick had crossed the river to camp on the southside (the Cree at this point in time being thought more of a threat than the Blackfoot).
The HBC post at Victoria had been under attack (by Saddle Lake men), but a single defender had bluffed the attackers and driven them away.
But Erasmus and his two companions feard for what might come out of the thick underbrush and wooded slopes at any moment.
Erasmus, scouting around alone, was startled by the sound of shots back at the fort. He hurried back to find Young and McLaughllin engaged in a bullseye shooting contest. (giving away their position and drawing un-wanted attention to themselves).
Erasmus, accompanied by Young, returned to Whitefish and found the post deserted and a fresh grave in the ground. His son Peter Shirt had previously shared a dream that he had had where shooting had broken out and he had gathered the Erasmus family and taken them to Victoria, so Erasmus knew how his brain worked.
Apparently he had missed Shirt's Victoria-bound party when he comes north because Shirt's group was using a circuitous route to avoid detection.
When he caught up with Peter Shirt, he learned what had happened at Whitefish - a group of rebellious men of Big Bear's band had arrived and after arguing a bit, had begun to helped themselves to the goods at the post. A loyal post man killed the group's leader. When Pakan admonished the shooter, many of his own people sought out Peter Shirt for guidance and left with him to what was hoped to be safety at Victoria.
Erasmus and Young shared out guns and ammo and then proceeded on to Lac La Biche. on the way they met up with two Cree men cooking dinner. That they had new Hudson's Bay blankets told Erasmus and Young that the LLB post had been pillaged.
They over-awed the Cree men with idle threats of punishment and the bloodthirstiness of the approaching army and took their guns away, promising to leave them on the other side of the river.
Arriving at LLB, they found the store pillaged and set off at once to check on the mission 10 kms away. On the way they stopped at the trading post of an independent trader named Umla. (He likely also went by the name Alex Hamelin.
(Who was Umla? The late Randy Lawrence investigated the identity of Umla, who it is said, had squatters' rights to the site of today's Belgravia when Edmonton was young. His findings are recorded in the book Old Strathcona - Edmonton's Southside Roots. The part of that book written by myself (Tom Monto) presented additional information provided by the Edmonton Bulletin on his identity.)
Six Beaver Lake armed raiders were in Umla's store, grabbing merchandise. Umla and Erasmus was trying to control the situation when Young lost his nerve and raised his gun. A raider raised and Erasmus grabbed it down.
The situation could have easily snowballed but Umla and Erasmus having moral right on there side, actually forced the raiders to give up their arms "until tempers cooled" and the raiders left the store in single file. "as if on a war path", as Erasmus described it, ascribing the worst possible motive to their meek exit.
Umla then had a chance to explain his situation. he feard for his life when he left the store to go home; his family was at the mouth of the LLB River, bent on canoeing downstream to Athabasca River then to safety at Athabaca Landing (today's town of Athabasca), a prominent and strongly-held white settlement at that time.
Yung was united with his family, and Erasmus then tracked down and was united with his adopted son and the rest. They finished their journey to safety at Victoria, by then well-protected by a force of government troops.
The Erasmus house at Fort Edmonton Park shows us how he lived.
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The course of those days of uncertainty were recounted by Bishop Faraud who was based at the mission near LLB that Erasmus visited. HIs account was also presented in the Alberta History magazine of summer 1973.
Members of the Pruden family, an old HBC family, are mentioned. Members of this family are in Edmonton today.
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