HISTORICAL EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE ON THIS DAY IN CANADA

18 August

Fort Garry in 1872

Sioux Begin Slaughter

Before the days of Sitting Bull and the Northwest Mounted Police, the people in the Red River-Fort Garry area suffered a real scare. Little Crow appeared at Fort Garry with eighty of his followers, demanding food and ammunition.

Little Crow was an amazing Indian. He attended the Episcopal Church every Sunday wearing a good suit, white collar and dark tie. He looked like any other American or German farmer from the area, except for his gleaming black hair and beaded moccasins.

In 1851 the American Government persuaded the Sioux to live in two reservations. The Indians felt they had been tricked into the deal, and cheated of a down payment of $275,000. Furthermore, the $45,000 they received every month for supplies often arrived late, and when it came the storekeeper would sell the Indians spoiled, wormy food. When the payment due in August, 1862, failed to arrive, Little Crow went to storekeeper Myrick and asked him for food supplies on credit. Myrick replied, "If your people are hungry, let them eat grass."

Next Sunday Little Crow went to church as usual. Then he called a council of war. He told his followers that their golden opportunity had come. Most able-bodied men were fighting in the American Civil War. Nothing could stop the Sioux from regaining their freedom.

On Monday, August 18, storekeeper Myrick was found dead, his mouth stuffed with grass. Forty-eight hours later, 2,000 people had been killed, and Fort Garry and the Red River settlement were isolated. When Little Crow went to see Governor Dallas at Fort Garry, he brought along medals and flags that had been presented to the Sioux. He reminded the governor that the Sioux had fought for the British in 1812 and had been promised the protection of "the red flag of the north." Governor Dallas agreed to provide food, but no ammunition or guns. The Sioux could not exist on that basis, so Little Crow disbanded them and headed south with his sixteen year old son, Wowpinapa. A few days later, an unknown white man saw them picking berries. Believing the adage "The only good Indian is a dead Indian," he shot and killed them.

18 August

-1620    The Duke of Montmorency was appointed Viceroy of Canada, and Champlain, his lieutenant.

-1670    Jean Talon arrived at Quebec as Intendant, bringing Récollet priests to break the Jesuit monopoly.

-1704    French and Indians from Placentia, Newfoundland, raided Bonavista and burned four ships.

-1843    George Brown published The Banner, a paper for the Presbyterian Free Church.

-1876    A conference was held among the Northwest Territories, Manitoba, Canada, and the Indians.

-1914    Parliament held a special war session until August 22.

-1927    Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin sailed for Britain after accompanying Edward, Prince of Wales, and Prince George, to Canada.

-1956    The Alexander Graham Bell Museum was dedicated at Baddeck, Nova Scotia.

-1962    The tricentenary of the founding of Placentia, Newfoundland, was celebrated.