Daily Life and Routine at the Posts — North-West Mounted Police

Outpost at Wood Mountain Blacksmith shop at Fort Calgary.

In many ways, we ran the NWMP like the army. Perhaps this was because many of our officers had served in the army or militia before joining the NWMP. Our days started early and ended late. Some days were very busy, others were very quiet and we busied ourselves in the daily routine.

Bugle Calls

Saddlers, carpenters, blacksmiths and other craftsmen at Fort Macleod.

The bugle was the clock and the loudspeaker. Specific calls were sounded for specific times and tasks including meals, drill, work, assemblies, getting up and going to bed. The calls were the same from post to post so everyone knew what each call meant. Some of the common bugle calls were:

Reveille
Stable Call
Sick Call
Assembly
Retreat
Taps

Using the bugle calls, the commander of a post controlled the activities of everyone working there. The routine was standard throughout the year. In winter, the day started a little later, in summer a little earlier. The following is a typical day at Fort Calgary in 1875.

6 am: Reveille: This woke the men and would be sounded between 4:45 am and 6 am, depending upon the season. On the last note of the call the flag was raised and the morning gun fired.
6:30 am: Assembly: The men had 30 minutes to jump out of bed, get dressed and washed, make their beds and tidy their barracks. At 6:30 am they were expected to line up in formation outside of their barracks. The sergeants called the roll and let the men know their assigned duties for the day.
6:45 am: Stables: The men returned to their barracks, put on their canvas work clothes and reported to the stables. They fed and groomed their horses.
7 am: Watering Call: The men watered their horses by leading them to troughs or bringing them some water.
7:30 am: Mess Call: Breakfast time! While in the posts, the men had a hearty breakfast - beef and pork hash, mush or pancakes with molasses, bread and lots of tea. Sometimes it was call 'the mystery' because the men never knew what mysterious dish the cooks had made from the previous day's leftovers.
8:30 am: Sick Call: Anyone who was ill reported to the hospital to be examined. Any too sick to work would remain in the hospital; those with minor ailments could be put on light duties.
8:35 am: Fatigue Call: Those men assigned to some morning work would report at this time. They might have to build new stables or barracks, repair buildings, clean up the grounds, garden, cut hay, chop firewood or haul water.
9:30 am: Office: The non-commissioned officers received their daily duty orders and delivered their roll call reports. They would be told if there were prisoners to transport to another fort or prison, if some men were to leave on patrol, or if there were other tasks.
10 am: Drill Call: Anyone who was not assigned to some job was not given time to be idle for very long. Drill took up many hours of the day.
10:05 am: Assembly: The men would gather for a dismounted drill - marching in formations on the parade ground in the middle of the fort.
11:30 am Recall: Morning drill and work parties liked this call - it meant that morning work was over! The men returned to their barracks.
Noon: Mess Call: Dinner was the main meal of the day. The men ate boiled beef or pork and potatoes, or stew, or corned beef and vegetables. Bread and tea were always available.
1 pm: Fatigue Call: Time to go back to work!
1:15 pm: Boots and Saddles: The men who were not assigned to other tasks would put on their riding boots and saddle their horses.
1:30 pm: Drill Call: Drill on horseback is about to start - better get to the parade square!
1:35 pm: Assembly: The mounted men practice riding formations and exercise their horses on the parade ground. New recruits learn to ride.
2 pm: Guard Mount: The men chosen for guard duty present themselves at the parade ground for inspection. They march to the guard house where they must be awake and on duty for 24 hours.
3 pm : Recall: All men on drill or in work parties stop for the day.
3: 10 pm: Stable Call: The men feed and groom their horses, and clean their stalls.
3:30 pm: Water Call: The horses are watered.
3:45 pm: Recall: All men finish their tasks and return to their barracks.
4 pm: Mess Call: This is the lightest meal of the day. The men were served cold meat, bread and tea.
4:30 pm: Assembly. Everyone except the men on guard duty, gather in formation on the parade square in front of the flag for the ceremony of lowering the post's flag.
4:45 pm: Retreat: The evening gun is fired and the flag is lowered. The adjutant reads the 'general orders' of the day. Unless on guard or assigned to some other duty, the evening was time off for the men to do what they wished.
9:30 pm: First Post: The men are to return to their quarters.
9:35 pm: Assembly: The men stand in formation in front of their quarters for role call.
10 pm: Last Post: All men must now be in bed. All barracks must be quiet - no talking!
10:15 pm: Lights Out: All lights in the barracks, stables and other buildings must be turned off.

Did you know that each division had its own bugler? The bugler woke us in the morning, let us know when it was time for different chores and meals, and when to go to bed. He was almost like a clock. We had to listen carefully because he played different tunes, or bugle calls, for different things.

Bugle calls are still used today and they play an important role in ceremonies.

Of course after a while you just got used to the routine and the calls were a reminder. One of our most famous buglers was that scamp, Fred Bagley. He joined when he was just 15 years old! His father, a good friend of Commissioner French, let him come on the March West as long as he was home in six months. Young Fred did not go home for 14 years!

There were many different men who lived at the forts with us. There were of course all the NWMP men and officers, a doctor, a veterinary surgeon, cooks, and a blacksmith. At some posts there were carpenters, armourers, saddle and harness makers. These people helped us perform our duties by keeping our buildings and wagons, rifles and hand guns, saddles and harnesses in good working order. Many later established shops in the communities next to the posts.

Doctor

Dr.John Kittson and Dr. Richard Nevitt traveled with the Force on the March West. Entrusted with the care of over 300 men, they were kept busy. Diarrhea, malaria, sprains, and bruises plagued the men and strained the doctors' medicine chest. Nevitt even performed surgery for appendicitis!

Once the Force was settled in the west, doctors were assigned to Fort Macleod, Fort Walsh and eventually to other posts.

The doctors traveled to other posts to take care of the men there. The doctor worked in a small hospital or sick room where patients were examined and treated.They were also responsible for sanitation at the posts, and made many recommendations to encourage cleanliness and prevent the spreading of disease. Once Sick Call was over and the men taken care of, the doctors often had long, empty hours on their hands to read, ride on the prairies or play chess. As the only medical experts in the area, the NWMP doctors also treated settlers and Indigenous people. As towns grew around some of the posts, the doctor would often open a private practice outside of the post.

Diseases treated at Fort Walsh in 1878 (appendix A) page 33 of John Kittson's report:
Intermittent and Remittent fevers
Typho-miasmic Fever
Syphilis
Chronic Rheumatism
Neuralgias
Insanity
Spinal Asomia
Chronic Catarrh, Nasal
Diptheria
Pleurisy
Sore-throat
Coughs, etc.
Bronchitis
Colic
Constipation
Diarrhoea
Bilious
Piles
Sysentery
Erythema Simplex
Erythema Interbugo
Urticaria
Boils
Herpes Toster
Epididymitis
Minor Surgery
Hernia
Bruised Ankle, with Fracture
Frostbites
Burns
Total number of cases: 235

Veterinary Surgeon

Veterinary Surgeon John Poett joined the March West to look after the horses and cattle. He treated many of the horses for either diseases or injuries. In spite of his best efforts, many horses died along the trek due to poor feed, not enough water and over-work. As the horses weakened and the weather worsened, Peott required the men to give up one of their two blankets to cover their mount. The men didn't mind sharing, but would not put their horses in their tents!

Not every post had a veterinarian. Most relied on those men who had a previous knowledge of horses. Often this person was the blacksmith.

Hired Help

The officers had a surprising number of benefits. They had servants to clean their clothing, polish their boots, tidy their quarters, take care of their horses and cook their meals. The regular police troops were expected to take care of themselves.

During the March West when a long stopover was called near a lake or river, the troops would revel in a round of clothes washing and bathing. Cooks and bakers traveling with the Force fed the men.

Once established at the posts, the men would often pool their money and their daily food ration and hire a cook. They paid local women to take care of their wash and often had someone come in to clean their quarters.

Blacksmith

Blacksmiths were essential to the NWMP. On the March West, they were kept busy fitting and replacing horseshoes on the horses.

Even the cattle needed attention. The long trek wore down their feet and special iron shoes were made for them as well. The blacksmiths were also responsible for fixing any broken metal parts on wagons and other equipment.