Introduction: The March West
Preparing to leave on the Great March.
The March West may seem like a marvelous adventure, but it was very difficult and even deadly. Within days of leaving Fort Dufferin, several men showed up for sick parade. Diarrhea and dysentery were the main complaints.
As the force moved further and further west, they encountered lakes smelling of alkali and sloughs churned and fouled by herds of bison. The animals and humans were often desperate for water and would drink anything—dysentery was the result.
Unclean water created long line ups at the medical tent.
Long marches, inadequate food, and unclean water weakened the force. Some suffered from influenza, malaria, bronchitis and pneumonia. Two contracted typhoid fever and were sent back to Fort Dufferin. Dr. Kittson and Dr. Nevitt, the two physicians on the March West, treated their patients with what little medicine they had at hand and tried to develop mosquito repellents to ease their suffering.
Deserters
Not everyone who joined the NWMP was prepared for the conditions they would meet. Colonel French warned the force:
"...they would have, and must expect, plenty of hardship: that they might be wet day after day, and have to lie in wet clothes; that they might be a day or two without food, and… without water, and I called on any present who were not prepared to take their chances of these privations to fall out, and they could have their discharges,…"
Thirty–one recruits decided that the March West would be no picnic. Luckily, French had recruited an additional twenty individuals, so the force was at almost full strength.
Others deserted later on the March West, while on patrol or from their postings. They left the NWMP for a number of reasons:
“Constable Dennis, who had just been sentenced to twelve months imprisonment with hard labour for a serious breech of discipline escaped from the provost guard” (McIllree, Annual Report for E Division, 1888)
“Another recruit came here, I believe with the intention of deserting-at all events he was of no use during the short time he was here.” (Deane, Annual Report for K Division, 1889)
“Constable Wardrop received a furlough to go to England and did not return...Constable Stratton received a furlough to visit friends in Canada and is still visiting them.” (McIllree, Annual Report for E Division, 1889)
“Constable Deleuse deserted from Calgary on the 23rd June last, having been transferred a short time before from the north. He was generally supposed to be lightly crazy.” (McIllree, Annual Report for E Division, 1889)
“Of the three who ran away from the barracks, one had deserted in southern Manitoba in 1885 and subsequently re-engaged. He was undoubtedly half witted.” (Deane, Annual Report for K Division, 1889)
“The third man had been making free with Inspector Baker's property and reasonably deemed it unsafe to remain.” (Deane, Annual Report for K Division, 1889)
"The only reason that can be assigned for the desertions from the outposts is that the men thought they would have better times on the other side of the line, but it's certain they will never get their three comfortable meals a day and money in their pockets for the same amount of work which they did here." (Deane, Annual Report for K Division)
Mistakes
Dr. Kittson and his assistant, Dr. Nevitt, worked long hours tending the sick men.
This journey had never been tried before, so some mistakes were bound to be made. Would a man with more field experience have made different decisions? What would you have done?
No water barrels were brought along: French assumed that lakes, rivers and ponds would be found at each night's campsite.
The men were not issued with canteens.
French preferred horses of good breeding over the prairie ponies-they would make a more imposing sight when they met whisky traders and Indigenous people; however, the eastern horses were not adapted to prairie grasses. They weakened and died.
The March followed a road made by the Boundary Commission for the first 200 miles, then set off across uncharted prairie. They could have followed the Boundary Commission road most of the way west or the fur trade trail to Fort Edmonton, then marched south.
Some foods and warm clothing were sent back to Ft. Dufferin early in the March to lighten the load.
The men often ate cold biscuits or nothing at all for meals-the supply wagons were often hours behind the men. Oxen and wagons travel much more slowly than men on horseback.
The mosquitoes tormented men and horses.
The riding boots were not meant for walking-the men wore out their boots and hurt their feet.
Generally, no reconnaissance was made of the land to be travelled- French depended upon an inaccurate map and the advice of guides who had never been so far west.
On the march.
Horses
French chose the finest horses for his men. All tall, well-made stock, they stood in great contrast to the short, rough-looking ponies of the prairies. Unfortunately, the Toronto horses were used to good quality hay and grain, not the rough forage of prairie grasses.
Two died just on the ride from Fargo to Ft. Dufferin. It was only the start.
French divided the men and the horses into 6 divisions. Each division had horses of a particular colour:
Unloading horses at the end of the rail line.
A Division: dark bays
B Division: dark browns
C Division: chestnuts
D Division: grays
E Division: blacks
F Division: light bays
His choice of horses haunted French throughout the March. Shortly after their arrival at Ft. Dufferin, a prairie storm blew in. The lightning, thunder and wind spooked the horses, causing a stampede. Only the prairie ponies stayed calm. A few of the better riders set off after the frightened horses and after riding over 160 kms, returned with all but one.
Red-River Wagons
These noisy two-wheeled carts were invented for the prairies! A wooden box made of local wood perched over an axle with two oversized wheels. Freight was piled in the box. The whole affair was held together with wooden pegs and rawhide—all materials easily obtained and replaced on the plains. One horse or ox could usually pull a loaded cart.
For river crossings, the wheels were removed and tied to the load; the whole contraption could be floated across the water. While well designed for the prairie by their Metis drivers, the Red River carts were hated by Commissioner French and his men. The axles were not greased - on the dusty trails, any grease would have picked up dirt and stones, rapidly ruining the wheels. Ungreased, the wheels made an infernal sound that grated on everyone's nerves.
Field Guns
Commissioner French, expected a confrontation with the whisky traders having been told that Fort Whoop–Up was armed with cannon. He brought two 9 pound muzzle-loading rifled cannon and two brass mortars on the March.
Horses, and occasionally, men and oxen, pulled the field guns, weighing hundreds of pounds, to Fort Macleod. One man commented that the guns were “killers of horses.” The guns were fired only once—to help a lost reporter accompanying the March West find his way back to the main column.
Can you image the sight–302 police, 338 riding horses, 114 Red–River carts and 73 wagons with 142 oxen to pull and 20 drovers, 2 field guns, and 93 head of cattle.
When it was on the move, the column of men and supplies stretched for almost 8 kilometres from the leader to the rear guard.