Charles Bottineau Encounters the Conflict of 1816
between the Hudson Bay and North West Companies
The Scotch philanthropist Thomas Douglas (1771-1820), fifth earl of Selkirk, who owned a controlling interest in the Hudson Bay Company, decided to establish a colony of Scotch settlers in the fertile Red River basin near present-day Winnipeg, Manitoba. His first settlers arrived in 1812, much to the consternation of the North West Company, the Hudson Bay Company's principal rival, whose fur traders used the region for transporting their goods. The settlers were persuaded to leave in 1815, but a new group arrived and restored the Red River colony the following year. North West Company traders then stirred up their halfbreed Indian [Mete] allies against the colonists, whose outlying posts and crops were destroyed in June 1816. At a place called Seven Oaks, about 25 colonists confronted their harassers (some 60 strong) to end the destruction; a fight broke out, and 21 colonists were killed. the Red River colony fell into the hands of the North West Company. In response, Douglas hired a group of Swiss mercenaries to capture the chief North West post at Fort William, which they did. The ringleaders of the Seven Oaks Massacre were arrested, and in 1817 colonists were brought back to the Red River. This time they survived and prospered.
Deposition of Charles Bottineau On July 17, 1817, in the presence of William Bacheler Coltman, a special commissioner conducting an investigation into the troubles in the Red River region, Charles Bottineau gave the following deposition.
Charles Bottineau having been sworn in says and declares at the end of 1814, two years after the colonists had arrived at the Red River, being a hunter for the North West company was ordered by Mr. Duncan Cameron and Alexander McDonell of the said company not to give any food to the colonists nor give them help in any manner even if they were dying of starvation. These two men made this order to apply to all other free Canadians of the Red River region and that there were only Dauphine and Tranchemontagne who refused to obey this order and were hired by the colony as hunters.
That Plante, a free man, had on one occasion, given food to the English, had been punished for it and the North West Company had seized his four horses and made him return to Montreal and never to allow him to rejoin his family.
That in the same year of 1814, Mr. Duncan Cameron and Alexander McDonell ordered the deponent to take great pains to drive away the animals that might fall prey to the hunters employed by the colony either by hunting them or by scaring them away, that to this effect. The deponent was not to fear to have his horses killed and in case that happened, the company would give him others.
That in the beginning of the year of 1815, the deponent was camped with several Metis and free men from Red River at Turtle River to hunt cows, that Bostois Pangman, interpreter for the North West company arrived at their camp to tell them that Captain McDonell, Governor of the colony was coming with 25 men to pillage their camp and that they should get ready to defend themselves. The deponent later learned that this was a lie that Mr. Duncan Cameron had invented to turn the free men against the colonists, however this report having been repeated so often that the free men and the Metis believed it and were determined to kill Captain McDonell if he came there.
That the following summer after Governor McDonell had been made prisoner and the colonists driven from the Red River, Duncan Cameron ordered the deponent to set fire to the Hudson Bay company fort at the Pembina River. The deponent not having carried out this order, Mr. Alexander McDonell and Mr. Seraphin Lamar harshly reproached him for not having carried out this order.
That in the summer of 1815, Mr. Duncan Cameron called together once more the free men of Red River and forbade them in a most forceful manner to give food to the English and it was they the free men were the reason the English remained at the Red River, that the deponent nevertheless was hired by Mr. Robertson as a hunter and hunted all winter for the colony.
That after the disturbance of 19 Jun 1816, and after the English had been driven from the Red River, the deponent was mistreated by the people of the North West company because he had furnished food to the colonists and that Mr. Daniel McKenzie wanted to make him get in his canoe and forcefully take him back to Montreal.Charles X Bautinau
Sworn to at the Red River on July 17, 1817 before me.
W. B. ColtmanOn August 20, 1817, Charles Bottineau gave a second second deposition in which he recounts and attests that he arrived at the Red River about 10 or 12 days after the death of Governor Semple.
That he saw after his arrival at Red River, a man by the name of La Serpe, Antoine Hoole, Francois Deschamps, the father and Francois Deschamps, the son. That these persons mentioned above had boasted to have been involved in the 19 June 1816 affair when said Semple was killed.
That said La Serpe had told the deponent that he killed two English in that affair with his own hands. That he had killed one of these English when they were together but he was obliged to run a long distance to reach the second he killed, that however he caught him near one of the colony's gardens close to the fort where he shot him.
That said La Serpe had also shown to the deponent the remains of the persons he killed whose things he had in his little box and in which he also carried the clothes which he swore he removed from their bloody corpses.
That after this time, that is, appoaching August 1816, said La Serpe told the deponent that he was determined to prevent the English from setting foot again in this country and that if the free Canadians didn't want to help them to plunder and drive out the English and kill them if they the English put up any defense, they themselves free Canadians would be driven out of the country.
That in the end the said deponent and others were forced to promise to obey and do likewise but it was fear that forced them to make these promises and that Alexander McDonell, a partner in the North West company was present when La Serpe spoke as mentioned above and that he even heaped praise on said La Serpe.Charles X Bautinau
Sworn to at the Red River on August 20, 1817 before me.
W. B. ColtmanSources:
James W. Chesebro, Ph.D., Charles Joseph Bottineau, Sr., Techomehgood and Their Descendants, 1990
Paul J. Lareau, Pig's Eye's Notepad, An Encyclopedia of St. Paul, MN, 1830-1850
Bulletin de la Societe historique de Saint-Boniface" 1999-2000 Numero 4 ISSN 0384 0158 Automne 2000
Al Dahlquist, Little Canada Historical Society
Charles Bottineau is Arrested After two days Daniel M'Kenzie prepared to go away, and being informed that a freeman named Beautineau, who had hunted for the Colony the preceding winter, was at a place eight or nine miles off, he sent me with orders to bring him before him as a magistrate for the Indian Territories, giving me a printed copy of the opinions of three English lawyers, to wit, Henry Brougham and others, concerning the Charter of the Hudson's Bay Company, which Daniel M'Kenzie told me would convince the said Beautineau that I had a right to take him prisoner, for that he would not know the difference between it and a warrant, not knowing how to read or to write.
I accordingly arrested the said Beautineau, au Nom de la Loi, thinking it would not be right, as I carried only the opinion of lawyers, to arrest him in the King's name, and brought him before the said magistrate, who, in the presence of the half-breeds and other servants of the North West Company, and the freemen at the place, abused him for having assisted the English, the enemies of the North West Company, and the freemen about the place, his commission from Sir Gordon Drummond as a magistrate for the Indian Territories.
He then made Beautineau bring his baggage to the side of the river, the canoe being already in the water, and threatened to carry him off from his family a prisoner to Montreal, for his desertion of the interests of the North West Company, and for hunting for the Colony; but at last he was discharged on finding security for his good behaviour, which was given by Antoine Hoole, who, as above mentioned, had confessed the murder of the person named W. Moore, as I believe, and took upon himself to be responsible for the good conduct of Beautineau, who was charged with no offence whatever.
After this, and before departing with Beautineau his prisoner, the magistrate went with him into the apartment of the late Governor Semple, when they both got drunk together, and he was afterwards supported to enable him to reach his canoe.Sources:
Narrative of Frederick Damien Heurter, 1816, pg. 74-75
Charles Bottineau Engaged in the Conflict of 1816 Charles Joseph Bottineau [Sr.] was 'engaged' with the North West Company (also known as the North-western Fur Company) from as early as 1808 through at least 1816. Alfred C. Farrell (in Collections of the State Historical Society of North Dakota, p. 294) has noted that the 'Northwest Fur-Trade company' was 'formed' in '1763.' Wallace (p. 4) has suggested that while the 'orginal nucleus of the North West Company' is 'almost impossible to determine,' he has argued that 'Certainly, by 1775, the signs of concentration were clear to behold.' Lounsberry (p.18) has reported that, 'In 1783 the rival Montreal traders consolidated under the name of the `North-West Company.''
The North West Company was a fur-trading organization which had engaged in aggressive rivalry with the Hudson Bay Company. This rivalry culminated in violent warfare over the formation of the Red River Settlement (1812-1815) and ultimately resulted in the death of twenty two people in the 1816 massacre of Seven Oaks. On March 26, 1821, a 'co-partnership' or an amalgamation between the North West Company and Hudson Bay Company occurred (for additional details regarding the North West Company, see: A Narrative of Occurrences in the Indian Countries; Amos; Davidson; Documents Relating to the North West Company; Lounsberry, pp. 18, 30, 51-52, 89, 93-98; Narrative Respecting the Destruction of the Earl of Selkirk's Settlement; Innis; A Statement Respecting the Earl of Selkirk's Settlement).
In 1816, Charles Joseph Bottineau encountered the critical clash between the North West Company and Hudson Bay Company. Minnesota historians Edward D. Neill and J. Fletcher Williams (p. 514) reported that: In 1816, one year before the birth of Pierre [Bottineau], hostillities arose between the Hudson Bay Company, the old company established in 1670, under a grant of Charles II, of England, to Pringe Rupert and others, and the North-western Company, whose head-quarters were Canada, traded by way of the lakes, and had virtually pre-empted this territory before the Selkirk colony arrived and did not recognize their claim as a part of the Hudson Bay Company's territory, as this company had never before extended their lines so far south. The Hudson Bay Company transported goods by way of Hudson Bay. After the establishment of the Red River settlement in 1812, petty strife began, which in 1816, culminated in open hostilities. Lord Selkirk had demanded troops from the Governor General for the protection of his colony without avail, but instead, was injoined against repetition of hostilities. In spite of this injunction some more blood was shed, but at last, as neither party received the support of the government, an amalgamation took place, and the united company controlled the country. In consequence of these hostilities, the little colony of Red River was greatly weakened by emigration to the territory of the United States and Canada. Pierre Bottineau's father was commanded by the North-western Company to take part in the struggle but he absented himself on one of his hunting expeditions. On his return he was imprisoned, but owning to his influence with the tribe from which he had taken his wife, he was soon released, as worse troubles were liable to arise' circa 1992.Sources:
Charles Joseph Bottineau, Sr., Techomehgood and Their Descendants
compiled by James W. Chesebro, Ph.D., Sep 1, 1990
The Bottineau Family
My Elusive Ancestors
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