Battle of Cut Knife

Aboriginal Victory at Poundmaker Reserve

Sep 7, 2009 Barbara Martin

On May 2, 1885 Lieutenant-Colonel Otter's decision to attack the Poundmaker reserve ends in retreat and victory for Chief Poundmaker's reserve.

Shortly after the Frog Lake massacre and the Metis battle at Duck Lake, the Canadian government formed an army headed by Major-General Frederick Middleton and it headed west.

The 500 settlers who had crowded the interior of Fort Battleford while Chief Poundmaker was enroute, had telegraphed the government they were in need of immediate assistance as the natives were set to attack the fort. General Middleton sent a column under the leadership of Lieutenant-Colonel William Otter. Otter’s troops got off the train at Swift Current and marched across the prairie to Battleford with an intention to put an end to the Siege of Battleford .

Lieutenant-Colonel Otter Arrives at Fort Battleford

When Lieut.-Col. Otter reached Battleford without seeing an aboriginal, he was upset that he and his troops would not be engaged in any fight. Otter proposed an attack on Poundmaker’s reserve, which General Middleton vetoed and ordered him to remain at Fort Battleford. Despite these orders, Lieut.-Col. Otter decided to act on finding Poundmaker’s camp to seek immediate retribution for the “siege” of Battleford by teaching the First Nations a lesson. On May 1, 1885, Otter took with him 300 men, two 7-pounder guns belonging to the NWMP, and one Gatling gun on loan for testing from the United States Army. Scouts had told Otter that Poundmaker’s camp was on the east side of Cut Knife creek, thirty-eight miles south of Battleford.

Crees and Assiniboines From Nearby Reserves Join Chief Poundmaker

Deaths of two prominent Cree leaders, Red Pheasant and Little Pine, resulted in the Cree going to Poundmaker’s reserve with the thought that Poundmaker would be in a position to defuse the fear the whites had with the Crees forming an alliance with the Métis. It was Cree practice to leave the area where their leaders died. Poundmaker was now spokesman for the Battleford Cree.

A few days later, the Assiniboine joined Poundmaker insisting that a war lodge be erected as they felt an attack was imminent. A few of their young men had killed John Payne, a farm instructor, in retaliation to the death of a girl. The Assinboine thought the Canadian government would respond like the Americans in blaming all aboriginals for the actions of a few individuals. Erection of a warrior’s tent meant the warriors were in control of the camp and Poundmaker had to defer to them. The young Cree, Fine Day, was chosen as Warrior Chief.

Otter's Troops Reach Poundmaker's Camp

Early in the morning Otter and his troops found a deserted campsite, which Otter assumed the aboriginals had heard their approach and fled. They continued on to Cut Knife Creek, about 30 feet wide, 20 inches deep in a gully about 853 feet across. Beyond the Creek to the west lay Cut Knife Hill, named in commemoration of the defeat by the Crees of the Blackfoot chief Cut Knife and his braves, which had taken place there. Beyond that was another longer hill that sloped down into poplar filled ravines on the north and south ends.

The first shots exchanged were between the Mounties and Stonies who were visiting with Poundmaker. The Cree joined in the fight using their strategic location of the wooded ravines. Each time the troops thought they had found the natives, Warrior Chief Fine Day would move them to other parts of the ravines with a small mirror. In several hours Fine Day had the soldiers almost circled with his warriors hidden in the trees. Early on in the fight the two cannons had become unserviceable.

Otter Retreats

Near mid-morning, the troops’ position deteriorated as the aboriginals had almost completely encircled the hill. Otter realized his position was hopeless and he made the decision to withdraw. The troops backed out slowly and at the noon hour the natives vanished. Otter was unaware that his troops slaughter on their retreat had not occurred due to Poundmaker’s desire to leave the troops unmolested. The Crees had listened to Poundmaker as they moved away from the battle site.

Otter’s losses were eight killed and fourteen wounded. The natives losses were six killed and three wounded.

Sources:

More Battlefields of Canada (1996), Mary Beacock Fryer, pp.122-123.

The Canadian North-West (1885), Graeme Mercer Adam, pp. 317-319.

The Dominion and the annual register (1886), Joseph Kinsey Howard, p.436.

The Canadian prairies: a history (1987), Gerald Friesen, p.154

Sweet promises: a reader on Indian-white relations (1991), James Rodger Miller, p.229.

The copyright of the article Battle of Cut Knife in Canadian History is owned by Barbara Martin. Permission to republish Battle of Cut Knife in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.