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The first ground assault
With no boat to divide the enemy forces, Middleton’s men were unable to break through the Metis lines. Louis Riel had less than 350 men, but they were entrenched in rifle pits. Middleton was forced to retreat. -
A two-pronged plan foiled
Maj. General Frederick Dobson Middleton, the commander of the Canadian forces, planned to attack Batoche from two sides. He and his ground forces would approach from the East, while a converted steamboat came up the river from the West.
Unfortunately for Middleton he was late arriving, and without a ground force to distract them the Metis saw the steamship coming. They lowered a ferry cable across the river, shearing the boat’s smokestacks and sending it helplessly down the river.
Pic: Middleton -
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The Batlle of Batoche
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Softening up the defenders
Rather than send a full force against the entrenched Metis for a second day in a row, Middleton chose to bombard Batoche with artillery fire and pepper the bunkers with fire from a Gatling gun. The Metis continued to fire at the Canadian soldiers from their bunkers. -
Gauging the Metis’ strength
Middleton continued to hammer the Metis with artillery and Gatling bullets. The defenders were starting to get low on ammunition, and some of them resorted to firing rocks and nails from their rifles.
To test the Metis’ strength, Middleton sent men north along the enemy flank. As soldiers moved up to defend, the main line was weakened.
Seeing the effectiveness of this tactic and knowing the Metis were short on ammunition, Middleton resolved to end the battle the next day. -
Batoche taken
Middleton took men and his Gatling gun north, with the intention of dividing the enemy force.
The main assault on Batoche was to start when they heard gunfire from the north, but wind prevented the sound from carrying.
Frustrated, Middleton withdrew to his camp for lunch. Little did he know, the southern force attacked anyway, and were able to rout the defenders, who were weakened from days of bombardment.
Photo: Louis Riel
