Thomas Tresham Selby's Letters & Research for Dr. Stewart of the Manitoba Historical Society

28-Sept-1932 T.T. Selby letter to Dr Stewart, MB Historical Society

Over a number of years in the 1930's, Thomas Tresham Selby corresponded with Dr. Stewart, President of the Manitoba Historical Society.  Having spent almost 50 years living in the area around Fort Ellice (St. Lazare), Thomas T. Selby had been researching the location of forts and local histories from the area. In the fall of 1932, Thomas T. Selby sent a letter to Dr. Stewart with a number of pages of information attached.  Copies of these records are included below and can be found at the Archives of Manitoba.

One of the documents details the Beaver Creek Hudson Bay Post. The digitized copy of the written document is on the right and I've transcribed the text below:

26-Sept-1932 T.T. Selby letter regarding Beaver Creek Hudson Bay Post

I interviewed Ambrose Boyer, a half-breed in his 75th year. He remembers this fort, and tells me that when a boy of perhaps 8 years of age, he accompanied his father and other breeds on a buffalo hunt to the south. They secured the meat and returned to the fort to feed their old folks and cure the meat.

After resting, they started on another hunt. After proceeding five miles they arrived at the crossing on Beaver Creek, there they loosed their ponies for grass and water.

Whilst waiting, they saw a Red River cart coming down the trail at full speed.  On its arrival, they saw it contained a woman (Boyer’s mother). She was crying and said an explosion had occurred at the Fort after their departure, setting fire to it and killing her brother, so she had followed to get them to return.

Boyer told me he remembers seeing his uncle lying dead when they got back, but does not remember if the man who caused the explosion was killed. It occurred through a man striking flint and steel near an open keg of powder after being warned to desist.

Granting Boyer to be about 75 years old now and at the time of the explosion, eight - the destruction of the fort must have occurred about 1865 A.D. Boyer told me the H.B.C. erected this fort in place of the one near the Cut Arm Creek, as the Blackfoot Indians were then causing great trouble there.

I think I spoke to you of a man Prichard who I under-stood claimed he was born at this fort in 1800, giving me the impression that this fort was in existence then. I now think that impression was wrong, and the site where the fort was erected afterwards was a habitat for half-breeds owing to the never failing spring & piece of open ground surrounded by bush. [Dated] 26th Sep 1932

The second document is the story of a young indigenous girl who is the lone survivor of an attack on her camp. Again, the digitized copy is on the right and I've transcribed the text below:

28-Sept-1932 T.T. Selby letter regarding young Indian girl

Story relating to an Indian girl, sole survivour, of a band of Muskeg Indians, who had met and fought with a hostile band, were conquered & annahilated with the exception of this one girl.

The fight, from information I have gathered, took place somewhere in the vicinity of the mouth of the Cut Arm Creek, or it might have been near the N.W. Co's fort on 29-17-30 W. of 1st M.

After all was over, a Frenchman by name of Fleury visited the scene of carnage, discovering this girl who was still alive, with her scalp hanging over her face. He took her to his home where she was nursed back to health. Fleury cared for her and when she became old enough, she was married to one of his sons. Whether the said son was white like his father or a half-breed, I cannot say with certainty. At any rate, she had a family. Five of this family I knew or knew of, three sons and two daughters (one of the sons is still living).

There are many descendants of this Indian girl living near St. Lazare today. In one instance, at least the sixth generation.

This woman was a Muskeg Indian and was called 'Muskeg' till death. Her death took place a mile or so up the valley from the mouth of the Qu'Appelle River and one + a half mile from the R.C. Cemeterary at St. Lazare where she was buried by Father DeCorby sometime in th eighties [1880's]. She said she was over a 100 years of age but facts scarcely bear this out if the aforestated battle tookk place in the year 1805 and a granddaughter of hers is correct, who tells me she was supposed to be eight years old at that time.

Her descendents here are largely represented by the Fleurys, Haydens, Belhumeurs, Prichards, Desjarlais, Le Clairs, and many others. 
[Dated] 28th Sep 1932

The last document details the North West Company Fort on the banks of the Qu'Appelle River. Thomas indicated the fort was probably located on Section 29-17-30 West of the 1st meridian and about 2 miles south of Welby on the C.N.R rail line. Digitized copies of the written document are on the right and I've transcribed the text below:

28-Sept-1932 T.T. Selby letter regarding North West Company Fort on the south bank of the Qu'Appelle River.

I visited the above site a short time ago. It is situated about two thirds of the way down the south bank of the Qu'Appelle River and surrounded by bush. It seems to me to have been about 150 feet square and the cellars are still most plainly visible, as are others which must have been outside the fort proper, also some fallen chimneys. A place was pointed out to me where the gun powder was stored, also the well. The road leading from the valley to the Fort is easily traced. I presume the N.W. Co.'s fort still spoken of by the natives as having stood side-by-side with the H.B. Fort near the Cut Arm may have been this one.

I was accompanied on this trip by Alex Hayden, whose wife is one of four sisters still living, grand-daughter of the Indian girl who survived the massacre in 1805. 
[Dated] 28th Sep 1932