Saskatchewan Gen Web Project - SASKATCHEWAN AND ITS PEOPLE by JOHN HAWKES Vol 1I 1924


Dear Saskatchewan GenWeb Enthusiasts,

We come bearing exciting news for those who have journeyed through the corridors of the old Provincial Saskatchewan GenWeb site hosted by Rootsweb and Ancestry. Fear not, for our webpages will not only endure but thrive in a new digital haven!

New Beginnings, Rejuvenated Dedication:

Discover our revamped home at https://saskgenweb.ca/cansk/Saskatchewan. This transition marks the continuation of our unwavering commitment to document the rich history of Saskatchewan. The legacy of the one-room schoolhouses, cemetery headstones, historical maps, and the plethora of placenames will persist.

Navigating History's Landscape:

As we weave through the diversity of Saskatchewan's past, these webpages serve as a compass, guiding you to the closest one-room schoolhouse, a church or cemetery, or the nearest town or Rural Municipality for your genealogical or historical quest.

Patreon: A Beacon of Support:

The heart of this journey lies in the support of our growing Patreon community. With their encouragement, we've secured a new domain and web hosting provider-ensuring that the flame of this service continues to burn bright.

Grow With Us:

Join our Patreon community, become a pillar in our efforts to persist year after year. Your support is not just a contribution; it's a testament to the value of preserving the stories that make Saskatchewan unique.

Visit Our New Webpages:

Explore the evolving Saskatchewan GenWeb at https://saskgenweb.ca/cansk/Saskatchewan. The digital canvas is ready to be painted with the vibrant strokes of history.

Support Us on Patreon:

Behind every webpage update, every historical map scanned, and every record documented, there is a dedicated team of volunteers. If you find our service beneficial, consider supporting us through Patreon. Your contribution ensures that the Saskatchewan GenWeb remains a beacon for historians, genealogists, and the public.

Gratitude to Ancestry.com and Rootsweb.com:

We express our deep gratitude to Ancestry.com and Rootsweb.com for providing the foundation upon which this digital tapestry was woven. Now, as we transition, we seek your support in maintaining paid web hosting.

Sustaining a Legacy:

The Saskatchewan GenWeb service has been a cornerstone for those seeking to unravel the past. Today, we invite you to stand with us in ensuring its continued existence for generations to come.

Join Us in This Exciting Chapter:

Visit https://saskgenweb.ca/cansk/Saskatchewan and witness the renaissance of the Saskatchewan GenWeb. Thank you for being a vital part of our community and for your enduring passion for genealogy and history in our best beloved province of Canada.

Warm regards,

The Saskatchewan GenWeb Volunteer Team




SASKATCHEWAN AND ITS PEOPLE
1924
Volume II



	          

WESTERNERS IN THE BOER WAR.

The Boer war, commencing in 1899 and lasting three years, called forth a hearty response from the Northwest Territories. When Canada offered assistance to the Old Land, the British War Office requested that infantry be sent, and the first contingent consisted of a regiment of foot. The War had not developed very far when it became evident that light horsemen were required in numbers, and the succeeding regiments sent out were all mounted men. The 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles were raised in the West, the principal rendezvous being at Regina, the headquarters of the Mounted Police. The regiment was largely stiffened up by North West Mounted Police, and all the officers belonged to that body. Com- missioner Herchmer was the Colonel commanding; Lieut.-Col. Sam Steele second in command; Lieut. Montague Baker, adjutant; Lieutenant Eus- tace, transport officer; Captain Allan, quartermaster; Surgeon-Captain Devine, medical officer; Lieutenants Moody, Begin, Davidson, Wroughton, Cosby, Chalmers, Taylor and Inglis. The Regina battalion numbered about 350 and another section was raised at Calgary. The townspeople of Regina, gave it a send off at the Town Hall on the 10th January, 1900, the night previous to its departure, when each man received an envelope containing a sum of money. The envelopes were handed to the recipients by Lieutenant-Governor Forget and in the absence of Colonel Herchmer, Major Howe acknowledged the gifts. Premier Haultain gave the fare- well speech which was described in the Regina Standard as "eloquent, comprehensive, lucid and not too long." The peroration was particularly touching as in subdued and well-measured accents he commended the soldiers to providential care. The meeting concluded by Mr. Haultain singing "Rule Brittania," all joining in the chorus; and during the eve- ning Mr. Robert Martin is recorded as having sung in fine style "The Red, White and Blue." The battalion does not appear to have got away till the following Monday, when a special train came down from Moose Jaw, with a large party of citizens and a brass band, to participate in the actual send off.

There was no Saskatchewan regiment, and what is now the province shared what credit there was with the rest of the Territories. We will confine ourselves therefore chiefly to what we may call the local aspect. The rendezvous of the Canadian Mounted Rifles had its interesting fea- tures, besides those already mentioned.' It was in March that the recruits began to come in, and so numerous were they that the selection was almost fastidious. If a man had a tooth or two missing he was liable to be rejected; and several were dismissed for some little breach of discipline after they had been enrolled. The recruits were an extremely serviceable, wiry, husky lot of men, but owing to their varied garb, they were a very motley crowd, some from Saskatchewan and Manitoba being in full winter garb, fur caps and Mennonite socks, and others from Sunny Alberta, in spring-like garb. It fell to Sergeant-Major Church, an old English guards- man, to drill these men, and right well did he perform the task. Many of the horses came straight off the prairies, and some of them had to be outlawed. When the recruiting was finished, and before uniforms had been issued, the day came to saddle up for the first time. The big riding school at the Barracks was the scene of the first mount, and we were in the gallery with other spectators. The men stood to their horses, and were ranged round the sides of the building. Colonel Herchmer with Sergeant-Major Church, and other officers were in the centre. All was quiet till Church gave the order to mount. Most of the horses were quiet, but in an instant a dozen men and horses were out of the ranks in the centre with the horses bucking and pitching to beat six. Presently all were back in the ranks again but one, and everyone watched the contest between this man and horse. Finding it could not unseat its rider, the horse threw itself down on its. side with lightning rapidity. It seemed impossible that the man could avoid being crushed, but there he was standing astraddle the horse with the lines in his hand smiling down at the brute, which now lay perfectly still, sulky, and beaten. Then the man got his feet together and gently kicked him. "Get up," he said. And after a few seconds it got up, now docile as a sheep; the man mounted him and rode quietly to his place in the rank. One hardly knows whether an incident like this so trivial in itself is worth recording, but it will illustrate the type of horse some of these me~ had to bring into the sub- jection of drill.

We cannot refrain from recording another incident, equally trivial. The men by this time were being drilled on the parade ground. A man came into barracks, who had been accepted in Southern Alberta and who had passed the doctor and all the tests except the riding test. The man was dressed in a cheap new "store" suit, and had a very footmanlike appearance. A sergeant told him that he had better wait till the men came off drill, as the only horse available was a bad one, and it wouldn't be fair to put him on it. The man was impatient, and there was quite a parley between the recruit and the good natured non-com. Said the sergeant, "Well if you insist, but do you think you can ride him"" "Ride him," bawled the man, now fairly exasperated, "ride him; I'll ride any- thing that wears hair; I'll ride a blankety porcupine if you'll give me a pair of leather breeches." The man was one of the best known horsemen on the Alberta ranges, but he had thought it incumbent on him to look respectable. Hence he had discarded, his riding outfit and donned that very misleading tweed suit from the store.

Almost immediately recruiting commenced for the Strathcona Horse, a regiment which was equipped and sent to the front entirely at the expense of Lord Strathcona. Colonel Sam Steele was recalled from Hali- fax to take command of this regiment, which achieved. an exceptional reputation in Africa under his brilliant leadership. Two other regiments were also sent out, and after the war Colonel Steele held the chief com- mand in the South African Constabulary. A story went the rounds about a Strathcona trooper who was "invalided" under rather peculiar circum- stances. It was after General Roberts had taken Pretoria. A man from Medicine Hat, feeling the need of excitement, mounted his horse, and rode out on the streets with a rope. Perceiving a Boer with a wheel barrow he roped him and was tugging him none too gently along the street. An English officer remonstrated. He released the Boer, trotted away a piece and then treated the Englishman to a similar experience. The doctors decided that the trooper was not very well, and sent him home. The Canadian soldiers did splendid work in the war. A soldier of the 1st Regiment told me that they were linked with the Gordons, and that they were very nervous at first lest they should cut a poor figure with the fam- ous Highland Regiment. "But," he said, "we found that we could out- shoot them and out-march them." This regiment helped to put the finish- ing touch on Cronje at Paardeberg. Sergeant A. H. Richardson of the N. W. M. P., who was with the Strathconas, won the Victoria Cross, by riding through a heavy fire and rescuing a wounded comrade. The name of this famous body has not been allowed to die and is now borne by an Alberta Regiment. Many other stories of heroism and endurance by the Canadian soldiers in Africa might be told; suffice it to say that their military qualities as there shown formed a fitting foreground to the deeds of the Great war fourteen years later. Bibliography follows:



Previous Page Previous Page SASKATCHEWAN AND ITS PEOPLE VOL II INDEX Next PageNext Page


THE STORY
OF
SASKATCHEWAN
AND ITS PEOPLE



By JOHN HAWKES
Legislative Librarian



Volume II
Illustrated



CHICAGO - REGINA
THE S.J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY
1924




Visitor # [an error occurred while processing this directive]

Web Master: Sask Gen Webmaster,

for Sask Gen Web Project

Re-published ": Thursday, 02-Nov-2023 15:53:57 MDT

URL: sites.rootsweb.com/~cansk/SaskatchewanAndItsPeople/Volume2/boerwar.html






We encourage links to this page.

These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format
for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons.
Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must
obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal
representative of the submitter, and contact the listed WebmasterWeb
master with proof of this consent.