Veteran Windy Gale sent us the following NWMP legend which appeared in the 44th edition (1962) of the Vancouver Division’s Scarlet & Gold magazine.

The late Gen. John J. Pershing once cooperated with the Mounted Police in a matter that subsequently grew into one of those fabulous tales about the Force.

Illustration of two NWMP members patrolling the Cypress Hills.

The facts of the tale is as follows:

In 1895, the United States government was undecided what to do with the Canadian Cree camped in the State of Montana.  

1886 – Photograph of Lt. J.J. Pershing as a cadet at West Point.

Photograph of the 10th Cavalry on patrol in Montana.

In June 1896, Lieutenant J.J. “Black Jack” Pershing commanded the 10th Cavalry unit based at Fort Assiniboine.   Governor Richards directed that the Canadian Cree be departed back to Canada as “they are caught.”  Within weeks, Lieutenant Pershing surprised an encampment of Cree near Great Falls, Montana and arrested them all.  Other Cree were added to the group captured by Pershing and were escorted from Helena to the Canadian border.  Four Cree died on this journey.

1896 – Photograph of Cree members with Little Bear Standing in the middle. of the remnants of Big Bear’s Band. Photograph was taken taken in Navre Montana.

Two NWMP members met Pershing and his cavalry unit with 192 Cree at Courts in southern Alberta.

Photograph of a NWMP member on horseback.

Unsubstantiated portion of the tale:

Apparently, one NWMP constable greeting Lt. Pershing by stating “I’ve come for the Indians”  In response, Pershing asked where was the NWMP regiment.  

The single NWMP constable responded by saying “he is beyond the hill washin’ the frying pan. We’re the regiment.”

Facts of the tale continue:

Two of the Cree were immediately arrested for the Frog Lake Murders: Little Bear and Lucky Man.

1897 – Photograph of Little Bear (Imasees) – son of Big Bear.

The details leading up to the transfer of the Cree Band from the U.S. Cavalry to the NWMP members and the subsequent actions against two Cree males are outlined in the book entitled “The Montana Cree: A Study In Religious Persistence” by Veme Dusenbery (page 37 – 41).

On December 17, 1896, Pershing was reassigned to duties at the U.S. Army headquarters in Washington DC and was appointed to West Point in 1897. Black Jack would advance through the ranks of the United States Army to become the general who lead the American Expeditionary Forces to victory over Germany in World War I.

Photograph of General J.J. “Backpack” Pershing. of the United States Army.

Fourteen years before, however, Reg. No.581 Cst. Daniel “Peaches” Davis escorted several hundred Assiniboines from N.W.M.P. Headquarters at Fort Walsh, which was some 70 miles from the boundary, to reservations allotted them further north. The United States military did not enter the picture. Constable Davis, unaided, left with his charges on May 23, 1882, and arrived at his destination near Battleford 25 days later. Similar responsibilities were discharged by members of the Force in their stride and were not considered unique. In this case Peaches was available, knew the country, and could drive a four-horse team. The way his comrades looked at it, so long as the tobacco and rations lasted Davis’ Indians would string along with the grub wagons. Time has merged the separate incidents into one, and popular fancy, abetted by a ready journalism, has inflated that one until Davis’ tour of duty has lately been likened to Gideon’s defeat of the Midianites. The tall-tale teller likes to picture a thousand renegade Indians being handed over by its powerful American escort to a lone laconic constable, whose wits and daredevil courage carry him through a perilous trek that all but changed the nation’s destiny.