Oct 11, 1869 St-Vital Manitoba - Canadian surveyor Adam Clark Webb and his crew try to mark off a long farm field belonging to Metis André Nault, a cousin of Louis Riel; when Nault asks them to leave and they refuse, a group of 16 unarmed Metis led by Riel arrive; Riel places his foot on the surveyor's chain, and tells the crew 'You go no further'. This incident marks the beginning of the Red River Insurrection; Metis and others object to transfer of Rupert's Land to Canadian sovereignty without being consulted, and fear a flood of eastern settlers will destroy their way of life. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oct 11, 1615 Perryville New York - Samuel de Champlain c1570-1635, with a war party of Hurons, is ambushed by the Onondagas. The Hurons get the worst of the fighting after a three hour battle, even though Champlain uses his blunderbuss against the Iroquois. He is wounded and the party withdraw back across Lake Ontario. This is the only known portrait of Champlain. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Oct 11, Mary Macleod 1852-1933 Western Canada pioneer, was born Mary Drever on this day at Red River Manitoba in 1852; died in Calgary Apr 15, 1933. At age 17, during the Red River Rebellion, Macleod was able to evade her Metis guards and deliver an important despatch to Colonel Garnet Wolseley. In 1876 she married a man who had been a young soldier on the Red River Expedition - the new Commissioner of the NWMP, James Macleod. She accompanied her husband on many of his inspection tours, and was a signer of Blackfoot Treaty #7 in 1877. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Oct 11, 1776 Ticonderoga, New York - Guy Carleton, Baron Dorchester 1724-1808 inflicts heavy losses on General Benedict Arnold's American fleet at Valcour Island off Crown Point; first naval battle of Lake Champlain a British victory, but it stalls Carleton's plans to invade the rebel colonies from Canada. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oct 11, 1615 Perryville New York - Samuel de Champlain c1570-1635 ambushed by Onondagas and Senecas near present-day Syracuse; Hurons get worst of fighting after three hour battle; Champlain wounded by an arrow; party withdraw back across Lake Ontario; French use guns against the Iroquois for the first time.