Charles Arkoll Boulton

Charles Arkoll Boulton (born May 17, 1841 in Cobourg , Upper Canada , † May 15, 1899 in Russell , Manitoba ) was a Canadian officer and politician . During the Red River Rebellion of 1869/70 he was an opponent of Louis Riel , in 1885 he contributed significantly to the suppression of the Northwest Rebellion . He sat in the Senate from 1889 until his death .

biography

Boulton received his education from Upper Canada College . Following family tradition, he embarked on a military career in 1858. He served in Gibraltar , Malta and Montreal , and in 1868 he was promoted to major in the 46th Ontario Militia Battalion . In 1869 he received from William McDougall , the Minister of Public Works, commissioned a group of surveyors in the far from the Hudson's Bay Company managed Red River Colony to accompany. The government expected numerous new settlers after the impending handover to Canada. For this reason the land should be re-measured.

The resident Métis , led by Louis Riel , who had no secure legal claim to the land they cultivated, defended themselves against this project and thereby triggered the Red River Rebellion . Boulton received orders from his superior, Colonel John Stoughton Dennis , to recruit volunteers to put down the insurrection. When 50 volunteers were captured, Boulton left the colony and spent the winter in Portage la Prairie . There he met some people who had escaped from captivity. Boulton tried to keep fanatics like Charles Mair and Thomas Scott under control. He took the lead himself and on February 17, 1870, commanded an attack on Fort Garry , which failed. Boulton was initially sentenced to death, but then pardoned on March 16.

Boulton settled in Lakefield in Peterborough County . There he ran a sawmill and was active in local politics. In 1877 he had to file for bankruptcy and moved back to Manitoba , where he became a farmer. When he learned of the Northwest Rebellion in March 1885 , he put his services to Major General Frederick Dobson Middleton . He recruited a unit of volunteers and participated with them in the Battle of Fish Creek and the Battle of Batoche . He then chased Big Bear until he surrendered to the North-West Mounted Police .

The Freemason Boulton tried in vain to capitalize on his military successes and had to keep his families afloat as farmers, shopkeepers and president of Manitoba's dairy farmers' association. In the general election in 1887 , he ran unsuccessfully for the Conservative Party in the Marquette constituency. Eventually, Prime Minister John Macdonald named him Senator in recognition of his services . In the Senate, Boulton campaigned mainly for free trade and the construction of additional railroad lines.

Web links

• Charles Arkoll Boulton . In: Dictionary of Canadian Biography . 24 volumes, 1966–2018. University of Toronto Press, Toronto ( English , French ).
• Charles Arkoll Boulton - biographical information on the website of the Canadian Parliament (English)