Macdonell on the Battle of Seven Oaks

8/3/2019 Macdonell on the Battle of Seven Oaks

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Battle of Seven Oaks: North West Company Account:

By Alexander Greenfield Macdonell (1782 – 1835)

Alexander emigrated from Scotland with his family to Upper Canada in 1792. He entered

the service of the North West Company in 1803, and in 1808 was a clerk in the Red RiverDepartment under the John MacDonald of Garth. He was made a partner in 1814 andplayed an important and prominent part in the resistance to the Hudson’s Bay Company

edicts regarding the fur trade and control of provisions. He was among the Nor’Westers

criticized by the leadership for failing to resist Miles MacDonnell’s “pemmicanproclamation” more vigorously, and he was apparently made a partner and placed in

charge of the Red River Department on the understanding that there would be more

opposition to the settlement. For the next few years he and Duncan Cameron would leada campaign against the colony, employing the local freemen, mixed-bloods, and Indians.

He helped promote a concept of Aboriginal rights among these people, and appears to

have favoured intimidation short of the “shedding of blood.” Cuthbert Grant and his men

at Seven Oaks were under his orders, but the violence of that confrontation later assessedto be inadvertent.

Alexander served in the eighth Parliament of Upper Canada in the riding of Glengarry and then in the twelfth Parliament in the riding of Prescott. In 1822, Alexander

became the Sheriff of the Ottawa District, a position he held until his death in 1835.

In 1819 Narrative of the transactions in the Red River Country from the commencement

of the operations of the Earl of Selkirk till the summer of 1816 appeared under his name

in London, England.

Alexander Greenfield Macdonell, “A narrative of transactions in the Red River country:From the commencement of the operations of the Earl of Selkirk, till the summer of the

year 1816.” London: B. McMillan, 1820.

Macdonell was with his brigade at Portage la Prairie when he gave his instructions to

Cuthbert Grant to by-pass the Hudson’s Bay Company gunboat blockade on the river andcircle overland around Fort Douglas to avoid confrontation. The excerpt of his account of

the Battle of Seven Oaks is given below.

Contrary to popular belief only four Selkirk Settlers took part in the battle, three were

killed (MacLean, Green and Sutherland) and one was captured (Sutherland’s brother).

Five officers were killed; Semple (American), Lieutenant Holte (Swedish), Capt. Rogers,Dr Wilkenson and Dr. White (all English). The rest of the men who were killed were allyoung, single Irish and Scotts HBC employees.

Cuthbert Grants force was made up of nine French-Canadians, nine Indians, two Scottsand 24 Michifs.





















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Macdonell on the Battle of Seven Oaks