Cypress Hills Massacre
| Cypress Hills Massacre | |
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Site of the Cypress Hills Massacre
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| Location | Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Nearest city | Maple Creek No. 111 |
| Coordinates | 49°32′59″N 109°53′21″W / 49.54972°N 109.88917°WCoordinates: 49°32′59″N 109°53′21″W / 49.54972°N 109.88917°W |
| Year of event | 1873 |
| Designated | 1 January 1964 |
The Cypress Hills Massacre was a mass murder that occurred on June 1, 1873, in the Cypress Hills region of Battle Creek, North-West Territories (now in Saskatchewan). It involved a group of American bison hunters, American wolf hunters or 'wolfers', American and Canadian whisky traders, Métis cargo haulers or 'freighters', and a camp of Assiniboine people. An estimated twenty or more Natives and one wolfer died. The Cypress Hills Massacre prompted the Canadian government to accelerate the recruitment and deployment of the newly formed North-West Mounted Police to prevent further conflict.
The incident began in the spring of 1873 when a small party of Canadian and American wolfers, led by Thomas W. Hardwick and John Evans, were returning from their winter hunt. While they camped on the Teton River a group of unknown Natives stole their horses. After determining that their horses were indeed stolen the men travelled to Fort Benton, Montana Territory, about five miles, with the intention of regaining their horses. At Fort Benton the wolfers pleaded for assistance and justice for the crimes against them, but were met with a refusal by the local military commander. On their own, the men began an expedition to retrieve the stolen horses. The party numbered 13 men, a collection of American and Canadian free traders. Described as typical frontiersmen, the group had had previous conflicts with Natives and were unwilling to seek peace. They were prepared to use violence to retrieve their stolen property.
The group quickly travelled from Fort Benton northward across the border in pursuit of the stolen horses. They eventually arrived at Abe Farwell’s post, a small trading post located within the Cypress Hills region. While the group was there they met up with George Hammond, an unsavoury figure who had recently been selling whisky to the Natives with Farwell. Hammond was close friends with John Evans and Thomas Hardwick, the leaders of the group, and subsequently joined with the other wolfers in the search for the horses. Farwell assured Evans that Little Soldier, the leader of a small band of Assiniboine that was located near the trading post, had no horses with them. After a brief search it was determined by the group that Little Soldier showed no evidence that he stole their horses. Evans, Hammond, and the rest of the wolfers retired for the night at Farwell’s trading post. The gang spent the evening and the next morning drinking Farwell’s whisky with a group of recently arrived Métis freighters. In the morning it was believed that one of Little Soldier’s men had stolen George Hammond’s horse for a second time.
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