Description
North West Canada 1885 Medal, for the Riel Rebellion, Battery Sergeant Major William James Anderson, Montreal Brigade Garrison Artillery.
Engraved in the distinctive official style seen to surviving medals of this unit: “Batty. Sgt. Maj. W.J. Anderson. M.G.A.”
Confirmed on the medal roll.
William James Anderson, was a Canadian born circa 1853, he was “William James Anderson Junior”, the son of William James Anderson (Senior), MD, a Doctor. His father was born in Gloucester, where his father worked as a Doctor but raised in his families native Scotland, before being brought to Canada with his family.
His grandfather was “Colonel James Willoughby Anderson”, also a Medical Doctor from Elgin, Scotland who worked in Scotland and England and was after his education at Guy’s Hospital commissioned as an Army Surgeon, coming to Canada with the Army.
“1 Day After the Battle of Waterloo” whilst stationed in Canada as an officer, he was sent to Halifx to look after the fortifications of the city, and later was sent to “Achrimsdale” in Scotland according to family records “to assist small farmers in fighting the Duchess of Sutherland”, after leving the Army he set up practice in Pictou, Nova Scotia.
You can read more about his esteemed father Dr Anderson here:
https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/anderson_william_james_10E.html
Shortly before the Riel Rebellion, William is shown on the 1881 Census, living in St Lawrence Ward in the City of Montreal, Quebec, aged 28.
After his service he worked mainly as a Book Keeper, not choosing to follow Medicine like his father and grandfather.
He died in the City of Quebec on 12th November 1924.
During the Riel Rebellion of 1885, 250 Men and Officers of the Montreal Garrison Artillery were sent out on active service.
This consisted of 6 Batteries, of which William was the Battery Sergeant Major of No 4 Battery, being the most senior man of the battery who was not an officer, under Captain F.M. Cole and Lieut Lane.
Under his command as B.S.M. was 3 Sergeants, 3 Corporals, 1 Bombardier and 29 Gunners.
One of the more interesting parts about the experience of the Montreal Garrison Artillery was that during the campaign they were tasked with guarding the legendary warrior Chief Piapot, one of the five major leaders of the Plains Cree, “The Great Chief of the Qu’Appelle Valley”.
Piapot was placed in a sort of Political Prison and closely watched over by the Montreal Garrison Artillery when a military fort was established right next to his reserve, Paipot was the only leader to not be arrested as as Rebel.
Piapot was invited to visit the camp of the Artillery, and was even allowed to conduct a traditional Sun Dance to which Officers and others of the regiment were invited to take part, they had not been allowed to conduct this ritual for some years at the time. Piapot liked to call the Montreal Artillery, “The Children of the Great Mother”.
“Piapot, his chiefs and his warriors were invited in return to visit the camp of the Garrison Artillery, which they did during the following week, when a review was held before them.
The evolutions of the troops astonished Piapot, the charge with fixed bayonets which was made in his direction filled him with fear, he believing that a trap was being sprung upon him. The music of the band had no charms to smoothe his savage breast, he being indifferent to all but the big drum with which he fell in love and begged hard for. He was allowed to beat it for some time, much to his delight.”
“Besides these regiments, the Montreal Garrison Artillery under command of Lieutenant-Colonel W.R. Oswald, was on the 28th May, despatched to Regina, the capital of the North West territories, to guard the political Prison which had been established there, and also to watch Piapot’s tribe of Indians.”
During the time, embedded with the Army was an American Photographer called Oliver B. Buell aka Otto, who photographed much of the Montreal Garrison Artillery and even pictures of them with Chief Piapot, it was said that he managed to sell 1,700 of his photos just to the Montreal Artillery-men.
You can view one such photograph at the link below, of the Montreal Garrison Artillery sitting with Piapot and some of his men, along with Lieut Governor Edgar Dewdney.
https://www.metismuseum.ca/resource.php/05028
Another photo here:
https://digital.scaa.sk.ca/ourlegacy/solr?query=ID:23714&start=0&rows=10&mode=results
