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Title [James Macleod to his wife about daily life in Fort Walsh]
Archival Reference M-776-14a
Sub-collection Macleod, James F. Family  
Author Macleod, James F.  
Date 21 Sep 1880
Document Type Correspondence
Contents James Macleod to his wife about daily life in Fort Walsh, with reference to the arrival of new recruits who will shortly be sent to Fort Macleod.
Sub-collection Information James Farquharson Macleod, 1836-1894, was born in Scotland, the son of Martin Donald Macleod and Jane Fry. The family moved to Upper Canada in 1845. James received his BA from Queen's in 1854 and was called to the Bar in 1860. He served under Col. Wolseley during the 1870 Riel Rebellion. In 1873 he accepted the position of Assistant Commissioner in the newly formed North-West Mounted Police, and the following year led a police column to southern Alberta and established Fort Macleod. In 1875 he sent troops to establish Fort Walsh and Fort Calgary. He served as Commissioner of the NWMP from 1876 until 1880. As Commissioner he successfully negotiated Treaty 7 in 1877. When he resigned in 1880 he moved to Pincher Creek and devoted himself to judicial duties. He was one of only three magistrates in the North-West Territories. From 1887 until his death he was a judge of the Supreme Court of the North-West Territories. He married Mary Isabella Drever, 1852-1933, in 1876, and they had four daughters and a son, Helen (Cross), Jean (Montgomerie-Bell), Mary M. (Townshend), Roma (Sharpe), and Norman T. Macleod. His older brother, Norman Torquil Macleod, 1822-1885, served as the first Indian agent in southern Alberta from 1880 to 1882. Colonel Macleod School in Calgary was named in his honour in 1955. Macleod Drive in Lethbridge, Alberta, Macleod Manor at Fort Macleod, Macleod Island, Alberta, Macleod Mall in Calgary, Macleod Plaza in Calgary and Macleod Trail in Calgary are also named after Colonel Macleod.
Region Canada  
Subjects Travel and Transportation  Health and Medical  Food and Nutrition  Canadian Mounted Police  Women's History  Sexuality  Domestic Life and Living Conditions  Indigenous Peoples  First Nations  
Places Fort Walsh; Saskatchewan
People Macleod, James Farquharson  Macleod, Mary    
Themes Exploration, Expeditions & Travel; Health & Medicine; Indigenous Peoples; Women's History
Library Glenbow Museum  
Copyright Glenbow Museum
Transcript My own darling wife

I am afraid you have been awfully disappointed at not hearing from or seeing me before this letter reaches you. I have been intending all the time to send the wagons back but from one came another I have not thought it advisable to do so. They are such a lot of recruits here and the Indians – some of them were somewhat saucy. The fresh recruits will be here tomorrow so the men for Fort Macleod will start in a few days.

I read your two dear letters all right. I am sorry to hear that you have been pestered so much about Police matters and sincerely trust she has given up that sort of thing. My darling it will not be long before I am back again with you, when you won’t care so much for disagreeable things that are said. I am so anxious to hear again from you. I did not like at all to hear that you and the chicks [?] had been ailing. You remember how I have always tried to get you to wear flannel, I hope you won’t be mad when I tell you as soon as I received your last letter I telegraphed to Mag Baldwin to get Kay to mail you up some at once. Don’t you think I did right?

We did not have a very pleasant trip down, Winder was awfully blue and b – ached the whole of the second day and the last two days from here were flightfully wet. I don’t think I ever saw the fain come down in such perfect sheets before. Fortunately we were able to break into the Indian Agent’s house the last night or we would have been drowned in the tent.

My stay here has not been much more comfortable than heretofore. I was taking my meals at the Clark’s at first but the poor little woman got very ill. She is that happy state in which women like to be who love theirs lords. She used to go out riding up and down the hills about here, and must have injured herself some way.

She appears to have quite got over it now, and walks about nearly as usual. Poor Clark is very anxious about the end – there is no one here that he can get to look after her. He has made an addition of a good sized bed room to their house and when it is finished they will be snug enough, but to my mind this is an awful place to think of living in [?] at any rate for a woman in her position without any other woman she cares about to come and see her. Won’t I feel happy when I turn my face to my own little nest and my own darlings. It seems almost too good to be true that there is a prospect of our being so long together without separating. So you are naughty enough to sit and think of the naughty things I have said. Don’t you ever do any naughty things? Do you remember the night you led me over from the Winders. How willingly I would be led now, and please God it wont be long before I am.

Some how or other I am always blue at this place and can never get my spirits up. I think I am blue today as I have had a touch of the diarrhea for a number of days, but the Doctor has given me some stuff to stop it.

Irvine took a run [?] Assiniboine and while he was there I stayed in his tent at the Camp. We had one frightful night. It snowed about 6 inches deep and blowed great guns. A lot of tents came down mine amongst the number. I just lay in my bed till Stewart came in the morning and got me a temporary pole. The whole day the place was in a beautiful state of mud.

I had several powwows with Indians in the quarters I am occupying and it was in a fearful state of filth. Who should turn up in the evening but Irvine with Col Lee and a Captn Paul. It must have been a most cheerless thing coming in after their 80 mile drive against a very cold wind. When I came down next morning it looked bad enough. Lee was well supplied with phiz etc. It seemed so strange to be asked to have a horn in one’s own house by the man who was visiting you. A large party of us went out for a ride the next day and enjoyed ourselves very much. Winder does not like this place a bit better than he did at first. He has not moved into camp but occupies a room in the [tent?].

I hope to goodness Annie is getting on well. I will be into your arms before long - I think about the beginning of the month, until then we must only live upon the expectation of lots of fun. Kiss our dear little pets for me and give my love to Norman and Norrie.

Ever my sweet Mary

Your devoted Jim