Leif Newry Fitzroy Crozier | |
|---|---|
 L.N.F. Crozier c. 1880 | |
| Born | 11 June 1846 Newry,Ireland, UK |
| Died | 25 February 1901(1901-02-25) (aged 54) Cushing, Oklahoma Territory |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | Dominion of Canada |
| Branch | Canadian Militia North-West Mounted Police |
| Years of service | 1863-1873 (Canadian Militia) 1872-1886 (NWMP) |
| Rank | Major (Canadian Militia) Assistant Commissioner (NWMP) |
| Battles / wars | Fenian Raids North-West Rebellion |
| Other work | merchant and banker |
Leif Newry Fitzroy Crozier (11 June 1846 – 25 February 1901), commonly known asL. N. F. Crozier, was aCanadian Militia officer and a superintendent of theNorth-West Mounted Police (NWMP), now best remembered for his role in theNorth-West Rebellion of 1885, a resistance movement headed byMétis leaderLouis Riel in what is now the modernprovince ofSaskatchewan.
Crozier was born in June 1846 in Ireland. The family emigrated to Canada and settled inBelleville, Canada West. In Belleville he tried a number of occupations such as printing, clerking in stores and offices, andin a lawyer's office. Subsequently, he studied for a period at amedical college. The military had been Crozier's earliest interest, and he had enlisted in theCanadian Militia at the age of 16 with the15th Battalion Volunteer Militia (Infantry) Canada. He had served during theFenian raids and by 1873 reached the rank of major in the militia.[1]
Crozier was commissioned as Sub-Inspector in the NWMP in 1872, and was promoted to Inspector the following year. In the service, Crozier saw first hand the hardships faced by the Native people as thebuffalo disappeared. By 1884, he was the Superintendent stationed inFort Carlton. He warned Lieutenant-GovernorEdgar Dewdney that government policies were creating unrest among theFirst Nations and Métis. Since he feared a repetition of theRed River Rebellion, he asked for reinforcements to be sent to the North-West.[citation needed]
Wanting to avoid conflict, he attempted to negotiate with Louis Riel but was unsuccessful leaving the situation in a stalemate.[2]On 26 March 1885, Crozier led a group of approximately 100 mounted police andPrince Albert Volunteers from Fort Carlton and a seven-pounder gun to bring back provisions which were running low at Fort Carlton. These men were confronted byGabriel Dumont and a superior force of Métis nearDuck Lake, Saskatchewan; no shots were fired and the police returned to Fort Carlton. In the ensuingBattle of Duck Lake, the NWMP were routed by the Métis. The resistance that he had wanted to avoid earlier broke out.[3]On 21 March 1885, Major Crozier received a letter from Louis Riel demanding that he surrender or Riel will "commence without delay, a war of extermination upon those who have shown themselves hostile to our rights."[4] The retreat of the government under heavy fire tarnished the reputation of the NWMP.[citation needed]Crozier's role in the remainder of the rebellion was minimal, and his force largely remained at its post inBattleford, Saskatchewan. His march on Duck Lake and into an ambush stalled his career with the NWMP. Nevertheless, he was on 1 April promoted to assistant commissioner of the NWMP, a post which he held until his retirement in 1886. In 1886, after the Prime Minister, SirJohn A. Macdonald, appointed a civilian commissioner instead of himself, he resigned. He spent his later years in as a merchant and banker inOklahoma Territory, dying of a heart attack inCushing, Oklahoma Territory on 25 February 1901. His body was brought back toBelleville, Ontario, to be buried.[citation needed]
Saskatchewan Herald, Articles on the Frog Lake Massacre, ArticleCarlton
