Thomas Bland Strange
Encyclopedia
Thomas Bland Strange known as 'Gunner Jingo', was a British
soldier noted for his service with the Canadian militia
during the North-West Rebellion
of 1885. Strange was a retired Major-General at the time of the rebellion, and was raising cavalry
horse
s near modern Calgary, Alberta
. At the outbreak of the rebellion, his old friend Adolphe-Philippe Caron
, who was minister of militia and defence in the government
of Sir John A. Macdonald
, asked Strange to organize a field
force for the District of Alberta. This force, consisting primarily of inexperienced militiamen and a few members of the North-West Mounted Police, participated in the Battle of Frenchman's Butte
fighting against forces under the command of Cree
leader Big Bear
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
soldier noted for his service with the Canadian militia
Colonial militia in Canada
From the founding of New France until the establishment of a professional Canadian Army, the colonial militia played an extremely important role in the defence of Canada...
during the North-West Rebellion
North-West Rebellion
The North-West Rebellion of 1885 was a brief and unsuccessful uprising by the Métis people of the District of Saskatchewan under Louis Riel against the Dominion of Canada...
of 1885. Strange was a retired Major-General at the time of the rebellion, and was raising cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s near modern Calgary, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. At the outbreak of the rebellion, his old friend Adolphe-Philippe Caron
Adolphe-Philippe Caron
Sir Joseph-Philippe-René-Adolphe Caron, PC, KCMG was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He is now best remembered as the Minister of Militia and Defence in the government of Sir John A...
, who was minister of militia and defence in the government
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
of Sir John A. Macdonald
John A. Macdonald
Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , QC was the first Prime Minister of Canada. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, his political career spanned almost half a century...
, asked Strange to organize a field
force for the District of Alberta. This force, consisting primarily of inexperienced militiamen and a few members of the North-West Mounted Police, participated in the Battle of Frenchman's Butte
Battle of Frenchman's Butte
The Battle of Frenchman's Butte, fought on May 28, 1885, occurred when a force of Cree, dug in on a hillside near Frenchman's Butte, was unsuccessfully attacked by the Alberta Field Force.-Background:...
fighting against forces under the command of Cree
Cree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
leader Big Bear
Big Bear
Big Bear or Mistahi-maskwa was a Cree leader notable for his involvement in the North-West Rebellion and his subsequent imprisonment.-Early life and leadership:...
.