Sam Steele- In 1874 Sam Steele was a Sergeant-Major of "A" Division.
"A"
Division took the northern route to Fort Edmonton during the great March
West. The trip over the rough terrain with a distance of 875 miles was
the kind of thing to make or break as a man. Sam Steele was strong, hard
and almost indestructible.
It took a man of tremendous strength to stand the life of
service in the Northwest Mounted Police, most could barely make five
years, Steele took it for Twenty-five. During his time with the
NWMPolice he made friends with just about everyone. The men of the
force certainly but also with buffalo hunters, Indian and missionaries.
At the time Alberta was a pretty rough place. We had buffalo
running around everywhere and their were warring Indians who didn't mind
a nice scalp. The were also whiskey traders, gambles , horse thieves,
and cattle rustlers. Add to this the diplomacy of signing treaties and
good old Sitting Bull to deal with.
In the early spring of 1884, the police received advance warning
of big trouble coming up with the Indians and half breeds. it seems that
one of Louie Reil's agent started telling everyone that the white man
should be driven from the country and it was a fine thing to kill the
settlers cattle. To make along story short he was arrested and put in
jail for 30 days.
As soon as he was released he was up to his funny business once
again. He was rearrested near Gleichen. On the way back to Calgary the
culprit slipped his handcuffs and jumped off the speeding train.
Sam Steele and two constables visited Chief Crowfoot's Lodge to
find a pow-wow going on. And who was sitting in the middle our trouble
making half breed. Colonel Steele told the man to come with him.
Crowfoot immediately sprang up at Steele. Steele moved toward him with
his hand on his gun and a sharp rebuke. He then grabbed the Metis by the
scuff of the neck and hauled him through the assembled natives back to
Calgary. He warned them then that if the Police came for some one they
would get their man alive or dead.
Sam Steel died in 1919 in London England, It was his influence
that changed Alberta from a rough place to a place of peace of and
security.