NWMP "state of the union" in April 1878.

The data below appeared in the April 5th, 1878, British Whig (Kingston). I thought it was interesting to get a glimpse at the force's coverage at the time.

December 10th, 1879: "Constable Grayburn's Death - A Mysterious Affair"

The article from the Regina Leader-Post copied early last month piqued my interest in Marmaduke Graburn's story. Graburn has the unfortunate distinction of being the first member of the NWMP to be killed in the line of duty.

Here again, record are somewhat unclear. The article copied in the June post and the one below from the December 10th, 1879, Ottawa Daily Citizen refer to the young man as "Grayburn". However, his name is most often displayed as "Graburn", without the "y" in the middle.

The Citizen's story relays information from the official report to the Minister of the Interior. It seemed like as good a source as any, since there are discrepancies in the various retellings of Graburn's misadventure. 

"The Fort That Kept The Canadian West From Going Wild"

The article below appeared in the Regina Leader-Post on June 22nd, 1981. I enjoyed the way it recapitulated Fort Walsh's short history, and that it provided a couple of point I'll want to research further (being constable Grayburn's murder and the reasoning behind the fort's location).