Thomas Scott (Orangeman)

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Thomas Scott

Thomas Scott (c. 1842 – 1870) was an Irish-born Canadian and fervent Orangeman. He was recruited by Canada to fight in the Red River Rebellion and was captured and imprisoned in Upper Fort Garry by Louis Riel and his men while trying to attack it along with 34 other volunteers. While imprisoned Scott constantly threatened and insulted guards, and threatened that he would assassinate Louis Riel upon gaining his freedom. Scott made an attempt to escape but was recaptured by Riel's men and was summarily executed for committing insubordination.

Charles Boulton's Memoirs of the North West Rebellions cites Métis leader John Bruce's claim that only two bullets from the firing squad actually hit Scott, wounding him once in the left shoulder, and once in the upper chest. A man stepped forward and discharged his pistol close to Scott's head, but the bullet only penetrated the upper part of the left cheek and came out somewhere near the cartilage of the nose. Still not dead, Scott was placed in a kind of coffin, from which he was later reported to cry:

"For God's sake take me out of here or kill me."

News of his death made it to Ontario and disturbed the predominantly English-speaking, Protestant population. Upon learning about Scott's death, John A. Macdonald sent troops to attack Fort Garry and retake it, but they were repelled. Eventually, the Red River Rebellion would result in the creation of the Manitoba Act and the province of Manitoba.

Though relatively unknown during his lifetime, Scott's death made him a martyr. He had always been contemptuous and violent, having been convicted of violence and assault when he, leading a band of his co-workers, almost drowned his employer over the issue of a pay raise.

Scott's execution led to an outrage in Ontario, and was largely responsible for prompting the Wolseley Expedition, which forced Louis Riel, now branded a murderer, to flee the settlement.