Battle of Frenchman's Butte

On 28 May 1885, during the North-West Resistance, the Alberta Field Force under General Thomas B. Strange fought an indecisive battle against Cree people under war chief Wandering Spirit (hanged at Battleford, 27 November 1885, for his role in the killings at Frog Lake). The battle was fought north of a prominent hill called Frenchman's Butte, about 45 km northwest of modern Lloydminster. The two sides fired at each other across a valley for several hours before they both retreated. None of Strange's force were killed and Cree casualties were light. Today a trail begins to the north of the battlefield. It passes Cree pits in a gully, and then runs along the main Cree position, where a plaque on a large rock commemorates the battle.