The Origin and Services of the 3rd (Montreal)

"most commendable, the general officercommanding expressing his satisfaction inthe following general order :Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Selby Smythe has the pleasure to expresshis thanks to the three thousand officers, non-commissioned officers and men,composingthe force in Montreal assembled under his command on the nth and1 2th instants, for their remarkable discipline and good conduct, as well as for theirsingularly soldierlike patience and forbearance under trying circumstances."The last time the Batten was called out in aid of the Civil power was at thetime of the small-pox riots in the latter part of the summer of 1885. The diseaseat the time was epidemic in the city, and the municipal authorities adoptedstringent measures to suppress it, enforcing compulsory vaccination, isolation, etc.This was resented by a certain section of the population, and a mob attacked andwrecked an East end vaccination depot, and marching to the City Hall, proceededto break the windows.Threats were made to destroy the small-pox hospitals,and to attack themunicipal authorities, and, to assist the City Police Force, the whole of the localmilitia corps were called out. The late Lieutenant-Colonel Straubenzie, thenDeputy Adjutant General, was absent from the city,and the command of theDivision devolved upon Lieutenant-Colonel Stevenson, commanding the FieldBattery, who made such a good disposition of the force under his command thatthere were no further demonstrations. The next day Major General Middleton,commanding the Militia, came down from Ottawa and approved of ColonelStevenson s arrangements.During this exciting time the non-commissioned officers of the Field Batteryrendered useful service as mounted orderlies and patrols, the cavalry force beingaltogether numerically inadequate to perform the mounted duties required.The force was necessarily much divided, some companies being detailed forguards at the small-pox hospitals, at the City Hall, and the Armouries, one alsobeing stationed at the residence of the then Mayor, Mr. Honore Beaugrand, whohad earned the enmity of the disturbers of the peace by his energetic support ofthe health measures adopted. Some regiments were sent through the streets aspatrols, and the Brigadier would have found itimpossible to keep up communication between the parts of his scattered force without the assistance of themounted batterymen.6 1 -