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Primary sourcePhotograph16 May 1885

Louis Riel, a Prisoner, in the Camp of Major-General F.D. Middleton at Batoche

James Peters · 16 May 1885

A photograph of Louis Riel as a captive in a military camp, taken the day after he surrendered following the Battle of Batoche.

This photograph shows Riel himself as a captive immediately after his surrender at Batoche.

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Black-and-white photograph of a military camp by a river. A tall white canvas tent stands at left, and a man in a wide-brimmed hat and dark clothing stands in the foreground. Several other men are scattered across the grassy field and by the water, with bare trees and a low treeline behind them.
James Peters, Louis Riel, a prisoner, in the camp of Major-General F.D. Middleton at Batoche, 16 May 1885.

About this source

What it is

This photograph by James Peters shows a military camp beside a river, with a man in a wide-brimmed hat and dark clothing standing in the foreground among tents and soldiers. It is identified as Louis Riel, a prisoner, in the camp of Major-General F.D. Middleton, taken on 16 May 1885.

Why it matters

The photograph was taken the day after Riel surrendered following the defeat of the Métis resistance at Batoche. It documents the end of the North-West Resistance and the start of Riel's captivity, which led to his trial and execution later that year.

Look closer

  • What does Riel's posture and position in the camp suggest about his situation?
  • Why might the Canadian military have wanted a photograph of their prisoner?
  • What is left out of this image about the events that led to this moment?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Louis Riel on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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