James Green Stewart
This is the Garden of Eden on the HBC brigade trail over the Coquihalla, photo taken by Kelley Cook in November 2015
James Green Stewart kept a journal of his voyage by the Great Fish River to the shores of the Arctic Sea. It is very interesting to see what he wrote, and to compare what happened to him with what happened to James Anderson, who was the man in charge of the HBC Expedition north to find signs that Sir John Franklin’s men had ever walked the banks of that river. Currently, Stewart is posted to Carlton House, on the North Saskatchewan River. When he took over the Mackenzie River district, Chief Trader James Anderson removed James Green Stewart from the Peel’s River Post, because he was dissatisfied with his work there. Sometime after he sent Stewart out of the Mackenzie’s River district, Anderson wrote him a courteous letter of thanks, which read:
On your departure from the district I beg to express the high sense I entertain of the Energy, Ablilty and determination you have displayed in the discharge of your duty under circumstances of no ordinary difficulty. I also beg to offer my thanks for the uniform Zeal you have exhibited in supporting my measures and forwarding my views. Trusting sincerely that you may have a happy meeting with your relatives, and that I shall have the pleasure of seeing you again in Mackenzie River… James Anderson, C.T.
It was a letter written out of politeness: Anderson did not really want to see Stewart return to the Mackenzie River district. Stewart was made Chief Trader, but he can only have held that position at Carlton House a few months, when Governor Simpson sent him a letter that put him, and James Anderson, in charge of the Expedition north the the Arctic Sea. Simpson’s letter was dated November 18, 1854. Stewart received it by January 1855, and we know this because he began his journey north from Carlton House in early February 1855. Now, when did James Anderson learn about this assignment? He did not receive his letter until March 29, 1855. Imagine his surprise!
I don’t think Anderson was happy about this assignment, but it is clear that Stewart was very excited by it. His journal began with the title, “Diary of Expedition sent out by the Hudson’s Bay Company in search for evidence of the Franklin Expedition under Joint charge of Chief Factor [Trader] James Anderson and Mr. James Green Stewart of the said Company, from 6th February to 3 November, 1855.”
He said “Joint Charge.” Anderson said his letter from Simpson appointed him “to the command of the A.S. Expedition.” But Simpson’s letter, written November 18, 1855, said this:
With this you will receive an official letter addressed to yourself and Mr. J. G. Stewart in reference to an Arctic Searching Expedition, whereof he and you are appointed to the joint command which will afford you a rare opportunity of distinguishing yourselves…
Ooopss! Well, let’s think this through. James Anderson was the senior Chief Trader in this expedition, as Stewart had only recently been made Chief Trader. It was a tradition in the HBC trade that the person who had held the title longest was the superior officer–no matter whether Chief Factor, Chief Trader, or clerk. So whatever Governor Simpson thought of the shared leadership, Anderson took it upon himself to be the leader. In fact, however, Chief Trader James Anderson was just being made Chief Factor in charge of the Mackenzie River district, and he knew that, although no one else did. He had every right to believe he was the commanding officer in this expedition which was going through his own district.
Before we begin this journey, let us learn a little about the newly-minted Chief Trader James Green Stewart himself. He was born September 21, 1825, in Quebec City, and was appointed an apprentice clerk in the HBC in 1844 because Simpson thought it desirable to have a few young gentlemen from Canada in the concern. [James Anderson joined the HBC in the early 1830s.] After a year near Lake Superior Stewart was posted to the Mackenzie River district, where he worked at Fort Liard and then at Frances Lake. From 1848 to 1852 he was Robert Campbell’s assistant in establishing Fort Selkirk, at the junction of the Pelly River with the Lewes [upper Yukon River]. During his time with Robert Campbell, Stewart made a number of dangerous mid-winter journeys down the violent Liard River to Fort Simpson, and survived them. The first was in 1849, when the supplies from Fort Simpson failed to reach Frances Lake by the Liard River, and Stewart barely made it home. (It was a really close call in fact.) On the second occasion, in 1850, Stewart volunteered to make the journey to Fort Simpson, and on his way out he picked up and carried out the survivors of the destruction (by fire) of the Pelly Banks post, some of whom had already died of starvation. At Fort Simpson, Chief Factor John Rae gave him a boat filled with supplies, and he made it home to Fort Selkirk once again. So, phenomenal journeys to be sure, and James Anderson, who took over management of the district after John Rae left, was impressed by Stewart’s successful journeys.
As you know, in 1852 Fort Selkirk was destroyed by the Chilkats, and an angry and upset Robert Campbell returned to Scotland on furlough, after Anderson refused to rebuild the fort. Stewart remained at Fort Yukon, until in 1854 he took charge of the Peel’s River post after Augustus Peers’s death there. He annoyed Anderson by telling him one thing and saying a different thing to Governor Simpson. That’s the story: however Anderson said that he was dissatisfied with how Stewart had repacked the furs that came through his post from Fort Yukon and Lapierre House, but that doesn’t seem to have made it into the history books. Whatever happened, Anderson was extremely annoyed with and disappointed by Stewart’s work, and he replaced him with another man (his own brother-in-law, in fact), and sent Stewart out of the territory. Stewart was assigned to Carlton House, where this journal begins. He can only have been there a few months before he received Governor Simpson’s instructions to proceed north to Great Slave Lake, where he would meet up with Anderson. Stewart is travelling west and north by dog sledge over the snow and ice of winter.
“Tuesday, 6th February, 1855. Left Carlton House with Mr. [James] Lockhart on our way to the Arctic Sea to search for Sir John Franklyn’s remains. God grant us success and His guidance, and His protection in all our proceedings, and preserve those I left behind me. Snowing hard all day. Wind NE. and mild. Camped on this side of Lac qu’il doit permit.
“Wednesday 7th. Mild and snowing most of the day, left camp at 2 a.m. and camped at Grand Marais [Big Marsh]. Met the Northern Express, took our letters and the men left at once. A man from Athabasca being severely frozen & obliged to turn back was the cause of the delay.
“Thursday 8th. A beautiful day. Started late having lost a dog. Camped Le Grande Riviére [Big River], all well. We are going very slowly.” Then, on “Friday 9th. Started early and camped at the beginning of Lac Cruche [pitcher]. Snowing and mild.” Next was on “Saturday 10th. Started early and camped with[in] 2 miles of Green Lake. Fine, clear.” And on Sunday 11th. “Beautiful weather. Arrived at Green Lake and started again, caught up with our men all well.”
It seems he was following on the trail of the men who had gone ahead. So, from Carlton House to Green Lake, part of the Beaver River system, they have travelled north and slightly west overland, by Big River and Green Lake. The Beaver River would take them into Lac-Ile-a-la-Crosse, if they travelled on its ice, but it seems they took a more direct route. They appear to have travelled overland from the Green Lake post to the Churchill River, and then north on the river’s ice to Lac-Ile-a-la-Crosse. So, we know where he travels: his journal continues.
“Monday 12th. Started early and camped at Campement des Anglais [Churchill River]. Fine weather.
“Tuesday 13th. Left our encampment at 7 a.m. Met Mr. James Finlayson at dinner time, and camped at a small Lake.
“Wednesday, 14th. Started early and arrived at Ile-a-la-Crosse where we soon forgot our walking by the hospitality of Mr. [George] Deschambeault who received us in his usual kind manner.”
On the 15th of February, Stewart and his men were busy arranging sleighs and snowshoes for their journey north over Portage la Loche. On Friday 16, he wrote: “Got everything ready for starting tomorrow morning, we have actually cleared out Mr. Deschambeault’s store.” It is not necessarily a good idea to leave a post without provisions, and clearing out their supply of pemmican is certainly going to cause problems for the Ile-a-la-Crosse men when they take out their furs to York Factory. But that was Stewart and his self-importance: On his arrival at Great Slave Lake, Anderson heard from John Bell of Fort Chipewyan, and Bernard Rogan Ross, of Fort Resolution, on Stewart’s wasteful use of supplies and provisions.
On Saturday 17th, the men “Left Ile-a-la-Crosse at 10 a.m. I bid goodbye to Mr. Deschambeault with regret. Beautiful weather. Camped at Pointe au Gravoir.” On Sunday 18th, they camped on the portage to Clear Lake, on their way to “Buffalo Lake” [Lac du Boeuf, now Peter Pond Lake.] “Cold wind North & clear.”
On Monday 19th, they “Started late & camped at the 2nd point in Buffalo Lake [Lac du Boeuf]. Francois Roy caught up with us at night with 6 letters from my dear wife.” Stewart had recently married, and he had left his wife behind at either Carlton House, or perhaps he had her travel to the more comfortable Norway House. On Tuesday 20th, “Started early & camped in Riviere La Loche. Fair & Cold.” On Wednesday, 21st, they camped on Lac la Loche, at the foot of the hill that was the Portage la Loche. “Clear & Cold.”
The next is very interesting. He must have crossed Portage la Loche, but what he said was: “Thursday 22nd. Arrived at Morrin’s at 10 a.m. and remained the rest of the day to rest the dogs. The same weather.” Who Morrin is I do not know, but I do know that some free-trappers lived in the region of Portage la Loche, and made a little extra money by helping the HBC men over the portage. Morrin is probably one of those men.
On Friday 23rd, Stewart said that they “Started early & camped in a portage on the little Athabasca River. Cold and clear. Dogs going very slowly.” The Little Athabasca River is the Clearwater River, so they are now on the north side of Portage la Loche, travelling west along the Clearwater River toward its junction with the Athabasca.
On Saturday 24th, James Green Stewart said that they “Started late & camped at Le Bonne after a very fatiguing days March. Beautiful weather.” One man said that “the scenery along these rapids is very grand.” The first three portages they had to cross as they made their way down the Clearwater River were the White Mud, the Big Stone, and Pine Portage. The next portage along this river was Portage la Bonne, which, as Augustus Richard Peers said,
so termed by the voyageurs from the level nature of the ground which, although of little consequence to a person walking light, is of the utmost important to the crews who have to surmount every difficulty, and it often happens that the path is strewed with fallen trees and other impediments, and the ground so boggy that they sink deep in the mire at every step with their burdens on their backs.
These men were travelling by dog sled (which means they were often on foot), and as it was February and the ground was frozen there were no bogs here. But the fallen trees might be a problem, as well as the rocks along the banks of the river or in the rapids. I suppose they could travel on the ice of the river, but if there is a rapid, would the ice be thick enough to hold them? I don’t know: we can only imagine the difficulties they might have had, because Stewart’s journal does not tell us.
On Sunday 25th, the party “Started early & came to a camp of Indians at Pembina River & camped late below Rapide a Pierre, the best day we have yet made.” On Monday 26th, they reached the Athabasca River. “Started and camped at the end of the long reach below the Forks.” On Wednesday 28th, the party “started early and camped below Point au Saline [Salt Point]. Snowing all day. Wind North. Dogs low and so is Mr. Lockhart.”
“Thursday, 1st March. Started in a snow storm and passed Red River, and camped below Pierre au Calumet. Clear and cold at night.” There was once an old HBC post at Pierre au Calumet, on the right bank of the Athabasca River opposite the mouth of Calumet Creek. In 1817 it was seized and plundered by the NWC men, and it is also mentioned in Governor Simpson’s Athabasca Journals, 1820-21.
“Friday 2nd. Started early and dined below Isle aux Freines; camped at Riviere au Barrier.” They are travelling down the Athabasca River on its frozen surface, and so travel is quicker and easier.
“Saturday 3rd. Heavy snow in the morning and very Mild. Camped opposite Pichi’s House, hauling very heavy indeed.” That kind of travel would tire the dogs. “Sunday 4th. Snowing and drifting all day & cold. Started late but notwithstanding made a good day. Camped at the upper end of the reach to the old Fort.”
To me, the “old fort” on Athabasca Lake was the third Fort Chipewyan, built by the North West Company on a rocky point on the north shore of Athabasca Lake in 1804. But this was its 3rd location. So let’s figure out which fort he is speaking of, if we can.
The first fort in this region was built by Peter Pond on the Athabasca River in 1778, and it was called “the old Establishment,” or Peter Pond’s House. In 1788 it was abandoned, and a new post was built on the south western end of the lake, on a rocky point jutting out into the lake from its south shore. In 1804, this site was more or less abandoned, and a new fort (the third) was built on the north shore of the lake. In 1820 the second fort (on the south shore of the lake) was rotting so badly it was completely abandoned (although I believe it was still used as the fishery.) The current Fort Chipewyan (built in 1804) was constructed on a rocky point on the north shore of the lake, where it was surrounded by rocks and swamps. Nevertheless, it was the most important post in this entire region, and after the coalition the HBC operated the post for many years. In 1820-21, the HBC’s Fort Wedderburn stood on an island only a mile or so from Fort Chipewyan, and that is the post that Governor Simpson served at over that winter.
So which post did James Green Stewart mean when he said, “Camped at the upper end of the reach to the old fort.”???? I don’t know. So that date was Sunday March 4. On March 5, Stewart wrote,
Started early & camped at Lake Marmonance. Cloudy & cold.
Where is Lake Marmonance?
I have no idea. It could be a widening of the Athabasca River just before it reaches Athabsca Lake. But I think that the word was illegible, and the name of the lake was guessed at and doesn’t actually exist. I think that they made it onto the ice of Athabasca Lake and made their way across the lake–which is not easy, by the way. It doesn’t matter: they made it to Fort Chipewyan, probably on Tuesday, March 6, 1855, and they built the two boats that were needed there. They did some other things too, but that is a story for the book, not for here.
Then, on Tuesday March 13, the group of ten men took seven sleighs north up the Slave River to Great Slave Lake. It took them seven days to make the trip to Great Slave Lake and James Green Stewart said they found nobody there. Anderson wasn’t there yet–of course he wasn’t there! At this time he did not know anything about the planned expedition! We know that. But no one there? The men who worked at Fort Resolution were there.
So, on this visit to Fort Resolution, Stewart must have dropped off the papers to be forwarded to Anderson at Fort Simpson and then returned home to Athabasca Lake, taking a further six days in travel, for all the dogs who were hauling seven sleighs, and the ten men who looked after them. He didn’t really need so many dogs and men to deliver one package of mail to Fort Resolution, to be forwarded to Fort Simpson. Things were not going well. And, naturally, the dogs were exhausted on their return to Athabasca Lake and I know Stewart heard from Anderson on this foolishness.
So, when Anderson received the news that he was to be at Fort Resolution to lead this expedition, he began his journey south. That story begins here: https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/james-andersons-journey/
And when the next post in this series is written, I will include it here. https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/whatever-i-call-it/
Copyright, Nancy Marguerite Anderson, 2026. All rights reserved.