The eastern coastline of Canada was already settled and no longer had any tracts of land large enough to support a colony, so Selkirk looked for a location with good soil and a temperate climate far in the interior.

In July 1811, Scottish and Irish settlers consisting of 25 families embarked aboard HBC and private ships led by the colony's appointed governor Miles Macdonell (whom the local First Nations would later dub "chief of the gardeners").

In the yet uncultivated state of the country, the ordinary resources derived from the buffalo and other wild animals hunted within the territory, are not deemed more than adequate for the requisite supply, wherefore it is hereby ordered, that no person trading in furs or provisions within the territory for the Honourable Hudson's Bay Company, the North West Company, or any individual, or unconnected trader or persons whatever, shall take out any provisions, either flesh, dried meat, grain, or vegetable.

Shortly afterward, the NWC's Duncan Cameron took an armed party of voyageurs to locate and arrest an HBC trader named House who had helped break into the Rivière la Souris post.

As the canoe that was conveying Spencer to Lac la Pluie passed Fort Douglas, several colonists broke into the arms locker to give them the weapons needed to mount a rescue.

He was eventually granted a detachment of the British Army's 37th Regiment of Foot consisting of approximately 14 soldiers under a Sergeant Pugh, not as an official military representative but to act as Selkirk's personal guard.

It stated: "We do give and grant unto the said governor and company free liberty and license in case they conceive it necessary to send either ships of war, men or ammunition unto any of their plantations, forts or places of trade aforesaid for the security and defence of the same and to choose commanders and officer over them and to give them power and authority to continue or make peace or war with any prince or people whatsoever, that are not Christian in any place where the said company shall have any plantations, forts or factories.

"[9]Selkirk wrote to the King's Attorney and Solicitor General informing them of his intentions to raise a private army per the HBC charter and requested their approval, but no response was made.

The Swiss contingent of Selkirk's force, though no longer active soldiers, retained their military uniforms, which consisted of red coats with light blue facing, white trousers and black felt shakos.

Macdonnell, with a party of around 60 voyageurs and Métis established a camp at Frog Plain, 3 or 4 miles from Fort Douglas and erected a battery of 4 guns to prevent boats coming or going from the colony.

Around this time, Governor Semple built the armed schooner named "Cuthullin" to deny NWC access to Lake Winnipeg and put it under the command of Lieutenant Holte.

"[15]At the end of May or early June the Qu'Appelle brigade departed consisting of around 80 armed voyageurs with two swivel guns commanded by Alexander MacDonell and an unknown number of Métis following overland on horseback.

While leading his brigade to the Red River Colony, Alexander Macdonell dispatched Cuthbert Grant and 25 Métis to plunder the Hudson's Bay Company's Brandon House.

Because of the HBC blockades, the party was forced to land 10 miles from the colony at a place called the "Passage" where they loaded the pemmican onto two carts to take them overland past Fort Douglas and re-embark them at Frog Plain.

Seeing the Métis force swell, while at the same time seeing the fleeing colonists, Semple sent John Bourke back to Fort Douglas to bring up a piece of artillery and to dispatch reinforcements to protect the settlers.

On June 21, Alexander Mackenzie's brigade from Fort William encamped at Netley Creek, 40 miles north of the Red River colony and began planning their attack, still unaware of events.

Late in June or early July, most NWC partners and voyageurs departed Red River for their wintering posts leaving Fort Douglas in the hands of the around 40 Métis under Cuthbert Grant.

In the fall of 1816, Governor-General Sherbrooke appointed William Coltman and John Fletcher as special commissioners to conduct the investigation, deliver the Prince Regent's proclamation and to arrest Lord Selkirk.

Samuel Wilcocke recorded what happened next: "His Lordship came into the River Kaministiquiâ with four canoes, attended by a number of soldiers, and by his guard, with whom he encamped about 800 or 900 yards above the Fort, on the opposite shore.

At 3 pm, two of Selkirk's officers, McNabb and McPherson and a number of armed soldiers approached the gates of Fort William and asked for permission to enter, presumably to negotiate with the NWC partners.

Selkirk also hatched a plan to build outposts on the HBC's land situated between Fort William and Lac la Pluie in order to stop all NWC communication between the two posts.

With Lac la Pluie in his control, Captain D'Orsonnes and a party of 28 Du Meuron soldiers with two cannons went out on snow shoes and sledges to recapture the Red River Colony.

A second plan was to attack Selkirk's men at Pembina, as the Métis did not wish to return home without a victory, but a dispute between Grant and one of his officers caused the venture to be abandoned while en route.

In Montreal, Lady Selkirk personally raised a force of 48 discharged de Meuron soldiers and 55 Canadian voyageurs intended to reinforce the Red River colony and the HBC in Athabasca.

Coltman found Fort William back in possession of the NWC and discovered them making preparations to send a party to Red River to attack Lord Selkirk.

Commissioner Coltman finally arrived at Fort Douglas on July 5 and began interviewing the Nor'Westers, Baymen and Métis regarding the events that took place the preceding years and also toured the site of the Battle of Seven Oaks.

"[21] It consisted of more than 500 pages of witness testimonies and other evidence, as well as Coltman's conclusions and recommendations which were, simply put, that the HBC was the first aggressor, the Red River District was not suitable for any colony, and therefore Selkirk's plans must have been a tactical move against the Nor'Westers, that the NWC exceeded all lawful and reasonable bounds of self-defence, that both companies should compensate the government for any expenses incurred during this ordeal, and that only the most vigorous of the many crimes should actually go to trial.

Selkirk wrote to the Colonial Department in an attempt to have the trials moved to England where he had more influence, and because it was impossible to find an impartial jury in Montreal, it being so intimately connected with the NWC, but the government claimed that they did not have jurisdiction, as the disputes were between commercial bodies.

Colin Robertson warned them that a party of Métis and Indians were preparing to assault their position, and on hearing this, the blockade was abandoned and the Baymen retreated to Jack River House.

I anticipate a very troublesome winter campaign...I shall avoid as much as possible any collision with them but with firmness and determination maintain the rights and interests of the honorable company, and defend their property and our persons by every means within our power.