Peter White - Mica Bay

On November 14th, 1849 came a knock on the company door
It was four in the morning at the Mica Bay mine on the lake Superior shore
Bonner was the name of the company man and he didn't seem too surprised
To see Allan Macdonell and Chief Little Pine and their friends with their guns and knives

It was windy and cold on November 14th
It was 1849
When Little Pine and Allan Macdonell shut down
All the digging at the Mica Bay mine

Little Pine's name was Shingwaukonse he was the Chief of the Garden River Band
And he led his braves from the Sault to Mica Bay 'cause the miners were on his land
Now he didn't just get out of bed that day and decide to take over a mine
He'd asked and asked for a Treaty but no Treaty-makers could he find

Allan Macdonell was a lawyer who came up north to dig a mine for himself
But the greed of others made him feel ashamed so he offered Little Pine his help
Or maybe he did it 'cause another Macdonell helped the Highlanders across the sea
Whatever the reason the attorney decided he would offer his expertise

It was windy and cold on November 14th
It was 1849
When Little Pine and Allan Macdonell shut down
All the digging at the Mica Bay mine

When daybreak came at the Mica Bay mine the workers and their families
Heard Bonner say, Look at this pretty "sunshine and by the way we're about to leave
Two days later one hundred and sixty people felt the north wind blow
They sailed on a schooner bound for the Sault as Little Pine watched them go

Lord Elgin was the Governor General then and when he was told the tale
He sent Captain Cooper and a rifle brigade to engage and to prevail
They were rollin' right along 'till Superior's waves and winds really started to sing
Then the gales of November turned them back to the Sault
Where they'd have to wait until spring

It was windy and cold on November 14th
It was 1849
When Little Pine and Allan Macdonell shut down
All the digging at the Mica Bay mine

On December the fourth, 1849 eight men turned themselves in
Shingwauk and Macdonell and six other guys were jailed in Toronto and then
They were released and sent back home when the Chief Justice decreed
That since Macdonell was his relative, they'd been arrested illegally

Some papers pointed out Little Pine was a veteran of the war of I 812
Some papers said the mining wasn't right but then you can't un-ring a bell
With all of these papers talkin' up a storm Elgin had to get a Treaty man
He appointed Bill Robinson who then made a deal with the Garden River Band

It was windy and cold on November 14th
It was 1849
When Little Pine and Allan Macdonell shut down
All the digging at the Mica Bay mine

Written by:
Peter White

Publisher:
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid

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