Edward Moseley was an Englishman who had been residing in California before moving
to
Vancouver Island in
1863.
1 He was employed as a member of the road crew for
Alfred Waddington's proposed
Bute Inlet trail to the
Cariboo gold fields. While camping with Joseph Fielding and James Campbell, a group of Tsilhqot’in
First Nations men, armed with muskets, axes, and knives, attacked their tent.
2 The Tsilhqot'in men shot through the tent hitting Fielding and Campbell, while the
tent pole served as protection to Moseley.
3 The Tsilhqot’in continued their attack stabbing Fielding and Campbell.
4 Believing all three men to be dead, the Tsilhqot’in left the tent, Moseley then
jumped out of the tent and into the river where he floated unnoticed.
5 Soon after, he met up with
Peter Peterson and
Phillip Buckely, who were badly injured, and they made their way towards the ferry. Upon arrival,
they discovered the death of
Tim Smith, the ferryman.
6 They later met up with two French Canadian packers and five
Bute Inlet First Nations men, together they all floated to the half-way house, and then to
Nanaimo where they received medical help.
7 After the medical stabilization of
Buckley, and
Peterson, the men boarded the
Emily Harris headed for
Victoria.
8 Moseley was the only individual to survive the attack uninjured.
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