Charles R. Daoust was a 20-year-old volunteer from Montreal when he was called up to serve in the Canadian militia during the North-West Rebellion. His book, Cent-vingt jours de service actif (One Hundred and Twenty Days of Active Service), is his day-by-day record of that experience, from April to August of 1885.

The Story

The book follows Daoust's journey by train from Quebec to the heart of the conflict in what is now Saskatchewan. It's not a grand, strategic overview of the war. Instead, it's the view from the ranks. He details the long, monotonous train rides west, the makeshift camps, the bad food, and the endless waiting. He describes the landscape, which felt vast and alien to a city kid from the east. When his battalion finally sees action, his writing becomes tense and vivid. He recounts the Battle of Batoche, the confusion of the fight, and its aftermath. The "story" is really the story of a young man's sudden immersion into a brutal slice of Canada's nation-building, told without the polish of hindsight.

Why You Should Read It

This book is powerful because it's so direct. There's no filter. Daoust wasn't writing for publication; he was keeping a log. Because of that, you get the gritty, unromantic truth of soldiering: the boredom, the fear, the physical discomfort, and the moments of dark humor. It strips away any myth-making. You're not reading about heroes and villains, but about cold, tired, scared young men. The value is in that authenticity. It also offers a crucial, ground-level perspective on a defining moment for Canada, one that involved the Canadian government, the Métis people, and First Nations. It forces you to consider history from the viewpoint of someone who was just there to follow orders.

Final Verdict

This is a must-read for anyone interested in real, unvarnished military history or the social history of Canada. It's perfect for readers who prefer primary sources—diaries and letters—over historical summaries. If you liked books like All Quiet on the Western Front for its soldier's-eye-view, you'll appreciate this shorter, Canadian counterpart. Be warned: it's not an action-packed adventure. It's often slow, detailed, and mundane, which is exactly what makes it so believable. For a clear window into the life of a 19th-century Canadian volunteer soldier, you can't do better than Daoust's honest, compelling 120 days.