- For Thomas Scott, the American politician, see: Thomas Scott (politician). Also see: Tom Scott.
Thomas Scott (c. 1842 – 1870) was an Irish-born Canadian and Orangeman arrested while attempting to overthrow the provisional government of the Red River Settlement during the Red River Rebellion of 1870. He was captured by the forces of Louis Riel and was the only such prisoner to be executed. The precise details of Scott's execution are not known, but Charles Boulton's Memoirs of the North West Rebellions cite Métis leader John Bruce as claiming that only two bullets from the firing squad hit Scott; one bullet hit his left shoulder, and the other his upper chest. A man stepped forward and discharged his pistol close to Scott's head, but the bullet penetrated the upper part of the left cheek and came out somewhere near the cartilage of the nose. Still not dead, Scott was placed in a kind of coffin, from which he was later reported to cry:
- "For God's sake take me out of here or kill me.".
Scott's execution led to outrage in Ontario, and was largely responsible for prompting the Wolseley Expedition, which forced Louis Riel to flee the settlement.
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