Daniel McDougall pension statement, 1824

Daniel McDougall (1796-1870) served in the York Militia during the War of 1812. He was a successful businessman who worked as a Justice of the Peace in St. Mary’s, Ontario. He married Hannah Church and they had many children. Their son William was a cabinet minister in Sir John A. MacDonald’s first federal government and was appointed lieutenant-governor of the North-West Territories. The Battle of Lundy’s Lane was a major battle of the War of 1812. On July 25, 1814, the American General Winfield Scott led a brigade of about 1000 men from Chippawa along the Portage Road towards Lundy's Lane. The British had already established their guns on the high ground at Lundy's Lane in anticipation of a possible advance by the Americans. When the British saw Scott's forces in the evening, they opened fire. The battle proved to be the most violent one of the war, with heavy casualties on both sides, and continued into the night. The British General Phineas Riall was captured. The American Generals Brown and Scott were severely wounded and were forced to withdraw. Around midnight, the Americans left, heading towards Chippawa. They withdrew to Fort Erie, with British General Drummond following and beginning a siege of the fort in August.The document is an order by Sir Peregrine Maitland, Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, to the Hon. John Henry Dunn, Receiver General of Upper Canada, to pay Lieutenant Daniel McDougall £33, 15 shillings, half year pension, for his service in the Militia. The document notes that McDougall was “disabled by several wounds received in action with the Enemy at Lundy’s Lane on the 25th July 1814…” There is a royal coat of arms at the top of the page. It is signed by P. Maitland, F. Willan, and J. Baby