David McDougall

     John McDougall describes his brother arriving at Victoria, with his bride in the following terms:

At this time my sister Libbie, afterwards Mrs. Young, and my two eldest daughters, Flora and Ruth, were with me. But one day who should turn up out at the hay-field where I was working but my brother David, who blushed as he told me that he had not come alone, having brought with him a wife. Of course I was glad, for his sake as also for my own, as they would for this year, I hoped, make their home with me in the Mission house. I put away my scythe for the rest of the afternoon, and went in with David to be introduced to my new sister, whom I found to be a bright, fresh, healthy young Scotch-Canadian woman, daughter of a sturdy pioneer of the second degree - first in Ontario and now in Manitoba. (In the Days of the Red River Rebellion. 201 - 202)

Andrew Sibbald, who came West with the McDougall's in 1875 describes the following incident at a time when he was living near Morley, near the McDougalls:

The Indians always knew how to get on the good side of David McDougall when they wanted a good feed. One time when the Rev. John was away from the Mission, some of the younger Indians went down to the Ghost River and came back in the evening in great excitement and reported to David that the Sioux Indians were coming as they had heard their war whoops coming up the valley. At that time there was not a Sioux within 200 miles of the place. Nevertheless David believed them and had all the Indians in the vicinity come to his place and prepare to meet Sioux. He gave them lots of teas, sugar, tobacco,  biscuits, canned goods and meat. So they had a high old time all night eating his food, drinking his tea and smoking his tobacco; they did not feel a bit scared of the warlike Sioux. (From Andrew Sibbald "West with the McDougalls" In Alberta History Volume 19, No 1, Winter 1971. pg 1 - 4. 3.)

 

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