Daniel K. McDougall was born in Glasgow, Scotland on July 12, 1838. He was the son of James McDougall & Margaret Parlane. James McDougall was a constable on the police force for the city of Glasgow. In the course of his duties he arrested an English nobleman. In 1843 the influence of the nobleman caused the eventual dismissal of James who then took a job on a freighter sailing to Boston. He stowed away his son, James McDougall, Jr. and after arriving in Boston. They went west to Illinois. James then later sent for his wife and his two children, Daniel and Margaret.

          The lure of gold sent James and his wife on to Santa Barbara, California in 1851, arriving by way of wagon train. About 1853, James and family settled in Carmel Valley in Monterey County, California, where he went to work for David Jacks hauling freight between Carmel and San Francisco. Eventually, James operated his own freight business, hauling from Moss Landing to Watsonville, Salinas and Monterey.

      When the new village / township of Salinas was founded in the 1870’s, he moved there. Because of his previous experience as a constable in Scotland, he was made the first law enforcement officer for the new town; he was the town Marshall for Salinas City. He and Elias Howe were also business partners in a hotel operation.

      James McDougall died in 1895 as a result of an “old Gun-shot wound” from his service as Marshall to Salinas. This was the character of the man who fathered D. K. McDougall.

         Daniel Kirkwood McDougall was mustered into Company “L” of the 2^nd Massachusetts Cavalry at the age of 24 from San Francisco, California on March 14, 1862 for a 3 year service, he later transferred to Company “B” in late 1864.

      He was shot in the leg while transporting a prisoner from Strasburg to Harpers Ferry. He was taken to the field hospital and later sent to Hick’s Hospital in Maryland. He was discharged on July 24^th, 1865 with a bullet still lodged in his leg. (This data came from a Gen. Affidavit & Declaration for Widow’s Pension).  A quote from “ Looking back down an Old Trail through Eyes of a Prisoner”, 1930, by John McDougall, page 6 states: “In the later part of the year 1862, my brother, Dan went to San Francisco and joined the California 100, serving in the Civil War  and fought under Custer & Sheridan.”

      In 1964, Mrs. George Von Soosten, Sr. of Salinas, granddaughter of D. K. McDougall, produced documents and letters written by her grandfather during his lifetime. In one of these documents, he writes about some of his service during the Civil War. He left San Francisco by steamer in 1862, sailed to Panama, then proceeded by railroad to the east coast and continued by steamer to New York City. Apparently these recruits became angry with the Captain of the ship over the food served aboard and threw the food, tables and chairs overboard. They then loaded their pistols and were going to put the Captain in chains unless he delivered more and better food to the recruits. The Captain complied.

     They arrived in New York, which was cold & rainy, & went to the New Bowery Theatre that night. The next day they boarded the railroad cars and went to Boston where they were mustered into their Companies.  They again proceeded by railway cars, 38 cars full of troops, to Washington D.C. where they camped for four days near the capital building (under construction at the time).  The 2^nd Massachusetts was dispatched across the chain bridge on the Potomac into Virginia where they chased Moseby for the next three months.

      D.K. McDougall eventually got a pass and went into Washington D.C., but he had no money. As he stood outside the White House a negro came by selling melons, and “Old Abe” came out and bought some. He engaged Daniel in conversation, asking where he was from and where he had been fighting. Daniel told him of his recent exploits and indicated to him, he had not been paid for six months and had no money, and ‘old Abe” reached into his vest pocket and gave Private McDougall a dollar.

       He returned to his camp and then they marched down the “Rappahannock river, and then moved on to Richmond. He talks about how scared he was during a charge with men falling all around him. He goes on about an apparent retreat, rain, violent dreams and sleeping in the mud. The document is difficult to read due to the use of phonetic spelling and the lack of punctuation. Nevertheless, it is extremely interesting.

        There is another document, a letter written on May 21, 1863, apparently from Washington D.C. to his parents in Carmel Valley. It talks about being camped near the Capital Building.

         Family oral history tells the following story about Daniel K. McDougall. He wanted to fight for the Union military and wanted to volunteer, so he left his father’s home in Carmel Valley and walked the long trek to San Francisco, living off the land as he progressed.  By the time he reached Watsonville, his shoes gave out and he had bound his bleeding feet in rags.  He came upon a woman who observed his poor condition and who sympathized with his cause. She gave him her husband’s shoes in which he completed his trek.

           Upon his release from the US Army, Daniel McDougall returned to his parent’s home in Carmel Valley. Shortly afterward (on January 10,1866) he was appointed assistant Customs Inspector at the Old Customs House in Monterey in recognition of his Civil War service to the Union.   On July 4, 1866, Daniel McDougall married his childhood sweetheart, Lydia Hamilton of Salinas. After John T. Porter, the last Collector of Customs for the Port of Monterey moved his family out of the living quarters to his ranch in the Jolon area of South Monterey County. Daniel moved himself and his new wife into the vacant quarters of the upper story of the building. Their first child, Margaret McDougall was born May 17^th, 1867 in the old stone and adobe walls of the old building. Margaret McDougall and Florence Porter had the distinction of being the only children to be born in the “Old Customs House” of the Port of Monterey. Later, in 1867, came an order from the Federal Government to close down the Customs operation in Monterey and move the operation to the port of San Francisco.  It took some time before Daniel McDougall and his family could officially close down the customs operation in Monterey. In 1870 the McDougall family moved to Salinas, in an area of the township that was ironically called “Confederate Corners“.

     Daniel and his wife, Liddy, raised their family in Salinas.  Eventually, both were involved in working with and helping the Salvation Army in the Salinas area. Daniel has been known to play the Coronet in the Salvation Army band.

      Daniel Kirkwood McDougall died on May 3^rd, 1923 at his home in Salinas and is buried at the IOOF Cemetery also known as the “Garden of Memories” on the South-eastern part of the city. He grave was unmarked until November 10^th, 2003 – when the “Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War”, Camp Abraham Lincoln 10 of Santa Cruz officiated a “Headstone Installation ceremony” involving the California 100 Civil War Re-enactors (under the command of Larry Rogers who authored the book  “Their Horses climbed Trees” (a book on the California 100).

        Lydia (Liddy) Hamilton-McDougall, wife of Daniel, died in 1926 and is buried beside her husband in the “Garden of Memories” cemetery.

   Daniel and Liddy had the following children:  Margaret Janet Mcdougall who married Louis E. Fenton of Salinas, Ulysses Grand McDougall, Mary E. McDougall, Daniel James McDougall, Anne McDougall, George McDougall, and Chester McDougall. (Mary and Anne died in infancy).

This biographical sketch was created 1/31/2002 –

by: Norman H. Atkins
1940 South Grant Ct.
Visalia, CA. 93277

Photo of Daniel K. McDougall used during his headstone installation ceremony on Nov 10, 2003 in Salinas, CA.

Civil War Re-enactors: 2^nd Massachusetts Cav. (California 100) and ACWA (American Civil War Association) 2nd Wisconsin Company H, and officiating and narrating Camp Abraham Lincoln # 10 of the “Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War” based out of Santa Cruz, California. November 10^th 2003.

Descendant: Sylvia Trotter Anderson lays flowers of her Great Grandfathers grave.

The firing volley salute at the grave site.

Monterey Daily Cypress – May 14,1923 - War Relics Are Given to Salinas Legionaires

(Peninsula Daily Herald May 11, 1923)

War Relics Are Given to Salinas Legionaries

Salinas, May 11- Salinas Post No 31, American Legion, became the custodian of three highly
prized relics of the Civil War when Daniel K. McDougall, an old-time G.A.R., man died last week. 
McDougall was one of the last survivors of the “California’s 100” a volunteered contingent that 
went from this state to fight on the battlefields of the North and South during the great conflict 
between the states.

One of the relics is a saber carried by the old soldier, who served throughout the war as a member 
of Troop L, Second Massachusetts Cavalry, a unit to which he was assigned on his arrival in the east. 
The other two are swords, one being a weapon taken by McDougall from a confederate prisoner. It 
is of British manufacture. England at time being engaged in supplying the Confederate army with 
munitions and equipment.

Monterey Daily Cypress – May 14,1923 - Steedman Post G.A.R. Is Mustered Out

Salinas Daily Index – May 14, 1923 - Only A Few Left, Steedman Post Disbanded 

Peninsula Daily Herald May 4, 1923 - “Taps” Is Sounded For Salinas War Veteran 

MCDOUGALL, DANIEL KIRKWOOD (1838-1923) IOOF “Garden of Memories” Cem. Salinas.
(Peninsula Daily Herald May 4, 1923)

“Taps” Is Sounded For Salinas War Veteran
Salinas- May 4- Taps were sounded yesterday morning by Old Father Time, the great commander, 
for Daniel K McDougall, Salinas valley pioneer, Civil War veteran and one of the last survivors of 
James B. Steedman Post, No. 56, G.A.R. whose ranks were once numerous.
“Uncle Dan,” as the deceased was familiarly known by everyone was mustered out of the scene 
of all earthly strife about 5 a.m. at his home 176 Capital street. A native of Scotland, aged 84 years, 
9 months and 21 days, his death marked the end of a long and unequal struggle with the infirmities 
that come with the Advancing years. He was one of the last of the older generation of the 
McDougall family that has been prominently identified with the history and development of Salinas 
and vicinity for 65 years.

More photos:

The American Legion, letter 3 Jun 2003

Daniel K. McDougall, headstone (Addendum: the tombstone should readCompany L)

Dedication photo, 10 Nov 2003

Compiled and Submitted: by Tim P. Reese, PCC

Camp Abe Lincoln #10 based out of Santa Cruz, Ca

Dept. of Calif. and Pacific

Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War

P. O. Box 1641, Monterey, Ca. 93942-1641

WWW.SUVCW.ORG