NY, USA
Alexander McDougall
1732–1786 · Continental Army General · New York Militia Leader · Son of Liberty
1732–1786
Continental Army General · New York Militia Leader · Son of Liberty
Alexander McDougall was born in 1732 on the Scottish island of Islay and emigrated to New York as a child with his father, who became a dairyman in Manhattan. McDougall rose from modest origins to become a successful merchant and sea captain, his fortune built on the Atlantic trade that made New York one of Britain's most prosperous colonial ports. Long before the Revolution, he had established himself as one of New York's most outspoken radical voices, publishing inflammatory pamphlets criticizing British policy and spending time in jail for seditious libel — a prosecution that made him a popular hero and aligned him closely with the Sons of Liberty.
At the Battle of White Plains in October 1776, McDougall commanded the American forces defending Chatterton Hill, a prominent elevation on the American right flank that the British identified as the key to outflanking Washington's position. His force was a mixed command of Continental regulars and militia — a combination that gave experienced officers nightmares, because militia units were prone to sudden collapse under fire. When the Hessian and British assault came against the hill, McDougall's men initially repulsed the attackers with musket fire and artillery. As the assault renewed with greater force, McDougall managed a fighting withdrawal that preserved most of his command and prevented the catastrophic rout that had characterized American performances elsewhere in the New York campaign. It was one of the more creditable defensive actions of a difficult year.
McDougall continued to serve throughout the war, rising to major general and commanding the Hudson Highlands defenses. He was among the officers at Newburgh in 1783 when restless Continental officers flirted with a confrontation with Congress over back pay, and he played a complicated role in that crisis. After the war he served in the Continental Congress and as the first president of what became the Bank of New York. He died in 1786, a figure whose career traced a full arc from radical agitator to respected institution-builder in the new republic.
In White Plains
- Oct 1776Battle of White Plains(Continental Army General)
The Battle of White Plains began on October 28, 1776, when British and Hessian forces approached the American lines. Howe's main effort targeted Chatterton Hill, the ridge west of the Bronx River that anchored Washington's right flank. The assault required the British to cross the river under fire from American defenders on the hill, then climb a steep slope against entrenched positions. The fighting on Chatterton Hill was among the most intense of the New York campaign. Alexander McDougall's mixed force of militia and Continentals initially held the British advance. The militia units on the hill's western face broke when Hessian infantry appeared from an unexpected direction, and the Continental regiments, their flanks exposed, were forced to fall back. The entire American force withdrew to the next ridge line in reasonable order — not a rout, but a defeat. Washington's new position on the northern ridge was stronger than Chatterton Hill, and Howe did not immediately assault it. He spent two days massing artillery and preparing what appeared to be a general attack. Then a rainstorm arrived, and he stopped. He never resumed the offensive at White Plains. The decision to halt allowed Washington to withdraw north to North Castle in good order on November 1.