Essay On Miles Macdonell

Miles Macdonell was born in Inverness-shire, Scotland in 1767. Macdonell was born into a Roman Catholic family with a great military background. His father, recognized as “Spanish” John Macdonell, had fought remarkably in the Spanish military against the Austrians in the 1740’s. In 1773, the Macdonell family along with an estimated 600 members of the Macdonell clan of Glengarry, immigrated from Europe to North America under the request of Sir William Johnson and settled in the Mohawk valley of New York. Then in 1784, the family resettled as Loyalists in Lower Canada.

Macdonell was appointed ensign in the King’s Royal Regiment of New York in 1782 due to his interest in the military which appealed at a young age. Macdonell served until 1784, the year of the reduction. Macdonnell began farming in Osnabruck Township after. Due to the fact that Macdonell often struggled with financial difficulties, he stated upon his farming status: “mere farming will hardly support my family in the manner I would wish,” indicating his insatiable desire to become further rich in wealth in the view of his family. With luck, Macdonnell was later raised to captain in the Royal Canadian Volunteers in 1796. (Goldsborough)

Afterwards, in 1802, after the corps disbandment, Macdonell came into contact with Lord Selkirk who was just touring

In which he initiated to guide settlers in the Red River Colony. Their goal was to travel up to the Selkirk Grant in search for a place for the settlers. Macdonell did not necessarily have a great start of his title. To begin with, they arrived at York Factory in late August 1812, later than promised, thus the group has to spend a winter there. Macdonell 's group began to plant crops on the land. Unfortunately, the crops failed. As a result, food supply was short for the new settlers arriving each year, thus they were faced with starvation.