Peter McDougall

Peter McDougall (or McDougald) was part of the pack train that was attacked by Tsilhqot'in warriors on May 17, 1864. According to Lundin Brown, he had a Tsilhqot'in common-law wife named Klymtedza, who allegedly was the daughter of a Tsilhqot'in chief.

The pack train left Victoria on April 20 and was travelling from the head of Bentinck Arm to Bute Inlet to re-supply Waddington's road crew. For McDougall, the expedition was a trading venture and he was in charge of buying supplies. The pack train was composed of 28 loaded animals and numerous others that were waiting to be loaded by McDougall. Klymtedza learned about the plot and warned her husband that Tsilhqot'in warriors intended to attack and plunder the pack train. With this information McDonald halted the pack train and dug trenches for protection. Several days later, the train attempted to return to Bella Coola, but it was caught in an ambush along the trail. McDougall and Higgins were the first to be killed. McDougall was shot in the stomach while still on his horse. Ahan was later found guilty of his murder and was sentenced to death by Judge Crease in 1865.

Secondary Sources

Hewlett, Edward S. "The Chilcotin Uprising: A Study of Indian-European Relations in Nineteenth Century British Columbia." MA Thesis, UBC, 1972.