Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Dougall, William, M D 
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Deb Haines http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00003.html#0000719 February 6, 2008, 5:21 am

Author: Past and Present of Will County, IL; 1907

Dr. William Dougall, successfully engaged in the practice of medicine in 
Joliet, was born March 1, 1842, in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. His 
father, John Dougall, was born December 10, 1799, in Fintry, Stirlingshire, 
Scotland. The family name is derived from Dugall or Dhughil, a son of 
Somerled, who died in 1164, and who was the founder of the elan of MacDougal. 
In 1230 A. D. the priory of Ardchattan was founded on the shores of Lock 
Etive, Scotland, by Duncan Dougal. The Dougalls were opposed to the claim of 
Robert Bruce to the throne of Scotland. This hostility arose from the murder 
of John, the Red Comyn, rightful heir to the throne, who was father-in-law of 
Alexander Dougal, the head of the elan of Dugall or MacDugalls. In 1303 a 
battle took place at Dalriechin, Perthshire, where Bruce was defeated and 
narrowly escaped capture or death, as he was being pursued by three of the 
most determined MacDugalls. They caught him while he was wading a ford on the 
River Almond, and had not the brooch which fastened his plaid given way he 
would have been taken prisoner. The brooch is still in possession of the elan 
at Dunolly. John Dougall, father of our subject, was a leading cotton spinner 
in west Scotland. In 1858 he came with the other members of his family to 
America, settling at New Haven, Allen county, Indiana, where he died in 1874 
at the age of seventy-five years. His wife, Margaret Houstoun, born January 1, 
1801, in the town of Houstoun, Renfrewshire, Scotland, was a descendant of Sir 
Patrick Houstoun, a French Huguenot. He left France about 1585 and built 
Houstoun Castle, Scotland. Mr. and Mrs. John Dougall had six sons and six 
daughters, and eleven of the number were living at the time of her golden 
wedding, in 1872. She survived her husband for about fourteen years, passing 
away June 17, 1888, in her eighty-eighth year. Dr. Dougall pursued his early 
education in the common schools of Scotland and afterward attended, 
successively, the high school of Glasgow, the University of Michigan and the 
Chicago Medical College. He pursued at various times literary, scientific and 
medical courses and was graduated in Chicago with the degree of M. D. in 1868. 
He was reared in a scientific atmosphere and manifested some leaning toward 
theology. He was passionately fond of a sailors life, however, and enjoyed 
such an experience for a short time when he was fifteen years of age. In 1858 
he came to America with his father, who wished to retrieve his fortunes in the 
new world, and in Indiana Dr. Dougall aided in clearing timber land for 
farming. In May, 1858, he left school and made his way with his father to Fort 
Wayne, Indiana, after which the family home was established on a timbered farm 
near New Haven. He aided in the support of the family by clearing land and 
raising the crops of the farm and thus amid pioneer surroundings he developed 
a spirit of self-reliance and energy which have been of benefit to him in 
later years. At the time of the outbreak of the Civil war, having been reared 
to believe in the cause of abolition, he offered his services to the 
government, enlisting in June, 1861, as a member of Company C, Fifteenth 
Regiment of Indiana Volunteers, with the avowed purpose of aiding in making 
the whole country free. He participated in many important engagements, 
including the battle of Rich Mountain, West Virginia, July 11, 1861; Green 
Brier, West Virginia, October 3, 1861; Shiloh, Tennessee, April 7, 1862; the 
siege of Corinth, Mississippi, from the 30th of April to the 30th of May of 
the same year; the battle of Munfordsville, Kentucky, September 14-21, 1862; 
Perryville, Kentucky, October 8, 1862; Laverne, Tennessee, December 26, 1862; 
Stone River, Tennessee, December 31, 1862; Tullahoma, Tennessee, June 24-July 
3, 1862; Chattanooga, Tennessee, September 8, 1862; Johnsonville, Tennessee, 
November 2-4, 1864; Nashville, December 15-16, 1864; and a number of 
skirmishes. He served successively as corporal, sergeant and first sergeant of 
Company C of the Fifteenth Regiment of Indiana Volunteer Infantry and was 
examined by the West Point officers and commissioned captain of the Thirteenth 
United States colored infantry in October, 1863. He then commanded a batallion 
of colored mounted infantry and led a charge of colored troops at Overton 
Hill, in the battle of Nashville, Tennessee, where Hood was defeated by 
General George H. Thomas on the 16th of December, 1864. His company carried 
the colors and lost seventeen killed and thirteen wounded out of a total of 
forty-three men. Captain Dougall was slightly wounded, but not disabled until 
the following day. He was severely wounded at the battle of Stone River, near 
Murfreesboro, Tennessee, December 31, 1862. He proved a brave and loyal 
officer, winning promotion in recognition of his capable and valorous service. 
Returning to New Haven, Indiana, at the close of the war in 1865, Dr. Dougall, 
after providing for his father and mother, resumed the study of medicine and 
upon his graduation in 1868 located at Lemont, Cook county, Illinois, where 
the summit level of the Illinois and Michigan canal was being deepened. 
Unassisted, he often performed surgical operations in the shanties of the 
laborers with good success. On the 1st of October, 1872, Dr. Dougall was 
united in marriage to Miss Cassie Walker, the eldest daughter of Edwin Walker, 
of Lemont, Illinois, and removed to their present residence, where they have 
since lived. The lady was born in Leeds, Yorkshire, England, and her father 
for many years operated extensive stone quarries in Will county. Unto Dr. and 
Mrs. Dougall have been born a daughter and son, Mary Clapham and William 
Houstoun. The former was married December 20, 1906, to Hon. Richard J. Barr, 
mayor of Joliet from 1905-1907, and senator of the forty-first district of 
Illinois since 1902, his incumbency to continue until 1910. Dr. Dougall has 
also filled some positions of public trust. He was postmaster of Joliet from 
1879 until 1883 and he is widely recognized as a stalwart and unfaltering 
republican. He served as chairman of Will county republican central committee 
from 1876 until 1879, inclusive, and was closely connected with General John 
A. Logan in his election for United States senator in the work which was 
carried on for that end from 1876 until 1878. He is also prominent in various 
organized societies of a fraternal, social and professional nature. On the 
18th of October, 1865, he became a member of the Masonic fraternity and was 
commander of Joliet commandery, No. 4, K. T., in 1879 and 1880. In 1866 he 
joined the Grand Army of the Republic in Indiana and was commander of 
Bartleson post, No. 6, at Joliet, in 1890. He joined the military order of the 
Loyal Legion as a member of the commandery of Illinois, May 8, 1890. He was 
secretary and president of the Will County Medical Society, with which he has 
affiliated since 1875, and in 1877 he joined the Illinois Medical Society and 
the American Medical Association. Through these avenues as well as by 
extensive travel, reading and investigation, he keeps in touch with the modern 
trend of thought and experiment and advanced learning in the medical 
profession and is today recognized as one of the most able and learned 
physicians practicing in Joliet. Socially he is connected with the Joliet 
Commercial Club, which he joined in 1906, and he is a member and vestryman of 
Christ Episcopalian church at Joliet. A glance over his history will show that 
his life has been one of untiring activity and of consecutive progress. 
Endowed by nature with keen intellectual powers, he has so developed his 
talents as to grow in usefulness as well as in learning, and in a profession 
which many regard as the most important to which a man can give his energies 
he has made for himself a creditable name, gaining a goodly measure of 
professional and financial success. 

Additional Comments:
PAST AND PRESENT OF WILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS By W. W. Stevens President of the 
Will County Pioneers Association; Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing 
Company, 1907

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/will/bios/dougall2580nbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/

File size: 8.7 Kb