25 Facts About Gordon Drummond

General Sir Gordon Drummond, GCB was a Canadian-born British Army officer and the first official to command the military and the civil government of Canada.

Gordon Drummond was of Scottish descent, the son of Colin Drummond, of Megginch Castle, Perthshire, and his wife Catherine Oliphant of Rossie.

At Quebec, Colin Gordon Drummond became a business partner of Jacob Jordan and served as Commissary General, deputy Paymaster General to the Forces in the Province of Quebec and Legislative Councillor.

Gordon Drummond was three years old when Quebec City was unsuccessfully sieged by American forces in 1775.

Four years after Colin Drummond's death, in 1780 the family left Quebec and Gordon received his education at Westminster School in England before entering the British Army as an ensign with the 1st Foot in 1789.

At the siege of Nijmegen Gordon Drummond was commended in the successful repelling of a French sortie.

In 1801 Gordon Drummond led the 8th Regiment of Foot ashore at the Battle of Abukir and fought in a number of engagements in Egypt including the Battle of Alexandria and the Capture of Cairo.

Gordon Drummond saw service in the Mediterranean and the West Indies.

In 1805, at the age of 33 years, Gordon Drummond had attained the rank of major general.

Gordon Drummond first came back to Canada in 1809 on the staff of Governor General Sir James Henry Craig.

Late in 1813, Gordon Drummond was recalled to North America to serve in Upper Canada as lieutenant governor, replacing Francis de Rottenburg.

Gordon Drummond, as acting Lieutenant Governor, was pressured by Robinson to allow the sentences to be carried out.

At the time of the executions, Gordon Drummond was on route from Kingston to Niagara to take over field command of the army.

In July 1814, responding to a request from the beleaguered Major-General Phineas Riall, Gordon Drummond went with his troops from York to Fort George to take command from Riall and drive back Jacob Brown's invading soldiers.

At Lundy's Lane, Gordon Drummond suffered a serious wound from a shot to the neck during the battle and Riall was captured by American forces.

Nonetheless, Gordon Drummond insisted that Lundy's Lane was a total victory, and tried to smash Brown's army into the ground by chasing them to Fort Erie.

Gordon Drummond was forced by the capture of Riall and injury or illness of several of his other senior officers to superintend every detail of the operations against Fort Erie, in addition to his other duties as Lieutenant Governor.

In early 1815, following the ending of all hostilities, Gordon Drummond remained in Upper Canada as Lieutenant-Governor, and when Prevost was recalled to Britain, he took over as Governor-General and Administrator of Canada in Quebec City.

Gordon Drummond responded to the members of the house that it was his honour to fight "in the defence of this my native country".

In 1825, Gordon Drummond was promoted to full general, and twenty years later became the most senior general in the British Army.

Gordon Drummond was appointed colonel of the 88th Regiment of Foot on 3 November 1819, transferring to the 71st Regiment of Foot on 16 January 1824.

Sir Gordon Drummond died on 10 October 1854 at his home in London at age 82.

Places named in honour of Sir Gordon Drummond include the following:.

Drummond Street, Montreal, Quebec, is named after Jane Drummond, the second wife of John Redpath, not after Gordon Drummond, as is sometimes thought.

In 1807, Gordon Drummond married Margaret Russell, daughter of William Russell of Brancepeth Castle.