CHARACTERS

Assistant Surgeon William "Tiger" Dunlop

William Dunlop came to Canada in 1813 as a 21 year-old assistant surgeon with the British 89th Regiment of Foot. Like other memorable war doctors, he was faced with seemingly impossible tasks.

After the Battle of Crysler's Farm, 11 November 1813, Dunlop was in charge of the medical work done at Prescott, Ontario. Three weeks after the battle, the wounded at Crysler's Farm who could make the journey headed to Prescott for intensive treatment. There, Dunlop protected American prisoners against local German and Dutch immigrants, whose hatred of the Americans stemmed from the persecution they endured after supporting the Crown during the American Revolution. Dunlop prescribed the strict diet of "milk porridge" or "rice gruel" twice a day, with a meat broth at lunch. Such meals were thought to lessen the chance of fever and give the wounded a better chance of survival.

The civilians thought this prison diet barbaric, and Dunlop had to fight off their efforts to cram his patients with regular food. But far more challenging than civilians bearing gifts of food was the onslaught of casualties from the Battle of Lundy's Lane, July 25, 1814. With no surgeons available in the wake of the battle, he worked alone on 220 men from both armies because the chief surgeon had been sent home and the chief assistant had fallen ill from fatigue. Apparently, Dunlop carried on alone for more than two full days, barely sitting down and stopping only to eat and change clothes.

Dunlop later recounted the story of an American military wife who had come to care for her husband, as many wives did. The man's suffering was so great that she challenged British and American heads of state to bear witness to the results of their war. Such events stayed with Dunlop long after peace resumed.