Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. It is part of 33 Canadian Brigade Group, 4th Canadian Division and is headquartered in Cornwall, Ontario.
Regimental badge Superimposed upon a background of thistle, leaves and flowers the letters "SDG"; below, a raven on a rock superimposed on a maple leaf. A half scroll to the left of the maple leaf is inscribed ""; another to the right inscribed ""; above, a semi-annulus inscribed "Glengarry Fencibles" and surmounted by the Crown. The whole is superimposed upon Saint Andrew's cross.
Lineage The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders was raised in Cornwall, Ontario, on 3 July 1868, as the 59th "Stormont and Glengarry" Battalion of Infantry. It was redesignated as the 59th "Stormont" Battalion of Infantry on 22 June 1883; as the 59th Stormont and Glengarry Battalion of Infantry on 23 March 1888; and as the 59th Stormont and Glengarry Regiment on 8 May 1900. Following the Great War it was redesignated as The Stormont and Glengarry Regiment on 12 March 1920; as The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders on 15 February 1922; as the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders on 7 November 1940; as The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders on 24 May 1946; and as The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders (Machine Gun) on 1 September 1954 before returning to its designation as the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders on 1 August 1959.Canadian Forces Publication A-DH-267-003 Insignia and Lineages of the Canadian Forces. Volume 3: Combat Arms Regiments.
Lineage chart
Perpetuations
War of 1812 1st Regiment of Dundas Militia 1st Regiment of Glengarry Militia 2nd Regiment of Glengarry Militia 1st Regiment of Prescott Militia 1st Regiment of Stormont Militia Glengarry Light Infantry
Great War 154th Battalion (Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry), CEF
Operational history Fenian Raids In 1866, the various companies in the counties were called out for service along the St. Lawrence River frontier, serving at Prescott and Cornwall. The 59th Stormont and Glengarry Battalion was again called out on active service on 24 May 1870. It served on the St. Lawrence River frontier at Prescott and Cornwall until it was removed from active service on 1 June 1870.
Great War Details of the 59th Stormont and Glengarry Regiment were placed on active service on 6 August 1914 for local protection duties.
The 154th (Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry) Battalion, CEF was authorized on 22 December 1915 and embarked for Great Britain on 25 October 1916 where it provided reinforcements for the Canadian Corps in the field until 31 January 1917, when its personnel were absorbed by the '6th Reserve Battalion, CEF'. The battalion was subsequently disbanded on 17 July 1917.
Second World War Details from the regiment were called out on service on 26 August 1939 and then placed on active service on 1 September 1939, as The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders, CASF (Details), for local protection duties. Those details called out on active service were disbanded on 31 December 1940.
The regiment mobilized The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders, CASF (Canadian Active Service Force) for active service on 24 May 1940. It was redesignated as the 1st Battalion, The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders, CASF on 7 November 1940. The unit embarked for Great Britain on 19 July 1941. On D-Day, 6 June 1944, it landed in Normandy, France, as part of the 9th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, and it continued to fight in North West Europe until the end of the war. The overseas battalion was disbanded on 15 January 1946.
The regiment mobilized the 3rd Battalion, The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders, CIC, CAOF (Canadian Infantry Corps and Canadian Army Occupation Force) on 1 June 1945 for service with the Canadian Army Occupation Force in Germany. This battalion was disbanded on 24 May 1946.
Conflict in Afghanistan The regiment contributed an aggregate of more than 20% of its authorized strength to the various Task Forces which served in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2014.
History After the surrender at Yorktown, veterans of the King's Royal Regiment of New York (KRRNY) and the 84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants), were given land on the north bank of the St. Lawrence River so they could defend Upper Canada from the new enemy to the south. In 1804, veterans of the Glengarry Fencibles, a Highland regiment that served in Europe with the British Army, settled just north of the American Revolutionary War veterans. The first militia unit west of Montreal was organized at Cornwall in 1787 under the command of Major John Macdonnell, late of the KRRNY.
War of 1812 When the War of 1812 broke out in June 1812, the Militiamen from the area gathered to prevent an invasion of their homeland and the companies were formed into the various county militias. These regiments fought throughout the war, with many men from the regiments being transferred to the Incorporated Battalion of Canadian Militia fighting in the Niagara Peninsula at the Battle of Lundy's Lane.
The militias of Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry were on active duty within the counties and fought in battles in Dundas County, Stormont County, and New York. Their principle engagements were:
1812 Battle of Matilda First Battle of Ogdensburg Battle of French Mills
1813 Second Battle of Ogdensburg Battle of Point Iroquois Skirmish at Doran's Farm Battle of Hoople's Creek Battle of Crysler's Farm Occupation of Cornwall
1814 Raid on Madrid Salmon River Raid
For a long time, breaks in unit continuity with the pre-Confederation period denied the regiment the "Niagara" battle honour and the status of oldest anglophone militia regiment in Canada. However, on the occasion of the bicentennial of the War of 1812 in 2012, the Government of Canada permitted Canadian regiments to perpetuate and officially commemorate 1812 militia and Fencible units thus awarding the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders three War of 1812 battle honours, including the battle honour NIAGARA which had been awarded to the Glengarry Light Infantry Fencibles.
After 1814, and Stormont and Dundas counties soon had two militia regiments each and Glengarry County had four.
Rebellions of 1837–1838 All units fought the rebels of 1837–1838, two in Lower Canada at the Battle of Beauharnois and three at the 1838 Battle of the Windmill, where ten militiamen were killed and thirteen wounded.
In 1852, the Department of Militia and Defence published general orders stipulating the uniform for officers of the sedentary militia. Orders published on 16 April 1852, dictate that the Glengarry Battalions of Militia will wear a highland bonnet, tartan scarf, and tartan trousers. Orders from 12 June state that the 3rd and 4th Stormont Battalions of Militia will likewise wear the highland uniform, and that the commanding officers will choose the tartan. This made the Glengarry and Stormont Battalions the first militia units in Canada to be authorized to wear highland uniform.
Fenian Raids The 1855 Militia Act introduced voluntary service, and the United Counties raised many independent companies in 1862 following the Trent Affair. The volunteer militia regiments raised in the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry during the 1850s–1860s were:
Cornwall Troop of Volunteer Militia Cavalry – raised on 15 February 1856, under Captain James J. Dickinson, with Lieutenant William D. Wood and Cornet John Kewan. The troop provided an honour guard for the visit of the Prince of Wales to Dickinson's Landing in 1860. This troop was disbanded in March 1865 Williamsburg Troop of Volunteer Militia Cavalry – raised on 16 October 1856, under Captain George W. Brouse, with Lieutenant J.A. Weegar and Cornet J.G. Merkley. This troop was disbanded in 1858 1st Volunteer Militia Rifle Company of Williamsburg – raised on 16 October 1856, under Captain Martin Carman, with Lieutenant William Gordon and Ensign William Casselman. Captain Carman was replaced by Captain James Holden in 1857. This company was disbanded in April 1864 Morrisburg Rifle Company – raised on 22 January 1862, under Captain Alex. Farlinger, with Lieutenant Asaph B. Sherman and Ensign Charles P. Empey. This company was disbanded in November 1862 1st Volunteer Militia Rifle Company of Cornwall – raised on 22 January 1862, under Captain Darby Bergin, with Lieutenant James A. Macdonell and Ensign William McGillivray. Formed part of the 59th Battalion in 1868 2nd Volunteer Militia Rifle Company of Cornwall – raised on 31 January 1862, under Captain Edward Oliver, with Lieutenant George S. Jarvis and Ensign D.B. MacLennan. Formed part of the 59th Battalion in 1868 Volunteer Militia Foot Artillery Company of Morrisburg – raised on 14 February 1862, under Captain Thomas S. Rubidge, with Lieutenant Henry G. Merkley and Second Lieutenant Guy N. Loucks. This company was disbanded on 23 October 1868 Volunteer Militia Foot Artillery Company of Iroquois – raised on 8 May 1862, under Captain Alex. Macdonell, with Lieutenant Rufus Carman and Second Lieutenant Samuel I. Boyd. This company was disbanded on 27 March 1874
Cornwall Infantry Company – raised on 14 November 1862, under Captain Jacob F. Pringle, with Lieutenant D.B. McLennan and Ensign Hugh R. Macdonell. Formed part of the 59th Battalion in 1868 Alexandria Infantry Company – raised on 19 November 1862, under Captain Lauchlin McDougald, with Lieutenant William McL. Grant and Ensign D.A. McDonald. This company was disbanded in September 1865 Morrisburg Infantry Company – raised on 19 November 1862, under Captain Isaac N. Rose, with Lieutenant William D. Mickle and Ensign Samuel Garvey. This company was disbanded in April 1864 Dixon's Corners Infantry Company – raised on 2 January 1863, under Captain Robert Lowery, with Lieutenant Adam J. Dixon and Ensign Josephus Rose. This company was disbanded in April 1864 Kenyon Infantry Company – raised on 22 January 1863, under Captain Angus K. Macdonald, with Lieutenant Ronald R. Macdonald and Ensign John A. Macdougald. This company was disbanded in April 1864 Lancaster Infantry Company – raised on 6 July 1866, under Captain D.B. McLennan, with Lieutenant R. McLennan and Ensign J.J. McNaughton. Formed part of the 59th Battalion in 1868 Williamstown Infantry Company – raised on 6 July 1866, under Captain George H. McGillivray, with Lieutenant Donald Macmaster. Formed part of the 59th Battalion in 1868 Aultsville Infantry Company – raised on 20 July 1866, under Captain John J. Adams, with Lieutenant James H. Bredin and Ensign William D. Wilson. This company formed part of the 56th Grenville Battalion Dickinson's Landing Infantry Company – raised on 20 July 1866, under Captain William S. Wood, with Lieutenant Oscar Fulton and Ensign C. Archibald. Formed part of the 59th Battalion in 1868 Dunvegan Infantry Company – raised on 21 August 1868, under Captain Donald McDiarmid, with Lieutenant Duncan J. McCuaig and Ensign John J. McCuaig. Formed part of the 59th Battalion in 1871
In 1866, the various companies in the counties were called out for service along the St. Lawrence River frontier, serving at Prescott and Cornwall. An attack on Prescott and subsequent advance to Ottawa was prevented by the presence of a considerable force of volunteers from Dundas, Stormont, and Glengarry, and a British gunboat on the river. The Fenians then moved eastward to Malone and vicinity, and an attack on Cornwall was expected, but the presence of three thousand troops there again dissuaded them from attacking.
The following local companies served on active duty during the 1866 raid: 59th Cornwall Battalion – at Cornwall, would become the 59th Stormont and Glengarry Battalion Cornwall Company of Infantry and Rifles – at Cornwall, James Pliny Whitney served with the unit