[1] He was promoted to major and became Superintendent of Studies at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst in March 1854 and then served in the Crimean War later that year.

[1] He became adjutant general of the Canadian militia in May 1865 and head of reserve forces in England in 1871.

[2] In 1891 he was made Colonel of The Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians), a position he held until his death.

MacDougall married, firstly, Louisa Augusta Napier[1] (third daughter of Sir William Francis Patrick Napier and Caroline Ameila Fox) on 15 July 1844 in Guernsey and following her death on 8 September 1856, he married Marianne Adelaide Miles[1] (born 1834), eighth daughter of Philip John Miles and Clarissa Peach at St George's Hanover Square on 21 June 1860.

Marianne was described as "a charming woman and a well-known amateur water-colour artist" by Lady Glover who stayed with them in Canada.