Donald Sutherland was born in Wick, a coastal town in Scotland, around 1843 or 1844, the son of Donald Sutherland, a ropemaker, and Isabella Strachan. As a boy he worked in the fishing industry but by the age of 16 desired a more exciting life. He joined a militia unit stationed at Fort George at nearby Ardersier. In 1860 he volunteered to join the forces of Giuseppe Garibaldi, who, supported by the British, was engaged in the Expedition of the Thousand, part of the Italian unification wars. The campaign ended in Naples, after which Sutherland returned to the United Kingdom.