 After training as a lawyer and brief militia service, he joined the army in 1808 as a captain of the light artillery.In the War of 1812, Scott served on the Canadian front, taking part in the Battle of Queenston Heights and the Battle of Fort George, and was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in early 1814.He served with distinction in the Battle of Chippawa, but was badly wounded in the subsequent Battle of Lundy's Lane.