THE Glengarry McDonalds OF VIRGINIA }j ~ BY MRS. FLORA McDONALD WILLIAMS WITH AN INTRODUCTORY SKEJ'CH OF THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE (iLENGARRY CLAN 1-lolllc c....c.i:-c- 1911 HE piclure oflnou-{jany Castle. on 1k opposite page, is the ancient T fortress and wong-hold of the <;Iengarrg McDonalJs. It was humeJ l,y Camkrlantl in 1745. haf the pidur­ esque rain is still in a good sl.ale of pre- 3UOalion. Here 'Prina Cl,a,lie :slept the night hefore Culloden, and here he foantl refuge for a short time after that fateful hattle. cehe mansion 3lood to 1k right of the Castle. and more in the Glen. The Glen hehintl the Castle, through r.obich the rioer <;arrg ~ and from r.ohicb the clan derived il.s name, is fall of pidare.sqae sceneTJ;, as r.oell as the la/r.e r.oere the rioer rlse$. In Memory of M;g &lt1Pf!I! Father ,/lNGUS WIUIAM McDONALD CONTENTS Chapter 1 ••••••'Er.r)y History of the Glengarry McDonald& Chapter 2 •••••• Angus McDonald (Emigrant) Chapter 3 •••••• .Angus McDonald (2d) Chapter 4 •••••• .Angus William McDonald Bis lite at West Point and on Frontier Chapter 5 •••••• Mania lWas Naylor and begins practice or • Jaw. Sent to England to locate boundary line. Chapter 6 •••••• Col Angus W. McDonald captured by Bunter. Chapter 7 •••••• Accollllt of Col McDonald's Capture as told by R. D. Bea1J In Balto. Sllll. Lettan from J'e1ferson Davis, urging that an account or bis defense of his ll()St be written for publication. Chapter 8 ••••••Mary Naylor McDonald ClJ!lpter 9 ••••••Angus W. McDonald, J'r~ School Days CbapterlO ••••••Political and War Experiences Chapter 11 •••••• After the Surrender Chapter 12 ••••••Anne Sanford McDonald Chapter lZ ••••••Edward B. :McDonald Chapter 14 •••••• His accollllt of the Capture of Sir Percy Wyndham Cbapter15 •••••• William Naylor McDonald, Bis Diary Cbapter16 •••••• His War and otb~r Experiences Cbapter17 •••.•• Marshall McDonald Cbapter18 •••••• United States Commissioners of Fish and Fisheries Chapter 19 •••••• Craig Woodrow McDonald Chapter 20 • _ ••• Snsan Leaey McDonald Cbapter21 •••••• Flora-McDonald Chapter 22 •••••• Harry Peake McDonald Cb..pter 23 •••••• Allan Lane McDonald Chapter 24 ••••••Kenneth McDonald Chapter25 •.•••• Ellen McDonald Cbapter26 ••••.• Ro;y McDonald Chapter 27 •••••• Donald :McDonald Cbapter28 •••••• H1JI1ter McDonald Chapter 29 ••.••• Glengarry To-da;r By Rev. Peerce Naylor McDonald APPENDICES INTRODUCTORY Realizing some years ago how little effort had been made to preserve the records of the McDonald fam­ ily, smce the first member of it came to this coun­ try in 1746, and discovering-as I searched further int.o the matter-what an honorable and generous measure each generation had eontn1>uted to the history of the country, I determined to do what I could to rescue from obscurity, and put in some per­ manent form, a record of those men who had been so busy doing things that no time had been found to writ.e them up. Little of the data preserved in family and per­ sonal papers had escaped the ravages of time. to say nothing of two wars; hence I found myself much restricted along those lines. But a persistent foilo~ up of every clue. led finally to the un­ earthing of much that was hitherto unknown of their distinguished ancestor, by the descendants of the original Angus, who came here in 1746. Strange to say, I found in the Li1>rary of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, more valuable and reliable information of his early activities in the French and Indian wars, than anywhere e:se. And I am much indebted to Dr. Reuben G. Thwaite, Librarian. for his assistance and courtesy in fur­ nishing much that was not procurable elsewhere. I 10 The GknuatT1/ McDonalds of Virginia also found in "American Archives" many referenees to his life and work. It bas always been the commonly received belief among the majority of his descendents, that he would have entered the Revolutionary army, but for his untimely death soon after the beginning of hos­ tilities; his hesitation at first, resulting from a dis­ inclination to serve under a man who had bad no military experience, but Washington's great anxiety to llave him in the field, as sbown by ·his letter to him from Monist.own.• N. J., would, most likely, llave resulted in his assignment to another com­ mand, had he lived. McDonald's lack of a lmow­ ledge of "wire-pulling," ·had, in all probability, a good deal to do with "the parson's" getting ahead ofhlm. Angus McDonald had been trained, like his fore­ bears to service in the field, and had been an officer in the battle of Culloden, though but eighteen years of age. Macaulay says of his ancestors: "As mili­ tary men the McDonalds have ever supported their high renown; the names of those distinguishing themselves, being truly far too numerous to men­ tion, and had they been only as wise and prudent as they were brave and generous, there would never have been another clan equal to it"· · A record of a more recent date, preserved in "Coyner's Diary," who served as Captain under Ashby, in the war between the ·states, furnishes additional testimony to their soldierly qualities. It bas this to say: "The McDc,nald that Ashby followed: and the McDonalds who followed Ashby were alike brave 'FM Gkn/Jarrtl McDonalM Of YirginiG 11 and gallant soldiers, and stand beside the noblest names on the pages of history." I have no doubt that some errors will be found but I have taken every pains to verify my state­ ments. when given as facts. I have found my worlc most engrossing and int.eresting and close it with regret, for I .shall miss the companionship of those whose activities I have recounted in the following pages. They have seemed very real and near to me. FLoRA McDoNALD WlLLIAKS. EARLY HISTORY OF THE GLENGARRY McDONALDS CHAPTER I. That those who are entitled to the distinction should wish to place on record their claim to High­ land ancestry, is not to be wondered at, when we remember how that small section of the globe, geo­ graphically considered, has infiuenced so many de­ partments of the world's history. The origin of the Highland clans dates back to a very early period, some of the Celtic authorities claiming .a direct descent for them from the cele­ brated Irish "King Conn, of a Hundred Battles," . and to those who might be disinclined to acknow­ ledge this remote Irish origin, claimed by Sir James McDonald, in 1615, he says: ''Whatever lreland may have been since those early days, to the ancient Western world, it was then the cradle of religion and the nursery of civilization." In this same connection, Macneil says: "While the Germans and Northmen were yet roving heathen tribes, the Gaels in Ireland and Scotland had tl:leir Seminaries of learning, where Literature was loved and cherished. And from the Colleges of Durrow and Iona, missionaries, whose well-trained minds and zealous hearts fitted them for the undertaking, went forth to Christianize the people of England and the Teut.onic tnoes on the Continent." 14 TM Glengat'T11 Mcl10nald8 of 'Virginia Macaulay, in his "History of EngJa.nd," says: "In perseverence, in self-command, in forethought. in all the qualities which conduce to success in life, the Scots ·have never been surpassed. In mental culti­ vation Scotland had an indisputable superiority. Though that kingdom was then the poorest in Christendom, it already vied in every branch of learning with the most favored countries. Scotsmen, whose dwellings and whose food were as wretched as those of the Icelanders· of our time, wrote Latin verse with the delicacy of Vida, and made dis­ coveries in science which would have added renown to Galileo." Macaulay further says: ..In. 1696, the Estates of Scotland met at Edinburg • • •. • and by far the most important event of this short session was the passing of the act for the settling of schools. By this memorable law it was, in Scotch Phrase. statuted and ordained that every Parish in the realm should provide a commodious school house and should pay a moderate stipend to the schoolmaster. The effect could not be immediately felt. but before one generation had passed it began to be evident that the common people of Scotland were superior in in­ telligence to the common people of any other coun­ try in Europe. To whatever land the Scotchman might wander, to whatever calling be might betake himself, in America, or in India, in tr{lde or in war, the advantage of his early training raised him above his competitors. • • • • And Scotland, in spite of the barrenness of her soil and the. severity of her climate made such progress in agriculture, in com­ merce, in letters, in science, in all that constitutes The-~ NcDtmaldtl of Vir(linitJ 15 civilization, as the Old World had never seen­ equalled • * • * Scotland in becoming a part of the British Monarchy, preserved all her dignity. She was joined to her stronger neigilbor on the most honorable t.erms; she gave a king instead of receiv­ ing one." Although the downfall of the hapless house of Stewart. practically put an end to native rule. the individuality of the Scotsman was never lost. nor his independent spirit subdued. And notwithstand­ ing they are credited with being the most practical of all people. they have furnished. both poets and writers of :fiction with some of the most engaging characters known in the realm of literature. To call those rugged. hills "ban-en" which have supplied. fuel for the divine tire, from the days of Ossian down to the Barries.