Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-03-15
From the American Historical Record.
FLOR a MEDICINAL LID

More than twenty years ago | spent an
evening with lady in Fayetteville, y. {.
the :. oldest iuhabtant > of that regicn,
who was brought from Scotland While she
was Yet an infant. She well remembered
FlOla Mcdonald. and said, 4" As you pass
from tie Courthouse to the market build
ing il the morning, you may see on he left
near the creek the ruins of her house which
was swept away by fire that destroyed a
greater pat Of our town, more than tW enty
years ago She then stepped 10 a small
chest of drawers, and taking out a dingy
paper and landing it to me, said: " There
is the writing of Madame Mcdonald; every
body loved and respected her. My mother
was then a maiden, and this letter was sent
to her by Flora from her new homo in the
Barbecue congregation up in Cumberland
county" ] read as follows;
FEBRUARY l, 117G.
Dc,n Mopgjc: Allan leaves tomorrow,
to Join DOnald'S standard at Cross Creek,
and | shall be alone Wi my three BARNS.
Gamma We come and stay wi me awhile?
There are trOublOHS times ahead | Wcen.
God will keep the right | hope all or ain
arc in the right, prays your good friend,
FLORY MCDoNALD.
Flora Mcdonald (who always wrote her
name = Flory y filled a conspicuous place
in the worlds history at about the middle
of the last century, for it was she who
j chiefly assisted the escape from Scotland TO
France OF Prince Charles Edward, grand
son of James the Second, of England, who
| unsuccessfully attempted to regain the
/ throne from which his grandfather had been
driven nearly sixty years before.
The Young Pretender, as he was called,
| had landed in Scotland, drawn hosts Of ad-
herents around him, and fought battles
with the English, but he was finally beaten,
| his followers were dispersed, and he was,
/ for five moths, fugitive hunted from
mountain to glen, from crag to a cavern,
among the Highlands, and at length found
Il hiding place in the isle of Uist, one of the
! Hebrides, and friend in Laird Mcdonald.
| To his house came Flora in June, 1746, a
! beautiful and romantic gill, fresh from
! school at Edinburg, 10 yisit her relations
! The island was SWaIming with soldiers in
/ search Of the Prince, at the head Of whom
was FlOras step-flther. The fugitive could
! not much longer cludc them. Lady Nc
Donald had conceived plan for his escape,
| but found no one willing to braveEth con-
| sequences. :: VIII you undertake. TO assist
the Prince ," she asked Flora. = viii >
was the prompt reply, and she was joined
in the perilOus enterprise by a young kins-
| man, Neil Mcdonald. Flora obtained
from her step-fathcr a passport from the
island with Neill and three others as a
boats crew. and Bctsey Burke, a stout
Irish woman whom she pretended She had
! engaged as a seamstress for her mother in
the Isle of Skye.
Betsey Burke was the Prince in disguise,
and OH bright afternoon the little party
embarked from list. A terrific storm bust
upon them that night, but they reached
Skye i'll safety the next morning. Con-
fronted by soldiers on shore, they rowed
eastward and landed near the house of Sir
Alexander Mcdonald. Leaving the Prince
concealed among the rocks, Flora told her
secret to Lady Mcdonald, who sent trtIs-
ty guard with them to the Laird of Kings
! bureh many miles distant, who was alsa a
cDOnald, and by whom they were enter
tanned for the night. On the following
morning, Flora accompanied the Prince to
Poteree. She had conducted him, i'll the
character Of her servant through crowds of
soldiers and people who were seeking him,
and now she babe him adieu and left him
to make his way to France. lie k ssed her
and said, " Gentle, faithful, maiden, | en-
terrain the hope that we shall yet meet in
the royal palace" They never met again.
Nein Mcdonald accompanied the Prince to
France, married there, and long Years at
tcrWard his son became Napoleon the First 5
celebrated Marshall Mcdonald
Flora's completely in the escape of the
Prince became known, and she was taken
to London with Mcdonald Of Kingsburgll
and others, and cast into the Tower as a
prisoner Of State. Her romantic story
touched the best hearts in England, and
the warmest sympathy was awakened in
her behalf. The nobility of the kingdom
became deeply interested in her fate. She
was not a partisan Of the Pretcndcr, Meth
er was she &' his religious faith. She had
simply followed the benevolent instincts ol
Il womans heart IL helping the distressed
and forlo1n. When George the Second
asked her steI1iy, . How could YOU dare tc
suceCr the enemy Of my crown aud king