Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-11-12
Flora Macdonald.

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Flora Macdonald.
Most readers are familiar with the
story of Flora Mscdonald's heroic res
cue of Prince Charles Edward, but
there are few who associate her with
our Revolutionary War. Tho follow
ing extract is from Amelia E. Bars
interesting article entitled A Romance
of the Hebrides," in Harper's MAGAZINE:
On her return to Skye she was mar
ried to young Macdonald of Kings
burgh, and on the death of his father
became the lady of Kingsburgh. But
the estate was greatly impoverished
by war, fines, and unstinted hospitality,
and when all hopes OF the Stuarts' re.
turn had to be abandoned, Flora and
her husband resolved to emigrate to
the Carolinas. 1t was at this time
they had visit from DR.. johnson,
and it is very amusing to find Flora
writing to friend two weeks before it,
saying, " l am expecting from the
mainland Mr.. Boswell, and one Mr..
johnson, gay young English buck,
with him."
The Macdonalds settled near Halifax,
in North Carolina, and seem to have
been regarded as the head of large
Scotch emigration scattered around that
vicinity: Unfortunately the Revolu.
tionary war broke out before they had
become attached to their new home,
and Macdonald, who had given his a.
legiance to the house of Hanover when
Charles's cause became dead and hope
less, transferred with it the rigid loyalty
that had been so marked characteris-
tic OF his race. A soldier of a long
line of soldiers, and an intense partisan
of loyalty, he was quite unable to
sympathize with republican ideas, or
see any reason in popular rights.
He raised first the royal or Tory
standard in the Carolinas, and, it is
said was urged into active warfare by
his wife. A regiment of Highlanders,
know n as the Eighty-fourth, was formed
Flora's husband being its colonel,
and her eldest son, q lad Of sixteen,
one of It's captains. The first tight be-
at Moore's Creek, February 81, 1776.
Early at daybreak the shrill notes OF
the bagpipes called the Highlandmen
to battle, but Macdonald was seriously
i'll, and had to depute the cnmmand to
Macleod and Campbell. Both were
killed at the very first onset, and the
battle-which was the initial one of
the Revolution in North Carolina
was brilliant victory for the colon
lists under Generals Moore and Cas-
we'll.
After the battle of Moore's Creek,
Flora's husband remained some time a
prisoner in Halifax jail, and on his re-
lease served with his regiment in Can
ada. During these years Flora endured
laany hardships, and at the close of
the war General Macdonald retired on
half pay and they returned to their
home in the barren, cloudy mountains
of Skye.
Their homeward journey was not I'M
eventful. They were attacked by a
French privsteer, and severe conflict
took place. Flora remained on deck
during the whole battle, succoring and
stimulating the sailors by her heroic
speeches and behavior. Her foot slipped
in the blood which covered the
deck, and she fell and broke her arm;
but not even this calamity induced her
to leave the scene until satisfied that
her services were no longer needed.
She rejoiced greatly to be once again
in the wild desolate freedom of the
Habrides, and she never more left them.
As q wife she had shared all her hus.
bands dangers and labors; as a moth
er she strove with passionate earnest.
ness to make her five sons worthy Of
their illustrious name. Every one OF
them became soldiers. Charles, the
eldest, was a captain in the Queens
Rangers. "There lies the most fin
ished gentleman of my famil y and
name" said Lord Macdonald, when he
saw him lowered into the grave.
Alexander, also an officer, was lost at
sea. The third son, Ronald, famous for
his handsome person and elegant
manners, hal o professional character
equal to his personal one, and was q
captain of marines; James was an
officer in the British Legion; and John,
the youngest, rose to the rank OF lieu
tenant-colonel.
Flora retained to the last her beauty.
her vivscity, and her spirit. She died
on the 9Th OF March, 1890, at the age
of seventy years. Her winding sheet
was actually one of those in which
Prince Charles had slept at Kings
burgh.
Philadelphia is said to have about
104 900 pupils in her public schools.
1t is asserted that there are not enough
teachers; Council forgetting that the
school population is increasing and e1