The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-07-28
Flora Macdonald In North Caro-
lima.
BY BENSON j. LOSING.

II745. ana claimed hi.right TO the throne
from which his grandfather had been
driven. thousands OF Scotchmen, re
garding lim as their lawful sovereign.
joined hIm in fighting for the Brltlsh
crown. He fought. Has defeated, ami
became a hiding fugitive on the island
81 list. enc Of the lIebriaes of th'
west coast Of Scotland aud W. as &c,
in MAXIM his escape to Fran lt -iofa
Nacdon al. u beautiful, Patriotic, ami
romantlc Scotch girl. just from school
in E4iutnrg. come to visit her ktns-
man. Laird MacdonaI /. the chief Of
list.
Laird and Lady Macdonald were
friends If the Prince, and were trying
to hide hlm from the searching eyes OF
British soldiers, who swarmed on the
island il. quest Of him much longer.
Lady Macdonald conceived a plan for
the Prince escape, but found no man
willing to undertake the perllou: en-
terprise. Her young kinswomau Flora
spoke s%cornfully Of tive timiiity that
ncld back her conntrymen from such
n patio ic and benevolent task.
Twill you undertake it, Floraf ask
ed Lady Macdonald, percelvlng the
young girl : zeal and patriotism.
Indeed | WILL quickly responded
Flora.
Preparations were Immediately made
for the romantic enterprise. Neil
Macdonald, a young kinsman Of Flora,
volunteered To accompany her. she
obtained a passport to leave the island
with Neil, and three others as a BOAT $
crew, and Betsey Burke, a stout Irish
woman whom Flora pretended she had
engaged a. a seamstres1 for her mother
in the isle of Skye.
Flora aud her little party left list
on y pleasant Afternoon. Betsey Burke
was the Prince in disguise. That night
they wcathered j terrific storm, ana
reached Skye in safety in the mernlng.
At the intended landing place they
were confronted by soldiers, when
turning quickly eastward. they escaped
"A vollev of bullets sent after them, and
landed near the house of Sir Alexander
Macdonald. Leaving the Prince con-
cealcd among the rocks, Flora told
her secret III the willing ears of Lady
Macdonald, who furnished an escort
for the party, including stout Betsey
Burke. to the Laird of Kingsbnrg (who
was also a Macdonald). Flora had
conducted the young Prince as an
Irish seamstress through crowds of
soldiers and people who were search
ing for him. Travellers tarried at the
house of the Laird Of k~ingsburg that
night. and the nex morning Prince
Charles Edward embarked for q sue
~cessful voyage to France. As he was
about to leave he kissed his fair deliv-
erer, and said, Gentle, faithful maiden
[ entertain the hope chat we shall yet
meet N the royal palace
The Prince and Flora never saw each
other again. Her young kinSman,
Neil Macdonald, accompanied Charlie.
Edward to France, married there, and
his son, born four years before Napo-
leon ~Bonaparte, became the great mill
tary leaders famous Marshal Macdon'
aid, and Duke Of Tarentum.
The part that Flora mao taken in The
escape of the Prince soon becam.
known, and she, with the Laird O
kingsburg and other kindred, wal
confined in the Tower of London as
prisoner of state, charged with The
VI Va llCooon. wa >
story. and her extreme youth and ra
3 diant beauty, created almost universe
sympathy for her among every class o
! the English people. When George Ii
asked her sternly, How could yol
dare to succor the enemy Of my crow
and kingdom q She replied, will
sweet simplicity, st was no more thar
would have done for your Majesty haC
d you been in his place"
1t was so evident that Flora was no
a political partisan Of the young Pre-
tender as he was called (she was no
of hi. religious faith, and that she ha,
acted from the generous and benevo
q lent impulses Of a woman's heat, tina
e she and her kindred were pardoneC
and released. While she remained il
London she attracted great attention
Crowds of the nobility and gentry 0
both sexes visited her. and bestowed
upon her costly presents; and the gov
ernment sent her home In a bands-m,
chaise, accompanied by q fellow pris
oner, Malcolm Mcleod, who afterwarC
said, Il went to London to be hanged
and returned to Scotland in a chals
and four with Flora Macdonald"
a. Flora afterward married Allen, sol
of the Laird of K~ingsburg, and becam
the mistress of the mansion wher
Prince Charles Edward passed in hi
last night in Scotland, June %, 1916
There she and her husband entertaino,
DR.. johnson and Boswell when the.
visited the Hebrides in 1873. She ha,
then / wife more thantwenty year
and WAS the mother Of numerous child
ren, vet she was still beautiful. an,
full of enthusiasm and abiding lovalt
to the British crown. M~is.ortun
p caused Flora and her family to joil
some of their kindred who had settle,
in North Carolina, and she abode 70
a while at Cross Creek (now Fayette
ville).
la the winter of lS49 | started t
follow the line of the retreat of Gene
rel Greene before CORVALLIS acros
North Carolina from the Catawba t
the Dan, in 1871, but soon turne,
to eastward to Fayetteville, wher
| arrived toward sunset. In the even
ID ing l called on Mrs. McM-
II and aged and sprightly Scotcblady
who, | was told, remembered Flor
Macdonald. She was enthusiastic j
her praises of that noble woman IRON
the Hcbrides. She described her a
m mot very tall, but very handsome an,
5 dignified woman. with fair complexion
ne sparkling blue eyes, the finest teetI
ever seen, and her hair, partly covered
with a pretty lace cap, was slight
streaked with gray. Her kindly voic
wa. sweetest music continued Mrs
NncI t.an6 OH hnw tha nna