Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-10-09
MeDoNALD,s HOME In jan.
The Remarkable Story About Prison
or who WIN Attempt TO Secure
His Freedom.
From tAe Neto York journal.

no ASoAudEkADAe story ABOUT a Prison
er who WIN Attempts TO Secure
His Freedom.
From, the NetO York Journal.
motion VIII be made in the Supreme
Court by Counsellor J. G. .McEachan,
looking to the liberation Of A. r. Me-
Donald, a stanch friend of the Union
cause during the troublous time OF the
war between the States, and a conhden-
tial emlssary OF Abraham Lincoln, who
has been confined in Ludlow Street Jail
for the past S years on civil action for
an alleged debt growing out Of his efforts
to prevent the wholesale destruction OF
cotton by the Southerners during the war.
After the failure OF x-Congressman
Casey, of Kentucky, to effect q stipula-
ton With the southern commanders at
Shreveport, La, by which the destruction
OF cotton should cease, Mr.. Mcdonald vol
unteered his services.
Mr.. Mcdonald at that time had amassed
fortune of over million dollars as a
successful operator in the products OF the
border States, and the fact of his being
British subject with strong attachment
for the Union commanded itself to Mr..
Lincoln as like y to render his efforts the
more successful.
worth OF cotton had been burned, with in
calculable loss to the country, and it was
Mr.. Lincoln's pet project to effect an
agreement which would end this useless
and wholesale loss. Being introduced to
the President by Gen. Halstead, MIR. Nc
Donald informed Mr.. Lincoln that he
knew of but one way to effect the desired
result, AID that was the Presidents per-
sonal pledge to the Southern military
40 dor kus fho rad obn
not be conhscated in any event.
The result of the conference was that
Mr.. Mcdonald undertook the commission,
and early in 1864 left Washington as the
agent of the government with President
LincOln's authorization to enter into an
| agreement with the Confederate authOri-
ties of the trans-Mlssissippi Department
Well supplied with funds and armed with
the Presidents saie-conduct, he proceeded
with little difficulty to Shreveport, AID
was there arrested by the COnfederates in
mistake for another person whose descrip-
ton he answered.
He succeeded in converting Col. William
A. Broadwell, chief of the Cotton
Bureau Of the COnfederacy, to his views,
and in order TO disguise from the fanati-
cal element the objects of his mission and
as a necessary auxiliary to the accom-
Dlisbment of his purpose he purchased on
over q million dollars.
In one day lists OF Confederate cotton
were transferred to Mr. Mcdonald IN
trust to the extent of 70, 900 bales, worth in
the New York market $4,000, 900, on the
| respective terms of noD-incendiarism and
! non-contiscation. By this arrangement he
brought the burning Of cotton by the Con-
federates to close.
Mr.. Mcdonald kept Mr.. Lincoln con-
rfa ohV vi Of
the success of his mission received the
! thanks of the President, who also in
struOted Mr.. Mcdonald, in order to
indicate the non-cOntTaband character Of
the cotton ne had purchased on his own
account, to surmOunt it with the Bri-
tish nag, which was his right as British
subject,
He returned to Washington and re-
ceiYed the personal thanks CT the Presi-
dent for the successful issue Of his mis-
sion. The unwise legislation Of 1864,
however, which declared that all future
purchases Of cotton should be made by
the United States, again put the torch
in the hands Of the incendiarIes, and to-
wards the close Of 1864 Mr.. Mcdonald
again proceeded South, and was at
Gaines Landing on the Mississippi when
word reached him that Magruder had or
dered a wholesale destruction OF cotton
within his district.
Mcdonald saw that no time was to be
lost, and made forward ride Of 25O miles
from the Landing to Shreveport, and was
in time to see Col. BroadWell and have
the order reyOked.
In January, 1865, a detachmentof United
States troops under Gen. Osband made
raid through the section in which Nc
D0nald's cotton was stored, and seeing
the huge piles of bales surmOunted
by the British flag, and being ignorant
Of the circumstances, the cotton was
burned.
After the Treaty OF Washington had
been effected in 1871 the British govern
ment notified MIR. Mcdonald to submit
proofs of his claim for losses by the de-
structiOn OF his cotton, an award was
made to the British government OF $751;
1870 for the loss sustained by Mr.. Nc
Donald. An Injunction was obtained in
the Supreme Court of the District of
Columbia forblddIng him TO receive what
his government held out to him. On an
appeal the Court decided that 1t
had no jurisdiction in the case and
ordered that the money be paid to Nc
Donald,
His enemies did not relax their efforts,
but subsequently secured reversal Of
the Courts decision and an order that
Mcdonald should return the money 10 the
registry OF the court. Mcdonald, how
ever, was never notified Of this order, and
afiidavits having been furnished the Court
that the order had been left at his resi-
dence, be was declared in contempt and
a decree was entered against him. lie
was arrested in this city in 1877 By order
OF a Judge OF the City Court and taken 70
Ludlow Street jail, where he has been
detained ever since.
SILK MANUFACTURERS COMING.