Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-03-22

At the meeting of the Delaware His.
torical Society Monday night Lewis O.
Vandegrift read the following ex-
tremely interesting paper on the life OF
Commodore Macdonough:
IAN American lady in England, soon
after the war of 1879, was discussing
with an &nglishman the merits of the
opposing sides. The Englishman was
Somewhat more brusque than gallant
and insisted that the lady's compatriots
did not fight fairly, like brave men, but
on the contrary gained their advantages
over the English by fighting from be-
hind trees and stumps like the Indians
TO which unfair criticism she retorted
most efIectually by asking il there were
any trees and stumps in Lake Cham
plain.
when received the kind invitation
of this society to speak to- night thought
IL might be of interest to you as Della
wareans If | should lay before you u
few facts and traditions of Commodore
Macdonough-th hero of Lake Cham
plain-a Delawarean by birth and an
cestry and one of the most interesting
characters in American history.
A NATIVE OF DELAWARE.
"He was born at the little village that
now bears his name, tien and even
sometimes now called The Trappe,' two
days before Christmas, 1888.
"Elis father and grandfather had
owned the farm upon which he was
born, and there the first few years of his
life were spent. Here was laid the fonn-
dation of the health, deliberation, conf.
dence and courage that enabled him 20
SO perform each duty that came to him
in life as quickly to bring him the honor
and distinction that crowned his after
years.
HE entered the navy as midship-
man about his seventeenth year, having
tas one of the newspapers of the early
days said caught the soldiers flame
from his brother James Macdonough.
"The latter had entered the navy a
few years before and was with Captain
Truxton on the Constellation in our
difficulties Of those times with France.
The report of the battle with, the insur-
gente in which, as is well known, the
Americans were victorious, states that
OF the latter only one was killed and two
wounded. 1t was ia this battle of Febru.
ary 18th, 1899, that James Macdonough
lost one OF his legs, and he was there
fore one of the only three Americans
who suffered byithat engagement.
"At the time his brother was thus dis
abled in the service of his country the
future hero of Champlain was a clerk
in the little cross roads town of Middle
town, now the center of thriving
community, then but sparsely settled.
gentleman now in his fifth score of
years, who knew the town back in the
twenties, pointed out to me the spot
where Thomas Macdonough must have
served his apprenticeship as a clerk.
MAoDoNoUGH's BoYnoop.
There were four Macdonough brothers
in the generation in which we are in
terested, and few men are still living
in the old neighborhood whose fathers
grew up with them. They were full of
life and spirit, fond of practical Jokes,
and considered by some of their neigh
bors little wild. Many stories are still
current, with the Oldest present genera
tion, of the MacdonUugh boys, and one
in regard to james well illustrates their
character.
AFTER his retirement from the navy
he lived at Odessa, then Cantwell's
Bridge, and in going to MiddIetown one
evening he heard that the housekeeper
at the old Meldrom farm was sick. 1t
was usual in those days to hand the
nhdertaker stick the length it was de-
sired Il collin should be, and so james
cut and carried to the undertaken tho
necessary stick, and said the old nouse-
keeper had just died and he must with
out fail have coffin at the house at an
early hour the next morning. The
undertaker's assertion that to furnish
the coffin on such short notice would
necessitate his working all night. did
not dissuade Macdonough from insist
ing upon his demand. The work was
done, and early the next morning the
undertaken was backing his coffin up to
the door when the intended occupant
herself appeared upon the threshold.
having recovered from severe attack
OF collie, which at the time she thought
most serious. When, in answer to her
inquiry, she was told it had been ordered
for her, her anger exceeded her horror
and she drove the grewsome cargo from
her door. The angry undertaken, smart
ing under the joke that had been played
upon him, went on to Macdonough's
nome in Odessa, unloaded the coffin at
his door and demanded his pay. This he
received, and the coffin stood for years
In one corner of the house, receptacle
loI goou cueer ana hospitality.
"Thomas Macdonough's first experi-
ence in naval warfare was during our
difficulty with Tripoii. He would have
been among the captured on the Phila-
delphia except that the commander left
him behind ON naval duty at Gibraltar,
lie was taken from there by Captain
Decatur, then in command of the Enter
prize, and upon reaching the seat of
war discovered his fortunate escape,
Then II was his brave captain, with the
hesitating consent of Commodore Preble
then in command of the American
squadron, undertook the destruction of
the Philadelphia in the harbor of Tripoli.
HIS BRILLIANT CONDUCT.
decatur called for seventy volun-
teers for the perilous undertaking and
among them was young Macdonvugh.
They proceeded cautiously into the yery
Jaws OF death, and Decatur and his young
mldshipman were among the first 10
board the Philadelphia and oyerpower
the enemies in charge. Almost the whole
Irlpolitan navy were in close proxi.
mity to the Philadelphia, and the COM
motion in the harbor when the rash
warriors were discovered seemed to
foretell their certain death. Decatur NJ
nrst thought he would stay on the
Philadelphla and fight it out, but after
wards concluded to set fire to the ship