Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-26
courage under fire-and their spirites
charges.
Brilliant worfAt omdurman.

He led the same IHrigade at Omdurman
and at the taking or Khartoum. At one
time in course of the-Omdurman fight fu-
rious charge was made upon MacDonaId's
troops, who were somewhat unsupported.
He made two rapid changes of front and
effectuany checked the Deryish rush. and
thus defeated the onec chance the enemy
really had in the battle. His fighting on
this occasion was described by G. w. Ste
vens as follows:
But the cockpit Of Tthe fight was Mac
Donalds. The British might avenge his
brigade; 1t was his to keep it and to kill off
the attack To meet-at-h he turned his front
through complete half circle, facing sue
cessively south, west ana north. Every tao
tician in the army was delirious in his
praise; the ignorant correspondent was con-
tent to watch the man and his blacks. Cool
as on parade Is an old phrase; Macdonald
Bey was very much cooler. Beneath the
strong. square-hewn face you could tell
that the brain was working as If packed in
Ice. He sat solid on his horse, and bent
his black browS toward the green flag and
the Remingtons Then Ne turned 10 gal
loper with an order and cantered easily up
rifles hushed, the singing powder smoke
wisped away, and the companies were rap
idly threading back and forward, round and
round. IN and out, Is II 1t were figure of
a dance. In two minutes the brigade WIS
together in a new place. The field in from.
was Fastening toward us in Whitley
brown cloud of Dervishes. An order. Mac
Donald's jaws gripped and hardened as the
flame spurted out again, and the whitley
brown cloud quivered and stood still. He
saw everything; knew what to do knew
how to do it,; did it. At the Fire he was
ever brooding watchfully behind his firing
line; at the Cease fire" he was instantly In
front of 1t; adj saw him. and knew that
they were being nursed to triumph"
Reward for His Gallantry.
His reward was a promotion as A. D. c.
to the queen and that of colonel in the
British army and that of brigadier general
in the Egyptian army. When he returned
home his countrymen, including the High
landers of London, gave him many swords
of honor. He took the lionizing with the
quiet uodesty that was one of his great
est attractions. Later he received a COM
mand In India, with the rank of brfgadier
general. In 1899 he was recalled from In
dia, and on his return to London was or
dered to South Africa, where he was as
signed to the command of the Highland
He succeeded General Wauchope, who was
killed at Magersfontein. General Mac
Donald was wounded at the battle Of
Paardeberg. being shot through the ankle.
but refusing to dismount until the fight
was over. He saw no more active service,
but returned to England. where he was
received with much honor. In May. 1901,
he was appointed to command the southern
and Belgium districts Of India. from
which he went to command the British
troops in Ceylon, whence he was recently
summoned to answer the charges against
him. He was made K. C. B. In 1900.
The story is told of him that when King
Edward said to him, II am proud to meet
you" after his return from South Africa
Macdonald replied, I'VE have met before,
sir" and when the king asked where 1t
was. the general answered. when you
were in India l was on sentry go In front
Of your tent" He rose from the ranks
ian unusual thing La the British army,
and obtained his commission at the age Of
twenty-seven He was1known in the Brit
ish army as Fighting Mac"