The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-05-22
MANY FLAGS
Followed by Major-GeneTal Henry
Ronald Douglas Mclyer.
A ROMANTIC CAREER.

Soldier Of Fortune Who FcuSht
For Eighteen Countries Died Last
Week in NewYork. He Had Many
,dvcnturcs, One Of Which Was
thc Killing of Major Tomlin, Of
Vick>burg.
Maj. Gen. Henry Ronald Douglas
MacIver, of the Servian army, major
in the Confederate States army, and
with rank varying from the highest
to the lowest under eighteen flags,
who died in a lodging house in New
York last week; was facing grim pow
erty when he went to his rest. His
battle-scarred body was found by his
landlady, Mrs. Mabel Campbell, who
forced the door open after raplng on
it in vain,
The general had been heard NOV
/ ing about his room in the early morn
ling. The night before he had COM
planned of feeling cold and Mrs:
! Campbell had sent him a drink Of
whiskey, and later cup Of tea. A
! fellow-lodger went to his room at
midnight, and asked him if he need
ed anything.
! 81 thank you, SIR" the general re-
piled. 81 need nothing" The police
of the Twentieth street station, tax
ing an inventory of his belongings,
wrote it down that the soldier Of for
tune. the warrior who had fought
under eighteen flags for the mere
love of fighting, mad 46 cents in cash
and his clothing. If the general has
tened his end, it was done so careful
| " that no one suspected it. Appar:
emily natural death" was recorded
on the blotter at the station.
Mrs. Campbell said that her lodger
was ready to start for Washington
several days before his death, but re.
ceived a letter which kept him in
New York. Gen. MacIver was sixty
one years old, but showed few signs
of his age.
He was waiting for Richard Hard
ing Davis, who has written so much
about his fighting career, y said Mrs
Campbell. He was expecting Mr.
Davis in few days, and told me
about it. We all know that the ole
gentleman was a great soldier. He
looked it. y
Gen. MacIver's scant belongings
consisted of uniforms, his well-car
ed-for street clothes and trunk full
of papers telling of his life Of adven
ture.
The general was born on Christ
mas day. 1864, in Hampton Roads
Va, aboard a ship seeking harbor
His father was Ronald Maclver, {
Scotchman. The son went to Italy
and fought under Garibaldi. He serv
ed in the Ten Years war in Cuba, IL
Crete, in Greece; twice in the Carlls
: revolutions in Spain, in Bosnia. Hs
returned to Virginia, when war on
gigantic scale was framing. Hi
sword was offered to Gen. Robert E
Lee and was accepted. He Tough
with Stuart and Stonewall jackson
l and was four times wounded during
the great conflict.
At the close Of the war there wa:
: much dueling between the officers O.
2 the two armies. Maclver was in one
of these affairs outside Of Vicksburg
: His combatant was Maj. Tomlin, o:
the Vermont United States artlller!
! volunteers. They fought will
l swords, MacIver running his oppon
: ent through the body and cleaning
: his blade with his handkerchief.
He is dead; we must 60 callec
one of MacIver's seconds.
A negro brought up the horses 0:
: MacIver and his seconds.
l my friends are in haste" sale
: MacIver, turning to the seconds o:
the man he had slain. "Is there any
thing can do? l hope that you con
slider this matter settled honorably.
Then he mounted and rode away.
After the civil war MacIver, with
other Southern officers. went to Mex
co. He fought under Maximiliar
there. When the fighting was over
he went to Egypt and then to France
everywhere that cannon were hot
and the caravans of war were plow'
ing up the roads Maclver was to be
found.
MacIver was appointed United
States consul at Dania, Spain. The
man he was to succeed declined tc
get out, and the soldier Of fortune
Immediately suggested that they &c
to the outskirts Of the city and set
tie the matter with pistols or swords.
Stephen Bonsal, the present CORES
pondent Of the New York Times in
St. Petersburg, who was then the
charge d'affairs at Madrid. was sent
to adjust matters. He adjusted the
matter and McIver was installed
without bloodshed,
| The daring of MacIver was best
exemplifed, perhaps, when he took
part in the Cretan struggle against
the Turks. He was received more
than gladly by the Cretans, who gave
him full power ty make war on
land and sea against the enemies Of
Crete, and particularly against the
Sultan Of Turkey and the Turkish
forces, and to burn, destroy or cap
ture any vessel bearing the Turkish
flag" After getting through this
proposition alive he went to Athens,
and later put in few months trying
to exterminate the Grecian brigands,
fighting in the mountains and doing
so well at it that he was given the
highest decoration that the king Of
Greece could confer upon him.
1t was in Servia that Mac1ver at
l.