The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-10-22

volunteers ne
took up arms to fight for his adopted
country
Mr. Mcdonald has keen brown eyes,
shoulders broad and square, he still
stands erect, and the lines of his face
indicate a determined character. He
is somewhat of an orator, and during
his 35 years residence in St. Johns
bury has made many stirring patriotic
addresses at G. A. R. campfires and
other public gatherings. He is a IA
miliar figure at the town and village
meetings, never failing to make a
speech as only poor and humble
taxpayer" but often carrying the day
by his Irish wit and eloquence.
He was born in Dublin in 1882, and
it was there his boyhood days were
passed. He never tires telling how it
came about that he enlisted in the
English army and served in the Cri-
mean campaign. While walking along
the streets of Dublin one night he was
accosted by an army officer who sue
ceeded in taking him to the English
army quarters. Mr.. Mcdonald says
he has only dim recollection of what
happened that night but the following
morning when the officer told him he
had enlisted in the English army, he
realized that he had been drugged. In
telling his experience, Mr.. Mcdonald
says: Whatever condition my senses
were in the preceding night, they were
clear enough then to understand that
some underhand method had been
used, and not hesitating an instant l
seized the man, flung him aside and
started down the paSsageWay. On
gaining the entrance, | encountered
two guards and a hand-tohand fight
ensued. The Irish in me was pretty
well aroused and l think l would
have licked them both had not the ar
rival of group Of officers prevented
further struggle"
An elderly officer wearing the uni
form Of major general, had been
an interested spectator, and remarked
that "a mans place who could fight
| like that was in the English army"
The officer proved to be Lord Raglan,
an old Waterloo general, and Mr. Nc,
| Donald says it was those words that
made him veteran Of the Crimean
war.
After two months drilling he was
| sent to Cork, from there to Gibraltar,
where he was stationed for ten months.
He saw service in Malta and Constan-
| tinople, and at Balaklava and fought
in the battle of Inkerman Later his
division was ordered to Green hill
trenches, where the English were
heavily fortified in front of Sebasto-
pol. 1t was a cold climate, and their
tents were pitched in a foot of mud.
Mr.. Mcdonald says the winter of 1856
was the worst he has ever experienced.
The army was quartered in Sibley
tents, each tent containing 16 men,
and it was no uncommon occurrence
upon awakening in the morning to
find men frozen. During that winter
England lost more men through lack
Of food, medicine and clothing than by
Russian bullets.
During the siege of Sebastopol Mr..
Mcdonald served under Gen. Simpson,
and is one of the survivors of that
gallant body of men who during the
last few weeks of the siege dug near.
ly SO miles of trenches and pushed
their lines within 100 feet of the Ma
lakof fort under steady rain of
bullets.
The day Sebastopol was taken Nc
Donald received flesh wound and
was taken to the rear. From an emf,
nence overlooking the city he saw
the burning of Sebastopol, the most
magnificent and awful sight, he says,
he has ever witnessed.
The division to which Mr. Mcdonald
belonged sailed from Crimea in the
spring Of '56, landing in Quebec in
May. For three years he knocked
around Canada, working at several
occupations. In 1859 he came to Yer.
mont and went to work on farm.
On Sunday, April IA, 1861, shortly
before noon, a telegram announced
to the citizens Of st. Johnsbury that
Fort Sumter had surrendered to the
confederacy. The whole state was
aroused and the same day that Presl
dent Lincoln called for $4,000 men
Erastus Fairbanks, who was Ver-
mont's war governor, issued a procla-
nation convening a special session of
the state legislature. At this session
the governor was authorized to raise
six regiments for immediate service.
Mr.. Mcdonald was at this time in
Waterford. Gov. Fairbanks sent for
him and said that if he was good
enough to be a veteran of the Cri-
mean war he was just the man Yer
mont needed at this critical time.
Mr. Mcdonald says he came to this
country to stay and to peruse the arts
Of peace, but after thinking the mat
Ter over he felt it his duty as an
American citizen to go to the front
and fight.
Mr. Mcdonald says "he has had
some close calls" In the battle OF
Gettysburg his cap was shot off his
head. His last service was in Wash.
ington when Ely made his raid on Fort
Stevens. He was a three-year man.
and being in feeble health when his
term expired, returned to Vermont
and was mustered out at Burlington
June 27. 1854.