St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1915-11-17
SAILED WITH PERRY
A. S. Mcdonald of Peacham On
First Man Of War To Visit Jap
anese COuntry-Is 80 Years Old.

A survivor of the famous expedition
of Commodore Perry to Japan wher
Japanese ports were opened for world
commerce in 1854 was in the village
Saturday. Very few if any SURVIVORS
of that memorable trip can be found
at this late day, but A. S. Mcdonald OF
Peacham is 80 years old and went up
the river to Toxic with Perry's fleet
Despite his age he is an active man
both physically and mentally and has
a history that would make very inter
esting reading if it could be compiled
He was born in Peacham, April 15
1886, and is now living with a grand
daughter and great granddaughter
within a mile of his birthplace. His
fathers name was Alexander McDon-
aid who lived on a farm there until
A. S. Mcdonald was about eight years
old when the family moved to Read
ing. Mass, where the father kept a
hotel. When IA years old the subject
of this sketch went aboard the whal-
ing vessel America" and after cruis-
ing for a year and a half he stopped
off at the Sandwich Islands. When
Commodore Perry's expedition touched
there he Joined it. He did not give
said when they were sailing up the
river to Toxic everything was clear
and quiet along the shore. When
they awoke the next morning they
found themselves facing a fort about
two miles in length with many guns
rotnted in their direction. They fired
upon it and found it was only a can
vas fort erected in the hope of fright
ening them away. The ship on which
the expedition sailed was the sloop of
war Portsmouth.
When the expedition reached the
Sandwich Islands on its return Mr.. Nc
Donald left it. After stopping there
long enough to spend his money
Mr.. Mcdonald sailed to San Francis
co and hired out to the United States
to carry the mails across
the Isthmus of Yuantepec and worked
at that for one year. Then he went
back to San Francisco and later back
to Vermont. He married Lucinda
Gould of Walden who died several
years ago.
In 1851 he enlisted in the army but
was soon transferred to the navy and
went into service under Commodore
Foote. He was in all the battles Oh
the Red River from Fort Donelson
down to Cairo and on the Mississippi
from there to Vicksburg. He was
wounded in the thumb on his righ,
hand and sent home on a furlough
and then discharged from service.
But this does not include all his
service on the sea. He has been
around the world three times in sail
ing vessels and has touched at mosr
of the ports of world wide commerce
spending over rs years on the sea. He
was with the old ship America when
it ran aground in the Arctic ocean
and in company with 80 other men
spent the winter with the Esquimaux.
The men were parceled out among
different families and finally were
taken off by another ship on the fol-
lowing fourth of July without death
in the party.
His father and mother being in fail
ing health he returned to Peacham to
care for them and their farm. They
lived on the home farm until the
father died at the age of 88 and the
mother at 90. About 10 years ago he
sold the farm and is living in a small
place about a mile away. Three
daughters and two sons were born to
him and all are living except one son
Mr.. McDonald's eyesight is impaired
but he is a large strong man today
with a rich and varied history to en-
joy in his declining days and the
probable distinction of being the only
survivor of the historical expedition
that opened the vast wealth of Japan
to the commerce of the world.