The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-11-16
FLORA MCDONALD, ROYALIST
charleston Courier.)

An duInOr OF SkeICneS OF NOrtn
Carolina" says that massachusetts
has her Lady Arabella, Virginia he,
Pocahontas and North Carolina hel
Flora Macdonald" The name of the
pretty Scotch heroine is as INSOFAR.
ably linked with the history Of NORTH
Cafolina as with her own country. L
was Flora Macdonald who helped the
pretender Prince Charles Edward
Stuart, to escape from Scotland te
France after the battle of Culloden, in
which the power of the Highland
"lairds'' was destroyed.
For the part Flora played the
pretty Scotch girl was imprisoned
and after her release she married
Allan Macdonald and they emigrated
to America, settling in North Caro-
lima in 1775. They had come to
America to seek peace, but instead
found disturbance and war.
After the termination of the Seven
Years War nearly every one of the
Highland regiment, soldiers as well
as officers, settled on grants Of land
in America. Many of the inhabitants
Of northwestern Scotland, especially
the clans of Macdonald and Macleod
listened to overtures from those who
had obtained concessions of vast dor
mains and migrated to middle Caro-
lima.
When Flora and her. husband came
to America they settled in the west
of Cumberland county, North Caro-
lima. At the time she was IS years
of age and the mother Of many chill
dren. Her husband was aged, but
still with hair jet black, of a stately
figure, and a countenance that ex-
pressed intelligence and steadfastness.
Shortly after their arrival in
America the colonial governor sum-
moned the Highland emigrants to
support the royal cause. On the 10th
of January, 1776, a commission was
issued to Allan Macdonald, with other
Scotchmen, ito raise and array and,
by the 18th of February, march all
the kings loyal subjects in body to
Brunswick, opposite to Wilmington"
Donald Macdonald, one sof the most
influential men in the Cross Creek,
n. c., settlement, who was a kinsman
of Flora's, was to command the army.
The Scotch girl herself espoused
the cause Of the English monarch.
She accompanied her husband when
he went to join the army. At the
battle Of More's Creek the husband
was taken prisoner and was sent to
Halifax, where Flora found herself
once more in the condition of a fu-
gitive and an outlaw.
The Macdonalds, with other High
landers, suffered much from the
plunderings and confiscations to
which the Royalists were exposed. 1t
is said that Flora's house was pillaged
and her plantation ravaged.
Allan, after his release, finding his
prospects in America unpropitious,
determined to return to his native
land. Flora had previously embark
ed in sloop-of-war. On her voyage
home an incident occurred illustra-
tive of the character of this remark
able woman. The sloop encountered
a French vessel of war, and an action
ensued. The courage of the sailors
appeared to fail and capture seemed
inevitable, when Flora assembled the
quarterback in the fiercest of the
battle, and, nothing daunted by a
wound received, or according to one
account, an arm broken in the tumult,
she encouraged the men to a more
desperate conflict. &.
The enemy was beaten off and the
heroine safely landed on her native
soil. She resided for some time at
Milton, where her brother built her
a. cottage. She died in Kingsburgh
in. 1890, and was wrapped in the
sheet in which the Prince and DR..
Johnson had slept.