mcdonalda
Transcribed from "An Illustrated History of The
Big Bend Country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin counties,
State of Washington", published by Western Historical Publishing
Co., 1904.
ALFRED E. McDONALD resides about
two miles southwest from Mold. He was born in Chatham, North Carolina,
on May 10, 1844. His parents, Simeon and Anna R. (Elliott) McDonald,
were natives of North Carolina. Our subject received his primary
training in the public schools of Illinois then completed a course at Westfield
College. He grew to manhood in Clark county and in the spring of
1861, enlisted in Company G, Tenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, under Colonel
B. M. Prentiss. At the expiration of his term of service, he re-enlisted
in the same company and regiment. He was engaged at New Madrid and
Island No. 10. His regiment and the Sixteenth Illinois under General
Pope succeeded in capturing nearly six thousand rebels. He was present
at the siege of Corinth, took part at Chickamagua, fought at Missionary
Ridge and was with the column sent to relieve Knoxville. His second
term of service began on January 1, 1864, at Rossville, Georgia.
On the 27th day of August, during a movement of Sherman's army near Atlanta,
he was captured and learned by experience the terrible horrors of the Andersonville
prison. He was at Florence, South Carolina, later, and finally on
December 13th was paroled and delivered to the Federal authorities on the
16th at Charlestown. He returned home for a time then rejoined his
regiment, at Raleigh, at the time of Johnson's surrender. Then he
marched to Washington and participated in the grand review of Sherman's
army, which took place on May 24, 1865. On July 4, he was mustered
out at Louisville, Kentucky and his regiment was disbanded at Chicago on
the 12th. In 1870, Mr. McDonald entered Ann Arbor University, in
Michigan and graduated from the law department in 1874. He then located
in Waxahachie, Texas and later settled in Hoopeston, Illinois, where he
practiced for five years. In 1881, he came to Oregon and took up
mining and the sheep industry near Roseburg. In June, 1888, Mr. McDonald
came to Washington and took land where he now lives. He gives his
attention now to farming. For a time, during his residence here,
he took charge of a lumber yard for Nash & Stevens at Waterville.
Just after that, he entered the race for the legislature, subsequent to
which he returned to his farm where he now lives. Mr. McDonald was
a charter member of the I. O. O. F. at Waterville and belongs to the G.
A. R. He entered the army as private and came out as sergeant.
Mr. McDonald has the following brothers and sisters, Thomas J., B. F.,
George W., William E., Orle P., Mrs. Roxana P. Trout, and Mrs. Dora Pearsall.
His mother, aged seventy-nine, is now living on the homestead in Clark
county, Illinois, taken by her husband in 1844.
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