Ware-Bulloch County GaArchives Biographies.....McDonald, William A. 1817 - 1897 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 October 20, 2004, 8:59 pm Author: William Harden p. 874-875 COL. WILLIAM A. MCDONALD, deceased, was one of the gallant sons of the South that served in its defense as a soldier of the Confederacy in the great struggle of 1861-65, and during his lifetime was one of Georgia's prominent and worthy citizens, for many years a resident of Ware county. Born in Bulloch county, Georgia, in 1817, he was a son of Dr. Randall McDonald, whose nativity had occurred on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Donald McDonald, the father of Dr. McDonald, also was a native of Scotland, but in 1805 brought his family to America and became an early settler in Bulloch county, Georgia. There he purchased a tract of land and began its improvement, but a few years later was bitten by a rattlesnake and died from the effects. He left a widow and two children, a son and a daughter. The son Randall finally became an overseer. Through the large acquaintance he formed in this manner with wealthy planters he gained access to books and by self-instruction acquired a good general education and a practicing knowledge of medicine and surgery. Later he bought land in Ware county and became a successful planter, operating with slave labor. In those days there were no railroads in Georgia and the country was sparsely settled. Centreville was the principal market and depot for supplies. Indians were numerous and oft-times troublesome, so that each settlement had a fort to which the women and children could repair for safety. Dr. McDonald continued a resident of his plantation until his death at the age of sixty-eight years. His wife was a Miss Catherine Miller before her marriage, a native of Bulloch county, Georgia, and a daughter of Henry Miller. Her grandfather was William Miller, one of the first settlers in Georgia, and her great-grandfather was D. J. Miller. She survived her husband several years and both are buried in the Kettle Creek cemetery in Ware county. Col. William A. McDonald was largely reared in his native county but was still a boy when he accompanied his parents to Ware county. After he had begun his independent career he purchased large tracts of land there which he operated with slave labor. Upon the breaking out of the war between the states he entered the Confederate service and was commissioned captain of Company H of the Twenty-sixth Regiment of Georgia Volunteers, which was organized with C. W. Styles as colonel, and W. A. Lane as lieutenant colonel. This regiment was for a time on the Georgia coast under Lawton, accompanied that officer to Richmond, Virginia, in time to share in the seven days' battles, thenceforward serving in the army of northern Virginia until Appomattox, where, in the division commanded by Gen. Clement A. Evans and the corps of John B. Gordon, it shared in the last charge of that illustrious army. During this long and honorable service E. N. Atkinson succeeded Colonel Styles in the command of the regiment and William A. McDonald was a brave and able successor of Lieutenant Colonel Lane. Colonel McDonald remained in the service until the close of the war. His slaves were faithful and cultivated his land until his return from the conflict. His estate three miles from Waresboro, Ware county, remained his home until his death in his eightieth year. He was thrice married. His first wife was Tabitha Sweat, a native of Ware county and a daughter of Capt. James A. and Elizabeth (Newburn) Sweat, and to their union were born ten children. His second marriage was to Mary Ann Deen, who bore him seven children. The maiden name of his third wife was Rebecca Thompson and five children were reared from this marriage. Colonel McDonald left to his descendants the record of a brave soldier, a loyal son of the South and a citizen of worth, integrity and high respect. Colonel McDonald served his district several terms in the state senate, and he was also a representative of his county in the legislature of his state. He was a member of the state senate at the time of his death, and served in all about forty years in the senate and in the house. Additional Comments: From: A HISTORY OF SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA BY WILLIAM HARDEN VOLUME II ILLUSTRATED THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY CHICAGO AND NEW YORK 1913 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/ware/bios/gbs380mcdonald.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 4.8 Kb