John Macdonald (British Army officer)

John Macdonald was commissioned into the 89th Regiment of Foot on 15 April 1795. He became lieutenant the regiment 2 February 1796, and captain 22 October 1803. He was made a major-unattached 28 February 1805, lieutenant-colonel on half-pay of the 1st garrison battalion 17 March 1808, brevet colonel 4 June 1814, major-general 1825, and lieutenant-general 1838. He served with the 89th in the Irish Rebellion of 1798, and afterwards in Minorca, Heasina, and at the blockade of Malta and capture of Valletta in 1799-1800, and throughout the campaign in Egypt in 1801. [1]

He was brigade-major to Sir William Cathcart, 1st Earl Cathcart in the home district in 1805, and military secretary when Cathcart was in command of the king's German legion as a separate army, in Swedish Pomerania (isle of Rugen), in 1806-7 ; and subsequently during the expedition to Copenhagenin in 1807. He was deputy adjutant-general to Sir John Hope, 4th Earl of Hopetoun at Walcheren ; and held the same post with Lieutenant-general Thomas Graham, 1st Baron Lynedoch at Codii and at the battle of Barossa (gold medal). He was military secretary to Sir John Hope when commander-in-chief at Ireland in 1812.[1]

He was a trusted aide to the Duke of Wellington. He rose to be Deputy Adjutant-General[2] and then in July 1830 he was appointed Adjutant-General to the Forces.[3] In this role he was conservative in his outlook and supported the Duke of Wellington in his efforts to retain flogging as a method of discipline.[4]

Mcdonald was made C.B. on 4 June 1815, and K.C.B. in 1827. He was awarded the GCB in 1847.[5] and died in office on 28 March 1850.[6]

He was also Colonel of the 67th Regiment of Foot[7] in 1828, and then the 42nd Regiment of Foot[8] on 16 March 1844.

He lived at 25 Pall Mall in London.[9] He died at his residence, Bruton Street, London, 28 March 1850, and was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery.[1]

He was a connection of Flora Macdonald the Jacobite heroine. He has a brother, Lieutenant-general Alexander Mcdonald, royal artillery. Mcdonald married a daughter of Charles Graham of Williamsfield, Jamaica, by whom he left children.[1]

Attribution

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chichester, Henry Manners (1893). "Macdonald, John (d.1850)". In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. 35. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

• John Macdonald at Oxford Dictionary of National Biography