Hector MacDonald
| Sir Hector Archibald MacDonald | |
|---|---|
Major General Sir Hector Archibald MacDonald (1853–1903), KCB, DSO by Ernest H. Longdon.
|
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| Nickname(s) | Fighting Mac |
| Born |
4 March 1853 Black Isle, Scotland |
| Died | 25 March 1903 (aged 50) Paris, France |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Years of service | 1870–1903 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Commands held | Highland Brigade |
| Battles/wars |
Second Anglo-Afghan War First Boer War Sudan Campaign Second Boer War |
| Awards |
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order |
Major General Sir Hector Archibald MacDonald, KCB, DSO (Scottish Gaelic: Eachann Gilleasbaig MacDhòmhnaill; 4 March 1853 – 25 March 1903), also known as Fighting Mac, was a distinguished Victorian soldier.
The son of a crofter, MacDonald left school before he was 15, enlisted in the Gordon Highlanders as a private at 17, and finished his career as a major general, "one of only a few British Army generals who rose from the ranks on his own merit and professionalism." He distinguished himself in action at Omdurman (1898), became a popular hero in Scotland and England, and was knighted for his service in the Second Boer War. Posted to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) as Commander-in-Chief of British forces, he committed suicide in 1903 following accusations of homosexual activity with local boys.
Hector MacDonald was born on a farm at Rootfield, near Dingwall, Ross-shire, Scotland. He was, as were most people in the area at the time, a Gaelic speaker and in later life went by the name Eachann nan Cath ('Hector of the Battles'). His father, William MacDonald, was a crofter and a stonemason. His mother was Ann Boyd, the daughter of John Boyd of Killiechoilum, Whitebridge, and Cradlehall, near Inverness. Hector's brothers were the Rev. William MacDonald Jr., known as 'Preaching Mac', Donald, John, and Ewen. At the age of 15, MacDonald was apprenticed to a draper in Dingwall and then moved on to the Royal Clan Tartan and Tweed Warehouse in Inverness, an establishment owned by a Mr. William Mackay.
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