Donald MacDonald was a half-pay British soldier whom Jamie and Claire Fraser met at Jocasta Cameron Innes's wedding. He initially provided Jamie with information about Stephen Bonnet's whereabouts, in exchange for a letter of introduction to Governor Tryon.
Personal History[]
MacDonald's family hails from the Isle of Harris. The mother of his daughter is English. During the Jacobite Rising of 1745, MacDonald fought with the government forces against the Jacobite army.
Events of the Novels[]
The Fiery Cross[]
In March 1771, Major Donald MacDonald arrives at River Run to attend the wedding of Jocasta Cameron and Duncan Innes. Upon arrival he is introduced by Farquard Campbell to Claire Fraser and inquires if her husband, Jamie Fraser, could get him an introduction to Governor Tryon.
When a fight starts to break out on the lawn between some people for the Regulators and some against, MacDonald breaks it up by discharging his pistol into the air. He takes some interest in Hermon Husband's arrival upon the scene and how he handles the situation using only words instead of violence.
After at last finding Jamie, MacDonald has a private conversation with him. Initially they discuss Jamie's inquiries about the movements of one Stephen Bonnet. MacDonald provides what information he has about Bonnet and his associates, after learning why Jamie is looking for the man. MacDonald confides that he himself is a father of a daughter, and cannot fault Jamie's desire to have Bonnet brought to justice – though what justice that might be is not for him to judge. As the conversation carries on, he mentions that Claire said Jamie might be able to get him an introduction to Governor Tryon. Jamie finds this price for information rather cheap, and agrees.
Late in the evening after the festivities, MacDonald partners with Jamie in a card game against Phillip Wylie and Lloyd Stanhope. They win and celebrate with a bottle of champagne and another of whisky.
In the morning hours, MacDonald rushes outside fully dressed when the shed containing a dead slave's body catches fire. While speaking to Claire about the matter, they hear the cry of a woman – Jocasta – from the house, and rush back inside to see what is amiss. Upon reaching her bedroom, they find Jocasta bound hand and foot with strips of bed linen at the window seat, and Duncan upon the floor, unconscious. Leaving them in Claire's hands, MacDonald goes about driving people out of the room. He wants to know what happened to the newlyweds, but is civilly dismissed from the room by Jocasta.
The next time MacDonald sees the Frasers, they are en-route to their home on Fraser's Ridge; he has been sent to deliver Jamie a letter from Governor Tryon. The letter contains new orders for Fraser's militia, stating they will be called upon before the 20th of April.
In May, MacDonald is in command of a troop of light horse cavalry for the impending battle in the War of the Regulation.
A Breath of Snow and Ashes[]
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Personality[]
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Physical Appearance[]
Claire observes that Major MacDonald is a man in his late thirties,[1] hawk-nosed but handsome, with a weathered complexion from many years out-of-doors as a soldier, and sharp blue eyes.
Name[]
- Donald is from the Gaelic name Domhnall which means "ruler of the world", composed of the old Celtic elements dumno "world" and val "rule".[2]
- MacDonald is an Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Domhnaill meaning "son of Donald".[3]
Trivia[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 In The Fiery Cross, Claire estimates the Major's age as in his late thirties; however, in A Breath of Snow and Ashes, he is "pushing fifty" and it is revealed that he fought with the government forces at Culloden in 1746.
- ↑ Behind the Name: Donald - accessed 17 June 2016
- ↑ Behind the Name Surname: MacDonald - accessed 17 June 2016