THE "FATHER" OF THE BRITISH ARMY.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), 16 February 1883, Page 3

THE "FATHER" OF THE BRITISH ARMY.

The honour of being the "father" of the British army is claimed for General George Macdonald, Colonel of the Bedfordshire Regiment. avlio Avas born October 10, 1784, and has therefore attained the patriarchial age of ninety-eight years. He entered the service iv September, 1805, as an ensign in the 27th. (Inniskillen) Regiment, Avhich he almost immediately accompanied on the expedition to Hanover. In INOO, he joined the army in Sicily, aud was employed with it until 1810*. in Avhich year he Avent Avith the expedition to Naples, and Avas present at the capture of lschia and I'rocida. He returned to Sicily in 1811, and Avas employed there against the French army. In 1812 he proceeded to Spain, aud was engaged at the battle of Castalla and siege of "Tarragona. He embarked for Canada in 1811. and took part in the operations before Plattsburgh. returning to Europe in time to take part in the campaign in 1815, aud the battle of Waterloo, in wlrieh croAvniug victory he rccei\-ed three Avounds —namely, in the leg, in the neck, and through the body, Avounding the lungs. He Avas Governor of Sierra Leone, exposed to the deadly climate of West Africa, from 1841 to 1845, and AS'as aftenvards Lieuten-ant-Governor of Dominica, iv the West Indies. He Avas appointed Colonel of the 10th (Bedfordshire) Regiment on February 13, 18G3, and attained the rank of General in the army on October 25, IS7I. The great age to which this distinguished veteran has attained is the more remarkable when his Avounds at Waterloo and his exposure to the malaria of Sierra Leone—that bourne from Avhich so few officials ever return —are taken into consideration. —Times.