GEN. M’lVER DEAD;
HERO OF MANY WARS
Soldier of Fortune, Who Fought Under 18 Flags, Dies in .
Lodging House.
WAS ALMOST PENNILESS
Coroner to Investigate the Death of the Man Who Was Honored by Many Nations.
Major Gen. Henry Ronald Douglas Maclver of the Servian army, Major in the Confederate States army, and with rank varying from the highest to the lowest under eighteen flags, died yesterday morning in a lodging house at 228 West Twenty-second Street. His body was found just before noon by his landlady, Mrs. Mabel Campbell, who forced the door open after rapping on it in vain.
The General had been heard to move about his room in the early morning. The night before he had complained of feeling cold, and Mrs. Campbell had sent him a drink of whisky and later a cup of tea. A fellow lodger went to his room at midnight and asked him if he needed anything.
I thank you, Sir,” the General replied,
** I need nothing.”
The police of the West Twentieth Street Station, taking an inventory of his belongings, wrote it down that the soldier of fortune, the warrior who had fought under eighteen flags for the mere love of fighting, had 46 cents in cash and his clothing. If the General hastened his end, it was done so carefully that no one suspected it. " Apparently natural death," was recorded on the blotter at the station. The Coroner, however, will hold an Inquest.
Mrs. Campbell said last night that her lodger was ready to start for Washington several days ago, when he received a letter which kept him in New York. Gen. Maclver was 61 years old, but showed few signs of his age.
Gen. Maclver sought the lodging housel of Mrs. Campbell two months ago, coming here '’rom Washington. He had been a familiar figure in the city for years, but had gone to the capital for some purpose known only to himself. He had remained in his room for the most part since his return, but when he did greet his landlady or a fellow-lodger, he was always dresFed with great care.
Mrs. Campbell said last night:
" Ho was waiting for Richard Harding Davis, who has written so much about his fighting career. He was expecting Mr. Davis in a few’ days, and told me about it. We all knew that the old gentleman was a great soldier. He looked it.”
Gen. Maclver’s scant belongings consisted of uniforms, his wcll-cared-for street clothes, and a trunk full of papers telling of his life of adventure.
The General was born, on Christmas Day, 1846, in Hampton Roads, Va,, aboard a ship seeking a harbor. His father was Ronald Maclver. a Scotsman, of Ros-shire, His mother was a Virginian, Miss Anna Douglas. He lived with his parents in Virginia until he was 10 years old, and was then sent to Edinburgh to be educated. His uncle, Gen. Donald Graham of Edinburgh, obtained a commission for him as an Ensign in the East India Company, and at 16 the boy was in The Indian mutiny. He was wounded in the arm and got a sabre slash across his forehead that left him on the field, apparently dead.
Later he went to Italy and fought under Garibaldi. He served in the Ten Years' War in Cuba, in Crete, in Greece, twice in the Carlist revolutions in Spain, in Bosnia, and then returned to Virginia, where war on a gigantic scale was framing. His sword was offered to Gen. Robert E. Lee and was accepted. He fought with Stuart and Stonewall Jack-son and was four times wounded during the great conflict.
At the close of the war there was much dueling between the officers of the two armies. Maclver was in one of these affairs outside oi Vicksburg. His combatant was Major Tomlin of the Vermont United States Artillery Volunteers. They fought with swords, Maclver running his opponent through the body and cleaning his blade with his handkerchief.
” He is dead: we must go,” called one of Maclver’s seconds. •
A negro brought up the horses of Maclver and his seconds.
” My friends are in haste.” said MacIver. turning to the seconds of the man he had slain. ” Is there anything I can do? 1 hope that you consider this matter settled honorably.”
Then hr mounted and rode away.
After the civil war Maclver, vith other Southern officers, went to Mexico. He fought under Maximilian there. When the fighting was over he went to Egypt and to France, everywhere that cannon were hot and the caravans of war i were plowing up the roads Maclver was to be found.
Mac Ivor was appointed United States Consul at Dania, Spain. The man he was to succeed declined to get out, and the soldier of fortune immediately suggested that they go to the outskirts of the city and settle the matter vith pistols or swords. Stephen Bonsai, the present correspondent of The Times In St. Petersburg. who was then the Charge d’Affaires at Madrid, was sent to adjust matters. He adjusted them and Maclver was installed without bloodshed. 1
The daring of Maclver was best exemplified, perhaps, when he took part in the Cretan struggle against the Turks. He was received more than gladly by the Cretans, who gave him " full power to make war on land and sea against the enemies of Crete, and particularly against the Sultan of Turkey and the Turkish forces, and to burn, destroy or capture any vessel bearing the Turkish flag.” After getting through this proposition alive, he went to Athens, and later put in a few months trying to exterminate the Grecian brigands, fighting in the mountains and doing so ’well at it that he was given the highest decoration that the King of Greece could confer upon him.
It was In Servia that Maclver attained his highest rank as an officer. He received a commission from the Prince of Servla to organize an Independent cavalry brigade. He left Fleet Street, London. for Belgrade, and got busy gathering men who loved fighting. He got the right men and trained them well, commanding a legion of a thousand cavalrymen of Russo-Servians against the Turks. He received the Cross of the Takavo Order for gallant service and was made Major General in command of all of the cavalry of the Servians. The decoration was given to him on the eve of battle, Gen. Tchernaieff unclasping the Cross from his own breast and pinning it upon that of Maclver.
Mrs. Campbell said last night that Gen. Maclver left one daughter, who lives in England.
New York Times
Published: May 7, 1907 Copyright © The New York Times
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