John McDonald was born on September 7, 1834, in Glenwood, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, the son of Allen McDonald (1807-1879) and Katherine Steel (1814-1877).
Allen was living in Lenox, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania in 1840 and by 1850 John was attending school with his siblings and living with his family in Lenox, Pennsylvania. John left Pennsylvania and by 1859 had settled in Ganges, Allegan County, Michigan.
John stood 5’11” with hazel eyes, brown hair and a fair complexion and was 27 years old and probably still living in Allegan County when he enlisted in Company I on May 29, 1861. He may have been shot in the right hand at some point during the war. Although he was reported to be absent sick in the hospital from October of 1862 through August of 1863,[4] he was in fact discharged for consumption on November 28, 1862, at the 3rd Corps hospital near Fort Lyon, Virginia.
After he left the army John returned to Allegan. In June of 1863 he was working as a laborer and a single man living in Saugatuck when he registered for the draft; his prior service in the 3rd Michigan Infantry being noted in the record.
He married Ohio Maria Nye (1844-1922) of Ganges, Allegan County, on July 22, 1863, in Ganges, Allegan County,[6] and they had at least three children: Allen B. (1867-1951), Byron J. (1872-1961), and Edith (1876-1879).
John reentered the service as a private in Company I, 3rd Michigan Cavalry on August 17, 1863, at Saugatuck, Allegan County for three years, and was mustered the same day. He was reported as a blacksmith as of November 1, 1863, and was mustered out of the service on February 12, 1866, at San Antonio, Texas.
John eventually returned to his home in Allegan. He was working as a laborer and living with his wife and Allen in Hamilton, Heath Township, Allegan County in 1870. By 1880 he and Maria and their two sons were living in Saugatuck, Allegan County. He was living in Allegan County in 1890 and probably in 1894. By 1900 he and Maria were still living in Ganges. From 1900 to 1910 they were living in North Dakota.
In 1890 he applied for and received a pension (cert. no. 623,239).
John died of apoplexy on March 11, 1912, in Ganges. “His peaceful end,” noted one obituary,
came while sitting in his chair. He was as well as usual and had worked all day, after doing the evening chores he sat down to read the paper and without a moment’s warning he passed peacefully away. . . His life was a testimony of loyalty to his country, and fidelity to his family and friends who now mourn the loss of a kind and affectionate husband and father and a good, honest neighbor. Besides his devoted companion and two sons he is survived by two brothers Allen of La Cross, Wis., and Morris of Glenwood, Pa, also two sisters, Mrs. Mary Stephen and Mrs. Elva Watkins of Pennsylvania, and twelve grandchildren.
The funeral services were conducted by Rev. J. W. Buel at the Ganges M.E. Church on Thursday, March 14, at 2:00pm he was buried in Taylor Cemetery, Ganges.
In March of 1912 his widow was living in Michigan when she applied for and received a pension (cert. no. 742,924). By 1920 she was living in Lee, Allegan County with her son Allen and his family.
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