Emmett MacDonald | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1834 Steubenville, Ohio |
| Died | January 11, 1863 Hartville, Missouri |
| Place of burial | |
| Allegiance | Confederate States of America |
| Service | Missouri State Guard Confederate States Army |
| Years of service | 1861–1863 |
| Rank |  Colonel |
| Commands | MacDonald's Missouri Battery MacDonald's Missouri Cavalry Battalion |
| Battles / wars | |
| Other work | Attorney |
Emmett MacDonald was a military officer who served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. MacDonald was born in Ohio in 1834, but moved to Missouri in the early 1850s. A lawyer in St. Louis, MacDonald participated in a pro-secession militia gathering that ended in the Camp Jackson affair in May 1861; MacDonald was imprisoned for a time after he refused to take parole. After his release, McDonald joined a new pro-secession and pro-Confederate militia unit known as the Missouri State Guard. While with the Missouri State Guard, MacDonald served as a captain of artillery and was a staff officer to Sterling Price. In October, he joined what became the 3rd Missouri Light Battery and was its first commander, fighting at the Battle of Pea Ridge and the Siege of Corinth.
In mid-1862, MacDonald was transferred to the Trans-Mississippi Department where he served as a provost marshal and attempted to recruit a cavalry unit. While his recruiting was unsuccessful, MacDonald took command a unit in November after John S. Marmaduke's provost guard was reorganized. MacDonald led his command in the Battle of Cane Hill and then led a brigade in the Battle of Prairie Grove. In January 1863, MacDonald and his unit participated in Marmaduke's First Missouri Raid. After fighting in the Second Battle of Springfield, MacDonald was mortally wounded on January 11 while leading a different command in a charge in the Battle of Hartville.