!BIOGRAPHY: Martha Norris McLeod, "Roderick Donald McLeod: The
Confederate and The Judge", THE CLAN MACLEOD MAGAZINE, Vol. III, No.
22, p. 103.
Their son, Roderick Donald McLeod, was born at Amerious, Sumter
County, Georgia, on 15th January, 1849 where he received his education
and early military training. A staunch Southerner, he enelisted on the
outbreak of the Civil War, soon after his fifteenth birthday, in G
Company of the Seventh Regiment of Infantry, Georgia Reserve. By the
close of the war McLeod was in command of a Company with the rank of
Captain in the Third Regiment. In spite of his youth he carried himself
as a real soldier and saw much active service, under "Stonewall" Jackson
and other famous Confederate Generals.
After the war young McLeod read law and was admitted to the Bar at
Live Oak, Florida in 1873. While he was a member of the Bar for half a
century, he was perhaps more widely known and exercised more
influence through his career as a journalist. After practicing for a brief
time in Live Oak, he moved to Tallahassee, and was one of the lawyers
located in the state capital during reconstruction days. he established
the forerunners of the modern Florida newspaper, "The Daily Democrat."
Both personally and through his newspaper, he exercised a constructive
influence in the development of the town of Oglethorpe of which he was
mayor for four terms. During his period of office, the court house was
built, the water and electric light plants were installed and other
improvements inaugurated.
In 1901 he was elected for the first time as Court Judge and held that
office for over twenty years.
During the Spanish-American war, he served as Lieutenant-Colonel on
the Staff of Governor William D. Bloxham, and assisted in organising the
State Militia. In 1913 he was Assistant Adjutant-General on the staff
of Major General J. L. Inglis of the United Confederate Veterans and on
29th October 1915, he was promoted Brigadier-General commanding the
First Brigade and was still the best shot in his command through nearing
the age of seventy.
The Brigadier (or Judge, as he preferred to be called) was twice
married, first in 1871, to Miss Margaret Catherine Galloway, a relative
of Bishop Galloway of So. Carolina. She died at Ellaville, Ga. in 1889.
Three of the seven children of this union are still living. Secondly, he
married Miss Mattle Judson Norris in 1891, by whom there are six
children surviving.
Roderick Donald retired in 1928 and passed to his rest in 1930 at
Crawfordville, Ga. where he is buried -- honoured and respected by all
who knew him for his staunch patriotism, help to his fellows at the Bar,
in journalism and in the Army, but above all for his wise and
understanding decisions on the Bench as County Judge.