WE NEVER FORGET: The "Gallant Boy," Don MacGregor

Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living.
-Mother Jones
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Candle Flame for We Never Forget_0.png

WE NEVER FORGET
Don MacGregor-28
Who lost his life in freedom's cause at
Miñaca, Chihuahua, México,
March 28, 1916
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The Life Story of Don MacGregor

Don "Mac" MacGregor was born in Scotland to a wealthy family. He was attended the University of Edinburgh and left Scotland on a world-wide tour soon after his graduation. He arrived in San Fransisco in about 1908 where he was on the staff of the San Francisco Chronicle. He went on to work at several other American newspapers, magazines and syndicates in various cities from coast to coast.

In the year before the Colorado Coalfield Strike of 1913-14, MacGregor worked at the Chicago Day Book. Here he became active in the labor movement, writing about the class struggle from the point of view of the workers.

From Chicago he went out to Denver where he took a job as a writer for the Denver Express. He was assigned to cover the coal miners' strike from the viewpoint of the strikers and their union, the United Mine Workers of America. He was on the ground at the Ludlow Tent Colony during the Great Exodus as the miners and their families were evicted from the company towns and moved into the tents provided for them by UMW.

MacGregor was also sent to Dawson, New Mexico, following the Dawson Mine Disaster of of October 22, 1913, which killed more than 250 miners.

On February 19, 1914, MacGregor testified before the House Subcommittee which was investigating mining conditions in Colorado. He described how he was at the Ludlow depot on the day that mine guards attacked the colony. Bullets were flying all around. That was the day that former miner, Mack Powell was killed. MacGregor visited the Forbes tent colony a few days after the mines guards had attacked that colony, killing one man and severely wounding a young boy.

Don MacGregor, Day Book, May 5, 1914.png

After the Ludlow Massacre, Don MacGregor, the newspaperman, threw done his pen and picked up a gun. Determined to save the other colonies from attack, he led some 80 armed miners in the Battle of Walsenburg on the Hogback Ridge. For that he was later indicted for murder by the State of Colorado.

Exactly when he left for Mexico, we do not know, but his first article, covering the Mexican Revolution from the state of Chihuahua, appeared in the American press in April of 1915. While in Mexico, he wrote under the pen name of David Bruce. His last article from Mexico was published in the April 1916 edition of the International Socialist Review.

The story of his death in Minaca comes to us through hearsay four times removed: from reporter Floyd P. Gibbons who got a report from J. H. Locke after Locke escaped Minaca and made his way to General Pershing's headquarters in Mexico. J. H. Locke learned the details of MacGregor's death from a Mexican woman whom he sent back to Minaca to check on MacGregor, and she learned the details of his death and burial from the people of the town.

The story boils down to this: MacGregor left his hotel to defend his friend, Herman Blankenburg, a German mine superintendent. It appears that this was the morning of March 28th, the after the Villistas took Minaca. Both men were killed by Villistas. Blankenburg's head was split open with a sword and then both men were shot.

Their bodies lay in the street all that day as a young boy was assigned by his father to throw rocks at the pigs so that the bodies would not be mutilated. The towns people were afraid to bury the bodies until the next day when the Villistas rode out of town. MacGregor and Blankenburg were buried in a common grave along with eleven Carranzista soldiers.

Don MacGregor was 28 years old when he died. He was survived by his parents and sisters and brothers in Scotland. He was not naturalized and he died a British subject.

MacGregor, in his last message to the International Socialist Review, published in the April 1916 edition, wrote of his refusal to be censored and that this refusal could cost him his life:

This is my third attempt to get some stuff through to the Review, and the good God alone knows if this will get out of the country. It is strictly against the law down here to send out articles uncensored. I'd as soon lose my right arm as allow these fellows here to censor my stuff. I believe I am spotted anyway. The penalty if caught is instant deportation at the nearest port of entry or the firing squad. I have no firing squad ambitions.

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Remembered as a "Gallant Boy" by the UMWA

From the United Mine Workers Journal of April 6, 1916:

UMWJ, April 6, 1916.png
DON McGREGOR REPORTED
KILLED BY VILLA.

Press dispatches from Mexico report the murder by order of Francisco Villa, the bandit leader, of five foreigners, three Americans, one Briton (Scotchman), and a German.

The Scotchman mentioned is Donald McGregor [MacGregor], one time reporter for the Denver Express.

During the strike in the Colorado coal fields Don McGregor represented the Express at Trinidad, and personally witnessed and reported the many outrages committed by the gunmen employed by the mine owners.

After Ludlow, obsessed by the horrors of that dreadful massacre and realizing that it was the intent of the corporation controlled militia to visit like fate on all of the tent colonies in Southern Colorado where the striking miners had taken refuge, McGregor took sides with the strikers and was one of the men who successfully withstood the attempt by the gunmen and militia to rush the hill known as "the hogback" just outside of Walsenburg, and the first defensible position between that town and the miners' camp.

For this he was indicted by Jeff Farr's grand jury and fled to Mexico. The verdict at Castle Rock vindicated Don McGregor with the rest of the gallant defenders of the homes of the miners from the red-handed murderers of women and babes from Ludlow.

If the report proves true we must regret with all our hearts the early taking off of this gallant boy, for he was still quite young, and wish peace to as gallant a champion of the rights of the oppressed as ever raised a voice or hand against entrenched tyranny.

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SOURCES

Hellraisers Journal
C99 Tag: Don MacGregor-
http://caucus99percent.com/tags/don-macgregor
DK Tag: Don MacGregor-
http://www.dailykos.com/news/DonMacGregor

The United Mine Workers Journal, Volume 25
Executive Board of the United Mine Workers of America,
Nov 11, 1915 to May 25, 1916
https://books.google.com/books?id=NQpQAAAAYAAJ
UMWJ Apr 6, 1916
https://books.google.com/books/reader?id=NQpQAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcove...
"Don McGregor Killed"
https://books.google.com/books/reader?id=NQpQAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcove...

IMAGES
Don MacGregor, Day Book, May 5, 1914
https://www.newspapers.com/image/77828238/
UMWJ, April 6, 1916
https://books.google.com/books/reader?id=NQpQAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcove...

See also:

"WE NEVER FORGET: Don MacGregor, Miners' Hero Who Lost His Life In Freedom’s Cause" by JayRaye
http://caucus99percent.com/content/we-never-forget-don-macgregor-miners-...

By Galtisalie: on a poem for Don MacGregor by Carl Sandburg
"Carl Sandburg, Karl Marx, and La Cucaracha"
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/3/5/1282271/-Carl-Sandburg-Karl-Marx-...

"Memoir of a Proud Boy" by Carl Sandburg
http://www.vintagecoloradopoetry.us/indexsandburgmemoir.html

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kharma's picture

He could have lived a life of privilege with his wealthy family but he chose to work close to the people. I suppose it molded his character and gave him the empathy necessary for such heroics. He literally risked and eventually sacrificed his life to tell the plight of our working forefathers. Great series JayRaye, thanks again. Smile

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There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties.. This...is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution.--John Adams

JayRaye's picture

of the miners, Don MacGregor.

Great to see you at Hellraisers.

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Never be deceived that the rich will allow you to vote away their wealth.-Lucy Parsons

Gerrit's picture

Long Memory to inspire progressives to "fight like hell for the living," as you quoted Mother Jones to have said. Cheers my friend,

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Resilience: practical action to improve things we can control.
3D+: developing language for postmodern spirituality.

JayRaye's picture

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Never be deceived that the rich will allow you to vote away their wealth.-Lucy Parsons

Galtisalie's picture

I can't thank you enough for this segment of your wonderful series. It means a lot to me as a fan of Don MacGregor.

In loving memory of Don MacGregor, soldarity forever to the workers of the world! What an amazing inspiration he was for all time.

P.S. Thanks also for citing to my piece reflecting Carl Sandburg's deep love for Don MacGregor too.

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JayRaye's picture

and gallant he will always be to me.

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Never be deceived that the rich will allow you to vote away their wealth.-Lucy Parsons