Son of US navy hero Thomas Macdonough (1783-1825), best known as the commander of the victorious American naval forces at the battle of Lake Champlain during the War of 1812. James had two brothers, Charles Shaler (1818-1871) and Augustus Rodney (1820-1907). [Compiled from sources and references recorded on CMS]
Bibliography
1909
Macdonough, Rodney. Life of Commodore Thomas Macdonough, U.S. Navy Boston, 1909.
1995
Miles, Ellen G. American Paintings of the Eighteenth Century. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. Washington, D.C., 1995: 261-263 (on Stuart's portrait of Thomas Macdonough)