History of the Scottish regiments in the British Army

This is a digital copy of a book that was preserved for generations on library shelves before it was carefully scanned by Google as part of a project
to make the world's books discoverable online.

It has survived long enough for the copyright to expire and the book to enter the public domain. A public domain book is one that was never subject
to copyright or whose legal copyright term has expired. Whether a book is in the public domain may vary country to country. Public domain books
are our gateways to the past, representing a wealth of history, culture and knowledge that's often difficult to discover.

Marks, notations and other marginalia present in the original volume will appear in this file - a reminder of this book's long journey from the
publisher to a library and finally to you.

Usage guidelines

Google is proud to partner with libraries to digitize public domain materials and make them widely accessible. Public domain books belong to the
public and we are merely their custodians. Nevertheless, this work is expensive, so in order to keep providing this resource, we have taken steps to
prevent abuse by commercial parties, including placing technical restrictions on automated querying.

We also ask that you:

+ Make non-commercial use of the files We designed Google Book Search for use by individuals, and we request that you use these files for
personal, non-commercial purposes.

+ Refrain from automated querying Do not send automated queries of any sort to Google's system: If you are conducting research on machine
translation, optical character recognition or other areas where access to a large amount of text is helpful, please contact us. We encourage the
use of public domain materials for these purposes and may be able to help.

+ Maintain attribution The Google "watermark" you see on each file is essential for informing people about this project and helping them find
additional materials through Google Book Search. Please do not remove it.

+ Keep it legal Whatever your use, remember that you are responsible for ensuring that what you are doing is legal. Do not assume that just
because we believe a book is in the public domain for users in the United States, that the work is also in the public domain for users in other
countries. Whether a book is still in copyright varies from country to country, and we can't offer guidance on whether any specific use of
any specific book is allowed. Please do not assume that a book's appearance in Google Book Search means it can be used in any manner
anywhere in the world. Copyright infringement liability can be quite severe.

About Google Book Search

Google's mission is to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers
discover the world's books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search through the full text of this book on the web

at|http : //books . google . com/

mAJuduoisdS

s^

>"^- v

X *■

*',^

? ,f.''*.

HISTORY

or THB

SCOTTISH KEGIMENTS

BRITISH ARMY.

BY

AECH. K. MTJREAY, ESQ.,

MAJOR OF THE mKSTT-SEVEKTH LANARK8BISK VOLUNTEER GUARDS.

^nlrlts^tb bg '^qmsi of ^nr ^tat^tt &Skas.

GLASGOW:

THOMAS MUEEAY AND SON.

1862.

^S^^ ^-^ — :fe.

25/. a. ^S.

*t *

, "^ ♦

PREFACE.

In the present Work, the Author, without pretending to
submit anything very startling or original, has endeavoured
to gather from the records of the past such facts as may
enable him, avoiding the tedium of detail, to present to the
reader a brief and, it is hoped, at the same time, a compre-
hensive narrative of the origp^an^ principal events in which
our Scottish Eegiments jfi^^^t^^k^ly and honourably been
distinguished. '^r. i'^

It is wholly foreign to th^ pprprfse of the Author in any
way to overlook the valorous adiievemenfe of the English and
Irish Regiments in Her Majesty's Service, which have alike
contributed to build up the military renown of the British
Army; he only trusts he shall receive that same charitable
indulgence, in his present undertaking, which in like circum-
stances he, with every right-hearted Scot, should cordially
extend to brethren of either a sister land or sister isle. It is
in these pages, as a Scotsman, he ventures to give expression
to the nation's gratitude and honest pride — awards, in the
name of friend and foe, the meed of praise justly due to the
brave soldier who has fought his country's battles in almost
every land— ofttimes victoriously — at all times honourably.

The Author gratefully acknowledges the assistance freely

4 PBEFACE.

rendered him in tliis compilation by many Officers of the
Regiments described. He feels also considerably indebted to
many very valuable works, on the same and kindred subjects,
for much of his information. Unfortunately, many of these
volumes are now very ancient, others nearly extinct, and
nearly all so expensive as to fail in answering the purpose of
the present Work, by bringing before the public, in a cheaper
and more popular form, the records of those heroic deeds,
the narrative of which ought to be as "household words,"
infusing a thrill of living patriotism and loyalty into the soul.
It is hoped, as the grand result of the Work, that Scots-
men, considering the rich legacy of military glory bequeathed
them by their heroic forefathers, specially registered in these
JksAMish Regiments, will be more impressed with the duty
devolving on them to maintain and emulate the same. Whilst
these records may afford knowledge, it is also hoped that they
may awaken a larger sympathy and deeper interest on the part
of the people in those, their brave coimtrymen, who so well
represent the nation; and if circumstances preclude us from
accepting the "Royal Shilling,'' and so recruiting the army,
let us be ready to accept, for the expression of our thoughts
and feelings, that grand channel which, in our time, has been
revived as the exponent of the people's patriotism and loyalty
— the Volunteer Movement — whether as active or honorary
members, giving effect to our sentiments, and demonstrating,
"by deeds as well as toords,*' that we are in earnest.

INTRODUCTION.

Nature has been aptly represented as a fickle goddess, scat-
tering her bounties here and there with a partial hand. Some
spots, like very Edens, are blessed with the lavish profusion of
her favours — rich fertility, luxuriant vegetation, warm and
delightful climates. Some, on the other hand, which have not
so shared the distribution of her gifts, represent the barren
• wilderness, the sterile desert, the desolate places of our earth
— entombed in a perpetual winter — a ceaseless winding-sheet
of snow and ice seems for ever to rest upon these cold, chilly.
Polar regions: or parched, fainting, dying, dead, where no
friendly cloud intervenes, like the kindly hand of love and
sympathy, to screen the thirsty earth from the consuming rays
of a tropical sun. But, as if by "the wayside,*' we gather from
the analogy, that as in the world of man there is a Scripture
proclaiming comfort and blessing to the poor and needy — whilst
it tells the rich how hardly they shall enter into " life '* — so in
the world of nature there is an over-ruling, all-wise, all-just
Providence, "Who moves in a mysterious way,'' making
ample amends in the result upon the peoples of these climes,
so as yet shall cause " the wilderness to rejoice." Thus we
find that lands enriched by nature ofttimes produce a people
who, rich in this world's good things, acquired without much

6 INTRODUCTION.

effort, allow their minds to become so intoxicated with present
delights and indolence, as to fail in cultivating the virtues of
the man. Too frequently the fruits are these — ignorance,
lust, passion, infidelity, and general debility. Whilst the barren,
dreary wilderness, the bleak and desolate mountain-land —
like the poor and needy upon whom Nature has frowned —
enjoy the smile of Providence "in a better portion;" for there,
amid a comparatively poor people, are nurtured all the sterner,
the nobler, the truer, the God-like qualities of the man, the
soldier, and the hero. There, too, hath been the birth-place
and the abiding shrine of freedom — the bulwark and the bas-
tion of patriotism and loyalty. Ascending higher, these — the
peoples of the rejected and despised places of the earth — have
ofttimes begotten and been honoured to wear the crowning
attribute of piety. Turning to the history of Scotland or of
Switzerland, for illustration, and taking merely a military
retrospect, there it will be found. All centuries, all ages, all
circumstances, are witness to the bravery and the fidelity of
their mountain-soldiers.

Scotland, the unendowed by Nature, has been thus largely
blessed by Nature's God, in yielding a long line of valiant and
illustrious men. Perhaps no nation engrosses so large and
prominent a place in the temple of military fame — none can
boast so bright a page in the history of the brave. Her stern
and rugged mountains, like a vast citadel, where scarce a foe-
man ever dared to penetrate, have been defended through cen-
turies of war against the advancing and all but overwhelming
tide of aggression; besieged, too, by the countless hosts of

INTRODUCTION. 7

T3rraimy, they have stall remained impregDable. Her wild and
desolate glens, like great arteries down which hath flowed the
life-blood of the nation, in the living stream — the native and
resistless valour of her clans. Her bleak and dreary heaths
have written on them one dark history of blood — " the mar-
tyred children of the Covenant." Faithful unto death; "of
whom the world was not worthy." Her crown oft crushed
beneath a tyrant's heel — her freedom trampled on — her people
betrayed — all lost but honour. Unscathed, unsullied, she has
triumphed, and still lives to write upon her banner, the
mighty, envied, and thrice-glorious word, " Unconquered."

Armies have a very ancient history. Their origin might be
traced to the very gates of Paradise. When the unbridled lust
and wrathful passions of man were let loose like Furies, to
wander forth upon the earth, then it was that lawless adven-
turers, gathering themselves together into armed bands for
hostile purposes, to live and prey upon their weaker brethren,
constituted themselves armies. Passing down the stream of
time, through the Feudal Age, we find one among the many
greater, mightier, wealthier — a giant towering above his fel-
lows— exercised lordship, levied tribute, military and civil,
over others as over slaves. These were the days of chivalry,
— the Crusades — ^when cavalry constituted the grand strength
of an army. Here we might begin the history of cavalry as
an important constituent in armies, were such our purpose.
The comparative poverty of our ancient Scottish nobility pre-
vented them contributing largely to the chivalry of the age.
Ahnost the sole representative we have of our Scottish Cavalry,

8 . MTHODUcrrioK,

is the Second Eegiment of Royal North British Dragoons^ or
Scots Greys — a most worthy representative. The wars of the
Interregnum in Scotland — -the times of Wallace and Bruce —
when the feudal lords had nearly all either deserted or beti'ayed
her^ introduce us to a new force, more suited to the independent
character and patriotism of the Scottish people — the formation
of corps of infantry, or armed bands of free burghers. These
were the fruit, to a large extent, of the Magna Charter in
England, and of the struggle for liberty in Scotland. Hence
the wars of Edward the Black Prince with France^ distinguished
by the victories of Poitiers, Agincourt, and Cressy^ may be
vie^\'ed not merely as the epitome of the triumphs of England
over France, but more especially as illustrating the success of
this new force — represented in the English yeomen, burghers,
citizens, and freemen — over the old force, sustained in the
chivalry, the cavalry of France. The result of these suc-
cessive defeats, we find, was most disastrous to France. The
jealousy and fear of the nobles and feudal lords had denied the
people the use and the knowledge of arms ; so that when them-
selves were defeated, France was ruined— since they could
expect no support, as in Scotland, from an unarmed and
unskilled people. They had done what they could to quench
rather than foster the spirit of free patriotism, which in the
nation's extremity should have been the nation's refuge — ^the
soul burning to deliver their land from the yoke of the
stranger. In not a few cases, the French rather sympathised
with, as they sighed for the same blessings of our free-born
"Rnglifth yeomen. Here we would mark, respectively in the

INTBODUCTION. 9

English and Scottish armies, the first formation of that branch
of the service for which the British army has ever been
specially distinguished — the Infantry.

Our reader is no doubt aware of the calamitous results
which flowed from the short-sighted policy of these privileged
orders — the old feudal lords; whose love of a petty despotism
laboured to postpone the day of reckoning " till a more con-
venient season'' — and so refused the timely surrender of those
privileges and that liberty which the growing wealth and in-
telligence of the people claimed. Long, bloody, and unavailing
civil wars have desolated and vexed many coimtries as the
consequence; and in France the contest attained a fearful
crisis, and the people wreaked a cruel retribution in the awful
horrors of the Eevolution.

The increasing importance of commerce, and the growing
desire for wealth in preference to the uncertain and doubtful
lustre of the battle-field, induced men to gather themselves
together, not as formerly for war, but rather for the prose-
cution of trade; thus constituting themselves into trade-
unions, communities, burgherates, free townships. Disowning
the bondage of feudalism, as a system peculiarly adapted
for war, and hostile in its spirit to a more peaceful voca-
tion, they sought and obtained, in their earlier history at
least, royal protection. Independently of their engagements
and allegiance to the throne, these trading communities, aware
of the restlessness, rapacity, and necessities of the old feudal
lords around them, formed themselves into trained bands of
free yeomen, or sort of militia, for the purpose — ^first, of defend-

10

INTRODirCTION.

ing their own industry, property, and lives; and, secondly, for
the service of their sovereign and country in times of need.
These are amongst the earliest ideas we have of a regiment At
an earlier age, we find many of the monarchs of Europe retain-
ing in their service a b^^'' ^^ frtf^ai^n n^iards, specially entrusted

with the dcfenco of
through the ambition
people. In nearly e
Scottish emigrants, dri
desolating wars which
scribed many of the u^
exception in which the
the Scottish character, nay

ion, so often threatened

nd the turbulence of the

these were composed of

country by the cruel and

Lrbea her peace, and had pro-

e and brave* We know no

^ ^lards have not maintained

A Specially distinguished for the

valour and fidelity with which they fulfilled their duty. Thus
originated the* First Koyals, or Eoyal Sqots Kegiment of the
present British army. The free citizens, continuing to prosper
and proportionably growing in power and influence, gradually
insinuated themselves into State ajQfairs. As they grew in
wealth, so unfortunately they increased in pride and arrogance,
forgetting altogether their early humility. They essayed to
be a political as well as a trading community. Having over-
thrown the power of feudalism, they threatened to shake the
foundations of the throne. These murmurings speedily
awakened the royal jealousy, and broke in upon the peaceful
harmony of their hitherto successful alliance. The prosperity
and support of these freemen had elevated the might and
majesty of the throne, with which they had been early leagued,
and these together had compelled the old feudal nobility to

INTKODUCTION. 11

exercise their rule in something more of a constitutional way.
Gladly, therefore, did these last avail themselves of these dis-
sensions to restore their long-lost power. Uniting with the
crown, whose interests were more peculiarly their own, they
called upon their still adherent tenantry to muster around
them; and thus commenced the sanguinary civil wars, al-
ready in a previous paragraph referred to, between king and
people, which have devastated so many lands. These ten-
antry, thus raised, ultimately taken into the royal pay, as
r^ments, have gone far to constitute the armies of their
several states.

In conclusion, we would remark, that the wars of the past
have been as it were material contests — ^wars of matter rather
than of mind — ^by which we mean that might has been under-
stood as right; not as now, when right is acknowledged as
might. Formerly it was he who excelled in physical strength
and prowess that was crowned victor; now-a-days the appli-
ances of mind, the inventive genius of man, have so improved
the art of war, that upon these the result of the contest must
largely depend. Skill and science, developed in a thousand
ways, are the weapons with which our battles are to be
fought and won; and this, too, at a time when man has been
dwarfed in his bodily might by the bloody and protracted
wars of the past, and enervated by the ease and indolence
found in cities, so as to be no longer able for a contest as
of old; and so the providence of God steps in to supply
the vacuum occasioned by decay, and from the rapid march
of civilisation, and the wonderful development of the mind.

VI zTcaoDOiTioy.

mprpsenn^ ni> :ia x '-jtiCfiff 3ta&& :t liiia^ia — die triumpt of tie
nuiiti vu' die preaeac -i^-ir uiie ffiiii^jr or tiie past Tie t^c-
Citfies at 'iie hMCie-diiu: xz^ Vir.g iiir^erseiai "it liie ir:;TTr:flg
ot die Ci/iaiin. T-ie irsc yapcie-.c :x:ri:-ierai 'ij ie r^:ri —
till* rpi5»ias yjcr.iiif.c !: aiToers : j iuc^irii:!: inn izLd rtrr^gie,
wLiij*r \v *, tf 1 aaciiiii, ir* *irdzc -j :•: rsdi^icT ttljIl sl oitsir-

\

r t A«

9

.'.t^
'>;^/.

•^

f<

•rV

;Cw'. ; ...;^i'--^' >"•

HCSTORT OF THE SCOHISH REGIMENTS.

SECOND ROYAL NORTH BRITISH DRAGOONS,

OB

SCOTS GREYS.

CHAPTER I.

"Come fill up my cup, come fill up my can,
Come saddle my horscB, and call out my men;
Unhook the west port and let us gac free;
For it's up wi' the bonnets o* bonnie Dundee."

EARLY HISTORY-^COVENANTERS — BATTLES OP DEUMCLOG AND
BOTHWELL BRIDGE — ^ARGYLE's REBELLION — ^THE RAID OF
THE MACDONALDS — FLIGHT OF JAMES IL — DUNDEE'S
REBELLION — BATTLES OF KILLIECRANKIE AND CROMDALE
— MASSACRE OF GLENCOE — 1660-1693.

The page of history presents to us many dark scenes of
oppression, where one man, trampling upon the rights of
another, and disregarding the heaven-born principle of charity,
has sold his brother into bondage. Nay, more, (as especially
illustrated in the case of Spain groaning beneath the thral-
dom of the Papacy), some men have even succeeded in en-

14

HISTORT OF THB SCOTTISH REGIifENTS.

slaving the mind; stopping iip with vile trash the avenues of
knowledge, and so defacing and mining that mirror of
the intellect which reflects so much of its Creator, which
originally bore the impress of divinity, and was moulded
in the likeness of God. ^fi^^t iiK^ r^v^de of the human heart,

stay not here, but have

and the unhallowed p
attempted more — to b
sible to fetter or destn,
enslave, or annihilate in
ble for man to bind the i
been the infatuation of
many countries and in n
usurp the dominion of

-but in vain. It is pos-

y, it is even possible to

3, mindt but it is impossi-

.ng soul Nevertheless, it has

5, deluded by false creeds, in

;eSj to seek, but in vain, to

? soul The soul, like "the bush

burned but not consumed,'' lives still, lives for ever, defying
the fires of persecution, the wasting famine, and the de-
vouring sword. It comes forth scatheless, purified, living;
having shaken off the corruption of earth, it appears clothed
in the garments of immortality. There can be no better testi-
mony to the suitableness of the true religion to meet the wants
of man than this — that whilst all others have proved them-
selves to be so many systems of tyranny, bereaving man of
his beloved liberty, the religion of Jesus is free, and is always
to be welcomed as the herald of civil and religious liberty;
wherever its blessing rests, its benign influence is felt, and its
glorious light shines.

It was in such a time as this in Scotland, when the iron
will of Charles IL, already oppressing the persons and the
minds of his people, aspired to the dominion of their soul

SCOTS GREYS. 15

and conscience, by calling upon them to introduce into
their simple forms of worship a host of objectionable
mummeries, savouring of Popery, and threatening thereby
to corrupt the purity of the Presbyterian faith. In vain
they petitioned for liberty of conscience and protested against
these intrusions. Persisting in the introduction of these
idle rites, and denying redress, the monarch preferred plung-
ing the nation into all the horrors of civil war, rather than
depart from his purpose. To enforce these requirements
the king raised in Scotland two troops of Life Guards, after-
wards disbanded; a regiment of horse, known as Claverhouse's
Troopers —

" The bonnets o* bonnie Dundee;"

a regiment of Foot Guards; a regiment of foot, now the
Twenty-first, North British Fusiliers; and, in 1678, two troops
of dragoons, which, increased by the addition of other troops
in 1681, constituted the Royal Regiment of Scots Dragoons,
now known familiarly as the Scots Greys. The corps was
originally commanded by Sir Thomas Dalziel, who in 1681
was appointed the first colonel of the regiment. He was
alwajrs a staunch adherent of the House of Stuart, had been
taken prisoner at the battle of Worcester, but escaping from the
Tower, served with distinction in the Russian army during the
Tartar wars. Returning to Scotland at the Restoration, he was
employed by the king in enforcing his will upon the Presby-
terians, and he discharged his duty with all the scrupulous
exactness of a soldier. To the Covenanters he has left a most
unenviable memory — as a monster of cruelty, devoid of mercy.

16 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTigH REGIMENTS.

His eccentricitie=i, especially in regard to dress, often excitetl the
merriment of the Court, and created quite a sensation amongst
the juveniles of the metropolis. He died in 1685.

The early history of the Royal Scots Dragoons is painfully
and intimately associa*'^'^ ™^^' ^^^'^ ^nfferings and trials of the
Covenanters — a page ' which, would the truth

admit, we would glad * gnominious duty imposed

upon this gallant regin g down the Presbyterians,

and the cruelties whid t ■ Ued to mtness, sometimes

to inflict upon their i r brethren, must have been ex-

tremely harrowing and i . to the feelings of brave men.

Along with a troop of ho^ troop of the corps was present in
1679, under Graham of i rerhouse, at the battle of Drumclog,
where they were defeated, with the loss of twenty men, by the
superior numbers and desperate valour of the Covenanters, as
also from the unsuitableness of the ground for cavalry to act
upon. The result of this overthrow was a general rising of
the disaffected and oppressed — a motley and undisciplined
army was speedily assembled, better in the use of the tongue
than the sword; and as always happens where that "un-
ruly member '' is in the ascendant, proved the precursor of
party division, and in the end brought ruin to the good cause
in which they had embarked. Foiled in an attack upon Glas-
gow by the retiring royal troops, especially the Eoyal Scots
Dragoons and Scots Foot Guards, the Covenanters took up a
strong position behind the Clyde at Bothwell Bridge, and
there awaited the attack of the royal army, now advancing
from Edinburgh under the Duke of Monmouth. Failing

^

-O-N 1-

SCOTS GREYS. 1 7

in eflFecting an accommodation, the battle was commenced
by the Eoyal Scots Dragoons, supported by the Scots Foot
Guards attacloDg the bridge, which, defended with great
bravery, was only relinquished when the ammimition of the
defenders was exhausted. The loss of this most important
post, as well as the divisions already prevailing amongst the
Covenanters, soon produced a panic which lost the battle,
ruined for the present the cause of liberty of conscience, and
served to add nearly ten years more to their sujQferings. In
the pursuit, the troopers of Claverhouse took a cruel revenge
for the defeat of Drumclog, upon the broken and flying
remnant.

The Eoyal Scots Dragoons continuing to be employed in the
humiliating work of persecution, were often roughly handled
by the Presbyterians, especially at Ayr Moss on the 20th July,
1680, where a desperate renc(yntre took place.

The Earl of Argyle, a nobleman of great merit, and for some
time enjoying the esteem of his sovereign, being suspected of a
leaning to the Nonconformists, or Covenanters, at the instigation
of the Duke of York was arraigned for treason, and, accordingly,
condemned to death. Escaping to France, Argyle returned in
J 685, and landing with a force of 300 men in Argyleshire,
summoned his clansmen, and endeavoured, with little success,
to raise the Presbyterians, and so, setting up the standard of
rebellion, threatened to dethrone James II., who but lately had
succeeded his brother in the throne. After much fruitless
manoeuvring, he advanced into the Lowlands, but was met by
the royal troops, including the Eoyal Scots Dragoons, near

18

HrSTOEY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

DumbartoD, under the Earl of Dumbarton, Attempting to
retreat in the darkness of the night, his guides betrayed him,
his army fell into disorder and disbanded, whilst he himself
was taken prisoner and afterwards executed at Edinburgh-

3 i.^ "^rfigoons, assisted by other

f of the rebels under Sir

together in the neighbour-

. After hard fightings in

iiuimted and fought hand to

m of many oflScers, among whom

tn WaUace, and Capt. Clelland,

rebels were driven back and

On the morrow, the "" — ^
troops, attacked a cc
John Cochrane, which
hood in a strongly fo
course of which the d;
hand on foot, and aftei
were Sir Adam Blair,
also Lord Ross wounded,
ultimately dispersed.

On the death of LiGuL-General Sir Thomas Dalziel, in 1685,
Lord Charles Murray, afterwards the Earl of Dunmore, and
son of the Marquis of Athole, one of the original officers of the
corps, was promoted to the colonelcy.

In 1688 a part of the regiment was called upon to interfere
on behalf of the Government — unfortunately on the wrong
side — in one of those unhappy broils which, as the dregs of
feudalism, still so sorely distressed the Highlands. The
Macintoshes having despoiled the Macdonald of Keppoch of
his estate, during his temporary absence in the Highlands,
the. Macdonald, on his return, taking the law — as was usual
in those days, specially amongst the clans — into his own
hand, and taking an ample vengeance, redeemed his own.
The Royal Scots Dragoons were sent to the assistance and for
the release of the Mackintosh, who had been taken prisoner.

SCOTS OBEYS. 19

In retaliation they were inhumanly ordered to destroy all that
pertained to the Macdonald — man, woman, and child. Al-
though such instructions were quite in keeping with the
character of the Court, happily it was about the last exercise
of a power ever rioting in such acts of merciless cruelty.

The close of the same year brought the Prince of Orange
to our shores, to deliver the land from the bondage of the
Stuarts who had so grievously oppressed it. To meet this
emergency. King James had drawn together to Londcm and
its neighbourhood the whole reliable forces of his kingdom.
Amongst these were the troops of Scottish Life Guards;
Claverhouse's regiment of horse; Dunmore's regiment of Royal
Scots Dragoons; the regiment of Scottish Foot Guards; and
two regiments of Scottish Foot — in all, 3,765 men from Scot-
land. After a seeming show of resistance, and much manoeu-
vring in the vicinity of Salisbury, the monarch, dreading the
wrath of an outraged people, fled to France.

^^ Conscience makes cowards of us all/'

When the Prince of Orange, as William III., ascended the
vacant throne, he found many of the troops inclined to dis-
pute his authority, especially the regiments of Royal Scots
Horse and Koyal Scots Dragoons; which still remained to-
gether under the command of Viscount Dundee, and with
the characteristic loyalty of Scotsmen, would still have
maintained the cause of an unworthy and exiled prince,
the d^enerate representative of the Bruce of Bannockburn.
The tact of the new monarch succeeded in winning the sub-

20

HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGniENTS.

mission of the Royal Scots Dragoons; but the Royal Scots
Horse, deserting, followed Dundee into Scotland, took part
•with him in his subsequent rebellion, and so, sharing his fate,
have been lost to the British army. The Earl of Dunmore,

declining to serve ut
the colonelcy of the
Livingstone, afterwar
of distinction, who ca

J jA

™g, was superseded m
joons by Sir Thomas

lOt^ — ^a Scottish soldier
Le continent with the

prince.

To stem the torrent of rebellion which the return of Dundee
to Scotland had e:xcited — especially among the Highland clans,
nearly all of whom were devotedly attached to the Stuarts —
the Royal Scots Dragoons were ordered to return to Scotland.
Throughout the succeeding campaigns the regiment behaved
with signal fidelity and gallantry, with the exception of some
few of its officers who were found guilty of treasonable inter-
course with the rebels — having a sympathy with their old
comrade in arms. Viscount Dundee. Amongst the arrested
were Lieut.-Colonel Livingstone, Captains Murray, Crichton,
and Livingstone. The royal forces under the command of
Major-General Mackay, included, besides the Royal Scots Dra-
goons, many regiments since known to fame — Lord Colchester's
Horse, or the Third (Prince of Wales') Dragoon Guards; Berke-
ley's, or the Fourth (Queen's Own Hussars) Dragoons; Sir
James Leslie's, or the Fifteenth (York, East Riding) Foot;
besides a considerable body of Dutch troops under Colonel
Ramsay. Dundee waa joined at Inverness by Macdonald of
Keppoch and his clan, thirsting for revenge because of the

SCOTS GREYS. 21

B-trocities committed upon them and theirs by the soldiers in
the previous year. After much time spent in marching and
counter-marching in search of, and pursuit of, each other, the
two armies met at the Pass of Killiecrankie, when the death
of Dundee, in the moment of victory, virtually ruined the
Jacobite cause. The Eoyal Scots Dragoons, although not
present at that disastrous battle, had previously distinguished
themselves in a skirmish with a body of about. 500 High-
landers, chiefly Macleans, who, defeating with great loss, they
dispersed, and, dismounting, pursued among the rocks and
crags of the mountains. In th6 following year, the rebels
still continuing in arms, under General Canon — who on the
death of Dundee assumed the command — and being recruited
by a body of men from Ireland under General Buchan, took
up a strong post and awaited the attack of the royal forces at
Cromdale. Here, on the morning of the 31st April, they
were suddenly attacked by Sir Thomas Livingstone, at the
head of the Royal Scots Dragoons and other troops, and, amid
the darkness and confusion, totally defeated and dispersed
with gr^at slaughter. The scene was one of consternation and
horror, and had it not been for the merciful intervention of a
moimtain mist, as if to befriend her own children in their day
of calamity, would have proved even more fatal to the flying
enemy. In this action the Royal Scots Dragoons took a gal-
lant part. This victory was quickly followed by the relief of
the castle of Abergeldie, then besieged by the Highlanders,
where two troops of the Royal Scots Dragoons utterly routed
the rebels with great carnage. Unable longer to sustain such

22

HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

a hopeless struggle, the clana tendered their submission to King
William, which was accepted.

But the triumph of the Government was stained by a deed
of barbarous cruelty and sin, which remains a blot on the page
of British history, known as "the Massacre of Glencoe." The
Macdonalds of Glencoe having f to tender their allegiance
within the prescribed . they had done so a few

days afterwards, the whole were eacherously murdered in
cold blood, whilst peaceably sleepi g, by a party of soldiers
from Argyle's regiment, who had been received and hospitably
quartered among thern as friends. This inhuman action has
been vainly attempted to be excused, and all authorities have
alike endeavoured to escape the responsibility* We gladly
record that the Boyal Scots Dragoons were not called to take
any part in the matter ; and their colonel. Sir Thomas Living-
stone, although then Commander-in-Chief in Scotland, has been
fully exonerated from blame by ParUament.

CHAPTER II.

'^ Loudon's bonnie woods and braes,
I maun lea* them a\ lassie;
Wha can thole when Britain's faes
Would gi'e Britons law, lassie?'*

WAKS OF THE SPANISH SUCCESSION — REBELLION OF 1716 —
SEVEN years' war — 1693-1793.

Our last chapter closed the dark record which unhappily
clouds the early history of the Eoyal Scots Dragoons, and it is
with pleasure we turn from the record of these unnatural and
suicidal wars to narrate the nobler deeds of the regiment on
a nobler field. The accession of William, Prince of Orange,
to the throne, is not to be regarded merely as the triumph of
the Protestant party, but as involving the dawn of freedom to
an oppressed people; as the guarantee of liberty of conscience;
and as the harbinger of peace, especially to distressed Scotland.
In 1694, the Royal Scots Dragoons, accompanied by Cunning-
ham's Scots Dragoons — now the Seventh (Queen's Own)
Hussars — and associated with the First (Royal English), the
Third (King's Own Hussars), the Fourth (Queen's Own
Hussars), and the Fifth (Royal Irish Lancers) Dragoons, were
sent over to the Netherlands against the French. Here they
represented the nation with credit, especially at the siege of

24

HISTOKT OF THE SCOTTISH HEGIMENTS.

Namur, until the conclusion of peace, four years afterwards,
' permitted tbeir return.

Unfortunately, the peace was not of long duration, and
afforded but a short respite, during nvhich the regiment T\^as
remounted on grey horses, as a corps elite. The question

of the Spanish succe^
the flames of war fl
1 702, the regiment wa
country on the plains c
chiefly made up with a ^

tho ambition of France,
ndled. Accordingly, in
ntain the honour of their
ie earlier campaigns were
^ty of sieges — Yenloo, Kiiremonde,
Stevenswaert, Liege, 1 nn, Huy, Limburg, &c., in all of
which the regiment had a part. Lord Hay, afterwards
Marquis of Tweeddale, this year (1704) purchased the colo-
nelcy of the regiment. The daring spirit and rising genius
of Marlborough, who then commanded the British army,
aspiring to something mightier, turning his eye towards
Germany, selected a grander field of action — planned a cam-
paign, which, taking Europe by surprise, fell like a thunderbolt
upon the foe, and produced the most glorious results. The
soldierly bearing of the Eoyal Scots Dragoons had already
attracted the keen eye of the Commander-in-Chief, and won
for them this tribute to their fidelity and worth, inasmuch as
they were selected to be his own body-guard. They were,
moreover, destined to lead the van, or, at all events, to assume
a first place in the memorable actions of the campaign. Their
firmness and valour helped their great commander to a great
renown, as they were honoured to share with him the dangers
and the glories of the campaign, and so '* win laurels that

SCOTS GREYS. 25

shall never fade/' Not less brave, although not so favoured,
were the gallant troops which accompanied the Royal Scots
Dragoons in the marvellous march from the Netherlands to
Germany, and who alike contributed to the success of the
expedition. These comprised the First (King's), the Third
(Prince of Wales'), the Fifth (Prmcess Charlotte of Wales'),
the Sixth (Carabineers), the Seventh (Princess Royal's) Dra-
goon Guards, and the Fifth (Royal Irish Lancers) Dragoons ;
besides the infantry which followed, including the Foot Guards,
the First (Royal Scots), the Third (East Kent Buflfs), the
Eighth (the King's), the Tenth (North Lincoln), the Fifteenth
(York, East Riding), the Sixteenth (Bedfordshire), the Eighteenth
(Royal Irish), the Twenty-first (Royal North British Fusiliers),
the Twenty-third (Royal Welsh Fusiliers), the Twenty-fourth
(Warwickshire), the Twenty-Sixth (Caraeronians), and the
Thirty-seventh (North Hampshire) regiments of Foot. Marl-
borough having successfully accomplished with rapidity and
secrecy this masterly manoeuvre, and united his army to
the Imperialists — ^hardly allowing the French and Bavarians
time to know, far less to recover from their surprise — imme-
diately prepared for action. The assault upon the French
lines on the heights of Schellenberg, and the consequent cap-
ture of Donawerth, was the first event calling forth the bravery
of the Scots Greys. But this was but the precursor to a more
decisive blow. On the 13th of August the French and Bava-
rians were encountered in the vicinity of the village of Blen-
heim. The struggle was a severe one. The Greys and other
troops attacking the village, which was strongly occupied by

26 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

the French, for long waged a very doubtful conflict; but at
length, by indomitable eflForts, they succeeded in driving back
the enemy, and cutting off tbeia- retreat — tvrenty-four bat-
talions of infantry and twelve squadrona of cavalry surren-
dered. The campaign closed with the siege of Landau.
Having delivered Gei le immediate presence of

the enemy, Marlboro p the British army into

winter quarters in the . The only action of im-

portance which falls to be recorded in the succeeding year is
the victory of Helixem, where the same redoubtable British
cavalry successfully attacked and broke in upon the French
lines.

A mightier achievement awaited the arms of our "gallant
Greys" in 1706, At the battle of Eamilies, after much hard
fighting, the regiment succeeded in penetrating into the \allage
of Autreglize, inflicting a dreadful carnage, and were hon-
oured in receiving the surrender of the French " Regiment du
Eoi," with arms and colours. Amid the trophies of the day,
the Greys are said to have taken no fewer than seventeen
standards. At the close of the battle a very curious circum-
stance waa brought to light, affording an illustrious example
of woman's love, fidelity, endurance, and heroism. Amongst
the woimded of the Scots Greys, a female (Mrs Davies) was
discovered, who, donning the habiliments of man, had enlisted
in the regiment, braved the perils of Schellenberg and Blen-
heim, that in this disguise she might follow her husband,
who was a soldier in the First (Royal Scots) Foot, then with
the army. Her case at once excited the interest and sym-

SCOTS GREYS. 27

pathy of the whole axmy; and awakening the generosity of
the officers, especially of the colonel of her regiment, she was
restored to her true position as a woman, lived to be of con-
siderable service as envoy to the army, and at her death in
1739 was buried with military honours in Chelsea Hospital.

In the autumn of this eventful year, the Greys were called
to mourn the death of their colonel, who had been with them
throughout the war, and who was cut oflF by fever in the midst
of a bright and glorious career. He was succeeded in the
colonelcy by the Earl of Stair. About the same time the
regiment was authoritatively designated the Royal North
British Dragoons, and in 1713 was further registered as the
Second Regiment of Dragoons.

It is superfluous to say that, at the battle of Oudenarde, in
1708, the sieges of Lisle and Toumay, and specially at the
battle of Malplacquet in 1709 — where, thrice charging the
French household cavalry, they ultimately broke through that
magnificent and hitherto invincible corps — as well as at a
variety of minor engagements, the Greys maintained their
high character. On the peace of Utrecht, in 1713, they re-
turned to England loaded with the honours of war.

In the following year, the Earl of Portmore, a distinguished
one-eyed veteran, was appointed colonel in room of the Earl of
Stair — retired.

The rebellion of 1715, in Scotland, in favour of the Pre-
tender, again called for the service of the Greys, who, with a
firm fidelity, continued to discharge their duty to the king —
notwithstanding many pressing temptations to desert. Whilst

H

28 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS,

quartered at Stirling, they dispersed gatherings of rebels at
Kinross and Dunfermline. With the Third (King's Own
Hussars), the Fourth (Queen's Own Hussars), the Sixth (Innis-
killings), and the Seventh (Queen's Own Hussars) Dragoons;
also the Third (East K^rit TlnffkY the Eighth (the King's), the
Eleventh (North Dev eenth (Buckinghamshire),

the Seventeenth (Leice «jj Twenty-first (Royal North

British Fusiliers), the (King^a Own Borderers),

and the Thirty-Sixth i rrf"o] lire) regiments of foot, in all
4000 men, they were present at the drawn battle of Sheriff-
muir, where the enemy mustered fully 10,000 men. The
royalist army was mainly saved from utter defeat by the
dauntless valour of the Greys, w^ho, repeatedly charging the
cavalry and right wing of the rebel army, succeeded in driving
back and ultimately dispersing them, so as to counterbalance
the success of the rebels on the left. Although forced to re-
treat for the time, the royalists, recruited by other regiments,
were soon able once more to assume the offensive, and, not-
withstanding the presence of the Pretender himself, idtimately
dispersed the rebel army. A second attempt, aided by a
Spanish force, in 1719, met with the same firmness, and fared
no better. The rebel army, encountering the Idng s army —
including the Greys — at Strachell, were completely routed.

Meanwhile the regiment was permitted to enjoy its laurels
in peace. In 1 71 7, General John Campbell had been appointed
colonel of the Scots Greys, in room of the Earl of Portmore —
resigned.

In 1742, France, Prussia, and Bavaria having leagued to-

SCOTS GREYS. 29

gether for the destruction of Austria, George IL, espousing the
cause of Austria, in person, led an army of 16,000 British
through Flandars into Germany. Of this force the Greys
formed a part, under the command of their own chivalric
monarch. The battle of Dettingen, in 1743, was the first
event of importance in the war, in which the Greys were en-
gaged— successively charging and defeating the imposing line
of French Cuirassiers, and thereafter the magnificent array of
the French household cavalry; capturing from these last a
white standard — a trophy which never before had been taken
by an enemy.

The army having been withdrawn into Flanders, and placed
under the command of the Duke of Cumberland, achieved
nothing of importance until the disastrous battle of Fontenoy,
in 1745, in which, although no very prominent place had been
assigned the Scots Greys, they nevertheless suffered severely
— especially in the loss of their gallant colonel, General Camp-
bell. He was succeeded in the colonelcy by the Earl of Stair
— ^reappointed.

The rebellion of 1745, in Scotland, occasioning the with-
drawal of a large portion of the army, the following regiments
were left behind to make head against the overwhelming hosts
of France: — the Second (Scots Greys), the Sixth (Inniskillings),
the Seventh (Queen's Own Hussars) Dragoons; the Eighth
(King's), the Eleventh (North Devon), the Thirteenth (1st
Somersetshire or Prince Albert's), the Nineteenth (1st York,
North Biding), the Twenty-fifth (King's Own Borderers), the
Thirty-second (Cornwall), and the Thirty-third (Duke of Wei-

30 HISTORY OF THE SCOmSH REGIMENTS.

liDgton's) Foot, These were aided by a few regiments of
Dutch and Hessians* Taking advantage of these circum-
stances, the enormous masses of the French under Marshal
Saxe were advanced, with the intent to overwhebn this hand-
ful of brave men. The " ' ; accordingly made at Eou-
coux, but failed ; althc ^h general was forced to

retreat, which was acca success, notwithstanding

the immediate presence oe g tly superior in numbers.

It was the intrepidity he h cavalry which rescued

the army from destruction.

The following year the Earl of Crawford was appointed
colonel in room of the then deceased Earl of Stair, He was
an ofl&cer of very extensive military knowledge, having serv(^
in many of the continental armies, as a volunteer, with credit-

The bloody and glorious battle of Val, fought in 1747, and
which may fitly be considered the closing event of the war,
exhibits in bold relief what may well be esteemed as the
crowning achievement of the Scots Greys. Towards the close
of this desperate fight, the regiment was ordered to charge.
Notwithstanding their resistless bravery and accompanying
success, by which the French cavalry were broken and lost
four standards, these fortunate results and glorious trophies
were dearly won, not merely because of the numerous casual-
ties which the regiment was called to mourn (157 killed and
wounded), but on account of the loss of that which to a
soldier is dearer than life itself — a standard. It feU into the
enemy's hands in the confusion of retreat.

On the conclusion of the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, in 1749,

SCOTS GREYS. 31

the regiment returned to England. In the following year the
Earl of Crawford dying, the colonelcy of the regiment was
conferred on the Earl of Rothes, but exchanging into the
Third (Scots Fusiliers) Foot Guards in 1752, he was suc-
ceeded in the command by General Campbell, afterwards Duke
of Argyle.

On the breaking out of war with France in 1758, whilst a
newly-raised light troop of the regiment was engaged with
other troops in successive descents on the French coast, viz.,
St Maloes, Cherbourg, and Lunar, the remainder of the regi-
ment was sent to Germany, to aid in the liberation of Hano-
ver from the French yoke. Under the command of the Duke
of Brunswick, the Greys were present at the battles of Bergen
and Minden, but it was not imtil the assault upon Warbourg
that they seriously encoimtered the enemy. Their conduct on
the occasion is well described by the Commander-in-Chief
when he says they performed "prodigies of valour." At
Zierenberg the battle was decided by a brilliant and success-
ful charge of the Greys and Inniskillings. A variety of
manoeuvres and skirmishes continued to agitate the conflict in
the following year, in all of which the regiment upheld its
reputation. The peace of 1763 at length released the regi-
ment from the turmoil of war, and permitted it to return home
and rest awhile upon its honours.

It is interesting to observe that in nearly every instance
the Eoyal Scots Dragoons shared the dangers and glories of
the conflict with the Royal Irish or Inniskilling regiments of
dragoons. It is still the same. Scotland and Ireland, side by

32

HISTORY OP THE SCOTTISn REGIMENTS.

side, are to be recognised fighting their country's battles^. It
is an ancient and happy alliance TivhicL, strengthening with
years, has been of signal service in the past, is blessed in the
present, and promises to be of further use in the future.

In 1770, on the death of the Duke of Argyle, the Earl of

slcy, and on his death, in

[ colonel, but he in tura

r General Johnstone.

afforded no opportunity

tinguish their stewaixlsliips.

Panmure was advance)
1782, General Preston
passing away in 1 785, ni; re
These were times < eace
for these venerable soldiers to

The succeeding chapter introduces us to more stirring times.

CHAPTER III.

^^ O Fame, stem prompter of most glorious deeds,
What numerous votaries attend thy call!
For thee the poet sings, the hero bleeds.
And warlike kings bid empires rise or fall/'

THE REVOLUTIONAEY AND CEIMEAN WARS — 1793-1862.

In 1 793 the restless and aggressive spirit which sorely troubled
France, developed in the Kevolution, once more plunged that
nation into war with Britain; nay, not only so, but sending
forth her revolutionary incendiaries charged with the subver-
sion of all constitutional government, and seeking to poison the
minds of almost every people, her ruthless and frantic dema-
gogues virtually declared war against the whole monarchies of
Christendom. Accordingly, a British force, including a por-
tion of the Greys, was sent to the Netherlands under the
Duke of York. These were chiefly employed in the sieges of
Valenciennes, Dunkirk, Landrecies, etc., which preceded the
double battle of Toumay, fought on the 10th and 22d May,
1794. The Greys and the other British cavalry easily routed
the newly-raised horsemen of the Eevolution, which were sadly
degenerated from the splendidly-equipped cavalry of the old
monarchy — ^long. the terror of Europe, and most worthy foes.
The utter bankruptcy of the French nation prevented them

^34 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS,

from eqiiippiBg or maintainiDg a powerful cavalry, and, in
consequence, we find the armies of the Revolution at that time
very deficient in this branch of the service. Notwithstanding
the excellence of his troops, the Duke of York found his posi-
tion untenable, with such a handful, against the overwhelming
hosts of France, which were being daily augmented by a
starving crowd which the Eevolution had mined, and so
forced into the army as the only refuge in those unhappy
times. The British, retreating into Germany, reached Bremen
in 1795, whence the Scots Greys shortly thereafter returned
to England.

Notwithstanding the continuous and bloody wars in which
our country was engaged during the next twenty years, the
Scots Greys were allowed to pine in quietude on home service,
until the campaign of Waterloo called them to take the field.

In the meantime, we take opportunity to enumerate the
series of colonels who successively commanded the regiment
during this interval. The Earl of Eglinton, appointed in
1 795, was succeeded by that brave and distinguished officer.
Sir Ralph Abercromby, who fell in the arms of victory on
the 28th of March, 1801, at the battle of Alexandria. On his
death, the colonelcy was conferred on a no less distinguished
officer. Sir David Dundas, who continued to command the
regiment until 1813, when, exchanging into the King's Dra-
goon Guards, he was succeeded by the Marquis of Lothian.
This nobleman dying in 1815, made way for an able and
accomplished soldier. Sir James Stewart, who, retaining the
colonelcy for the lengthened term of twenty-four years, lived to

SCOTS GREYS. 35

be the oldest general and the oldest soldier, both in one, in the
British army. In 1839, Sir William Keir Grant was appointed
colonel. As if worthily to recognise the heroic daring of the
regiment at Waterloo, it has continued to be commanded by
veterans who have earned their laurels in that proud field
of fight. Lord Sandys was appointed in 1858, but only
enjoyed the honour for two years, when death laid him low,
and he was in turn succeeded by the present colonel, General
Alex. K. Qarke Kennedy, C.B., KG. The history of all
these brave officers is replete with deeds of heroism, and it
would have been truly a pleasant duty, had our space ad-
mitted, to have recounted somewhat of their achievements.

During the years of their home service, a part of the regi-
ment was present at the imposing ceremony accompanying
the burial of England's Naval Hero, Lord Nelson, in 1805.
They were also present at the great review in Hyde Park in
1814, when the allied Sovereigns visited England after the
Treaty of Paris.

The followiug year witnessed the escape of Napoleon from
Elba, his return to France, and the general and disgraceful
desertion of the French army to their old chief. This unto-
ward event at once arrested the retiring armies of the allies,
and recalled them again in haste to Paris. The promptitude
and harmony of the measures adopted by the Cabinets of
Britain and Prussia enabled their armies forthwith to take the
field, and so stemming the returning tide of French despotism,
for ever crush the might of the tyrant whose restless am-
bition, like an evil spirit, had so long troubled Europe. They

36 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTTSH HEGIMENTS.

were honoured side by side to fulfil the first aad last act in
the short but decisive campaign which followed. Six troops
of the Greys were ordered to the theatre of war, and, landing
m the Netherlands in 1815, were brigaded with the Royals
and their old comrades the TnnifttiUiEgSj under Sir WilHam
Ponsonby. Anticipati m ;e attack from the French,

and the better to obta: piies, th( Duke of Wellington had

disposed his army as a chain to watch the movements

of the enemy. While separ [ irom the Prussians, under
Blucher, botli armies narrowly escaped destruction. The
immediate and p&rsonal presence of so able and enterprising
a General as Napoleon, at the head of a powerful and well-
appointed army — consisting largely of the veterans who,
smarting imder the disasters of a previous year, burned for
revenge, or of those who, so unfortunately for their chief, had
been too long incarcerated as garrisons in the distant fortresses
of the Oder and Vistula, but who, released on the conclusion
of the late peace, gladly welcomed their old commander, and
followed him to the field with high hopes to retrieve the
defeats of the past — the immediate presence of such an army
rendered the position of the allies one of considerable danger.
On the night of the 15th of June the Greys were unexpectedly
awakened at the village of Denderhautem, to learn that the
enemy was rapidly advancing to surprise and destroy the
scattered fragments of the army in detail. Accordingly,
immediate orders were issued to the various corps to
concentrate in the vicinity of Waterloo. A rapid march
of fifty miles brought the Scots Greys, on the evening of the

SCOTS GEEYS. 37

letli, to Quatre Bras, where some of the British troops were
surprised by a portion of the French army, under Marshal
Ney, and all but cut to pieces. As the eventful morning of
the 18th of June dawned, the British army, having completed
its concentration, was drawn up in all the magnificence of
battle array, and anxiously waited the arrival of their allies.
The Prussians, however, had in the interim been attacked
by Napoleon himself at Ligny, and nearly overthrown.

In the battle of Waterloo, the Greys occupied a position in
rear of the left centra It was late in the day when the Earl
of Uxbridge brought the orders for that fatal and memorable
charge, the result of which had such an eflfect on the battle.
It must have been a splendid sight to have seen these gallant
regiments (the Greys, Royals, and Inniskillings) " hurl them
on the foe;'' and it must have been nobly done, since it
specially attracted the attention of the great Napoleon — (par-
ticularly referring to the Greys) — and drew forth from him
those ever-memorable words : "These are splendid horsemen,
but in less than half-an-hour I must cut them to pieces;"
and therewith he did all that human mind could devise, or
human might achieve, to fulfil his boast, and annihilate these
brave soldiers. Despite a dreadful carnage, and the resolute-
ness with which the successive columns of the French sus-
tained the dreadful fight, they could not prevail against our
Gaelic infantry, nor dismay the firmness of the British square,
far less withstand the shock of our gallant cavalry — they were
broken ; and amidst the terrible confusion which ensued. Ser-
geant Ewart, of the Greys, succeeded in capturing the eagle

38 HISTORY OP THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS,

and colour of the Forty-fifth French regiment — a trophy
which graced tho day, and the eagle is a proud emblem ou
the regimental guidon* The Ninety-second Highlanders, re-
duced to 200 men, had long maintained a terrible conflict
with a column of 2000 of the enemv. At length the Greys,
charging a second time — but wit! adly diminished numbers
— came to the assistance of antrymen, and, together,

nearly annihilated the French. A the grand charge, where
the famous and hitherto invinc \ uards of Napoleon were
brought forward for a last eftort, the remnant of the Greys,
kept in reserve, awaited the repulse of that dread column,
when, a third time charging, they completed the nxin of their
brave foemen- The loss to the regiment was upwards of 200
men. After the battle, they continued the pursuit of the
enemy to the very gates of Paris; and, with other cavalry,
contributed to prevent Napoleon re-forming or re-organising
his still formidable legions. On the abdication of that mighty
chief, the Greys returned to England in 1816. Thus, in three
days, was the fate of an empire, nay, of the world, decided by
British valour and Prussian firmness.

Passing over a long interval of peace — nearly forty years,
during which nothing of sufficient importance transpired
to call the Greys to take the. field — we arrive at the time
(1854) of the Crimean war, when Russian ambition, seeking
to overwhelm Turkey in her weakness, was unexpectedly
met and arrested in her unrighteous aggression, by France
and Britain, on the plains of the Crimea. The Greys, as
an after instalment of the British army, were sent out in the

^

SCOTS GREYS. 39

" Himalaya^^^ and landed in September — a few days after the
battle of the Alma. With the Fourth (Royal Irish) and the
Fifth (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards; and
the First (Royals) and Sixth (Inniskilling) Dragoons, they
formed the heavy cavalry brigade, under Brigadier-General
the Hon. James Scarlett, now Adjutant-General to the Forces
and KC.B. At the action of Balaklava, fought on the 25th
of October, and which was almost entirely a cavalry one — the
Ninety-third Highlanders being the only infantry regiment
actively engaged, and bearing the word on their colours —
the Scots Greys, with their old comrades, the Inniskillings,
fully sustained the ancient and heroic character of the
regiment. Numbering together about 750 men, they
charged fearlessly upon a body of 3500 of the very choicest
Russian cavalry, defended, moreover, by several batteries;
and, breaking the first line, had already pierced the colimm
through, when they were aided in the completion of the victory
by the Fourth and Fifth Dragoon Guards. Notwithstanding
the desperate and unequal contest, the loss on the side of the
Greys was very small. In less than five minutes the splendid
array of Russian cavalry was broken and put to flight by
about 1400 of the British cavalry. This splendid achievement
may be considered as the only important event in which our
cavalry assumed a prominent part. The severity of the
weather and the prevalence of disease all but destroyed the
Greys and their no less gallant comrades, and left our country
to lament that so very few of that heroic brigade were spared
to return and receive the thanks of a grateful people. Two

I

40 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS,

years afterwards, peace restored the remnant of the regiment
to its native land-
In closing our brief record of tlie Second Regiment of
Royal North British Dragoons, we cannot help remarking on
the almost unbroken success and sp^'^ndid trophies which have
crowned their arms. Scarcely in a single instance was the
regiment broken or necessitated to retreat for its own sake;
only once did a standard fall into the hands of the enemy,
although in its several campaigns the regiment has been
always actively engaged. The reader must feel that we have
great reason to be proud of our countrymen — and that it ija
an honest pride we indulge in — ^when sustained by Enich an
unprecedented series of triumphs as it has been our pleasure
to record. There is not a heart in Scotland which does not
beat with affectionate sympathy and respect for the "Scots
Greys;" and be they Englishmen or Irishmen who join the
regiment, we feel sure they do so with a generous spirit of
emulation, and imgrudgingly unite with us in doing honour to
our countrymen, who early won a good name for the regiment
by brave deeds — no idle tale, but recorded in the most promi-
nent page of the world's history.

:\-^'- ■■•■■: A'r B'W '•^■''■'

((

THE GUARDS."

THE GRENADIERS-COLDSTREAMS-SCOTS FUSILIERS.

CHAPTER IV.

' Star of the brave 1 whose beam hath shetl
Such glory o'er the quick and dead;
Thou radiant and adored deceit!
Which millions rushed in arms to greet ;
Wild meteor of immortal birth!
Why rise in Heaven to set on Earth? "

IKTEODUCTION — EAKLY HISTORY — THE RESTORATION — TIMES
OF THE STUARTS — THE REVOLUTION — 16C0-1688.

The very name of *^ Guards'^ inspires the idea of all that is
militarily splendid and excellent, great and glorious, noble and
brave, faithful and loyal; and awakens in our minds a host
of most interesting and excitiDg recollections. Guards are
peculiarly a monarchical and despotic institution, having no
real existence in a Republic or similar form of government.
We would esteem this force as a chosen band of faithful, stal-
wart, and splendidly-equipped soldiers, specially charged with
the defence of the throne, and calculated, by their imposing

42 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH ItEGlMENTS.

array, to add lustre and dignity to the Crown, Apart from
this holiday display, the history of Guarda is pre-eminently
distinguished by the most splendid achievements of heroism
and devotion. Their firmness and fidelity have alike rebuked
the arrogance of the nnhlps who Insulted, and stilled the
turbulence of the peo] igcd, the prerogative of

the Crown. Nay, moi walanche of revolution ^

descending, overthrew throne, having enjoyed

the smile, unshaken, the Guards er ^untered the frowning of
fortune; whilst fond memory bids iis trace the footprints of
their greatness.

But the great Napoleon had a truer conception of what
such a corps ought to be, in the constitution of his Imperial
Guard, which at one time amotmted to upwards of 100,000
of the best troops in the world. Selected not merely for
fidelity or display, each one was a veteran, who, passing
through the fires of battle and inured to war, had won by his
valour the right to a place in the ranks of "the Brave." No
wonder that Europe trembled when the bearskin of the Guard
was recognised amongst the number of her foes; no marvel
that the charm of invincibility should so long be enjoyed by
this phalanx of warriors, and the halo of victory rest upon
their brows.

Romance presents no scene more deeply touching than is
recorded in the page of history, when, amid the crumbling ruins
of his colossal empire— under the eye and directed by the
transcendent genius of their beloved chief, which never on
any occasion shone forth more conspicuously — the shattered

THE pUABDS. 43

remnant of the French Guards, faithful amid the faithless,
with unmurmuring constancy and heroic devotion, withstood,
all but alone, the attack of allied Europe; dealing out the
same terrible blows as of old, which, were it possible, must
have rescued their country from the countless hosts which
already desecrated her plains. But the closing scene was
postponed for an after year, when France once more mar-
shalled around the Guard, and Napoleon cast the fatal die for
empire or ruin. What Austria, Bussia, Prussia, nay, banded
Europe, had faQed to do, our British soldiers achieved. The
speU was broken, as the Guard was overthrown. Noble and
brave, ever commanding our respect in their life, they were
doubly so in their death. We cannot help according this
tribute to so brave a foe. Nay, we feel honoured as, regarding
their grave on the plains of Waterloo, we shed a tear for the
worthy representative of the Guard; and, lingering beside
the relics of "the mighty dead,'' we catch the meaning of their
watchword —

"The Guard dies, but never surrenders."

Guards claim to be of a very ancient origin. Perhaps the
earliest record of such a force is to be found in the Bible,
where — ^in times of the tyranny of Saul, first king of Israel,
1093 B.C. — ^we read "the goodliest of the young men" (1 Sam.
viii 11-16; xiv. 52) "were chosen'' for himself, and "their
hearts touched'' (1 Sam. x. 26), so that "they followed him"
as a guard. Notwithstanding this ill-omened inauguration.
Guards have been perpetuated, and embraced in the military

44 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

institutions of the several States which successively attained
the dominion of the known world, especially where victorious
ambition induced them to reject the simplicity of the Ee-
public and «T,dopt the glitter and the pomp of Imperialism,
In despotic monarchies, princes have generally selected their
Guards from foreigners, as less likely to be affected by the
political struggles which from time to time agitated the nation
and threatened the security of the throne. The Guard thus
selected frequently included exiles of rank — of noble, nay,
royal blood. To the Protestant refugees, which the persecu-
tions of the Church of Eome had expatriated, the Guard pre-
sented a very general, an honourable, and a secure retreat.
These, as well as the chivalrous and adventurous spirit of
Scotsmen, are foremost amongst the many causes which have
led our countrymen to enlist as the Guard in nearly every
State in Europe.

Coming nearer home, and more immediately to our text,
we find, in England, that Henry VIL, in 1485, raised a body-
guard of 50 men, afterwards increased to 200, and styled it
the "Yeomen of the Guard/' In 1550, Edward VL added a
corps of Horse Guards; whilst, in Scotland, at a very early
period, "the Archers of the Guard'' surrounded and upheld
the Sovereign.

The Guards of the present British army, comprised in three
regiments — the first of which containing three, and the others
two battalions each — were raised about the year of the Resto-
ration, 1660. The union, and consequent intermixture of the
peoples of the two, nay, of the three nations, Jias so assimi-

THE GUABDS. 45

lated the composition of our regiments, that, whatever may
have been their origin, it is exceedingly difficult now to dis-
cover aught of the ancient landmarks — national or county —
which once characterised them. Still, it is our business, in the
present undertaking, to trace these originals, and do justice to
the land, whichever it be, that, in earlier years, contributed its
mite to lay the foundation of the present renown of our army.

From the intimate way in which our Guards have always
been associated in duty and a brilliant career of honour, we
have preferred briefly to sketch their history together, rather
than separately and severally. In such a narrative as we have
entered upon, it is scarcely possible to avoid repetition, many
of the regiments having seen the same service. It must
therefore be admitted as a necessary evil ; we only trust the
good old story of our nation's glory will not suffer by being
twice told.

The Coldstream, or Second Regiment of Guards — ^which,
although second in the Army List, is nevertheless the senior —
was raised by General Monk (afterwards Duke of Albemarle)
about the year 1650. They were principally formed from
Fenwick's and Hesellrigg's Eegiments, and took their name
from their having proceeded from Coldstream on their famous
march to restore the " Merry Monarch!" Born during a time
of war, they were early initiated into its bloody toils. They
formed part of the army of General Monk, which, in name
of Oliver Cromwell, subdued and occupied Scotland. With
the Scottish army, they marched into England in 1660, were
quartered in London, and there effectually helped to maintain

46

1

HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

peace between the factions of the ParKament and anny, which
then struggled for the dominion of the State — ^vacant by the
death of the Protectorate. Ultimately, the intrigue of General
Monk eflFected the present deliverance of the country from
the disorders wljich distracted Government, by the restoration

of the monarchy in the
bandment of the army,
of Monk, retained his—
service. The alarm attc
1660 — a fanatic preacher,
and his followers, about t
presented a favourable o]
slow to improve, for inaifi

barles II, On the dia-

eful for the good offices

n — regiment in his own

lurrection of Venner, in

iltimately overpowered,

I number, nearly all slain —

ity, which the King was not

upon Parliament granting him

leave to raise money to maintain an additional military force
for his own and the nation's safeguard. The result was the
formation of a chosen body of troops,, chiefly composed of
Jacobite gentlemen who had shared with him the vicissitudes
of exile, and so constituted the First, or Grenadier Guards,
under Colonel Eussell. Two years later, 1662, the resistance
which the imreasonable demands of the King upon the Scot-
tish Presbyterians stirred up, induced the formation in Scot-
land, amongst other troops, of a regiment of Scots Foot Guards
— ^the Scots Fusilier, or Third Eegiment of Guards — the com-
mand being conferred on the Earl of Linlithgow.

Whilst a small body of the Guards were hotly engaged on
the shores of Africa, heroically defending against the Moors
the fortress of Tangier — the profitless dowry of the Queen of
Charles 11. — the main body of the Grenadiers and Coldstreams,

THE GUABDS. 47

or, as they were then called, the First and Second Eegiments
of Guards, were employed at home sustaining the tottering
throne of the monarch. Failing to profit by the lessons which
a recent adversity were so well fitted to teach, Charles, like
the rest of his unhappy race, devoted to his own indulgence,
plunged heedlessly into all the excesses of folly and passion.
Casting aside or neglecting the cares of his kingdom, so far at
least as they interfered with his own gratification, he consigned
to creatures of his pleasure, to the bigotry of fawning Jesuits,
or the blind fanaticism of a cruel brother (the Duke of York)
the interests, the business, and the duties of royalty. Amid
such dissoluteness and misrule, the Guards, whilst fulfilling
their duty, must ofttimes have been forced to witness the
dark intrigues of a licentious court; nay, more, they were
frequently called to obey officers who had obtained com-
missions from their having ministered discreditably to the
passionate appetites of superiors, or as being the fruit of
some unhallowed intercourse. Their duty, too, required they
should guard not merely the Sovereign of a great nation, but
his seraglio — the abandoned crowd who, dishonouring them-
selves, dishonoured their sex, preyed upon the honour of the
nation, with undisguised effrontery daily glittered in finery,
and disgraced the palaces of royalty by their presence. Gladly
might the brave and honourable soldier welcome a respite from
such irksome duties and the influences of such evil examples on
the field of battle; but these were times of comparative peace.
It was not until Charles had sunk into the grave, the victim
of his own indulgence, and his brother, the Duke of York,

48 HISTOEY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

had ascended the throne as James IL^ that the peace was
disturbed — and then but for a moment — by the pretensions
and rebellion of Monmouth, speedily terminated by the battle
of Sedgemoor, in 1685. During the reign of James II,, ivho
departed not from the evil ways of his brother, but added in-
justice and cruelty to the lengthy cai logue of royal iniquities,
only one incident would we notice as belonging to the history
of the Coldstreams, and as empha cally declaring how far
even these stood apart from the sins of the age, James had
committed to the Tower the Archbishop of Canterbury and
other six bishops, who dared respectfully to remonstrate with
the Bong on behalf of their Protestant brethren, injured by
the pretensions of the Roman Catholics, Faithful to their
duty, the Coldstreams nevertheless received these martyrs to
their ancient faith with every token of respect and reverence.
From the heart of many a soldier ascended the prayer, and
from his eye dropped the dewy tear, as he guarded the gloomy
dimgeons of their prison.

At length, when the cup of royal iniquity was full to over-
flowing, when the follies and cruelties of the' race of Stuart
had alienated the afiections of an otherwise loyal people, then
the oppressed, called to arms, with one voice drove the last
and worst representative of that unfortunate family from the
throne. Then, even then, when all else failed him, even his
own children — the Duke of Grafton, Colonel of the Grenadier
Guards, deserting — the Guards, the Coldstreams, remained
faithful, and with their Colonel, Lord Craven (appointed on
the death of Monk, in 1670), at their head, refused to give

THE GUARDS. 49

place to the stranger. Nor did they forsake the unhappy
prince, or for a moment belie their allegiance to him, until
his pusillanimous flight had rendered their services no longer of
advantage to him. Then only did they make their peace with
the new Sovereign — William, Prince of Orange. Eespecting
their constancy to the fallen monarch, and recognising the
Guards to be men of worth, the Prince — now the King —
retained their services, nor hesitated to confide his own person
to their keeping, as the faithful body-guard of a constitutional
throna

Aware that an officer, well versed in military histories, and
to whose kindness we are largely indebted for much valuable
information embraced in this compilation, is now preparing
the annals of the Guards, in separate volumes, we forbear
saying more of the Grenadiers and Coldstreams, esteeming
the history of the Scots Fusilier Guards sufficient for the
purposes of our present undertaking, b& being the one regiment
of the three undoubtedly Scottish.

CH A PTT^^T? y.

Hero.

Sons-

boUl

mm

if old

SCOTS FUSILIER GUAUDS — SCOTTISH CIVIL WARS — BEVOLUTIOK

Whilst the Grenadiers and Coldstreams were unwilliiig wit-
nesses to the projligacy and kwdness of the Court, the Scots
Foot Guards, since, their estabKshment in 1661, were more
especially the witnesses of its cruelties. The inquisition estab-
lished by Royal Commission, and presided over by the then
Duke of York, rioted in the shedding of the blood of "the
faithful," and with merciless cruelty persecuted and tortured
our Covenanting forefathers. In 1679, the Scots Foot Guards
were called to make their first essay in arms in the defence
of Glasgow. Their firm front, as they withstood the army of
the Covenanters, may be said to have stenmied the torrent of
rebellion, and saved the Government and the royal cause from
the ruin which threatened it At the battle of Bothwell
Bridge they were charged with the attack upon the bridge,
which, although desperately defended, they ultimately carried.
This single achievement was victory; the terror, the panic

DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE, COLONEL OF THE SGOT^ ^W^WW.^ UVW5»,

THE GUABDS. 51

it inspired in the still formidable army of the Covenanters,
led to a disorderly flight, even before the royal troops
could be brought across the river and formed in line of
attack.

The Scots Foot Guards continued to be deeply involved in
the strifes of these unhappy times. Towards the close of
their sojourn in Scotland, 200 of the regiment, under Captain
Streighton, associated with a portion of the Scots Greys, were
employed in taking sunmiary and merciless vengeance upon
Macdonald of Keppoch and his unfortunate clan, because of
their recent raid upon the Macintosh. Immediately there-
after, the imminent danger to the Crown, caused by the
threatened irruption of the Prince of Orange, which was so
soon to overthrow the existing dynasty, induced James to
draw together to London the whole reliable forces of the
kingdom. Accordingly the Scots Foot Guards, under their
colonel, Lieutenant-General Douglas, marched with the Scot-
tish army southward. Arriving in London towards the close
of October, the regiment, 1251 strong, was quartered in the
vicinity of Holbom. Advanced with the royal army, the Scots
Foot Guards were stationed at Reading. Here, becoming
tainted with the general disafiection then prevalent, a bat-
talion deserted to the Prince of Orange. The events in the
sequel, bringing about the dissolution of the authority of the
King, and the establishment of the House of Orange under
William and Mary, speedily reunited the battalions of the
regiment under the new authority, and it is hereafter to be
regarded as the Scots Fusilier, or Third Eegiment of Guards.

52 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

The title of Scots Fusilier Guards was conferred on them as
late as the 22d April, 1831.

The ambitious views of Louis XIV. — "Ze Orand Mo-
narque^' — of France were for the moment paralysed, as he
found himself outdone in his calculations by the unexpected
turn of events in England — ^the overthrow of the Stuarts and
the splendid triumphs of the House of Oranga Nettled by
these disappointments, he readily entertained the schemes of
James, not so much that he desired the restoration of that
imbecile monarch — even although, as hitherto, enjoying the
shadow of independent power, he should continue the tool of
the Jesuits of France — but rather that he might find a favour-
able pretext to trouble the House of Orange, whom he had
been long accustomed to regard as his natural and mortal foe.
He aspired, moreover, to unite the Netherlands — the hereditary
dominion of the Stadtholder — to France, perchance to reduce
these sea-girt isles of ours to acknowledge his authority and
become an appanage of his Crown. Whilst James — encouraged
by the fair promises of Louis — ^laboured to fan into flame the
discontents of the English Jacobites, the Scottish Clans, and
the Irish Papists, Louis prepared formidable armaments by
sea and land, with which he speedily assailed the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, aided by the natural reaction which generally
follows the outburst of strong feelings, James succeeded but
too well in bis malignant purpose; in Scotland, by the re-
bellion of the Highland Clans, under Viscount Dundee, and in
Ireland, by the rebellion of Irish Papists, under TyrconnelL
It required all the firmness and ability of William to meet

THE GUARDS. 53

this formidable coalition, which threatened his donunions at
home and abroad; but the King, who conld point to times in
his eventful history when, with far less promise of a successful
issue, he had overthrown more powerful foes — sustained now,
too, by the veteran experience of Schomberg and the rising
genius of Marlborough — ^promptly prepared to uphold his
new-gotten and extensive authority as the Champion of the
Protestant cause, a title which he had long enjoyed, and a
faith which, despite the wrathful persecution of kings, he had
owned and protected

For a time, in Scotland, victory seemed indecisive, but
after the death of Dundee at Killiecrankie, the cause of James,
languishing for a while, was at length abandoned as hopeless
by the Clans, and in 1691 the rebellion terminated by their
submission. In Ireland, the success of James was complete,
with the exception of Londonderry and Enniskillen, which,
being resolutely and gloriously defended as the last bulwarks
of Irish Protestantism, still held out. Even the arrival of
Schomberg, in 1689, at the head of a considerable number of
newly-raised regiments of English and French Huguenots,
aided by a Dutch force, failed to do more than awe the
rebels. In the following year William himself joined the
army, with large supplies, and by his presence revived the
spirit of his troops — now increased to 36,000. A battalion
of the Scots Foot Guards at the same time recruiting the
royal army, led by their colonel. General Douglas, were
present at the battle of the Boyne, where they materially con-
tributed to the overthrow of the Irish rebels. They were

54 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH EEGIKENTS.

also present with the army, under Ginkcl, which ultimately
dispersed the troopa of the malcontents^ driving James from
the throne of Ireland, and so united the island once more
to the British Empire.

While these events were taking place at home, Marl-
borough had been sent in command of a British contingent,
which comprised, with other troops, a battalion of the Scots
Foot Guards and one of the Coldstream Guards^ to act
with the Dutch and German allies^ under Prince Waldeck,
against the French in the Netherlands. It is interesting
to note this, as being the first eflfort in arms of the Scots
Foot Guards upon a foreign shore and against a foreign foe.
In the first action of the campaign, fought at Walcourt, our
Guards were present, but occupied no very important post,
the brunt of the battle having been sustained by the Cold-
streams, under Colonel Talmash, the Sixteenth Kegiment of
Foot and the First Kegiment of Royal Scots, imder Colonel
Hodges. Although forming a part of the Scottish brigade, the
regiment, indeed the army, achieved nothing of importance
imtil 1692, when King William, having effectually secured
peace at home, placed himself at the head of his forces, infusing
by his presence new energy and hfe into the war. Notwith-
standing the enthusiasm which pervaded the troops when
WiUiam assumed the command, they could make no impres-
sion upon the French army, directed by the abilities of the
Due de Luxembourg. On the contrary, the allies were
doomed to suffer severe defeats at Steenkirk in 1692, and
Landen in 1693. In the latter, Corporal Trim, in Sterne's

THE GUARDS. 55

renowned "Tristram Shandy/' is represented to have been
wounded whilst serving with his master, the kindly-hearted
Uncle Toby, in Leven's regiment, now the Twenty-fifth King's
Own Borderers. The after campaigns are unmarked by any
decisive event. The death of Luxembourg, and the incapacity
of his successor — ^Villeroy — enabled the confederates some-
what to retrieve the disasters of the past. Soon the almost
impregnable fortress of Namur — bravely defended by Marshal
Bouffleurs, and as bravely assailed by our troops — was, after
a fearful carnage, lost to France. In 1697, weary of a war
which had been fraught with no decided success on either
side, the peace of Kyswick put an end for the present to a
further waste of blood and treasure.

The Guards, returning to England, enjoyed but for a
short space a respite from active service. France having for
a moment tasted the sweets of victory, having largely re-
cruited her armies, thirsted for more blood, longed for new
worlds to conquer; whilst her ambitious lord, grasping,
through minions of his house, the vacant throne of Spain,
once more roused the allied wrath of Europe. During the
previous reign our country had groaned under a shameful
vassalage to France. The gold of the crafty Louis had
outweighed the feeble sense of honour which yet lived and
lurked amid the corrupt Court of James. But the accession
of William to the throne put an end to these traitorous
traffickings for the independency of the land. The new rule
and healthier administration of the House of Orange dispelled
the night of slavery, revived the drooping spirit of liberty.

56 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

and restored the nation to its true manhood. Even now did
she begin to assume that position of first importance among
the continental powers which she has never ceased honourably
to retain. Her alliance was anxiously courted, and her enmity
dreaded by all. With becoming majesty her ministers may
be said to have presided in the councils of the nations. With
terrible might she threw the weight of her sword into the
scale as an arbiter — ^the defender of the right.

In 1701 and 1702 the British army was being assembled
in the Netherlands, and posted in the vicinity of Breda —
the Guards forming an important part of the force. Mean-
while the Dutch and German auxiliaries were drawing
together their several contingents. Difficulties arose amongst
the confederates as to the officer who should assume the
chief command. Happily, towever, these were at length
overcome. The Earl of Athlone, as the senior, waving his
claim, the command of the allied army was conferred on
Marlborough, who, in the campaigns which were about to
open, should win laurels of a mighty fame. From the great
number of strong fortresses which studded the plains of the
Netherlands and guarded the frontier, the campaigns were,
in consequence, largely made up of perplexing manoevures
and sieges. It is, however, worthy of notice that in each
year the might and energy of the combatants were concen-
trated into one great fight, rather than a succession of minor
engagements. The character of the coimtry, no doubt, helped
to this mode of warfare. Thus we record, in succession, the
great battles of Blenheim, in 1704; Eamilies, in 1706; Oude-

THE GUARDS. 57

narde, in 1708; Malplaquet, in 1709. It is unnecessary to
detail the marchings and counter-marchings of the Guards as
they waited upon the several sieges; sufficient be it to say,
they did "the State some service." At Nimeguen, with
the First Royals, they rendered essential service in repelling
an unexpected attack of an immensely superior French force,
who had hoped to surprise and proudly capture the allied
chiefs in the midst of their deliberations. In 1 703 the strong-
holds of Huy and Limburg capitulated to the allies. During
this campaign the Guards were brigaded with the Fifteenth,
Twenty-third, and Twenty-fourth Regiments under General
Withers. But the succeeding year was destined to witness
a far more magnificent achievement — the sudden and rapid
transference of the British army from the plains of the
Netherlands to the valley of the Danube; a movement which,
affording timely succour, and graced by the triumphs of
Schellenberg and Blenheim, restored the sinking fortunes of
the Imperial arms, and proved the deliverance of Germany.
Associated with the First Royals, the Twenty-third Regiment,
with detachments from other corps, the Guards sustained a
terrible fight and suffered a severe loss in storming the heights
of Schellenberg. Their valour on this occasion was most
conspicuous. The furious and repeated assaults of their gal-
lant foe entailed frequent repulses; still their firmness was
imconquerable; again and again they returned to the attack,
imtil their perseverance was at length crowned with complete
success in the utter rout of the enemy. But this defeat on
the part of the French and Bavarians was only the prelude to

I

58 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

a more terrible tlisaster. The allied army of Germana, Dutch,
Prussians, and British, driving the enemy before them, at
length halted in the neighbourhood of Blenheim^ where the
French and Bavarians, largely recruited and strongly posted,
under Marshals TaUard and Marsi- had resolved to tiy the
issue of battle. In the action wl L Followed, the Guards had
six officers killed and wounded. t the siego and surrender

of Landau, which immediately followed this victory, the
Guards returned with the army to the Netherlands, where,
in the succecdiog campaigns, they were hotly engaged, forcing
the enemy's lines at Helixem, and more especially at the great
pitched contests of Eamilics, Oudenarde, and Malplaquet. In
1712 the peace of Utrecht once more restored them to their
native land.

Meanwhile the Spanish Peninsula was the scene of a con-
ffict, although conducted on a less gigantic scale, embittered
by the personal presence of the rival sovereigns — Philip of
Bourbon and Charles of Austria. France having espoused the
cause of Philip — which was really the cause of the people —
had so vigorously pressed the allies, that notwithstanding
the presence of a British force, they could hardly maintain a
footing in the Peninsula for themselves, or for Charles as
claimant to the throne. The war is remarkable as developing
the military abilities of two most illustrious soldiers who
successively directed the French armies — the Duke of Berwick
and the Due de Vend6me. In 1704 Gibraltar had been
captured by a party of British sailors. A portion of the
Guards garrisoned the fortress, and heroically withstood all

THE GUARDS. 59

the efforts of the Spaniards to recover it. In the following
year the British fleet arrived, and forced Marshal Tess6 to
raise the siege, in consequence of which the Guards were
withdrawn to form a part of the expedition under the Earl
of Peterborough, which landed in Catalonia and captured
Barcelona. Soon, however, this transient success was dissi-
pated by the return of the French and Spanish armies, who
in turn besieged the British. After enduring many privations,
and making a gallant defence, the besieged were relieved in
the eleventh hour by the presence of a British squadron with
reinforcements. But this temporary aid only served, by
elevating the hopes of the garrison, to induce a more serious
disaster, in the utter rout of the allies at the battle of
Almanaza which shortly followed, and virtually gave the
kingdom to the House of Bourbon. Urged by Marlborough,
the British Government were roused to prosecute the war
with greater vigour in Spain than hitherto, as being a diver-
sion of the utmost importance to the allied operations in the
Netherlands, Germany, and Italy. Accordingly, in 1709 two
formidable armies were sent out, one to act in Portugal, under
Lord Galway, and the other in Spain, under Generals Starem-
berg and Stanhope. The latter of these included a battalion
of the Scots Fusilier Guards. Advancing upon Madrid, every-
thing seemed to promise success to their enterprise — the
speedy downfall of the Bourbon dynasty, and the establish-
ment of the House of Austria upon the throne. Their advance
was distinguished by the victory of Saragossa, in which the
British captured thirty standards and colours. The French

60

HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH EBGIMENTS.

General retiring, waited his opportunity, when, with recruited
ranks, and the popular opinion on his side, he returned and
forced the British, under Staremberg and Stanhope, to make a
precipitate retreat, in course of which General Stanhope, at
the head of 6000 troops, including the Scots Fusilier Guards,
was overtaken at Birhuega by a superior force of the enemy.
The British for two days heroically defended themselves, but
were ultimately forced to surrender. General Staremberg,
however, somewhat repaired the disaster by defeating the
enemy in the battle of Villa Viciosa with great slaughter,
and thus secured for his wearied yet gallant troops a safe
retreat.

In 1716 the Scots Fusilier Guards were placed in garrison
in Portsmouth and Plymouth. Notwithstanding the rebellions
in Scotland of 1715 and 1719 the regiment continued to be
peacefully employed in the south. In 1722 the colonelcy was
conferred on General St Clair.

LORD CLtDE, COLONEL OF THE COLDSTREAM CUARDS.

CHAPTER VI.

"Heroes I — ^for instant sacrifice prepared;
Yet filled with ardour and on triumph bent
'Mid direst shocks of mortal accident —
To you who fell, and you whom slaughter spared
To guard the fallen, and consummate the event,
Your country rears this sacred monument."

WAK OF THE AUSTEIAN SUCCESSION — SEVEN YEARS' WAR —
AMEKICAN INDEPENDENCE — FRENCH REVOLUTION — CRIMEA
— ANTICIPATED RUPTURE WITH THE UNITED STATES —
1742-1862.

The family feuds which at this time divided the House of
Austria once more kindled the flames of continental war.
In support of the Austrians, George II. sent a British army
into the Netherlands. Assuming himself the command of
the allies, he prepared to combat, on this ancient battle-
field, the confederacy of France, Prussia, and Bavaria. With
the army, the present Scots Fusilier Guards landed in Holland
in 1742, under the Earl of Dunmore. They were present at
the battle of Dettingen in 1743, where the French were
signally defeated. In the following year Marshal Wade
assumed the command of the allies. Nothing of importance
was imdertaken until 1745, when the Duke of Cumberland
was appointed to the command; — the Guards were at this

62 HISTORY OF TEE SCOTTigH REGIMENTS.

period brigaded with the Forty-second Koyal Highlanders,
(then makiug their first campaign as the Forty-third Eegi-
ment, or "Black Watch/' which latter title has recently
been confirmtid to them.) At the battle of Fonteuoy, fought
for the relief of Toumay, this bri£:ade was charged with the
attack upon the village of Veson. ffere the French, strongly
entrenched, made a gallant defence, but were forced to yield
to the fierce onset of such a chosen body of troops. The ill
success of the Dutch auxiliaries in other parts of the field, and
the last and desperate charge of Marshal Saxe at the head of
the French Guards, with the Irish and Scottish brigades in
the French service, led on by the young Chevalier, speedUy
changed the fortimes of the day, compelled the allies to
retreat, and our brave Guards reluctantly to relinquish the
important post their valour had won.

Meantime, Prince Charles Edward having landed in Scot-
land, set up the standard of rebellion, and summoned the
tumultuous and fierce array of the clans to do battle for his
pretensions to the throne. The war on the Continent having
occasioned the withdrawal of a large body of the regular
army, the rebels succeeded in driving before them the few
troops which had been left at home. Their progress south-
ward into England promised the speedy downfall of the House
of Brunswick, and the restoration of that of Stuart. The
timely return of the major part of the army, including the
Scots Fusilier Guards, from Holland, at this juncture, arrested
the advance of the rebels upon London, and occasioned their
precipitate retreat into Scotland. A strong force of the king's

i

I

THB GUARDS. 63

troops, including a portion of the Guards, advanced in pursuit
of the prince, whilst the remainder, grouped in positions in
and around London, prepared to defend the country from
the threatened descent of the French, The bloody defeat of
Culloden, as it utterly ruined the rebel army, so it terminated
the war, by the dispersion or submission of the clans and the
flight of the prince.

Culloden^s moor! a darker scene
Of civil strife thy sons have seen,
When for an exiled Prince ye bled,
Now mourn alas! your "mighty dead,"

The brave o' bonnie Scotland.

Peace having been restored at home, the Scots FusUier
Guards, with other regiments, returned to Holland in 1747,
where the French, in their absence, had made considerable
progress. The only event of importance which occurred in
the campaign was the battle of Val, in which the immense
superiority of the French compelled the retreat of the British,
under the Duke of Cumberland. In 1748 peace was con-
cluded at Aix-la-Chapelle.

Disputes arising as to the boundary line of the British and
French colonies, and neither party accepting a peaceful solu-
tion, war was declared in 1756. Whilst the reputation of the
British arms was being gloriously sustained on the distant
continent of America and in Lower Germany, the Guards
were engaged in frequent descents upon the French coast. At
St Cas they specially distinguished themselves. The peace of
1763 secured to our colonists the quiet possession of the fruits

i

64 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTlSn REGIMENTS,

of their o^ti industiy against the cupidity of the Freoch,
Scarcely had this result been atttiined when difficulties arose
with the coloniBts themselves, by their refusal to be taxed by
the home government without an equivalent representation.
Our armies were accordingly recr"?d in 1775 to the American
continent, whilst the colonists, preparing for a vigorous de-
fence, allied themselves with their late enemies, the French,
The Scots Fusilier Guards formed a part of the British expedi-
tion, and under Clinton, Howe, and Cornwallis, upheld their
ancient reputation for discipliae and valour in the fresh and
difficult warfare to which, in the desolate wilds of the New
World, they were called. This unfortunate war, fraught with
disastrous results, and waged with great fury and bitter hate
on both sides, was concluded in 1783, and secured the
independence of the colonists, who formed themselves into a
Eepublic, under the designation of the United States.

In 1782 the Duke of Argyll had been promoted to the
colonelcy of the Scots Fusilier Guards.

France, too long enslaved but now suddenly emanci-
pated from the galling tyranny of "the privileged orders,"
writhing under all the miseries of Revolution, had ruined
every vestige of righteous government, and consigned the
nation to the more cruel bondage of a despot mob. At
length these evil influences were incarnated in the demon
rule of the "Reign of Terror.'' Bankrupt in every sense,
to feed the starving crowd who daily clamoured for bread,
proved a task too hard for the wretched creatures who
had been elevated to power through the blood of their

THE GUAEDS. 65

predecessors, and who called themselves the Government,
whilst the whim of the people continued them in favour.
As they were but the Government of a day, so they cared
little for the consequences beyond their own time. To main-
tain their popularity, and if possible avert the fate which
ever threatened them from the blind fury and unbridled
passion of the mob, they gladly entered upon a universal
crusade against the governments and liberties of neighbouring
nations, hoping thereby to direct the merciless wrath of the
people into this new channel, and so save themselves. Soon
the ranks of the armies were recruited by a fierce and
undisciplined multitude. But the very magnitude of these
armaments proved their ruin, and but for the spasmodic
efforts of the Revolutionary tyrants in the national defence,
which achieved marvels, the Revolution must have been
crushed at this early stage. A small British force, including
the Coldstream and Scots Fusilier Guards, was sent over to
the Netherlands, under the Duke of York, who vainly en-
deavoured to stem the torrent of aggression in that direction.
Equally fruitless were the attempts of the British Cabinet to
patch up an alliance amongst the nations, so as effectually to
imite them in defending the liberties of Europe. Although the
victory of Lincelles graced our arms, stiU, alone, our troops
could not hope foi: success against the immense armaments
that continued to emerge from France. The British were
therefore compelled to recede before the advancing tide, and
postpone "the day of reckoning.''

Amongst the many ruthless and reckless, yet bold and able

66 HISTOHY OF THE SCOTTiail REGIMENTS.

men which the Revolution produced, noDC claima such a space
in history, none so suited his times, none was so equal to the
crisis, as Napoleon Bonaparte. His l^rilliant achievements in
Italy under the Consulate had already taken the ]mblic mind
by storm, when in 1801 he invaded Egypt^ crossed the steiile
desert, overthrew the feeble cohorts of the Sultan, and
threatened to add Syria to the empire of the French. At
Acre his legions were for the first time arrested by the firm-
ness of British valour. In ISOl a British army, including
the present Coldstream and Scots Fusilier Guards, was sent to
Egypt, under Sir Ealpb Abercromby, to expel the invader.
Thirsting for some new field of conquest to feed his ambition^
Napoleon had returned to France, leaving General Menou to
make good the defence. The defeats of Mandora and Alex-
andria effectually broke the already sinking spirit of the
French, and resulted in their abandonment of Egypt. In
consideration of their efforts in this service, the Coldstream
and Scots Fusilier Guards have been allowed the distinction
of "the Sphinx,'' with the word "Egypt."

The cloud which for a moment dimmed the lustre of his
arms, as this province was wrested from his sway, was soon
dispelled in the glories that elsewhere crowned his efforts,
especially in Spain, which, by the foulest perfidy, he had
virtually made a portion of his vast empire. Frequent
expeditions had been contemplated — some had sailed, two at
least had landed on the shores of the Peninsula — still nothing
decisive had been accomplished towards aiding the Spanish
and Portuguese in the expulsion of the French. In 1809,

mi Of ^auHUTOH.

THE GUAEDS. 67

however, a powerful British force under Sir Arthur Wellesley,
afterwards "the Great Duke," was sent out, including the
Coldstream and Scots Fusilier Guards. It is unnecessary at
present to follow them throughout the glories of the war, as
we shaU have occasion to do so in after chapters ; enough for
our purpose to mention the battles of Talavera (1809) and
Barrosa (1811), in which they specially distinguished them-
selves.

Having delivered Spain, Sir Arthur Wellesley, now Lord
Wellington, advanced into France, and sorely pressed the
retiring foe. It needed all the ability of Marshal Soult to
hold together the shattered remnant of his broken and dis-
spirited army. With masterly tact and skill he preserved a
seeming order in his retreat, so as to save the army from the
ignominy of a flight. Meanwhile, France having exhausted her
resources^ her people became tired of the yoke of the Emperor,
who, whilst fortune smiled upon his arms, had been to them a
very god, but now that the speU of victory was broken, was
revealed in truer colours as the ambitious yet mighty despot.
Martial glory, as the ruling passion of the nation, had be-
witched the people, and received in ready sacrifice the best
blood of the land. Long, too long, had the power of Napoleon,
like a dark shadow, rested upon one-half of the known world,
whilst the empty vanity of unhappy France was charmed by
delusive visions of victory. The times were sadly changed.
With a njelancholy joy Europe had witnessed the utter ruin
of the splendid and countless host which the fiat of the mighty
chief had pressed into his service. Buried beneath the snows

68 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGTMENXa,

of a Kussiau winter — hurled in confusiou back upon Lis own
land —

" The might of the G^tntile, unamoto by the (sword,
Ilatli melted like anow in tbe glance of the Lord."

This appalling catastrophe, combined with British suc-
cesses in the Peninsula, had revived the spirit of the
nations, allied them in a holy crusade, and marshalled the
might of Europe in array to crash the tyrant. One by one,
they wrested from his sway the kingdoms he had engulfed,
and which groaned beneath a cruel bondage. Step by step,
their hosts converged, as the tide of war rolled, towards
France. All but alone, with his brave and devoted Guard
driven to bay, he made a desperate but imavailing stand on
the plains of France. In vain he addressed the patriotism of
the people; already the fountain had been dried up by his
incessant wars and the unremitting demands he had made
upon the blood and treasure of the land. Surrendering, at
length, the hopeless contest, abdicating the throne, he passed
into honourable exile in Elba.

Ambition, still the tempter, assailing, soon prevailed.
Eluding the vigilance of the British fleet, he succeeded in
escaping into France, accompanied by a few of his old Guard,
who had shared his exile. The mind of the people, which for
more than twenty years had lived amid a wild delirium of
excitement, stUl lingering upon the threshold of the mighty
past, had not yet learned to submit to the more benignant rule
of peace. The army, unwisely disbanded, or despoiled of those
symbols of glory which their valour had so nobly won — tro-

THE GUARDS. 69

phies which, to a soldier, must ever be dear as life itself —
were being consumed by the ennui of idleness, longed for new
employment. Hence the return of Napoleon paralysed resist-
ance as recalling the military glory of the Empire; awakening
new hopes, promising revenge for the past, employment for
the present, and glory for the future, it stirred within the
bosom of the soldier and the lower classes of the people a
reverence and adoration, almost amounting to idolatry.
Eapidly advancing from stage to stage, as on a triumphal
march. Napoleon found himself once more at Paris — hailed
Emperor — ^it is true, doubted by the better classes of the
people, but worshipped by the army. His desperate eflforts
soon enabled him to take the field, at the head of a powerful
and well-appointed army, with which he proposed to meet in
detail, and so destroy, his numerous and returning enemies.
Unfortunately for him, he chose the Netherlands to be the
scene, and Britain and Prussia the objects, of his first, and, as
the result proved, his last attack. For a moment a gleam of
sunshine shone upon his path, as he attained the victory of
Ligny, over the Prussians under Marshal Blucher. Luring
him to destruction, this flash of success was only the precursor
to the dread thunder of Waterloo. Alarmed by the disas-
trous intelligence of the Prussian defeat and the rapid advance
of the French, Wellington, who commanded the British and
other auxiliaries, quickly concentrated his army near the vil-
lage of Waterloo. But ere he could accomplish this. Marshal
Ney, at the head of the second French division, had surprised
and fallen upon, with great fury, the British, as they advanced

70 HI6T0BY OF THE SCOTTTSn REGIMENTS.

upon Quatre Bras, on the same day that Ligny was won.
The action was honourably suatamed by a few British
Eegiments, especially the Twenty-eighth, and the Forty-second,
Seventy-ninth and Ninety-second Highland Eegiments. The
heroic stand made by these gave time for the arrival of other
corps, including the Guards — the Scots Fusilier Guards — who
succeeded, after a desperate struggle, in effectually checking
the progress of the French Marshal, and thus depriving him
of a most favounible opportunity of cutting to pieces in detail
our army. Two days later, on the 18th of June, the Duke
had successfully accomplished the concentration of his forces,
which, drawn up in battle array at Waterloo, waited the arrival
of the Prussians, to begin the fight. But Napoleon, perceiving
his advantage in the absence of such an important succour,
rushed eagerly to battle, put forth every effort to achieve
victory, ere Blucher, impeded by the disorders of recent
defeat, could afford any assistance. The Scots Fusilier Guards,
with the Grenadiers and Coldstreams, were stationed in the
chateau and grounds of Hougomont, where they were soon
fiercely assailed by the French, who repeatedly forcing the
gateway, drove the British into the house. Again and again
the enemy were repulsed, but still anew they returned to the
assault. The combat was resolutely maintained, and it was
not until the close of this eventful day, when the French,
repulsed at every point, and gradually relaxing their efforts,
were ultimately driven from the field, that our Guards found
a release from the incassant toils of the fight. The victory
achieved by the British was now completed by the Prussians,

THE GUAKDS. 71

who continued the pursuit — a pursuit which may be said only
to have ceased at the gates of Paris, when. Napoleon abdicat-
ing, the war was terminated by the restoration of the old
Monarchy.

From Mr Carter's interesting work on "The Medals of
the British Army,'' we, by permission, quote the following
refutation in regard to an alleged sum of £500 having
been accorded to a Waterloo veteran : — " A statement has
frequently appeared in the newspapers, which was repeated
after the decease of General Sir James Macdonell, G.C.B.,
on the 16th of May, 1857, that five hundred pounds had
been bequeathed to the bravest man in the British army,
and that the two executors called upon the late Duke of
Wellington, to give him a cheque for the money. As the
story went, the Duke proposed that it should be given to Sir
James for the defence of Hougomont, and that upon the
money being tendered to him, he at first declined to receive
it, but that ultimately he shared it with Sergeant-Major
Fraser of the 3d Foot Guards, now the Scots Fusilier Guards.

** Having recently seen this statement again in print while
these pages were in preparation, and Sir James Macdonell
having about ten years ago mentioned to me that he had
never received the money, I made further inquiries, from
which I ascertained that Sergeant-Major Ealph Fraser is now
a bedesman in Westminster Abbey. Considering that the
above legacy might possibly have been since received, I called
upon the sergeant-major, who lives at 18 West Street, Pimlico,
and is now in his 79th year, in order to ascertain the fact, and

72 HISTORY OF THE SOOTTTSH REGIMENTS.

found that it had not. This gallant and intelligent veteran is
in the full possession of his facultieSj and, in addition to his
having aided in closing the gate at Hougomontj can look with
becoming pride on his having shaixjd in the follo\v-ing services :
— He was enlisted in the 3d Foot Guartls in 1799, and was
embarked for Egypt in 1801. In the landing at Aboukir
Bay, on the 8th of March of that year, the boat in which
Corporal Fraser was contained sixty persons, officers included;
all except fifteen were destroyed by the resistance of the
enemy. He was present at the battles of the 13th and 21st
March; and in the expedition to Hanover,. 1805; bombard-
ment of Copenhagen, 1807; and jfrom 1809 to 1814 in the
Peninsula, being present at the capture of Oporto, battles of
Talavera, Busaco, Fuentes d'Onor (wounded in the leg and
thigh), sieges of Ciudad Eodrigo, Burgos (again wounded in
the leg), Badajoz, and St Sebastian; battles of Salamanca,
Vittoria, passage of the Nivelle and Nive. He received, in
addition to the Waterloo medal, that for the Peninsular war,
with bars for Egypt, Talavera, Busaco, Fuentes d'Onor, Ciudad
Kodrigo, Salamanca, Vittoria, Nivelle, and Nive. Sergeant-
Major Fraser was discharged in December, 1818/'

This account, doubtless, may be traced to the following
circumstance mentioned by Colonel Siborne in his valuable
History of the Waterloo Campaign : — " Early in August of
that year, and while the Anglo-allied army was at Paris, the
Duke of Wellington received a letter from the Eev. Mr
Norcross, rector of Framlingham, in Sufiblk, expressing his
wish to confer a pension of ten pounds a year, for life, on

THE GUARDS. 73

some Waterloo soldier, to be named by Lis Grace. The Duke
requested Sir John Byng (the late Lord StaflFord) to choose
a man from the second brigade of Guards, which had so
highly distinguished itself in the defence of Hougomont.
Out of numerous instances of good conduct evinced by several
individuals of each battalion, Sergeant James Graham, of the
light company of the Coldstreams, was selected to receive the
proflfered annuity, as notified in brigade orders of the 9th
of August, 1815. This was paid to him during two years,
at the expiration of which period it ceased, in consequence
of the bankruptcy of the benevolent donor."

From the heroic character of the battle, our people have
been prevailed on to credit many incidents, which, savouring
of the romantic, suited their tastes, have been accepted as
truisms, but which facts faU to corroborate. " One very
prevailing idea that Wellington gave out the words, *Up,
Guards, and at them!' is not borne out by fact, for it was
afterwards ascertained from the Duke himself that he did not;
and another, the meeting of his Grace and Marshal Blucher at
La Belle Alliance, after the battle, is equally apocryphal.
This, however, is to be one of the designs of the House of
Lords, and will therefore be handed down to posterity as
a fact/' For nearly forty years the Scots Fusilier Guards had
been retained at home, in or around London.

In 1853, the storm which had been long gathering in the
north — presaging wrath to Liberty and to Man — at length
burst forth, and descending with rapacious might upon the
dominions of the Turkish Sultan, threatened to overwhelm in

K

74

3WflT0EY OF THE SCOTTISH KEGIMENTS,

utter ruin the crumbling remnant of the empire of Constau-
tine. The impatient covetousness of the Czar of Bussia had
put forth the hand of the spoiler, intending to appropriate the
realms of the Sultan, and make Constantinople the southern
gate of his colossal empire. Jup*-!^ alarmed at the already
gigantic power of Russia, wl promised further to enlarge
itself at the expense of the fei r Powers around, France and
Britain took up arms, and threw the weight of their potent
influence into the contest on behalf of the oppressed Turkg,
whose single arm had hitherto proved equal to the struggle.
Accordingly, France, Turkey, and Britain, ultimately aided by
Sardinia, entered the lists of war, to sustain the liberty of
Europe against the despotism of the North, adopting as their
watchword the memorable words of Lord John Eussell, **May
God defend the right/'

The first battalion of the Scots Fusilier Guards, brigaded
with a battalion of the Grenadiers, and another of the
Coldstreams, were embarked for the scene of action, which
ultimately proved to be the Crimea. They sailed from
Portsmouth, in H.M.S. the " Simoom ;" and passing succes-
sively from Malta, GaUipoli, and Varna, arrived at length in
the Crimea. The brigade of Guards, and that of the High-
landers, consisting of the Forty-second, Seventy-ninth, and
Ninety-third, under their favourite chieftain, Sir Colin Camp-
bell, were closely allied in aU the dangers and glories of the
war in the First Infantry division, commanded by his Royal
Highness the Duke of Cambridge. The long peace which
had preceded the outbreak of hostilities, and the cry for

I

THE GUARDS. 75

"greater public economy/' which it had induced from a people
long accustomed to look only at the arithmetic of pounds,
shillings, and pence, in such vital questions, had in conse-
quence brought all that magnificent machinery of war,
possessed by our country, to a standstill. It followed, as
a necessary result, when our Cabinet failed to achieve a
peaceful solution of the matters at issue, as had been fondly
anticipated, and we were unexpectedly called to a declaration
of war, it was found impossible at once to set in motion the
vast machinery of war, which had so long been " laid up in
ordinary,'^ Hence our gallant troops were doomed to pay the
penalty of our ill-judged economy, and endure many and sore
privations — ^privations which were the more keenly felt, inas-
much as they were to be endured, amid the snows of a
Crimean winter, by men, too, whose previous life had been
comparatively one of comfort, in no way calculated to fit
the soldier to encounter the pitiless horrors and fatigues of
war. Disease and want, like armed men, entered the camp,
closely followed by their master, the grim King of Terrors —
Death ; and thus we have been called to lament, with a truly
bitter sorrow, the loss of our brave countrymen, who, alike in
the hospital as in the battle-field, displayed all the grand and
noble qualities of the soldier and the virtues of the true man.
The conduct of the Guards in their first engagement at the
battle of the Alma is described by Marshal St Amaud as alto-
gether " superb.'' Lieutenants Lindsay and Thistlethwayte,
were especially distinguished for their heroic defence of
the colours of the Scots Fusilier Guards. At the battle of

76 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH BEGBIENTS.

Inkennann, the Guards, havipg driven the Russians out of a
battery, named the Sandbag Battery, of which they had early
possessed themselves, sustained with desperate gallantry the
impetuous assaults of the enemy, and^ although forced for
a moment to give way, were soon again enabled to retrieve
themselves, aud maintain possession of the battery, around
which and for which they so bravely contended. Although
stunned by these repeated disasters in the field, yet with that
" dogged obstinacy," which has characterised the BussianSj
conceiving themselves secure behind the battlements of
Sebastopol, they still held out. Strengthened in the idea of
impregnability, from the fact that this vast citadel of Southern
Russia had already withstood six successive bombardments,
defied the combined efforts of the Allies by sea and land, and
yet no sensible impression had been made, or aught of decided
success attained by the besiegers, they hoped that what their
valour could not achieve in the battle-field, the snows of
winter or the stroke of the pestilence would effect — the
destruction of our armies, and their consequent deliverance.
The successive fall of the Mamelon, the Malakoff', and the
Redan, dispelled this illusion, and prudence, rightly esteemed
the better part of valour, induced a timely evacuation ere our
Highland Brigade returned to the assault. Sebastopol no
longer defensible, the enemy sued for peace, which was
granted, and this stronghold of tyranny, dismantled and
abandoned, was assumed to be converted into a haven for
fishermen and traders, rather than the mighty arsenal, whence
had so long issued the formidable fleets which had inspired

MONUMENT TO THE GUARDS. LONDON.

THE GUABDS. 77

terror among weaker and neighbouring states — at least so the
treaty required. Meanwhile our gallant Guards, returning to
England, were welcomed by a grateful country.

It is only now, when the audacious impudence of
•* Brother Jonathan '' had dared to insult our time-honoured

** Which braved a thousand years the battle and the breeze,"

and thought to bully us out of the glorious charter which has
conferred upon us the " dominion of the seas," that our Scots
Fusilier Guards were once more called to prepare for action ;
and, having gone across the Atlantic as the van of our army,
anxiously waited the signal to avenge, if need be, such unpro-
voked insult and aggression. Happily our jfirm demeanour
has effectuaUy quelled the storm, and impressed wiser and
more wholesome measures, whereby peace has hitherto been
continued.

One sentence only shall express our feelings, as we look
back upon the history of our Scots Ftisilier Guards^ which we
have here attempted to sketch — Every man has nobly done
his duty.

THE FIRST ROYAL REGIMENT OF FOOT;

OR,

ROYAL SCOTS.

CHAPTER VIII.

Heroes, in your ancestral line.
Hallow the shades of "Auld Langsyne;"
Men who in their country's story
Shine brightly on the page of glory,

Noo sleep in bonnie Scotland.

ANCIENT HISTORY — 882-1660.

As we approach the history of this venerable regiment we
cannot help feeling all those sentiments of reverence and
respect which are the becoming tribute to an honoured old
age — a history which well nigh embraces, as it awakens,

^^ The stirring memories of a thousand years"

Consistent with the bold and adventurous spirit of the
Scotsman, we find him pushing his fortune in almost every
land under the sun; with a brave and manly heart going
down to the battle of life; blessing, by his industry and enter-
prise, many a clime wherein he has settled, and so climbing

nz-^aa

mi OF SCHOKBEfia COtOMEL OF THE FlElST RQUVS.

ROYAL SCOTS. 79

the loftdest pinnacles of greatness; or, by "diligence in busi-
ness," earning the kingdom of a merchant prince. Of all the
many and varied departments of life in which the Scotsman
has been distinguished, he is most pre-eminent in the honour-
able profession of a soldier. Driven from his beloved country
by the cruel tyrannies which from time to time oppressed her,
or exiled by the hard necessities of a pinching poverty —
wandering in many lands, the Scotsman nevertheless grate-
fully retains the recollection of his fatherland, and, in spirit,
returns with fondness to the endeared associations of home —

^^ The bonnie blithe blink o' his ain fireside.'^

Such is the ruling passion which lives in his souL " Home,
sweet home," exerting a hallowed, chastening influence upon
his daily life, has nerved the soldier's arm, and, by its magic
charm, awakened the energies of the man. As a "guiding
star," it has pointed out the path of honour — like a " minister-
ing angel," its soothing influence has at other times calmed
the troubled sea of life, and, though it be but for a moment,
has given something of peace to the weary, as it is intended
to be a foretaste of the blessedness —

^^ A Bomething here of heaven above.*'

Already volumes have been written on the martial achieve-
ments of the Scottish nation, and we are fully impressed with
the magnitude of our undertaking when, in these brief pages,
we propose to illustrate the heroic tale of our ancient glory.
Nowhere is there a more perfect representative of our exiles

80 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS,

who have been soldiers, amongst " the bravest of the brave,''
in many lands, thau is afforded us in our present sketch of the
First or Royal Scots HegimerU of Foot Many and conflict-
ing have been the accounts given of their early history. Some
have imagineil the present regiment to be the representative
of the Archers of the Scottish Guard, which, in the days of
Bruce, had been associated with Royalty and the defence of
the Scottish throne; others have given their origin to the
Scottish Guard, which had for many years been the Body
Guard of the French Idnga ; but the most complete and
authentic account, derived from many sources, is that given
by Richard Gannon, Esq, of the Adjutant GeneraFs Office,
in the admirable Historical Records of the Royals, wherein
the origin of the raiment is traced to the ingathering
of our exiles, who had hitherto served with great credit as
soldiers, nay as Royal Guards, in the armies of France, Den-
mark, Sweden, and the States of HoUand, to be formed into
one, the present regiment of First Royal Scots Foot. As early
as the year 882 a.d. Charles III, king of France, had selected
from among the exiles a body of Scottish gentlemen, conspi-
cuous for their fidelity and valour, who enjoyed his special
favour, and were incorporated as a Royal Guard. During the
Crusades these followed Louis IX. into Egypt. They were of
infinite value to France, at a time when the disastrous battle of
Agincourt, fought in 1415, had prostrated her power, and all
but reduced her proud and haughty people to be the vassals
and subjects of triumphant England. The Scots Guards were
retained in the service of Charles VII., and a few years later

I

ROYAL SCOTS. 81

were joined by a body of 7000 of their countrymen under the
Earl of Buchan, whose abilities as an officer and valour as a
soldier won for him the thanks of a grateful country, who at
the same time conferred the highest compliment and most
splendid military distinction it was in their power to award,
in creating him Constable of France. The Scottish army
in France was subsequently largely increased by farther
instalments of adventurous exiles from "the fatherland.'^
These helped to break the yoke of England upon the Con-
tinent, and specially distinguished themselves at the battles
of Baug6, 1421, Crevan, 1423, and Vemeuille, 1424: so much
so, that Charles, appreciating their worth, selected from their
ranks, first in 1422, a corps of Scots Gendarmes, and there-
after, in 1440, a corps of Scots Guards. On the fair plains
of Italy, so cruelly desolated by the rude hand of war, and so
long the favourite battle-field of princes, whom the poet fitly
styles

" Ambition's honoured foob" —

was aflforded the scene where, during the wars of Francis I., our
Scottish Guards, by brilliant exploits, earned a great renown.
The story of their fidelity and devotion is written in their
blood, and illustrated in the fatal defeat of Pavia, 1524, where,
in defence of their master, the chivalric Sovereign of France,
whose exclamation of, " We have lost all, save honour," has
become a household word, — they nearly all perished, and
honourably rest in "a soldier's grave." The relics of this
old Scots Guard returning to France, remained the nucleus.

82 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH BEGIICENTa

the root, upon wbicli was formed and ingrafted a new ooxpB
of Scots Guardsmen^ whose character and history have been
aptly described by Sir Walter Scott in ** Quentin Durward;^
whilst in lus '' Legend of Montrose'' we trace the yeamingp
of the mighty soul of the patriot, conjuring into life^ by
the magic of his pen and his rare gifts^ the story of our
exiled brave, represented in the gallant veteran of Gustavns
Adolphus, ''Dugald Dalgetty/' The martial qualities and
gallant bearing of our countrymen had attracted the notioe
of Gustavus Adolphus, the warlike King of Sweden, and in-
duced him to invite to his standard our adventurous soldien^
who, under so renowned a leader, were destined to add new
lustre to our military annals. On no occasion did the Scots
respond more heartily, or muster so strongly in the foreign
service of any country, as in the present instance. The army
of this "Lion of the North" at one time comprised eighteen
British regiments, of whom thirteen were Scottish; moreover,
his principal officers were Scotsmen.

In the marvellous feats of arms which distinguish the
masterly campaigns of GiLstavus, our countrymen had ever a
prominent place. Having humbled the pride of Poland,
and crippled the power of Russia by successive defeats, on the
restoration of peace, Gustavus, declaring himself the champion
of the Protestants, turned his arms against the formidable
coalition of the Roman Catholic princes of Germany, headed
by the Emperor. The campaign of 1620 proved unfortunate,
by the total defeat of the Protestant army at Prague, their
consequent retreat, and ultimate disbandment in Holland —

mnni aoolphus.

i

ROYAL SCOTS. 83

«( O sacred Truth I thy triumph ceased a while,
And Hope, thy aster, ceased with thee to smilc/^

Undaunted by these disasters, Gustavus refused to quit the
field, although, for the present, he changed the theatre of war
into Pomerania. From the wreck of the Protestant anny, he
carefully selected a chosen body of his favourite Scotsmen,
which, in 1625, he constituted a regiment, conferring the com-
mand on Sir John Hepburn. In the war with Poland which
ensued, the Scots enjoyed, as their gallant demeanour in every
instance well merited, the unboimded confidence of the King.
Subsequently, the King of Denmark sent two Scots regiments*
which had been in his service, to aid the Swedish monarch ;
and, in 1628, he further received the very welcome reinforce-
ment of 9000 Scots and English. The following incident,
occurring about this time, serves to illustrate the cordial rela-
tionship subsisting between this renowned prince and our
•adventurous coimtrymen : — " In a partial action between the
advance-guards, a few miles from Thorn, Gustavus's hat was
knocked off in a personal encounter with one of the enemy's
officers named Sirot, who afterwards wore the hat without
knowing to whom it belonged. On the succeeding day, two
prisoners (one a Scots officer named Hume) seeing Sirot
wearing the King, their master's, hat, wept exceedingly, and
with exclamations of sorrow, desired to be informed if the
King was dead, Sirot, being thus made acquainted with the
quality of his antagonist in the preceding day's skirmish,
related the manner in which he became possessed of the hat,
upon which they recovered a little from their anxiety and

84 HISTOET OF THE SCOTTISH KEGIMENTS.

surprise." The success of the Swedish arms at length achieved
a favourable peace, which enabled the King, espousing the
cause of the persecuted Reformers of Germany, once more to
try the issues of war with the Imperialists, and so, if possible,
redeem the disasters of a former campaign. At this period
no fewer than 10,000 ScMs and English exiles were in the
Swedish army, and the King had just concluded a treaty
with the Marquis of Hamilton, who had undertaken to enlist
an additional force of 8000 in these Isles.

Next in seniority to the old Scots regiment of Hepburn ia
that of Monro, who has written an interesting account of the
achievements of our countrymen in these wars. This last
narrowly escaped an untimely end — a watery grave — having
been shipwrecked near the enemy's fortress of Rugenwald, on
their passage to Pomerania. Lurking in concealment among
the brushwood on the shore during the day, Monro's soldiers at
nightfall boldly assaulted the defences of the enemy, and, by,
this unexpected attack, succeeded in capturing the fortress,
where, by great eflforts, they maintained themselves against a
vastly superior foe until the arrival of Hepburn's Scots Regi-
ment relieved them. These two regiments, along with other
two Scots regiments — those of Stargate and LumsdeU — were at
this time brigaded together, and styled the Green Brigade^ so
celebrated in the military history of the period. In 1631, at
the siege of Frankfort, this bold brigade accomplished one of
the most daring feats of arms upon record ; where — charged
with the assault upon this all but impregnable fortress, de-
fended by the best troops of the empire — they undaimtedly

EOYAL SCOTS. 85

entered the breach, and — despite the repeated attacks of
the foe, especially of an Irish regiment, who, amongst the
bravest defenders of the place, twice repulsed the assailants,
and fought with the greatest heroism until nearly all were
either killed or wounded — they, by their valour, eflfected a
lodgment within the walls. Furiously charged by the splen-
did cavalry of the Imperial cuirassiers, our Green Brigade
resolutely maintained the ground they had won. The trophies
of this conquest were immense. The Green Brigade, after
having aided in the reduction of the many strongholds of
Germany, had penetrated with the army into the very heart
of the empire, where they were destined to play a very con-
spicuous part in the memorable and momentous battle of
Leipsic. On this occasion, kept in reserve, the Green Brigade
was only brought into action at the eleventh hour, when the
ignoble and cowardly flight of the Saxons, who had been im-
pressed into the Swedish army, rendered the position of
the army perilously critical Then our brave Scots, sus-
tained on either flank by Swedish horse, advanced, speedily
checked the progress of the enemy, retrieved what the Saxons
had lost, and throwing the enemy into confusion, changed the
fortunes of the day. The Imperialists, no longer able to with-
stand the repeated and impetuous attacks of our Scottish
brigade, and charged by the Swedish horse, who completed
their ruin, broke and fled. Thus their mighty army, lately
80 coiifident of victory, which a momentary success had
promised, was utterly cut to pieces or dispersed. A variety
of sieges and minor engagements followed this great battle, in

86 HISTORY OF THi; SCOTTISH RBGIMENTS.

nearly all of which the Swedes and Scots proved triumphant.
Yet, notwithstanding these series of successes, and the several
and sore defeats of the enemy, the position of Gustavus waa
becoming daily, by every new advance, more critical; away
from his arsenals, whilst the enemy^ within his o^ti territory,
had ample resources at hand with which to repair defeat, and
thus was becoming hourly more fonnidable. At Oxenford,
the heroic monarch had only an army of 10^000 men around
him, whilst the Duke of Lorraine was at hand with a well-
equipped force of full 50,000, Still, such was the terror
inspired by the marvellous deeds and the known resolution of
this little band of veterans, that, although the enemy was
in the midst of many advantages, he durst not venture
an attack, and feared to arrest the Eang in his career of
conquest.

Bavaria had now become the scene of the contest. Soon
that important kingdom was over-run, and — with Munich,
its gorgeous capital — surrendered to the northern army. The
death of Gustavus Adolphus, at the fatal battle of Lutzen,
ruined the hopes of his gallant little army, now sadly reduced
in numbers. The Green Brigade was not present on this
disastrous day. By a process of transfer, not at all uncommon
in those times, the remnant of Swedes and Scots were taken
into the pay of France, and, under the Duke of Saxe- Weimar,
laboured to maintain the cause of the Protestant princes,
which had, for ends of her own, been adopted as the cause of
France. Colonel Hepburn, some time previously, had, by per-
mission of the King of Sweden, returned to Scotland with the

ROYAL SCOTS. 87

Marquis of Hamilton. His parting with his countrymen in
his own regiment is thus quaintly described by Monro : — " The
separation was like the separation which death makes betwixt
friends and the soul of man, being sorry that those who had
lived so long together in amity and friendship, also in mutual
dangers, in weal and in woe, the splendour of our former
mirth was overshadowed with a cloud of grief and sorrows,
which dissolved in mutual tears.''

Returning to France in 1633, Hepburn was appointed colo-
nel to a new regiment of Scotsmen. By a combination of events,
he at length met with his old regiment in the same army, and
the relics of the Old Scots Brigade. These were subsequently
merged into one large regiment, whose history is hereafter one
with that of France, and whose representative is now the First
Royal Scots Regimenl of Foot. By this union, which occurred
in 1635, the raiment so constituted attained the extraordinary
strength of 8316 officers and men. In the following year they
had to lament the loss of their gallant Colonel, who was killed
at the siege of Saverne; he "died extremely regretted in the
army and by the Court of France.'' He was succeeded in
the command by Lieut.-Colonel Sir James Hepburn, who sur-
vived his illustrious relative only one year. Lord James
Douglas, son of William, Marquis of Douglas, was promoted
to the vacant Colonelcy, and thereafter the regiment is known
as " Douglas's Regiment." In the service of Louis XIII. of
France, the regiment had entered upon a new theatre of action
in the Netherlands, destined to combat the Spaniards, who
then were esteemed to form as soldiers the finest infantry in

88 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

the world. Against tJiis redoubtable foe our Scotsman con-
ducted themselves with credit, being present at the siege of St
Omer, the captures of Eenty, Catelet, and at Hesden, under
the eye of the monarch himself* During the minority and
reign of Louis XIV.j knowu as " Louis le Grand/' the regiment
was destined to share » of a splendid series of

triumphs, successive I illustrious chiefs that then

commanded the armies of In 1643, led by Louis la

Bourbon, afterwards 6 1^, a leader possessed of all

the heroic qualities of le good i ier, and at the same time
graced by all the rarer virtues the true man — under him
the regiment served with great inction in the Netherlands
and Italy. Nine years later, when the factions of " the Court"
and " the Parliament '* had stirred up among the people a civil
war, we find the Douglas Regiment, with characteristic
loyalty, on the side of " the Court,'' serving their royal master
under that great adept in the art of war. Marshal Turenne,
whose abilities sustained the sinking State; and although
opposed to that justly celebrated soldier, the Prince of Cond6^
at length, out-manoeuvring the foe, accomplished the salvation
of "the Court,'' and, by an honourable peace, secured their
restoration to power. Meanwhile a somewhat analogous civil
strife in England had wholly overturned the old monarchy of
the Stuarts, and inaugurated a new order of things in the
Commonwealth, imder Oliver Cromwell, the Protector. Charles
IL, and his royal brother, the Duke of York, afterwards James
II., as the surviving heads of their ancient, unfortunate, and
infatuated house, had sought and found an asylum at the

PRINCE DE CONDE.

ROYAL SCOTS. 89

French Court. In those times of war, employment was readily
found in the French armies for their many adherents, who
had been driven into exile with them. They were formed
into several r^ments, who bore an honourable part in the
contest then raging between France and the allied might of
Spain and Austria. In 1656, the fickle Louis, deserting his
old friends, the royalists of England, concluded an alliance
with the more powerful Cromwell — the exiles, in consequence,
changing sides, threw the weight of their arms and influence,
or such as they might still be said to retain, into the scale
with Spain. Many of the British royalist regiments, hitherto
in the service of France, on the command of Charles, ex-
changed with their prince, into the service of their late foe,
now their friend. Louis, who could ill afford such a serious
desertion of troops, which had hitherto proved themselves to
be the flower of his army, had taken the precaution to remove,
into the interior, the older Scots regiments, and amongst
others, that of Douglas, which he had justly learned to value
very highly, lest they might be induced to follow their
royahst brethren.

In 1661, immediately after the Eestoration, Charles IL,
with a view to strengthen his unstable position on the British
Throne, strove to establish an army, and Louis being then
at peace, and, moreover, on good terms with our King, the
r^ment of Douglas was called home to these isles, where it
has since been generally known as the First or the Royal
Regiment of Foot ^ although for a time it was popularly styled
the ''Rcyyal ScotsJ'

M

CHAPTER IX.

.... ** He lifts on high
The dauntleBB brow and efHrit-qwakiiig eye,
Hails in his heart the triumphs yet to come,
And hears thy stormy music in the drum ! **

FRENCH CAMPAIGNS — ^TANGIEE— CIVIL WARS — CONTINENTAL
WARS — 1660-1767.

The regiment, now commanded by Lord George Douglas,
afterwards the Earl of Dumbarton^ returned to France in
1662, where it was largely recruited by the incorporation of
General Rutherford's (Earl of Teviot) regiment of Scots
Guards, and another old Scots regiment, also known as a
"Douglas Regiment," from its colonel, Lord James Douglas.
The muster-roll thus presented a force of more than 2500 men
and oflScers, embraced in twenty-three companies. In 1666,
it was recalled to suppress a threatened rebellion in Ireland;
but soon returning, with other British troops, was engaged in
the wars with Holland and the German Empire. Under the
great Turenne they acquired new glor}'. After his death, in
1675, the foe advanced upon Treves, where the French troops
—dispirited by the loss of their favourite chief, and dis-
couraged by the retreat which had since been forced upon
them, when his great name was no longer present to infuse
courage in the evil hour and inspire a wholesome terror in the

MARSHAL TURENNE.

F

ROYAL SCOTS. 91

ranks of tbe enemy — mutinying, insisted that their com-
mander. Marshal de Crequi, should deliver up the fortress to
the enemy. But the regiment of Douglas, with characteristic
fidelity, sustained the gallant Marshal in his resolution to
exhaust every means of defence before submitting to the dire
necessity of surrender. Although the issues of the siege were
disastrous, despite the desperate valour which defended the
city — which at length capitulated — still our countrymen,
although prisoners liberated on condition that they should
not again serve in the war for three months, preserved
that priceless jewel, their honour, which, out of the fiery trial,
shone forth only the more conspicuously, both to friend and
foe. Their conduct on this occasion received the thanks of the
King. For a little while, about this period, the regiment was
privileged to serve under another of France's great captains —
the Marshal Luxembourg. In 1678 the regiment was finally
recalled from the French service, and shortly thereafter sent
out to reinforce the garrison of Tangier, in Africa, the profit-
less marriage dowry of the Princess Catherina of Portugal,
who had become the Queen of Charles II. This earliest of our
foreign possessions had involved the nation in an expensive
and cruel war, which it was very difficult adequately to sus-
tain in those days, when the transport-service was one of
inaminent cost and danger; and moreover, news travelling
slowly, we could not, as in the present instance, learn the
straitened circumstances of our armies abroad, so as to afford
that prompt assistance which they urgently needed. Assailed
fiercely by the Moors, who evinced great bravery and resolu-

92 UrSTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

tion, the contest proved one of uncommon severity^ requiriBg
every effort of our garrison to maintain even tbeir own. We
extract the following announcement of the arrival of the
Douglas, or, as it was then called, Dumbarton's Regiment, on
this new and distant scene of conflict, from Ross' "Tangier's
Rescue :" — " After this landed the valorous Major Hackett
with the renowned regiment of the Earl of Dumbarton ; all of
them men of approved valour, fame having echoed the sound
of their glorious actions and achievements in France and other
nations; ha\niig left behind them a report of their glorious
victories wherever they came; every place witnessing and
giving large testimony of their renown ; so that the arrival of
this illustrious regiment more and more increased the resolu-
tions and united the courage of the inhabitants, and added
confidence to their valour." Also, as further interesting, we
record, from the same author, the stirring address which the
Lieut.-Governor, Sir Palmes Fairborne, is reported to have
made to Dumbarton's Scots on the eve of battle: — "Country-
men and fellow-soldiers, let not your approved valour and
fame in foreign nations be derogated at this time, neither
degenerate from your ancient and former glory abroad ; and
as you are looked upon here to be brave and experienced
soldiers (constant and successive victories having attended
your conquering swords hitherto), do not come short of the
great hopes we have in you, and the propitious procedures we
expect from you at this time. For the glory of your nation,
if you cannot surpass, you may imitate the bravest, and be
emulous of their praises and renown."

ROYAL SCOTS. 93

The excessive cost of maiiitaining this distant and profit-
less possession at length induced King Charles to abandon it ;
accordingly the troops were withdrawn and the fortress
destroyed. The " Royal Scots'' landed at Gravesend in 1683.
Nothing of importance falls to be narrated during the interval
of peace which followed — the first, and until our day almost
the only, rest which this veteran regiment has been permitted
to enjoy at home. The accession of the Duke of York, as
James IL, to the throne, on the death of his brother Charles,
awakened the well-grounded alarm of the Protestants, stirred
up discontents, which were quickened into rebellion by the
landing of the Marquis of Argyll in the West Highlands, and
of a powerful rival — the Duke of Monmouth — in the South
of England. Favoured by a considerable rising of the people,
and encouraged by the fair promises of many of the old Puritan
nobility and gentry — who undertook to join his standard with
their followers, enamoured more of the cause speciously set
forth upon his banner — ''Fear none hut God'' — than of the
man, Monmouth had advanced at the head of a considerable
force to Bridgewater. His vacillating policy ruined his cause,
as it gave time for the assembling of the King's forces, under
the Earl of Feversham and Lord Churchill, afterwards so
celebrated as the Duke of Marlborough. Amongst these forces
were five companies of the " Royal Scots." At the battle of
Sedgemoor which ensued, the rebels, deeming to surprise the
royal camp in the night, suddenly descended in great
force, but, arrested by a ditch immediately in front of the
position occupied by the companies of our "Royal Scots,''

94 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH RBGIMENTS.

which attempting to cross, they were so hotly received,
although they fought with great fury, that they were driven
back in confusion, and ultimately dispersed or destroyed by
the royal cavalry in the morning. Thus the glory of the fight
belongs chiefly to our coimtryxuen, whose firmn&ss proved the
salvation of the royal army, and, in the end, the destruction
of the rebels and the overthrow of their cause — completed in
the after execution of their leiiders, the Duke of Monmouth in
England, and his fellow-conspirator, the Marquis of Argyll, in
Scotland. So highly did James esteem the services of the
"Royal Scots'^ on this perilous occasion, that^ by special war-
rant, he ordered that the sum of £397 should be distributed
among the wounded of the regiment. Sergeant Weems was
particularly distinguished in the action, and received accor-
dingly a gratuity of " Forty pounds for good service in the
action of Sedgemoor, in firing the great guns against the
rebels/'

When the Revolution of 1688 promised the downfall of
the house of Stuart, whose power had been so long built upon
the suppressed liberty of the people, the exclusion of James
II. — the degenerate representative of an ancient and once
beloved race — from the throne, as the minion of the Papacy and
the dawn of a better state of things, under the more healthy
rule of the Prince of Orange, the champion of Protestantism,
as monarch of these realms, it might have been deemed ex-
cusable had our "Royal Scots," from their antecedents on
behalf of the Protestant cause, sided with the Prince. The
result, however, was far otherwise, and affords us another

ROYAL SCOTS. 95

splendid illustration of the firm fidelity of the soldier in the
sterling devotion of this regiment. The "Eoyal Scots'' had
been James's favourite regiment, and well they merited that
monarch's trust. Whilst other troops exhibited a shameful
defection, the "Royal Scots," with unshaken constancy, adhered
to the desperate fortimes of their infatuated King. Nor when
all else had submitted, save Claverhouse's Dragoons, and
resistance had been rendered fruitless by the pusillanimous
flight of James, did they see it their duty to exchange into
the service of the new Sovereign. The term "mutiny" is
wrongly applied when given to express their conduct on this
trying occasion. By lenient measures the 500 men and
officers who had refused to tender their submission were at
length induced to make their peace with the new king, who,
appreciating their ancient name for valour, could admire their
unshaken fidelity to one who was even forsaken by his own
children; and therefore gladly retained the regiment to grace
our military annals. Their conduct was at the same time most
exemplary in those days of military license and excess ; faith-
fully they remained at the post of duty, when other regiments,
breaking from their ranks, shamefully disgraced themselves by
the riot and disorder they everywhere committed. The Earl
of Dumbarton, following King James into France, the vacant
colonelcy was conferred on one of the oldest, ablest, and most
distinguished officers of the age — ^the veteran Marshal Frede-
rick de Schomberg.

The arrival of the dethroned James at the Court of France,
whilst it awakened mingled feelings of conmiiseration and

96 HISTORY OV THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

contempt iu the mind of the crafty Louia, the bitterness of
disappointed ambition roused a spirit of revenge, and was to
be regarded as the sigaal for war. Accordingly, a power-
ful army waa advanced towards the frontier, ostensibly to
co-operate in the cause of the exiled monarch, but really to
take advantage of the absence of the Stadtboldcr, for the
annexation, by way of compensation for Im increased power
elsewhere, of his continental dominions in Holland. To divide
attention, and direct the efforts of William away from his own
more immetliate designs* the French King, by paltry succours,
helped to bolster up James in his ricketty Irish kingdom. To
meet this combine<l assault, "William, whilst himself was present
with his army in the reduction of Ireland, sent tbn Karl of
Marlborough with a British army, including the "Royals,^* to
co-operate with the Dutch in the defence of their fatherland.
In 1692 he joined the allied army, and himself assumed the
command. In an attempt to surprise the powerful fortress of
Mens, Sir Eobert Douglas, who, on the death of the Duke de
Schomberg at the battle of the Boyne, had been promoted to
the colonelcy of the "Royals," was taken prisoner by the French
cavalry. Released, on payment of the regulated ransom, he
was reserved for a sadder but more glorious fate at the battle
of Steenkirk, where he fell at the head of his regiment, gallantly
fighting for and defending the colours he had rescued from the
foe. General Cannon writes: — "Sir Robert Douglas, seeing the
colour on the other side of the hedge, leaped through a gap,
slew the French officer who bore the colour, and cast it over
the hedge to his own men ; but this act of gallantry cost him

ROYAL SCOTS. 97

his life, a French marksman having shot him dead on the spot
while in the act of repassing the hedge/' The able dispositions
of the French commander, the Marshal de Luxembourg, sus-
tained by the valour of his troops, compelled the retreat of the
Allied army. Still pressed by the French at Neer-Landen,
notwithstanding the most desperate resistance of our Infantry,
especially the Eoyals, and Second, or Queen's Royals, our
army continued to retire. These disasters were somewhat
redeemed by the successes of subsequent campaigns, crowned
in the siege and fall of Namur, a powerful fortress, long
and bravely defended by Marshal Boufflers. The peace of
Ryswick, subscribed in 1697, put an end to the war, and our
army in consequence returned home.

During the war of the Spanish Succession, which com-
menced in 1701, the Royals were destined to play an im-
portant part. They were present under the great Marl-
borough at the several victories of Schellenberg, Blenheim,
Ramilies, Oudenarde, Wynendale, and Malplaquet, which,
distinguishing the war, we have elsewhere already alluded
to. In many of these battles their gallant colonel. Lord
George Hamilton, Earl of Orkney, who had succeeded Sir
Robert Douglas, was present, and led the regiment to the fight.
Their conduct at Wynendale was specially remarkable, where,
in defence of a large and important train of stores, etc., a
British front of 8000 men resisted the combined and repeated
eflForts of 22,000 French to capture the stores and treasure.
The war was terminated by the peace of Utrecht, in 1713.

During the thirty succeeding years the regiment was

N

98 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTIStH REGIMENTS.

employed garrisoning various toivns^ etc., at home, except in
1742, when the second battalion ivas sent to do duty in the
West Indies. In the following year, disputes arising aa to the
Austrian Succession, aud our country inclining to the side of
Maria Theresa^ Queeu of Hungary, whilst France, on the other
hand, had, for political reasons, espoused the cause of its old
ally, the Elector of Bavaria, au appeal was made to arms,
A British force, under our own chivalric King, George IL,
had already appeared in Germany, and achieved the signal
victory of Dcttingen, when the Royals joined the army in
time to share the disasters of Fontenoy. The rebellion of
Prince Charles Edward subsequently occasioned their recall.
Whilst the first battalion remained in camp under Marshal
Wade, in the south of England, prepared to defend our shores
from the threatened invasion and co-operation of France, the
second battalion, stationed at York, proceeded in pursuit of
the rebels, who, after having penetrated to Derby, finding that
the expected aid from England was not realised, returned to
Scotland, where, joined by a body of recruits, they undertook
the siege of Stirling Castle. In this they were interrupted by
the advance of the King's army, towards Falkirk, under Lieut.-
General Hawley. Encountering the enemy in the vicinity, a
sanguinary battle ensued, but devoid of any decisive result,
both parties claiming the victory. Whilst some of the King's
troops were broken by the combined assaults of the elements
and the enemy, the Eoyals stood fast. The dissensions
which had but lately prevailed to distract the cbimsels of the
rebels had been hushed by the preponderating eminence of a

EOYAL SCOTS. 99

coming struggle, and the promise of plunder as the reward of
victory. Now that the excitement of battle had ceased, the
Boyal army retired, and the hopes of booty disappointed, these
evil feelings, more fatal than the sword, burst forth with
renewed virulence, to ruin the interests of the Jacobites,
occasioning the retreat of their broken-hearted Prince, with a
diminished, and disspirited, yet brave and faithful army.
Meanwhile the King's forces, greatly strengthened by the
arrival of fresh troops, a second time advanced upon the
enemy. Led by the Duke of Cumberland, the advance soon
assumed the character of a pursuit. At length the rebels,
overtaken and driven to bay, made a stand in the neighbour-
hood of Inverness, on CuUoden Moor, where, notwithstanding
the fiery valour of the clans, they sustained a total defeat,
and were never afterwards able to rally.

*'*' For & field of the dead rusheB red on my sight;
And the clans of Culloden are scattered in fight.
They rally, they bleed, for their kingdom and crown :
Woe, woe, to the riders that trample them down!

'Tis finished. Their thunders ar^ hushed on the moors!
Culloden is lost, and my country deplores.

Culloden that reeks with the blood of the brave."

Their Prince —

"Like a limb firom his country cast bleeding and torn,"

for long lurked a wandering fugitive amongst our Western
Islands, until, through many dangers, he efiected his escape to

100 HISTORY OP THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

France. The Duke of Cumbcrlaml, visiting with a cruel re*
venge the rebellious clans, naj, in some cases, with tarbarous
heedlessnesB, miugling the innocent with the guilty in a com-
mon ruin, tarnished the lustre of his success^ and left behind
a most unenviable memory in th^e northern provinces.

The Eebellion being thus at an end, several of the regimenta
which had been withdrawn from the Continent for its sup-
pression now returned, whilst the first battaUon of the
Royals was employed in several descents upon the French
coast with various success* At L'Orient the attempt proved
fruitless; but at Quiberon, sustained by the Forty-second
Eoyal Highlanders, the destruction of the enemy's arsenal,
stores, and shipping, was attained. Subsequently the battalion
joined the British army in the Netherlands, and, in 1747,
was greatly distinguished in the heroic defence of Fort Sand-
berg. The attack on the part of the French, was made late
in the evening, with more than their wonted impetuosity.
The Dutch garrison, unable to withstand the shock, was sig-
nally routed, and the conquest seemed complete, when the pro-
gress of the enemy was unexpectedly arrested by the Eoyals,
who, with unflinching obstinacy, maintained the conflict, which
proved of the most sanguinary and desperate character. The
horrors of the fight were deepened by the sable pall of night.
"The morning light had already dawned upon this scene
of conflict and carnage, — between three and four hundred
officers and men of the Royals were hors de combat; yet the
survivors, — though standing amidst the dying and the dead,
and being unable to take one step without treading on a killed

ROYAL SCOTS.

101

or wounded man, — ^maintained their groimd with resolution,
and continued to pour their fatal volleys upon their opponents,
who had sustained an equal or greater loss, until five o'clock,
when the Eoyals were relieved by the Highlanders; and the
French, dismayed by the sanguinary tenacity of the defence,
retreated." Ultimately the fort, rendered untenable, was
abandoned. In 1749, the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle put an
end to the war, when the battalion returning home, was
stationed in Ireland.

CHAPTER X.

^* For pleas of right let etat^men vex tiieir bea^l^
BnttJe^a my biifflnesB^ and niy ^urxloti brctvl;
And witii the aworJed S wilder I oaji say,
^ Tbe beet of c&us^ b the best of lukfJ "

AMEBICAN WAHS — WEST INDIES — FEENCH REVOLUTION —

1756-1804.

The ancient rivalries subsisting between Britain and France,
and which had begotten so many fierce and sanguinary wars
upon the European continent, were now about to be displayed
with even a more exceeding bitterness among the colonists of
the two nations in the New World of America. Disputes arising
as to the boundary line of what they severally claimed as their
territory, the might of France assumed to decide the right
To maintain and defend British interests, an army, comprising
the second battalion of the Koyals, and the two newly-raised
regiments of Fraser's and Montgomery's Highlanders, was
sent across the Atlantic in 1757. The first attack of this
expedition was made upon the French island of Cape Breton,
which, with its capital, Louisburg, was speedily reduced. In
the following year the Royals were engaged upon the American
continent in a series of actions around the shores of Lake
Champlain, which resulted in the capture of the strong forts

ROYAL SCOTS. 103

of Ticonderago, Crown Point, and ultimately the Isle aux
Noix. Several of the Indian tribes taking advantage of our
apparent embarrassments at this period, instigated by, and in
some cases allied with, the French, threw oflf the British yoke,
strove to recover their fatherland, or were encouraged, by hope
of plunder, to assail our colonial settlements. Against the
most powerful of these foes — the Cherokees — a few companies
of the Royals, with Montgomery's Highlanders and other
corps, were detached from the army, and proceeded to
South Carolina. After repeated incursions into the country
of the Cherokees, in which the foe was rarely seen, or
when the Indian army of sable warriors did appear, our
troops achieved an easy and ofttimes a bloodless victory. StiU
was our advance characterised by cruel and uncaUed-for
severities, and marked by the melancholy spectacle of burning
villages, in which lay "the little all" of these poor creatures.
Unable to withstand our onset, with ruined homesteads, and
threatened with all the miseries of want, their necessities im-
pelled the Cherokees to sue for peace, which was readily
granted.

The conquest of French Canada having been completed in
the surrender of Montreal, several detachments of the Eoyals
were employed in various expeditions against the French West
Indian Islands, especially Dominica and Martinique, in which
our efforts were successful. But the crowning achievement of
these expeditions was the capture of the Havannah from the
Spaniards, with immense spoil, on the 30th July, 1 762. Mean-
while two companies of the Royals, which had remained on the

104 HTSTOKY OF THE SCOTTISH REGmENTS* ^^

American continent^ contributed by their gallantry to repulse
a new attempt of the French to recover their lost footing in
these provinces.

In 1763 the second battalion returning home, the regi-
ment was afterwards employed garrisoning our Mediterranean
possessions, Minorca and Gibralt . During the American
Rebellion a secret treaty having been discovered between the
rebels and Holland, France and Spain, promising aid to, aud
otherwise abetting the colonists in theit rebellion, the Eoyals,
with other troops, in 1781, were sent out to assail the West
Indian possessions of these several States. Having possessed
themselves of the island of St Christopher, they were here
attacked by a powerful French expeditionary force which had
landed from the fleet for the recovery of the island. Stationed
on Brimstone Hill with scarce 500 men, without the adequate
matSriel to make good the defence, these brave men neverthe-
less resisted for nearly a month the repeated assaults of 8000
French, aided by a powerful artillery, which played continuaDy
and effectually upon the crumbling defences and the worn-out
defenders. It was not until every means of resistance had
been destroyed, and every hope of relief exhausted, that our
gallant Eoyals were compelled to surrender.

In 1 782, both battalions were at home, and the Duke of
Argyll having been removed to the Colonelcy of the Third,
or Scots Foot Guards, the Colonelcy of the First Royal Regi-
ment, or Royal Scots, was conferred upon Lord Adam Gordon.

Britain, ever recognised as the guardian of true liberty,
had viewed, with mingled feelings of horror, pity, and alarm.

9?

\ ':•

NAPOLEON.

ROYAL SCOTS. 105

the crimes which alike stained and inaugurated the French
Eevolution. Our Government, unhappily, mistaking the real
nature and critical importance of the contest, granted a
feeble and tardy aid to the few remaining friends of order,
chiefly represented in the Royalists, who still struggled for
existence in France. Had these succours been commensurate
with the ability of the nation, and afforded promptly and
liberally, France might have been saved from many of those
dire calamities which, like the judgments of Heaven, gathering
in her political horizon, were so soon to visit her in the fury of
the tempest, to cast a blight upon her people and a curse upon
her fair plains. Europe, moreover, might have escaped the
military tyranny of Napoleon, with all its accompanying evils.
Toulon, the principal station for the French Navy on the shores
of the Mediterranean, possessed of large arsenals and extensive
dockyards, and strongly fortified — its citizens had hitherto re-
garded with aversion the excesses of blood and rapine in which
the Revolutionists had indulged, and fully sensible of the evils
which must arise from the rule of the democracy, resolved to
declare for the restoration of the old monarchy. In the im-
pending contest in which they were soon involved by their
resistance to the iron will of the Committee of Public Sal-
vation, who then assumed to rule France, they invoked,
and not altogether in vain, the aid of the constitutional
Governments around. Accordingly, a mixed force of British,
Spaniards, and Italians, was thrown into the city for its
defence. The second battalion of the Royals formed part
of the British contingent on this occasion. Lieutenant-

106 HISTORY OF TEE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

General O^Hara commanding, with 12,000 men, for awhile
succeeded in making good the defence, and had well nigh
baffled the utmost efforts of the LeaiegerB, who, under General
Dugommier, had assembled an army of nearly 40,000 Eevolu-
tionists. But the appearance of a young oflScer in the ranks
of the enemy speedily chttnged the aspect of affairs. As chief
of the artillery, by a series of bold and judicious movenientSj
effecting the reduction of the city, he early displayed that
aptness for military combination which revealed the genius of
Napoleon Bonaparte. Dugommier, writing to the Convention,
said — "Reward and promote that young man, for, if you
are ungrateful towards him, he will raise himself alone/*
The following incident, narrated by Sir Archibald Alison,
Bart., in his interesting account of the siege, introduces us
to another of those great military chiefs who were so soon
to glitter in the firmament of the Empire: "Napoleon asked
him what he could do for him. * Everything/ replied the
young private, blushing with emotion, and touching his left
shoulder with his hand — *you can turn this worsted into
an epaulet.' A few days after, Napoleon sent for the same
soldier to order him to reconnoitre in the enemy's trenches,
and recommended that he should disguise himself, for fear of
his being discovered. * Never,' replied he. * Do you take me
for a spy? I will go in my uniform, though I should never
return.' And, in effect, he set out instantly, dressed as he
was, and had the good fortune to come back unhurt.
Napoleon immediately recommended him for promotion, and
never lost sight of his courageous secretary. He was Junot,

ROYAL SCOTS. 107

afterwards Marshal of France, and Duke of Abrantes." Not-
withstanding the utmost bravery on the part of the defen-
ders, and of the Eoyals in particular, the fortress had become
no longer tenable from the alarming successes of the enemy.
Accordingly, on the night of the 19th December, 1794, the
army, with as many of the citizens as could be crowded into
the fleet, were embarked, all that might be useful to the foe
was destroyed or committed to the flames, and the city aban-
doned. The scene which ensued is one of the most touchingly
interesting and afflicting in the dark story of the Revolution,
especially when considered in the light of the cruel fate which
awaited the unfortunates who could not find room in the fleet,
and who, left behind, must meet the merciless wrath of the
Parisian demagogues. Alison thus pictures the sad episode : —
" No words can do justice to the horrors of the scene which
ensued, when the last columns of the allied troops commenced
their embarkation. Cries, screams, and lamentations arose in
every quarter; the frantic clamour, heard even across the
harbour, announced to the soldiers in the Republican camp
that the last hope of the Royalists was giving way. The sad
remnant of those who had favoured the royal cause, and who
had neglected to go off in the first embarkation, came flying
to the beach, and invoked, with tears and prayers, the aid of
their British friends. Mothers, clasping their babes to their
bosoms, helpless children, and decrepid old men, might be seen
stretching their hands towards the harbour, shuddering at
every sound behind them, and even rushing into the waves to
escape the less merciful death which awaited them from their

108 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH HEQIMENTS,

countryTnen. Some had the generosity to throw themselves
into the sea^ to save, by their self-sacrifice^ the liveB of their
parents, in danger of being swamped in the boats. Vast
numbers perished from falling into the sea, or by the swamp-
ing of boats, into ^vhich multitudes crowded, loaded with their
most valuable eflects, or bearing their parents or children
on their shoulders. Such as could seize upon boats* rushed
into them with frantic vehemence, pushed from the beach
without oars, and directed their unsteady and dangerous
course towards their former protectors. The scene resembled
those mournful catastrophes recorded by the historians of
antiquity, when the inhabitants of whole cities in Asia Minor
or Greece fled to the sea at the approach of their enemies, and
steered away by the light of theur burning habitations. Sir
Sidney Smith, with a degree of humanity worthy of his high
character, suspended his retreat till not a single individual
who claimed his assistance remained on the strand, though the
total number borne away amounted to fourteen thousand eight
hundred and seventy-seven."

The Royals were shortly after engaged in a successful
descent upon the island of Corsica. Associated with the Fifty-
first Foot, under the command of our gallant countryman, the
future hero of Corunna, Lieutenant-Colonel Moore, they were
largely instrumental in the reduction of the island, which soon
after acknowledged the British sway. The fortified town of
Calvi, refusing to submit, was besieged, captured, and garri-
soned by the Royals, where they remained until removed to
the island of Elba, in 1796 — Corsica being abandoned. In

ROYAL SCOTS. 109

1797 the corps was stationed at Cascaes, in Portugal, and in
the following year returned to England.

Meanwhile the disorders which prevailed in France had
induced a spirit of rebellion amongst the coloured population
of her most valuable colony — the island of St Domingo —
which, bursting forth in 1 793, resulted in the establishment
of the Black Empire of Hayti. The French colonists having
no faith in, or doubting the ability to help of their home
Grovemment, had solicited the protection of Britain. Accord-
ingly a British force, including the first battalion of the
Boyals from Jamaica (where for the past three years it had
been stationed), was sent to their assistance. The expedition
proved one of extreme difficulty and exceeding danger, and is
replete with interesting incidents. On every occasion the
good conduct of the Royals was most conspicuous, especially
so in the defence of Fort Bizzeton, where Lieutenant Clunes,
with 120 men, repulsed 2000 of the enemy. Major-General
Sir Adam Williamson, in his despatch, stated — "Captain Grant
and his two Lieutenants, Clunes, of the Royals, and Hamilton,
of the Twenty-second Regiment, merit every attention that
can be shown them. They were all three severely wounded
early in the attack, but tied up their wounds, and continued
to defend their posts. It has been a very gallant defence, and
does them great honour." But the sword was not the only or
the worst enemy our brave countrymen had to encounter in
this sultry and unhealthy clime. A malignant fever, invading
the quarters of our men, slew in two months about 640.
The remains of the battalion returned home in 1797.

110 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTI^^H REGlMEJJfTS,

Scarcely had oiir gallant Royak recruited their ranks,
whcD the sound of war called them to win new glories on the
field. In 1799 the second battalion^ brigaded with the
Ninety-second Gordon Highlanders, formed part of the British
army, which, under that famous chieftain. Sir Ralph Aber*
cromby, landed in the Netherlands, and strove to erpel the
French. The triumph of " Egmont-op-Zee " illustrated " the
gallantry of these brave troops," which "cannot have been
surpassed by any former instance of British valour," The
Dutch, for whom these efforts had been made, unheeding to
hefreey were at length abandoned to their own infatuation,
in which they soon experienced those bitter fruits which
sprang from the military despotism of Napoleon to curse the
land. On the withdrawal of the army, the second battalion
was successfully employed in several descents upon the coast
of Portugal. In brigade with their old comrades of the
Ninety-second, and two battalions of the Fifty-fourth Foot,
they were included in the British army which, landing at
Aboukir, from one victory to another, vanquished the boasted
" Invincibles" of Napoleon's grand "Army of the East," and
were at length hailed as the deliverers of Egypt — having
driven out the French. Whilst these desirable ends were being
accomplished upon the African continent, the first battalion
of the Royals, having embarked for the West Indies, was
reaping a harvest of glory in the reduction of the enemy's
possessions in that quarter of the world. The most illustrious
of these conquests was that of " St Lucia," which, inscribed
upon the colours of the regiment, remains to perpetuate the
record of these brave deeds.

CHAPTER XI.

" His signal deeds and proweas high
Demand no pompous eulogy, —

Ye saw his deeds!
Why should their praise in verse be sung?
The name, that dwells on every tongue.

No minstrel needs."

FRENCH REVOLUTION — CANADA — THE CRIMEA — INDIA —
CHINA — 1804-1862.

The gigantic proportions which the war in 1804 had
assumed, the imminence of the danger which threatened our-
selves from the overgrown power of Napoleon, and his still
unsatisfied ambition, had thoroughly roused our Govern-
ment more completely to arm our people, and occasioned
the raising of many new corps. Aware of the favour in
which our Royal Regiment was held by the people, from the
ancient renown it had acquired, the Government, taking
advantage of this good name, speedily raised and attached
thereto a third and fourth battalion. Returning from the
West Indies, where, for a short time, it had been engaged
in capturing the French and Dutch possessions, the second
battalion embarked for the East Indies, where, for upwards of
five-and-twenty years — returning home in 1831 — it remained
actively on duty. Meanwhile, the third battalion, sharing
the glories, was doomed to endure the disasters of the Spanish

112 HISTORY OP THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS-

campaigns of 1808-9, under that gallant leader, Sir John
Moore — ^glories Tivhich had their consummation in the victory
of Corunna. On this occasion the Royals were brigaded with
our countrymen of the Tweuty-sixth Cameronians. The
army, returning to England, wab suurtly luereafter employed
in a new attempt to expel the French from the Nether-
lands. In this unfortunate effort, known as the Walcheren
Expedition, our third battalion had a part. But the day of
better things was now about to dawn, when these repeated
disasters should be redeemed, and the eclipse of the world's
liberty be dissipated, through the triumphs which, rewarding
the heroic endurance and persevering valour of our soldiers,
should crown our arms. Trained by adversity, our troops
had learned how to conquer. Under Sir Arthur Wellesley,
the third battalion was, with the British army, which, from
"Busaco" to the "Nive," trod the path of uninterrupted
victory, baffling successively the splendid efforts with which
the genius of Massena, Marmont, Jourdan, and Soult, strove
to preserve for their master the provinces of the Peninsula.
Every attempt to arrest the onward march of British valour
signally failed, entailing upon the foe a series of fatal defeats,
until at length the Peninsula, delivered from the yoke of the
tyrant, our army, in triumph, entered the French territory.
At the siege of St Sebastian our Eoyals very specially dis-
tinguished themselves, and although suffering a loss of more
than 500 men in the several assaults, nothing could quench
the dauntless spirit which twice stirred them to enter the
deadly breach; but the second time with most splendid

ROYAL SCOTS. 113

succeas, when, overcoming every obstacle, this famous and
gallantly defended fortress was captured.

"At a Scots corporation dinner, held in London on the
4th of May, 1811, on the health of the Duke of Kent,
the father of our beloved Queen, then Colonel of the Royal
Regiment, being drunk, his Royal Highness rose to return
thanks, and, in the course of his speech, said: — *My
royal brother has been pleased to praise the regiment in
which I have been employed, and have had the honour to
command, and I too can bear testimony to the spirit and
gallantry of the Scottish soldiers. From the earliest days,
when I commenced my military life, it was always my
utmost aim to arrive at the command of a Scots regiment,
and to bring that regiment into action would have been the
greatest glory I could have attained, as I am well convinced
the oflficers and men would have justified my most sanguine
expectations; their courage, perseverance, and activity, being
undoubtedly such as may always be relied on ; and they are
always able and willing to do their duty, if not more than
their duty.' His Royal Highness took great interest in the
welfare of the regiment; and he this year presented, by the
hands of lieutenant-Colonel M'Leod, a gold medal to Serjeant
Manns of the regiment for the very meritorious manner in
which he had educated upwards of 800 soldiers and soldiers'
chndren." His Royal Highness was the first to establish
regimental schools, — a rich blessing, which wiU be ever asso-
ciated with his memory, conferring as they have done such
priceless benefits upon the army.

fl

114 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS*

When all Europe had combined in a sacred cnisade against
the despotic nile of Napoleon, the fourth battalion of the
Royals was selected to form part of a British force which should
act with the Swedo-German army advancing from Pomerania^
under Bernadotte, upon France. Thus, at the interval of
nearly 300 years, did our Boyal Scots revisit the scenes of
their early glory ; and, under the same Swedish banner, led
on by the successor of Gustavus Adolphus, once more do
battle for the cause of truth. No doubt, their souls roused
within them, their arms must have been nerved, by the
"stirring memories** of "auld langsyne.'* The march of
this battalion through Germany, when called to join the
army of Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Graham, afterwards
Lord Lynedoch, in the Netherlands, about to attempt the
reduction of the strong fortress of Bergen -op -Zoom, is
marked by the extreme severity of the weather, which
entailed sufferings of the most fatal kind upon our brave
soldiers — upwards of 120 men being lost in the snow. To
the survivors a darker and a sadder fate was near, whilst
these trials served to school them to meet it with the heroic
fortitude of the soldier. In the subsequent attack upon
Bergen-op-Zoom the several companies of the battalion had
struggled with determined yet unavailing valour to dislodge
the French. Our troops could not prevail, as they could not
destroy the strong natural defences of the place. They
suflFered a most serious loss from an unseen foe, who visited
their temerity with a fatal fire from their powerful and
numerous batteries. At length, overwhelmed and encompassed

ROYAL SCOTS. 115

by foemen, and entangled amongst destructive batteries which
Yomited forth death upon our devoted Royals, they were
compelled to surrender, having previously sunk the colours
of the regiment in the river Zoom. Peace being accomplished
by the abdication of Napoleon, the sword of war was for a
moment sheathed. Alas I that it should have been but for
a moment. Soon the dream of a fancied security was
disturbed, as the captive of Elba once more appearing,
the Emperor, idolised by the great army, forged thunder-
bolts of vengeance with which he threatened to annihilate
his many foes. Happily, his ambitious career was speedily
terminated, and Europe thereby saved the repetition of the
bloody tragedy of protracted war, so lately and so fondly
believed to be closed. The sudden irruption of the French
army into the Netherlands was met by the bravery of the
British and Prussians, and its progress for ever arrested
by the total defeat of Waterloo. In this campaign the
third battalion of the Boyals was honoured to hold a
conspicuous part; especially at Quatre Bras, where it was
the first to check the advance of Marshal Ney, and sustain
with great credit the brunt of his impetuous and repeated
attacks. The following splendid testimony has been recorded
to its valour: — "The third battalion of the Royal Scots
distinguished itself in a particular manner. Being removed
from the centre of the Fifth Division, it charged and routed
a column of the enemy. It was then formed in a square to
receive the cavalry, and though repeated attacks were made,
not the slightest impression was produced. Wherever the

116 HISTORY OP THE SCOTTISH EEGIMENTS*

lancers and cuirassiers present^ themselves, they found a
stern and undismayed front, which they vainly endeayoured
to penetrate/'

It was not alone upon the continent of Europe that the
dire effects of Napoleon's sway were felt and regretted, but
wherever the foot of civilisation had left its impress. Nor
was it only the pulse of true liberty that beat quickly and
faintly beneath the evil rule of his tyrant spirit, but com-
merce, by iniquitous decrees, lay groaning in chains, or eked
out but a sorry existence. The intention of these ill-advised
decrees was the destruction of the maritime and conmiercial
might of Britain. Our Government spught to retaliate upon
France the evils their imperial monarch had striven to in-
flict upon us, by barbarous enactments of a kindred char-
acter. Thus, between the two, the avenues of trade were
all but hedged up — the channels of commercial intercourse
dried up. America had hitherto grown rich upon the pover-
ties which war had entailed upon the continental nations;
and hence, when her merchants found their trade at an end,
or, at all events, amounting to a thing of peril, her Govern-
ment resented such decrees as a personal attack. Eetaining
an old grudge arising out of the nature of recent events, and,
moreover, regarding Britain as the chief offender, having
within herself alone the power to set at defiance the attempts
of Napoleon, without adding a new evil to cure the old
iniquity, America declared war against us, and her armies
forthwith proceeded to take possession of Canada. To arrest
the progress of the enemy in this quarter, the first bat-

ROYAL SCOTS. 117

talion of the Royals was ordered from the West Indies to
Canada. Although the forces engaged on either side were
trifling in numbers when compared with the vast armaments
which were then contending in Europe, still the contest was
no less sanguinary and bitter, and equally developed the
sterling qualities of our Royal Scots. Arrived in Canada in
1813, the battalion was present with credit at the successful
attacks upon Sackett's Harbour, Sodius, Niagara, Black Rock,
and Bufialo; but it was not until 1814, that the preponder-
ance of numbers on the side of the Americans rendering the
contest more unequal, and when victory did not always smile
on our arms — it was then we gather more striking evidence of
the gallant demeanour of the Royals. At Longwood a
superior force of Americans prevailed, and the battalion was
reluctantly withdrawn, having sufiered severely, principally in
officers. At Chippewa 6000 Americans assailed a force of
1500 British, including 500 of the Royals. Although repulsed
in the action which ensued, the General Order reports : " It
was impossible for men to have done more, or to have
sustained with greater courage the heavy and destructive fire
with which the enemy, from his great superiority in numbers,
was enabled to oppose them." The Royals only yielded when
upwards of 300 of their number had been disabled — sufficient
proof of the fierceness of the conflict, and the desperate valour
which sustained it. But a more deadly encounter — though
happily a more successful one — took place at Lundy's Lane,
where 5000 Americans were opposed to 2800 British, including
at first only three, latterly ten, companies of the Royals. We

118

fflSTORY OF TflE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS*

cannot do better than quote the description of the battle from
Mr Cannon's invaluable Records : "About nine in the evening
there was an intermission of firing; but the Americans renewed
the attack soon afterwards with firesh troops^ and a fierce
conflict of musketry and artillery fbllowed in the dark. The
Americans charged up the hill; the British gunners wero
bayoneted while in the act of loading, and the guns were in
the possession of the enemy for a few moments; but the
troops in the centre, where the three companieB of the Bojral
Scots were fighting, soon drove back the Americans, and
retook the guns. The storm of battle still raged along the
heights; the muzzles of the British and American artillery
were within a few yards of each other, and the fight was kept
up with a sanguinary obstinacy seldom witnessed. In limber-
ing up the gims, at one period an American six-pounder was
put by mistake on a British limber, and a British six-pounder
on an American limber. At one moment the Americans had
the advantage; at the next the shout of victory rose from the
British ranks; and about midnight the enemy retreated." The
troops were thanked for their distinguished bravery in general
orders on the following day; and "the admirable steadiness of
the Royal Scots, under Lieut.-Colonel Gordon, at several very
critical points and movements," claimed Lieut.-General Drum-
mond's particular notice. On this occasion the Royal Scots
had to mourn the loss of many brave oflScers and gallant men,
nearly 160 being killed, wounded, or prisoners. The siege
and capture of Fort Erie is distinguished not merely for the
gallantry of our Royals, but possesses, moreover, a melancholy

EOYAL SCOTS. ' 119

interest, from the lamentable catastrophe — the explosion of a
mine — ^which destroyed many of our brave soldiers, who,
struggling on, had effected a footing in the breach.

It is interesting to note, about this period, the several
battalions of this ancient regiment, fighting our battles in so
many different corners of the world at the same time, and
each contributing to the national glory and their own marvel-
lous fame. In 1814 the positions of the battalions were as
follows: —

First Battalion, Canada.

Second Battalion, India.

Third Battalion, Spain and France.

Fourth Battalion, Germany and Holland.

The war was brought to a termination in 1815, after the
memorable battle of Waterloo, wherein the third battalion of
the Boyal Scots immortalised itself, when, peace being con-
cluded, the Boyals returned home, and the third and fourth
battalions were disbanded.

Passing over a long interval of comparative peace which
succeeded, like the calm, the storm that but lately raged, we
have only time in our present sketch to note that the Royals
formed part of the British army in the Crimea. The Crimean
campaign gained for them the several distinctions of the
"Ahna,'' " Inkermann,'' and "Sevastopol.''

On the alarm occasioned by the recent Indian Mutiny, in
1857, the first battalion of the Royals was sent out to re-
inforce our army, destined to suppress the Sepoy Revolt.
Afterwards the second battalion formed part of the Chinese

i

120

HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENT8-

ExpeditioB, which^ chastising the perfidy of the boasted
" Celestials," reduced the " Taku forts," and occupied Pekin.

We close our narrative of the First Royal Eegiment, or
Royal Scots, with these lineB from an old military ditty, the
favourite apostrophe of that distinguished vetenon and re-
presentative of our old Scots brigade in the Swedish service-
Sir Dugald Dalgetty, the illustrious hero represented by Sir
Walter Scott in his *' Legend of Montrose/' ITius he sang
when waiting in the guard-room of Inveraiy Castle : —

" When the cannoBB are roaring, lade, atid the coloura are flying,
The lafla that seek honour must never fear dying :
Then stout cavjiliera let u» toil our brave trade in.
And fight for the Groe^ ftod the bold King of Sweden/^

1862. TWENTY-FIRST. OR ROYAL NORTH BRITISH FUSILIERS. 1678.

THE TWENTT-FIEST FOOT,

OR,

EOYAL NOETH BRITISH FUSILIERS.

CHAPTER XII.

" The warrior boy to the field hath gone,
And left hia home behind him;
His father's sword he hath girded on —
In the ranks of death you'll find him."

ORIGIN — ^EABLYSERVICES— CIVIL WARS — WARS OF THE SPANISH
SUCCESSION — ^WARS OF THE AUSTRIAN SUCCESSION — 1678-1748.

Success is too commonly esteemed, by a short-sighted public,
to be the criterion of excellence. It remains, however, to
each of us, an exercise of faith and duty to confute this
poptdar fallacy, inasmuch as it has wronged, foully wronged,
many a brave heart who, battling with several and powerful
foes, straggling manfdlly, yet desperately, for the very life,
has as yet failed to rise beyond the surface; and hence the
man bowed down by adversity, as yet unrewarded by a better
success — ^r^arded as nothing beyond the common — this deceit-
ful, false world cannot recognise the heroic soul in the martjrr

Q

122 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REG1MENT8.

to circumstances. Thufi it is that the gallant regiment* Tvhose
history we are now about to narrate, is in clanger of being
done injustice to, since its history is not always garnished
with splendid success, nor its path to honour stre^Ti with
the glittering distinctions of victory, nor its heroism illustrated
by a long series of triumphs, which gild many a page of our
national history.

This regiment claims an origin co-eval with that of the
Scots Greys and Scots Foot Guards. It was regimented and
commanded by Charles, Earl of Mar, at a time when the
rampant bigotry of the King — oppressing the consciences of
the people, had exiled many of the bravest and best, or driven
them to desperate measures — induced them to draw together
for defence of their liberty and lives. Such was the state of
things in Scotland in 1678 when our Fusiliers were raised to
hunt down our covenanting forefathers, who, for conscience
sake, branded as heretics, endured the cruel ban of the Church
of Eome ; who, " not ashamed to own their Lord,'' freely re-
signed life and property for His sake. The history of the
regiment is one with that of the Scots Greys and Scots Foot
Guards, already in our previous chapters alluded to, where it
may almost be traced page by page ; it is therefore needless
for us to repeat the incidents which marked their early
history. They were present at the battle of Bothwell Bridge,
where the Covenanters were signally defeated, and were after-
wards engaged in repressing the Eebellion of Argyll in 1685.
At length the day of retribution arrived, when the voice of
the people declared the sovereignty of the House of Stuart to

BOYAL NORTH BRITISH FUSILIERS. 123

be an intolerant burden no longer to be submitted to, — ^by a
general rising decreed its overthrow, and by an almost uni-
versal welcome hailed the advent of a better state of things
under the healthier government of the House of Orange.
Amid these changes our Fusiliers remained faithful to James
II. Having marched into England with a strength of 744
men, under Colonel Buchan, they were stationed in the Tower
Hamlets. The flight of the King rendering all resistance to
the advancing forces of William futile and needless, the
raiment submitted to the victorious party of William and
Mary. Removed to Oxfordshire, the command was conferred on
Colonel OTarrelL Colonel Buchan, adhering to the fallen for-
tunes of James, followed him into exile. His name has acquired
a melancholy interest as the chief who, a few years later, after
the death of Dundee at Killiecrankie, headed the rebel forces
in a vain attempt to restore the dominion of the Stuarts.
Subsequently, in 1689, the regiment embarked at Gravesend
for Flanders, where, under Marlborough, it formed part of
the British division which, with the Dutch, strove to check
the aggressions of the French. In the early part of the
campaign they were associated with their countrymen of the
Third, or Scots Foot Guards, and the First, or Eoyal Scots
fiegiment, besides other British troops. These shared the
glory of the victory of Walcourt, where an attack of the
French under D'Hulnieres was repulsed. In 1690 the ill
success of the allied general. Prince Waldeck, yielded to the
enemy many and important advantages, especially in the
disastrous battle of Fleurus. In the following year the Scots

124 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH BEGIMENTS.

brigade was further augmented by the addition of the regi-
ments of Mackay and Bamsay, known to fame as the Old
Scots Brigade in the Dutch service, or as the Ninety-Fourth
in later times in the British service. To these were added
the Earl of Angus's regiment of Cameronians, now the
Twenty-sixth, and subsequently the Earl of Leven's regiment of
King's Own Borderers, the present Twenty-fifth. The arrival
of King William, who in person assumed the command, as it
set at rest the national jealousies which hitherto prevailed
among the troops, and hushed the petty contests for pre-
cedence on the part of their leaders, infused at the same
time now life and vigour into the movements of the Allies.
In a vain attempt to surprise the fortress of Mons, Colonel Sir
Rol)ort Doughis of the Royals, and Colonel OTarrell of our
Fusilioi-3, wei'e taken prisoners by the French, but released on
puyuiont of the eustoniaiy ransom. Both were destined for
very ditlbn^nt fotes. The former, as narrated in a previous
chaptor, fell, g;Ulantly fighting at the head of his regiment, at
tho battle of Steonkirk: the latter, surviving that bloody day,
was ivsorvci;! to be the unlucky commimder who surrendered
tlio fortivss of Doiiiso, garrisoned by his regiment, to the
enemy without striking a blow in its defence. This denial of
the courage of our Fusiliers under his command, who, with
able hands and ready hearts, might have successfully chal-
longeil the attempts of a numerous foe — whilst they were
delivered over to be prisoners of war — justly received the
severe censure of the King: and, trietl by court martial,
Brigai^lier-General O'Farrell was cashiered, and his command

BOYAL KOBTH BRITISH FUSILIERS. 125

conferred on Colonel Kobert Mackay. Meanwhile, three
years previously, the battle of Steenkirk had been fought,
and the superior numbers of the French, directed by the
ability of the Duke de Luxembourg, had triumphed, not-
withstanding the desperate valour of the British. Our
Fusiliers, with the Royals, formed part of the advanced
guard of our army, and fiercely assailed the French, who,
strongly posted behind a series of thick hedges, poured
in a deadly fire into our ranks. Successively they were
driven from their strong position, but only to take a new
position, equally defensible, behind a second hedge. A third
and a fourth position was assumed and bravely defended, yet
nothing could withstand the onset of our troops. Every
obstacle was overcome, and victory was within our grasp,
when disasters in other parts of the field compelled the aban-
donment of all these hard-earned advantages. D^Auvergne
says: "Our vanguard behaved in this engagement to such
wonder and admiration, that though they received the charge
of several battalions of the enemy, one after the other, yet
they made them retreat almost to their very camp ;" and the
London Gazette records: "The bravery of our men was
extraordinary, and admired by all; ten battalions of ours
having engaged above thirty of the French at one time." At
the battle of Landen in 1693, brigaded with the Twenty-fifth,
the Twenty-sixth, and the regiments of the Old Scots Brigade,
separated from the army by the prevailing eflforts of the
French, they most heroically maintained themselves, until
overwhelming numbers compelled them to retire. With

1

126 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REOLMENTS*

difficulty they effected their retreat, without disorder, by
fording the river Gheet, and so succeeded in rejoiniug the
main army. The ignominious surrender of Deinse, and the
consequent dismissal of Colonel OTarreUj occurring in 1G95,
have been alreaily alluded to. Nothing of importance falls to
be recorded in the history of our Fusihera during the
remainder of the war, which was terminated in 1697 by the
peace of Ej^swick, Returning to Scotland, the rest they
enjoyed was but of short duration. Once again the rude
blast of war lashed into fury the ambition of princes* Would
that princes acted out the words of the ballad writer —

" Oh, were I Queen of France, or still better, Pope of Rome,
I would have no fighting men abroad, or weeping maids at home.
All the world should be at peace, or if kings would show their might,
I'd have those that make the quarrels be the only ones to fight."

Unhappily, it is not so, and perhaps, however beautiful the
idea, it is better it should be otherwise. In 1702 the war of
the Spanish Succession broke out, which was destined to
witness the splendid successes of a renowned soldier — the
Duke of Marlborough. Brigaded with the second battalion
of the Royals, the Tenth, the Sixteenth, and the Twenty-sixth
regiments, our Fusiliers were present at the siege of Huy, and,
detached from the army, took part in the enterprise which
resulted in the capture of Limburg. But these events, how-
ever glorious, sink into insignificance when compared with
the marvellous achievements which shed a flood of glory upon
our national history, as recorded in tlie memorable year of
1704. Then the plains of Germany for the first time owned

ROYAL NORTH BRITISH FUSILIERS. 127

the tread not of a mere band of island adventurers, as in the
ancient days of our veteran Eoyals, but now these plains
resounded with the martial tramp of a British army. In the
attack upon the heights of Sehellenberg our Fusiliers bore an
honourable part, but that was but the prelude to the grander
victory of Blenheim, wherein the confederate might of France
and Bavaria succumbed before the allied arms of Britain and
Germany. But this signal triumph was not accomplished
save by the most desperate braveiy. "Brigadier-General
Bow, (Colonel of the Boyal North British Fusiliers,) who
charged on foot at the head of his own regiment with
unparalleled intrepidity, assaulted the village of Blenheim,
advancing to the very muzzles of the enemy's muskets, and
some of the officers exchanged thrusts of swords through the
palisades; but the avenues of the village were found strongly
fortified, and defended by a force of superior numbers.
Brigadier-General Eow led the North British Fusiliers up to
the palisades before he gave the word *Fire,' and the next
moment he fell mortally wounded ; Lieutenant-Colonel Dalyel
and Major Campbell, being on the spot, stepped forward to
raise their colonel, and were both instantly pierced by musket-
balls; the soldiers, exasperated at seeing the three field-officers
of the regiment fall, made a gallant efibrt to force their way
into the village, but this was found impossible, and the regiment
was ordered to retire. The moment the soldiers faced about,
thirteen squadrons of French cavalry galloped forward to charge
them, and one of the colours of the regiment was captured by
the enemy; but the French horsemen were repulsed by the

128

HISTORY OF TH£ SCOTTISH REGIATENTS.

fire of a brigade of Hessians, and the colour was recovered."
A second assault failed likewise^ so resolute was the defence
of the enemy, but a third attempt, with additional forces* was
crowned with success; the French being driven out of the
village with great loss* There is no more treasured illustra-
tion of the worth of our B Idiera than is recorded in
this famous battle, and no more tistinguished honour than
belongs to the regiments who have won a title, by their
presence and brave deeds on the occasion, to share its glory
or bear upon their colours the proud and envied word
"Blenheim." But this mode of commemorating battles was
not adopted until a later period, — Minben, borne by the
Twenty -fifth King's Own Borderers^ and other corps, —
being the earliest instance of a battle thus emblazoned.**^
Throughout the remaining years of the war, graced by
the victories of Ramilies, Oudenarde, and Malplaquet, and
the capture of many of the strong fortresses of the Nether-
lands, our Fusiliers maintained their character for bravery
and steadiness, proving themselves in every way worthy
the honours their valour had hitherto won. During this
period they were successively commanded by Viscount Mor-
davmt, Brigadier-General De Lalo — a distinguished French
Protestant officer, who fell whilst gallantly leading his regi-
ment at the battle of Malplaquet — Major-General Meredith,
and the Earl of Orrery. Peace at length terminated the
struggle, and our heroes returned home in 1714. Shortly
afterwards a rebellion broke out in Scotland, imder the

♦ Vide "CurioflitiesofWar,** page 225.

BOTAL NORTH BRITISH FUSILIERS. 129

Earl of Mar, son of the Earl of Mar who first commanded
our Fusiliers. Supported largely by the clans, presenting a
formidable array, he advanced into the Lowlands, pro-
claiming the Pretender — the son of James II. — to be the
rightful sovereign. His vacillating policy — notwithstanding
the uncertain issues of the battle of Sheriffmuir, where the
royal troops, including our Fusiliers, led by the Duke of
Argyll encountered the rebels — ruined the cause he had
assumed to maintain; so that when the Pretender joined
his partizans, he found them reduced to such desperate straits,
that whilst prudence counselled, cowardice sought the earliest
opportunity to effect an escape, leaving his friends to suffer
alone the vengeance of the Government. The clans dispersing
or submitting, the rebellion died out in 1716.

In 1743 the war of the Austrian Succession once more
stirred up the wrathful passions of man, and plunged the
European continent into all the horrors of war. The comba-
tants were much the same as on previous occasions — ^France
and Bavaria pitted against Austria and Britain. The Scots
Grejrs, the Third or Scots Foot Guards, (first battalion,) the
First or Royal Scots, (first battalion,) the Twenty-first or
Royal North British Fusiliers, the Twenty-fifth or King's Own
Borderers, and the Forty-second or Royal Highlanders, formed
the Scottish regiments embraced in the British army. Under
the eye of their chivalric monarch, George II., who in person
commanded, our Fusiliers were greatly distinguished by their
good conduct, especially at the victory of Dettingen. Sub-
sequently, under Marshal Wade, the regiment was with the

130 HISTORY OF TTTR SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

army which penetrated into France in 1744, In the following
year, under the Duke of Cumberland, present at the disastrous
battle of Fontenoy, the regiment lost 285 officers and men.
The valour of our troops, and the successes they had achieved,
were negatived, and the battle lost, by the failure of the Dutch
in other parts of the field So severe had been the losses of
our Fusiliers on this occasion, that, for the sake of being
recruited, the regiment was removed jfrom the army to garrison
Ostend, where, assailed by a very superior French force, it
was compelled to surrender. At this crisis in our country's
history, the King of France, aiding and abetting the Jaco-
bites, succeeded but too well in inciting the clans to rebellion
under Prince Charles Edward. These troubles at home
occasioned the recall of the major part of the British army,
and amongst others, our Fusiliers, who, advancing from
Edinburgh, were engaged in the pursuit and ultimate over-
throw of the rebels at Culloden. Thereafter returning to the
continent, the regiment was engaged at the unavailing battle
of Val in 1747, which led to the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle.

I

CHAPTER XIII.

** Ye BODS of the strong, when that dawning shall break,
Need the harp of the aged remind you to wake?
That dawn nerer beamed on your forefathers^ eye,
But it roused each high chieftain to yanquish or die/*

AMERICA — FRENCH REVOLUTION — WEST INDIES — NEW ORLEANS
— CRIMEA — 1748-1862.

Restless like the ocean, anew the spirit of ambition, the thirst
for conquest, awakened the flames of war between these ancient
rivals — ^France and Britain. In those days, when standing
armies were dreaded by a people ever jealous of the prerogative
of the Crown, with whom, moreover, there still lingered the
bitter experience of the past, or the lively, yet painful, recol-
lection of the tyranny of the Stuarts — in those days our army
was limited. Hence, when war broke out, we find the whole
force of the kingdom called into action, or embarked on foreign
service, leaving to militia and volunteers the defence of " our
hearths and homes" — just as it should ever be. In such
circumstances, in 1761 our Fusiliers were engaged in a
desperate descent upon the French island of Belleisle, situated
in the Bay of Biscay. The natural and artificial defences of
the island had almost defeated the object of the expedition;
and when, after much searching and toil, a landing had been

132 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH liEOIMENTS.

effected, the dangers to be encountered required the utmost
steadiness and perseverance to be overcome. The French
made a resolute defence, and only surrendered when their
position had become no longer tenable, and no promise of
relief seemed at hand. Afterwards stationed in England, the
regiment in 1765 was sent out for the occupation of West
Florida in America, whence, in 1770, it was removed to
Quebec. It had been commanded by the Earl of Panmure,
who, in 1738 succeeded the Duke of Argyle in the colonelcy,
and in 1770 he was in turn succeeded by Major-General
the Hon. Alexander Mackay. In 1772 our Fusiliers returned
to England; soon, however, to be recalled to the American
States, to take an active part in the unnatural war which
had arisen out of vexing disputes on the all-important ques-
tion of taxation between the Home and Colonial Govern-
ments. Accordingly, in 1776 the regiment was sent out for
the relief of Quebec, then besieged by the Americans. The
timely arrival of such welcome reinforcements, strengthening
and encouraging the garrison, produced an opposite feeling of
weakness and dejection in the ranks of the besiegers, so as to
induce the American General to raise the siege and retire. In
his retreat he was pursued and harassed by the British troops.
In the following year, the Twenty-first, as we shall hence-
forth call them, was employed reducing the American forts,
especially Ticonderago, which studded the shores of Lake
Champlain. Ultimately the regiment formed part of an
unfortunate expedition under Lieut.-General Burgoyne, who,
encouraged by previous successes, was tempted to advance

BOTAL NORTH BRITISH FUSILIERS. 133

into the enemy's territory, away from his own resources, where
— notwithstanding the repeated defeats, especially at Still-
water, with which our troops visited the temerity of the foe,
and the heroism with which they conquered all obstacles and
endured many sufferings from the pinchings of want, reduced
to about 3500 fighting men, and surrounded by an American
army of fiilly 16,000 — the Twenty-first, with the relics of the
other regiments included in the expedition, were under the
painful necessity of laying down their arms, and surrendering
themselves prisoners of war. This untoward event terminated
for the present the active service of the Twenty-first. The
battalion, on being released, returned to Britain, where it
remained on home duty until 1789, when, embarking for
America, it was employed for nearly four years in that
country.

The French Revolution having, by a flood of evil influences,
submerged well nigh every vestige of living righteousness,
war, with all its horrors, had been accepted as the dire alter-
native which, with its fiery deluge, should purge the political
world of the cankering iniquities which hitherto fattened
upon the miseries a tyrant democracy had inflicted upon
civilisation. Unable to cope with the vast armaments which
the revolutionary energy of France had brought into being
and sent forth to convert Christendom to its own dogmas of
"Equality, Fraternity, and Liberty," and whilst these overran
the Netherlands and other adjacent countries, our Government
directed the efibrts of its arms against the French West
Indian Islands, the natives and lower classes of which,

134 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH EEGIMEXTS,

becomiDg infected by the republican fever, had assumed to
be free, and in token thereof adopted the tri-colour cockade,
whilst the Eoyalists, who, as proprietors and capitalists,
had everything to lose, invoked the £dendly aid of Britain.
Accordingly, the Twenty-first, proceeding from Canada to the
West Indies with the army under Major-General Bruce, took
part in the first attempt upon the island of Martinique in
1793, which failed. A second attempt in 1794, under General
Sir Charles Grey, was more successful, the Republicans being
overthrown. This desirable result was speedily followed by
the reduction of the islands of St Lucia and Guadaloupe, in
the capture of both of which the Twenty-first was honourably
distinguished. Our possession of Guadaloupe was not long to
be enjoyed. A powerful French fleet from Europe, with a
considerable body of troops on board, arrived and succeeded
but too well in resuscitating the republican interests, and at
length prevailing, the few British defenders, numbering only
125, were forced to surrender to overwhelming odds. In the
fall of Fort Matilda, which terminated our dominion in the
island, the Twenty-first met with another heavy disaster,
which, with the ravages of the yellow fever, had so reduced
the efiective strength of the regiment, that in 1796 it was
sent home to recruit, where it soon attained a strength of 800
men, by volunteers from the Scots Fencible Eegiments.

Whilst stationed at Enniskillen, the good conduct of the
regiment won for our Fusiliers the esteem of the inhabitants,
whose good-will could not fail to be appreciated as a record
of no small importance, considering the excellent regiments.

BOTAL NOETH BEITISH FUSILIERS. 135

which, bearing the name of "Inniskilling," have ever done
honour by their gallantry to British valour. These good
impressions were deepened, and the deserved esteem of our
Fusiliers greatly increased, by the firm attitude maintained
by the regiment during the Dublin riots of 23d July, 1803.
On this trying occasion, stationed in the Irish metropolis, the
determined front of the Twenty-first, under Major Robert-
son, (Lieut-Colonel Brown having been murdered by the
rioters whilst proceeding to join his regiment,) succeeded
in overawing and reducing to obedience the refractory mob
whose discontents had assumed the dangerous character of
a fierce insurrection, and whose malignity towards Govern-
ment had avenged itself in the barbarous murder of the Lord
Chief Justice, Viscount Kilwarden. The good conduct of the
raiment was rewarded with the public thanks, whilst Lieu-
tenant Douglas and the Adjutant (Brady), as specially dis-
tinguished for activity and judgment, were each presented
with a valuable gift of plate.

The vastly increasing power and menacing attitude
assumed by Napoleon had roused the latent energies of the
nation, and in the exigencies of the times, induced one of
those most splendid eflforts of true patriotism of which only
a free nation like our own is capable of producing. The
people as one man rose to arms, and practically illustrated
the fervid eloquence of the immortal Pitt, when, with a
soul pregnant with devotion to his country, he exclaimed
— **Were an enemy on our shores, I never would lay
down my arms. Never! never! never!'' whilst the muse

136 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS,

of Campbell summoued the cliarma of language to aid the
sacred cause: —

^* Rise, fellow-men I Oar oonntry yet remains!
By that dread name we wave the sword on high.
And swear for h^ to live, with her to die!"

Amongst the many means adopted to secure an effectual
national defence, the increase of our army was deservedly the
chief. From the youth of the counties of Renfrew and Ayr a
second battalion was raised for our Fusiliers in December
1804; but it was not until 1806 caUed to an active part in
the terrible contest which then shook Europe to its base. The
defence of Sicily for the legitimate sovereignty of Naples, to
which the Twenty-first was called, although a duty but of
minor importance when compared with the mighty events
which were being enacted on the vaster theatre of Europe,
still the result, redundant with glory, served to give hope to
liberty when the threatened night of tyranny had elsewhere
descended to cloud the nationalities of Christendom; whilst
our British soldiers, if aught dare aspire to the title, proved
themselves to be the real ''invincibles'' — when all else had
been borne down by the legions of France, they alone remained
unconquered. Under Major-General Alexander Mackenzie
Eraser, the first battalion was engaged in the expedition to
Eg3rpt against the Turks; who, in an evil hour, when French
power seemed omnipotent, and French influences in conse-
quence triumphed, had been pressed into the service of the
Emperor, against their better judgment and truer interests.

BOTAL NORTH BRITISH FUSILIERS. 137

A single campaign successfully terminated the war, when our
first battalion returned to Sicily.

In 1809, with the expedition under Sir John Stuart, the
Twenty-first attacked and captured from Murat, vicegerent
of Napoleon, styled King of Naples, the islands Ischia and
Procida, containing immense material of war. An attack
upon the castle of Scylla in Calabria failed, and an attempt to
defend the town of Valmi resulted in serious loss to our
gallant Fusiliers — ^no fewer than 80 officers and men falling
into the hands of the enemy. Imbued, like his great master,
with an insatiate appetite for conquest, and a restless ambition,
Murat vehemently longed for an opportunity to expel the
British from Sicily, and so unite that valuable island to his
new kingdom. Having concentrated a powerful army, and
prepared an immense flotilla of gunboats and transports on
the shores of Calabria, he, on a dark night in September, 1810,
attempted a descent. As the morning dawned it revealed the
enemy to the British, and so interrupted their further trans-
port and landing. Those who had come over in the night
were so fiercely assailed by the Twenty- first and other
regiments, that, with the sea behind and a powerful enemy
around, without the prospect of relief or any chance of escape,
the French surrendered. The ill success of this well-concerted
expedition, induced Murat to abandon for the present the
idea of extending his territory beyond the mainland. But
our troops were not always thus successful In 1812 the
grenadiers of the Twenty-first sustained a severe disaster as
part of the British expedition which failed in an attempted

d

138 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

descent upon the Spanisli coast at Alicante, In the expiring
agonies of " the empire of Napoleon/' our FuailierSj although
not seriously exposed to the stem shock of battle, yet helped
materially, by their presence in Italy, and their advanoe from
Leghorn to Genoa, to drive out the relics of the French "army
of Italy/' and so restore freedom to the oppressed who peopled
those lovely plains. At Genoa the raiment encountered the
enemy and prevailed.

Meanwhile our Government, concentrating the whole
energies of the nation, and labouring to hold together the
discordant materials which composed the Grand Alliance,
strove, by one gigantic, persevering effort, to crush out the
usurped dominion of France — ^the empire — ^to dethrone the
tyTant, and liberate Europe. Accordingly, a British force
had been sent to the Netherlands, including the second
battalion of the Twenty-first. It took part in the unfortu-
nate attack upon Bergen-op-Zoom, where, miscalculating the
strength and resolution of the enemy, who was strongly posted
in a vast citadel of powerful works, the battalion suffered
severely; encompassed by a numerous foe, many were taken
prisoners. The abdication of Napoleon having conferred
peace upon Europe, the second battalion returned with the
army to Britain, whilst the first battalion was embarked for
service in the West Indies.

The innate pride of the Yankee being hurt by our sove-
reignty of the seas, determined to dispute our generally acknow-
ledged title thereto. America in consequence became involved
in war with us. To chasten them for repeated insults which

KOYAL NORTH BRITISH FUSILIERS. 139

they sought to heap upon our flag, a British expedition,
including the first battalion of the Twenty-first, with the
Twenty-ninth and Sixty-second regiments, landed in the Bay
of Chesapeake. Advancing up the river Patuxent to Upper
Marlborough, our army destroyed a numerous fleet of gun-
boats which had molested our commercial interests in these
waters. Within sixteen miles of Washington, the troops,
encouraged by the promise of so rich a prize, ventured still
further to advance. Encountering and defeating the American
army at Bladensburg, they entered Washington in triumph.
The Twenty-first, as the van of the British, was the first
to set foot in this haughty metropolis of the New World.
By the hard decrees of war, not only the arsenals, but much of
that which claimed, as public edifices, etc., to beautify and
ornament this splendid city, were given over to destruction;
and having thus avenged the indignities of the past, our army
retired to the fleet at St Benedict. An expedition was after-
wards undertaken against Baltimore; but, although success
crowned our arms whenever or wherever the enemy encoun-
tered our soldiers on any thing like equal terms, especially in
the action which ensued at Godly Wood, still was it impossible
for such a handful of brave men, amidst increasing difficulties
and numerous enemies, to do more; and hence, when our
troops had drawn near to Baltimore, they found that opulent
and populous city so strongly defended by an American army of
15,000, and deprived, moreover, by circumstances of the assist-
ance of the fleet, it was considered impossible to prosecute
the attack with any prospect of success. Retiring, therefore,

I

140 HISTORY 0¥ THE SCOTTTgH REGIMENTS,

our army embarketlj well satisfied with the results their valour
had already achieved. This battalion of the Fusiliers was
stationed at Jamaica for a time, until a new expedition was
set on foot. The prize in view was the reduction of the great
maritime city of New Orleans, situated below the level of the
Mississippi which flows by to the sea. The Americans, learn-
ing wisdom from the past, and appreciating the value and
importance of this city, had laboured to strengthen its means
of defence, by the construction of vast and formidable
entrenchments which shielded it effectually from assault on
the land side. To make good these defences, a powerful army
of 12,000 men was thrown into the city, commanded by an
able officer — General Jackson. The Britishers who dared to
assail such a powerfully defended city did not exceed 6000
men, comprising the Fourth, the Seventh, the first battalion
of the Twenty-first, the Forty-third, the Forty-fourth, the
Eighty-fifth, the Ninety-third Highlanders, and the Ninety-
fifth or Eifle Brigade, with a body of seamen from the fleet.
Notwithstanding the disparity in numbers, all might have gone
well in the assault, but for the culpable negligence of those in
charge, who had forgotten to bring up the scaling-ladders, and
ere they could be brought up, our men, improtected from the
deadly discharge of the enemy's numerous artillery, helpless
to defend themselves, were mowed down like grass; and yet
their front, though sadly contracted by the loss of upwards of
2000 men, remained firm as ever. Sir Edward Pakenham,
the British commander, and his generals •f division, Gibbs
and Keane, had fallen. Major-General Gibbs died of his

BOTAL NORTH BBITISH FUSILIEBS. 141

wounds, but Major-GeDeral Keane became afterwards Lord
Xeane. These sore disasters negatived Colonel Thornton's suc-
cess against the battery on the right, and rendered retreat an
absolute necessity, which was ably conducted by Major-
General Sir John Lambert, although in presence of a vastly
superior and victorious enemy. The reliqs of this gallant
little army, who had dared to assail such strength and numbers,
were embarked in the fleet on the 27th January, 1815. The
total loss of the Twenty-first on this occasion was 451 officers
and men, which serves to show how dreadful was the carnage
throughout, and how desperate the valour that sustained it
without once flinching from duty. Ere peace was concluded,
which happened shortly thereafter, the expedition succeeded
in the capture of Fort Bowyer, near Mobile.

After such severe service, having returned home and
been somewhat recruited by drafts from the second battalion,
although too late to share the glories of the Waterloo cam-
paign, the battalion was sent to the Netherlands, and thence,
advancing into France, formed part of the " army of occupa-
tion'^ which remained in that kingdom imtil peace had not
merely been restored but secured. In 1 8 1 6 the second battalion
was disbanded at Stirling; and a year later, the first battalion,
returning home, was variously stationed in England. In 1819
the raiment was sent on foreign service to the West Indies,
where it was successively stationed in Barbadoes, Tobago,
Demerara, St Vincent, and Grenada. Whilst in Demerara a
rebellion of the negroes occurred. The good conduct of the
regiment in suppressing the revolt elicited the commendation

142 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH EEGTMESTS,

of the King; the Duke of York, conmiaiider-'in-chief; Sir Hemy
Ward, KC.B., commanding in thefle islaiids; and the Court of
Policy of the colony. These were accompanied by more
substantial rewards. *' The Court of Policy voted, as a special
and permanent mark of the high estunation in which the
inhabitants of the colony held the services of lieat-Colonel
Leahy, the officers, and soldiers^ ^five Hundred Guineas to be
laid out in the purchase of Plate for the r^imental mess^' and
Two Hundred Guineas for the purchase of a sword for Lieut*
Colonel Leahy; also Fifty Guineas for the purchase of a sword
for Lieutenant Brady, who conunanded a detachment at
Mahaica, and whose cool, steady, and intrepid conduct, aided
by the courage and discipline of his men, gave an early and
effectual check to the progress of revolt in that quarter."
Eeturning home in 1828, the regiment was honoured in doing
duty at Windsor Castle, the residence of royalty. In these
times of comparative peace little of interest falls to be narrated.
We find the regiment employed in various garrisons through-
out the kingdom, until, in 1832 and 1833, it was sent out in
charge of convicts to New South Wales, and stationed in the
colonies of Australia and Van Diemen's Land. In 1839 it
was removed to the East Indies, and was stationed succes-
sively at Chuiswiah, Calcutta, Dinapore, Kamptee, Agra, Cawn-
pore, and Calcutta, returning to England in 1848.

In 1854 Eussian aggressions had so stirred the nations in
defence of the right, that Turkey in her weakness foimd ready
sympathisers. Foremost of these, France and England, side
by side, had sent forth powerful armaments, which, landing

BOYAL NOBTH BRITISH FUSILIEBS. 143

upon the Crimean peninsula, created a helpful, and, as the
long-expected result proved, a successful diversion in favour
of the oppressed empire of the Sultan. Amongst the brave,
composing the 26,800 British, that landed at Old Fort, were
our gallant Fusiliers, the Twenty- first. In the Fourth
Division, brigaded with the Twentieth, Fifty-seventh, and
Sixty-eighth, they were present in reserve at the Alma, and
in action at Inkermann. It is needless to repeat the details
of the war, seeing especially we must take occasion so fre-
quently to recur to incidents connected with it; besides, the
general events must be still so fresh in the memories of most
of our readers as to need no repetition here. Enough be it
to say of the conduct of the Twenty-first Eoyal North British
Fusiliers, that it displayed the same excellence as of old.
Since the return of the regiment to the beloved shores of Old
England, it has enjoyed the peace which its own gallantry had
well contributed to achieve.

As the glory of the sun shining through a humid atmo-
sphere is even more resplendent and more to be admired in the
heaven-bespangled, many-coloured robe of the rainbow than
when he appears in the full strength of noon-day, so valour —
true, genuine valour, the valour of our gallant Twenty-first —
is the more illustrious and meritorious that it is to be found
emerging from amid many vicissitudes and adversities. It is
usually the bravest of the brave that fall. Alas! that so many
who gave fair promise to ornament and illustrate the British
soldier as the hero, should have fallen — buds nipped by the
frost of death. Let it be borne very encouragingly in mind,

144

HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISIH REGIMENTS,

that adversity is the furnace wherein the gold of true valour
is purified— is the schoolmaster which teaches how to win
prosperity. The greatest glory which rests upon the departed
genius of Sir John Moore, is that which pictures him in
adversity in retreat — his lion spirit unsubdued, his towering
abilities shining fortL And so, in closing our record, we
would do justice, not merely to valour gilded by brilliant
victories, but especially testify to true valour incarnated in
the man — the hero ever slmggUng^ not always winning^ yet
always worthy^ the reward.

y*-.

ANCIENT BADGE OF TWENTY-FIFTH, OR KING'S OWN BORDERERS.

THE TWENTY-FIFTH FOOT.
KING'S OWN BORDERERS,

OR,

EDINBUEGH EEGIMENT.

CHAPTER XIV.

" IVIany a banner spread, flutters above your head,
Many a crest that is famous in story ;
Mount and make ready, then, sons of the mountain glou,
Fight for your king and the old Scottish glory.
March, march, forward in order,
A* the blue bonnets are over the border."

ORIGIN — KILLIECRANKIE — IRELAND — NETHERLANDS —
SHERIFFMUIR — NETHERLANDS — CULLODEN — 1688-1755.

It is recorded of Sir Walter Scott that he claimed descent
from one of the most distinguished families of "the land-
louping gentry " of the Scottish border. The title, " King's
Own Borderers," borne by the Twenty-fifth, would induce the
belief that the regiment had sprung from the same source;
and however much we may excuse the military license of the
times, or the marauding propensities of our border country-
men, and extol their martial achievements, so prolific with

i

146 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

romantic incident and cbivalric feats of daring, we cannot
but question the respectability of such a parentage.

" She^s o'er the border, and awa* wV Jock o* Uaieldttin/*

Happily the Twenty-fifth owns a much more recent connec-
tion with the Scottish border^ when the feuds which had
disgraced earlier years, by the wrongs and cruelties they
occasioned, were healed, and the failings of the past are for-
gotten amid tlie excellencies and the glories of the present-
The regiment was raised in the City of Edinburgh by the
Earl of Leven, in 1688, from among the noblemen and gentle-
men who had come over from the Continent as the adherents
of William, Prince of Orange. The advent of the House of
Orange, apart from the religious and political liberty it con-
ferred and assumed to guarantee, had been further hailed by
an emancipated people as restoring to the bosom of their dear
native land, and to the home of their fathers, those " lost and
brave," who, for conscience' sake, had endured a long and
painful exile. Consistent with that fidelity which has ever
been a conspicuous jewel in Scottish character, once that the
Eeformed faith found an entrance and an abiding-place in the
heart of the Scotsman, nor priest, nor king, nor pope could
drive it out, quench the light of truth, or shake the steadfast-
ness of the Covenanter. Hence the number of Scottish exiles
was very many, and, in consequence, the return of the refu-
gees was an event of no common interest in the Scottish
metropolis, difiusing a very general joy throughout the land.
Their first duty fulfilled of thanks and gratitude to God for

king's own borderers. 147

their deliverance, their next duty to their country impelled
them to tender the service of their swords to the king.
Accordingly, their offer being accepted, the embodiment of the
Twenty-fifth King's Own Borderers was the result, which in
four hours attained a strength of near a thousand men. Whilst
the Scottish estates hesitated to acknowledge the sovereignty
of William and Mary, and the Duke of Gordon held posses-
sion of the Castle of Edinburgh for King James, the Twenty-
fifth was quartered in the Parliament House. But it was not
until Viscount Dundee, descending into the Lowlands at the
head of the disaffected clans, seriously disturbing the peace of
the land, that the regiment was called into action. Advanc-
ing with the royal army to Killiecrankie, the Borderers bore a
conspicuous and honourable part in the contest which ensued.
Major-General Mackay, in his despatch to the Duke of Hamil-
ton, stated, "There was no regiment or troop with me but
behaved like the vilest cowards in nature, except Hastings'
and Lord Leven's, whom I must praise at such a degree, as I
cannot but blame others." The regiments thus commended
were the present Thirteenth and Twenty-fifth Foot. Although
borne back by the impetuosity of the Highlanders, and
although the day was lost to the king, still the result —
especially the death of Dundee — proved the ruin of the Jaco-
bites— the beginning of the end, each successive struggle
which convulsed the nation more effectually serving to destroy
the hopes of the House of Stuart.

In 1691 the regiment embarked for Ireland, and was pre-
sent, with much credit, at the sieges of Ballymore, Athlone,

148 HISTORY OP THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

Galway, and Limerick, and at the battle of Aughrim. Tlieso
several successes having accomplished the deliverance of that
island from the yoke of James, the regiment with other troops
was sent to England, whence it embarked with the British
army for the Netherlands, to check the progress of the French,
Under the command of King William, the allies made a deter-
mined stand at Steenkirk and again at Landen, but on both
occasions failed to make any decided impression upon the
masses of the enemy commaoded by Marshal de Luxembourg,
who continued to advance in spite of the most gallant opposi-
tion. At the siege of Namur, by the explosion of a mine, the
regiment lost twenty officers and 500 men. The gallant
conduct of the allies at this celebrated siege is thus eulogised:

The British were esteemed most bold ;

The Bavarians most firm ; and

The Brandenburghcrs most successful ;

whilst the French, out of a garrison originally 15,000 strong,
had lost in the defence about two-thirds of their number.
The engineering skill of these great masters of the art —
Coehorn and Vauban, exerted to the utmost on their respec-
tive sides — has preserved no more magnificent testimony to
their several abilities than is found recorded in the assault
and defence. The resolution and ability of Marshal Boufflers,
the French Governor, in so gloriously maintaining the defence,
is not to be overlooked, but merited a better success. Sterne's
facetious story of "Tristram Shandy '* — how questionable so-
ever its discretion in our times, yet replete with much that

H

king's own borderers. 149

is beautiful, quaint, and true — has borrowed from the ranks
of our Borderers its most noted and popular characters, "Uncle
Toby,'^ who was wounded in the groin at this siege of Namur,
and his faithfiQ body-servant, "Corporal Trim," who, two
years previously, had been wounded at the battle of Landen ;
both, by the pen of the author, being life pictures of the
veterans of Chelsea. It was during this war that the bayonet,
which had been invented by the French, instead of being fixed
inside the muzzle of the musket, was first used by the French
fixed round the outside of the muzzle, thus enabling the
soldier to charge and deliver fire promptly. Grose, in his
"Military Antiquities," thus records the introduction of this
improvement : —

" In an engagement, during one of the campaigns of King
William III. in Flanders, there were three French regiments
whose bayonets were made to fix after the present fashion
(1690), a contrivance then unknown in the British army; one
of them advanced with fixed bayonets against Leven's (now
the Twenty-fifth) regiment, when Lieutenant-Colonel Maxwell,
who commanded it, ordered his men to * screw bayonets' into
their muzzles, thinking the enemy meant to decide the affair
point to point; but to his great surprise, when they came with-
in a proper distance, the French threw in a heavy fire, which
for a moment staggered his men, who nevertheless recovered
themselves, charged, and drove the enemy out of the line."

On the peace of Ryswick being concluded in 1697,
our Borderers, returning home, were quartered in the disturbed
districts of the North of Scotland. Nothing of importance

150

HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS,

falls to be narrated of the regiment until the Rebellion of
the Earl of Mar, in 171S, called it to take the field. It
was present at the unfortunate battle of Sheriffmuir. The
desertion of the Hon* Captain Arthur Elphinstone to the
rebel army, however it might have been regretted as casting a
shadow over the loyalty of the Twenty-fifth, that doubt has
been dispelled, and the lie contradicted, by the exemplary
fidelity of the regiment on all occasions. Captain Elphin-
stone, as Lord Balmarino, in 1746, paid the penalty of his
error by his execution on Tower Hill.

During the Spanish War of 1719, the regiment was en-
gaged in a successful expedition against various towns on the
north-western sea-board of the Peninsula. For several years
thereafter it was variously stationed in Ireland, and, in 1727,
removed to Gibraltar, where, with other corps, it successfully
defended that important fortress against every attempt of the
Spaniards to reduce and regain it. The war of the Austrian
Succession, which began in 1 742, occasioning the assembling of
a British and allied army in the Netherlands, our Borderers
were sent thither to reinforce the troops which had already
won the bloody victory of Dettingen. The regiment shared
the glories and sustained the dangers of Fontenoy, which
elicited from Marshal Saxe, the conquering general, the fol-
lowing graphic and generous testimony to the worth of the
foe he had overthrown : —

" I question much whether there are many of our generals
who dare undertake to pass a plain with a body of infantry
before a numerous cavalry, and flatter himself that he could hold

KING S OWN BORDERERS. 151

his ground for several hours, with fifteen or twenty battalions in
the middle of an army, as did the English at Fontenoy, with-
out any change being made to shake them, or make them
throw away their fire. This is what we have all seen, but
self-love makes us unwilling to speak of it, because we are well
aware of its being beyond our imitation."

Taking advantage of the disasters which had crowded
upon the allied arms in the Netherlands, Prince Charles
Edward had stirred up a formidable Eebellion in Scotland,
chiefly among the Highland clans, in favour of his pretensions,
as the representative of the House of Stuart, to the British
throne. This untoward event occasioned the recall of many
regiments from the Continent, and required those left behind
to confine themselves to the defence of strongly-fortified lines.
The Twenty-fifth was one of those that returned. With the
Twenty-first Royal North British Fusiliers, it formed the rear
guard of the Eoyal army, advancing in pursuit of the rebels
into Scotland. Too late to take any part in the battle of
Falkirk, the regiment was stationed in Edinburgh, until the
Duke of Cumberland arriving, gave the signal for an imme-
diate advance upon the enemy, then prosecuting the siege of
Stirling. Interrupted in their enterprise by the near approach
of the Royal army, the rebels retreated precipitately, until,
hemmed in, they made a last and fatal stand on Culloden
Moor, where they were utterly routed with great slaughter.
The most distinguished service performed by a detachment of
300 men of the Twenty-fifth is thus graphically described in
the biography of General Melville : —

152 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

"The second detachment, consisting of 300 men, com-
manded by Sir Andrew Agnew^ Lieutenant-Colonel of the
Royal North British Fusiliers, was sent by the route of Dun-
keld, through the Pasa of Killiecrankie, to take post in Blair
Castle, the seat of James, Duke of Athole — a very faithfid
subject of his Majesty. The garrison was frittered away in
small detachments, for the purpose of intercepting traitorous
correspondence. Early on the morning of the I7th March,
the rebels, in a considerable body, surprised and made pri-
soners of several of the outposts, and by break of day closely
invested the castle on all sides, firing upon the out-picquet,
which retired with some difficulty, bringing with it some
horses belonging to the officers, and a small quantity of pro-
visions. Blair Castle was a very high, irregular building, the
walls of great thickness — having what was called Cummin^s
Tower projecting from the west end of the front of the house,
which faces the north. Adjoining the east gable of the old
castle, a square new building had been begun, but only carried
up a few feet above the beams fixed for the first floor. The
great door in the staircase having been barricaded, and a small
guard placed at it, the garrison was mustered and found to
consist of about 270 rank and file, having only nineteen
rounds of ammimition per man. The men were immediately
posted throughout the castle in the manner best adapted for
its defence, with instructions not to fire unless actually
attacked. For the protection of the new, unfinished building
before mentioned, to which the only communication from the
castle was by ten or twelve steps of a ladder, from a door in

king's own borderers. 153

the east end ; a platform of loose boards was hastily laid on
the joists, and Ensign Robert Melville (afterwards General
Melville) of the Twenty-fifth regiment, with 25 men, was
posted on it, who was not relieved during the whole of the
blockade, which ended 1st April. On the I7th March, a
little after noon. Lord George Murray, a general to the Pre-
tender, wrote a summons of surrender to Sir Andrew Agnew,
which he could not find a Highlander to deliver, on account of
the well-known outrageousness of Sir Andrew^s temper, but a
pretty girl, who was acquainted with the garrison, imdertook
the task, but could hardly find an officer to receive it. for the
reason before mentioned; however, after much entreaty, one
was bold enough to convey the summons, when Sir Andrew,
in so loud a voice, that he was heard distinctly by the girl
outside the castle, desired him to be gone, and tell Lord
George that the ground would, before long, be too hot for him
to stand upon, and any future messenger would be hanged or
shot if sent upon such an errand. Lord George took the hint,
sent no other messenger, but endeavoured to reduce the castle
by famine, knowing it was short of provisions. The rebels
had two field-pieces, from which they fired hot shot upon the
castle, with so little effect that, though some stuck in the roof,
they fell out before the house took fire, and were lifted oflF
the floors by an iron ladle, which was found in the Duke's
kitchen, and deposited in the cellars in tubs of wine, as water
could not be spared. The King's troops, in dread of being
starved, endeavoured to apprise the Earl of Craufurd at Dun-
keld of the state in which they were placed, but they were so

d

154 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS,

closely hemmed in, that, with great difficulty, the Diike's gar-
dener, a loyal man, stole out during the ninth night of the
blockade and rode oflF through the enemy, fired at from several
places by the Highlanders, from whom he escaped, having
fallen from his horse, and gone on foot to Dunkeld and
apprised the Earl, which was not known for some time; in
the meantime, the garrison had great faith in the good luck
of Sir Andrew, concerning whom many strange stories were
told — such as, that he never was wounded nor sick, nor in any
battle wherein the English were not victorious; therefore, they
were the less surprised when, at break of day on the Ist of
April, not a single Highlander could be seen — Lord Greorge
having taken the alarm and decamped, to avoid encountering
the Earl of Craufurd from Dunkeld. On the morning of the
2d, an officer arrived and announced that the Earl was within
an hour's march of the castle with a force of cavalry, when Sir
Andrew drew up his men to receive his Lordship, and after
the usual compHments, thus addressed him — * My Lord, I am
glad to see you ; but, by all that is good, you have been very
dilatory, and we can give you nothing to eat/ To which his
Lordship jocosely replied, with his usual good humour, *I
assure you, Sir Andrew, I made all the haste I could, and I
hope you and your officers will dine with me to-day;' which
they accordingly did, in the summer-house of the Duke's gar-
den, where they had a plentiful meal and good wines. The
Earl made so favourable a report of the conduct of Sir Andrew
and the garrison of Blair Castle, that the Duke of Cumberland
thanked them, in public orders, for their steady and gallant

king's own borderers. 155

defence, and the gallant commandant was promoted to the
command of a regiment of marines (late JeflFries'). A High-
land pony, belonging to Captain Wentworth of the Fourth
foot, which had been seventeen days (without food) in a
dungeon of the castle, being still alive, was recovered by care
and proper treatment, and became in excellent condition."

Having thus eflfectually suppressed the Rebellion, the
Twenty-fifth, and most of the other regiments, returned to
the Netherlands. Defeated at the battle of Roucoux, the
allies were on the point of falling into confusion, when
Houghton's British brigade, composed of the Eighth, Thir-
teenth, and Twenty-fifth, arriving from Maestricht, imme-
diately formed as the rear guard, their steady valour efiectually
withstanding every attempt of the enemy to break in upon our
line of retreat. In the sanguinary battle of Val, our Borderers
bore a more prominent part with equal credit. This disastrous
war terminated in 1747, with the unsuccessful defence of
Bergen-op-Zoom, which was ultimately taken by the French.
The regiment encountered a variety of misadventures on its
passage home. One transport, containing six and a-half
companies, being shipwrecked on the French coast, yet all
escaping to land, were kindly treated by their recent foes.
The regiment, at length reaching England, was removed to and
variously quartered throughout Ireland.

CHAPTER XY.

"He^b

m se;

He TV*

ftti lee;

liut hi

DH ,

Sen..

« &ii{ 'lim hvmv^.

'' Tour l<m

mt to flee.

Bu^^

-

Tig

J>

tfiwui Ul ll'

dame^ mooriifn^ daniQ/'

GERMANY— MARINE SERVICE — WEfc INDIES — EGYPT — WEST
INDIES — Gl BE A LTAR — 1755-1 862,

In 1755 the encroachments of France awakened a new
war, in which our Borderers were employed in several
generally successful expeditions against the fortified towns
and arsenals on the coast of France, especially the Isle of
Oleron, St Maloes, and Cherbourg. A few years later, with
the Twelfth, the Twentieth, the Twenty-third, the Thirty-
seventh, and Fifty-first Foot, the Horse Guards, the First and
Third Dragoon Guards, the Second, Sixth, and Tenth Dra-
goons, they formed the British army, which, advancing from the
north of Germany, allied with the Germans and other auxili-
aries, latterly served under the command of Prince Ferdinand
of Brunswick. Encountering at first severe reverses, they were
at length rewarded by the victory of Minden. " This was the
first occasion on which the British troops took aim by placing

^

QUEEN'S COLOURS OF TWENTY-FIFTH, OR KING'S OWN BORDERERS.

king's own borderers. 157

the butt of the firelock against the shoulder, and viewing
the object along the barrel, when firing at the enemy, in
which mode they had been instructed during the preceding
peace. On former occasions, the firelock was brought up
breast-high, and discharged towards the enemy a good deal
at random ; because it was considered a degradation to take
aim according to the present custom. And in this year the
cavaky adopted the trumpet, in place of the side-drum and
hautbois.'' Throughout the war, the regiment sufiered very
severely, its loss at the battle of Campen alone amounting to
two-thirds of its number. In the Regimental Eecords, which
aflFord a most interesting and ably-written account of the
many " brave deeds " of the regiment, as well as a comprehen-
sive, yet most accurate, record of the wars in which it was
concerned, and to which we are largely indebted, it is re-
corded: "1760, December 9, died, in the 34th year of his
age, of the wounds he had received in the battle of Campen,
Henry Eeydell Dawnay, Viscount Down, Baron Dawnay of
Cowick, county York, M.P. for that county. Colonel in the
army, and Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the Edinburgh
Regiment, greatly regretted and lamented by every officer
and soldier of the corps, and by all his companions in arms.
His Lordship commanded the regiment in the battle of Min-
den." Notwithstanding the great superiority of the enemy,
ably commanded by the Marshal Duke de Broglio, the allies,
by the most heroic efforts, not merely held their own, but fre-
quently repulsed the enemy, especially at the battle of Kirch
Denkern, or Fellinghausen, where the French were defeated

158 HISTOBY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

with great slaughter. " Hitherto, punishments in the British
army were, to a certain extent, discretionary with command-
ing officers of corps, and inflicted by means of switches, gene-
rally willows; but during the present year, regimental courts-
martial, consisting generally of a captain and four subalterns,
were instituted, and punishment with a cat-of-nine-tails in-
troduced."

At length, in 1763, peace was restored. The Twenty-
fifth, returning to England, whilst stationed at Newcastle,
buried, with military honours, the shreds of the colours which
they had so honourably fought under at the battles of Fon-
tenoy, Culloden, Roucoux, Val, Minden, Warbourg, Campen,
Fellinghauseo, and Wilhelmsthal. Having replaced the losses
they had suffered in the recent war, and having enjoyed for
several years peaceful and pleasant quarters at home, our
Borderers, in 1768, embarked in H.M.S. "Dorsetshire," 70
guns, for Minorca^ where they discharged the duties of the
garrison for some time with the Third, Eleventh, Thirteenth,
and Sixty-seventh regiments.

The magistrates of Edinburgh having denied a recruiting
party from the regiment the aocient privilege, conferred upon
it by the city in token of its good conduct at Edlliecrankie, of
marching at all times through the streets and beating up for
recruits, the ire of the Duke of Richmond, whose brother, Lord
George Lennox, then commanded the regiment, was so stirred
by this indignity, that he applied for leave to have the title
of the regiment changed, and, in accordance therewith, it
was for a whUe known as the Sussex Regiment — Sussex

king's own borderebs. 159

being the county where the Lennox family held extensive
estates.

About this period France and Spain, at war with Great
Britain, coveting the possession of Gibraltar, had laid siege to
that powerful fortress. It was no easy thing in those days,
when our navy was comparatively in its infancy, to cope with
the armaments of such powerful neighbours — powerful alike
on land and water, and whose combined fleets had hitherto
" swept the seas." To throw in reinforcements, and re-victual
Gibraltar, was in consequence a hazardous undertaking; never-
theless the British fleet, under Lord Howe, not only success-
fully accomplished it in spite of the immediate presence of the
Spanish fleet, but signally defeated the foe oflF Cape St Vincent.
The Twenty-fifth and Twenty-ninth regiments were on this
occasion thrown into the garrison, where they helped in the
successful defence of the fortress, baffling the most gigantic
efforts of the enemy to reduce it.

The Twenty-fifth was ordered home in 1792, where it
arrived at a time when our country was in great peril from
internal enemies — the discontents which the fair promises of
the French Revolution had excited, and which proved such a
lamentable delusion, had their effects even amongst "our sober
selves," begetting a progeny of evils which threatened to
shipwreck our good ship — the Constitution. Happily, the
abilities of our Administration brought the vessel of the
State in safety through the storm. Meanwhile France had
declared war against us, and the tempest, which had been
imminent, descended with terrible fury. Our fleet, which

160

HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH HEGIMENTS.

was then wofiilly inefficient, was put into commission; but^
for lack of marines^ detachments from various regiments,
amongst others the Second (Queen's), the Twenty* fifth
(Borderers), the Twenty^niuth, and Slxty-nintb, were allotted
to this service. In this new caoacitv a portion of the Twenty-

wtions which are recorded

tnd conquest of Corsica,

attended with many di^

t profitable service to our

to the change. The spoil

far exceeded aught that

i] On one occasion the "St

bacbments of the Twenty-fifth

fifth was engaged in the 8
in the fruitless defenc
Although this new du
agreeables, it in the en*^
soldiers, who soon he(
got on the sea by rep^^^^ a
might have been expect
George" and "Egmont,'
on board as marinesj captured the French privateer "General
Dumouricr," with a Spanish prize in tow, the "St Jago" —
treasure-ship containing about one million sterling. Under Lord
Howe this amphibious regiment was present to share the
glories of the fight which almost annihilated the French fleet
off" Brest. At length, in 1794, the corps of marines having
been strengthened, the regiment was relieved and returned to
its native element — the land. Still we shall find that its ad-
ventures, as well as misadventures, throughout these records
manifest a strong predilection for the sea — perhaps not of
choice, but certainly of necessity. The loyalty of the regiment
whilst serving as marines was most conspicuous during the
mutiny which, in 1797, threatened very disastrous results.

In 1795, the regiment was sent to the West Indies; and
whilst stationed in Grenada, rendered most important service

REGIMENTAL COLOURS OF TWENTY-FIFTH, OR KING'S OWN BORDERERS.

1

1

,1

KINGS OWN BORDERERS. 161

were employed in defending Granada from the incursions of
numerous hordes of brigands who infested it. The heroic de-
fence of Pilot Hill by the Twenty-fifth, under Major Wright, is
one of the most gallant actions to be found in the records of
our army. Reduced by disease and the sword to about 130
ofl&cers and privates, these brave men refused to yield, well
knowing, moreover, the ferocious character of the enemy
with whom they had to deal. At length, exhausted and
without the means to sustain life or longer maintain the
post, they determined to break through the enemy, which
they successfully accomplished, joining the few British that
yet remained in St George's, the capital, where they were
hailed by the inhabitants as the saviours of the island; the
ladies, in token of their appreciation of such valour, wore
ribands round their waists — ^inscribed, "Wright for ever;*'
whilst the following address was presented to the relics of
the regiment : — " The inhabitants of this island congratulate
Major Wright of the Twenty-fifth regiment, and his gallant
little garrison of Pilot Hill, on their safe arrival in St
Greorge; and assure him that it was with the most lively sen-
sation of joy they beheld the landing of a handful of brave
men, whom, a few hours before, they considered as devoted to
the relentless cruelty of a savage and ferocious enemy ; and
impressed with a high sense of their meritorious exertions in
defence of that post, and the well-conducted retreat upon the
evacuation of it under the most desperate circumstances,
request his and their acception of this tribute of their appro-
bation and thanks, so justly due to such bravery and conduct.'*

162 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

The arrival of reinforcements enabled the British once more
to take the field, recovering the posts which lack of numbers
had compelled them hitherto to abandon; and in the end, the
brigands, defeated, were dispersed, or craved, by submission,
the clemency of the Government.

Meanwhile the detachments which had been called in from
the marine service on board the " St George," the " Egmont,"
the "Gibraltar," the "Monarch," the "Stately," and the "Ee-
union," with a number of recruits obtained chiefly from
among the Dutch sailors, who had become prisoners of war,
were enrolled as a second battalion. Encamped with the army
assembled on Shirley Common, this battalion was, in 1 795,
moved to the coast, and embarked on board the "Boddington "
and the "Belfast." The fleet, containing the army, which
amounted to nearly 26,000 fighting men, consisted of about
300 sail. A variety of accidents arose to detain the expedi-
tion, and ultimately caught in a tempest, the vast armament
was broken or dispersed. In the confusion which ensued, the
"Boddington," with part of the Twenty-fifth on board, her
officers having opened the sealed orders, and found the "West
Indies to be the destination of the expedition, encountering
many perils, at length reached Barbadoes in safety; whilst
the "Belfast," ^^^th the remainder of the regiment, was
captured by a French corvette, the "Decius," twenty-four
guns. The unfortunate prisoners were treated most cruelly,
and the more so that a conspiracy to rise upon their captors
had been divulged by one of the Dutchmen who had re-
cently joined the regiment. Landed at St Martin's, they

king's own bordereks. 163

were afterwards removed to the common gaol at Guadaloupe,
during the passage to which the men of the regiment rose
against and overpowered the crew of one of the transports,
and succeeded in escaping to the British island of Grenada,
where they joined their comrades of the first battalion who
still survived. The officers remaining prisoners were in-
humanly treated, and only released by exchange, after endur-
ing for ten months the miseries of confinement on board the
prison hulk "Albion" — a vessel captured from the British.
On their passage to rejoin the regiment which had returned
home, calling at the island of St Christopher, they had the
satisfaction of witnessing the captain and crew of the
" Decius " in irons as prisoners. Unhappily this " chapter of
accidents" had not yet ended. On the homeward voyage
the transports, under convoy of the "Ariadne" frigate, en-
countered so severe a tempest that several foundered — the
frigate was under the necessity of throwing her guns over-
board; the "Bee" transport, shifting her ballast, was cast on
her beam ends, and was only saved by a marvel of mercy —
saved from the storm, to become the prey of a French priva-
teer. Landed as prisoners in France, the officers were sent
on their parole into Brittany, until regularly exchanged.
On returning, the survivors rejoined the relics of the regi-
ment in Pljrmouth lines in 1797. Whilst in garrison here,
along with the Second and Twenty-ninth Foot, and the Down
Militia, the regiment was exposed to the villany of an evil-
disposed and disaffected class — revolutionary incendiaries —
the creatures of an iniquitous delusion, in whose soul the God-

164 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH KEGIMENTS.

like emotion of patriotism had been stifled, and who appeared
the specious friends yet certain foes of virtue. Axmed with
all the seductive attractions of the licentious liberty they
preached, they therewith hoped to ruin our ancient constitu-
tion, and set up in its stead the lying, fatal dogmas of de-
mocracy. To accomplish this end, they strove to destroy the
bulwarks of our strength as a nation by the seduction of
our soldiers and sailors. In the presence of other grievances,
and the absence of immediate redress, these incendiaries had
succeeded but too well in imposing upon the navy, and excit-
ing a dangerous mutiny, to which we have already referred,
as illustrating the fidelity of the Twenty-fifth, who served as
marines, and who could not be induced to forsake their duty
to their country, nor stain the honour of the regiment by any
defection. We now turn to record the fidelity of the regi-
ment as equally creditable in the army; and we have
pleasure in adding the following as a testimony of the
loyalty which animated our Borderers. This interesting docu-
ment— the production of the Non-Commissioned Ofl&cers of
the regiment — affords us an earnest of their anxiety to detect
and briog to punishment the incendiaries who had dared to
sap the allegiance of the soldier : —

''Nemo ine impune ktcessiL The subscribing Non-Com-
missioned Officers of H.M. Twenty-fifth regiment of foot, find,
with great regret, that attempts have been made by base and
infamous persons to alienate some of the soldiers of this garrison
from their duty to their King and country, by circulating in-

king's own borderers. 165

flammatory papers and hand-bills containing the grossest false-
hood and misrepresentation, thereby insulting the character of
the British soldier. In order to bring the incendiaries to the
punishment they so justly deserve, we hereby offer a reward
of ten guineas (to be paid on conviction) to the person or
persons who will inform upon, secure, or deliver over to any
of the subscribers, the author, printer, or distributor of papers
or hand-bills criminal to the military establishment and laws
of the country, or for information against any such person
found guilty of bribing with money, or of holding out any
false allurements to any soldier in this district tending to
injure the good order and discipline of the army; which
reward of ten guineas is raised and subscribed by us for this
purpose, and will immediately be paid on conviction of any
such offenders. God save the King!

"Signed by the whole of the Non-Commissioned
Officers of the Kegiment."

Stationed in Jersey in 1 798, on returning to England the
regiment formed part of the army encamped on Barham
Downs and Shirley Common, until embraced in the unfortu-
nate expedition which, in 1799, under the Duke of York, occa-
sioned the loss of so much British blood and treasure in a
vain attempt to deliver Holland from the thraldom of France.
Notwithstanding the glory obtained in the battle of Egmont-
op-Zee, little practical good resulted. The Dutch seemed dis-
inclined to help themselves, and the French were in such force,
whilst our expedition was so inadequate to do more than hold

166 HISTORY OP THE SCOTTISH EEGIMENTS.

its own, that retreat and the ultimate abandonment of the enter-
prise ensued as a necessary consequence. On the return of the
army, the Twenty-fifth was encamped on Shirley Common,
where the troops assembled were, in 1800, reviewed by the
King, who afterwards engaged in a sham fight with the Duke
of York, and is represented as having beaten him. Shortly
thereafter an expedition sailed under Sir Ealph Abercromby
for Spain, but ill success there led that chief ultimately to
direct his efforts for the expulsion of the French from Egypt..
Here he fell gloriously, at the battle of Alexandria, in the
arms of victory. The Twenty-fifth joined the army towards
the close of the campaign. The surrender of the French
having completed the deliverance of Egypt, the army returned
in part to England, whence, in 1807, the Twenty-fifth was
sent out to the West Indies, where, in 1809, it shared in the
capture of the French island of Martinique.

"In the year 1813, while Lieut-Colonel Light commanded
the first battalion, Twenty-fifth Foot, in the island of Guada-
loupe, happening to dine with the Governor, he was riding home
to the barracks, distant about one mile from the Governor's
house, in a violent thunderstorm with heavy rain. A vivid
flash of lightning coming very close to his horse, the animal
took fright, and suddenly sprang over a precipice of fifty-four
feet deep, which lay about five yards from the road on the
right, into a river swelled considerably l)y the rain. The
horse was killed by the fall, but Lieut.-Colonel Light swam
on shore, with very little injury, and walked home to his
barracks, a quarter of a mile distant from the place.

king's own bokderers. 167

"Lord George Henry Lennox, son to Charles, second Duke
of Richmond, and father of Charles, fourth Duke of Eichmond,
was colonel of the Twenty-fifth Eegiment from 22d December,
1762, to 22d March, 1805 (the day of his death), a space of
forty-two years and three months. His lordship was particu-
larly attached to the regiment; so much so, that, notwith-
standing his great interest — ^being a personal friend of the
King (Gteorge IlL) — his lordship was understood to have
declined being removed to any other corps, although it was at
the time alleged and believed that he had frequently the offer
of a cavalry regiment. Lord George Henry Lennox was truly
a father to the corps — never sparing any expense in its
equipments, and never failing to use all his interest in pro-
moting the ofl&cers to every vacancy which occurred in the
corps; and his lordship has been known, in anticipation of
a failure in this respect with the Commander-in-chief, to
' have solicited and succeeded with His Majesty in prevent-
ing promotion in passing out of the regiment " — and in the
word " Minden ^^ being allowed to be borne on its colours and
appointments.

Having been engaged in nearly all the actions which, one
by one, reduced the French West Indian Islands and placed
them under British rule, the regiment returned to England
in 1816, whilst the second battalion was about the same
time disbanded or merged in the first battalion. After doing
duty in various garrisons in Ireland for nearly ten years,
the regiment, in 1825, once more was sent out to the West
Indies.

MARQUIS Of Qkimmi LATE COLONEL OF THE 26th CAMERONIANS.

THE TWENTY-SIXTH FOOT;

OR,

CAMERONIANS.

CHAPTER XYI.

"The Martyr's HilVB forsaken,

In simmer's dusk sae calm,
There's nae gathering now, lassie,

To sing the evening psalm ;
But the martyr's grave will rise, lassie,

Aboon the warrior's cairn ;
And the martyr soun' will sleep, lassie,

Aueath the waving fern."

ORIGIN AND EARLY HISTORY — DUNKELD — 1689-1691.

The bigotry which at various times in our world's history
has lighted the fires of persecution, has always proved itself
impotent to make men righteous or unrighteous. Rather
has it entailed a curse upon the tyrant whilst inflicting a
woe upon the people who groaned beneath his rule. The
freedom which the accession of the House of Orange con-
ferred upon every rank of society, and every phase of be-

w

170 HISTOKY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS,

lief, established the sovereignty of William and Mary, not
merely over the heads of the people^ but in the love and
loyalty of their hearts. We have already alluded to the
origin of the Twenty -fifth as expressive of these sentiments,
and we now turn to the history of the Twenty-sLsth, or
Cameronians, as furnishing another exponent of the gratitude
and loyalty of the emancipated Covenantei's- The origin of
this famous regiment — well worthy, by the lustre of its
deeds, of the pen of a Macaulay to record — has elicited from
that great national historian the following graphic account,
which, as well for the sake of variety as its own excellence,
we are here tempted to quote: —

" The Covenanters of the West were in general unwilling
to enlist. They were assuredly not wanting in courage; and
they hated Dundee with deadly hatred. In their part of the
country the memory of his cruelty was still fresh. Every
village had its own tale of blood. The greyheaded father was
missed in one dwelling, the hopeful stripling in another. It
was remembered but too well how the dragoons had stalked
into the peasant's cottage, cursing and damning him, them-
selves, and each other at every second word, pushing from the
ingle nook his grandmother of eighty, and thrusting their
hands into the bosom of his daughter of sixteen; how the
adjuration had been tendered to him; how he had folded his
arms and said 'God's will be done;' how the colonel had
called for a file with loaded muskets; and how in three
minutes the goodman of the house had been wallowing in a
pool of blood at his own door. The seat of the martyr was

CAMERONIANS. 1 71

still vacant at the fire-side; and every child could point out
his grave still green amidst the heath. When the people of
this region called their oppressor a servant of the devil, they
were not speaking figuratively. They believed that between
the bad man and the bad angel there was a close alliance on
definite terms; that Dundee had bound himself to do the
work of hell on earth, and that, for high purposes, hell was
permitted to protect its slave till the measure of his guilt
should be full. But intensely as these men abhorred Dundee,
most of them had a scruple about drawing the sword for
William. A great meeting was held in the parish church of
Douglas; and the question was propounded, whether, at a
time when war was in the land, and when an Irish invasion
was expected, it were not a duty to take arms? The debate
was sharp and tumultuous. The orators on one side adjured
their brethren not to incur the curse denounced against the
inhabitants of Meroz, who came not to the help of the Lord
against the mighty. The orators on the other side thundered
against sinful associations. There were malignants in William's
army: Mackay's own orthodoxy was problematical: to take
military service with such comrades, and under such a general,
would be a sinful association. At length, after much wrang-
ling, and amidst great confusion, a vote was taken; and the
majority pronounced that to take military service would be
a sinful association. There was, however, a large minority;
and, from among the members of this minority, the Earl of
Angus was able to raise a body of infantry, which is still,
after the lapse of more than a hundred and sixty years, known

H

172 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH EEGEVIENTS,

by the name of the Cameronian Regiment, The first Lieut.-
Colonel was Clelandj that implacable avenger of blood who
had driven Dundee from the Convention. There was no small
difficulty in filling the ranks> for many west country Whigs^
who did not think it absolutely sinful to enlist, stood out for
terms subversive of all military disciplina Some would not
serve under any colonel, major, captain, Serjeant, or corporal
who was not ready to sign the Covenant. Others insisted
that, if it should be found absolutely necessary to appoint any
officer who had taken the tests imposed in the late reign, he
should at least qualify himself for conmiand by publicly con-
fessing his sin at the head of the regiment. Most of the
enthusiasts who had proposed these conditions were induced
by dexterous management to abate much of their demands.
Yet the new regiment had a very peculiar character. The
soldiers were all rigid Puritans. One of their first acts was to
petition the Parliament that all drunkenness, licentiousness,
and profaneness might be severely punished. Their own con-
duct must have been exemplary: for the worst crime which
the most austere bigotry could impute to them was that of
huzzaing on the King's birth-day. It was originally intended
that with the military organisation of the corps should be
interwoven the organisation of a Presbyterian congregation.
Each company was to furnish an elder; and the elders were,
with the chaplain, to form an ecclesiastical court for the
suppression of immorality and heresy. Elders, however, were
not appointed; but a noted hill preacher, Alexander Shields,
was called to the office of chaplain. It is not easy to conceive

CAMEEONIANS. 173

that faDaticism can be heated to a higher temperature than
that which is indicated by the writings of Shields. Accord-
ing to him, it should seem to be the first duty of a Christian
ruler to persecute to the death every heterodox subject, and
the first duty of a Christian subject to poinard a heterodox
ruler. Yet there was then in Scotland an enthusiasm com-
pared with which the enthusiasm even of this man was
lukewarm. The extreme Covenanters protested against his
defection as vehemently as he had protested against the
Black Indulgence and the oath of supremacy, and pronounced
every man who entered Angus's regiment guilty of a wicked
confederacy with malignants.^'

Immediately after its formation, the regiment, which was
raised to a strength of near 1000 men in a few hours, marched
and was stationed in Edinburgh, where it served to keep
imder the rebellious schemes of many a hot-headed Jacobite.
Although Dundee appeared the natural enemy of such a
regiment, still it had not the satisfaction of being present at
Killiecrankie, where that great chieftain fell in what may be
well considered the greatest victory of his life. The disasters of
the fight, and the apparent ruin of the Koyal cause, called for
immediate succour being sent to Major-General Mackay; but
the blunders of those in power at Edinburgh, distrusting
Mackay, and, like too many coimcils, essajring to be generals
as well as statesmen, very nigh consigned our Cameronians to
a cruel fate. Advancing into the heart of the disaffected dis-
tricts, and stationed at Dunkeld, the regiment — but for its
dauntless spirit and heroic endurance, and the incapacity

174 HISTOEY OF THE SCOTTISH EEGIMENTS,

of General Cannon, who had succeeded Dundee in the com*
mand of the rebels — would have been utterly cut to pieces,
The result of the conflict was most glorious, early display-
ing the mettle of this gallant regiment- Lord JVIacaulay thus
summons the rich elegance and might of langimge to describe
the scene: —

'' The Cameronian raiment was sent to garrison Dunkeld.
Of this arrangement Mackay altogether disapproved. He
knew that at Dunkeld these troops would be near the enemy;
that they would be far from all assistance; that they would
be in an open town; that they would be surrounded by a
hostile population; that they were very imperfectly dis-
ciplined, though doubtless brave and zealous; that they were
regarded by the whole Jacobite party throughout Scotland
with peculiar malevolence ; and that in all probability some
great effort would be made to disgrace and destroy them.

" The General's opinion was disregarded ; and the Came-
ronians occupied the post assigned to them. It soon appeared
that his forebodings were just. The inhabitants of the
country round Dunkeld furnished Cannon with intelligence,
and urged him to make a bold push. The peasantry of
Athol, impatient for spoil, came in great numbers to swell
his army. The regiment hourly expected to be attacked,
and became discontented and turbulent. The men, intrepid,
indeed, both from constitution and enthusiasm, but not yet
broken to habits of military submission, expostulated with
Cleland, who commanded them. They had, they imagined,
been recklessly, if not perfidiously, sent to certain destruction.

CAMERONIANS. 175

They were protected by no ramparts : they had a very scanty
stock of ammunition : they were hemmed in by enemies. An
ofl&cer might mount and gallop beyond reach of danger in an
hour : but the private soldier must stay and be butchered.
* Neither 1/ said Cleland, * nor any of my officers will, in any
extremity, abandon you. Bring out my horse, all our horses :
they shall be shot dead.^ These words produced a complete
change of feeling. The men answered that the horses should
not be shot, that they wanted no pledge from their brave
Colonel except his word, and that they would run the last
hazard with him. They kept their promise well. The
Puritan blood was now thoroughly up ; and what that blood
was when it was up had been proved on many fields of battle.
" That night the regiment passed under arms. On the
morning of the following day, the twenty-first of August, all
the hills round Dunkeld were alive with bonnets and plaids.
Cannon's army was much larger than that which Dundee had
ccmimanded, and was accompanied by more than a thousand
horses laden with baggage. Both the horses and baggage
were probably part of the booty of Killiecrankie. The whole
number of Highlanders was estimated by those who saw them
at from four to five thousand men. They came furiously on.
The outposts of the Cameronians were speedily driven in.
The assailants came pouring on every side into the streets.
The church, however, held out obstinately. But the greater
part of the regiment made its stand behind a wall which
surroimded a house belonging to the Marquess of Athole.
This wall, which had two or three days before been hastily

176 HISTOBY OF THE 800TTI8H RfiQIMENTS.

repaired with timber and loose stones, the soldiers defended
desperately with musket, pike, and halbert. Their bullets
were soon spent; but some of the men were employed in
cutting lead from the roof of the Marquess's house and
shaping it into slugs. Meanwhile all the neighbouring houses
were crowded from top to bottom with Highlanders, who
kept up a galling fire from the windows. Qeland, while
encouraging his men, was shot dead. The command devolved
on Major Henderson. In another minute Henderson fell
pierced with three mortal wounds. His place was supplied
by Captain Munro, and the contest went on with un-
diminished fury. A party of the Cameronians sallied forth,
set fire to the houses from which the fatal shots had come,
and turned the keys in the doors. In one single dwelling
sixteen of the enemy were burnt aliva Those who were in
the fight described it as a terrible initiation for recruits.
Half the town was blazing; and with the incessant roar of
the guns were mingled the piercing shrieks of wretches
perishing in the flames. The struggle lasted four hours. By
that time the Cameronians were reduced nearly to their last
flask of powder: but their spirit never flagged. * The enemy
wiQ soon carry the wall. Be it so. We will retreat into the
house: we will defend it to the last; and, if they force their
way into it, we will burn it over their heads and our own.'
But, while they were revolving these desperate projects, they
observed that the fury of the assault slackened. Soon the
Highlanders began to fall back: disorder visibly spread
among them; and whole bands began to march ofi* to the

CAMERONIANS. 177

hills. It was in vain that their general ordered thein to
return to the attack. Perseverance was not one of their
military virtues. The Cameronians meanwhile, with shouts
of defiance, invited Amalek and Moab to come back and to
try another chance with the chosen people. But these
exhortations had as little effect as those of Cannon. In a
short time the whole Gaelic army was in full retreat towards
Blair. Then the drums struck up: the victorious Puritans
threw their caps into the air, raised, with one voice, a psalm
of triumph and thanksgiving, and waved their colours, colours
which were on that day unfurled for the first time in the
face of an enemy, but which have since been proudly borne
in every quarter of the world, and which are now embellished
with the * Sphinx' and the *Dragon,' emblems of brave actions
achieved in Egypt and in China.''

"The Cameronians had good reason to be joyful and
thankful; for they had finished the war." The loss of the
regiment did not exceed 70 men, whilst the rebels lost 300;
but the death of their brave Commander, Colonel Cleland,
was a source of great regret to the Cameronians. This
desperate resistance, insignificant in itself, so cooled the
fiery zeal of the clans, that, melting away like snow. General
Cannon was compelled to retreat, and, soon without an
army, to submit.

i

CHAPTER XVII.

^^ Farewell ! ye dear partnen of perils toewelll
Tho' buried ye Ke in one wide bloody grave,
Tour deeds shall ennoble the place where ye fell,
And your names be enrolled with the sons of the braye."

1691-1862 — THE NETHBRLAKDS — EBBBLLION, 1715 — AMBRICA —
EGYPT — CORUNNA — WALCHEREN — INDIA — CHINA — CANADA,

In 1691 the regiment joined the British anny then serving
in Flanders against the French, and, by its steady valour,
fully maintained its character at the battle of Steenkirk and
the siege of Namur. So highly did the King appreciate its
worth, that, when peace induced the Government to disband
many regiments, he retained the Cameronians in his own pay,
on the establishment of the Dutch Estates.

The arrogant pretensions of the House of Bourbon to the
vacant throne of Spain, in opposition to the claims of the
House of Hapsburg, re-kindled the flames of war, and bade
France and Austria, as the principals, seconded by Bavaria
and Britain, engage in mortal combat. Of the British
army sent to Holland in consequence, the Twenty-sixth
formed a part. In 1703, brigaded with the Tenth, the
Sixteenth, the Twenty-first, and the second battalion of the
First Eoyal Scots, it served with great distinction in the army

CAMEEONIANS. 179

of Marlborough at Donawerth, and specially at the battle of
Blenheim, where, suffering severely, it had to lament the loss
of nineteen officers. At the battle of Ramilies, in 1706,
the regiment, after being much exposed throughout the
fight, was engaged in the pursuit of the beaten foe until
midnight. It further shared the sanguinary glories of
Malplaquet ere the war was terminated by the peace of
Utrecht in 1713. Soon after its return home, the infatuation
of the Jacobites, whose licentious habits could not brook to
be bridled by the austere yet healthier morale which pre-
sided in the Protestant Court of the House of Hanover —
longing for the restoration of that of Stuart as likely to
afford freer scope for the indulgence of their own evil appetites
— organised a conspiracy, which brought forth the rebellion
of 1715. The Earl of Mar, an imbecile chief and ungrate-
ful minion of the Court, essayed to be its leader in Scot-
land, whilst Sir John Foster and other cavaliers vainly
strove simultaneously to arouse the malignant Jacobitism
which slumbered in the northern counties of England. To
meet the few who had dared to challenge the existing
sovereignty, and imder Foster were advancing southward
through Lancashire in hopes of being reinforced by other
malcontents, a body of royal troops was hastily collected,
chiefly cavalry — the Twenty-sixth being the only infantry
regiment. Without order, a distinct plan of action, or any
definite understanding as to a leader, the enemy, who had
taken possession of, and proposed to hold Preston against the
assault of the Royalist army, was easily broken, dispersed, and

IdO HISTORT OF THE SOOTTISH REGIMENTS.

their cause utterly ruined. During this unfortunate rebellion,
which occasioned the effusion of much blood. Colonel Black-
ader — who had accompanied the Twenty-sixth in its conti-
nental campaigns, where he was ever distinguished among
** the bravest of the brave,'* and whose ably-written records have
bequeathed to our day much that is valuable in the thread
of Scottish military history, and interesting in the annals of
the Cameronian regiment — at this period commanded the
Glasgow Volunteers. The rebellion being suppressed, the
regiment was placed upon the Irish establishment, garrisoning
various posts in the emerald isle until the year 1727, when
it was removed to reinforce the troops which then defended
the important fortress of Gibraltar, baffling the most stupen-
dous efforts of the Spaniards to reduce it. Eleven years later
it was sent to Minorca, and thence returned home in 1754.
This long absence on foreign service was succeeded by an
interval of quietude at home, so far at least as the service of
our Cameronians was concerned. In 1775, the unhappy con-
flict began which bereft us of a valuable colony, and severed
us from those who ought to have been one with us as brethren.
Like the Northern States of America now, so we then, in the
pride of our own self-righteous will which had been chal-
lenged, supposed to enforce legislation by the sword. Hence
a British army, including the Twenty-sixth, was sent out to
America. Although at first the progress of our arms was
graced with many successes, still the end proved most dis-
astrous. The Colonists, sorely schooled in adversity, learned,
through many defeats, how to conquer, the more so when the

CAMERONIANS. 181

shining abilities of Washington appearing, directed their native
valour and commanded their confidence as well as their
obedience. Shortly after the capture of St JohnX a detach-
ment of the regiment having been embarked in a vessel for
secret service, the expedition, discovered by the enemy, was
pursued and captured. When escape was seen to be impos-
sible, and resistance hopeless, to prevent the colours falling
into the hands of the foe, they were wound round a cannon
shot and sunk in the river; and thus, however severe the
dispensation which befel themselves in being made prisoners
of war, the regiment was spared the aggravated pain of seeing
the colours it had followed to so many glorious successes —
the epitome of a soldier's honour — becoming now, in the hands
of the enemy, the record of its present misfortune. Subse-
quently the regiment was engaged with the army, under
Lieut-General Sir Henry Clinton, during the campaigns of
1777-78.

Eetuming home from Halifax, in 1800, the transport,
containing one company of the regiment, under command of
Captain Campbell, was captured by the French privateer
" Grande Decidfee.'^ With the British army under Sir Ralph
Abercromby — which achieved the deliverance of Egypt — the
Cameronians won a title by distinguished service, to include
" Egypt '' among the records of its bravery. Meanwhile, the
necessities of the state were such that, the Government
resolving to strengthen the army, a second battalion was
raised and grafted upon the good old stock of the Twenty-
sixth. In these times of war little rest could be expected.

182 HISTORT OF THE SCOTTISH REQIMEKTS.

To the brave, the patriot, it was peculiarly a time of action,
not mere idle alarm. Our country rejoiced in the security
which was ensured by an army, of which our Cameronians
were so honoured a representativa Our sovereigns benig-
nantly smiled upon and proudly felt themselves happy when
they regarded the ranks of these our gallant defenders^ nor
feared invasion so long as they possessed the all^ianee of
sudi soldiers. Grieving that so large a kingdom as that of
Spain should have fallen a prey to the rapacious perfidy of
Napoleon, and sympathising with the patriotic efforts which
a spirited people were then putting forth to be free, our
Government had recognised in that peninsula^ with its ex-
tensive sea-board, a fair theatre for action, and as the result
proved, a vulnerable point where Europe might strike a fatal
blow at the absorbing dominion of France. Following up
these ideas, and in answer to the earnest petitions for help
from the people themselves, who gathered together into
patriotic bands, yet dared to struggle against the tjrranny
which enslaved and ruined all who owned its supremacy,
our Government, in 1808, sent out a British army under
Sir John Moore, which, co-operating with the natives and the
British army of Portugal, it was vainly hoped should expel
the enemy. The Twenty-sixth regiment, included in this
expedition, was doomed to share its cruel disappointments,
yet earn a title to the glory which must ever rest upon the
memory of the soldiers of Corunna. With the native daring
of his race. Sir John Moore advanced with 25,000 men into
the very heart of Spain, and only retreated when the ex-

SIR JOHM MOORE.

CAMEEONIANS. 183

pected aid from the Spaniards had been dissipated by their
defeat and ruin, and when Napoleon in person, at the head
of an army of 300,000 men, threatened to overwhelm his
little phalanx of British. Then, but not till then, he imder-
took that masterly retreat which achieved the salvation of his
brave troops, and in the end loaded himself with honour, as
closing a life of worth, he won the laurel crown, and

''Like a soldier feU"

in the arms of victory. Lieut.-General Hope thus fitly
records the irreparable loss sustained in the death of Sir
John Moore: —

" I need not expatiate on the loss which the army and his
country have sustained by the death of Sir John Moore. His
fall has deprived me of a valuable friend, to whom long
experience of his worth had sincerely attached me. But it is
chiefly on public grounds that I must lament the blow. It
will be the conversation of every one who loved or respected
his manly character, that after conducting the army through
an arduous retreat with consummate firmness, he has
terminated a career of distinguished honour, by a death
that has given the enemy additional reason to respect the
name of a British soldier. Like the immortal Wolfe, he is
snatched from his country at an early period of a life spent in
her service; like Wolfe, his last moments were gilded by
the prospect of success, and cheered by the acclamation of
victory; like Wolfe, also, his memory will for ever remain

184 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

sacred in that country which he sincerely loved, and which he
had so faithfully served/'

The brunt of the action fell upon the Fourth, the Forty-
second, the Fiftieth, the Eighty-first regiments, a portion of
the brigade of the Guards, and the Twenty-sixth regiment.
We are left to regret that the Twenty-sixth had not afterwards
an opportunity to avenge the death of its commandGr upon the
French — not again being seriously engaged in the desolating
wars of the time, which deluged the Continent with blood ere
a lasting peace had been attained by the triumph of "Waterloo.
This blank in the active history of the regiment may be
accounted for from the fact that, after its return to England,
serving with the army in the Walchereu expedition, it
suffered so severely in that unfortunate campaign, that only
ninety effective men returned to represent it. Nevertheless,
in 1811, recruited, it was embarked for Portugal, and in the
following year removed to Gibraltar, where the fatigues of
military duty pressed so severely upon the raw lads who then
constituted the regiment, that sickness appearing, fated many
of those brave youth, who feared not man, to faint and fail in
the presence of this unseen and unrelenting foe.

On the return of peace the second battalion was reduced.
In 1826 the regiment was sent to India, where it served suc-
cessively in the presidencies of Madras and Bengal.

If the sword, the pestilence, or the famine should slay
each their thousands, the vice of intemperance, the crying
iniquity of our land, has slain its tens of thousands. The
throne, the senate, the pulpit, and the press, alike deplore

CAMERONIANS. 185

its ravages; and although differiDg as to the remedy to be
applied, professedly all declare a crusade against this social
hydra. Exalted, not alone by our own might, or our own
goodness, but by the blessing of God resting upon these,
Britain may well be regarded as the lighthouse, divinely
lighted, shedding abroad upon the tumultuous waste of sin
and ignorance around the saving light of truth and righte-
ousness. Strange inconsistency! notwithstanding all this, our
merchants sacrifice honour at the shrine of gold, and amass
wealth by becoming the moral degenerators of others who
have the sublime virtue — which we lack — to expel by enact-
ment the drug which would ruin, by the passion it excites, an
intellectual nation. In defiance of these enactments, and
despite our fair professions, we regret to think Britain should
aflFord countenance to the opium traffic, and lend the might
of her arms to maintain it, although involving a breach of the
law of China, and inflicting upon the Chinese a moral wrong.
Happy are we to know that there were not a few amongst us
who had the courage to repudiate the action of Government
in this matter, and at length awakening our people to the
iniquity, so impressed our rulers as to induce a better policy.
But for the supreme vanity and duplicity of the Chinese, war
might have been averted. Their obnoxious impudence, and
the insults they strove to heap upon us, necessitated the
vindication of our honour, and occasioned the landing of a
British force to chastise their folly and protect British pro-
perty. Accordingly, in 1840, the Twenty-sixth, with the
Eighteenth and Forty-ninth regiments, and other Indian

186 HISTORY OF THE fiOOTTISn REGIMENTS,

troops, embarked from Madras, and» arriving in China, ac-
complished [I landing on the island of Chusan, Excepting
in some few cases where the Chinese did behave themselves
like men in the defence of their country, our soldiers victori-
ously marched upon the cities of Sbanghae and Chin-Keang-
foo, which fell au easy triumph to their daring. The
campaigns afford Httle to interest us in their record : we are,
therefore, content to say the arduous services of our troope
were rewarded, and, with the Eighteenth, Forty-ninth, Fifty-
fifth, and Ninety-eighth regiments, our Cameronians won thd
distinction of the " Dragon/' Returning to Calcutta in 1843,
the Twenty-sixth proceeded thence to England, and in 1850
garrisoned Gibraltar. In 1853 the regiment embarked for
Canada, and was stationed at Montreal, afterwards, re-embark-
ing, removed to Bermuda, whence, in 1859, it once more
returned to the beloved shores of our native land. Restored
to Scotland in 1861, garrisoning Edinburgh Castle, the regi-
ment was welcomed amongst us with every expression of the
highest veneration and heartfelt interest as the representative
of the Cameronians, whose prompt loyalty and patriotism,
more than a hundred and seventy years ago, wrested that
same castle from the dominion of the Stuart, and helped to
give that liberty of faith which we now so abundantly enjoy.

CHAPTER XYIII.

" Think on Scotia's ancient heroes,
Think on foreign foes repelled,
Think on glorious Bruce and Wallace,
Wha the proud usurpers quell'd."

LIFE GUARDS — SEVENTH HUSSAKS — SEVENTEENTH LIGHT
DRAGOONS — SEVENTIETH FOOT.

Not to exceed the limits we prescribed in setting out, we are
reluctantly compelled, in fulfilling our promise, to group into a
single brief chapter a variety of records incidental to our history.

LIFE GUAEDS.
It is only fitting to note, that two troops of Scots Life
Guards, raised in Scotland shortly after the Kestoration, and
engaged with the Scots Greys and Claverhouse's Scots Horse
in putting down Presbyterianism by the sword, were at the
Eevolution included in the splendid cavalry of the Life Guards,
which have since been retained in waiting upon the sovereign —
their magnificent equipment and martial appearance, lending
dignity to the pageant of Royalty. Their excellence as soldiers
has been proved in the memorable victory of " Waterloo."

THE SEVENTH HUSSABS-" QUEEN'S OWN."
Viscount Dundee's regiment of Scots Dragoons, or, as
familiarly known in Scottish song, "the bonnets o' Bonnie

188 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

Dundee," refusing to enter the service of William and
Mary upon the involuntary abdication and flight of James
IL, retiring into Scotland, becoming partners in the treason
and rebellion of their fiery leader, involved in his ruin, was
lost to the country. As if to replace this regiment, which
had thus fallen to pieces, the King, in 1690, raised a new
cavalry corps in Scotland, known as Cunningham's Dragoona.
It shares much of the history, and participates largely in the
honours, which we have already attempted to describe as
belonging to the " Scots Greys/' The regiment was disbanded
in 1713; but, two years later, re-formed from three companies
of the Scots Greys, two companies of the Eoyal Dragoons, and
one newly raised. As the " Seventh Queen's Own Hussars,*'
it has never since ceased to sustain its early reputation for
steadiness and valour — the tokens of which, emblazoned upon
its colours and appointments, are comprised in these two
words: "Peninsula'' and "Waterloo/'

SEVENTEENTH LIGHT DEAGOONS.
Whilst France and Britain fiercely contended as to the
extent of their dominions in the American continent, where
each might well be supposed to have enough and to spare.
Lord Aberdour, in 1759, raised a regiment of cavalry in
Scotland. Light dragoons had just then been introduced
into the service, and proved a most valuable arm thereof.
We have failed to discover precisely in what services this corps
was employed, but are inclined to think, with the Fifteenth
Light Dragoons, the Inniskilling, and Scots Greys, it must

THE SEVENTIETH FOOT.

189

have served in Germany, under the Duke of Brunswick, dur-
ing the Seven Years' War. It was disbanded in 1763.

The Seventeenth Lancers, inheriting the martial ardour of
this old regiment, have more than sustained the credit of the
"Seventeenth" — bearing upon its colours and appointments
"The Alma," "Balaklava," "Inkermann," and "Sevastopol"—
and has gained a mightier fame as one of the five regiments
who formed the Light Cavalry Brigade under the Earl of
Cardigan in his memorable charge during the Crimean war,
fitly styled, from its fatal glory— "The Death's Eide."

THE SEVENTIETH FOOT, OB SUEEEY EEGIMENT.

The disputes arising in 1758 between France and Britain
as to the boundary line of their American colonies failing to
be amicably adjusted, war was accepted as the stern arbiter.
To meet the emergency, our army was increased, and the —

Second Battalion of the 3d Foot constituted the Cist Regiment.

4th

it

62d

8th

(1

63d

11th *

((

64th

12th

u

65th

19th

i(

66th

20th *

I it

67th

23d

tl

68th

24th

ti

69th

31st

tl

70th

32d

ti

7l8t

83d

It

72d

34th

I l<

73d

86th

I tl

74th

37th

I tl

76th

190 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIHENTS.

Thus the Seventieth was born out of the second battalion
of the Thirty-first English Kegiment, (raised about the year
1702, during the reign of Queen Anne^ and for some time
serving as marines in the fleet). Shortly after its formation,
being stationed in Scotland, and largely recruited in Glasgow,
the Seventieth was styled, in consequence of its interest in that
city and its light grey facings, the ** Glasgow Greys/' Ten
years later the facings were changed to black. In 178^ pro-
bably in compliment to its colonel, it became the "Surrey
Begimenf From some unaccountable reason, in 1812 it was
restored to somewhat of its original character as the "Glasgow
Lowland Regiment; '' and again in 1823, likely for recruiting
purposes, it was re-christened the " Surrey*' — which designa-
tion it still retains. Although stationed in British America
during the war which raged amid the wilds of the New World,
we do not find it fortunate enough to be engaged. Indeed,
the captures of the islands of Martinique in 1794, and
Guadaloupe in 1810, seem to be the only trophies which it
has been honoured to attain. No doubt its ranks contained
the same brave spirits as have everywhere and always sus-
tained the credit of the British soldier — yet have these
been destined to reap in quietude a glory by good conduct
no less meritorious, although apparently less lustrous, than
that which is acquired amid the carnage of the battle-field —
consecrated in "the stormy music of the drum," and pro-
claimed in the shrill sound of the trumpet.

THE SEVENTY-THIKD FOOT;

OBIGINALLT

SECOND BATTALION

OF THE

FORTY-SECOND ROYAL HIGHLANDERS.

CHAPTER XIX.

" Then our sodgers were drest in their kilts and short hose,
Wi' their bonnete and belts which their dress did compose,
And a bag of oatmeal on their backs to make brose.

O! the kail brose o* anld Scotland,

And O the Scottish kail brose."

1780-1862 — CAPE OF GOOD HOPE — INDIA — MANGALORE —
SERINGAPATAM — NEW SOUTH WALES — GERMANY — WATERLOO
— CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

The immense and increasing territory which circumstances
had placed under British protection, and in the end consigned
to our possession in India, occasioned a considerable increase
of our army in order to maintain these new gotten provinces
against the incursions of neighbouring and powerful tribes.

192 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS,

Thus, in 1780, a second battalion ^as raised for the Forty-
second Royal Highlanders, which was ultimately constituted
independently the Seventy-third regiment. The battalion
was embodied at Perth, under Lord John Murray as Colonel,
and Macleodj of Macleod, as Lieut.-ColoneL Amongst its early
officers, Lieutenant Oswald was distinguished as the subject of
a strange speculation which at this time so tickled the brilliant
imaginings of our " literati/' as to call forth from the pen of a
learned doctor an elaborate disquisition ^ intended to prove
that Napeolon the Great was none else than Lieutenant
Oswald, whOf imbibing republican ideas, had passed over to
France, and by a chain of circumstances been elevated from
the command of a republican regiment to be the great captain
and ruler of France. Such marvellous transformations were
by no means uncommon in the then disordered state of
French society. Virtue as well as vice was ofttimes the idol
for a time, to be exalted and adored. But the life and
adventures of Lieutenant Oswald, however notorious, did not
attain such a grand ideal. With his two sons, he fell fighting
at the head of his regiment in La Vendee in 1793.

Scarce had the battalion been completed ere it was shipped
for foreign service. Intended to prosecute an attack upon
the colony of the Cape of Good Hope, the aim of the expedi-
tion was frustrated by the promptitude of Admiral Sufierin,
who conmianded the French fleet, and arriving first at the
colony, prevented a landing being successfully efiected. The
expedition thus interrupted sailed for India, in the passage
making a valuable capture of richly laden Dutch Indiamen.

FORTY-SECOND ROYAL HIGHLANDERS. 193

In the division of the spoil arising, after much disputing, the
soldiers shared. One hundred and twenty officers and men
of the regiment fell a prey to the scurvy and fever on the
voyage, which, from the ignorance and incapacity of the com-
manders of the transports, was protracted to twelve months.
The "Myrtle," without maps or charts, separated from the
fleet in a tempest, was only saved by the cool resolution of
Captain Dalyell, who, amid many perils, succeeded in navigat-
ing the vessel to St Helena, and so rescuing many valuable
lives who otherwise would probably have been lost. Arrived at
Madras, the battalion was immediately advanced into the
interior, where the critical position of British afiairs, assailed
by the numerous black legions of Hyder Ali and his son
Tippoo Saib, aided by a French force under General Lally,
rendered the presence of every bayonet of importance. The
utmost efibrts of Lieut.-Colonel Thomas Frederick Mackenzie
Humberston could only muster a British force of 2500 men,
of whom 2200 were Sepoys. Nevertheless, with these he
advanced to check the progress of the enemy, who had an
army of 10,000 cavalry and 14,000 infantry. Notwithstand-
ing this immense superiority in numbers on the part of the
enemy, nothing could daunt our troops; bravely they held
their own, defying the most desperate attempts of the foe
to drive them back. The general order thus records the
action that ensued: "This little army, attacked on ground
not nearly fortified, by very superior numbers, skilfully dis-
posed and regularly led on; they had nothing to depend on
but their native valour, their discipline, and the conduct of

%

194 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

the officers. These were nobly exerted, and the event has
been answerable. The intrepidity with which Major Camp-
bell and the Highlanders repeatedly charged the eneiny was
most honourable to their character"

More eflfectually to strike at the power of the Sultan by
cutting him oflf from the source whence he had hitherto drawn
his supplies, a considerable force was ordered to assemble in the
Bombay Presidency, and, under Brigadier-General Matthews,
assail Beddinore. To join this army the battalion was
embarked and sailed for Bombay, whence, advancing into the
country, it effected a junction with the army near Cundapore.
The Highlanders were particularly distinguished in the attack
and capture of a series of forts which impeded the march, and
especially so in the taking of a strong fortress which lay in
the way, named, because of its strength, Hyder Gurr. The
enemy was so impressed by the spirit evinced in these
assaults, that, dreading a further attack, they evacuated
Beddinore without an attempt to defend it, which was im-
mediately occupied by the British in January, 1783. This
battalion was not of the army which soon after was sur-
rendered to the enemy by General Matthews, who foolishly
deemed himself too weak to withstand the imposing force
which had surrounded him in Beddinore.

The conduct of Major Campbell, who commanded this
battalion in the defence of Mangalore, stands forth in brilliant
contrast to the errors which led General Matthews to surren-
der an equally brave army into the cniel hands of the Mysore
tyrant. With 250 Highlanders and 1500 Sepoys, Major

FORTY-SECOND ROYAL HIGHLANDERS. 195

Campbell, although assailed by an army of 100,000 men,
aided by a powerful artillery, defended Mangalore for nine
months. Throughout the siege the defenders behaved with
the most heroic constancy and gallantry, although experi-
encing the pinchings of famine, and exposed to the most cruel
disappointments. Even the Sepoys, emulating the High-
landers, so distinguished themselves, that, in compliment to
their bravery, our countrymen dubbed one of their regiments
their own third battalion. Truly it was a new and strange
thing to have within the Royal Highland Eegiment a cohort
of "brave blacks;" yet it displays a generous sentiment
which reflects honour upon the regiment. Three times did a
British squadron enter the bay, having on board stores and
reinforcements, yet as often did this needed and expected aid
retire without helping these perishing, exhausted brave — out
of respect to the ^armistice of a faithless foe, which for a time
existed and apparently terminated the siege. Their perfidy
in one instance, scorning the sacredness of treaties, exploded a
mine, which blew into the air the flag of truce then waving
from the British ramparts. Reduced to the last extremities,
shut up to a dark despair, indignant for the seeming neglect of
friends, and dreading the relentless wrath of the enemy, the
brave garrison accepted the only hope of life which yet re-
mained, by surrender; and, be it said to the honour of the Indian
character — ^with the generosity which becomes the conquering
soldier in the presence of a brave yet vanquished foe — ^the terms
imposed were such as enabled the exhausted remnant of the
garrison to retire with all the honours of war. Scarce 500

196 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS,

eflfective men could be mustered to march out of the fortress^
and these so feeble as to be hardly able to bear the weight of
their muskets. Colonel FuUarton, in his interesting volume
upon British India, thus writes : " Colonel Campbell has made
a defence which has seldom been equalled and never sur-
passed." The memorial of this service is still borne alone
upon the colours and appointments of the Seventy-third, So
redundant with honour had been the services of this second
battalion of the Forty-second Hoyai Highlanders, that when
the army, in 1786, was being reduced, by the disbanding
of second battalions, the representations of the officers of the
regiment were so favourably received by the Government, that
this battalion was retained as an independent corps, under the
command of Sir George Osbom, Bart., thereafter known as the
Seventy-third Regiment. In the division of Major-General
Robert Abercromby, the regiment joined the army of Lord
Comwallis, which, in 1792, advanced upon Seringapatam; the
attack was only arrested by the proposals of a treaty of
peace. In the brigade of Lieutenant-Colonel Da^dd Baird,
the Seventy -third was engaged in the reduction of the
French colony of Pondicherry, and, in 1795, in the army
of Major-General James Stuart, assailed and occupied the
valuable island of Ceylon. At length the arm of vengeance
— vengeance for the murdered brave who had fallen vic-
tims to the cruelty of Hyder Ali in the pestilential dun-
geons of Seringapatam — so often threatened, yet alwaj^s
averted, descended to consume the guilty city and destroy
its merciless ruler. Seringapatam fell before the arms of our

FORTY-SECOND ROYAL fflGHLANBERS. 197

troops, including the Seventy-third Regiment, in 1799. The
history of the regiment at this period is associated with the
early achievements of the " Great Duke," then the Honourable
Colonel Arthur Wellesley.

Eetuming home in 1805, the regiment proceeded to Scot-
land to recruit, and in 1809, despoiled of its Highland
character, laid aside " the garb of old Gaul " and the
designation it had hitherto enjoyed. Increased by the ad-
dition of a second battalion, the first battalion was sent to
New South Wales ; whilst the second, remaining at home, was,
in 1813, employed as the solitary representative of the British
army in the north of Germany.

The Annual Register gives the following account of the
battle of Gorde, where it fought with honour: — ^** After land-
ing at Stralsund, and assisting in completing the works of that
town, Lieutenant-Colonel Harris, with the Seventy-third, was
detached into the interior of the country, to feel for the enemy,
and also to get into communication with Lieutenant-General
Count Wallmoden, which dangerous service he successfully
effected, though he had with great care and caution to creep
with his small force between the large corps d'arm6e of
Davoust and other French Generals at that time stationed
in Pomerania, Mecklenburg, and Hanover. Having joined
Count Wallmoden, the Seventy-third contributed greatly to the
victory that General gained over the French on the plains of
Gorde, in Hanover, where Lieutenant-Colonel Harris, at the
head of his battalion, declining any aid, and at the moment
when the German hussars had been routed, charged up a

198 mSIORT OF THE SGOTTISH BBQDIEHTS.

steep hill, took a batteiy of French artillery, and unfurling
the British colours, at once spread terror amonggt that gallant
enemy which feared no others; a panic struck them, and they
fled."

This battalion was also hotly engaged at the desperate
conflict of Quatre Bras, and the decisive victory of Waterloo^
in 1815. In the Kaflir Wars^ which desolated South Africa
from 184S-47, and 1850-53, the Seventy-third bore an im-
portant part It was also present in India during the T&xaat
Sepoy Mutiny. Having abandoned its national character
since 1809, it does not fiill within the scope of this work
fructher to follow the narrative of those achievonents that
have never fruled worthily to sustain the excellence which —
whilst our own — ^belonged to it We are sure that, whoever
they be that now represent the Seventy-third, the perusal
of this imperfect sketch will not make them ashamed of its
Highland origin, but rather iuoiie them to emulate tho^e brave
deedis the glory of which they ar^ privil^^ed to inherit.

THE SEVENTY-FIFTH FOOT;

OBIOINALLT

HIGHLANDERS

CHAPTER XX.

** Courage! Nothing e*er withstood
Freemen fighting for their good ;
Armed with all their fathers' fame,
They will win and wear a name
That shall go to endless glorj,
Like the gods of old Greek story;
Kaised to heaven and heavenly worth,
For the good they gave to earth."

1787-1862 — INDIA — CAPE OF GOOD HOPE — INDIAN MUTINY.

In General Stuart's admirable and interesting annals of the
Highland Regiments, the brief record of the Seventy-fifth
Highlanders is introduced by a series of wholesome counsels
as to military administration, gathered from his own large
experience and wide field of diligent inquiry, from which we
shall quote a few extracts, as being useftd and helpful to our
history. It seems that this regiment, raised by Colonel
Robert Abercromby in 1787 from among his tenantry around

200 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH BEOTMENTS,

Stirling, and the veterans who, in earlier life, had served under
him in the army as a light brigade* had been subjected to
an unusually strict system of discipline, which had operated
prejudicially upon the corps. The system adopted "was formed
on the old Prussian model; fear was the great principle of
action; consequently, it became the first object of the soldiers
to escape detection, more than to avoid crimes." This system,
when enforced, "was carried into effect by one of the captains
who commanded in the absence of the field-officers. He was
an able and intelligent officer; but he had been educated in a
school in which he had imbibed ideas of correctness wliich
required no small strength of mind to enforce, and which,
when enforced with severity, tended to break the spirit of the
soldiers to a degree which no perfection in movement can
ever compensate. When applied to the British soldier in par-
ticular, this system has frequently frustrated its own purpose."
Brotherly-kindness and charity — patience and forbearance —
are virtues which should not be banished, but rather be
exercised, as thoroughly consistent with the best military
institutions. A considerate attention to the wants, nay, the
very weaknesses of the soldier, is likely to accomplish more for
good discipline than the stern frigidity of mere military
despotism. It was in the camp that the iron will of Napoleon,
unbending, achieved a charmed omnipotence over his soldiers,
and by a single simple, pithy sentence fired them with that
ardour and devotion which made Europe tremble beneath the
tread of his invincible legions. The charm was only broken
when the vastness of his dominion had scattered the old

THE SEVENTY-FIFTH FOOT. 201

soldiers of the empire, and the feeble conscript failed to sus-
tain the veteran remnant of "The Guard," the more especially
at a time when disasters, quickly crowding upon his arms,
and bereft of the invincibility which had hitherto been in-
separable to his presence, no power remained to animate the
soul of the recruit, rudely torn from his home and pressed
into the fatal vortex of the dying army. The marvellous
sway of this great captain over the hearts as well as the wills
of his soldiers teaches many useful lessons, and illustrates
what General Stuart so well observes: — "When a soldier's
honour is in such little consideration that disgraceful punish-
ments are applied to trifling faults, it will soon be thought not
worth preserving." We must have a degree of faith equally in
the honour as well as the loyalty of our soldiers, to help them
to a cheerful and not a Russian stolidness in the discharge
of duty. In the case of the Seventy-fifth "the necessity
of this severe discipline was not proved by the results, when
the regiment passed under the command of another officer.
The system was then softened and relaxed, and much of the
necessity of punishment ceased; the men became more quiet
and regular, and in every respect better soldiers. A soldier
sees his rights respected, and while he performs his duty, he
is certain of being well treated, well fed, well clothed, and
regularly paid; he is, consequently, contented in his mind and
moral in his habits."

At length released from the terrors under which, for
eighteen months, the corps had been trained, it embarked

for India, where, with other King's regiments, chiefly High-

2a

202 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS,

land, and the British native troops^ it was present with great
credit at the several attacks upon Seriugapatain, which, in
1799, terminated in the capture of that capitah Subsequently
the Seventy-fifth was engaged with the army under Lord Lake in
the campaigns of Tipper India. It was one of the five British
regiments which, in 1805, were so disastrously repulsed in an
attempt upon the strong fortress of Bhurtpore. Returning
to England in 180G, like the Sevcuty*third, the regiment was
shortly thereafter shorn of its dignity as a Highland corps,
not a hundred Highlanders remaining in its ranks.

We cannot but lament the circumstances which have
bereaved us of an interest in so many regiments once
representatives of our Old Highland Brigade. Believing
our "Scottish Rights Association *' to sympathise with us
in these regrets, and believing it to be composed of men
truly in earnest, we commend, to their most serious con-
sideration— not merely as a theme for eloquent disquisition,
but as a field for action — the revival and preservation, in
their original integrity, of the old Scottish and Highland
regiments. By suggesting some better mode of recruiting
and stirring up our countrymen to rally round the national
colours of those regiments, which still in name belong to us,
they may be prevented from still farther degenerating, and
sharing a similar fate as those who have already been
lopped from the parent stem — lost to our nationality, lost
because of our own apathy, lost in the great sea of British
valour. A very interesting cotemporary work, giving "An
Account of the Scottish Regiments," published by Mr Nimmo

THE SEVENTY-FIFTH FOOT. 203

of Edinburgh, and compiled by an official well versant in
these matters, is now before us, and shows how the tide of
professed improvement, encroaching in this utilitarian age, is
likely soon to obliterate the ancient landmarks. Wave after
wave of civiHsation has broken upon the shore of privilege
and custom, hallowed by a venerable age, and, by assimilation,
would sweep away the time-honoured characteristics which
distinguish our Scottish soldiers and people.

The Seventy-fifth regiment served with distinction at the
Cape of Good Hope during the Kaffir War of 1835, which
threatened to wrest that valuable colony from us. It is also
distinguished for its heroic efforts before Delhi during the
Indian Mutiny, where Lieutenant Wadeson and Private
Patrick Green won the Victoria Cross.* With the Koyal
Tiger emblazoned upon its colours — a distinction gained on
the same sultry plains for previous service in India, conferred
in July, 1807 — it increased its merited reputation by driving
the enemy before it, at the point of the bayonet, and effecting
the capture of all his gims. The conduct of the little army
which achieved the fall of Delhi is thus eulogised by the Gover-
nor-General : — " Before a single soldier, of the many thousands
who are hastening from England to uphold the supremacy of
the British power, has set foot on these shores, the rebel force,
where it was strongest and most united, and where it had the

• For these and many other details, the Author is indebted to the ^^ Medals qf
the British Army" by Mr Carter, who has therein endeavoured to individualise the
several regiments, and to show the particular deeds, not only of the corps, but also
of the officers and men.

204 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

command of unbounded military appliances, has been de-
stroyed or scattered by an army collected within the limits
of the North-western Provinces and the Punjab alone.

**The work has been done before the support of those
battalions, which have been collected in Bengal from the forces
of the Queen in China, and in Her Majesty's eastern colonies,
could reach Major-General Wilson's army; and it is by the
courage and endurance of that gallant army alone; by the
skill, sound judgment, and steady resolution of its brave
commander; and by the aid of some native chiefs, true to
their allegiance, that, under the blessing of God, the head
of rebellion has been crushed, and the cause of loyalty,
humanity, and rightful authority vindicated."

LORD LYNEDOGH.
THE HIHEJim, OR "PtRTttSWRt VOLUNTEERS."

THE NINETIETH FOOT;

OB,

PERTHSHIRE YOLUNTEERS.

CHAPTER XXI.

*''• lie, in the iirmameut of honour, stands
Like a star, fixed, not moved with any thunder
Of popular ai)plause, or sudden lightning
Of self -opinion ; he liath saved his country,
And thinks 'twas but his duty."

1794-1862 — GIBRALTAR — MINORCA — EGYPT — WEST INDIES —
CRIMEA — INDIAN MUTINY.

From the wilds of Perthshire have hailed many of the best
and bravest soldiers, whose deeds grace our military annals,
and whose lives have been the embodiment of all that truly
ennobles character and makes the man. Of these there is
none perhaps more justly celebrated than Thomas Graham,
Lord Lynedoch, whose abilities early marked him to be the
leader of the patriotism of his native county, which, in
1794, found its expression in the enrolment of the Nine-

206 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

tieth Eegiment of Foot, or Perthshire Volunteers. Shortly
after its formation, the corps was included in the army under
Lord Moira; and in 1795^ from the Isle Dieu, proceeded to
reinforce the garrison of Gibraltar. With the Twenty-eighth,
the Forty-second, and the Fifty-eighth regiments, the Ninetieth
formed the force which, under Lieutemmt-General Sir Charles
Stuart, in 1798, assailed and captured the island of Minorca
from the Spaniards. A more important seiTice, and more
serious encounter with the enemy, awaited the arms of the
Ninetieth, as part of the expedition of Sir Ralph Abercromby,
which, in 1801, was destined to drive the French out of
Eg3^t. Commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Hill, afterwards
Viscount Hill, it was brigaded with the Eighth, the Thirteenth^
and the Eighteenth regiments. At this period the regiment
wore helmets, giving it the appearance of a body of dismounted
cavalry. At Mandora, believing it to be such, and supposing,
in consequence, that being thus out of its own element, the regi-
ment should lack the wonted steadiness of British infantry, the
French cavalry charged fiercely and repeatedly upon the Nine-
tieth, yet always fruitlessly. The phalanx of our Perthshire
men remained firm, whilst many a saddle was emptied by its
murderous fire. It was on this occasion that Sir Ralph Aber-
cromby, separated from his stafi", having his horse shot under
him, was on the point of being captured, when a soldier of the
Ninetieth afforded such prompt assistance, and by heroically
exposing his own life in defence of his commander, accomplished
his rescue. At the same battle, Colonel Hill, who, as the
associate of Wellington, afterwards shared the glory of the

PEETHSHIRE VOLUNTEERS. 207

Peninsular campaigns, had his life saved by the fortunate
circumstance of the helmet he wore. "A musket ball struck
it on the brass rim with such force, that he was thrown from
his horse to the ground, and the brass completely indented.
Without this safeguard, the ball would have passed through
his head." The conspicuous bravery of the Ninetieth and
Ninety-second regiments on this occasion was rewarded by
the honourable distinction of "Mandora," in addition to the
"Sphinx"' and "Egypt," borne by other corps engaged in the
expedition.

Whilst the British were accomplishing glorious results
on the plains of Spain, the Ninetieth was employed, in
1809-10, with the Seventh, Eighth, Thirteenth, Fifteenth,
Twenty-third, Twenty-fifth (flank companies). Sixtieth, Sixty-
third, and First West Indian Regiments, in the reduction of
the valuable island of Martinique. This success was soon
afterwards followed by the capture of Guadaloupe, in which
the Ninetieth bore a conspicuous part. The five and thirty
years which intervene betwixt this and the next active service
in which the regiment was engaged, although a blank so far
as mere fighting is concerned, displayed in its soldiers
excellences not less to be admired than those which mani-
fest a mere physical might or brute courage. From the
"Account of the Scottish Regiments" — to which we have
already referred — we find that in 1812 the composition of the
regiment in its several battalions was as follows: — English,
1097; Scots, 638; Irish, 486; Foreigners, 24. Total, 2144.

In 1846 the Kafl^ of South Africa attempted to recover

208 HISTOEY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

their ancient territory from British dominioTi, and accom-
panied these attempts with a scries of predatory incursions
upon our settlements, especially in the neighbourhood of
Graham^s Towm It became ncceasaiy^ for the defence of the
colony, to assemble a British army of some strength. Ere
this could be accomplishedj much valuable property became
the prey of these savages, and many lives were sacrificed on
the altar of their vengeance* At first the disparity in
numbers was very great — so great as to preclude a decisive
result in our favour — the whole British force scarcely amount-
ing to 700 men, whilst the enemy possessed 60,000 sable
warriors. Moreover, the peculiarity of the warfare in " the
bush " served somewhat to advantage the foe, and negative
the superiority we might otherwise enjoy, from troops better
armed and disciplined. The assembled British, augmented
by reinforcements from home, comprised, besides Royal
Artillery and Engineers, the Seventh Dragoon Guards, the
Sixth, Twenty-seventh, Forty-fifth, Seventy-third, Ninetieth,
and Ninety-first regiments, the first battalion of the Rifle
Brigade, and the Cape Mounted Riflemen. This army, ad-
vancing in two divisions, after undergoing the most harassing
service, exposed continually to the attack of an unseen and
treacherous enemy, at length so hunted down the guerilla
bands which infested the country, that the Kaffirs were glad
to purchase peace by the surrender, as hostages, of their chief
Sandilli, together with his brother and eighty of his princi-
pal followers. "During this long and protracted desultory
warfare great fatigue and exertions had been undergone with

PERTHSHIRE VOLUNTEERS. 209

the characteristic heroism of the British soldier; and the
humanity and forbearance displayed by him towards the
fickle, treacherous, and revengeful enemy, were as conspicuous
as his bravery."

The Ninetieth joined the "army of the Crimea" before
Sebastopol early in December, 1854, and served during that
fatal winter when so many brave men fell the victims of
disease, induced by the hardships to which they were exposed,
and which so abundantly displayed the unmurmuring firm-
ness of the British soldier, so graciously cheered by the
sympathy of our beloved Queen, who thus beautifully ex-
pressing her feelings, has unwittingly rewarded the heroic
endurance of our soldiers, by conferring, in these words, a
well-merited tribute to their bravery, which must ever be
treasured by our country: —

" Would you tell Mrs Herbert that I begged she would let
me see frequently the accounts she receives from Miss Night-
ingale or Mrs Bracebridge, as I hear no details of the wounded,
though I see so many from officers, etc., about the battle-
field, and naturally the former must interest me more than
any one. Let Mrs Herbert also know that I wish Miss Night-
ingale and the ladies would tell these poor noble wounded and
sick men that no one takes a warmer interest, or feels more
for their sujQFerings, or admires their courage and heroism more
than their Queen. Day and night she thinks of her beloved
troops; so does the Prince. Beg Mrs Herbert to communicate
these my words to those ladies, as I know that our sympathy

is much valued by these noble fellows. Victoria."

2b

210 mSTORY OP THE SCOTTISH REGOIE5TS.

It was dnring the third bombardment of Sebastopol, and
in the assault and defence of the fortifications known as the
Quarries, that the Ninetieth first seriously encountered the
Bussians. In this attack, which took place on the 7th June,
1855, the regiment was gallantly led by Lieut.-Colonel Bobert
CampbeU, who fell severely wounded. Belonging to the
Light Division, it afterwards formed part of the assailing'
force which so heroically yet imsuccessfully attempted to
carry the powerful defences of the Bedan. Fearing the result
of a second assault, sustained by the same impetuous valour,
and incited by the resolve to wipe out the seeming stain of
the previous repulse, the Bussians declining the contest, beat a
timely retreat, evacuating that portion of the fortifications
deemed no longer tenable, and by a series of masterly move-
ments successfully effecting an escape to the other side of the
harbour, from whence the Governor negotiated the surrender
of the entire city. These good tidings, received with joy by
all classes at home, elicited from the Throne the following
expression of our nation's gratitude to the heroes of the
•* Crimean Army :'' —

" The Queen has received \\'ith deep emotion the welcome
intelligence of the fall of Sebastopol. Penetrated with pro-
found gratitude to the Almighty, who b;is vouchsafed this
triumph to the allied army, Her Majesty h:\s commanded me
to express to yourself, and through you to her army, the pride
with which she regards this fresh instance of their heroism.
The Queen contmitulates her troops on the triumphant issue
of their protracted si^e, and thanks them for the cheerfulness

PEETHSHIRE VOLUNTEERS. 211

and fortitude with which they have encountered its toils, and
the valour which has led to its tennination. The Queen
deeply laments that this success is not without its alloy, in the
heavy losses that have been sustained; and while she rejoices
in the victory. Her Majesty deeply sympathizes with the noble
sufferers in their country's cause."

It remains for us now simply to record the memorable
services of the Ninetieth in that dark period of our country's
history — the Indian Mutiny. Brigaded with our Highlanders,
"Havelock's Seventy-eighth — ^the Saints," the regiment was
advanced, imder Generals Outram and Havelock, for the relief
of Lucknow. Whilst guarding the baggage near the Alum-
bagh, the Ninetieth was fiercely attacked by a strong column
of the rebel cavalry, and it was only after a desperate fight and
much loss that the mutineers were repulsed and dispersed.
The further relief of Lucknow being accomplished by Sir
Colin Campbell, now Lord Clyde, the regiment was there-
after engaged with the Forty-second and Fifty-third storm-
ing the position of the mutineers at the Martinifere. The
numerous acts of individual bravery which marked the con-
duct of so many of our Perthshire Volunteers have received,
as the reward of distinguished merit, the decoration of the
"Victoria Cross;" whilst Perthshire may well indulge a becom-
ing pride as she reviews the famous achievements of her
soldier sons.

** Courage, therefore, brother-men,
Cry »GodI' and to the fight again.''

THE NINETY-FIEST FOOT;

OB,

ARGYLLSHIRE, ORIGINALLY HIGHLANDERS.

CHAPTER XXII.

" The Campbells they are a' in arms,
Their loyal faith and truth to show,
With banners rattling in the wind ;
The Campbells are coming, 0-ho, 0-ho!"

1794-18C2 — CAPE OF GOOD HOPE — PENINSULA — CORUNNA — SHIP-
WRECK— KAFFIR WARS — INDIAN MUTINY.

To the cursory reader of Scottish history it appears some-
what strange that a chief such as the Duke of Argyll, who,
of first importance amongst our Scottish nobility, possessed
of so vast a territory, and exercising an almost regal power —
notwithstanding the military character of his family, and the
many officers of celebrity who have sprung from among his
vassals — should have comparatively fiiilcd to induce his
tenantry, so famed for bravery in our national wars, to
assume, as a body of soldiers distinctively belonging to the

THE NINETY-FIRST FOOT. 213

dan of Campbell, that prominence in our army to which
their ancient renown entitles them. This may be explained
in the fact that the natives of Argyllshire have always mani-
fested a strong predilection for the navy rather than the
army, probably arising from the almost insular position of the
county, and the sea-faring life of so many of its people. The
Ninety-first, at first numbered the Ninety-eighth, which now
remains the only, and, in our day, ill-defined representative
of the martial renown of the Campbells, was raised by Lieut-
Colonel Duncan Campbell of Lochnell, and embodied at
Stirling in 1794. It was almost immediately thereafter
embarked for service at the Cape of Good Hope, where it
remained until that colony was restored to the Dutch in
1801. The severe and constant drain which had drafted
from the scanty population of our Highlands and Lowlands
whole regiments of recruits, had so exhausted the military
resources of our country that, in 1809, it was found impos-
sible to maintain all the numerous Gaelic corps which then
existed in their original national integrity and completeness.
Hence the Seventy-third, Seventy-fifth, Ninety-first, and the
old Ninety-fourth (Scots Brigade), were of necessity doomed
to lay aside the Highland costume, and, to a great extent,
abandon their Scottish character. This regiment was pre-
sent in the brigade of Brigadier-General Craufurd in reserve
at the battles of Eoleia and Vimiera in 1808, which seemed
to foreshadow the triumphs of after years. It was also with
the army of Sir John Moore in his disastrous retreat, termi-
nated so gloriously in the victory of Corunna, the lustre of

214 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS,

which was only dimmed by the death of the hero, who fell
whilst yet achieving it, and whose decease Marshal Soult^
with a tnie soldier spirit, alike with ourselves lamented*
Chivalrously he paid the last tribute of military respect to
the departed brave, by firing the funeral salute^ and raising
a monument over the grave of his fallen foe. The generous
behaviour of Marshal Soiilt, notwithstanding his after faults,
must ever command out admiration, and remain a record of
his own nobleness — the tribute of the friend of the brave;
and justified the ovation he received at the hands of the
British public, when he visited our shores as the ambassador
of Louis Philippe*

For a moment the success of the French seemed complete,
and the sway of Napoleon universal; whilst the British army
appeared, as had been often threatened, " driven into the sea."
But the British meantime returning to England, the chasms
which want, fatigue, and the sword had occasioned in the
recent retreat, were speedily filled up, and now our army
only waited the opportunity when, returning to the Peninsula,
it should avenge the past and deliver the oppressed. Soon,
under Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Wellesley, landed at
Lisbon, it began that victorious career which, by a per-
petual series of successes, advanced the tide of war through
Spain, and, at length entering France, helped materially to
overthrow the dominion which the Empire had usurped.
Although the Ninety-first claims an interest in the actions of
the " Peninsula," it was not until the British army was about
entering France that its connection therewith led to con-

I

THE NINETY-PIB8T FOOT. 215

spicuoufl service — ^the memorials of which are still borne upon
the colours and appointments of the regiment in these words :
the "Pyrenees/' the "Nive/' the "Nivelle/' "Orthes/' and
« Toulouse/'

From these scenes of stirring and thrilling interest, we
turn to record a signal instance of heroism which, occurring
nearer our own time, presents an illustrious example of
the qualities which brightly distinguish the British soldier
far more truly than even the triumphs of the battle-field.
We give the incident as inscribed by order of the Duke of
Wellington in the Eecords of the Eegiment, who declared " he
had never read anything so satisfactory,'' that is, in its com-
pilation, and the marvellous obedience to orders and fidelity
to duty it serves as a report to show : —

"The reserve battalion of the Ninety-first Eegiment
arrived in Table Bay on the 25th of August, 1842, under the
command of Lieut.-Colonel Lindsay.

"On the 27th of August the command of the battalion
and of the detachments embarked on board the *Abercrombie
Eobinson' transport, devolved on Captain Bertie Gordon of
the Ninety-first Eegiment, Lieut.-Colonel Lindsay and Major
Ducat having landed on that day at Cape Town.

"The situation of the transport was considered a dangerous
one from her size (being 1430 tons), and from the insuflBicient
depth of water in which she had brought up. The port-
captain, who boarded her on the evening of the 25th, advised
the captain to take up another berth on the following day.
This was impossible, for the wind blew strong into the bay

31C

tte 37& ife ok k^ cnniiBnBd to
latOBk a %k«- a »i.mib1i«i ItiirMir; and
«s * I^i^aftiir meexju «■ ife wnii^af ike 2Sdi.t]ie
««iK>K«i viki^ s&asoic Sx nn?: ^f ««kar ofele paitail in tvo
<♦ Awf aKax-ajs kktvxt^ aai «*^t itmx Ae dsq* before
'^ ^"■""^^^ ~<f- -~ scrJcic "vt^ iasTT crKscies. acaizisc the
Stv\i?\i « $oij ^:.,-.^J^ vwxri? lie ^bkIL ihsw nife distant,

* '^^* '-^^ "".csf ^* ^^^^ -""^ ^3>* zajs. "wisA V^^ iiev«

«o«.v^ , J :i,,:^Vfc *=»i '-cV-^^ ^3k i^ ;t«- ':«c whnesEcd
XV, r;»v:,. ^v AYv:^ :ie 5.;.v cc -Jr.- ^^-I *:>i sea waa

*** *-«»*l «iw » at:a.>i *-:! ^i^ "Sfc.-i^T; c£ ibe surf,

!■* |iW>ciaKc!J:;T ,-;: ^gr:r~~-- i^»t to wind-
'••fc* «Me« ifc^ aerisaicjr fi&d, and

THE NINETY-FIRST FOOT. 217

every one of the seven hundred souls on board must have
perished.

" While in this position the heavy seas broke over her side
and poured down the hatchways. The decks were opening in
every direction, and the strong framework of the hull seemed
compressed together, starting the beams from their places.
The ship had been driven with her starboard-bow towards the
beach, exposing her stern to the sea, which rushed through
the stem ports and tore up the cabin floors of the orlop-deck.

" The thunder and lightning ceased towards morning, and
the ship seemed to have worked a bed for herself in the sand,
for the terrible rolling had greatly diminished, and there then
arose the hope that all on board would get safe ashore.

"At daybreak (about seven o'clock), it was just possible
to distinguish some people on the beach opposite to the wreck.
Owing to the fear of the masts, spars, and rigging falling, as
well as to keep as much top-weight as possible off the ship's
decks, the troops had been kept below, but were now allowed
to come on deck in small numbers.

"An attempt was made to send a rope ashore; and one of

the best swimmers, a Krooman, volunteered the trial with a

rope round his body; but the back-set of the surf was too

much for him. A line tied to a spar never got beyond the

ship's bows, and one fired from a cannon also failed. One of

the cutters was then carefully lowered on the lee-side of the

ship, and her crew succeeded in reaching the shore with a

hauling line. Two large surf-boats were shortly afterwards

conveyed in waggons to the place where the ship was stranded,

2c

218 HISTOBY OF THE SCOTTISH BEGIMEirrS.

and the following orders were given by Captain Gordon for
the disembarkation of the troops, viz.: —

^Ist. The women and children to disembark (of these
there were about seventy). 2d. The sick to disembark after
the women and children. 3d. The disembarkation of the
troops to take place by the companies of the Ninety-first draw-
ing lots; the detachments of the Twenty-seventh Begiment
and of the Cape Mounted Riflemen taking the precedence.
4tL The men to fall in on the upper deck, fully armed and
accoutred, carrying their knapsacks and grealrcoats. 5th.
Each officer to be allowed to take a carpet-bag or small port-
manteau.

^ The disembarkation of the women and children and of the
sick occupied &om half-past eight until ten o^clock a.m. The
detachments of the Twenty-seventh Begiment and of the Cape
Mounted Riflemen followed. That of the Ninety-first was
arranged by the wings drawing lots, and then the companies
of each wing.

" At half-past ten A.M., one of the surf-boats which had
been employed up to this time in taking the people off the
wreck, was required to assist in saving the lives of those on
board the 'Waterloo* convict ship, which was in still more
imminent peril, about a quarter of a mile from the *Aber-
crombie Robinson.'

"Having now but one boat to disembark four hundred
and fifty men, and the wind and sea, which had subsided a
little since daylight, b^inning again to rise, together with the
captain^B apj^mhension that she might go to pieces before

THE NINETT-FIRST FOOT. 219

sunset — which (however unfounded, as was afterwards proved,)
powerfully influenced Captain Gordon's arrangements — it
became necessary to abandon the men's knapsacks, as they not
only filled a greater space in the surf-boats than could be
.spared, but took a long time to hand down the ship's side.
The knapsacks had been brought on deck, but were now, for
these reasons, sent below again, and stowed away in the
women's standing-berths.

"The oflBicers were likewise informed that they would not
be allowed to take more than each could carry on his arm.
The disembarkation of the six companies went on regularly,
but slowly, from eleven a.m. until half-past three p.m.; there
being but one boat, which could only hold thirty men at a
time. At half-past three p.m., the last boat-load left the ship's
side. It contained those of the ship's oflBicers and crew who
had remained to the last; the sergeant-major of the reserve
battalion Ninety-first; one or two non-commissioned oflBicers,
who had requested permission to remain; Captain Gordon,
Ninety-flurst Kegiment; and Lieutenant Black, E.N., agent of
transports. This officer had dined at Government House the
night before, but came on board the wreck with one of the
first surf-boats that reached it on the following morning.

" Nearly seven himdred souls completed their disembarka-
tion after a night of great peril, and through a raging surf,
without the occurrence of a single casualty. Among them
were many women and children, and several sick men, of
whom two were supposed to be dying.

" Although it had been deemed prudent to abandon the

220 HISIOBY OF THE 800ITIBH BEGIMENTa

men's knapsaeks and the officers' baggage, the reaerve batta]i<m
of the Nineiy-first Begiment went down the side of that
abattered wied^ folly armed and accoutred^ and, with the
exception of their knapsacks, ready for instant service. It
woold be difficult to praise sufficiently the steady discipline of
that young and newly-formed battalion, thus severely tested
during nearly seventeen hours of danger; above ei^t of which
were hours of darkness and imminent periL That discipline
ffuled not, when the apparent hopelessness of our situation
might have led to scenes of confusion and crime. The double
guards and sentries which had at first been posted over the
wine and spirit stores, were found unnecessary, and they were
ultimately left to the ordinary protection of single sentries.

''Although the ship was straining in every timber, and
the heavy seas were making a fair breach over us, the com-
panies of that young battalion fell in on the weather-side of
the wreck, as their lots were drawn, and waited for their turn
to muster at the lee-gangway; and so perfect was their confi-
dence, their patience, and their gallantry, that although
another vessel was going to pieces within a quarter of a mile
of us, and a crowd of soldiers, sailors, and convicts were
perishing before their eyes, not a murmur arose from their
ranks when Captain Gordon directed that the lot should not
be applied to the detachments of the Twenty-seventh Regiment
and Cape Mounted Riflemen, but that the Ninety-first should
yield to them the precedence in disembarking from the wreck.

" The officers of the Ninety-first Regiment who disembarked
with the battalion were Captains Gordon and Ward, Lieutenant

THE NINETY-FIRST FOOT. 221

Cdliill, Ensigns M'Inroy and Layers, and Assistant-Surgeon
Stubbs. If from among the ranks of men who all behaved so
well, it were allowable to particularise any, the names of
Acting Sergeant - Major Murphy, Colour -Sergeant Philips,
Sergeant Murray, and Corporal Thomas Nugent, deserve this
distinction. It was through the first that Captain Gordon
communicated his orders, and carried them into execution.
Every order he (Sergeant-Major Murphy) received was obeyed,
during the confusion of a wreck, with the exactness of a
parade-ground. He never left the particular part of the ship
where he had been stationed, during the darkness and terror
of the night, although a wife and child seemed to claim a
portion of his solicitude; and when he received permission to
accompany them into the surf-boat, he petitioned to be allowed
to remain with Captain Gordon to the last.

" The two sergeants were young lads, barely twenty-two
years of age. They had married shortly before the battalion
embarked at Kingstown, and their wives (quite girls) were
clinging to them for support and comfort when the ship parted
from her anchors. The guards were ordered to be doubled,
and additional sergeants were posted to each. This brought
Sergeants Philips and Murray on duty. Without a murmur
they left their wives and joined the guards of the lower deck.
Their example of perfect obedience and discipline was eminently
useful

" And, if an officer's name may be mentioned, the conduct
of Assistant-Surgeon Stubbs well deserves notice. He was in
wretched health; but on the first announcement of danger he

222 HISTORY OF THE S00TTI8H REQIMENTS.

repaired to the sick-bay, and never left his charge until they
were all safely landed.

** And, though last in this narrati ve» the beautiful calmness
and resignation of the soldiers' wives ought to be ranked
among the first of those ingredients of order which contributed
to our safety. Confusion, terror, and despair, joined to the
wildest shrieks^ were fast spreading their dangerous influence
&om the women's quarter when Captam Gordon first descended
among the people on the lower decks. A few words sufficed
to quiet them, and from that moment their patience and sub-
mission never faltered.

"By half-past three p.m. the bilged and broken wreck was
abandoned with all the stores and baggage — ^public and regi-
mental— ^to the fast-increasing gale, and to the chances of the
approaching night.''

The excellent conduct of the Ninety-first throughout the
Elaffir Wars of 1846-47, and again in 1850-53, received, with
the army, the grateful thanks of the country, conveyed through
the Government,' in these expressive terms, to Lieutenant-
General the Hon. Sir George Cathcart : — " The field of glory
opened to them in a Kaffir war and Hottentot rebellion, is
possibly not so favourable and exciting as that which regular
warfare with an open enemy in the field afibrds, yet the
unremitting exertions called for in hunting well-armed yet
skulking savages through the bush, and driving them from
their inmmierable strongholds, are perhaps more arduous
than those required in regular warfare, and call more con-
stantly for individual exertion and intelligence. The British

THE NIl^TY-FIKST FOOT.

223

soldier, alwajrs cheerfully obedient to the call, well knows that,
when he has done his duty, he is sure to obtain the thanks
and good opinion of his gracious Queen "

The subsequent foreign service of the Ninety-first has
been in the Mediterranean, and in September, 1858, it pro-
ceeded overland to India.

THE SCOTS BRIGADE;

OB,

THE OLD NINETY-FOURTH FOOT.

CHAPTER XXIII.

" When midnight hour is come,
The drummer forsakes his tomb,
And marches, beating his phantom-drum,
To and fro through the ghastly gloom.

" He plies the drum-sticks twain,
With fleshlcss fingers pale.
And beats, and beats again, and again,
A long and dreary rcveil!

" Like the voice of abysmal waves
Resounds its unearthly tone.
Till the dead old soldiers, long in their graves.
Awaken through every zone."

When we regard the battle-fields of earth, and think of the
mighty dead who slumber there, apart from feelings of
sentimental or real respect for the sacred dust, imagination
animates the scene, as Memory, conjuring up from the graves
of the past, bids us confront the soldiers who lived, and fought,
and have long since died to "gild a martial story.'' Yet it is

THE OLD NINETY-FOURTH FOOT. 225

our business, in the present undertaking, to gather from the
mouldering records of a bygone age, the truth, and rescue
from the shades of oblivion that '* martial story " which
belongs to the soldiers of Scotland.

The Old Scots Brigade claims an antiquity of nearly 300
years, and only yields in prominence to that of the Royal
Scots, which in previous chapters we have discussed. The
love of adventure, the hope of gain, and the troubles at home
having variously conspired to expatriate many Scotsmen,
these readily found employment in the armies of the Con-
tinent, wherein, conspicuous for fidelity and bravery, their
services were highly appreciated, frequently honoured as a
distinctive, select corps, or as a body of royal guards. In
the States of Holland, about the year 1568, our countrymen
were included in numerous independent companies of soldiers,
which, in 1572, united into several regiments, constituted one
brigade — the Old Scots Brigade — the strength of which varied
from four to five thousand men.

"The first mention we find of their distinguished behaviour
was at the battle of Reminant, near Mechlin, in the year 1578;
the most bloody part of the action, says Meteren, a Dutch
historian, was sustained by the Scotch, who fought without
armour, and in their shirts, because of the great heat of the
weather. After an obstinate engagement, the Spaniards, com-
manded by Don Juan of Austria, were defeated.''

Throughout the long and sanguinary wars which ulti-
mately resulted in the deliverance of Holland from the dominion

of Spain, the valiant behaviour of the Scots was very remark-

2d

226 HISTOBY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMESTTS,

able, and is honourably recordetl in most of the old histories
of the period. The brigade was originally commanded by
General Balfour, and under him by Colonel Murray and
Walter Scott, Lord of Buccleugh. It learned the business of
war under tliose great masters of the art, the Princes Maurice
and Frederick Henry of Orange, Its early history is one with
that of the present Fifth and Sixth Kegiments of the line,
which then constituted the English Brigade^ long commanded
by the noble family of De Vere, afterward the illustrious
House of Ojcford. "King James VL of Scotland having in-
vited the States-General to be sponsors to his new-bom son.
Prince Henry, on the departure of the ambassadors, fifteen
hundred Scots were sent over to Holland to augment the
brigade."

At the battle of Nieuport, in 1600, the firmness of the
Scots Brigade saved the army of Prince Maurice from im-
minent danger, and contributed largely in attaining the
victory gained over the Spanish army of the Archduke Albert
of Austria. " After having bravely defended the bridge like
good soldiers, they were at length forced to give way, the
whole loss having fallen on the Scots, as well on their chiefs
and captains as on the common soldiers, insomuch that eight
hundred of them remained on the field, amongst whom were
eleven captains, and many lieutenants and other oflBcers."

At the siege of Ostend the Scots, by their unflinching
steadiness, helped so materially in the defence that the giant
efforts of the enemy under the Marquis Spinola, one of the
ablest of the Spanish Generals, failed to accomplish its re-

THE OLD NINETY-FOURTH FOOT. 227

duction by force of arms. A capitulation, honourable alike
to besieger and besieged, was agreed upon; "and the garrison
marched out with arms, ammunition, and baggage, drums
beating, and colours flying, after having held out three years
and three months."

"According to a memorial found in the pocket of an
officer of Spinola's suite, after he was killed, the number
of slain on the side of the Spaniards amounted in all to
seventy-six thousand nine hundred and sixty-one men. The
loss on the part of the States was not less than fifty
thousand. When the remaining garrison, which consisted
of only three thousand men, arrived at Sluice in Flanders,
Prince Maurice received them with the pomp of a triumph;
and both officers and private men were promoted or otherwise
rewarded."

The gallant conduct of Colonel Henderson, who commanded
the brigade in the defence of Bergen-op-Zoom in 1621, is
worthy of note. At the siege of Bois-le-duc in 1629 we find
the brigade composed of three regiments, respectively com-
manded by Colonels Bruce, Halket, and Scott (Earl of Buc-
cleugh, son of the Lord of Buccleugh previously mentioned).
We do not pretend here to follow the narrative of sieges
and battles in which the brigade was at this period en-
gaged. We shall only further mention that at the siege of
Sas-van-Ghent in 1644, Colonel Erskine, at the head of one of
the Scots regiments, won great renown by his excellent
bravery, being foremost in efiecting the passage of the river
Lys; and again, at the siege of Ghent, Colonel Kilpatrick and

228 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS,

another Scots regiment fulfilled a similar mission with equal
credit. The peace of Mimster, concluded in 1648, gave an
honourable issue to the contest in favour of the Dutch, who^
for a little while^ were permitted to enjoy repose from the
horrid turmoil of war.

The British Revolution, which drove Charles IL from
the throne of his father and established instead the Pro-
tectorate of Cromwell, occasioning his exile — a king without
a kingdom or a throne — his Scots partizans, sharing his
banishment, greatly recruited the Brigade^ where many of
them gladly found refuge and honourable employment,

Cromwell, ii] the plenitude of power, insisted upon the
Dutch Estates declaring the exclusion of the House of Orange
from the Stadtholdership, thereby hoping to break what
appeared to be an antagonistic power to his rule, because of
the bond which, by marriage, united the families of Orange
and Stuart, imagining, in the blindness of bigotry, thereby to
crush out the last remnant of Jacobitism, and extirpate the
creed which had inflicted so many and grievous evils upon
his country. The effect of this unfortunate exclusion Act was
immediately felt throughout the States of Holland in the con-
fusion and distress which it entailed. Taking advantage of
these circumstances, and the imbecility of its rulers, the crafty
and ambitious monarch of France, Louis XIV., without pro-
vocation, and with no other aim than his own aggrandisement,
at once invaded Holland with three vast armies, under three
of the greatest soldiers of the day — Cond6, Turenne, and
Luxembourg. With these diflBculties and dangers the embar-

I

THE OLD NINETY-FOURTH FOOT. 229

rassments of the State so increased that its feeble rulers in this
hour of terror implored the aid of William, Prince of Orange,
readily restoring all the rights they had formerly despoiled
him of, and conferring upon him the powers of a Dictatorship.
The genius of William proved equal to the emergency. At
once he set to work, restoring the army to its ancient vigour,
and reforming all manner of abuses which had crept into the
government.

We are happy to record that, however weak and faulty
the Dutch army had become, the Scots Brigade retained its
effectiveness, despite the languor of the State, and, in con-
sequence, particularly enjoyed the Prince's confidence on his
restoration. It was commanded by Colonels Sir Alexander
Colyear (Robertson), Graham, and Mackay, in 1673. United
into one British brigade, the three Scots and the three
English regiments served together under Thomas Butler,
Earl of Ossory, throughout the wars with France. On the
death of the Earl of Ossory in 1680, the command was
conferred upon Henry Sidney, Earl of Romney.

On the outbreak of Monmouth's Rebellion in England and
Argyll's Rebellion in Scotland, King James 11. sent for the
three Scots regiments, then serving in Holland, which, on
being reviewed by the Bang on their arrival at Gravesend,
drew forth the following compliment, expressed in a letter of
thanks to the Prince of Orange for his prompt aid — "There
cannot be, I am sure, better men than they are; and they
do truly look like old regiments, and one cannot be better
pleased with them than I am."

230 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH EEGlilENTS,

Colonel Hugh Mackay, who commanded the brigade on
this occasion, was promoted to the rank of Major-General,

On the return of these regiments to Holland, the perfidy
and ingratitude of James gradua]ly ouscd out and revealed his
truer character. Eightly esteeming the value of such soldiers
to the Prince of Orange, and ever jealous of that Prince's
increasing power, he vainly attempted to seduce the brigade
and persuade it to exchange into the service of the King of
France. He was further extremely mortified to find that, apart
from the influence of the Prince, the men declined to serve
under the Roman Catholic officer he proposed to appoint.
When dangers thickened around himself, he earnestly desired
its return ; alas, too late I already sickened with his unworthy
conduct, the brigade refused to obey.

In the subsequent Revolution the English and Scots
brigades were of essential service to the Prince of Orange —
"commanded by General Mackay, a Scotsman of noble family,
sailed under the red flag."

At the battle of Killiecrankie the Scots Brigade was pre-
sent, but unable to withstand the furious onset of the High-
landers, betrayed a weakness altogether inconsistent with its
previous reputation, being utterly routed and dispersed. It is
very remarkable that Viscount Dundee and General Cannon,
who commanded the rebels, had both previously served in the
Scots Brigade. Afterwards, employed with the Royal army
in Ireland, it somewhat redeemed its character by good conduct
at the siege of Athlone and the battle of Aghrim, at both which
it held the post of peril and of honour with great credit.

THE OLD NINETY-FOURTH FOOT. 231

Peace having been restored to unhappy Ireland, the brigade
•was sent to join the British army in Flanders, and at the
battle of Steenkirk suffered severely, especially in the death of
General Mackay, who finished a career of honour on that
bloody field. The retreat of the allied army in 1695 was
successfully covered by the Scots under Brigadier Colyear,
afterwards Earl of Portmore. On the death of Brigadier
j^Eneas Mackay, at the siege of Namur, the command of the
Scots regiments was conferred on Robert Murray of Melgum,
afterwards General Count Murray, Commander-in-Chief of the
Emperor Joseph's forces in the Netherlands, and acting
Governor-General of these provinces. On the Peace of Ryswick
in 1697, the Scots Brigade returned with the army to Britain,
and was stationed in Scotland until 1698, when it was restored
to the service of Holland.

During the Wars of the Succession the Brigade was
increased by the addition of three new Scots regiments, and
the command conferred on John, Duke of Argyll — the "Great
Argyll" — of whom it is well said —

"Argyll, the State's whole thunder bom to wield,
And shake alike the Council and the Field/'

It was hotly engaged in all the great actions of the war, and
amongst the fearful carnage of Malplaquet mourned the loss
of a brave officer, John, Marquis of TuUibardine, eldest son of
the Duke of A thole. On the conclusion of hostilities, in 1713,
the three new regiments of the brigade were disbanded. The
peace was not again seriously disturbed until 1746, when the

232 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTTSII HEGIMENTS.

outbreak of war occasioned the increase of the brigade by the
addition of Becond battalioLi9j and a new regiment under com-
mand of Henry Douglaa, Earl of Drumlanrig. The total
strength of the brigade at thia time rose to about 6000 men.
At the battle of Roucoux five battalions of the Scote^ forming
the extremity of the left infantry M^ing, covered the retreat of
the troops from the villages abandoned in front '* An officer
who was present relates that General Colyear's raiment, in
which he then served as an Ensign, was drawn up on the
ridge of a rising ground, the slope of which was to the rear,
so that by retiring a few paces the cannon-balls must haye
passed over their heads; but it was thought requisite that they
should appear in full view of the French, who kept up an
incessant fire of their artillery upon them for more than two
hours, without ever advancing near enough to engage with
small arms. The ardour of British soldiers to charge an enemy
by whose fire they saw their comrades fall on every side, may
easily be conceived, but was so much restrained by the autho-
rity of their officers, that the whole brigade seemed immove-
able, except when the frequent breaches which the cannon
made in the ranks required to be closed up. The intrepidity
and perfect order which those battalions then showed, were
greatly extolled ever after by the Prince of Waldeck, and
likewise by Baron d'Aylva, a Dutch General of distinguished
reputation, who happened to have the command of that part
of the army. He had before shown a violent prejudice against
the Scots," but their gallantry on that memorable occasion so
impressed him, that ever after he regarded the Scots with

I

THE OLD NINETY-FOUETfl FOOT. 233

peculiar favour, and on oue occasion in his presence, a certain
Prince having observed that the Scottish soldiers were not of
such a size as those of some German regiments, the General
replied, " I saw the day that they looked taller than any of
your grenadiers/*

In the defence of Bergen-op-Zoom, two of the Scotch bat-
talions, supported by a Dutch battalion of infantry, made a
most determined stand, refusing for a long time to yield ground
to the enemy, until superior numbers compelled them to retire.
Some idea of the severity of the struggle may be formed from
the fact that Colyear's battalion, which had gone into action
660 strong, could only muster 156 men afterwards. It is
thus described by an old writer: — "Overpowered by numbers,
deserted, and alone, the Scotch assembled in the market-place
and attacked the French with such vigour that they drove
them from street to street, till fresh reinforcements pouring in
compelled them to retreat in their turn, disputing every inch
as they retired, and fighting till two-thirds of their number
fell on the spot, valiantly bringing their colours with them,
which the grenadiers twice recovered from the midst of the
French at the point of the bayonet. * Gentlemen,* said the
conquering General to two officers who had been taken
prisoners — Lieutenants Travers and Allan Maclean — 'had all
conducted themselves as you and your brave corps have done,
I should not now be master of Bergen-op-Zoom.' "

Succeeding the sunshine of victory, there arose a cloud
upon its history which we wish, for the credit of our Grovem-
ment, we could omit to record. Denied the privil^e of

2£

234 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH EEGIMENT3

further recraiting at home, the States of Holland insiBted
upon the admission of foreigners into its ranks, and thus
to a great extent its Scottish character was destroyed.
When war broke out and our country needed troops, our
Scotsmen repeated the petition that their brigade ediould be
recalled for the service of their own land. The request was
refused, whilst regiments were raised in Scotland, and eyen
German auxiliaries enrolled upon the British establishment,
rather than do what appears only an act of justice to the
soldiers of the Old Scots Brigada As if further to exasperate
the Scots, when war was declared between Britain and Hol-
land, and our brigade thus placed in a cruel dilemma^ imheeded,
it was surrendered to the enemy, who, almost as prisoners
of war, sent it to garrison distant fortresses on the inland
frontier. At length recalled by George III. in 1 793, it was,
in 1795, sent to reinforce the garrison of Gibraltar, and in the
following year was removed to the Cape of Good Hope. In
1798 it was transferred to India, where it shared with the
Highland regiments the glory of "Seringapatam" in 1799,
and the battle of "Argaum" in 1803; the former being after-
wards authorised for the colours and appointments.

Returning home in 1808 as the Ninety-fourth regiment, it
was actively and creditably engaged in the various actions of
Spain and the South of France, and received permission to
bear on its colours the words — " Ciudad Rodrigo," " Badajoz,"
"Salamanca,'' "Vittoria,'' "Nivelle," "Orthes,'' and "Toulouse,"
and also the inscription of "Peninsula." In the defence of
Cadiz it suffered very severely, and amongst its brave was

THE OLD NINETY-FOURTH FOOT.

235

found a heroine — a sergeant's wife, who on this occasion dis-
played a remarkable degree of cool courage, which is fitly
described in Mr Carter's admirable work, "Curiosities of War/'
The raiment was disbanded at Belfast in 1818. A new
regiment, raised six years afterwards, now bears the number
of the Ninety-fourth, but as yet has had no opportunity to
distinguish itself. We only hope it may emulate, nay, if
possible excel, the deeds of the Old Scots Brigade, which so
worthily sustained the characteristic valour of the Scot.

THE NINETY-NINTH FOOT;

OH,

LANARKSHIRE.

CHAPTER XXIV.

^^ How sleep the braye, who sink to rest,
By all their country's wishes blest!
When spring, with dewy fingers cold,
Returns to deck their hallowed mould.
He there shall dress a sweeter sod.
Than Fancy's feet have ever trod.
By fairy hands their knell is rung.
By forms unseen their dirge is sung ;
There Honour comes, a pilgrim gray,
To bless the turf that wraps their clay,
And Freedom shall awhile repair
To dwell, a weeping hermit, there!"

1824-1862 — COLONIAL EMPIRE — SOLDIER's LETTER — CHINA.

However deeply interested we may personally feel in Lanark-
shire, and however proud we may be of the many gallant
soldiers who have gone forth from us to fight the battles of
our one country, still to the Ninety-ninth the relationship
indicated above exists scarcely but in name. Nay, even as a

, THE NINETY-NINTH FOOT. 237

Scottish raiment its present composition would belie its
seeming nativity. As in the case of many other regiments, so
with it^ these titles have been mostly attached for purposes of
recruiting, and seldom bestowed to record the origin of the
corps. Nevertheless, it is looked for as a consequence that
the designation thus conferred should serve to stimulate the
youth of Lanarkshire, bid them rally round the Ninety-ninth,
and thus constituting it their own, immortalise its number by
distinguished service in its ranks.

The regiment was raised in 1824, along with the present
Ninety-fourth, Ninety-fifth, Ninety-sixth, Ninety-seventh, and
Ninety-eighth regiments, at a time when our vast colonial
empire demanded an augmentation of our army to ensure its
adequate defence. Notwithstanding the anxiety of the Ninety-
ninth to be released from the monotony of a passive service,
and engage in the more stirring scenes of battle peculiar
to the soldier, its brief history displays few events specially
calling for notice, having been doomed to quietude, and denied
by circumstances an opportunity of distinguishing itself during
the Indian or Crimean wars. The following remarkable letter
from one of its soldiers, extracted from Mr Carter's interesting
volume, the "Curiosities of War," is truly a curiosity: —

" My Lord Duke, — I mean to take the liberty of writing
these few lines before your Grace, flying imder the protection
of your wings, and trusting in your most charitable heart for
to grant my request.

238 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

** May it please your Grace to reject mo not, for the love
of the Almighty God, to whom I pray to reward your soul
in heaven.

" My Lord Duke, I shall convince you that I am a pt*,
soldier in the 99th dep6t, at Chatham, a servant to Her
Majesty since the 29th of September, 1846; likewise that I
was bom of poor parents, who were unable to provide any
means of education for me but what I scraped by over-hours
and industry, till I grew thus eighteen years of age, and was
compelled to quit their sight and seek my own fortune.

" I think I am possessed of honesty, docilityi faithfulness,
high hopes, bold spirit, and obedience towards my superiors.
I partly know the Irish language, to which I was brought up,
and am deficient of the English language, that is, of not being
able of peaking \qy. speaking] it correctly. One of my past
days, as I was guiding a horse in a solitary place, unexpectedly
I burst into a flow of poetry, which successfully came from my
lips by no trouble. From thence I wrote during the following
year a lot of poems, some of which, it was given up, being the
best composed in the same locality for the last forty years past.
However, I did no treason, but all for the amusement of the
country.

" My Lord, I mean to shoe a little proof of it in the fol-
lowing lines: —

Once from at home, as I did roam my fortune for to try,
All alone along the road, my courage forcing high ;
I said sweet home, both friends and foes, I bid you all good-bye.
From thence I started into Cork and joined the 99th.

THE NINETY-NINTH FOOT. 239

This famous oorpe, which I adore, is brave and full of might,
With fire and sword, would fight the foe, and make their force retire.
Supplied are those with Irish Poet for to compose in rhyrme,
I pray to God his grace upon the flaming 99th.

"My Lord, to get an end to this rude letter, my request,
and all that I want, is twelve months' leave, for the mere pur-
pose of learning both day and night, where I could accommo-
date myself according to my pay, at the end of which twelve
months I might be fit for promotion in the protection of
Her Majesty.

" Your most obedient Servant,

Public opinion is inclined to regard a war with China as
something ridiculous; to smile at the odd equipment of its
"Braves,'* and laugh at the absurd pretensions of its "Celes-
tials/' We fancy its hosts, like a summer cloud, as something
to be at once dissipated by the first breath of the Western
breeze. In this we have deceived ourselves, and on more than
one occasion paid the penalty of our folly in the blood of the
gallant few, who, overwhelmed by countless numbers, the
victims of a matchless perfidy, have fallen as exposed to an
almost certain destruction. Alone, as in a nest of hornets, we
felt the sting of defeat when we had supposed an easy victory.
Our discipline, our bravery, and our superior arms, failed to
grasp the success we had imagined was to be had for the
mere taking. The truth was revealed when too late; we had
underrated the valour of the foe, and too much despised their
means of defence; then we learned by a bitter experience that

240

HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH iREGIMENTS,

our handful of brave men, in the language of Pitt, " were
capable of achieving everything bvt impossibilities"

The Ninety-ninth was engagetl in the recent Chinese war,
but only in time to share the concluding glories of the cam-
paign which crowned a severe and barassiDg contest in the
capture of Pekm. The good conduct of the regiment on this
occasion amply demonstrated the excellence of the corps^-of
what honourable service it was capable^ and betokened an
illustrious history, which may yet render it famous as the
Lanarkshire regiment, and fill a larger space in the national
records of **Our Brave/*

^ Great acta best write themaeiyes in tbeir own stories;
They die too basely who outliTe their glories.'*

THE OLD HIGHLAND BEIGADE.

CHAPTER XXV.

** In the garb of old Graul, with the fire of old Rome,
From the heath-cover'd mountams of Scotia we come,
Where the Romans endeavoured our country to gain,
But our anceBtors fought, and they fought not in vain.
Such is our love of liberty, our country and our laws,
That, like our ancestors of old, we^ll stand in freedom^s cause.
We'll bravely fight like heroes bold for honour and applause.
And defy the French, with all their art, to alter our laws/'

Loudon's — Montgomery's — eraser's — keith's — Campbell's
— DUKE OF Gordon's — johnstonb's — fraser's — m'donald's.

Passing through the glens of the Grampiaos, northwards or
westwards^ we are introduced to the sterner grandeur of the
Scottish Highlands. Having briefly viewed the glorious
records of our Lowland regiments, we feel as more im-
mediately in the heart of our subject when, entering upon
its second part, we propose to give an account of our High-
land regiments. We think we cannot fairly be challenged for
an imdue partiality to the latter, or be thought guilty of
injustice to the former, in yielding the prominence to the
Highlanders, because they retain more of the national charac-
teristics, whilst the Lowlanders, intermingled with others,

2f

242 HISTOHY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

have sadly degenerated from the original purity of the Scot-
tish, if indeed they have not already forfeited every claim,
beyond the name, to be included in the catalogue of Scottish
regiments.

The romantic Btory of the clans bids us return to the
feudal age, when strange but true war revealed itself to be the
unwitting civiliser of the ancient world; apparently the
harbinger of evil, yet in reahty the herald of good — the
purifier — the evil out of which, in the mysterious providence
of God, blessing should in the end abundantly flow. In the
Highlands the memorials of these barbaric times of civil strife
among the clans are sadly ample and very evident; scarce a
dell but bears traces of the ruin which tire and sword had
inflicted; scarce a glen but has its tale of woe; scarce a heath
but beneath the cairn gathers to its shaggy bosom the ashes of
some warrior chief. But there were also times in our history
when the stormy tempest of angry passion was at least for the
moment hushed, and the fiery valour of the clans, gathered
into one, descended from the Highlands, resistless as the moun-
tain torrent, to do battle for Scottish freedom in the day of
Scotland's need. And thus their gallant demeanour upon the
field of Bannockburn has waked the muse of Scott to immor-
talise their fame, as he beautifully tells of our "Scottish Chiefs"
in his " Lord of the Isles."

The devoted loyalty of the clans to the unhappy Stuarts
has given to their history a melancholy interest, and claims
our admiration, because of the dauntless resolution with which
they vainly strove to maintain the faUing fortunes of that

THE OLD HIGHLAND BRIGADE. 243

degenerate race, although manifested on the wrong side; fur-
nishing, moreover, a theme for song which has given birth to
some of the most touching lyrics of our bards.

Shortly after the battle of CuUoden the fighting strength
of the various clans was rated by Lord Forbes for the Grovern-
ment as follows : —

Argyle, 8000

Breadalbane, 1000

Lochnell and other Chieftains of the Campbells, . 1000

Macleans, * 500

Madachlans, 200

Stewart of Appin, 800

Macdougals, 200

Stewart of Grandtully, 800

ClanGregor, 700

Duke of Athole, 8000

Farqiiharsons, 500

Duke of Gordon, 800

Grant of Grant, 850

Macintosh, 800

Macpheraons, 400

FrasePB, 900

Grant of Glenmorriston, 150

Chisholms, 200

Duke of Perth, 300

Seaforth, 1000

Cromarty, Scatwell, Gairloch, and other Chieftains of the

Mackenzies, 1500

Menzies, 800

Munroes, 800

Bosses, 500

Sutherland, 2000

Mackays, 800

Sinclaira, 1100

Maodonald of Slate, 700

Macdonald of Clanronald, 700

244

HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH EEGIMENT3.

^

Maodouell of Glengary,

Macdonell of Kepixwh,

Maodonald of GlcDcoet

Bobertaone,

CameroDfl,

M'KinDon,

Macleod,

. 500

. 300

180

. 300

: . 800

, SCO

700

The Doke of Montrose, Earls of Bate and Moray, Mft4>fftrianffl^
Colquhouns, M'Neils of Bana, M'Naba, M'Nanghtans,
LamontB, etc., etc., ....... MOfi

,

81,980

Grovernment, awakened to the danger which threatened the
peace of the country whilst the fiery valour of the clans» unre-
strained, ran wild — save for the chieftain who exercised a
species of independent sovereignty, not always for the weal of
the State — wisely determined to enlist the sympathy of these
petty tyrants on its side, and present a more useftd and nobler
field for the employment and development of that exceeding
bravery and martial spirit which have ever characterised the
clans, and the efforts of which had, when embraced in the rebel
army of the Stuarts, justly caused most serious alarm. "I
sought for merit," said the great Chatham, " wherever it was
to be found; it is my boast that I was the first minister who
looked for it and found it in the mountains of the North. I
called it forth, and drew into your service a hardy and intrepid
race of men, who, when left by your jealousy, became a prey
to the artifice of your enemies, and had gone nigh to have

overturned the State These men were brought to

combat on your side, have served with fidelity, have fought
with valour, and conquered for you in every part of the world."

THE OLD HIGHLAND BRIGADE. 245

About the year 1 740, a variety of companies of Highland-
ers, known as the " Black Watch,'' were regimented, and, under
the Earl of Crawford, formed the JRoycd Forty-second High-
landers, whose history will be treated in succeeding chapters;
meanwhile, we shall shortly enumerate the several corps, since
disbanded, which at several periods constituted the Highland
Brigade. The oldest of these

Loudon's Highlanders,

was raised by the Earl of Loudon, a nobleman of great influ-
ence in the Highlands, in 1745. In its short but eventful
career, the regiment served with credit and fideUty during the
rebellion of 1 745, and afterwards with equal distinction with
the allied army in Holland. At the battle of Preston it was
unfortunately captured. Having completed its term of service,
the regiment was disbanded in 1748.

On the outbreak of the American war, the Government
again appealed to the clans to enrol beneath the British banner,
and on no occasion with more splendid success. Of the regi-
ments then embarked were

Montgomery's Highlanders,

raised in 1757 by Archibald Montgomery, afterwards Earl of
Eglinton, and which served with its cotemporary,

Fraser's Highlanders,
in America throughout the war. This last was raised, hence

246 HISTOBY OF THE SCOTTISH BEGIMENTS.

its titles by Sir Simon Fraser, son of Lord Lovat^ a chieftain
enjoying largely the confidence of the dans, yet dispelled of
his lands and destitute of funds by the misfortunes of the
recent rebellion, in which he had figured conspicuously among
the Jacobites.

Immediately upon their embodiment^ these two regiments
were embarked for America at Greenock. Associated in the
British army, they were honourably distinguished in the con-
test which ensued* Their disbandment took place respectively
in 1775 and 1763. Hostilities having extended to the conti-
nent of Europe, and the Government thoroughly appreciating
the value of the Highland soldier, resolved to enrol, in 1759,
other two regiments for service in Germany, respectively

The Eighty-Seventh, or Keith's Highlanders: and
The Eighty-Eighth, or Campbell's Highlanders.

These so seasonably impressed the enemy with the might of
Scottish valour, that it is alleged the French so magnified
the numbers of our Highlanders as to imagine our army con-
tained twelve instead of two battalions of kilted warriors. A
French oflScer, lamenting his own little stature and wishing he
had been a six-foot grenadier, is reported to have become quite
reconciled with liimself, "when," as he expresses it, "he had
seen the wonders performed by the little mountaineers." One
of the journals of the day has this curious account of our
Highlanders: — "They are a people totally difierent in their
dress, manners, and temper from the other inhabitants of
Great Britain. They are caught in the mountaim v)hen young,

THE OLD HIGHLAND BRIGADE. 247

and still run with a surprising degree of swiftness. As they
are strangers to fear, they make very good soldiers when
disciplined.'* Accustomed to regard retreat as equivalent to
defeat, as something cowardly, it was with great reluctance
our mountaineers yielded obedience to such commands.

The Eighty-Ninth, or Duke of Gordon's Highlanders,

was raised by His Grace, upon his extensive estates, in 1759,
and was destined for service in India. Also, raised in 1760,

The Hundred-and-First, or Johnstone's Highlanders.

These, with other Highland corps, were disbanded on the con-
clusion of the war in 1 763, but not without having won the
nation's confidence — deserving well of the country, whose
gratitude followed them.

A few years later and a new American war burst forth,
intensified in its virulence by its civil character. In the
attempts made to suppress the rebellion of the colonists the
old Highland brigade, re-assembled, was highly distinguished.

Sir Simon Fraser of Lovat, who had already shown his
forwardness in raising the clans in 1757 and ranging them in
regiments in defence of the State, now restored to the patri-
mony which the rebellion of his predecessor had forfeited, was
again the first to gather around him a regiment of clansmen,
known as

The Seventy-First, or Fraser's Highlanders.

248 HISTOBT OF THE SCOTTISH BEGIMENTS.

This corps was engaged in the very hottest of the contest^
especiallj in and around Savannah and Charleston^ One only
instance, illustrative of the excellence of the raiment, we have
space to quote: — ^At Stone Ferry, assailed by 2000 Americans,
Captain Campbell, with 69 men and officers, heroically main-
tained his post, imtil only seven soldiers were left standing —
the rest being either killed or woimded. To most of the men
this was their first encounter with the enemy; ''they had not
yet learned to retreat,'' nor had they forgotten what had been
always inculcated in their native country, that ''to retreat was
disgraceful'' When Captain Campbell fell, he desired such of
his men as were able to make the best of their way to the
redoubt, but they refused to obey, as it would bring lasting
disgrace upon them all to leave their officers in the field with
none to carry them back." The seven men retired carrying
their woimded officers with them, and accompanied by those
of the soldiers who were able to walk. Fraser's BUghlanders
closed a brilliant career as part of the unfortunate garrison of
Yorktown, who were obliged to capitulate, and so, as prisoners
of war, only restored to their liberty and country on the con-
clusion of the war, when they were disbanded. In this last
disaster, Eraser's Highlanders became associated with another
body of Highlanders,

The Sevbnty-Sixth, or M'Donald's Highlanders,

^bich had been engaged in the war, although at first on a
eent field.

THE OLD HIGHLAND BRIGADE. 249

The Seventy-Fourth, or Argyllshire Highlanders

served at the same period with the British army of the north
on the frontiers of Canada. Acting with these were two
battalions of Highland emigrants, mostly veterans of the
previous war, who, serving in the Highland brigade of that
time, had thereafter accepted the bounty of Government and
settled in America, known as the

Royal Highland Emigrant Regiment.
Besides these, the wars of the time induced the formation of the

Atholl Highlanders and Aberdeenshire Highlanders ;

and, when the French Revolution further enveloped the
world in the flames of war.

The Ninety-Seventh, or Strathspey Highlanders ; and
The Hundred-and-Sixteenth, or Perthshire Highlanders;

constituted a part of the old Highland Brigade. Without
more extended detail or enumeration of the many Highland
corps once on our army establishment — now disbanded —
esteeming we have sufficiently recorded the story of the old
brigade, to enable the reader to feel it worthy his attention,
as replete with incidents of heroism and daring scarcely ever
surpassed — we come to the consideration of the present High-
land Brigade.

:2r.

THE HIGHLAND BRIGADE.
_J P

THE FORTY-SECOND FOOT;

OR,

ROYAL HIGHLANDEES-" BLACK WA1

CHAPTER XXVI.

^'^ AwAke OD jofor Idlh, on yoor iabnds awmke.
Brave sons of the moontftm, the frith, and the lake!
Tis the buf^le— bat not for the diaae is the call ^
Tia the pibrooh^B shrill sammoDft— tet not to the tiaU.

^^ *Tks the BumQ^oDs of heroes for conquest or deathf
\^be(n tbi^ kiimers arc blazing on mountain and beatb:
Thej- call to the dirk, the claymore, and tbe targe.
To the march and the master, the fine and the charge.'

BLACK WATCH

-rONTENOY — ^REBELLION 1745 — ^AMERIOj
1729-1760.

This distiDguished regiment has long deservedly enjoyed
public favour. It is the link which binds us to the
Highland Brigade, of which it remains the only and wc
representative. Mr Cannon, in his Military Records,
introduces hia account of the regiment by the folic

THE FORTY-SECOND FOOT. 251

eulogy on the excellence of our Highland soldiers: "The
Highlanders of Scotland have been coaspicuous for the pos-
session of every military virtue which adorns the character of
the hero who has adopted the profession of arms. Naturally
patient and brave, and inured to hardship in their youth
in the hilly districts of a northern climate, these warlike
mountaineers have always proved themselves a race of
lion-like champions, valiant in the field, faithful, constant,
generous in the hour of victory, and endued with calm per-
severance under trial and disaster." As already noted, the
Government had wisely determined more largely to enlist the
sympathy and good services of the clans on their side ; and, in
consequence, had armed a certain proportion of the well-
affected clans — such as the Campbells, the Frasers, the Grants,
and the Munroes — who, formed into independent companies
under the command of their own or other well-known
chieftains, were quartered in the more troubled districts of
the Highlands, where the Jacobite clans of Cameron, Stuart,
M*Intosh, M*Donald, and Murray rendered their presence
necessary for maintaining order and preventing any sudden
rising, as well as for the protection of property in those
lawless times. They were called the "Freicudan Dhu," or
" Black Watch,'' from the sombre appearance of their tartan
uniform, compared with the scarlet coats of the regular
soldiers. They were mostly composed of the sons of the
landed gentry, as the Government felt that care was necessary,
especially in this their first experiment, in selecting indi-
viduals who Iwwi something at stake in the common country.

252 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH BEGIMENTS.

and consequently affording some guarantee for their fidelity.
The success of the experiment was soon abundantly manifest ;
and whilst, in 1729, the "Black Watch" consisted only of
six companies, ten years later these were assembled at
Perth, augmented to ten companies, and regimented as the
Highland Regiment, under the Earl of Crawford, The
original high character of this famous regiment has never
been excelled; no, not even by the Royal Guards, Nearly
all its members were six feet in height — illustrious for
physical prowess and might — highly connected, as may
be well inferred from the fact that many, when proceeding
to drill, went on horseback, followed by servants bearing
their firelock and uniform* On one occasion the King,
having heard of the splendid physical appearance of the
men, desired to see a specimen ; and accordingly three
were sent up to London. One of these. Grant of Strath-
spey, died on the way; the other two, McGregor and
Campbell, were presented to His Majesty, and, in presence
of the King, the Duke of Cumberland, Marshal Wade, and
other oflBcers, performed the broadsword exercises and
that of the Lochaber axe. Their dexterity and skill so
pleased His Majesty that he gave each a gratuity of one
guinea — a large sum in those days — imagining he had
appropriately rewarded them ; but such was the character of
these men — above want, generally in good circimistances —
that each bestowed his guinea upon the porter at the palace
gate as he passed out. There is one feature which we
record with more peculiar pleasure, as leaving a mightier

THE FORTY-SECOND FOOT. 253

impress of character upon these gallant men, and we quote it in
the words of an English historian who was evidently no friend
of theirs, yet wondrously surprised, as he relates, "to see these
savages, from the officer to the commonest man, at their
several meals, first stand up and pull oflF their bonnets, and
then lift up their e)''es in the most solemn and devout
manner, and mutter something in their own gibberish, by
way, I suppose," says he, "of saying grace, as if they had been
so many Christians."

The idea that they should only serve in their own country
had so strongly possessed the minds of many, that, when
marched into England, and learning they were destined for
service in the West Indies — a place associated in their minds
only as a place of punishment for felons and the like — the
regiment mutinied; but by a judicious blending of firm-
ness and lenity on the part of Government, this splendid
corps was not only brought to submit, but preserved to
win honour for our country, and amply redeem, by brave deeds,
the faults which for a moment clouded its early history.

In 1743 the Highlanders joined the British army in
Flanders, where their conduct was so exemplary that the
Elector Palatine specially thanked our King " for the excellent
behaviour of the regiment whUe in his territories, and for
whose sake," he added, "I will always pay a respect and
regard to a Scotsman in future." Of their valour, no higher
tribute can be paid than to say that at the battle of Fon-
tenoy, where the regiment made its first essay in arms, our
Highlanders were placed in brigade with the veterans of the

254 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

British Guaxds, The result proved them to be every way worthy
of the compliment. Truly they presented the choicest troops of
the land, and eminently their success, hke a meteor flashy
for a moment liglited up the fortunes of battle and promised
victory. Alast aU in vain; the disasters in other parts of the
field compelled retreat. Mai^shal Saxe, who commanded the
French on this occasion* with all the generosity which becomes
a soldier, and who could distinguish valour even in a foeman,
said of the Highlanders — "These furies rushed in upon us
with more violence than ever did a sea driven by a tempest/'
The rebellion of Prince Charles Ed\^^ard in 1 745 occasioned
the recall of the Forty-second, or, as it was then designated,
the Forty-third, from the Continent, the scene of its early
glory. With the army, the regiment was encamped in the
south of England, prepared to dispute the menaced landing
of a French force upon our coasts, which the rebels hoped
should effect a favourable diversion. Meanwhile, three new
companies which had not as yet joined the regiment,
served in the royal army against the rebels — one company
being taken prisoner at the battle of Prestonpans. The
internal peace of the country being secured by the decisive
victory of Culloden, many of the regiments returned to Flan-
ders; whilst the Highlanders, with 2000 of the Foot Guards
and other troops, attempted a descent upon the French coast,
but failed to accomplish that success which had been antici-
pated, from the superior strength of the enemy. In the
attack upon port L'Orient, assuming the disguise of High-
landers, a body of French, in a sally, succeeded in approach-

THE FORTY-SECOND FOOT. 255

ing the British lines, and had nearly entered them when
discovered. They experienced the deadly wrath of our trae
Highlanders, whose blood was roused because of the indignity
oflfered to the kilts in the foe attempting to deceive our troops
thereby. The result proved that it needed more than the
tartans to constitute the genuine Highlander — the dauntless
native courage being wanting.

Returning home, the regiment was stationed a while in
Ireland, until removed to reinforce the army fighting in
Flanders, in alliance with the Austrians and Dutch, against
the French. Excepting, however, at the siege of Hulst, and
covering the embarkation of the army for South Beveland,
the regiment was little engaged in these campaigns, being kept
in reserve in South Beveland. Returning to Britain in 1749,
the Highlanders were variously stationed in Ireland during
the following six years. In 1756, the outbreak of hostilities
in America between the British and French colonists called
for the immediate presence of a British army, of which
the Forty-second formed a part. On their arrival, the
strangeness of their garb excited the interest of " the Indians,
who flocked from aU quarters to see the strangers, who, they
believed, were of the same extraction as themselves, and there-
fore received them as brothers." Landed in America, Lord
Loudon, as commander-in-chief, hesitated to advance against
the enemy until his soldiers had acquired some knowledge of
the novel warfare of the bush in which they were to be so
much engaged. The enemy, meanwhile, reaped many valuable
advantages from the precious moments thus lost through the

256 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIliENTS.

over- cautiousness and procrastination of the British com-
mander.

In 1768, with the Twenty-seventh, the Forty-fourth, the
Forty-sixth, the Fifty-fifth, two battalions of the Sixtieth, and
upwards of 9000 provincials, the Forty-second formed the divi-
sion of our army, under Major-General James Abercromby,
which attempted the reduction of the strong fort of Tioonderoga^
on Lake Champlain. The obstacles to be overcome, and the
strength of the garrison were such, that the utmost and repeated
efforts of our soldiers failed to effect its capture. The dis-
tinguished bravery of the Forty-second is thus commemorated
by an eye-witness: — " With a mixture of esteem, grief, and envy,
I consider the great loss and immortal glory acquired by the
Scots Highlanders in the late bloody affair. Impatient for
orders, they rushed forward to the entrenchments, which many
of them actually mounts. They appeared like lions, breaking
from their chains. Their intrepidity was rather animated
than damped by seeing their comrades fall on every side. I
have only to say of them, that they seemed more anxious to
revenge the cause of their deceased friends, than careftd to
avoid the same fate.'' Their valour was further rewarded by
an order to dignify the regiment with the title of the "-BoyaZ"
Highlanders. So desperate was the fight, that the loss of the
regiment exceeded 650 men and officers. It was here that
the gaUant and brave Brigadier-General Viscount Howe, of
the Fifty-fifth regiment, met his death: he who had been "the
life and soul of the expedition," and was peculiarly the
favourite of the soldiers.

THE FORTY-SECOND FOOT. 257

In October, 1758, a second battalion was raised at Perth
and grafted upon the good old stock of the Eoyal Highlanders.
Soon after its formation, it was embarked for Barbadoes,
where it joined the expedition under Major-Generals Hopson
and Barrington, which was baffled in an attempt upon the
French Island of Martinique. This reverse was, however,
somewhat avenged by a more successful attack upon the
Island of Guadaloupe, which, after four months' hard fighting
and much suffering from the insalubrity of the 'climate, was
surrendered to the British. The defence is remarkable as
affording a striking instance of female heroism in the person
of Madame Ducharmey, who, arming her negroes when others
had retired, refused to yield, resolutely defending the island
for some time.

Removed from the West Indies to the continent of America,
the second battalion was at length united to the first. These
formed part of the expeditionary force, under General Amherst,
which, advancing, occupied the strong fortresses of Ticonde-
rago. Crown Point, and Isle aux Noix, successively evacuated
by the French. In the campaign of 1760 our Highlanders
were with the army which, crossing Lake Ontario, descended
the St Lawrence, effected the surrender of Montreal, and in
its fall sealed the subjugation of the entire province of
Canada.

2h

CHAPTER XXVII.

^^For gold the merchant plcmght the main,

The fanner pkmghs the manor;
But glory is the sodgerti prize,

The flodger'B wealth is honour.
The brave poor aodger ne'er deqpiae,

Nor count him as a stranger:
Beoiember he*to hia coontTy'B ata j,

In daj and hour o* danger.**

MABTIKIQUE — HATANNAH — BUSHYEUN — ^ILLINOIS — ^AMERICAN
REVOLUTION — HALIFAX — CAPE BRETOK — 1762-1769.

Its sobriety, abstemious habits, great activity, and capability
of bearing the vicissitudes of the West Indian climate, had com-
mended the selection of the Forty-second as part of an expe-
dition then assembling at Barbadoes for a renewal of the attack
upon the valuable island of Martinique, which, after some severe
fighting, was surrendered, in 1 762, by the French governor to
the British commander, Major-General the Honourable Robert
Monckton. Scarcely had the rude tempest of war subsided in
its wrath, and the genial calm of peace asserted its blessed influ-
ence over the nation, ere that tranquillity was again disturbed by
the malignant passions which unhappily prevailed, and launched
our country into antagonism with Spain. Reinforced by fresh
troops from home — including our Highlanders — the British
army of the West Indies, under the Earl of Albemarle,

THE FORTY-SECOND FOOT. 259

embarking, eflfected a landing on the Spanish island of Cuba>
and gloriously captured its wealthy metropolis, acquiring
therein prize-money to the enormous extent of three millions
sterling. After achieving this very successful result, the
regiment, embraced in one battalion, returned to the continent
of America, where it was employed in most harassing duty,
checking and punishing the depredatory incursions of the
Indians, who were ever on the alert to avenge themselves on
the white men of the colony, whom they could not help
regarding, and not altogether unreasonably, as their spoilers,
and hence their natural enemies. At Bushyrun the Forty-
second encountered the army of red warriors, and inflicted a
severe defeat, which so sorely distressed them, that, tendering
their submission, a favourable peace was thereupon secured.
Thereafter a party of a hundred men, detached from the
regiment, under Captain, afterwards General Sir Thomas
Stirling, was engaged in an exploring expedition, journeying
3000 miles in ten months, as far as Fort Charteris on the
Illinois; and notwithstanding all the difficulties and dangers
encountered in the way, returning to head-quarters safe and
sound. At length, after these many faithful and arduous
services, the regiment received the order to return homa
Enjo3dng the esteem of the colonists, its departure was most
deeply regretted. The regiment reached Cork in October,
1767, and remained on duty in Ireland for about twelve
years, whence it was removed to Scotland in 1776, to be
recruited. Scarcely had its establishment been completed
when the American Revolution, involving our country in

260 mSTORT OF THE SCOTTISH BEODIENTS.

8 new war, occasioned its recall to that continent On
the eve of its departure from Greenock, the regiment com-
prised 931 Highlanders, 74 Lowlanders, 5 Englishmen (in
the band), 1 Welshman, and 2 Irishmen — ^ample evidence of
its genuine Highland character. In the passage outwards
the fleet was separated in a tempest^ and a company of
the Fortynaecond, which had been quartered on board the
''Oxford^ transport, was so unfortunate as to be captured by
an American privateer. Betained as prisoners (m board the
<< Oxford,'' the soldiers succeeded in overpowering the crew,
and, assuming the command of the vessel, navigated it
to the Bay of Chesapeake, unwittingly to find themselves
in the enemy's grasp, who held possession of the bay. As
captives, our Highlanders were removed into the . interior
of the continent, where every attempt was made to seduce
them from their aUegiance, and tempt them to enter the
American service, but, "true to their colours," without avaiL
Meanwhile, the rest of the regiment had joined the British
army in Staten Island, under General the Honourable Sir
William Howe.

During the whole course of the war which followed, it
may with truth be averred that no one regiment was more
constantly employed, serving chiefly with one or other of
the flunk corps, and that no regiment was more exposed to
danger, underwent more fatigue, or sufiered more from both.

The events of the war are so much a matter of history,
that we forbear to detain the reader with more than a mere
enumeration of those in which the Forty-second bore a con-

THE FORTY-SECOND FOOT. 261

spicuous part. Having, through the battle of Brooklyn,
achieved the capture of Long Island, landing with the British
army on the mainland, the Highlanders were present with
distinction at the siege of Fort Washington, the capture of
Fort Lee, the re-taking of Trenton, but especially in the
affair of Pisquata, where, assailed by overwhelming numbers,
the gallantry of the regiment was beyond all compliment.
The Forty-second was also present, although in a subor-
dinate position, at the battle of Brandywine, where General
Washington was defeated. On the 20th September, 1777,
it was detached with the first battalion of Light Infantry and
the Forty-fourth regiment, to surprise a strong force of Ameri-
cans which lay concealed in the recesses of the forest in the
neighbourhood of the British camp, purposing to annoy the
army and cut off stragglers. The surprise — effected with
scarcely any loss — favoured by the darkness of the night,
was successful. The enemy, wholly unsuspecting, was utterly
dispersed with great slaughter. The regiment was further
engaged in the attack upon Billingspoint and the defence of
Germanstown.

At length allied with France, the Americans were so
helped and encouraged that it became necessary to concen-
trate the British army, and, in consequence, relinquishing
many of their more distant conquests, our troops retired to the
sea coast to oppose the threatened debarkation of a French force
from their fleet which cruised off the coast. Dispersed by a
storm, this armament failed to afford that assistance which
had been anticipated, compelling General Sullivan, who

262 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH EEQLMENTS,

commanded an auxiliary army of Americans, to abandon the
si^e of Nieuport, in Rhode Island, and beat a precipitate
retreat to the mainland Meanwhile, the Forty-second,
with the Thirty-third, Forty-sixth, and Sixty-fourth regi-
ments, Buccessfully accomplishec' the destruction of the
arsenals and dockyardB of Bedford and Martha s Vineyard-
At Stoneypoint and Vereplanks, after a desperate struggle,
the persevering efforts of the Koyal Highlanders were re-
warded with complete success. Under General Sir Henry
Clinton, the regiment formed a part of the expedition which
midertook and achieved the siege of Charleatown. The
increasing force and daring of the enemy, inspired and sus-
tained by the genius of Washington, glorying in the disaster
of Yorktown, where a British army was forced to surrender,
induced peace, which, concluded in 1782, put an end to
further hostilities. The regiment served for a while there-
after in Halifax, and, ere it returned home in 1789, garrisoned
the island of Cape Breton. Whilst in Nova Scotia, in 1785,
Major-General John Campbell, in presenting a new set of
colours to the regiment, thus ably addressed it — an address
which, in its excellence, lives to encourage our army, and
than which we are convinced no better epitome of a soldier's
duty exists : —

" I congratulate you on the service you have done your
country, and the honour you have procured yourselves, by
protecting your old colours, and defending them from your
enemies in different engagements during the late unnatural
rebellion.

THE FORTY-SECOND FOOT. 263

"From those ragged, but honourable remains, you are
now to transfer your aUegiance and fidelity to these new
National and Eegimental Standards of Honour, now con-
secrated and solemnly dedicated to the service of our King
and Country. These colours are committed to your im-
mediate care and protection; and I trust you will, on all
occasions, defend them from your enemies, with honour to
yourselves and service to your country — with that distin-
guished and noble bravery which have always characterised
the EoYAL Highlanders in the field of battle.

"With what pleasure, with what peculiar satisfaction —
nay, with what pride, would I enumerate the different
memorable actions where the regiment distinguished itself.
To particularise the whole would exceed the bounds of this
address; let me therefore beg your indulgence while I take
notice only of a few of them.

" And, first, the conduct of the regiment at the battle of
Fontenoy was great and glorious 1 As long as the bravery of
the fifteen battalions in that conflict shall grace the historic
page, and fill the breast of every Highlander with pleasure
and admiration, so long will the superior gallantry of the
Forty-second Regiment bear a conspicuous part in the well-
fought action of that day, and be recorded in the annals of
Fame to the latest posterity!

" I am convinced that it will always be a point of honour
with the corps, considered as a collective body, to support and
maintain a nationcd character!

" For this purpose you should ever remember that, being

264 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

a national and reputable corps, your actions as citizens and
ciTil subjects, as well as your conduct as soldiers, will be
much observed — more than those of any other regiment in
the service. Tour good behaviour will be handed down
with honour to posterity, and your faults, if you commit any,
will not only be reported, but magnified, by other corps who
are emulous of your civil as well as of your military character.
Your decent, sober, and regular behaviour in the different
quarters you have hitherto occupied, baa rendered you the
distinguished favourites of their respective inhabitants. For
the sake, then, of your country — for the sake of your own
established character, which must be dearer to you than
every other consideration — do not tarnish your fame by a
subsequent behaviour less manly I

"Do not, I beseech you, my fellow-soldiers, allow your
morals to be corrupted by associating with low, mean, or bad
company. A man is always known by his companions ; and
if any one among you should at any time be seen spending
his money in base, worthless company, he ought to be set up
and exposed as an object of regimental contempt!

"To conclude: As you have, as soldiers, displayed suffi-
cient valour in the field by defeating the enemies of your
coimtry, suffer me to recommend to you, as Christians, to use
your best endeavours, now in the time of peace, to overcome
the enemies of your immortal souls! Believe me, my fellow-
soldiers, and be assured, that the faith and virtues of a
Christian add much to the valour, firmness, and fidelity of a
soldier. He, beyond comparison, has the best reason, and

THE FORTY-SECOND FOOT.

265

the strongest motive, for doing his duty in scenes of danger,
who has nothing to fear, but every thing to hope, in a future
existence.

" Ought you not, therefore, to be solicitous to adorn your
minds with, at least, the principal and leading Christian virtues,
so that if it should be your fate hereafter to fall in the field
of battle, your acquaintances and friends will have the joyful
consolation of hearing that you leave an unspotted name, and
of being assured that you rose from a bed of honour to a
crown of immortality."

2i

CHAPTER XXVIII

'^Ol to see his tartan trewi;,
Bonnet bltie, and kigh-L yd^d ahoes,

That'« the kd that I'll gang in\''

THE raOHLANBS — FRENCH BEVOLUTION — FLAITOERS — GERMANY
— WEST INDIES — G IBRALTAR — MINORCA — EGYPT — EDIN-
BUBGH — 1789-1803.

The honourable bearing of the Royal Higblandera tliroughout
the war had been so conspicuous as to win for them the
hearty esteem of their countrymen. Hence their return was
welcomed by all classes, and their progress northward was
little else than a triumphal march. At Glasgow, the joy
of the people was unbounded.

Whilst stationed in Scotland, the regiment was called to
fulfil a most painful duty, in the suppression of the riots
which had arisen in the Highlands from the expulsion of the
poorer peasantry from the haunts and homes of "auld lang-
syne." From a long and quiet possession, they had come to
consider such as their own, and therefore were disposed to
resist the right of the legal proprietor, who desired to
disencumber his estates of the unproductive poor, and render
these lands remunerative, rather than, as hitherto, a barren
burden.

THE FORTY-SECOND FOOT. 267

To curb the furious passions which the evil genii of the
French Revolution had let loose, wherewith to plague Chris-
tendom, the might of Britain was called to the rescue. The
Forty-second, largely recruited, was accordingly embarked at
Hull, and joined the British army fighting under the Duke of
York in Flanders. Soon, however, the regiment was recalled,
to form part of a meditated enterprise against the French
West Indian Islands. This scheme being abandoned for the
present, it was engaged in a vain attempt to aid, by a descent
on the French coast, the Vendean royalists, who yet dared
manfully, but, alas! ineffectually, to struggle against the
sanguinary tyranny of the Revolution, for liberty and righteous-
ness. Returning to Flanders, the regiment was doomed to
share the retrograde movement which had been necessitated
by the overwhelming superiority of the enemy, and the listless
indifference, nay, even hate, of the Dutch, whose cau3e we had
assumed to espouse. Retreating through Germany to Bremen,
the sufferings of the army were severe, but endured with a
fortitude which well commanded the admiration of friend and
foe. Never were the capabilities of the Highland soldier more
thoroughly tested, and more triumphantly apparent, than in
the midst of the fatigues of an incessant warfare, the severities
of a* bitter winter, and the discouraging prospects of retreat.
Under these cruel circumstances, whilst other regiments
counted their losses by hundreds, the Forty-second only lost
twenty-five men.

Returning to England, the regiment was once more
included in the long-contemplated West Indian expedition.

268 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS,

A vast armament had been assembled in 1795, and sailed at
first prosperously, only to be dispersed and driven back with
heavy loss by a furious tempest which almost immediately
arasc* A second attempt, promising as favourably, encountered
a like catastrophej but not so fatal llthough dispersed, some
of the transports continued the ^ ^age, others returned to
port, and some few became the prey of the enemy's privateeis.
Providence seemed to be adverse to the expedition, or in
friendly warning indicated the coming struggle — when hearths
and homes, menaced by a relentless, dangerous foe, needed
that a large portion of this iQ-omened expedition ahould be
retainetl for the defence of our own shores, and play a more
important part in the exciting events of the Revolutionary
War. Five companies of the Royal Highlanders were thus
detained at home, and soon afterwards removed for service to
Gibraltar. The other five companies of the regiment, embarked
in the "Middlesex," East Indiaman, battling the tempest,
completed the voyage, and rendezvoused at Barbadoes, whence
they proceeded, with what remained of the vast armament,
against the French island of St Lucia, which, after some sharp
fighting, was wrested from the Republicans. In the subse-
quent attack upon the island of St Vincent, the Highlanders
were praised for the " heroic ardour " they always displayed,
but especially illustrated in the attack upon the post of New
Vigie, on the 10th June, 1796, on which occasion Major-
General David Stewart relates the following episode of the
wife of a soldier of our Royal Highlanders : — " I directed her
husband, who was in my company, to remain behind in

THE FORTY-SECOND FOOT. 269

charge of the men's knapsacks, which they had thrown off to
be light for the advance up the hill. He obeyed his orders;
but his wife, believing, I suppose, that she was not included
in these injunctions, pushed forward in the assault. When
the enemy had been driven from the third redoubt, I was
standing giving some directions to the men, and preparing to
push on to the fourth and last redoubt, when I found myself
tapped on the shoulder, and turning round, I saw my
Amazonian friend standing with her clothes tucked up to the
knees, and seizing my arm, *Well done, my Highland lads!'
she exclaimed, *see how the brigands scamper like so many
deer!' 'Come,' added she, 'let us drive them from yonder
hill.' On inquiry, I found she had been in the hottest fire,
cheering and animating the men, and when the action was
over, she was as active as any of the surgeons in assisting the
wounded."

Allied with the Caribbee Indians, the Republicans, driven
from the open plain and the regular strongholds of the island,
found a refuge in the woods, where, screened by the luxuriant
foliage of the forest, or perched in unassailable positions, they
maintained a guerilla warfare, which to our troops proved of
the most trying and harassing kind, similar in character to
that sustained by our Highlanders in the backwoods during
the American war. Mr Cannon, in his valuable official
records of the regiment, gives the following description illus-
trative of the general character of the contest: —

" The out-posts being frequently alarmed by parties of the
enemy firing at the sentries in the night, a Serjeant and

370 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTlSn REGIMENTS.

twelve Highlaoders, under Lieutenant David Stewart, pene-
trated the woods at nine o*clock in the evening, with short
swords to cut their way through the underwood, to discover
the post or camp from whence these nightly alarms came.
After traversing the woods aU night, an oi>en spot, with a
sentry, was discovered; this man fired his musket at a dog
which accompanied the soldiers, and then plunged into the
wood, as the serjeant rushed forward to cut him down. The
soldiers were on the edge of a perpendicular precipice of great
depth, at the bottom of which was seen a small valley crowded
with huts, from whence issued swarms of people on hearing
the report of their sentry's musket* Having made this
discovery, the soldiers commenced their journey back; but^
when about half way, they were assailed by a fire of musketry
on both flanks, and in the rear. The Caribbees were expert
climbers; every tree appeared to be manned in an instant;
the wood was in a blaze, but not a man could be seen — the
enemy being concealed by the thick and luxuriant foliage.
As the Highlanders retreated, firing from time to time at the
spot from whence the enemy's fire proceeded, the Caribbees
followed with as much rapidity as if they had sprung from
tree to tree like monkeys. In this manner the retreat was
continued, until the men got clear of the woods/'

The reduction of the island being at length completed, the
five companies of the Forty-second were employed in an
inefiectual attack upon Porto Kico. In 1797, from Martinique
the companies returned home, and, on reaching Portsmouth,
presented a clean bill of health — somewhat extraordinary in the

THE FORTY-SECOND FOOT. 271

circumstances, yet silently but unmistakeably testifying to the
good conduct of the corps, and the completeness of its economy.
In 1798 the several companies were united at Gibraltar,
whence the regiment proceeded, with other troops, under
Lieut-General the Honourable Sir Charles Stewart* against
the Spanish island of Minorca, which, with its capital,
Ciudadella, was speedily surrendered, although the defending
force exceeded in number the attacking force; the Spaniards,
by the admirable dispositions of the British, being deceived
as to our actual strength. This achievement was but the
presage to a more glorious enterprise. The- ambition of
Napoleon had pictured for himself an Eastern Empire; and to
work out the realisation of his dream, he had transported the
veterans of Italy into Egypt, as the basis of his operations.
Already had the burning sands of the dreary desert wasted
the strength of this " Army of the East,'' and his conquering
legions been arrested in their triumphal career by the stern
decrees of Nature's God, when our island-might dared to
challenge the boasted "Invincibles" of France. The Forty-
second was included in the expedition which, under Sir Ralph
Abercromby, was so long detained and tossed upon the treache-
rous waves of the Mediterranean, the slave of a cruel uncer-
tainty as to its destination. At length the fleet cast anchor
in Aboukir Bay, and despite the proud array of horse, foot,
and artillery which lined the beach and manned the hills
environing the bay — each of which contributed its deadliest
thunder to daunt or destroy our gallant army — the British
successfully effected a landing in March, 1801, gained a victory

272 HISTORY OF TOE SCOTTISH REOIMENTi^.

whichj apart from the honour accruing to our arms, aerved
to revive the fainting spirit of Europe, and gave a glimpse of
hope to the enthralled who had been crushed by the mUit^ry
tyranny of France.

Passing over the —^---^ -^ ^'mdora^ we arrive at the
battle of Alexandria, valour of the Royal High*

landers, associated with tin eighth regiment, has never

been excelled. Posted \ ruins of an old Roman

palace, and looking down upon the classic memorials of a
by-gone age, the Forty-second, on the morning of the 21st
March, 1801, awaited with portentous silence the approach
of tbo foe, who, concealed by a thick mist, advanced, pur-
posing to surprise our position. The asaaiilt wru^ nnnrhictod
with the wonted impetuosity of the French, and the defence
maintained with characteristic firmness by the British. Amid
the confusion of the fight, the uncertain light of the morning,
and whilst our troops were hotly engaged at all points, the
famed " Invincible Legion " of Napoleon crept silently and
unnoticed to the rear of our Highlanders, cutting the wings
of the regiment asunder. A desperate and deadly fight
ensued, when these redoubtable troops discovered and en-
countered each other. The French, entering the ruins of the
palace, displayed a valour worthy the title they bore, and
which, in other circumstances, might have won that better
success which such heroic bravery merited as its reward.
Exhausted and overpowered, with 650 fallen, the relics of the
" Invincibles," of whom there remained but 250, surrendered
to our Highlanders. Scarce had the regiment achieved this

SIR uv?^ ^wvmsxi.

THE F0MY-8EC0ND FOOT. 273

splendid result, ere it was anew assailed by a fresh and
more powerful, but not braver column of the enemy. At
length these repeated and resolute attacks of cavalry, infantry,
and artillery, broke the array of the Forty-second. To all
appearance flight seemed the only refuge, and prudence might
have urged the same as being the better part of valour. The
French cavalry at this critical moment charged the regiment,
deeming an easy conquest at hand, but nothing daunted, grouped
into small detached parties, the Highlanders faced about and
fearlessly encountered the foe. Sir Ralph Abercromby, wit-
nessing the gallant behaviour of his countrymen in such a
crisis, unable to reinforce them with troops, hastened to the
spot to encourage, by his presence, these brave men, exclaim-
ing, with patriotic fervour, "My brave Highlanders, re-
member your country, remember your forefathers!" Thus
nerved to resistance, and cheered to know that so be-
loved a commander beheld with pride and grateful affection
their efforts, the result was soon gloriously evident in the
retreat, flight, and ruin of the cavalry, who imagined they
would have annihilated the broken, bleeding remnant. During
the fight, Sir Ealph Abercromby was furiously assailed by
two dragoons. " In this unequal conquest he received a blow
on the breast; but with the vigour and strength of arm for
which he was distinguished, he seized on the sabre of one of
those who struggled with him, and forced it out of his hand.
At this moment a corporal of the Forty-second, seeing his
situation, ran up to his assistance, and shot one of the

assailants, on which the other retired.

2k

274 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH EECrMENTS*

^ " The French cavalry charged en masse^ and overwhelmed
the Forty-second; yet, though broken, this gallant corps waa
not defeated; individually it resisted, and the conduct of each
man exalted still more the high character of the regiment "

Towards the close of the hat^'^ the Highlanders, having
expended their last cartridge, were on the point of being
annihilated — although still resolutely resisting with the bayonet
— when the French, repulsed everywhere, relaxed their eflForts,
and gradually retired. The loss of the regiment, in killed
and wounded, exceeded 300 men ; but the most grievous loss
of all, felt by every rank, was the fall and eubsequent death
of Sir Ralph Abercromby.

It is unnecessary here further to detail the various events
which marked the progress of the British arms in Egypt —
crowned in the conquest of its two capitals, Cairo and
Alexandria, accomplishing the extinction of the French
dominion in the land, and for ever dissipating the dream of
Napoleon, which had promised an Eastern Empire — an idea
early and fondly nurtured, but, like the toy of a child, as
quickly cast away when it failed to please, and, by that despot,
abandoned when circumstances presented an easier path and
more glorious results to his ambition in the crown of France.

On the return of the Royal Highlanders, every compli-
ment was lavished upon the regiment by a grateful country.
Whilst at Edinburgh in 1802, Lieutenant-General Vyse, in
presenting a new set of colours,' thus closed his address to
the regiment: — "Remember that the standards which you
have this day received are not only revered by an admiring

THE FOETY-SECOND FOOT. 275

world, as the honourable monuments and trophies of your
former heroism, but are likewise regarded by a grateful
country as the sacred pledges of that security which, under
the protection of heaven, it may expect from your future
services.

" May you long, very long, live to enjoy that reputation
and those honours which you have so highly and so justly
merited; may you long participate and share in all the
blessings of that tranquillity and peace which your labours
and your arms have restored to your native country; but
should the restless ambition of an envious and daring enemy
again call you to the field, think then that you behold the
spirit of those brave comrades who so nobly, in their country's
cause, fell upon the plains of Egypt, hovering round these
standards — think that you see the venerable shade of the
immortal Abercromby leading you again to action, and
pointing to that presimiptuous band whose arrogance has
been humbled, and whose vanity has been compelled, by
your intrepidity and courage, to confess that no human force
has been 'invincible' against British valour, when directed by
wisdom, conducted by discipline, and inspired by virtua"

CHAPTER XXIX.

** When wild war's deadly bUst wm blawn.

And gi?nt]e peace naturtiuigf
And c^ca aguiti with pleasure beamed

That hnd been bleor'd wi' moximingf
I left tbc liuQA and tented fidd,

Wlierti laug I'd been a lodger.
My Jjutnble kiiap»ft<;k a* my wealtlif

A poor but boneet Bodger."

THREATENED INVASION — THE PENINSULAR WAR-— CORUNNA —
TOULOUSE — QUATRE BRAS — WATERLOO — CRIMEA — INDIA —
1803-1862.

The peace of Amiens in 1803, which for a short period re-
leased our army from the bloody toils of war, was but as the
portentous calm presaging the lowering storm, when the waves
of angry passion, lashed into fury, should beat upon the shore
of ewery continent of the world. The pride of France had been
humbled, and the ambitious schemes of her haughty despot
thwarted by British valour, which, upon the plains of Egypt,
had wrested from veteran legions their boasted "invincibility."
The French navy, moreover, had been swept from the seas
and all but exterminated — there remaining not an armament
in Europe which could dare to dispute the British ocean

THE FORTY-SECOND FOOT. 277

sovereignty. Stung by the remembrance of many defeats by
sea and land — ^the painfal recollection of which ever and
anon haunted and troubled the dreamer of universal empire,
begetting

"The vengeance blood alone could quell " —

a spirit of malignity was awakened in the mind of Napoleon.
These combined occasioned the concentration of the giant
might of his empire upon the western shores of France,
purposing therewith to crush, were it possible, the only
power which, amidst the general wreck of nations, yet lived
to challenge his assumed omnipotence. Vainly he hoped to
bridge the channel, or, as he termed it, the "ditch," which
divided this beloved land from our natural rival and im-
placable enemy, France. Loudly he threatened that, with
an army of 600,000 men, he would land to desolate our
homes, and overwhelm our country in a doom as awful as
had hitherto befallen less favoured countries. But apart from
the "ditch," which proved an impassable gulf to the mightiest
efforts of his power, the patriotism of our people, appreciating
the emergency, was equal to the danger, and in 1804 achieved
the following magnificent result: —

Army in the British iBles, .... 129,039

Colonies, 88,630

India, 22,897

Recruiting, 533

Militia in Great Britain, 109,947

801,046

278

HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

Regular and Militia, . * . *
YolunteeiB in Great Britaia,

301,046

347,000

Total in Great BritaiD,
Irish Yolunt^^era,

648,046
70,000

MiHtary, . , . , . ,
Navy,

718,046
lOO.OiJO

Grand Total in arms,

818,046

In this vast armament we must include a second battalion
raised in 1803, and attached to the Royal Forty-secoml In
1805 the first battalion was removed to Gibraltar. Napoleon,
disappointed in his favourite scheme of effecting our conquest,
suddenly directed his march eastward, launching the thunder-
bolts of war with remorseless wrath upon the devoted
sovereignties of Germany, yea, piercing, in his aggressions, the
gloomy wilds of Russia. By a crooked policy, begetting a
matchless perfidy, Napoleon had found further employment
for the myriad spoilers who looked to him for prey, in the
invasion and appropriation of Spain and Portugal. In this
crisis of their country's calamity, the patriots of the Peninsula
invoked the friendly aid of Britain, as alone able to help them
in the unequal yet protracted struggle for independence they
maintained. Ever the champion of the weak and oppressed,
Britain descended to the rescue; and in accordance therewith,
a British army, under Sir Arthur Wellesley, landed in Portugal
in 1808. The first battalion of the Forty-second was ordered
to join this expedition from Gibraltar, but reached too late
to participate in the glories of Roleia and Vimiera. The

THE FORTY-SECOND FOOT. 279

deliverance of Portugal being for the time acjcomplished, the
Forty-second thereafter joined the army of General Sir John
Moore, which attempted to drive the French from Spain.
Inadequately supported, this gallant chief failed to do more
than penetrate into the interior, occasioning the concentration
of the several French armies to repel him. Unable to cope
with such a vast superiority, retreat was inevitable. Shattered
by the vicissitudes of the war, his army retired to the sea
coast, hotly pursued by a powerful French force under Marshal
Soult, At length halting near Corunna, the British, in defence
of their embarkation, accepted battle from the French, which,
whilst victory crowned our arms, was dearly bought in the
death of Sir John Moore. Brigaded with the Fourth and
Fiftieth regiments, under Major-General Lord William Ben-
tinck, and in the division of Sir David Baird, these regiments
sustained the weight of the attack. Twice on this memorable
day did the Commander-in-Chief address himself to the High-
landers. In the advance to recover the lost village of Elvina,
he uttered these thrilling words, awakening the recollection of
the time when he himself had led them to victory — " High-
landers," he said, "remember Egypt!" And again, when
sorely pressed by the enemy, having expended their whole
ammunition, he thus distinguished them: —

" *My brave Forty-second, join your comrades, ammunition
is coming, and you have your bayonets/ At the well-known
voice of their general, the Highlanders instantly sprang
forward, and closed upon the enemy with bayonets. About
this period Sir David Baird was wounded, and forced to quit

280 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

the field, and soon after waixls Sir John Moore was struck to
the ground by a cannon balL He was raised up, his eyes
were steadily fixed on the Highlanders, who were contending
manfully with their numerous antagonists, and when he was
assured that the Forty-second were victorioua, his countenance
brightened up^ he expressed his satisfaction, and was removed
to the rear, where he expired, to the great regret of the officers
and soldiers, who admired and esteemed their excellent com-
mander."

On dark ComDiia^& woefu] day.
When Moored brave spirit passed away,
Our Highland men, they finnly stoixl^
Nor France^fl mazBhallcd armies could

Break through the men of Scotland.

In this severe fight the loss of the Forty-second exceeded
200 killed and wounded. In consequence of this victory, the
British were enabled to embark without further molestation
from the enemy. The regiment arrived in England in 1809.
As soon as sufficiently recruited — brigaded with the Seventy-
ninth and Ninety-second regiments, constituting the Highland
Brigade — it was embarked with the army which attempted to
gain a footing in Flanders; but failed, rather from the evil
effects of the climate, inducing a malignant disease, than the
sword of the enemy. Of 758 men, which comprised the
battalion, 554 were stricken down or disabled in less than
six weeks. Meanwhile, the second battalion, which had joined
the army of Lord Wellington in Portugal, suffered severely
from a similar cause whilst stationed on the banks of the

THE FORTY-SECOND FOOT. 281

Guadiana River. Commanded by Ldeutenant-Colonel Lord
Blantyre, this battalion was creditably present in the actions
of the Peninsular War, which arrested the progress of the
French imder Marshal Massena, at Busaco, and finally
defied their every effort at the formidable, impregnable lines
of Torres Vedras. The battalion won a title to the distinc-
tion of "Fuentes d'Onor," by gallantly resisting a charge of
French cavalry thereat. It was present at the siege of
Ciudad Rodrigo, and, previous to the battle of Salamanca,
was joined by the first battalion from England, with whom
it was consolidated. A recruiting party was sent home to
enrol a new second battalion, afterwards disbanded in 1814.

It is needless here to detain the reader with a record
of the military transactions of the war. These words —
"Pyrenees,'^ "Nivelle,'' "Nive," "Orthes," "Toulouse," and
"Peninsula" — ^bome upon the colours and appointments of
the regiment, are sufficiently expressive of its gallantry. At
the battle of Toulouse, the public despatch refers to the
conduct of the Forty-second as "highly distinguished through-
out the day;" whilst an officer of the regiment contributes
the following account of its dauntless behaviour on the
occasion. In the sixth division of our army, and in brigade
with the Seventy-ninth and Ninety-first regiments, he says : —
"We advanced under a heavy cannonade, and arrived in
front of a redoubt, which protected the right of the enem/s
position, where we were formed in two lines — the first
consisting of some Portuguese regiments, and the reserve

of the Highland Brigade.

2l

282 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH HEGIMENTS.

" Darken iBg the whole hill* flanked by clouds of cavalry,
and covered by the fire of their redoubt, the enemy came
down upon us like a torrent; their generals and field-
officers riding in front, and waving their hats amidst shouts
of the multitude^ resembling the roar of an ocean! Our
Highlanders, as if actuated by one instinctive impulse, took
off their bonnets, and, waving them in the air, returned their
greeting with three cheers.

'' A death-like silence ensued for some moments, and we
could observe a visible pause in the advance of the enemy.
At that moment the light company of the Forty-second
regiment, by a well-directed fire, brought down some of the
French officers of distinction, as they rode in front of their
respective corps. The enemy immediately fired a volley into
our lines, and advanced upon us amidst a deafening roar of
musketry and artillery. Our troops answered their fire only
once, and, unappalled by their furious onset, advanced up the
hill, and met them at the charge. Upon reaching the summit
of the ridge of heights, the redoubt which had covered their
advance feU into our possession ; but they still retained four
others, with their connecting lines of entrenchments, upon the
level of the same heights on which we were now established,
and into which they had retired.

" Major-General Pack having obtained leave from General
Clinton that the Forty-second should have the honour of
leading the attack, which it was hoped should drive the
French from their strong position, that distinguished officer
exultingly gave the word — 'The Forty-second will advance.'

THE FORTY-SECOND FOOT. 283

We immediately began to form for the charge upon the
redoubts, which were about two or three hundred yards
distant, and to which we had to pass over some ploughed
fields. The grenadiers of the Forty-second regiment, fol-
lowed by the other companies, led the way, and began to
ascend from the road; but no sooner were the feathers of
their bonnets seen rising over the embankment, than such a
tremendous fire was opened from the redoubts and entrench-
ments, as in a very short time would have annihilated them.
The right wing, therefore, hastily formed into line, and,
without waiting for the left, which was ascending by com-
panies from the road, rushed upon the batteries, which vomited
forth a most furious and terrific storm of fire, grape-shot, and
musketry.

" The redoubts were erected along the side of a road, and
defended by broad ditches filled with water. Just before our
troops reached the obstruction, however, the enemy deserted
them, and fled in all directions, leaving their last line of
strongholds in our possession; but they still possessed two
fortified houses close by, from which they kept up a galling
and destructive fire. Out of about five hundred men, which
the Forty-second brought into action, scarcely ninety reached
the fatal redoubt from which the enemy had fled.

" As soon as the smoke began to clear away, the enemy
made a last attempt to re-take the redoubts, and for this pur-
pose advanced in great force. They were a second time re-
pulsed with great loss, and their whole army was driven into
Toulouse, which they evacuated on the 12th of April, 1814."

284 HISTOEY OF THE SOOTTIBH EBGIMENT3,

The peace which crowned these glorious achievementa
afforded but a brief interval of repose to our army, Ib
the spring of the following year, Europe was startled in
her dream of fancied security by the sudden and unex-
pected return of Napoleon from T^^lba. In the campaign of
Waterloo, which quickly and decisively broke his power,
and almost annihilated the military strength of imperial
France — with which strong, convulsive effort it hoped to
restore its earlier and mightier dominion — ^the Forty-second
claims a most conspicuous place, especially in the action of
Quatre Bras, so immediately followed by the grander event of
Waterloo. The unexpected and furious attack of Marshal
Ney upon the advanced position of the allies at Quatre Bras»
gave the French a momentary advantage. Eoused to arms,
and hurried forward to the scene of conflict, the Highlanders
(Forty-second and Ninety-second regiments) were conspicuous
for the promptitude with which they mustered and took the
field, hastening forward to relieve the gallant few that dared
to withstand the impetuous assaults of the French. The good
conduct of the Highlanders, whilst quartered in Brussels, had
so won the esteem of the citizens, that they are said to have
mourned for them as a brother, grieving for their departure —
perchance

** The unreturning brave, — alas!
Ere evening to be trodden like the grass
"Which now beneath them, but above shall grow
In its next verdure ; when this fiery mass
Of living valour rolling on the foe,
And burning with Mgh hope, shall moulder cold and low !

THE FORTY-SECOND FOOT. 285

^^Last noon beheld them full of lusty life;
Last eve, in beauty's cirde proudly gay;
The midnight brought the signal-sound of strife;
The mom the marshalling in arms; the day
Battlers magnificently-stern array!
The thunder-clouds close o^er it, which, when rent,
The earth is covered thick with other clay.
Which her own clay shall cover — heap'd and pent.
Rider and horse, — ^friend, foe, — in one red burial blent I*'

One historian speaks of the Forty-second as displaying
"unparalleled bravery;'' whilst another thus narrates the
attack of the Highlanders at Quatre Bras : — " To the Forty-
second Highlanders, and Forty-fourth British regiment, which
were posted on a reversed slope, and in line, close upon the
left of the above road, the advance of French cavalry was
so sudden and unexpected, the more so as the Brunswickers
had just moved on to the front, that as both these bodies
whirled past them to the rear, in such close proximity to each
other, they were, for the moment, considered to consist of one
mass of allied cavalry. Some of the old soldiers of both
regiments were not so easily satisfied on this point, and
immediately opened a partial fire obliquely upon the French
lancers, which, however, Sir Denis Pack and their own officers
endeavoured as much as possible to restrain ; but no sooner
had the latter succeeded in causing a cessation of the fire,
than the lancers, which were the rearmost of the cavalry,
wheeled sharply round, and advanced in admirable order
directly upon the rear of the two British regiments. The
Forty-second Highlanders having, from their position, been
the first to recognise them as a part of the enemy's forces,

286 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS*

rapidly formed a square; but just as the two flank oora-
panies were running in to form the rear face, the lancers
had reached the regiment, when a considerable portion of
their leading division penetrated the square, carrying along
with them, by the impetus of the charge, several men of those
two companies, and creating a momentary confusion* The
long-tried discipline and steadiness of the Highlanders, how-
ever, did not forsake them at this critical juncture; these
lancers, instead of effecting the destruction of the square,
were themselves fairly hemmed into it, and either bayoneted
or taken prisoners^ whilst the endangered face, restored as if
by magic, successfully repelled all further attempts on the
part of the French to complete their expected triumph.
Their commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Robert
Macara, was killed on this occasion, a lance having pierced
through his chin until it reached the brain; and within
the brief space of a few minutes, the command of the
regiment devolved upon three other officers in succession:
Lieutenant-Colonel Dick, who was severely wounded, Brevet-
Major Davidson, who was mortally wounded, and Brevet-
Major Campbell, who commanded it during the remainder
of the campaign." Their subsequent service at Waterloo
fuUy sustained, nay, rather excelled the heroism of previous
achievements.

Peace has long reigned over our land, and the after history
of the regiment appears, when shorn of a farther warlike
character, devoid of interest. We only, therefore, mention
that, after serving in various garrisons at home, the regiment

THE FORTY-SECOND FOOT. 287

was removed in 1826 to Gibraltar, thence in 1832 to Malta,
and thereafter, in 1834, to the Ionian Islands. Returning
home in 1836, it was welcomed by a grateful public. In
1841 it was again stationed in the Ionian Islands, until
removed to Malta in 1843.

In the Crimean war, the Forty-second, with the Seventy-
ninth and Ninety-third regiments, shared the dangers and
the sufferings through which, as our "Highland Brigade,"
they gloriously won a deathless renown — as the "Eocks of
Gaelic Infantry.'' The regiment was present at the battle of
the Alma, the siege of Sebaatopol, and with the expedition
against Kertch. Many of its soldiers earned, as the reward
of personal courage, the Victoria Cross.

In July, 1857, the Forty-second proceeded to India, to aid
in the suppression of the mutiny. It still remains in India,
being now stationed at Dugshai, Bengal. It is worthy of
remark, that all the Highland regiments were more or less
employed in suppressing this terrible outbreak.

In conclusion, these records, if "aught inanimate e'er
speaks," speak in silent yet living eloquence to the soul, and
more than ever endear to us the soldiers who inherit, and who
will not fail to emulate, by their own good conduct and
gallant demeanour, the illustrious and glorious career of their
predecessors.

THE SEVENTY-FFRST FOOT;

OB,

GLASGOW HIGHLAND LIGHT INEANTEI.

CHAPTER XXX.

*^ To leave thee behind me my heart \b sair pain'd.
But by ease that*8 ingloriotis no fame can be gain'd;
And beauty and lovers the reward of the brave,
And I maun deserve it before I can crave."

INDIA — GIBRALTAR — CEYLON — 1777-1798.

Whilst the American contiDent was the scene of a sanguinary
and bitter strife, the embers of war were being quickened into
flame in another and far distant province of our vast colonial
empire. In India the usurpation of Hyder Ali had occasioned
the interference of the British, awakening the ill-disguised
hatred of the native race against the grasping policy of the
British, whose cupidity had already appropriated much of
their native land, and whose avarice was only too ready to
embrace any farther opportunity for aggrandisement. The
incendiaries of France had been busy sowing the seeds of

THE SEVENTY-FIRST, OR GLASGOW Wm.m VWK\ mV>SW^.

THE SEVENTY-FIRST FOOT. 289

jealousy and distrust of the British rule, which soon produced
its malignant fruits in the cruel and remorseless war that
ensued. Thus encircled and assailed by enemies from so many
quarters at once, our Grovemment, in its dire extremity, called
upon the patriotism of the country to supply the means of
defence. The result was most satisfactory; and in no case did
the appeal receive a more cordial response than amongst our
clansmen, from whence were drawn, in the course of eighteen
months, upwards of 12,500 Highlanders. From the following
list of the regiments raised in 1 778 to meet this emergency,
the subject of our present sketch may be selected: —

72d Regiment, or Royal Manchester Volunteers, disbanded in 1783.
73d Highland Regiment, . numbered the 71st Regiment in 1786.
74th Highland R<^^ent, .... disbanded in 1784.
75th Prince of Wales* Regiment, . . disbanded in 1783.

76th Highland Regiment, .... disbanded in 1784.
77th Regiment, or Athole Highlanders, . disbanded in 1783.

78th Highland Regiment, . numbered the 72d Regiment in 1786.
79th Regiment, or Royal Liverpool Volunteers, disbanded in 1784.
80th Regiment, or Royal Edinburgh Volunteers, disbanded in 1784.
81st Highland Regiment, .... disbanded in 1783.

82d Regiment, disbanded in 1784.

83d Regiment, or Royal' Glasgow Volunteers, disbanded in 1783.

The Earl of Cromarty and his son. Lord M*Leod, having
been partners in the guilt of rebellion in 1745, were made
partners in the punishment which followed. At length
pardoned, Lord M'Leod was permitted to pass into honour-
able exile. He found employment in the Swedish army,
where he rose to the rank of Lieutenant-General. Oppor-
tunely venturing to return, he was unexpectedly received

2m

290 mSTOBT OF THE SCOTTISH BEOIMENTS,

with much favour ty the King, and his offer to raise a
Highland regiment on his forfeited estates gladly accepted,
Hifl success was worthy of his zeal; and at Elgin, in 1778,
he appeared at the head of a magnificent corps of 840
Highlanders, 236 Lowlanders, — ^ 34 English and Irish,
which were accordingly regimented as the Seventy-third,
afterwards our Seventy-first Eegiment, The success of this
corps induced the formation of a second battalion, which
soon attained its complement. Although styled the "Glas-
gow Highland Light Infantry/' that western metropolis can
boast no legitimate claim to an interest in its formation
beyond the thirty-four English and Irish recruits, who, it is
said, hailed from Glasgow. It acquired the property, at a
later period, when a second battalion was being grafted upon
the parent stem, when many of its citizens enlisting, mani-
fested so strong a predilection in its favour, as induced the
government to confer the present title, and ever since the
Glasgowegians have proudly adopted the Seventy-first as
their own.

Almost immediately on its completion, the first battalion
was embarked for India. Landing at Madras in 1780,
it became the nucleus for the Highland Brigade, which the
subsequent and successive arrival of the Seventy-second,
Seventy-third, Seventy-fourth, Seventy-fifth, and Ninety-
fourth Highland regiments constituted. These earned dis-
tinctions for gallant service almost exceptional to them-
selves. It is worthy of note — eliciting our surprise, yet reflect-
ing infinite credit on our arms — that notwithstanding the insig-

THE SEVENTY-FIBST FOOT. 291

nificance of the British force, opposed to the countless hosts of
the Indian chiefs — ^generally as one to ten — ^we almost always
prevailed. Had the native pride been less rampant, and the
Indian chiefs submitted to the superior generalship of the
French officers sent out to discipline their troops — wherein
was admirable material for good soldiers — ^the danger to the
British would have been greater, and success more exceptional.
Fortunately for us, the incapacity of these sable chiefs to
command, and their exceeding fear of dictation, lost them
many an opportunity, and in the end proved our safety.
It is strangely true of the Indian soldier that, in the field,
when well led, he behaves with the utmost finnness, whilst,
in defence of fortifications or walled towns, he betrays a
weakness which altogether belies any favourable impression of
his resolution previously formed. Notwithstanding the over-
whelming superiority of the enemy who, under Hyder Ali,
threatened annihilation to the small force of 4600 men, includ-
ing the first battalion of the Seventy-third (ad we must as yet
call the Seventy-first), these, under Major-General Sir Hector
Munro, dared to advance into the interior. Meanwhile, a divi-
sion of 3000 men, under Lieut-Colonel Baillie, descending from
the north, strove to effect a junction with the army of General
Munro. The hesitation of the latter, when in presence of the
foe, to prosecute his advance, and secure his junction with the
former, placed the small force of Colonel Baillie in apposition
of peril. This opportunity, vigorously improved by Hyder
Ali, occasioned its destruction, which, with two companies of
the Seventy-third, and other troops under Lieut-Colonel

292 HISTORT OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

Fletcher, had, despite the treachery of the guides, threaded
their way through the jungle, and arrived as a reinforcement
from Major-General Munro, but in reality as so many
more victims who should be engulfed in the fatal ruin so
nigh. The terrible disaster whinh ensued, and the calami-
tous result which yielded so many brave men prisonens into
the cruel, merciless power of Hyder All, can never fail to
inspire feelings of the truest sympathy. With a hundred
thousand men, he descended with the most sanguinary fury
upon this little and devoted column. Even when the whole
ammunition was, by an unlucky accident, blown iuto the air
in their very midst, and the British gims silenced, they
remained unconquered. The converging hosts of the enemy
drew closer around the little band of heroes, and poured in
upon them a deadly fire of artillery and musketry, to which
they could no longer reply. Reduced to 500 men, " History
cannot produce an instance, for fortitude, and intrepidity, and
desperate resolution, to equal the exploits of this heroic band.
.... The mind, in the contemplation of such a scene, and
such a situation as theirs was, is filled at once with admiration,
with astonishment, with horror, and with awe. To behold
formidable and impenetrable bodies of horse, of infantry, and
of artillery, advancing from all quarters, flashing savage fury,
levelling the numberless instruments of slaughter, and dart-
ing destruction around, was a scene to appal even something
more than the strongest human resolution ; but it was beheld
by this little band with the most undaimted and immove-
able firmness Like the swelling waves of the ocean.

THE SEVENTY-FIK8T FOOT. 293

however, when agitated by a storm, fresh columns incessantly
poured in upon them with redoubled fury, which at length
brought so many to the ground, and weakened them so con-
siderably, that they were unable longer to withstand the dread-
ful and tremendous shock; and the field soon presented a horrid
picture of the most inhuman cruelties and unexampled car-
naga'' *^ Happy were those who found on the burning sands of
Perambaukam "a soldier's grave;'' happy indeed, compared with
the cruel fate of the survivors, who, reduced from 4000, scarce
mustered 200 prisoners, nearly all of whom were woimded.
Colonel Baillie, stripped, woimded in three places, was dragged
into the presence of the victor, who exulted over him with the
imperious tone of a conqueror. Baillie replied with the true
spirit of a soldier, and soon after died. The remainder, cast
into the dungeons of Bangalore, scantily fed on unwholesome
food, were doomed to endure a miserable imprisonment for
three long years. These trials, however, served only to bring
out, in brighter effulgence, the characteristics of the Highland
hero. "These brave men," says General Stewart, "equally
true to their religion and their allegiance, were so warmly
attached to their officers (amongst whom was one afterwards
destined to win a mighty fame as their gallant leader — Sir
David Baird), that they picked out the best part of their own
food and secretly reserved it for their officers; thus sacrificing
their own lives for that of their officers, as the result proved,
for out of 111, only 30 feeble and emaciated men ever

* Narratiye of the Military Operations on the Coromandel Coast from 1780 to
1784, by Captain Innes Monro, of the Seventy -third Regiment.

294 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS,

emerged from that almost living tomb." Mrs Grant says in
her narrative, "Daily some of their companions dropped
before their eyes, and daily they were offered liberty and
riches in exchange for this lingering torture, on condition of
relinquishing their religion and taking the turban. Yet not
one could be prevailed upon to purchase life on these terms.
These Highlanders were entirely illiterate; scarcely one of them
could have told the name of any particular sect of Christians,
and all the idea they had of the Mahommedan religion was,
that it was adverse to their own, and to what they had been
taught by their fathers ; and that, adopting it, th^ would re-
nounce ffim who had died that they might live, and who
loved them, and could support them in all their sufferings.
The great outlines of their religion, the peculiar tenets which
distinguish it from any other, were early and deeply im-
pressed on their minds, and proved sufficient in the hour of
trial.

* Rise, Muses rise, add all your tuneful breath ;
These must not sleep in darkness and in death/

" It was not theirs to meet Death in the field of honour ;
while the mind, wrought up with fervid eagerness, went forth
in search of him. They saw his slow approach, and though
sunk into languid debility, such as quenches the fire of mere
temperament, they never once hesitated at the alternative set
before them.''

" Billeted by death, he quartered here remained;
When the last trumpet sounds, he'll rise and march again."

In 1781, in the army of Lieutenant-General Sir Eyre

THE SEVENTY-FIB8T FOOT. 295

Coote, the regiment took the field, although sorely weakened
by sickness and the sword. After considerable manoeuvring
on both sides, the two armies confronted each other on the
plains of Porto Novo. The British, not amounting to 8000
men, of which the Seventy-third was the only Line regiment,
were opposed to a vast host, exceeding 100,000.

Notwithstanding our great inferiority in numbers, the
enemy signally failed in every attempt to annihilate, as he
imagined, the heroic band who fought beneath the banner of
Albion. Discouraged and worn out with these repeated and
imavailing assaults, the foe was only too glad to retire and
escape from such a vain struggle, where superior numbers
could make no impression on bravery and discipline, but only
entailed disgrace and defeat. The excellent valour of the regi-
ment on this critical occasion, received the warmest approbation
of the Commander-in-chief. Sir Eyre Coote was particularly
pleased with the gallantry of one of its pipers, who, amid the
hottest of the fire, ceased not to cheer his comrades by the
shrill scream of his bag-pipes, which was heard even above the
din and roar of battle — so pleased, he exclaimed, " Well done,
my brave fellow, you shall have silver pipes when the battle is
over,'' a promise which he most munificently fulfilled. Sir Eyre
Coote always retained a warm interest in, strong attachment
to, and confidence in the Highland regiments, which he learned
to esteem as the flower of the British army. Having followed
up this great victory by a series of further minor successes,
the army, reinforced by a body of troops from the Bengal
Presidency imder Colonel Pearse, anew arrived upon the blood-

296 mSTOBT OF THE SCOTTISH BBODIENTS.

stained plains of Perambaokam, so piegnant with melancholy
associations^ and which, yet reeking with the gore of the mur-
dered brave, bore memorials of the disaster which had overtaken
so many of thdr comrades but a year previous; stirred by these
painful recollections, our army consecrated the spot to avenge
thereon the butcheiy which had so lately bereaved them of their
brethren. The foe, too, were inspired for the fight, but by a
veiy different feeling. Superstition bade them believe their
gods propitious to the spot, and, as with them, to give over
the British as the victims of a new sacrifice. Thus impelled,
it may well be inferred that the stm^le was severe and bloody,
although, as usual, British prowess triumphed.

To relieve the important fortress of Yellore, our army ad-
vanced by the Pass of Sholingur, where it encoimtered the
enemy. A protracted and desperate fight ensued, but nothing
could withstand the impetuous and persevering assaults of the
British, who ultimately drove the enemy before them. In the
spring of 1782, the relief of Vellore was a second time accom-
plished, despite the strenuous efforts of Hyder Ali to prevent
it. The after and unsatisfying inactivity of our army per-
mitted a powerful French force, landed from the fleet of
Admiral SuffreiD, to effect a junction with the Indian army,
and these together succeeded in reducing the important strong-
holds of Permacoil and Cudalore. These successes, energetically
followed up by Hyder Ali, threatened our utter destruction,
and brought about the battle of Arnee, in which the Seventy-
*"hird was conspicuous imder the leadership of Lieutenant-
il Etphinstone and, more immediately, of Captain the

THE SEVENTY-FIRST FOOT. 297

Honourable James Lindsay. The British, reinforced by the
arrival of the Seventy-eighth (now the Seventy-second) regi-
ment, recently arrived from Europe, were in a position to assume
the offensive, and having anew provisioned Vellore, undertook
the siege of Cudalore, which was only abandoned for lack of
the requisite means of attack, thus postponing its fate for
another year. So deeply interested was the Commander-in-
chief, Sir Eyre Coote, in this undertaking, that, vexed with its
miscarriage — esteeming himself inadequately supported by
Government in the attempt — grieved and disappointed, he
fell a prey to melancholy, which, ere an opportimity to
retrieve the present failure had come, the veteran chief had
fallen. He was succeeded in the command by Major-General
James Stuart, and the army, reinforced by the arrival of the
Twenty-third Light Dragoons, the One-hundred-and-first and
One-hundred-and-second British regiments, and the Fifteenth
regiment of Hanoverian infantry, resumed the siege of Cuda-
lore imder more auspicious circumstances. The defence was
resolutely maintained by the French under General Bussy.
The besiegers so vigorously pressed the enemy that he was at
length compelled to withdraw within the fortress. The loss
on our side was very severe — the Seventy-third had to mourn
a melancholy list of nearly 300 comrades killed or woimded.
The news of a treaty of peace having been signed between
Great Britain and France, snatched the prize from our troops
which we had imagined within our grasp.

In 1786, the numerical title of the r^ment was changed

2n

298 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH EEGrWENTS,

from the Seventy-third to the Seventy-fireti as at present, by
the reduction, etc., of senior corps.

Nothing of importance falls to be recorded in the course of
OUT narrative till the year 1 790, when Tippoo Saib, the son
and successor of Hyder Ah, encroaching upon the territory of
the Rajah of Travancore, a faithful ally of the British, occa-
sioned our interference, resulting in a renewal of hostilities.
In the army of Major-General Medows, the Seventy-first and
Seventy-second regiments formed the second or Highland
brigade, afterwards increased by the addition of the Seventy*
fourth Highlanders from Madras. As we shall have frequent
opportunity of following the movements of the brigade in after
chapters, we will not here burden our history with a repetition,
contenting ourselves with the simple mention of the chief
events that ensued. Under General the Earl Cornwallis,
the Seventy-first was with the army in the various actions
which led to the siege and capture of Bangalore; thence it
proceeded with the expedition intended to act against Serin-
gapatam, but which, overcome by the force of circumstances,
in the meantime retired, awaiting a more favourable oppor-
tunity, when better prepared to accomplish the design. In
the interval, the regiment was creditably engaged in the re-
duction of the strong forts of Nundydroog, Savendroog, etc.,
which had hitherto hindered our progress. At length, in 1 792,
the army resumed the enterprise against Seringapatam. This
forward movement alarmed Tippoo Saib, who, dreading the
fate which awaited his capital, strove to arrest the army by
accepting battle. The result proving unfortimate, the enemy

THE SEVENTY-FIRST FOOT. 299

were driven within the island on which the city stands, and
even here, although very strongly posted, the Mysoreans had
become so straitened in their circumstances, and were so
pressed by the British, that, suing for peace, the Sultan was
only too glad to purchase the safety of his capital and preserve
the last remnant of his once mighty dominion by any sacrifice
which the conquerors chose to impose. Disappointed of a
further triumph, the army retired, laden with the spoil which
had ransomed the haughty metropolis and its ambitious prince.
Holland having caught the revolutionary fever which pre-
vailed in 1793, and being allied with France, was involved in
the war with Britain, which, arising out of the sins of the Revo-
lution, had already torn from these states nearly their entire
colonial dominions. Pondicherry, on the Coromandel coast, had
succumbed to our arms ; and the valuable island of Ceylon
was, in turn, wrested from the Dutch by a British expedition,
including the Seventy-first regiment. This was the last
achievement of any importance which was attained by the corps
in India. In 1 798, it received orders to return home, and,
after a long voyage, landed in safety at Woolwich.

CHAPTER XXXI.

^^ Kight onward did CLui-AJpma come.
Aboye the tide, each broadsword bright
Waa brandieliiiig like beam of light,

Each targe was dark bd^Dw ;
And with the ocean's mighty swing,
When heaving to the tempest's wing,
They hurled them on the foe.
I heard the lance's shivering crash.
As when the whirlwind rends the ash;
I heard the broadsword's deadly dang,
As if an hundred anvils rangi
But Moray wheeled his rearward rank
Of horsemen on Clan- Alpine's flank —

'My banner-man advance 1
I see/ he cried, 'their column shake;
Now, gallants! for your ladies' sake,
Upon them with the lance ! '
The horsemen dashed among the rout,

As deer break through the broom ;
Their steeds are stout, their swords are out.
They soon make lighteome room."

GIBRALTAR — CAPE OF GOOD HOPE — BUENOS AYRES — PENINSULA
— FLANDERS — ^WATERLOO — CANADA — ^WEST INDIES — 1778-1862.

Whilst the first battalion was gallantly combating its
country's foes on the plains of India, a second battalion,
raised in 1778, had, in 1780, embarked for Gibraltar. On the
voyage, the fleet fell in with a valuable Spanish convoy of
Carracca merchantmen, guarded by several ships of war. Sir

THE SEVENTY-FIRST FOOT. 301

George Eodney, the British admiral, having impressed the
Seventy-first as marines, assailed the enemy, and soon com-
pelled them to surrender. Arrived ofi* Cape St Vincent, a new
and more formidable antagonist awaited the coming of the
British. A powerful Spanish fleet, under Admiral Don Juan
de Langara, appeared in sight, charged with their destruction.
But a very diflFerent result was the issue of the collision : out
of eleven line-of-battle ships, comprising the enemy, nearly all
either perished or were captured. Arrived at Gibraltar, the
battalion was engaged in the defence of that important
fortress, contributing by its gallantry to beat off the most
stupendous efforts of Spain and France combined to reduce it.
Successively it witnessed the failure of the tremendous cannon-
ade with which the Spaniards assailed the fortifications, hoping
therewith to render these splendid works a heap of ruins, no
longer defensible even by British valour. In 1781, the flank
companies of the battalion participated in the glory of the
sortie which accomplished the destruction of the numerous
and powerful batteries and immense magazines of the enemy;
and finally, in the following year, it beheld the might of
France and Spain discomfited, and itself, surviving the iron
tempest of shot and shell with which the enemy proposed to
exterminate the garrison, was glorified along with the British
troops who dauntlessly maintained the fortress. Ten ponde-
rous battering ships had been prepared and were supposed to
achieve marvels in the tremendous artillery of the assault.
But alas! how oft is the counsel of the wise mocked and the
loftiest designs of man humbled by the God of battles!

302 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH EBGIMENTS.

Instead of victory, which it was fondly imagined should crown
such gigantic efforts of skill, these floating batteries were
nearly all utterly destroyed by the red-hot shot used for the
purpose by the British. Thus triumphing over the vast
efforts of two of the mightiest military powers of the age, our
brave garrison received the royal thanks, expressive of the
people's gratitude, conveyed through the Secretary of State
for War, in these flattering terms: — "I am honoured with
His Majesty's commands to assure you, in the strongest terms,
that no encouragement shall be wanting to the brave officers
and soldiers under your command. His royal approbation of
the past will no doubt be a powerful incentive to future exer-
tions; and I have the King's authority to assure you, that
every distinguished act of emulation and gallantry, which shall
be performed in the course of the siege by any, even of the
lowest rank, will meet with ample reward from his gracious
protection and favour." Peace at length dawned, and the
blockade was in consequence raised in February, 1 783. The
second battalion, returning home, was disbanded at Stirling in
the autumn of the same year.

The first battalion, which had returned from India, had
proceeded to Scotland to recruit, but, being unsuccessful,
passed over to Ireland in 1800, where it received 600 volun-
teers from the Scots Fencibles. Afterward, when the peace of
Amiens had been transgressed, and a French invasion seemed
imminent, the "Army Reserve Act" occasioned the formation
of a second battalion at Dumbarton in 1804. Enrolled for a
limited time, and restricted to home duty, it was employed in

THE SEVENTY-FIRST FOOT. 303

various garrisons in Scotland, Ireland, and South Britain, and
was disbanded at Glasgow in December, 1815, on the termina-
tion of the war. Meanwhile, the alarm of invasion having
passed away, the first battalion, with the Seventy-second and
Ninety-third regiments, formed the second or Highland
brigade, under Brigadier-General Eonald Crawfurd Fergu-
son, engrossed in the army of Major-Greneral Sir David Baird,
destined to operate against the Dutch colony at the Cape
of Good Hope. Having successfully accomplished a landing
in Saldanha Bay, conquered at the battle of Bleuberg, driven
the Dutch army of Lieutenant-Greneral Janssens into the in-
terior, and advanced upon Cape Town, the fruitlessness of
further resistance becoming evident, the entire colony was
surrendered in 1806. In token of the honour acquired by the
regiment in this enterprise, the words "Cape of Good Hope"
have been since borne by permission upon its regimental colour.
No sooner had this conquest been completed than the Seventy-
first was detached, with 200 men of the St Helena regiment —
making a total of 1087 rank and file, in an expedition against
Buenos Ayres, in South America. Commanded by Brigadier-
General William Carr (afterwards Viscount) Beresford, this ill-
advised and ill-fated expedition at first met with considerable
success — ^a bloodless landing being effected, and the enemy easily
broken and dispersed, all promised to go weU. Eecovering from
their first alarm, and ashamed that such a handful of British
should have so easily assumed to be their masters, the citizens,
gradually drawing together into a formidable phalanx, resolved
to wipe away the disgrace, and achieve their liberty by the

304 manosT of thb soottdh bboubsis.

expukioii of the mvadeia Ddven into the dtadd. willioat
hope of idie^ and unable to contend against the hoodj in-
creafliiig enemies that sonoonded them and threatened ven-
geance upcm them, the beBo^ed felt themadveB compelled
to sniiender. Bemoved as ptiscmeis into tJie interior
of the coontiy, the battalion was treated leniently, bat tiie
landing of a second expedition at Monte Video, fiited to an
iaene as nnfortonate^ occasioned a more ligoioos tieatment.
NegotiaticHis having bionght about an amicsable arrange-
ment, the entire British, released, agreed to reUnqnish all
hostilities against South America. Unarmed and unnnifDimed,
the battalion reached Cork in 1807, and was immediatelj
re-equipped, and presented with new colours bjr Lieutenant-
General Floyd, who thus addreaeed it: — ^" Brave Seventy-first,
the world is well acquauited with your gallant conduct at the
capture of Buenos Ayres, in South America, under one of TTia
Majesty's bravest generals.

** It is well known that you defended your conquest with
the utmost courage, good conduct, and discipline to the last
extremity. "When diminished to a handful, hopeless of suc-
cour, and destitute of provisions, you were overwhelmed by
multitudes, and reduced by the fortune of war to lose your
liberty and your well-defeuded colours, but . not your honour.
Your honour. Seventy-first regiment, remains unsullied. Your
last act in the field covered you with glory. Your generous
despair, caUing upon your General to sufier you to die with
arms in your hands, proceeded from the genuine spirit of
British soldiens. Your behaviour in prosperity — ^your sufierings

THE SEVENTY-FIRST FOOT. 305

in captivity — and your faithful discliarge of your duty to your
King and country, are appreciated by all.

"You who now stand on this parade, in defiance of the
allurements held out to base desertion, are endeared to the
army and to the country, and your conduct will ensure you
the esteem of all true soldiers — of all worthy men — and fill
every one of you with honest martial pride.

"It has been my good fortune to have witnessed, in a
remote part of the world, the early glories and gallant conduct
of the Seventy-first regiment in the field ; and it is with great
satisfaction I meet you again, with replenished ranks, with
good arms in your hands, and with stout hearts in your
bosoms.

" Look forward, officers and soldiers, to the achievement of
new honours and the acquirement of fresh fame!

"Officers I be the friends and guardians of these brave
fellows committed to your charge!

"Soldiers! give your confidence to your officers. They
have shared with you the chances of war; they have bravely
bled along with you; they will always do honour to them-
selves and you. Preserve your regiment's reputation for
valour in the field, and regularity in quarters."

Spain and Portugal having been despoiled of their inde-
pendence by the perfidious usurpation of France, Britain —
allied with the patriots of the Peninsula in the struggle going
on for the emancipation of these kingdoms from the thraldom
of Napoleon — sent an army to Portugal, which included the first

battalion of the Seventy-first, and under the command of Sir

2o

HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

Lesley, effected a landing in Mondego Bay in 1808,

le victories of " Roleia " and " Vimiera,'' oom-

bi/ upon the colours of the regiment, the convention

a was achieved, which expelled the French under

Junot, Duke of Abrantes, from Portugal A fc

the Grenadier company of the Seventy-first, under

rbeSj captured a battery of five guns and a

witzeVf y ch every attempt of the enemy fail^ to recover,

the. same occasion George Clarke, the piper of the regi-

snt^ was specially commended for his gallantry in re-

)lutel7 continuing at his post, although severely woundetl,

heering his countrymen by the wild inspiring music of the

bag-pipe. Corporal M*Kay, at the same battle, was fortunate

enough to receive the Bword of the French General Brennier.

Advancing upon Madrid, associated in brigade with the

Thirty-sixth and Ninety-second regiments, the Seventy-first

was ultimately joined to the army of Lieutenant-General

Sir John Moore, which had promised to relieve the citizens

of that metropolis from the intolerant yoke of France. The

corps was with the British army in the disastrous yet glorious

retreat, terminated in the victory of Corunna, possessing a

melancholy interest from the death of the hero whose genius

had accomplished it, and which delivered a British army

from a situation of imminent peril.

Embarked, the regiment returned to England, and in
1809 — a year to be mournfully remembered, as fatal to the
wearing of the kilt in the army — it was ordered to lay aside
the Highland garb, and was uniformed as a light infantry

I

THE SEVENTY-FIRST FOOT. 307

regiment. Every care was in consequence bestx)wed to pro-
mote its efficiency. Strengthened, it was associated with the
Sixty-eighth and Eighty-fifth regiments in the light brigade,
and was ordered to accompany the army in the ill-advised
expedition, which wasted a splendid armament in a vain
attempt to obtain a footing in Flanders. The good conduct
of the regiment was nevertheless most conspicuous in the
various actions of the brief campaign.

Returning to England towards the close of the year, in
the spring of 1810, the first, second, third, fourth, sixth, and
tenth companies were selected to reinforce the army of
Lieutenant-General Viscount Wellington, then fighting in
Portugal. It arrived at a very critical period in the history
of the war, when Marshal Massena, pressing our troops with
overwhelming numbers, they were retreating towards the
impregnable lines of Torres Vedras, defeating the sanguine
hopes of the French general. The Seventy-first, conmianded
by Lieutenant-Colonel the Hon. Henry Cadogan, was brigaded
with the Fiftieth and Ninety-second regiments imder Major-
General Sir William Erskine. Whilst maintaining these
formidable defences, the following incident is related of
Sir Adam Ferguson, who was so posted with his company
that the French artillery might operate with fatal effect upon
his men, but, for better security, they were ordered to lie
prostrate on the ground. While in this attitude the captain,
kneeling at their head, read aloud the description of the battle,
as introducing our present chapter, and as selected from Sir
Walter Scott's "Lady of the Lake." The little volume had

308 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS,

jast come into the camp as a stranger, but was soon welcomed
as a friend. The listenirig soldiers, charmed with the poet's
tale, only interrupted the reading by an occasional and joyous
huzzah whenever the French shot struck the bank close above
them. Wearied, disappointed^ and distressed by ravages of
disease amongst his troops, the French Marshal was con-
strained in turn to retreat — a retreat which, but for the
unslumbering vigilance of his pursuers, promised to be as
successful as the ability with which it was conducted merited,
worthy the genius of Massena — justly esteemed the right hand
of Napoleon.

In 1811 the regiment was joined by its other companies.
In the action of Fuentes d'Onor it was warmly engaged; re-
peatedly and powerfully assailed by the enemy, it was all but
overpowered in the defence of the village, when, happily, the
Seventy-fourth and Eighty-Eighth regiments arrived to its
support, and so the post was retained. The corps was after-
wards detached as a reinforcement to the army of Marshal
Sir William Beresford, and subsequently, in the army of
Lieutenant -General Eowland (afterwards Viscount) Hill,
was employed in the southern provinces of the Peninsula,
keeping in check the French under Marshal Soult, and other-
wise covering the operations of the grand army of Welling-
ton. It helped to disperse and destroy a considerable detach-
ment of the enemy which had been surprised at Arroyo-
del-Molinos. It was more especially commended for the ex-
ceeding gallantry it displayed in the capture of Fort Napoleon,
embraced in the action and commemorated in the word

THE SEVENTY-FIBST FOOT. 309

" Almaraz" At the battle of Vittoria it suffered very severely
in the loss of nearly 400 men and officers; but the most
grievous loss was felt in the death of its Lieutenant-Colonel,
the Hon. Henry Cadogan, who largely enjoyed the esteem of
the soldiers. He "fell mortally wounded while leading his
men to the charge, and being unable to accompany the bat-
talion, requested to be carried to a neighbouring eminence,
&om which he might take a last farewell of them and the
field. In his dying moments he earnestly inquired if the
French were beaten; and on being told by an officer of the
regiment, who stood by supporting him, that they had given
way at all points, he ejaculated, •God bless my brave country-
men,' and immediately expired." The Marquis of Wellington
thus gave effect to his own regrets in the official dispatch
communicating his faU: — "In him His Majesty has lost an
officer of great zeal and tried gallantry, who had abeady ac-
quired the respect and regard of the whole profession, and of
whom it might be expected, that if he had lived he would have
rendered the most important services to his country."

In all the after battles and actions, which resulted in the
expulsion of the French from Spain, and their repeated defeats
and ultimate rout on their native plains, the Seventy-first
bore an honourable part, returning to Britain in 1814,
richly laden with a harvest of glory. A short interval of
peace soon recruited the "precious remnant" of the regiment,
and so restored its strength as enabled it once more to go on
foreign service. Ordered to embark for America, it was
fortunately detained by tempestuous weather, and so privileged

A

310 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS*

to win laurels on a mightier field. Napoleon having escaped
from his honourable exile in Elba, by his presence in
France, overturning the ricketty goVeroment of the Bourbon,
involved that bleeding country in a universal war, since it
brought down the combined wrath of Europe* whose allied
armies now hastened to arrest and punish the ambitious man
who had proved himself so dire a curse to Christendom.
Upon the plains of Waterloo the die for empire was cast and
lost. In that great battle the Seventy-first had a part, forming
with the first battalion of the Fifty-second, and t^e second and
third battalions of the Ninety-fifth, or Rifles — a light infantry
brigade which sustained the charge of three regiments of
French cavalry: one of cuirassiers, one of grenadiers-^cheval,
and one of lancers. It also withstood the shock of the grand
final charge of the Old Imperial Guard, witnessing the discom-
fiture of these choice troops, so long the citadel of imperial
strength, now reeling, broken, dying, dead — of whom, borrow-
ing the words, it may well be said —

"They never feared the face of man."

This great victory having ruined irretrievably the fortunes of
Napoleon, the allied army, rapidly advancing, entered Paris a
second time, and there dictated the terms of peace. The
Seventy-first remained in France as part of the " army of
occupation;" and whilst stationed at the village of Eombly in
1816, its soldiers were presented with the Waterloo medals by
Colonel Eeynell, who thus, addressing the regiment, said : —
" These honourable rewards bestowed by your Sovereign for

THE SEVENTY-FIEST FOOT. 311

your share in the great and glorious exertions of the army of
His Grace the Duke of Wellington upon the field of Waterloo,
when the utmost efforts of the army of France, directed by
Napoleon, reputed to be the first captain of the age, were not
not only paralysed at the moment, but blasted Tbeyond the
power of even a second struggle.

" To have participated in a contest crowned with victory
so decisive, and productive of consequences that have diffused
peace, security, and happiness throughout Europe, may be to
each of you a source of honourable pride, as well as of grati-
tude to the Omnipotent Arbiter of all human contests, who
preserved you in such peril, and without whose protecting
hand the battle belongs not to the strong, nor the race to the
swift.

"I acknowledge to feel an honest, and, I trust, an excus-
able, exultation, in having had the honour to command you
on that day; and in dispensing these medals, destined to re-
cord in your families the share you had in the ever-memorable
battle of Waterloo, it is a peculiar satisfaction to me that I can
present them to those by whom they have been fairly and
honourably earned, and that I can here solemnly declare, that
in the course of that eventful day I did not observe a soldier
of this good regiment whose conduct was not only creditable
to the English nation, but such as his dearest friends could de-
sire. I trust that they will act as powerful talismans, to keep
you, in your future lives, in the paths of honour, sobriety, and
virtue." A year later and Major-General Sir Denis Pack
presented new colours to the regiment, and, alluding to its

Slpt HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGITMEKTS.

services, said : — *' Never, indeed, did the character of the corps
stand higher; never was the fame of the British arms or the
glory of the British empire more pre-eminent than at this
moment, an enthusiastic recollection of which the sight of
these colours must always inspire/'

Returning to England in 1818, the Seventy-first remained
on home service until 1824, when it was removed to Canada^
and in 1831 was sent to Bermuda^ thence restored to its
native land in 1834. It returned to Canada in 1838, and in
1842 was included in a first and reserve battalion. Whilst
the latter remained in Canada, the fonner was ordered to the
West Indies, thence to Barbadoes, and in 1847 restored to
England. In 1853 the first battalion proceeded to the Ionian
Islands; and in November, 1854, the reserve battalion, which
had recently arrived from Canada, embarked for the Crimea,
followed by the first battalion from Corfu. Both battalions
were subsequently united on arrival at the seat of war.
"Sevastopol'' commemorates its service before that place. The
regiment was next stationed at Malta, and was sent thence by
overland route, in January, 1858, to Bombay, and is now at
Sealkote, in the Punjaub.

4'i ^

THE SEVENTY-SECOND FOOT;

OR,

DUKE OF ALBANY'S HIGHLANDERS.

CHAPTER XXXII.

" We would not die in that man's company, *
That fears his fellowship to die with us.

Then shall our names.
Familiar in their mouths as household words,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remembered
From this day to the ending of the world ;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.
For he to-day tJiat sheds his blood with me,
Shall be my brother."

ORIGIN — CHANNEL ISLANDS — INDIA — CEYLON — 1778-1799.

The history of the clans presents no more splendid illustra-
tion of that devotion which bound the clansman to his chief,
and of the happy relationship implied therein, than is aflForded
in the circumstances attendant upon the origin of the Seventy-
second Highlanders. The ♦Earl of Seaforth, chief of the

Mackenzie, had, as a leader in the rebellion of 1715, been

2p

314 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS,

banished from bis couutiy, his title attainted, and his estates
forfeited, yet, withal, 400 of his late followers and tenants
remitted to him in his exile a large portion of the rents they
might have been liable for had he retained the estate. This
most generous testimony of respect and practical expression of
sympathy to the father was gratefully remembered by the son,
and, notwithstanding the changes which, passing over the face of
society, had swept away the old institution of clanship, induced
the grandson, who, restored by purchase to the family pro-
perty, and by his acknowledged loyalty, to the honours of the
Earldom of Seaforth, in return for these favours, volunteered
to raise a regiment for the Government. His appeal to his
clansmen was amply successfcQ. The Mackenzies and Macraes,
rallying around him as their chief, gave thereby most hearty
and flattering testimony to their own loyalty to the King, and
unimpaired attachment to the family of Seaforth, which had
so long and worthily presided over -them. Accordingly, 1130
men were assembled and enrolled in the regiment — then known
as the Seventy-eighth — at Elgin, in 1 778. Marched to Edin-
burgh, it was thence removed to the Channel Islands, where
its firm attitude, remarkable in such young soldiers, so won
the confidence of the islanders, and encouraged the militia, as,
together with our Highlanders, enabled them successfully to
resist an attempted debarkation of French troops on the island
of Jersey.

A sister regiment to the Seventy-first, the Seventy-second
(Seventy-eighth) was ordered to follow it to India in 1781, in
fulfilment of the original purpose for which both corps had

THB SEVENTY-SECOND FOOT. 315

been raised. The transport service of those times was miser-
ably ineflScient, especially when compared with the leviathan
ships and floating palaces — ^the Scotias, Persias, and Great
Easterns — which in our day are, by a patriotic public, ever at
the command of our Government for any sudden emergency.
A voyage in a troop-ship eighty years ago ofttimes consumed
more of life than the battle-field; was more fatal than the
dreaded pestilence which lurked in the swamps of the Indies;
nay, in some cases was as cruel in its miseries as the
horrors of the Black Hole of Calcutta. The passage of the
Seventy-second Highlanders to India proved to be suck Two
hundred and forty-seven men perished on the voyage, which
was protracted to nearly ten months; and when the regiment
did arrive at Madras, only 369 men were mustered as fit for
duty. One transport having parted from the fleet in a gale,
was placed in imminent peril, being destitute of charts, and
her commander utterly unfit for his position, having hitherto
trusted to keep his vessel in the track of the fleet. By the
wise precautions of Sir Eyre Coote, although the requirements
of the service were urgent and entailed an immediate advance,
the Seventy-second regiment was not immediately hurried
into action, but time was allowed it to recruit its strength.
In consequence of these measures, the raiment was soon able
to appear in the field with upwards of 600 men.

Hyder Ali, who, by usurpation, had arisen from being a
mere soldi^ of fortune to be the dreaded tyrant of the Mysore,
allied with France and Holland, threatened to expel the
British from the Indian continent.

316 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REaiMENTS*

*' rrig true that we ur^ In great danger.

The greater, therefore, «hould out courage be."

These words of wisdom* from the glowing pen of Shak-
spere, worthy his mighty soul, bespeaking in every lineament
the true undaunted spirit of a son of Albion* were acted out
to the letter in the bold advance of the British against this
formidable coalition. Our army, under Major-General Stuart,
comprised the Seventy-third (afterwards the Seventy-first),
the Seventy-eighth (afterwards the Seventy-second), and the
One-hundred-and-first regiments, with a considerable body of
native troops and Hanoverians. The strong fortress of Guda-
lore was the first to challenge the assault. Defended by a
veteran garrison of French, under General Bussy, it needed
the utmost gallantry of our Highlanders — ^''the ardour and
intrepidity giving presage of the renown they afterwards
acquired" — to force the enemy's lines, and ultimately compel
him to relinquish the external defences of the place and
retire more immediately within the fortress. Amongst the
prisoners was Colonel the Chevalier de Dumas, conspicuous as
"the bravest of the brave/' also "a wounded young serjeant of
very interesting appearance and manners, who was treated
with much kindness by Lieutenant-Colonel Wagenheim, com-
manding the detachment of Hanoverians. Many years after-
wards, when the French army entered Hanover, General Wag-
enheim attended the lev6e of General Bernadotte, who re-
ferred to the circumstance at Cudalore in 1783, and added —
* I am the individual, who, when a young serjeant, received
kindness from you in India.' " The death of Hyder Ali, and

THE SEVENTYH3EC0ND FOOT. 317

the withdrawal of France, occasioned the breaking up of this
formidable league against the British power in India, and for
a moment the sun of peace smiled upon our war-worn
soldiers.

The new Sultan of the Mysore, as capricious as his father and
predecessor, broke off the negotiations which had promised a
continued and favourable peace. In consequence, the Seventy-
eighth (Seventy-second) advanced, with the army under
Colonel Fullerton, against the almost impregnable fortress of
Palghantcherry, which was won mainly by the daring of the
Honourable Captain Maitland and a company of the regiment,
who, taking advantage of a violent storm, when the enemy,
seeking shelter from the pitiless rain, had left unguarded the
covered way, and thereby affording an opportunity which,
improved by Captain Maitland and his company, gave such
a footing within the walls as terrified the defenders into
a speedy surrender. This success was followed by the fall
of Coimbatore, and might probably have been crowned in the
capture of Seringapatam, had not peace interfered, postponing
the fate of the capital for ten years.

In 1 790, the unprovoked aggressions of Tippoo Saib, the
ambitious Sultan of the Mysore, upon the Rajah of Travan-
core, an aUy of the British, occasioned the renewal of the war.
Still associated in a common glory with their brethren of the
Seventy-third (Seventy-first) Highlanders, the Seventyreighth
(Seventy-second) advanced with the army under Major-Gen-
eral Medows, which, obtaining possession imopposed of Coim-
batore and capturing Dindigal, proceeded against the powerful

318 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

fortress of PaJghantcheny, which, notwithstanding Tippoo
SaiVs utmost efforts to relieve it, waa surrendered to the -flank
companies of the two Highland regiments, under Lieutenant^
Colonel Stuart.

Aware of his own inferiority in the field, the Sultan
dared not hazard a battle, but omitted no opportunity to
harass and annoy our army wherever superior knowledge of
the country, position, or overwhebning numbers gave him the
advantage. The arrival of Colonel Maxwell's reinforcements
from the Bengal Presidency occasioned the addition of the
Seventy-fourth regiment to the Highland brigade; and, on
General the Earl C/omwaUis assuming the command in 1791,
he approved this arrangement by retaining in one brigade
the Seventy-first, Seventy-second, and Seventy-fourth High-
landers.

Out-manoeuvred by the British commander, an entrance was
obtained through an imguarded defile into the enemy's terri-
tory. The siege of Bangalore was the immediate result, which,
despite its powerful fortifications and the menacing attitude of
the Mysore army, which anxiously strove to relieve it, was
gallantly won by storm in March, 1791. Having witnessed
the fall of this chief city of his empire, the Sultan precipitately
retreated, closely pursued by the Highland brigade. The
British army thereafter advanced against Seringapatam.
Alarmed for the safety of his capital, Tippoo ventured to try
the fate of battle. Defeated, he failed to arrest our progress,
all seemed lost, when unfortunate circumstances interposed on
his behalf, and a second time rescued the doomed city from

THE SEVENTT-SBCOND FOOT. 319

our grasp. Several minor enterprises beguiled the time ere
the march upon Seringapatam might be resumed Saven-
droog was successfully stormed, and the strong fort of Outra-
Durgum was captured, chiefly through the heroic ardour of
two companies of the Seventy-second, who, having possessed
themselves of the town, pursued the fugitives to the rock upon
which the fort fitood. We quote from Lieutenant Campbell^s
Journal: — "Lieutenant M*Innes, senior oflScer of the two
Seventy-second companies, applied to Captain Scott for liberty
to follow the fugitives up the rock, saying he should be in
time to enter the first gateway with them. The Captain
thought the enterprise impracticable. The soldiers of Mlnnes's
company heard the request made, and not doubting of consent
being given, had rushed towards the first wall, and were
followed by M'Innes. The gate was shut: but Lieutenant
MTherson arrived with the pioneers and ladders, which were
instantly applied, and our people were within the wall, as
quick as thought, when the gate was unbolted and the two
companies entered. The enemy, astonished at so unexpected
an attempt, retreated with precipitation. M'Innes advanced
to the second wall, the men forced open the gate with their
shoulders, and not a moment was lost in pushing forward for
the third wall; but the road, leading between two rocks, was
so narrow that only two could advance abreast; the pathway
was, in consequence, soon choked up, and those who carried
the ladders were unable to proceed; at the same time, the
enemy commenced throwing huge stones in numbers upon the
assailants, who commenced a sharp fire of musketry, and

320 HISTOilY OF THE SOOTTiail REOrMENTS.

lieutenant-Colonel Stuart^ who had observed from a distance
this astonishiBg enterprise* Bent orders for the grenadiers not
to attempt anything further. Lieutenant M'Pherson forced
his way through the crowds causing the ladders to bo handed
over the soldiers' heads, from one to another, and before the
colonel's orders coidd be delivered, the gallant Highlanders
were crowding over the third gateway. Th©» enemy fled on
all hands; the foremost of our men pursued them closely, and
gained the two last walls (there were five walls to escalade),
without opposition. The garrison escaped by the south-east
side of the fort, over rocks and precipices of immense depth
and ruggedness, where many must have lost their lives. By
one o'clock, our two companies were in possession of every
part of the fort, and M'Innes had planted the colours on the
highest pinnacle, without the loss of a single man. The Kile-
dar and two of his people were taken alive. Colonel Stuart
declared the business to be brilliant and successful, beyond his
most sanguine hopes."

In 1792, the advance upon Seringapatam was renewed.
In the glorious events of the siege, the Seventy-second bore
a most conspicuous part, and largely contributed to the attain-
ment of the victory which destroyed the power of the Sultan,
and made him a suppliant for peace.

Scarcely had one enemy been overcome, ere a new one
appeared — the French, hurled into fatal antagonism with us
because of the unhappy avowal of sentiments subversive of
good order. Accordingly, in 1793, the Seventy-second was
engaged in the siege of Pondicherry — the principal Indian

THE SEVENTY-SECOND FOOT. 321

colony of France; which fell into our hands rather from a
mutiny among its defenders than our own efforts. It is
related by Lieutenant Campbell, that " the moment the piper
began to play, the fire from the enemy slackened, and soon after
almost entirely ceased. The French all got upon the works,
and seemed astonished at hearing the bag-pipe.'* The Dutch
having allied themselves with the French, paid the penalty of
their folly in the loss of many of their most valuable colonies,
conquered by the British. Ceylon, the principal, perhaps the
most valuable of them, was in consequence assailed by our
Indian army, including the Seventy-second regiment, which,
capturing Trincomalee, Batticaloe, Manaar, and Colombo,
reduced the island under British dominion. This was the
closing achievement, for the present, of the regiment in India.
Returning from Ceylon to Pondicherry, thence removed to
Madras in 1 798, it was ordered home, and landed at Gravesend.
These many and distinguished services are commemorated in
the word " Hindoostan,'' now borne by Royal authority upon
its colours and appointments.

2q

CHAPTER XXXIII.

** Then glory » niy Jeanie, maun plead my exctuae;
Since honour commands me, how can I refuse?
Without it, I ne*er can have merit f<»r thee,
And losing thy favour Vd better not be.
I gae, th^i, my lass, to win glory and fame,
And if I should chance to come gbriously hame,
ril bring a heart to thee with love running o'er,
And then I'll leave thee and Lochaber no more/'

CAPE OP GOOD HOPE — MAURITIUS — INDIA — CAPE OP GOOD HOPE

— 1799-1862.

The regiment returned to Europe at a very critical period in
our national history, when the rampant passions of revolution,
as yet imtamed by adversity, imperiously taxed the nations
in their maintenance. It had no sooner arrived than it was
sent to Scotland to recruit, and thence, in 1801, to Ireland.
From the number of new regiments called into being at this
period to meet the necessities of the times, recruiting went on
but slowly. The respite from the dire calamity of war which
the Peace of Amiens afforded, occasioned a reduction in the
establishment of the Seventy-second. The resumption of
hostilities in 1803, not only called for an immediate augmen-
tation of its strength, but occasioned the addition of a second
battalion, which was employed in Various home garrisons,
especially in Ireland, throughout the war, until disbanded in
1816. The immediate peril from a French invasion having

THE SEVENTY-SECOND FOOT. 323

passed away, the Seventy-second was ordered to join a secret
expedition under Lieut-General Sir Eyre Coote, KB., but
was ultimately included in the force under Major-Greneral Sir
David Balrd, which sailed in 1805, and after viewing the
beauties of Madeira, and landing for a few da3rs' refreshment at
San Salvador in the Brazils, steered for the coast of Africa^
when the object of the expedition was disclosed by an attack
upon the Dutch colony at the Cape of Good Hope. In addition
to its old comrades of the Seventy-first, the Seventy-second was
associated with the Ninety-third Regiment in the Highland
Brigade of the army. On the morning of the 6th January,
1806, the British effected a landing in Lospard's Bay, despite
the efibrts of the Dutch to prevent it. The Highlanders in
the van drove the enemy before them, and on attaining the
summit of the Blue Mountains, beheld the Batavian army
awaiting battle on the other side. The position of the enemy
was well chosen, and maintained with determined bravery.
The fate of the battle was only decided in our favour when
the Highland Brigade was brought forward, and "Brigadier-
General Ferguson gave the word * Charge.* A loud British
shout instantly rent the air, and the heroic Highlanders closed
with bayonets upon their numerous adversaries, who instantly
fled in dismay, pursued across the deep sands by the victorious
Highland Brigade." As the army advanced towards Cape
Town, the Dutch retired. The conduct of Lieutenant
M*Arthur and thirty men of the regiment in the capture
of Houf s Bay, was conspicuous for the gallantry it evinced.
These repeated disasters convinced the Dutch of the hope-

324 HISTOEY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

loBsnees of r<:^tauce against troops accu3tomed to conquer
Accordingly^ negotiationa were entered into which resulted in
the surrender of the colony to the British*

In 1809 the Seventy-second was ordered to discontinue
wearing the Highland costume, in consequence of the difficulty
experienced in gaining recruits. A year later the regiment
was selected to co-operate with troops from India in an attack
upon the valuable French colony o£ the Mauritius. The Indian
army arriving off the island jBrst^ the Governor determined to
maintain the defence to the last extremity^ but the timely
arrival of the Seventy-second so discouraged him, that»
abandoning the idea of resistance, he at once surrendered.
The corps remained in garrison at Port Louis until the
outbreak of a new war in America in 1814 occasioned its
withdrawal. It accordingly embarked for that continent, but
was detained at the Cape of Good Hope, where, after a brief
service, it was ordered to India, arriving at Calcutta in 1815.
The Kajah of Nepaul having, however, made his peace with
the British, the necessity for its service in that portion
of the world no longer existed, hence it returned to the
Cape of Good Hope, calling on the passage at the Mauritius.
Stationed at Algoa Bay, it was thence directed to occupy a
chain of posts along the banks of the Great Fish Kiver, charged
with the protection of the colonists from the numerous preda-
tory incursions of the Kaffirs. This proved an arduous and
dangerous duty; the soldiers being constantly exposed to
a surprise from the swarms of imseen enemies that ever
lurked in the bush around their camp. On one occasion, in

THB SEVENTY-SECOND FOOT. 325

1819, a Dutch farmer, robbed of his cattle by the Kaflfirs,
sought the interference of the military for the recovery of his
property and the punishment of the thieves. Accompanied
by a body of armed farmers, a detachment of the Seventy-
second, under Captain Gethin, overtook the thieves. The
little party of soldiers was instantly enveloped and cruelly
butchered by a host of enemies, whilst the cowardly farmers
witnessed the destruction of their friends without venturing
to afford the slightest assistance. Captain Gethin was a
distinguished soldier, and like a brave man ""fighting fell,''
pierced with thirty-two wounds. The Seventy-second con-
tinued efficiently to discharge this harassing duty until relieved
by the Sixth Begiment in 1821, when it returned homa It
was successively stationed at Portsmouth, Fort Cumberland,
Plymouth, and WoolwicL In 1823 it was removed to the
Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey.

Although the service of the Seventy-second, hitherto
confined to "Hindoostan" and the "Cape of Good Hope,'*
recorded upon its colours and appointments, and embracing in
these, actions which had been comparatively lost sight of in
the multitude of grander events transacted on the battle-fields
of Europe, still, the true heroism of these, to be just, must
convince us that the achievements of the Seventy-second are
"second to none," and well deserving the splendid compliment
at this period conferred upon the regiment by His Grace
the Duke of York and Albany^ the Commander-in-Chief. It
was permitted, in reward of its vJour, to wear its present
designation —

326 histoby of the scottish ee^giments.

Duke of hAjjjaky's own Highlanders,

At the same time it received a further compliment, in the
restoration of the Highland costume, with the difference of
trews instead of kilts.

Beturning to England from the Channel Islands in 1824, it
thence proceeded to re-visit dear old Scotland.

** Home of my fathers, my heart dings to thee.**

Whilst stationed in Edinburgh, the lady of lieut-General
Sir John Hope (colonel of the Seventy-second), presented n^w
colours to the regiment. In 1825 it was sent to Ireland, and
stationed successively in Belfast, Londonderry, and Dublin.
Thence it proceeded to England; and whilst garrisoning the
Tower of London, was reviewed, with the First Life Guards,
the Eoyal Horse Guards, and four battalions of Foot Guards,
by the Duke of Wellington, in presence of Don Miguel of
Portugal. In proof of its eflficiency, as worthy to be so
associated with our choicest troops, we quote the words of
General Lord Hill, when (the same year) he inspected the
regiment at Canterbury: —

" That although it had been his lot to see and serve with
most of the regiments in the service, he felt he should not be
doing full justice to the Seventy-second Highlanders, if he did
not express his particular approbation of every thing counected
with them, and add, he had never before seen a regiment their
equal in movements, in appearance, and in steadiness imder
arms/'

THE SEVENTY-SECOND FOOT. 327

Having acquired these public honours and Boyal favours,
the Seventy-second was once more ordered to the Cape of
Good Hope, to arrest and punish the aggressions of the Kaffirs,
who continued to prey upon the industry of our colonists, and
had become a hinderance, by the terror they inspired, to the
progress of the colony. At length the expulsion from the
colony of a vagrant chief, Macomo, who had abused the
British protection, stirred the animosity of earlier years,
which, encouraged by our lenity, unmasked itself in a desolat-
ing irruption, especially evident in and around Graham's
Town, which fell an easy prey to the rapacious ftiry of the
enemy. To avenge the innocent blood thus shed, and retaliate
the ruin that had been entailed, the Seventy-second advanced
with other troops into Kaffirland, inflicting a severe but just
chastisement for the atrocities that had been committed;
taking, moreover, such pledges from the foe as it was fondly
hoped should secure protection and peace for the fature.
Having apparently subdued the spirit of lawless aggression, and
restored confidence in the colonists by a residence of nearly ten
years amongst them, the regiment returned home, and landed
at Plymouth in 1840.

Whilst stationed at Windsor in 1841, it was destined anew
to receive a signal mark of Eoyal favour — its new colours
being presented by the Duke of Wellington, in the quadrangle
of the palace, and in presence of Her Majesty the Queen,
Prince Albert, and the King of Prussia. In presenting these
colours, the Duke of Wellington thus addressed the soldiers: —

"I have long known the Seventy-second Highland Regiment.

328 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

Half-a-century has now nearly elapsed since I had the pleasure
of serving in the aame army with them in the plains of
Hindoofitan; since that period they have been engaged in the
conquest of some of the most valuable colonies of the British
Crown; and latterly^ in performing most diatinguishetl services
at the Cape of Good Hope. Fourteen years out o£ the last
sixteen they have spent on Foreign service; and with only
eighteen months at home for their re-formation and their re-
disciplining, appear in their present high state of r^ularity

and order I have made it my business to inquire

particularly, and am rejoiced to find that the Seventy-second
have always commanded that respect and regard, wherever
they have been stationed, to which their high state of discipline
and good order so justly entitle them. You will, I am sure,
always recollect the circumstances under which these colours
are now given into your charge; having been consecrated by
one of the highest dignitaries of the Church, in the presence of
Her Majesty, who now looks down upon you, and of her Royal
Visitor; and I give them into your charge, confident that at all
times, under all circumstances, whether at home or abroad, and
in all privations, you will rally round them, and protect them
to the utmost of your power/'

After a variety of home services, the regiment was removed,
in 1844, to Gibraltar, and thence, in 1848, to the West Indies.
Leaving the West Indies for North America in July, 1851, it
returned home in October, 1854. Proceeding to Malta in
January, 1855, and thence, in May following, to the Crimea,
it there gained "Sevastopol" for the regimental colours.

THE SEVENTY-SECOND FOOT.

329

Ketuming to England at the peace, the Seventy-second
remained at home until August, 1857, when the corps
embarked for Bombay on the breaking out of the Indian
mutiny, and served with distinction in Central India, under
Sir Hugh Rose, especially in the storming of the strongly-
fortified town of Awah, being thereafter associated with the
Seventy-first Highland Light Infantry in the campaign.
The regiment is still serving in the Bombay Presidency,

2r

SEYENTY- FOURTH HIGHLAKDEKS.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

*^ ThiB homage to the chief who drew his sword
At the command of duty; kept it bright
Through perilouB days; and soon as Victory smiled
Laid it, unsulliedf^ in the lap of Peace."

INDIA — SERINGAPATAM — ASSAYE — 1787-1806.

The proximity of two such formidable rivals as France and
Britain, notwithstanding the friendly intervention of the
Channel, has occasioned on both sides thereof an almost
perpetual series of alarms, jealousies, and feuds, too often
resulting in wars of the most stupendous magnitude, generally
involving in their toils the other kingdoms of Europe. It is
of one such crisis we write, when France, politically meddling
with the affairs of Holland, excited the suspicions of our
Government, and occasioned the combined interference of
Britain and Prussia, to preserve, no doubt, the ''balance of
'power!' Contemplating an appeal to arms, each prepared for
the expected struggle. France and Holland possessing a
large colonial empire in India, and both having a rival and
antagonistic interest in the politics of that country to the

SEVENTY-POUETH HIGHLANDERS. 331

new-bom power of Britais^ each marked that far-off land
as an important theatre of strife. Hence, our legislature
determined to strengthen our forces in that quarter of the
British world by the addition of four new regiments^ ordered
to be raised in 1787. Two of these, the Seventy-fourth and
Seventy-fifth,* were raised amongst the Highlanders of Scot-
land; and the others, the Seventy-sixth and Seventy-seventh,
in England, or generally throughout the kingdom. No sooner
were these completed — nay, in the case of the Seventy-fourth,
before being completed — than they were shipped off for
immediate service in India; whilst the question of their
maintenance was installed in Parliament as a subject of bitter
wrangling between the home Government and the East India
Company, affording a theme for the genius of Pitt to work
upon, and in the end to triumph, in the passing of the
"Declaratory Bill," which saddled the East India Company
with the expense. This Bill was afterwards confirmed by
Acts passed in 1791, and again in 1793.

Of these regiments, thus raised, the Seventy-fourth claims
our present attention. It was assembled at Glasgow under
command of Major-General Sir Archibald Campbell, E.B.,
and was largely composed of Argyleshire Highlanders — the
Campbells and their kin. To meet the urgent demand for
reinforcements, every soldier as yet available for duty was at
once forwarded to India, followed by a second instalment
of six companies, which completed the regiment, in 1789.

* The Seventy-fifth has just received the Royal permiaBion to be styled the
Seventy-fifth, or ''Stirunoshire'* Regiment.

332 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

Landed at Madras with an effective etrength of 750 mea, the
Seventy-fourth, brigaded with the Seventy-first and Seventy-
second Highlanders, joined the army of Major-General Medows
in 1790. The Earl Cornwallia assuming the command,
advanced upon Bangalore, which was taken by storm; there-
after the regiment was \^ith the Highland Brigade in the
fruitless expedition against Seringapatant Detached doling
the winter for service in the Baramhal district^ the Sevenly-
foiirth was very conspicuous for its spirited but ineffectual
attempt to storm Fenagra, an almost impregnable hill fort,
which was only saved by the natural obstacles that defended
it, and defied the most desperate efforts of our Highlanders to
surmount. In 1792 the siege of Seringapatam was once more
undertaken, and considerable progress had been achieved,
when the intervention of peace disappointed our army of the
anticipated prize.

Brigaded with the Seventy -second and Seventy-third
Highland regiments, the Seventy-fourth was engaged in the
operations which brought about the surrender of the French
settlement of Pondicherry. The garrison, in consequence,
became prisoners of war, but the officers released on parole
were hospitably entertained by the captors. Amid these
hospitalities, an incident occurred which displays in bold
relief the generous gallantry of the officers of the Seventy-
fourth. With the French officers they were present in the
theatre, when the former, in love with the new-born ideas of
republicanism, in course of the evening vehemently called for
the revolutionary air "Ca Ira.'' This was objected to by the

SEVBNTY-FOUBTH mGHLANDBRS- 333

British; and from the uproar of words, a serious disturbance
arose to break in upon the harmony, and bewilder and terrify
the orchestra. Happily, the senior oflScer of the Seventy-
fourth, stepping upon the stage, obtained silence, and address-
ing the audience in a firm but conciliatory manner, stated that
the British officers had agreed not to insist upon their objec-
tions, but were prepared to sacrifice their feelings on the
subject, seeing such might gratify their French friends and
the ladies who had seconded the request. No sooner had the
air been played, amid the acclamations of the French, than
the same officer asked the audience to uncover to the National
Anthem — "Gk)d save the Bang." Rebuked by this generous
forbearance, and heartily ashamed of their rudeness in so
insisting upon their own gratification, the French felt them-
selves outdone in gallantry, and only too glad of an oppor-
tunity to repair the discord they had bred, granted a ready
consent; and the Royal Anthem was only the more vociferously
welcomed that it had been forestalled by the revolutionary
ditty "Ca Ira.'' Ever afterwards the utmost cordiality sub-
sisted between the representatives of the two nations.

In 1798, when the war with France required a great
financial effort adequately to sustain it on our part, and when
the patriotism of the public liberally and voluntarily con-
tributed to the national funds for the purpose, the men of the
Seventy-fourth voted eight days' pay; the non-commissioned
officers a half-month's pay; and the commissioned officers a
full month's pay, towards the vigorous prosecution of the
war — "a war unprovoked on our part, and justified by the

334 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

noblest of motives: the preservation of our invaluable con-
Btitution."

In 1799, with the army of Lieutenant-General Harris^
the Seventy -fourth advanced against Seringapatam, which
ultimately feU a conquest to our arms. The distinguished
service of the regiment on this occasion is recorded in
the word " Seringapatam " borne upon its colours. Subse-
quently it was engaged against the Polygars; and in 1801 was
removed to Bombay to replace the troops drawn from that
Presidency for service in Egypt. Under Major-General the
Hon. Arthur Wellesley, in the invasion of the Mahratta states,
the regiment was most conspicuous for its fortitude in
enduring many severe privations, and refusing withal to
petition or complain when grievances remained unredressed.
The capture of the strong fortress of Ahmednuggur, was but
the prelude to the exceeding glory so soon destined to grace
the records of the Seventy-fourth in the victory of Assaye.

On the 23d September, 1803, the British army, not
exceeding 5000 men, of which the Nineteenth Dragoons and
the Seventy-fourth and Seventy-eighth Highlanders were the
only King's regiments, came up with the combined hosts of
Scindiah and the Rajah of Berar, amounting together to 40,000
well-disciplined and excellent troops. Undaunted by this
formidable superiority, Major-General the Hon. Arthur Wel-
lesley at once ordered the attack, which undertaken with
spirit and upheld with heroic gallantry, soon overcame the
resolution and desperate defence of the enemy. The Seventy-
fourth, posted on the right of the second line, prematurely

SEVENTY-FOURTH HIGHLANDERS- 335

advancing against the village of Assaye, became exposed to a
terrific tempest of shot and shell; and, moreover, charged by
a powerful body of horse when somewhat confused by the
fatal effects of the artillery, was almost annihilated. True to
its duty, and borne forward by an unconquerable perseverance,
the Seventy-fourth struggled on, carried and maintained the
post, although at a fearful sacrifice of human life, upwards of
400 men and ofiicers being hors-de-combat. Of its ofiicers,
the only one escaping scatheless was Quarter-Master James
Grant, who seeing so many of his comrades fall, although by
ofiice a non-combatant, resolved to share with his brethren the
dangers and the glory of the fight, and, accordingly, joining in
the terrible mSlee of the battle, resolutely fought till its close,
miraculously surviving the disasters of so severe and fatal a
strife. The Major-General thus writes: "Our loss is great,
but the action, I believe, was the most severe that ever was
fought in this country, and, I believe, such a quantity of
cannon and such advantages have seldom been gained, by any
single victory, in any part of the world/^

On this occasion the valour of the regiment was rewarded
by the exceptional permission to carry a third colour, bear-
ing thereon the "Elephant'^ and "Assaye," specially com-
memorative of the unparalleled glory of the day. The
inconvenience of a third colour has since brought about its
disallowance as other than an honorary distinction to be borne
only when on peaceful parade.

The severe losses of the regiment at the battle of Assaye
required it should be released from ^tive duty for a time, to

336 HISTOET OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS,

allow these losses to be repaired, aiid the wouuded to recover
and resume tlieir posts. However, in November of the same
year we find it in the field m ith the army on the plains of
Argaum, burning to avenge, by a new victory, the death of
friends sacrificed at Assaye. Major-General Wellesley, in his
official despatch, particularly commends the perseverance^
steadiness, and bravery of the Seventy-fourth and Seventy-
eighth Highlanders as materially helping to the triumph of
Argaum. A variety of minor actions closed the campaign,
crowned by the submission of the enemy.

Thereafter selected by the Commander-in-Chief, the
regiment was detached with other troops, under his own
command, which marching sixty miles in twenty hours,
destroyed a camp of freebooters, which, quartered at Perinda,
had been the pest and terror of the neighbourhood.

In 1804, the regiment was stationed with the Seventy-
eighth and some native troops for protective purposes in the
territory of the Peishwah, until the war with Holkar anew
occasioned it to undertake more active service. In the capture
of Gaulnah, the Seventy-fourth was called upon to supply
volunteers for the forlorn hope. Such was the spirit of the
corps, that the whole regiment spontaneously offered itself.

After sixteen years' service in India, during which it was
almost always engaged with an enemy — earning therefrom the
name it afterwards gloriously upheld as the "fighting regiment"
— the gallant remnant was ordered to return home, and, in
consequence, embarking at Madras in September, 1805, landed
at Portsmouth in February, 1806.

CHAPTER XXXY.

*^ Upon his brow shame is ashamed to sit;
For 'tis a throne where honour may be crowned
Sole monarch of the universal earth/'

PENINSULA — AMERICA — WEST INDIES — CANADA — "THE WRECK
OF THE BIRKENHEAD" — 1806-1862.

As soon as the Seventy-fourth had returned, the business
of recruiting occupied the earnest attention of its officers.
Removed to Scotland for this purpose, it failed to complete its
establishment, and, in consequence, was transferred to Ireland
to receive its complement by volunteers from the militia. In
1810 it received orders to prepare for foreign service; and,
accordingly, embarked from Cork for Portugal, under Lieut-
Colonel the Honourable Robert De Poer Trench, with a total
strength of 730 effectives. Arrived in the Tagus and dis-
embarked, it was advanced to Viseu. Its junction with the
allied army of Lord Wellington was hailed with delight by
that chief, who ever felt a warm interest in its history, as the
"Assaye regiment" whose heroes had won for him his first
great victory. Complimenting Colonel Trench, he said: " If
the Seventy-fourth would behave in that country as they had
done in India^ he ought to be proud to command such a
regiment." Included in the third or well-known "Fighting

Division" of Major-General Picton, the Seventy-fourth was

2a

338 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

brigaded with the first battalion of the Forty-fifth, the Eighty-
eighth, and three companies of the fifth battalion of the
Sixtieth RegimeDt. From the concentrated and overwhelming
military might of Napoleon, Marshal Massena was detached at
the head of 75,000 veterans, styled the "Army of Portugal/*
charged with the destruction of the British who had dared
to dispute the claims of hia master to the dominion of the
Peninsula. In presence of such a superior foe, as regards num-
bers, AVellington resolved on retreat; and, accordingly, with-
drawing to hia own defences, induced the enemy to draw off
in pursuit. Taking advantage of every position which by
natural or artificial strength afforded an opportimity to check
or impede the pursuit of the French, Lord Wellington fre-
quently severely punished the temerity of the foe. Thus, in
the battle of Busaco, where the Seventy-fourth for awhile
withstood the attack of an entire French column, until sus-
tained by the Ninth and Thirty-eighth regiments, it drove the
enemy down the hill.

Finally arrested by the formidable lines of Torres Vedras,
the French, vainly endeavouring to blockade the position,
fatally sufiered from disease and want, whilst our troops
enjoyed every comfort in abundance and in safety within the
entrenchments. Convinced of the futility of any attempt to
surmount the defences of the position. Marshal Massena was
constrained in turn to retreat, closely pursued along the banks
of the Mondego by the British. With the third division, in
the van of the army, the Seventy-fourth was almost incessantly
engaged driving the enemy from post to post. For the relief

SEVENTY-FOURTH HIGHLANDERS. 339

of Almeida, Marshal Massena, considerably reinforced, once
more ventured to advance. Encountering the light companies
of the first, third, and fifth divisions, and the second battalion
of the Eighty-third Eegiment, in occupation of the village of
Fuentes d'Onor, the French laboured to expel them. Bein-
forced by the Twenty-fourth, Seventy-first, and Seventy-
ninth regiments, and ultimately supported by the Forty-fifth,
Seventy-fourth, and Eighty-eighth regiments, the whole of the
enemy's sixth corps was routed and driven from the village
it had at first won. Interrupted in the siege of Badajoz by the
approach of the combined armies of Marmont and Soult, the
British temporarily retired. A similar diversion by the army
of Marshal Marmont in favour of Ciudad Bodrigo, in like
manner disturbed its blockade. Whilst quartered in this
vicinity, the third division of our army, threatened by an
attack from a very powerful corps of French, which, taking
advantage of the immediate presence of Marshal Marmont,
had undertaken a sortie from the fortress, retreated. Under
command of General Montbrun, the enemy so severely pressed
the British division, that, in retiring, the Seventy-fourth
became separated from the rest, and was generally believed to
have been captured. A long detour, under the friendly shield
of night, enabled the regiment to escape the danger and rejoin
the division in its camp at Guinaldo. Overjoyed in their
safe return, Major-General Picton uttered these memorable
words, expressive of his faith in the valour of our Highlanders,
saying, " he thought he must have heard more firing before
the Seventy-fourth could be taken.''

340 HISTOHY OP THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

On the retirement of the French, returning to the duties
of the siege, the regiment, on the 19th of January, was
included in the storming party which, despite the most
Btrenuoua resistance of the foe* Tvon Ciudad Kodrigo, This
achievement was immediately fnll^^^ed by the re-investment
of Badajoz; a fortress esteemed impregnable, the more so as it
was defended by some of the choicest troops of Franco. The
progress had been so satisfactory, and the breaches in the ram-
parts deemed so far practicable, that by the 6th April, 1812, the
assault was ordered, and the Herculean duty of storming the
defences of the castle committed to the third division;
accomplished, nevertheless, after " a combat so furiously
fought, so terribly won, so dreadful in all its circumstances,
that posterity can scarcely be expected to credit the tala"
Lieutenant Alexander Grant of the Seventy-fourth, leading
the advance, entered the castle, but fell in the moment of
victory. "Foremost in the escalade was John M*Lauchlan,
the regimental piper, who, the instant he mounted the castle
wall, began playing on his pipes the regimental quick step,
*The Campbells are coming,' at the head of the advance along
the ramparts, as coolly as if on a common parade, until his
music was stopped by a shot through the bag; he was after-
wards seen by an officer of the regiment seated on a gun-
carriage, quietly repairing the damage, regardless of the shot
flying about him, and presently recommenced his animating
tune/' Although the other assaults were not so successful,
still the triumph of the third and fifth divisions at their
several points of attack so turned the defences of the place,

SEVENTY-FOUETH HIGHLANDEBS. 341

that resistance appearing hopeless, the fortress was sur-
rendered.

Various manoeuvres at length brought about the battle of
Salamanca^ where the French, under Marshal Marmont, were
totally defeated, driven "as it were before a mighty wind
without help or stay/* The brunt of the action was sustained
by the French division of General Thomiferes, originally 7000
strong, but which, notwithstanding the most splendid illustra-
tion of heroism, was utterly cut to pieces or dispersed. In this
great battle the third division figured conspicuously. Lord
Londonderry writes: "The attack of the third division was
not only the most spirited, but the most perfect thing of the
kind that modem times have witnessed. Begardless alike of
a charge of cavalry and of the murderous fire which the
enemy's batteries opened, on went these fearless warriors,
horse and foot, without check or pause, until they won the
ridge, and then the infantry giving their volley, and the
cavalry falling on sword in hand, the French were pierced,
broken, and discomfited. So close, indeed, was the struggle,
that in several instances the British colours were seen waving
over the heads of the enemy's battalions;" whilst the advance
in unbroken line of the Seventy-fourth, for upwards of three
miles, testified to its efficiency, and drew forth the plaudits
of Major-General Pakenham, then commanding the division,
who vehemently exclaimed, "Beautifully done. Seventy-fourth 1
beautiful. Seventy-fourth T'

The glorious results immediately flowing from this great
victory, were crowned in the capitulation and occupation of

342 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH EEGlMElTrS.

Madrid, Wtilat stationed in the capital, the gaieties of which
agreeably relieved the hardships of the camp, oiir officers
at the same tunc beheld the splendid misery the tyrant-
extortionatiBg rule of France had entailed upon the citizens,
many of whom, once great and opulent, now reduced to
abJGct beggary, gratefully accept the assistance of their
deliverers. In these deeds of charity the officers of the
Seventy-fourth were not wanting, but, with those of the
Forty-fifth^ daily fed about two hundred of the starving
graudeea.

Meanwhile, the converging of the various French armies of
the Peninsula for the relief of Burgos^ once more necessitated
the retreat of the British, who, evacuating Madrid, retired
towards Portugal, and finally halted, going into winter
quarters, behind the Agueda. The spring of 1813 found the
British army largely recruited, and with new energy prepared
to resume the offensive — to begin that victorious march which
stayed not until the heights of Toulouse owned the triumphs
of the British flag.

At the great battle of Vittoria, which may be said to have
broken the last remnant of French power in Spain, the third
division was most severely engaged; and the gallantry of the
Seventy-fourth was anew conspicuous in its successful attack
upon the village of Arinez, whence it drove out the enemy.
In the after advance, over a rugged country, in pursuit of the
retiring columns of the foe, the unbroken line of the Seventy-
fourth attracted general attention, and its admirable order was
highly commended. In the grand attack which completed

SEVENTY-FOURTH mOHLANDEES. 343

the ruin of the French, the third division, being foremost, was
assailed by a fiery storm of artillery and musketry, which
made fearful chasms in its ranks. At length the success of
the fourth division from another quarter compelled the enemy
to abandon his strong position, and soon converted the retreat
into a disorderly flight. Marshal Soult was afterwards sent
to command the army in the Peninsula, as " Lieutenant of the
Emperor,'* and never was his genius more conspicuous. His
master-mind came to the rescue ; he re-organised the broken
remnant of the once mighty host, and, largely reinforced, once
more advanced, thereby inspiring new confidence in his troops,
and casting a momentary gleam of hope athwart the lowering
horizon which presaged the storm steadily moving vengefuUy
towards devoted France. The hope thus excited was speedily
dissipated, and every effort failed to retrieve the disastrous
consequences of Vittoria. Driven successively across the
" Pyrenees,*' the ''Nive,'' and the *'Nivelle," he found a refuge
and a rest for his dispirited and wearied troops within the
fortress of Bayonne. At '*Orthes'' and "Toulouse" Wellington
required a great exercise of his own abilities as a chief to
overthrow the dogged resolution of his great antagonist, who,
equal to the crisis, by prodigies of skill, strove to avert the
dissolution of his master's empire. In all these closing actions
of the war, the Seventy-fourth, in the "fighting" third division,
more than creditably maintained its part, returning home in
1815 crowned with glory.

Ireland became thereafter the scene of its more peaceful
service. "Whilst stationed at Fermoy in 1818, new colours

344 nisTOEY OF the Scottish EEorMEXTS-

were presented to tbe regiment; and the shreds of the old
ones — which had teen so victoriously borne in the battles of
the Peninsula — burnt to ashes, had their sacred dust treasured
up in the lid of a gold sarcophagus snuff-box, inlaid with part
of the wood of the colour-staves, '^nd bearing the following
inscription: — "This box, composed of the old standards of the
Seventy-fourth regiment, was formed as a tribute of respect
to the memory of those who fell, and of esteem for those who
survived the many glorious and arduous services on which
they were always victoriously carried^ duinng a period of six-
teen years, in India^ the Peninsula, and France- They were
presented to the regiment at Wallajahbad in 1802; and tbe
shattGred remains were burned at Fermoy on tbe 6th of Aprils
1818/'

Having thus disposed of this venerable memorial of its
early renown, the regiment embarked at Cork for Halifax,
Nova Scotia. Its service in America and Bermuda in 1825,
and again in 1828, affords nothing of importance to detain the
reader. Returning to Ireland in 1830, it was employed in
various garrisons in that country until, ordered on foreign
service, it sailed for the West Indies in 1834. Thence, in
1841, it was removed to Canada, returning to England in
1845. By desire of the officers, the Seventy-fourth was
restored to its original dignity as a Highland corps, having
the trews instead of the kilt; and in 1846 re-visited Scotland
for a brief period, whence it proceeded to Ireland, where,
associated with the Seventy-fifth and Eighty-eighth regiments,
and other troops, it was encamped in the vicinity of Thurles

SEVENTY-FOURTH HIGHLANDERS. 345

and Ballingany, to overawe the rebellious, and repress the
foolish attempt at insurrection which, stirred by idle dema-
gogues, had excited the people during the famine of 1848.
This military demonstration proved sufficient to suppress,
without blood, these ill-advised seditions.

One event remains to be recorded in our present sketch,
ere we close the brief summary; one event which alone is
all-sufficient to glorify the Seventy-fourth, although casting a
melancholy interest over its history, yet enshrining the memory
of its brave as heroic; one event which, although belonging in
common to the records of the Seventy-third and Ninety-first,
as well as other regiments, deserves its place here out of
respect to the lost and gallant officer commanding; one event
which sheds a brighter lustre, as it reveals in truer character
the qualities of the British soldier, than the exciting and
sanguinary achievements of the battle-field; one event which
wakes the soul to truest sympathy, and bids the heart bleed at
the recitation of the narrative.

** The youthful and the brave,

With their beauty and renown,

To the hollow chambers of the wave

In darkness have gone down."

One event which has bidden a gush of grief for the lost and

brave from the noble-minded of every clime. Such was the

wreck of the "Birkenhead.*' This vessel, one of the finest in Her

Majesty's service, with a living freight of 632 souls, including

14 officers and 458 soldiers, draughts from various regiments,

reinforcements from home on their way to join their comrades

2t

346 HISTOKY OF THS SCOTTISH KBQDaBirC&

fighting in Eaffirland» reaching Simon's Bay, had sailed thsnoo
for Algoa Bay on the evening of the 26tli Febroary, 18S2.

"Ah no!— an earthly freight she beani
Of joys and sorowb, hot« and feaxe;
And londy as she aeema to be,
ThoB kf t hj hendf on the moonHgfat sea,
In lonelineoB that xdls,
She hath a constant company
In deep, or waking rerelzy —
Fiye hundred hnman aonls!'*

Striving to quicken the voyage by shortening the passage,
the commandant hugged the shore too closely off Cape Danger,
and in doing so the vessel struck upon a sunken rock whilst
steaming at the rate of eight miles an hour. So tremendous
was the shock, that, although the night was clear and the sea
calm, the stately ship was in a moment a broken wreck. The
catastrophe occurred three miles from land, and six hours after
starting. Yet all save the vessel might have been saved, but
for the unfortunate command to back the engines, which had
the effect, instead of easing the vessel, to dash her amidships
upon the rocks, precipitating her fate; so that, in little more
than half-an-hour, breaking in two, she went down, with 9
officers and 349 men, besides fully 80 of the crew. Whilst
these so truly brave men were engulfed the prey of the
insatiate sea, the weak and helpless — tlie women and children^
were all saved, but only by such a noble sacrifice. The heart
sickens as we contemplate so dreadful a scene, thus pathetically
and feelingly narrated in the New York Express: —

'' The steamer stmck on a hidden rock, stove a plank at

SEVENTY-FOURTH HIGHLANDEKS. 347

the bows, and went to the bottom, we believe, in half-an-hour^s
time. There was a regiment of troops on board. As soon as
the alarm was given, and it became apparent that the ship's
fate was sealed, the roll of the drum called the soldiers to arms
on the upper deck. That call was promptly obeyed, though
every gallant heart there knew that it was his death summons.
There they stood as if in battle array — a motionless mass of
brave men — men who were men indeed. The ship every
moment was going down and down — but there were no
traitors, no deserters, no cravens there 1 The women and
children were got into the boats, and were all, or nearly all,
saved. There were no boats for the troops — ^but there was no
panic, no blanched, pale, quivering lips among theml ....
Men like these never perish; their bodies may be given to the
fishes of the sea, but their memories are, as they ought to be —
immortal!"

These, records the Spectator — "the very men whom we
shrank from when we met them wearing flying ribbons in
their battered hats, reeling through the streets — ^were the same
who went down in the * Birkenhead' — as which of us can feel
sure that he would have had nerve to do? — in their ranks,
shoulder to shoulder, standing at ease, watching the sharks
that were waiting for them in the waves — at the simple
suggestion of their o£&cers that the women and children filled
the boats, and must be saved first. No saint ever died more
simply; no martyr ever died more voluntarily; no hero ever
died more firmly; no victim ever met his fate in a more
generous spirit of self-immolation."

348 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTIflH REGIMENTS.

Bravest of the brave, Lieut, -Colouel Setou of the Seventy-
fourth, diBplayed in his conduct, as commander uf the troops,
a nobleness, a true courage, a self-sacrificing devotion, worthy
of his country, and which bespeaks the man — the fiero;
and than which history or biography can furnish no brighter
or more illustrious example. It is indeed a pity so brave a
spirit should have fallen; and it shames the living —

** Tbnt inatinct
Which m&kefl tb^ honoured momorj of the dead
A trust with all the living — ^*

that no suitable memorial marks his fall, save the common
tablet of a common grief for a common loss which stands
in the corridor of Chelsea Hospital, bearing the following
inscription : —

" This monument is erected by command of Her Majesty
Queen Victoria, to record the heroic constancy and imbroken
discipline shown by Lieutenant-Colonel Seton, Seventy-fourth
Highlanders, and the troops embarked under his command, on
board the * Birkenhead,' when that vessel was wrecked off the
Cape of Good Hope, on the 26th February, 1852, and to
preserve the memory of the officers, non-commissioned officers,
and men, who perished on that occasion, The names were as
follows: —

" Lieut. -Colonel A. Seton, 74th Highlanders, Commanding the Troope.
Comet Rolt, Serjeant Straw, and three Privates, 12th Lancers.
Ensign Boy Ian, Corporal M'Manus, and thirty-four Privates, 2d

Queen's Regiment.
Ensign Metford and forty-seven Privates, 6th Royals.

SEVENTY-FOURTH HIGHLANDERS. 349

Fifty-five Privates, 12th Regiment.

Serjeant Hicks, Corporals Harrison and Cousins, and twenty-six

Privates, 43d Light Infantry.
Three Privates, 45th Regiment.
Corporal Curtis and twenty-nine Privates, 60th Rifles.
Lieutenants Robinson and Booth, and fifty-four Privates, 73d

Regiment.
Ensign Russell, Corporals Mathison and William Laird, and forty-six

Privates, 74th Highlanders.
Serjeant Butler, Corporals Webber and Smith, and forty-one Privates,

91st Regiment.
Staff -Surgeon Laing.
Staff -Assistant-Surgeon Robertson."

*^ Yet more! the billows and the depths have more!
High hearts and brave are gathered to thy breast!
They hear not now the booming waters roar —
liie battle-thunders will not break their rest.
Keep thy red gold and gems, thou stormy grave!

Give back the true and brave!**

In the last and most sanguinary war with the Kaffirs of
South Africa, which desolated that valuable colony between
1850 and 1853, the Seventy-fourth was engaged, and fully
sustained its illustrious character. The enemy, sensible of Ins
weakness, avoided meeting our army in the field, and main-
tained a harassing series of skirmishes in the bush, which
proved most annoying and destructive.

It is remarkable that, in the course of our sketch, we
should so frequently have been pleasingly impressed with the
duty of recording the heroism of the officers of the regiment;
and, commanded by such distinguished chiefs, it is no wonder
the corps, moulded in their image, should fitly follow the good
and glorious examples which have rendered the Seventy-fourth

350 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH EEGIMEirrS*

80 signally known to fame. In the African campaign, ita
commanding officers are mournfully conspicuous as amongst
the lost and bravcp Whilst empIoycMl in the operations
against the Watcrkloof Post in November, 1851, Lieutenant-
Colonel Fordyce was killed.

"At the moment he was hit, he was giving directions to a
company of his own well-loved corps, which was skirmislang
in the bush, and the position of which he wished to alter a
little. Whilst raising his arm to indicate the ground be
alluded to, a huge Hottentot stepped rapidly from a thick
clump close by, and delivered the fatal shot; observing, with
characteristic cunning, the irreparable mischief he had done,
he screeched out, in hellish accents, * Johnny, bring stretcher^*
and, turning on his heel, dived into the clump again before
the infuriated Seventy-fourth could wreak their vengeance
upon him.

" Simultaneously they madly rushed on, and, in their too
eager haste to renew the carnage, they rendered themselves an
easy prey to their savage foe, who struck down Lieutenants
Carey and Gordon, and many brave men, before they observed
the necessity of rallying, when the sad work of carnage was
amply avenged. Such, however, was the number of the
wounded, that a waggon had to be sent from the hill to the
spot to carry oflF the sufferers to their bivouac.

" Fordyce lived a quarter of an hour after receiving his
death-wound. The ball had passed through his abdomen;
and, as he was borne away in the consciousness of approaching
death, he was just able to utter, in faint accents, the words —

SEVENTY-FOURTH HIGHLANDEES.

361

*Take care of my poor regiment — I am eeady/ when he
passed placidly away. Such was the end of this brave soldier.
In life, straightforward, thoughtful, a friend to the poor and
needy, and a truly Christian man; so in death he was calm,
resigned, noble, and mindful of his duty both to God and man.
His latest expression showed that, while he committed his
regiment to the care of those whose duty it was, his uppermost
thoughts lay in the final work of meeting his Maker. Such
was Fordyce, beloved and respected by all who had the good
fortune to know him!"

The regiment left the Cape for India in November, 1853,
and has since continued in the Madras establishment. Duriog
the Indian Mutiny, a detachment of the Seventy-fourth, in
the autumn of 1857, formed part of a moveable column under
Brigadier Whitlock, on field service in the Kumool district;
and, in November, 1858, the head quarters composed a portion
of a moveable column, under Brigadier Spottiswoode, in the
Nizam country. The regiment is now stationed at Bellary.

THE SEVENTY -EIGHTH HIGHLANDERS;

OB,

ROSS-SHIRE BUFFS.

CHAPTER XXXYI.

** R0U8O, rouse, ye kilted warriors !
Rouse, ye heroes of the north!
Rouse and join your chieftain's banners, —
Tis yoiu* prince that leads you forth.

** See the northern clans advancing I
See Glengary and Lochiel !
See the brandished broad-swords glancing!
Highland hearts are true as steel. '^

CHANNEL ISLANDS — FLANDERS-
BATAVIA-

-CAPE OF GOOD HOPE — INDIA

-1798-1817.

Already had the noble lords of Seaforth stood forth foremost
in the breach where British liberty, involved in our glorious
constitution, was assailed by aggressive and vindictive foes;
already had the beloved chieftains of the Mackenzie bidden
their clansmen rally around the state, which a few years earlier
(1715) they had sworn to overthrow; already had the regiment

SIR HENRY HAVELOCK.
THE SEVENTY-EIGHTH. 0\^ "mV^m^^^^^V

SEVENTY-EIGHTH HIGHLANDERS. 353

they thus contributed, the Seventy-second, illumined the page
of history by the stirring narrative of its brilliant achievements,
and, honoured by a grateful people, returned to its native
land, to rest for a time upon the laurels won on the far-distant
plains of India. Sprung from this race of heroes, as the new-
begotten and second representative of this distinguished
family in our army, the Seventy-eighth has strong claims
upon our interest and sympathy — an interest and sympathy
which have been quickened into a warm affection, finding
an echo in the soul of the brave and noble of every land.
Appreciating the gallantry of its services at Lucknow in behalf
of suffering valour and murdered innocence, we hail it with
feelings of national gratitude as the " Saviour of India.'*

Whilst the horrid cruelties perpetrated by the demagogues
of Paris excited the commiseration of beholding Europe for an
unfortunate and misguided people, the victims of their own
folly, it at the same time inspired feelings of fear among the
terror-stricken tyrants of the Continent, and palsied the might
of their councils. A momentary irresolution seized the British
Cabinet, until the energy and eloquence of Pitt awakened the
Government to its true duty. The charm which spell-bound
other states, failed to ravish us of our freedom. Thoroughly
aroused from the fatal lethargy into which the nation was
being lulled by false ideas of "liberty, equality, and fraternity"
— rightly interpreted, lust, rapine, and murder — it assumed a
sounder policy, befitting its dignity. Buckling on its armour,
Britain fearlessly challenged this giant iniquity to trespass

upon the sacred soil of our chartered and constitutional

2u

I

354 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMETTTa,

liberty. ] ipelled by a stern necesaity, our coiiDtry laid aside
the beloved garb of peace, and assumed the dread panoply of
war, 03 onr "meteor flag" was unfurled —

^Tiie flag whitrh braved a tliouaond yeanj
Tlie battle axal the brise^c/-

Fleet after fleet forsook the nil bosom of the harbour

where hitherto they had nesti and struggling with the
stormy billows of the sea, be, ir island home with those

"wooden walla" w^hich, defended by our "hearts of oak," have
80 long been our pride, and deemed impregnable; w^hilst
regiment after regiment mustered on the beach, daring the foe
to sot foot upon these hallowed shores-

In such times the noble lord of Seaforth a second time
drew his father's sword, and with the valour and loyalty of
his house swelling in his breast, called on his clansmen yet
remaining to follow him. Foremost, in the very van of this
army of patriots, was thus marshalled the gallant subject of
our sketch — the Seventy-eighth Highlanders.

Assembled and embodied at Fort George on the 10th July,
1793, the fine physical appearance of the regiment was very
remarkable — a characteristic which it has been fortunate
always to maintain.

Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands, was the scene of its
earliest service on comparatively peaceful duty. Removed
from thence, in 1794, to Holland, it ultimately joined the
allied army, under the Duke of York, which vainly endea-
voured to stem the tide of French aggression, then inundating
the Netherlands, and bereaving these provinces of their ancient

SEVENTY-EIGHTH HIGHLANDEES. 355

freedom. Engaged in the defence of Nimeguen, it contributed,
by its excellent behaviour, to retard the progress of the enemy,
whilst that fortress held out. Overwhelming might necessi-
tated the evacuation of the place; the garrison in consequence
retired with the army towards Germany. At Meteren our
rearguard was overtaken by the advanced posts of the enemy,
when a bloody action ensued. In the course of the fight the
Seventy-eighth was charged by a regiment of French hussars,
who, wearing a uniform similar to the regiment of Choiseul
in the British service, and the better to deceive our troops,
shouting as they advanced, "Choiseul I Choiseul!" — thus mis-
taken for friends — were permitted to penetrate our line, and
were upon the Highlanders before their true character was dis-
covered. Unmasked, in an instant the bold horsemen were
met by a terrific volley of musketry, which, emptying many
saddles, cooled the ardour of the assault, but could not arrest
their progress. Piercing the intervals between the companies
of the battalion, the cavalry furiously rushed upon the High-
landers, trampling them down, but, being warmly received,
failed to overwhelm the gallant Seventy-eighth, whose firm,
unflinching valour was very conspicuous,, and altogether sur-
prising from so young a corps in such trying circumstancea
A column of infantry, which had witnessed the success of the
cavalry, now advanced, big with high hopes, as they supposed,
to complete the ruin of the British. Meanwhile the further
career of the hussars had been stayed by the determined front
of a company of the Forty-second Royal Highlanders, covering
the village. Driven back in confusion upon the advancing in-

356 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISB REQIMENTS,

fentry, both were finally repulsed, chiefly by the combined
efforts of the Seventy-eighth and Forty-second HighlandeiB,
The British resiiming the retreat, retired to Bremen, whence
they took sliippLngj and returned home. During this their
maiden campaign, the Sevcnty-ei'^'^^h was associated with the
Seventy-ninth Cameron Iligblanders and the Forty-second
Eoyal Highlanders. The regiment was remarkable for its
steadiness under fire, and its fortitude in enduring the hard-
ships of a severe winter under canvas. On this occasion, too,
a very melancholy and humbling testimony is borne by our
foes to the prevailing sin of our British soldiers. The French,
who had seduced the soldiers of the old monarchy by minister-
ing to their evil appetites, sought by a like artifice to ruin
our army ; they accordingly bribed the infamous amongst the
Dutch to sell liquors to our troops at a mere bagatelle, with a
view to tempt them and intoxicate them. How truly lament-
able to think that even then this national vice had acquired
such a mastery, such a notoriety, as to be regarded by France
as our weakness, and by the nation as our disgrace! Notwith-
standing, we with pleasure record that the Seventy-eighth
was faithful to its duty. Indeed, these seductions could not
prevail against such a corps, whose history had ever been
distinguished by sobriety; so much so, that while it was
in India it was found necessary to restrict its soldiers
from selling or giving away their own allowance of liquor
to others.

Meanwhile a second battalion, raised in 1794, had sailed
for, and participated in, an expedition against the Dutch

SEVENTY-EIGHTH HIGHLANDEBS. 357

colony of the Cape of Good Hope. After a brief struggle the
colony was reduced and occupied by the British, the battalion
remaining in the garrison.

The first battalion, with the army of Lord Moira^ was
engaged in a fruitless attempt to succour the Royalists of La
Vendue, who yet withstood the ferocious assaults of the
Republicans of Paris. Landing on the Isle Dieu, the expedi-
tion anxiously waited a favourable opportunity to gain a
footing on the mainland. Alas I in vain. The time for
actioD, frittered away, was not to be recalled. Returning to
England, the battalion was embarked for Bengal. Calling on
the way at the Cape of Good Hope, it was joined by the
second battalion, and the two, consolidated into one regiment,
proceeded to India. Arrived in February, 1797, nothing of
importance falls to be recorded during its sojourn in the
Bengal Presidency. Removed to Bombay in 1803, it joined
the army of Major-General the Hon. Arthur Wellesley. With
the Seventy-fourth Highlanders, the Eightieth Regiment, the
Nineteenth Light Dragoons, and several native battalions, the
Seventy-eighth advanced against the enemy — Scindia and the
Rajah of Berar,

The strong fortress of Amednuggur was the first obstacle
to be overcome in the line of march. For a while defended
resolutely, the struggle was very severe, but the moment our
Highlanders succeeded in scaling the high and narrow walls
encircling it, to the enemy all seemed lost, defence appeared
hopeless, and flight the only refuge. Thus this important
conquest was achieved with comparatively little loss.

358 HISTORY OF THE SCOTnSH EEGtMENTS.

As in previous campaigns, so in the present, the business of
the war seemed to be not so much to overcome but rnther to
overtake the enemy; who, sensible of his weakness in the field,
strove to avoid the hazard of a battle, contenting himself with
harassing our prograsa by a p€ ' ' ig and incessant guerilla
warfare. The persevering en€ the British commander

was not, however, to be so dupt the pri^e he sought— the

triumph he aspired to. By forced mai^ches he overtook and
surprised the foe by his unexpected presence on the banks of
the Kaitna- Although not yet joined to the reinforcements at
hand under Colonel Stevenson, from Bengal, and fearing the
escape of the enemy uuder cover of the night, now approach-
ing, the daring impetuosity of Wellesley at once ordered the
attack. Reduced by detachments, the British army did not
exceed 4,700 men, of whom the Seventy-fourth and Seventy-
eighth Highlanders, and the Nineteenth Light Dragoons, were
the only line regiments; whilst the Indian army, encamped in
a strong position behind the almost dry channel of the Kaitna,
occupied the village of Assaye, and presented a formidable
array of 30,000 admirable troops, disciplined and led by
European officers, the whole sustained by upwards of 100
guns. The Seventy-eighth occupied the left of the first line,
whilst the Seventy-fourth, from the second line, ultimately
took post on the right. But for the cowardly flight of the
European officers commanding the Indian infantry, who
abandoned their troops at the first onset, the resistance
might have been far more formidable. The enemy's artillery
was admirably served, and galled the advance of the British

SEVENTY-EIGHTH HIGHLANDEKS. 359

line with a terrible fire, which was only silenced by the death
of the gunners, bayoneted whilst faithfully and steadily
fulfilling their duty. In the ultimate retreat, one brigade
refused to yield, although repeatedly charged by our cavahy;
maintaining its order and retiring fighting, preserved the
defeat from becoming a disorderly rout. The struggle was
the most severe, and the achievement the most glorious which
had hitherto marked our Indian warfare; illustrating the
determined valour of which the enemy was capable, whilst
anew it honoured the prowess of our soldiers in the result.

Strengthened by Colonel Stevenson^s division, now arrived,
including the old Ninety-fourth, or Scots Brigade, Major-
General Wellesley continued to press the retiring foe, until,
overtaken at Argaum, he made a brief stand. In the battle
which ensued, whilst the Ninety-fourth occupied the left of
the line, the Seventy-fourth and Seventy-eighth together upon
the other flank, encountered the only considerable attack of
the enemy; which, undertaken by a body of 800 furious
fanatics, was sustained with exceeding valour, until the entire
column had fallen before the veterans of Assaye. Notwith-
standing the vigour of the assault, a very trifling loss was
inflicted upon the British, and the enemy otherwise relinquished
the field almost without a blow.

A quaint story is told by General Stewart of the piper of
the Seventy-eighth, who, when the musicians were ordered at
Assaye to attend to the wounded, esteeming himself included,
had in consequence gone to the rear. This desertion his
comrades attributed to fear, and the unfortunate piper.

HISTORY OF THE SCOTHSH REGUreiJTS,

branded i i ooward^ felt the rebuke thus stiugingly uttered:
"Flutes anc hautboys they thought could be well spared, but
for the piper, who should always be in the heat of the battle, to
go to the rear with the whistlers, was a thing altogether unheard
of/' Bitterly sensible of the unnprW^ insult* he gbdly availed
himself of a favourable oppori it the battle of Argaum

to blot out the stigma and redee i fame. He played with
such animation amidst the hott( of the fire, that, not only
restored to hia comrades' confideuce, he entailed the commands
of the colonel to be silent, lest the men so inspired should be
lurged too soon to tho charge.

The war was soon after brought to a glorious termination
by the fall of Gawilghur, Thereafter removed to Madras, the
regiment remained in quietude till 1811, when, included in
the army of Lieutenant-General Sir Samuel Auchmuty, it
sailed with the expedition destined to operate against the
valuable Dutch colony of Java. It required much severe
fighting, especially at and around Cornelis — a very strong
position, where the enemy, with concentrated might, main-
tained a resolute defence, only yielding when, with 1000 men
killed, the post had become no longer tenable — ere the island
was reduced. In this expedition the Seventy-eighth lost about
100 officers and men. Although the sword and the pestilence
had each claimed its victims, stiU they failed to vanquish our
Highlanders.

On the return voyage to India, a new enemy awaited the
gallant Seventy-eighth, threatening even more fatal results —
the sea, the ever - devouring sea. Six companies of the

SEVENTY-EIGHTH HIGHLANDERS. 361

regiment which had embarked in the "Frances Charlotte,"
transport, when twelve miles from the small island of Pre-
paros, on the 5th November, 1816, struck upon a sunken
rock. In this awful crisis, when the grim King of Terrors
confronted our soldiers, and this living freight of brave
men, women, and children, seemed about to be engulfed in
a watery grave, amid the consternation and wild dismay
inseparable from such a scene, the firm courage of our
Highlanders sustained them equally as amid the roar and
excitement of the battle-field. With heroic gallantry, the
soldiers, caring for the weakness of woman and the helpless-
ness of childhood, nobly hazarding, prepared to sacrifice
their own lives that these might be saved, and so their duty
fulfilled. Instances of manly courage and true heroism like
these, tell us, in unequivocal language, that such are the fruit of
no mere idle sentiment and flitting emotion, but the result of
inborn, genuine character. Whilst the women and children
were conveyed in boats to the island, the men crowded upon a
small rocky islet, occasionally dry at low water, and situated
about 150 yards from the wreck. The ship, full of water,
soon after went to pieces, and disappeared beneath the waves.
The miseries of the ship- wrecked, from hunger and thirst, were
very grievous, and so cruel, that, although saved from becom-
ing the prey of the sea, they seemed but preserved for a more
terrible doom. The gaunt visage of famine appeared to torment
the perishing multitude with the pangs of an unutterable woe,
and every ray of hope seemed eclipsed by the lowering dark-
ness of despair and the dismal shroud of the grave. But a

2v

362 HISTOEY OF THE SCOTTISH EEOIMENTS.

merciful •Providence was nearer to sava A vessel hove in
sight, and, responding to the hail of the men on the rock, sent
a boat to their aid, which took forty of the survivors on
board, but by a strange, unaccountable want of feelings Bailed
away without affording further assistance; leaving behind one
of its own boats, which, gone on the mission of mercy, and
whilst loading with a second instahnent, had been upset by
over-crowding. Fortunately, all escaped safdy, scrambling
back upon the rock. On the lOth of November, a large ship,
the "Prince Blucher,*' attracted by the vestiges of the wreck
which had floated seaward across her course, was drawn
towards the island, and embarking as many as possible, sailed
for Calcutta; from whence, on news of the disaster, other
vessels were immediately dispatched, which brought off in
safety the remainder of the survivors, who had endured the
severest pinchings of hunger with soldier-like stedfastness for
upwards of a month upon the island. It is interesting to note
how both the Seventy-fourth and Seventy-eighth Highlanders
should thus have encountered the disasters of the deep, and in
these vicissitudes evinced so worthily the qualities of the
soldier and the hero.

In 1817 the regiment returned to England, and disem-
barked at Portsmouth.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

^ 'Twas a soldier who spoke— but his voice now is gone,

And lowlj the hero is lying;
No sound meets the ear, save the crocodile^s moan.

Or the breeze through the palm-tree sighing.
But lone though he resta where the camel is seen,

Bj the wilderness heavily pacing;
His grave in our bosoms shall ever be green,

And his monument ne'er know defacing.*'

GIBRALTAR — SICILY — MAIDA — EGYPT — WALCHEREN —
FLANDERS — 1804-1817.

Although borrowing a good idea in pursuing a similar plan,
we esteem ourselves excused, and not guilty of too slavish an
imitation of General Stewart's account of the Seventy-eighth,
in his excellent memoirs of the Highland regiments. Thus,
having followed so far the history of the first battalion, we
now devote a chapter to the annals of the second battalion, in
which the distinguished officer above-named served with
honour, exceedingly beloved by the soldiers; and to whom,
as an author, we are largely indebted, having, by the vigour
of his pen, rescued from the shades of oblivion and the
crumbling ravages of time the history of our regiments and
the peculiar characteristics of our clans, and so preserved ever
fresh these endeared records of our brave clansmen and
soldiers. Scotland had already largely contributed to the

r

364 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

noble army of defenders which in 1804, during the momentous
crisis in our national history of which that year was the scene*
had gathered round the constitution and challenged the would-
be invader. Of the genuine Highlanders enlisted at this
period, the following is a correct record : —

For the army of reaerve, ,----- lfl51

Militia— Invprneaj, Eoea, Ajgyle, Perth, &c*, &(X, * - 2699

Supplemunt^y Ditto, 870

Canadian Fencibtefs - - 860

Second Battalion af the Sovooty-dghtb Kcgimdit, - - 714

Second BaltaJioa of the Seventy- ninth Regimeut, * * 619

Highlan^li;!^ t^a euWtitutca id Militia regbnente, * - 9Gd
BecroitB enlisted by the parties of the line, not exactly known,

but estimated at, 850

Total, .... 8,615

The present battalion was the fourth raised by the family
of Seaforth within twenty-five years. It contained many
Islesmen, especially from the island of Lewis. Although to all
appearance little else than a regiment of boys of very tender
years, still they had within them the soul of the man, as after
events abundantly proved. Embodied at Fort George in the
winter of 1804-5 with a strength of 850, it was by request of
Major-General Moore placed under his command for purposes
of instruction in the new system of light infantry drill. This
was a fortunate circumstance, and no doubt helped the
battalion, not merely in the acquirement of a thorough
military knowledge, but more especially served to instil a due
confidence, which gave it that steadiness in action for which it
was afterwards remarkable. The urgent requirements of the

SEVENTY-EIGHTH HIGHLANDERS. 365

service having occaaioiied the removal of the battalion to
reinforce the garrison of Gibraltar, it was early deprived of
the benefits flowing from such an excellent course of training
under so able a master of the science of war. Nevertheless, it
had so improved the advantage which for a brief period it
enjoyed, as made it a valuable addition to the garrison.

From Gibraltar it proceeded to Sicily, to join the arma-
ment^ under Sir John Stuart, destined for a descent upon the
mainland of Calabria, in favour of the exiled monarch of
Naples and the patriots of Italy. The expedition, which sailed
from Melazzo in June, 1805, included the Twenty-seventh,
Fifty-eighth, Seventy-eighth, Eighty-first, and Watteville's
Swiss Regiment, afterwards reinforced by the Twentieth
Regiment. Landing successfully in the bay of St Euphemia,
the British General strove to anticipate the attack of the
French imder General Regnier, who, with a force lately
augmented to nearly 8000, stood opposed to the British, who
could scarce muster 4000 men, unsustained, moreover, by
cavalry. The enemy occupied a very strong position in the
vicinity of the village of Maida. Affecting to despise the
handful of British who had ventured to challenge the assault,
Regnier, forsaking his strong position, descended to the plains,
boasting he should drive the British into the sea. The two
armies advanced in hostile array in parallel lines across the
plain, halting when within a few hundred yards, and pouring
in a deadly volley upon each other. The precision of the
British fire so shattered the first line of the enemy, that,
broken, it retired in confusion upon the second line, and there

366 msTOEY OF the Scottish regiments.

struggled to maintain itself against the attack of our first
brigade^ comprising the Seventy- eighth and Eighty- first
regiments under Brigadier-General Acland, A Swiss regi-
ment bearing the name of its commanding officer, WatteviUcj
at this crisis of the fight advanced against the Seventy-
eighth, and niifltaken, from its similarity of uniform, for tha
corps of the same name, family, and nation in the British
service, which held post in reserve, our Highlanders ceased
firing, lest they should injure their supposed friends. Wbea
undeceived, a vigorous fire warmly bailed the enemy, and
drove back the Swiss with great slaughter. Beaten thus in
every quarter. General Begnier proposed, as a last resource, to
try the effect of a flank attack upon the Twenty-seventh
regiment. Providentially, the Twentieth regiment arriving
on the field at this moment, hastened to sustain their comrades,
and by their unexpected appearance so discouraged the foe,
that the attack, languidly undertaken, was speedily given
over. The French now gave way at all points, and retreated
precipitately, so swiftly, that without cavalry they could not
be overtaken — General Regnier falling a prisoner into our
hands.

General Stuart had at first been grievously disappointed in
the boyish appearance of the Seventy-eighth, 600 of whom
were under twenty-one years of age; but now felt constrained
to confess their gallant conduct unsurpassed; having van-
quished the veteran troops of France, although fighting under
great disadvantages in the front line of this their maiden
engagement. Unfortunately, the British, unsupported, were

SEVENTY-EIGHTH HIGHLANDERS. 367

unable to do more than destroy the enem/s arsenals and
magazines at Monte Leon^ ere prudence counselled their return
to Sicily.

Insignificant in itself, the result of the battle of Maida
exerted an important influence over Europe. Although the
numbers respectively engaged were small, still — occurring at a
time and in circumstances when European liberty groaned in
chains, and all the blessings which belonged to it seemed to be
eclipsed in the dark night of tyranny, and when the sovereigns
of the Continent had submitted to the imperious yoke of
Bounaparte, when the friendly light of hope, flickering, seemed
to die out — the battle and the victory of Maida revived the
drooping spirit of Freedom, restored to new life the palsied
pulse of Europe, and bade her many peoples awake from the
stupor of terror which the shackles of an iron despotism and
the cruel spellings of rapacious might had imposed! It
required years of sore suffering and desperate struggling ere
the monster which so preyed upon the vitals of liberty could
be shaken off"; and, emancipated from the oppressor's grasp,
the nations one by one once more breathed somewhat of the
blessed air of freedom.

Against their better feelings and judgment the Turks had
been cajoled into an alliance with France, and unwillingly as
our enemies, their territory in Egypt became the theatre of
strife, whereon a British army should again act. Accordingly,
in 1807, Lieutenant-General Sir John Moore arrived in Sicily
from England, and assumed the command of the enterprise.
In the army which set sail from Sicily for Egypt, the second

368 msTonv of the Scottish regiments,

battalion of the Seventy-eighth Highlanders was inclufled.
Landed, the expedition, flattered by various suceesses, con-
tinued to advance towards Alexandria; but the Turks, in their
peculiar mode of warfare, and their aptness in taking advan-
tage of every favourable circumstance in defence, proved more
terrible enemies than even the French, inflicting severe and
heavy losses upon the British, In an attempt to gain posses-
sion of the town of Bosetta, the Thirty-first B^iment was
nearly annihilated by the fire of the enemy from loop-holed
houses in the narrow streets, who could not be dislodged.
This attack in consequence failed; and the troops had to
mourn the loss of its leader, Major-General Wauchope, whilst
his second in command, Brigadier-Greneral Meade, was woimded.
With hopes of facilitating and securing the friendly and
promised aid of the Mamelukes, a detachment of 720 men,
under Lieutenant-Colonel Macleod, was advanced on the 20th
of April to an important outpost of the army at El Hamet, on
the Nile. The detachment, consisting of a party from De
RoUe's Eegiment, two companies of the Thirty-fifth, and five
companies of the Seventy -eighth, was divided into three
divisions, and stationed accordingly. On the morning of the
21st, about seventy large boats filled with armed men were
seen descending the Nile, whilst several corps of horsemen
gathered around the detachment, and at once assailed the right
of the three divisions, at the same time so surrounding the
others as to prevent them rendering any assistance to one
another, or drawing together into one. The right division,
comprising the Highland Grenadiers and a company of the

SBVBNTY-BIGHTH HIGHLANDERS. 369

Thirty-fifth, fought with the fiiry of lions at bay, and was
utterly cut to pieces, along with its gallant commander, who,
whenever he had perceived the peril of the post, hastened to
rescue it or die with the brave. The little phalanx of heroes,
reduced to eleven, attempted to break through the host of foes
which beleaguered them, and so join their comrades in the
centre division. Unfortunately, most of them perished in the
attempt. Captain Mackay, the only surviving officer, was
struck to the ground by a blow on the neck from the scimitar of
an Arab horseman in pursuit. The blow failing to kill, by a
miracle of mercy he was saved, and carried in by his Serjeant.
The remaining divisions, conscious how unavailing any resis-
tance would be, surrendered, and after being brutally plun-
dered, were conducted in triumph prisoners to Cairo, where
the vanity and the hatred of the people were gratified in the
parade of the captives through the principal streets of the city
for seven hours; exposed, moreover, to indignities of the
grossest kind — "These,'' said they, "are our British yHe/ufo,
who came from their ships to kill us and our children.'* The
Facha^ however, sincerely sympathising, behaved with great
kindness, and did his utmost to screen the prisoners from the
blind wrath of the public, expressing his deep regret that
Britain should have become so involved in war with his
Government, which had been long accustomed to regard the
British as friends and allies — ^never as foes.

In consequence of the disaster at El Hamet, the siege of
Rosetta was abandoned, and our army, retreating to Alex-
andria, thence negotiated for the release of the prisoners^ and

2w

370 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH EEGIMENTS,

agreeing to evacuate Egypt, returned to Sicily- Of the cap-
tives thus released, a dT^ummer of the Seventy-eighth, by name
Macleodj who had occaBionally assisted the surgeon of the
raiment in applying poultices, etc., choosing to remain behind
in Cairo, by a somewhat extraordinary metamorphosis, set up
for a physician t and by consummate assurance attained a large
practice and acquired a larger fortune. From Sicily the bat-
talion was removed to Lisbon^ and thereafter ordered home to
England^ where it arrived in 1808, Subsequently transferred
to Scotland to recruit, it forwarded large detachments of very
superior volunteers from its ranks to the first battalion, then
fighting in India.

In 1809 a corps of 370 men was battalionized under the
Hon. Lieutenant-Colonel Cochrane, and embarked for Zealand,
where it shared the disasters of the Walcheren expedition,
afterward returning to the Isle of Wight.

In 1813, as a small corps of 400 Highlanders, the second
battalion of the Seventy-eighth joined the army of Lieutenant-
General Sir Thomas Graham, afterwards Lord Lynedoch,
which endeavoured to expel the French from Holland. On
the 13th January, with the second battalion of the Twenty-
fifth and the Thirty- third regiments, it encountered the
enemy at Merexem, where it behaved with signal gal-
lantry— an immediate charge with the bayonet by the
Seventy- eighth, ordered by Lieutenant - Colonel Lindsay,
decided the contest." The enemy was beaten with great
slaughter. At this period the juvenility of the battalion was
as remarkable as its valour — only 43 of its soldiers exceeding

SEVENTY-EIGHTH HIGHLANDERS.

371

twenty-two years of age. The battalion remained in the
Netherlands until after the battle of Waterloo, but stationed
at Nieuport, was deprived of the privilege of being present on
that memorable and glorious field. Nevertheless, it added to
its good name by its excellent conduct, becoming peculiarly
endeared to the Belgians, who spoke of the Highlanders as
being "kind, as well as brave;" "Enfans de la famille;" "Lions
in the field and lambs in the house" — so much so, that the
citizens of Brussels petitioned the mayor to request the
General-in-Chief to allow the Seventy-eighth to remain in
garrison in that capital.

Returning to Scotland in 1816, the battalion was sub-
sequently incorporated with the first battalion as one regiment
on its return from India — conveying, with its few remaining
soldiers, a character for firmness truly remarkable in such
young soldiers, and adding the glories of Maida and Egypt to
those of Assaye and Java, acquired by the first battalion, and
now one in the Seventy-eightL

CHAPTER XXXYIII.

►--

But bark 1 what
The nhriek that's
It comes from Iiku&'h &i.
It caUn for vengcajice f^
Nor call

Tie the deBtnr
Wlioeo hearU
Whoae sworde on rm
The Bnive^ the Fair, tm

BiOQBSWellf

■^ Fifcrewell!
L hj Scotland,

Then Scotland, by brave llavelock led,

RushM o'er the field of murdered dead^
Fighting for ^^^bleetling Beauty'a*' aate —
The very earth itadf might quake

Beneath the wrath o* ScotUmJ^

Haste je to Li^know'a fainting brave j
Too long they-ve bjittled with the slave —
The weak and helpleea Fair to save
From rapine, ruin, and the grave —

Hope cornea wi' botmie Scotland,

And now brave Ilavdock^s work is dane.
He set* like to the evening eimj
By him tlie crown of glory's won —
Hua God, beholding^ saith "^^Well done!"

The Lost-^the Loved o' Scotland,

^

PERSIA — INDIA — 1817-1862.

Escaping from the tedious details of peaceful service which
for upwards of forty years mark the history of the Seventy-

INDIA.

' I

SEVENTY-EIGHTH HIGHLANDEBd. 373

eighth, we now follow that gallant regiment to India — ^the
scene of its early glory, and since embalmed in our memory,
as presenting the most splendid testimony to its heroic
character.

In 1857 we find it transferred from Bombay to Persia,
and engaged in the expedition destined to chastise its vain-
glorious and presumptuous monarch. An easy triumph crowned
the efforts of our arms. At Koosh-ab the Seventy-eighth was
present with credit; although that success was achieved rather
by diligent perseverance in long marches and battling with
inclement weather, than by any very remarkable feat of arms.
This name and that of "Persia" were gained for the regi-
mental colour during the campaign, in scenery hallowed by
sacred memories, being supposed to be the site of the garden
of Eden.

But we hasten to look upon a darker picture — ^to find our
Indian empire on the verge of ruin, convulsed as in the agonies
of dissolution; its native military, whom we had trusted and
boasted, become traitors; their smothered vengeance, cherished
through years of duplicity, bursting forth to deluge our vast
dominion, and almost wrest it from us by a cruel rebeUion;
all that once gloried in the very name of British doomed by
an unpitying and relentless revenge to utter destruction, con-
signed to be the subjects of a gigantic perfidy. The mine had
exploded, and awful were the horrors of the tragedy it
revealed! Helplessness consumed by the devouring sword;
beauty wasted by demons of lust and passion; hopeless
bravery sacrificed to satisfy a bloody appetite — whilst with

374 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS,

fiendish shouts the villaina gloated over the miirders in which
their hands were embrued and which Stained their souls^ and
rejoiced in the atrocities they had committed.

Never was the British soldier placed in circumstances so
trying, and never did he display such heroism — a heroism
which, equal to the emergency, was alone able to deliver hirn
from the foul conspiracy of 150,000 armed and trained rebels*
who encircled him and thirsted vehemently for his blood.

Delhi, the great central tower of rebellious strength, was
the scene of months of hard fighting and sore privation; but
over all these British valour triumphing, was rewarded in the
reduction of that important stronghold^ and the utter discom-
fiture of its daring defenders. But Lucknow reversed the
picture. There we find the British besieged by a countless
host of the enemy; there we regard a handful of brave men
resolved to sell their lives as dearly as possible, rather than
yield to the ruthless rebels who in multitudes encompassed the
Kesidency. To save the brave garrison from the terrible fate
which threatened them, and release the crowd of starving and
emaciated women and children who, claiming the protection of
the soldier, had found shelter there — to save and relieve these,
a little army might have been seen advancing by rapid
marches, encountering the greatest dangers, and eagerly press-
ing onwards to avenge their slaughtered friends. Stirred to
marvellous achievements by the appalling traces of massacre
perpetrated on the helpless and innocent, and which were
too apparent all around — roused to heroic action, nerved
to meet death or conquer in the awful and imequal struggle,

SEVENTY-EIGHTH HIGHLANDERS. 375

the little anny of Brigadier-General Havelock pressed vigor-
ously forward to help and to avenge. It comprised of
European Troops: The third company of the eighth battalion
of Royal Artillery, (76 men); the First Madras Fusiliers, (376
men); the Sixty-fourth Regiment of Foot, (435 men); the
Seventy-eighth ffighlanders, (284 men); the Eighty-fourth
Regiment of foot, (190 men); Bengal Artillery, (22 men);
Volunteer Cavalry, (20 men). Native Troops: Ferozepore
Regiment, (448 men); the Thirteenth Irregular, and the Third
Oude Irregular Cavalry, (95 men); Galundauze (18 men).

From Cawnpore the rebels had pushed forward to Futteh-
pore, purposing to destroy a small detachment of British under
Major Renaul, but these having succeeded in eflfecting a
timebtts junction with the army of Havelock, the mutineers,
amoimting to 3,500, were encountered by that chief, and in a
few minutes totally routed. The victory was ascribed by the
conqueror "to the British artillery, to the Enfield rifle, to
British pluck, and to the blessing of Almighty God.''

On the 15th July Brigadier-General Havelock came up with
the enemy first at the village of Aeng, and next at the bridge
over the Pandoo Nudee, and was successful in each instance.
Anew in position under Nena Sahib (Doondoo Punt), the
rebels made a momentary stand at Ahirwa, but were imme-
diately defeated by a brilliant charge of our Highlanders. The
arch-traitor Nena Sahib, finding himself closely pressed by the
British column, and unable to defend Cawnpore, retired from
that fortress, after having, with savage barbarity, massacred
the women and children who by the foulest perfidy had fallen

376 HISTOEY OF THE SOOTTISH REGIMENTS.

into his power* The remains of these victims of his craelty
were afterwards discovered in the bottom of a well; and the
horrors of the tragedy are said so to have moved the soul of
our Highlanders, that, vowing aa oath of vengeance on the
blood-stained spot, they were st'Ted to redeem it on sub-
sequent occasions. Pursuing the enemy in the course of his
memorable march to Lucknow, Havelock defeated a strong
body of rebels gathered near Unaa Thrice he attacked, and
thrice he routed the mutineers who had as often congregated
at Busherut Grunge> and once at Bithoor. Cholera attack-
ing the British troops, so crippled the little army that^ sur-
rounded by foes^ Havelock was comi^elletl to delay his further
advance until reinforced by Sir James Outram, On the
arrival of these fresh troops on 16th September, the command,
by seniority, devolved upon Sir James Outram; but with a
chivalrous feeling highly to be admired, that excellent oflScer
waived his claim, desiring Major-General Havelock to finish
the good work he had so well begun and was so nigh gloriously
completing, Sir James serving in subordination as a volunteer.
"On the 19th and 20th of September, the relieving force,
amounting to about two thousand five hundred men, and
seventeen guns, crossed the Ganges. The Fifth Fusiliers,
Eighty-fourth, detachments of the Sixty-fourth, and First
Madras Fusiliers, composed the first infantry brigade, under
Brigadier - General Neill; the Seventy- eighth Highlanders,
Ninetieth Light Infantry, and the Sikh Ferozepore Regiment,
made up the second brigade, under Brigadier Hamilton of the
Seventy-eighth; Major Cooper commanded the artillery brigade,

SEVENTY-EIGHTH HIGHLANDERS. 377

consisting of Captains Maude, Oliphant, and Major Eyre's
batteries; Captain Borrow commanded the Volunteers and
Irregular Cavalry."

Having distributed the army, Havelock resumed his for-
ward march, and after encountering several powerful bodies of
the rebels, and always with the same success as hitherto,
Lucknow was reached, and the beleaguered and almost
despairing garrison relieved. This happy result was dearly
purchased by the death of Brigadier-Gkneral Neill, a most
gallant and able oflScer. Colonel Hamilton, who led the
Seventy-eighth amid these labyrinthian dangers, won a dis-
tinguished name by his valour and coolness in many critical
moments.

Most deeply regretted, the hero who had achieved this
crowning triumph fell asleep in the very arms of victory. The
living exponent of all that was truly noble, generous, brave,
and heavenly, entered into his rest, there to enjoy the better
blessing of his Grod, to wear the crown of glory which cannot
fade, and which is more to be desired than all the perishing
treasures of earth, the gilded pageant of a world's renown, or
even the fitful gratitude of his country. Such was the death
of Sir Henry Havelock, which almost immediately followed
the final relief of Lucknow by our deservedly favourite chief-
tain. Sir Colin Campbell (now Lord Clyde).

" Brave Havelock *a gone I let Britain mourn —
Her brightest, boldest hero's gone;
Strew Indian laurels round his tomb,
For there he gbrious triumphs won.
2x

878 msioBT or ths floarruH BMonmB.

"^lliefe he aooompBihed doadi

lIHuch itaiiip^d him bnTBrt of fbe
Cot thnyogh ft hoifei pot foetto ^ff^
And helplMi priaoooi dned to

'AChrkaanwankr rtCHi, yet ndM,
He fought for HevraD, lib flftvimu^

Yet shnuik not from the batOe-fleU,
Whoe aU his tiOaite hric^itfy

'' But now Deftlh% mandftte from on hi^
His Father oaUed; he waa prepared
For mantBona anre bejoiid the ihy {
Earth's honoois eoold not him reward.

'' And now he'a buried wHii the tamTe—
His battle's fooght, his ▼lot'iy's won;
His ootmtiy^ eanse he died to sate,
Nor sunk ontil his work waa done.

" I^ England, then, embalm his i

'Mongst heroes he may justly shine;
For soldier he of nobler fame —
His banner bore the stamp Divine/'

In the latter defence of Lucknow the Seventy-eighth sufl-
tained a prominent and a very honourable part, cheerfully
enduring the privations of a straitened and continued edege^
and ever foremost in repelling the foe when he dared to
attack

The heart of the Scottish people followed with a yearning
interest the movements of the Seventy-eighth throughout thia
memorable campaign. With gratitude our countrymen hailed
the regiment, when a kind Providence recently restored it to
its native land, where every grade of society united to do
honour to that bravery which so conspicuously graced our

PRESENIA lON PlATt iO IHE SEVtNTY-ElGHm Ab THE "SAVIOURS OF INDIA.'

11

SEVENTY-EIGHTH HIGHLANDERS.

379

national history upon the dismal page of the Indian mutiny,
and in commemoration thereof a monument has been erected
in Edinburgh, an Illustration of which is given in this work.
We close our sketch with the feeling that words have failed to
express the just admiration with which we must ever regard
this, the "scion of the Seaforth," the "Saviour of India."

THE SEVENTY -NINTH FOOT;

ORf

CAMERON HIGHLAIS^DEBS.

CHAPTER XXXIX,

" There's iDAiiy a man of the CameroB cIab
That has followed his chief to the field;
lie has sworn to etipport him^ or die by his Ride,
For a Cameron never can yield.

"Oh! proudly they walk, but each Cameron knows
He may tread on the heather no more;
But boldly he follows his chief to the field,
Where his laurels were gathered before."

There is perhaps no name so deeply interesting in the annals
of the Highlanders as that of Cameron; no clan so truly the
exponent of all that is brave and noble, and none whose chief
has been so largely the exemplar in his life of all the god-like
qualities of the man, the patriot, and the hero, and whose
memory is so fondly cherished and so highly revered, Sucli
was the illustrious leader of the clan, Sir Ewen Cameron of
Lochiel —

" The crested Lochiel, the peerleas in might."

SIR EWEN CAMERON OF LOCHEIL.
THE SEVENTY-NINTH, "OR Gft.yiit^^\\ V^\^VvVV^^\^V

. ; 'I

THE SEVENTY-NINTH FOOT. 381

The Camerons by their conspicuous patriotism, marching
under the banner of the Lord of the Isles at the battle of
Bannockburn, contributed to illumine the page of our ancient
glory.

" Bruce, with the pilot's wary eye,
The slackening of the storm could spy.
^One effort more, and Scotland's free!
Lord of the Isles, my trust in thee

Is firm as Ailsa Rock;
Rush on with Highland sword and targe,
I, with my Carrick spearmen, charge;

Now, forward to the shock!'
At once the spears were forward thrown.
Against the sun the broadswords shone;
The pibroch lent its maddening tone,
And loud Kiag Robertas voice was known —
* Carrick, press on — ^they fail, they fail!
Press on, brave sons of Innisgail,

The foe is fainting fast!
Each strike for parent, child, and wife.
For Scotland, liberty, and life —

The battle cannot last I ' "

But the clan attained even a greater reputation from its
devoted loyalty to the Stuarts, and its gallant efforts in their
cause, especially when led by Sir Ewen Cameron of Lochiel.

This chief was born in 1629, and educated at Inverary
Castle by his foster-father, the Marquis of Argyll. Fascinated
by the chivalrous bearing of Montrose, at the early age of
eighteen he deserted his early patron, mustered his clansmen,
and proceeded to join the rebel army. Ere he could accomplish
his intention, the tide of war had turned against the Royalists,
and swept away the army of Montrose. Retaining his clans-

382 HISTORY OF THE SOOTTiaH KEGIMENTS.

men in arms around bim, he most effectimlly protected hia
estates from the incurBiong of the soldiers of Cromwell*

In 1652, the Earl of Glencaim, setting up the Royal
standard, received the ready co-operation of Lochiel against
the Republicans. Jealousy and -^^^^^^^ist estranging the Royalist
chiefs, creeping into and ; their counsels, breaking

the bond of union otherwise so i hty an agent to success —
Lochiel, keeping aloof from iroubles at head-quartera^

acting independently, effectively shielded the Royal army in
its consequent weakness^ delaying the ruin which ultimately
overtook this unfortunate attempt to restore the kiugdom to
Charles II. His exploits savour of the marvellous and
romantic; nevertheless, they in truth displayed the heroism of
his character and the genius of a master-mind in the business
of war. On one occasion a party of 300 soldiers had been
sent to ravage his estates around Inverlochy. Hastily collect-
ing thirty-eight of his clan, with a fearlessness amounting
almost to rashness, despite the remonstrances of the sager
veterans of bis little band, to whose experiences he replied,
" If every man kills his man, I will answer for the rest," he
descended upon the unsuspecting troops with the utmost fury,
when a desperate and bloody struggle ensued. But nothing,
not even superior numbers, could withstand so furious an
attack by the Camerons. Steadily Jdghting, the soldiers slowly
retreated to the boats from which they had landed, leaving
138 of their comrades dead on the shore, whilst the loss of
the Highlanders only amounted to seven men.

By many such deeds of daring, in which he always

THE SEVENTY-NINTH FOOT. 883

displayed prodigies of valour, to his foes he appeared a dread
avenger, but to his friends he was known as a sure protector.
When all other opposition to its rule had been overcome by a
victorious Protectorate, Lochiel remained in arms for his King,
unconquered, and seemingly unconquerable. Bribery could
not purchase the submission of so noble a spirit, and persua-
sion failed to gain over the allegiance of so faithful an
adherent of the exiled monarch. Fortunately, the good
policy of Cromwell eflFected an honourable compromise, con-
sistent with the dignity of this brave yet haughty chieftain,
which put an end to the cruel war which had already
exhausted the resources, and if persevered in, must have
exterminated the gallant Camerons. Unable to win his
alliance, the Protector wisely contented himself with a simple
peace.

Consistent with his ancient loyalty, when the Revolution of
1688 had expatriated the last and d^enerate representative of
the unfortunate race of Stuart, and set up a new and a better
order of things in the State by the installation of the family of
Orange on the British throne, Lochiel joined the party of King
James, and resolutely determined to uphold his standard as
unfurled in rebellion in 1689. Unsullied by the baser motives
of ambition and revenge which had driven Viscount Ihmdee
into rebellion, Lochiel devoted his sword to what he esteemed
the righteous cause of his rightful sovereign, who had been s^
aside by the claims of a usurper. In the battle of Killie-
crankie, the charge of the Camerons and Highlanders led by
Lodiid was irrenBtibie, and contributed largely to the attain-

384

HT8T0KY OF THE SCOTTISH EEOTMEFTS*

ment of the victory. It so happened (not uncommon in those
civil wara) on this occasion that the second son of Lochiel
commanded a company in the opposing army of King William,
Attached to the staff of General Mackay, that commander, oa
viewing the array and position of the Highlanders^ remarked
to the young Lochiel — "There," 8 d he, "is your father with
his wild savages; how would you ke to be with him V " It
signifies little/' replied the other, "what I would like; but I
recommend it to you to be prepared, or perhaps my father
and his wild savages may be nearer to you before night than
you would like/' And so it happened, Bundee delayed his
attack "till/' according to an eye-witness, "the sun's going
down, when the Highlandmen advanced on us like madmen^
without shoes or stockings, covering themselves from our fire
with their targets. At last they cast away their muskets,
drew their broadswords, and advanced furiously upon us,
broke us, and obliged us to retreat; some fled to the water,
some another way."

This great chief died at the ripe age of eighty-nine in 1 71 8,
universally regretted.

His grandson participating in the rebellion of 1745,
occasioned the ruin of his family, and to a large extent
destroyed the military strength of the clan. Nevertheless, in
1775 we find the Camerons represented by a company in
Fraser's Highlanders, and as "Lochiel's men" combatting
with distinction in America, on the side of that Government
which a few years earlier they had conspired to overturn.

In addition to the Seventy-ninth Regiment, now the only

THE SEVENTY-NINTH FOOT. 385

living representative of the clan in the British army, the
Camerons contributed, in 1799, a corps of fencible militia —
the "Lochaber** Regiment.

The menacing aspect of affairs abroad, the political
wrongs perpetrated by revolutionary France, and the dark
cloud which threatened to envelope our own land in 1794,
occasioned the augmentation of our army; and, in consequence,
the Seventy-eighth (Mackenzie), Seventy-ninth (Cameron),
Ninety-second (Gordon), and Ninety-third (Sutherland) High-
landers sprung into being about this period.

Immediately upon the completion of the Seventy-ninth it
was hurried into action, and on the plains of Flanders made
its dSbtU in arms. It was with the army of the Duke of York
which vainly strove to arrest the victorious career of the
armies of republican France, led by these famous soldiers,
Pichegru, Moreau, Jourdan, and Vandamme.

Returning home in 1795, it was thence removed to the
West Indies, and for two years was stationed in Martinique.
After contributing variously to recruit other corps, especially
the Forty-second Royal Highlanders, it returned home a mere
skeleton, around which, as a nucelus, the officers succeeded,
after many and persevering efforts, in raising a new Highland
corps, under the old designation.

On attaining a strength of 780 men, chiefly by the zealous

exertions of its original colonel, Allan Cameron of Errach, it

was ordered on foreign service, and so, in 1799, joined the

expedition destined to act against the enemy in Holland.

There, placed in the fourth brigade under Major-General after-

2y

386

HISTOEY OP THE SCOTTISH REGDflfiNTS.

1800, under Sir Ralph
brigaded with the Second
5, commanded by the Earl

nee of Egypt from the
and in 1801. Whilst at

wards ohn Moore, it was associated with the second bat-

talion of the First Royals^ the Twenty^fifth King's Own Bor-
derers, the Forty-ninth Foot, and the Ninety-second Gordon
Highlanders. In all the actions which marked this brief and
ineffectual campaign, the Seventv-ninth was worthily distin-
guished, and won the me i-eof now borne upon its
ilours — " Egmont"Op-Zee/'

In the Egyptian expo!
Abercromby, the Seventy-nin
or Queen's and the Fiftieth
of Cay an.

Having helped to the
yoke of France, it returned to
home it was increased by a second battalion raised in 1804,
when the vindictive wrath of Napoleon, roused into madness
by the defeat of his armies by the British in Egypt, had
gathered a countless host around Boulogne, whence, looking
across, he longed but once to set foot upon our shores, and
then he hoped to blot us out from the map as a nation, and
so satisfy the bitter hatred of years. Whilst the tempest of
human passion stood arrayed in portentous awfulness on the
other side of the Channel, the Seventy-ninth was with our
troops who anxiously waited the result. Suddenly the spirit
of the imperial dream was changed, and the armed multitude,
melting away, reappeared with a real terror upon the devoted
plains of Germany.

Allied with Napoleon, the Danes, in 1807, once more were
pressed into a quarrel with Britain. A British armament

THE SEVENTY-NINTH FOOT.

387

appeared upon the coasts of Denmark. Our army, under
Lieutenant-General Lord Cathcart, consisting of the first bat-
talions of the 2d (Coldstream) and 3d (Scots Fusileers) Foot
Guards; first battalions of the 4th, 7th, 8th, 23d, 28th, 32d,
43d, 50th, 52d (second battalion), 79th (Cameron), 82d, 92d
(Gordon), and five companies of the first and second battalions
of the 95th (Rifles), and several regiments of the King's Ger-
man Legion, comprising a total of 28,000, of which 17,000
were British, advanced upon Copenhagen, overcame all oppo-
sition, occupied the capital, arrested the enemy's fleet, and hav-
ing achieved this almost bloodless victory, baffled the deep-laid
schemes of Napoleon, charged with our destruction.

CHAPTER XL.

*TliOiJgli my jkiTuhing rauks Aboold be etrew'd In UuaiT ffjre.

* —* beaten aliore,

Locldol't nntalDtect pg

hftiHAt

Wlil]o the kindling a

Shall victor exult^ or to

Id low.

WilUluflbftck tothefie

F^et to tb« foel

Anil, Wving ia

R nAme,

Jjook i^iitiadly t

^th-bed of fame.''

PENlNStTLA — WATERLOi

L — INDIA — 1808-lM^.

In 1808 the Seventy-n uded in the army of Sir

John Moore, which endeavoured to aid the Spaniards and
Portuguese to rescue their country from the crushing tyranny
of France. But what could 25,000 men, however brave, do
against 300,000 veterans, concentrated under the command of
experienced officers, and now advanced to destroy the daring
handful of British who had presumed to penetrate the heart
of the Peninsula? We have already described the masterly
manoeuvres which extricated our army from a position of great
peril when in presence of so powerful a foe, and at the battle
of Corunna gloriously arrested the further pursuit of the
French. The Cameron Highlanders were brigaded with the
Thirty-sixth and Eighty-second regiments, under Brigadier-
General Fane, but not actively engaged.

On the return of the regiment to England, it was shortly
ordered to Holland, there to be engaged in a new eflFort for
the deliverance of that country. Landed with the army of the

THE SEVENTY-NINTH FOOT. 389

Earl of Chatham in Walcheren, it was soon found impractic-
able to force the position of the French, who, nearer their own
resources than in Spain, were not so easily overcoma Fever
breaking out among the troops, so thinned the ranks, that of
near 40,000 effectives, scarce a half returned fit for duty.

Long and sorely had our soldiers stru^led to overcome
the gigantic tjrranny of France, but like the many-headed
monster of heathen fiction, no sooner was one head wounded,
than a new one appeared to challenge the attack. So, scarcely
had we succeeded in one quarter ere the foe arose in terrible
strength in another. Thus we find our armies, sometimes in
Flanders, sometimes in the Peninsula^ sometimes in Egypt,
sometimes in India^ and sometimes in America^ waging a
desperate and incessant war with this (rorgon-headed enemy.

In 1810 we once more return to Spain, where happily
more permanent results were to be achieved. Thither the
Seventy-ninth had gone to join the army of Lord Wellington.

At thi3 battle of Fuentes d'Onor (Fountain of Honour) the
conduct of the regiment was beyond all praise. Occupying
that village with the Seventy-first Highlanders and Twenty-
fourth Foot, the Seventy-ninth was exposed to the most furious
assaults of strong columns of French. Occasionally driven out
of the village, yet always returning to recover it — ^which an
indomitable perseverance ever accomplished — ^triumphing over
all opposition, this key of the position was ultimately retained.
These regiments thus deservedly acquired the largest share of
the glory flowing from such a victory.

From the battle of Salamanca it advanced with the army

390

aiSTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS,

ing* the effects of these

m the combatants. The
perseverance, brought a

dd when the rest of the

which 0CC1 lied Madrid. In the subsequent siege of the strong
castle of irgos, the valour of the regiment was most con-
spicuous, and in the several assaults its losses were very con-
siderable. Unfortunately^ the approach of a powerful relieving
force snatched the anticip*"*^*^ niAvt^ from our grasp, arreating
the further progress of the . neceeaitating the retreat

of the Britifih towards Pon

Although for the preaej
campaigns were very
British, elated with hope, incit
new and living energy into
winter had passed away and the derations of the war been
resumed in the spring. On the other hand, the French —
depressed by the evil tidings of the Grand Army in Russia;
tired, moreover, with incessant yet fruitless jBghtings; disunited
by discontent, privation, and jealousy — when the season once
more invited action, found their armies dispirited and disorga-
nised. No wonder, then, that the forward march of the British
led to a series of victories ever gracing our arms, until, sur-
mounting the natural barriers of the PyTenees, our troops
descended into the plains of France in the day of that countrjr's
humiliation. In the various actions of the "Pyrenees," the
Seventy-ninth was not seriously engaged.

It was present at the passage of the "Nivelle" and the
"Nive.'' On the latter occasion it was specially distinguished
for its well-directed fire, which caused great havoc in the
dense masses of the enemy which strove to defend the passage.

At the battle of Toulouse, in the brigade of General

THE SEVENTY-NINTH FOOT. 391

Pack, with the Forty-second Royal Highlanders and the
Ninety-first (Argyllshire) Regiment, the Seventy-ninth was
engaged in a desperate attack which carried a redoubt strongly
situated, and resolutely defended, on the crest of a series of
heights on the right of the position. A French officer,
witnessing the advance of the BQghlanders, exclaimed, "My
God I how firm these sans culottes arel" Another French
officer in conversation said of them, **Ah! these are brave
soldiers. I should not like to meet them unless well supported.
I put them to the proof on that day, for I led the division of
more than 5000 men which attempted to retake the redoubt."
A British officer, high in command, thus yields his testimony
to the valour of the brigade: **I saw your old friends the
Highlanders in a most perilous position; and had I not known
their firmness, I should have trembled for the result."

On the abdication of Napoleon, peace for a time dispelled
the thunder-storm of war, and permitted the return of the
regiment to Britain. His escape from Elba again threatened
to crush out the reviving spirit of liberty beneath the iron heel
of his sanguinary tyranny. Happily for Europe and for
France, the convulsive effort by which he strove to redeem
and avenge the past was utterly defeated by his total discom-
fiture at Waterloo, for ever dissipating his dream of conquest,
and closing his ambitious career.

Purposing to sevjer the British from the Prussians, and beat
each in detail ere the Austrian and Russian armies could arrive
from Germany to resume the war. Napoleon, by one of those
rapid marches for which he was so famous, suddenly falling

392 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH BEQDCBNTS.

upon and defeating the Prussians at Ligny, turned with the
full weight of his power against the British, who were already
engaged in a desperate struggle with the corps of Marshal Ney
at Quatre Bras — fitly introducing the grander event of Water-
loo. Although impetuously assailed by an immensely superior
force, and suffering a loss of more than 300 men, the Seventy-
ninth behaved with the utmost heroism.

**And wild and high the * Cameron's gathering' rose!
The war-note of Ltochiel, whidi Alum's hilk
Have heard — and heard, too, have her Saxon foes:
How in the noon of night that pibroch thrilb,
Sayage and shriU! But with the breath which filla
Their mountain pipe, flo fill the mountaineeiB
With the fierce native daring which instils
The stirring memory of a thousand years;
And Evan's, Donald's fame rings in each clansman's ears!"

In the subsequent battle of Waterloo, it was included in
the fifth division under Sir Thomas Picton, and in the fifth
brigade of the army under Sir James Kempt. Here it was
associated with the Twenty-eighth, Thirty-second, and Ninety-
fifth (Rifles) regiments, and posted in defence of a hedge which
the Belgian troops had abandoned early in the fight. Against
this position three powerful columns of the enemy advanced.
"At this moment General Picton was killed, and General Kempt
severely wounded; but the latter never left the field. Like his
old commander. Sir Ralph Abercromby, he allowed no personal
consideration to interfere with his duty; and although unable
to sit on horseback from the severity of the wound, he would
not allow himself to be carried away from his soldiers, whose
situation, pressed by a brave and powerful enemy, required
every assistance from his prasence and talents. The enemy.

THE SEVENTY-NINTH FOOT. 393

anxious to gain the position behind the hedge, repeated their
attempts, but every attempt was repulsed/' The honourable
conduct of the regiment on this occasion, as a matter of history,
has been justly celebrated.

Occupying France for a while, the Seventy-ninth returned
to Britain in 1818, and has long been peacefully employed.

In 1854, when the aggressions of Russia called upon the
nations "to defend the right," the Seventy-ninth, with the
Forty-second Royal Highlanders and the Ninety-third Suther-
land Highlanders, formed the original Highland Brigade in the
army of the Crimea.

At the battle of the Alma, co-operating with the Guards,
this brigade, under Sir Colin Campbell, won a great renown.
It was selected, with the other Highland regiments, under Sir
Colin Campbell, to renew the attack upon the Redan. Fortu-
nately, the retirement of the garrison to the other side of the
harbour aflforded a bloodless victory. The regiment was
engaged in the successful expedition against Kertch.

Released by the conclusion of peace from the toils of war

on the distant plains of the Crimea, the regiment returned

homa Shortly thereafter, the outbreak of the Indian mutiny

required its presence in that far-off province of our empire.

Accordingly, embarked, it arrived there in 1858, and joined

the army marching upon Lucknow. On the suppression of

the revolt, it was retained in India; and we doubt not the

presence of such staunch defenders of the British constitution

will command peace — the military fire of "auld langsyne" still

burning in the bosom of the Cameron.

2z

THE NINETY- SECOND FOOT;

OB,

GORDON HIGHLANBERS.

THB GOBDON

CHAPTER XLT.

Tlie foe weel kenned the tartan front,
Wliich neycr Hhmin'd tbe battlers brunt—
Thy ohieftain of our Highland men,
That led them on to victory then.

As uye he cried, ** For Scotland,"

' CORSICA — HOLLAOT) — EGYPT — COPENHAGEN-
SWEDEN — COEUNNA — 1794-1809.

The Duke of Gordon, rather as the proprietor of a vast domain
than the chief of a clan, enjoyed an almost kingly power iu the
Highlands. Amongst his tenants were the Camcrons of
Lochiel and the Macpheraons of Clunie, whUst his few
immediate retainers were chiefly horsemen — almost the only
cavalry known in Highland m arfare. The Gordons have ever
been distinguished for devotion to their king and country*
The friends of the Bruce, they were ranged on the side of!
liberty at Baunockburn. Adherents of the Stuarts, we cannot J
but regret the mistaken zeal which so nigli involved iu a like
ruin so estimable a family. Happily, a better knowledge of ]
the failings of the dethroned dynasty showed the worthlessncsa
of the object of their attachment, and so estranged them fioxa
their cause, that, in 1745, the representative of the Goidcma

DUKE OF RICHMOND.
THE NINETY-SECOND, OR "CORDQH tt^a\^LK^k'^V^V

THE NINETY-SECOND FOOT. 395

was found combating on the side of the Government, whilst
the clans upon their estates followed Lochiel and other chief-
tains, and fought on behalf of Prince Charles.

Fortunately, Government succeeded in enlisting the loyal
services of this powerful family; and by its influence regiments
of Highlanders were successively raised in 1759, 1779, and
1793 (fencible), all of which have long ago been disbanded, or,
more properly, are now merged and represented in the subject
of our present sketch, the Ninety-second, raised in 1794. The
efforts of the Marquis of Huntly, a captain in the Scots Fusilier
Guards, helped by the Duchess of Gordon, were most active
and successful in the business of recruiting. The Marquis
was rewarded with the Lieutenant-Colonelcy of the regiment,
embodied at Aberdeen in June, 1794, and originally numbered
the 100th Regiment, afterwards the Ninety-second.

In September the regiment was embarked for Gibraltar,
where it remained in garrison, completing its drill, until the
following year, when it was removed to Corsica. With a
detachment, in occupation of the island of Elba, it remained
in Corsica so long as the natives were content with the British
rule. When the rising fame of their great countryman.
Napoleon, excited their admiration, and they desired to be
merged in the glory of his "empire," our Government, con-
vinced of the inutility of maintaining an expensive garrison in
the island, and ever opposed to repressive measures antagonistic
to the feelings of the people, wisely resolved to leave them to
experience the bitterness of imperial tyranny. Accordingly,
the Ninety-second was withdrawn to Gibraltar in 1796.

k

396 HwrroHY of the Scottish BEGUiENXii, •

In 1798 the regiment returned to Englaud, and thentio
proceeded to Ireland, where it was employed in suppressing
the miserable attempts at rebellion got up by the disaffected,
and encouraged by France* Although not actively engaged
in the field, its good conduct in garrison was very commend-
able, occurring at a time when the disorders of the country
presented many and powerful temptations. Fortunately, the
corps was soon released from the painful duty of appearing in
arms against those who should otherwise have been as brothers,

Under Lieutenant- General Sir Ealph Abercromby, who
commanded the expedition of 1799 which proceeded against
the French in Holland, the Ninety-second was included in the
brigade of Major-General {afterwards Sir John) lloore, and
associated with the First Royal Scots (second battalion), the
Twenty-fifth King's Own Borderers, the Forty-ninth Foot, and
the Seventy-ninth Cameron Highlanders. Landed at Haider,
it was engaged in the actions fought around the villages of
Crabbendam and Schagen, and commended for its " noble and
steady conduct/' At the battle of "Egmont-op-Zee,'' whilst
escorting twenty pieces of artillery to the front, the Ninety-
second was fiercely assailed by a column of 6000 French.
Undaunted, the Highlanders stood the dreadful shock, when
bayonet met bayonet, and hundreds, locked in the fatal
embrace, fell the sacrifice of their own valour. Thus a horrid
rampart of dead and dying humanity lay between the
combatants. The carnage was terrible. The Ninety-second
alone had to lament a loss of nearly 300, and amongst
these its brave colonel, the Marquis of Huntly, and Lieu-

THE NINETY-SECOND FOOT. 397

tenant-Colonel Erskine, both wounded. It was the charge
of the Ninety-second which began the action, their steady,
persevering gallantry which sustained it, and their unsurpassed
valour which completed the victory. Major-General Moore,
wounded in the conflict, was carried oflf the field by two
soldiers of the Ninety-second. "We can do no more than
take him to the doctor," said they; "we must join, the lads,
for every man is wanted." Grateful for this service, Major-
General Moore oflfered to reward the soldiers who thus
probably saved his life, but no claimant appeared; either the
superstition of the Highlander, dreading the curse which the
acceptance of such "blood money" was supposed to entail, or
his native pride, would not allow the acceptance of the gift, or
else, what is more likely, the men, by a glorious death, were
now beyond the rewards of this world. Thus disappointed,
Major-General Moore foimd another means of commemorating
this act of generous devotion, in selecting a soldier of the
Ninety-second as one of the supporters of his armorial bear-
ings. By the convention of Alkmaar, the army abandoned
Holland to the French; and therewith the Gordon High-
landers returning to England, were stationed at Chelmsford.

In 1800 the regiment was engaged in a fruitless enterprise
intended to aid the Eoyalists of France by a descent upon the
coast of that country. The remainder of the year was spent
unaccountably wandering up and down amongst the garrisons
of the Mediterranean — Gibraltar, Minorca, and Malta.

In the spring of 1801 a definite purpose was assigned to
the regiment, as part of the expedition assembled in Marmorice

398

HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH EEGIMENTS-

Bay, de ecl> under Sir Ralph Aberdromby, to deliver Egypt

from the usurped dominion of France* Accomplishing a

euoceaaful landing despite the assaults of a powerful enemy,

ae artillery from the heights above swept the bay of

n brigade with the First
of the Fifty-fourth Foot,
Uexandria. On the 13th
icred at Mandora, where,
3 left column^ the Gordon
action with the Ninetieth
;o a tremendous fire, and

Aboukir, the Ninety-secor

yal Scots and the two
advanced with the army to
of March the French were t
forming the advanced guard
Highlanders shared the glory c
Perthshire Volunteers. "C
suffering severely from i^ renc line, they never receded a
foot, but maintained the contest alone, until the marines and
the rest of the line came to their support/'

The Gordon Highlanders were honoured in being selected
to furnish a guard for the head-quarters of the Commander-
in-Chief Sadly reduced by the inroads of sickness and the
sword, the regiment had been ordered to Aboukir, but the
battle of Alexandria occurring ere it had scarce begun the
march, arrested and recalled it to its place in line. The cam-
paign was closed by the surrender of Alexandria and the
submission of 24,000 veteran troops, who, under General
Menou, yet remained to France of the "Army of Egypt."

On the 15th of October, the Gordon Highlanders, embark-
ing from Alexandria, returned home, calling on the passage at
Malta, and finally arriving at Cork in 1802. The corps
remained in the United Kingdom for the five following years,
peacefully garrisoning various towns, during which period it

THE NINETY-SECOND FOOT. 399

was increased by the addition of a second battalion, raised
in 1803, but disbanded in 1813.

In 1807 the first battalion was included with the Forty-
third, Fifty-second, and Ninety-fifth regiments, in the reserve
brigade of the British army of Lord Cathcart, which, invading
Denmark a second time, occasioned the capitulation of Copen-
hagen, and arrested the Danish fleet. Eetuming from this
almost bloodless victory, a body of 600 men of the battalion
was shipwrecked in the "Neptunis," but rescued after enduring
many and sore privations.

During the following year the Ninety-second was employed,
under Lieutenant-General Sir John Moore, in a vain expedition
to Sweden. Our aid being rejected, the army returned home.

It afterwards proceeded to the Peninsula, where it arrived
in time to learn that the Convention of Cintra had delivered
Portugal for the present from the thraldom of Marshal Junot,
the Emperor's Lieutenant. Placed in the division of Lieut-
General Sir John Hope, the Gordon Highlanders advanced
therewith into Spain, where a junction was formed with the army
of Sir John Moore. It endured with firmness all the hardships
of a disastrous yet successful retreat, crowning its perseverance
by its gallantry at the battle of Corunna, where it was called
to regret the loss of a gallant officer, Lieut-Colonel Napier,
and, further, to mourn over the fall of the hero of the cam-
paign, Lieut-General Sir John Moore, who terminated a life
of honour and a career of glory on that memorable battle-field.

This victory secured the unmolested embarkation of the
army, which accordingly sailed for England.

^

CHAPTER XLII.

'*Andf ob! Iiyred warriors of the mimti^^ land !
Yonder your bouncU nod, your tart&na wave!

Tha ragged form may mark the moiuktaln tnnd.
And barsbcr foaturm, and a mien more gniv&

Bat ne^er in battk throbbed a heart do braTUf
A^ that which beuU beneath the Scottish plaid;

And when the pibroch bid* the battie rave.
And levd for the charge your arm^ are laid.
Where tiven the desperate foe that for such onset staid?"

WALCHEEEN — PENINSULA — WATERLOO — 1809-1862*

In 1809 the Ninety-second was engaged under the Earl of
Chatham Id the unfortunate expedition to Walcheren, wherein
a splendid army in a few weeks was discomfited by the poisoned
breath of the pestilence. Of 1000 men comprised in the Gordon
Highlanders, only 300 returned eflfective to England.

In 1810 the regiment embarked for the Peninsula, and
joined the army of Viscount Wellington in the lines of Torres
Vedrafi. Brigaded with the Fiftieth and Seventy-first regi-
ments, under Major-General Howard, it advanced with the army
in pursuit of the French under Marshal MeSsena, shared the
glories of "Fuentes d'Onor," accomplishing the fall of Almeida.

The brigade was afterwards detached as part of the second
division of the army, commanded by Lieutenant-General Hill,
which covered the operations of the grand army under Well-
ington against the fortresses of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz.
This division, pursuing the enemy towards Merida, overtook
and surprised the bronzed veterans of the fifth French corps.

THE NINETY-SECOND FOOT. 401

under General Gerard, when about to decamp from Arroyo
del Molinos. The honour of this feat of arms is mainly due
to the Seventy-first and Ninety-second Highlanders, who,
during the raging of a fearful tempest, and screened by a thick
mist, charged into the village. In the confusion the loss of
the enemy was immense; of 3000 only 600 escaped to tell
the tale of the catastrophe. It is said the enemy was first
made aware of his danger by the scream of the bagpipes as
they appropriately played —

**Hey, Johnnie Cope, are ye waukin* yet?"

Driven out at the point of the bayonet, the French were
utterly broken and dispersed. Few events reflect greater
credit upon the Gordon Highlanders than this exploit.

It was the business of Lieut.-Gen. Hill so to engage the
attention of Marshal Soult, that he should be prevented assist-
ing the army of Marshal Marmont, opposed to Wellington.
By the capture of Forts Napoleon and Ragusa at "Almaraz,"
gallantly accomplished by the brigade, the separation of the
two Marshals was effected, and each forced to follow his own
line of retreat, at every step widening the breach.

The battle of Salamanca having cleared the way, the
British advanced to Madrid; and, whilst Wellington pro-
ceeded against Burgos, Lord Hill occupied the capital. The
concentration of the French armies for the relief of Burgos
occasioned the abandonment of that enterprise, and, for the
last time, compelled our army to retire towards Portugal,
evacuating Madrid. "From the 27th October to the 20th

November, we were exposed," says Lieut.-Col. Cameron, "to

3a

402

HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH EEGIMENTS,

greater hardships than I thought the human frame could bear,
Iq most inclement weather, with the canopy of heaven for our
covering, wet, cold, and hungry, we were generally marching
day and night. Fifteen poor fellows of the Ninety^^ecoiid fell
down, and were lost. My heart bled for them/'

On reaching Alba de Tormea, an old Roman town, defended
by a ruined wall, it was deemed necessary to make a stand
against the pursuing enemy, who, urged forward by the vigor-
ous Soult> sorely pressed our army. Here the brigade, entrusted
with the honourable yet difficult duty of maintaining the rear
guardj behaved with extraordinary gallantry* The scene ia
thus described by Lieut. -CoL Cameron : — " We did what we
could to improve our situation during the short time left us.
I threw an old door across the place where the gate once had
been, and barricaded it with sticks and stones. . . . We
had not a single piece of ordnance. Just as the clock of Alba
struck two, the French colunms moved to the attack, and,
from that time until night, we sustained a hurricane of shot
and shell from twenty pieces of cannon! Their riflemen
threw themselves into ditches and ravines round the walls,
but their masses never forsook the protection of their artillery,
which was most dastardly for Soult, with ten thousand men!''

" It is said, that on the 8th, a French officer of high rank
approached so close to the position of the Ninety-second that
several muskets were levelled at him, when Cameron, disdain-
ing to take such an advantage, promptly forbade the firing
of a shot. It was Soult who was thus saved."

Thus arrested, the French did not again disturb the

:^^

THE NINETY-SECOND FOOT. 403

retreat. Both armies going into winter quarters, the cam-
paign of 1812 terminated.

With the first dawn of spring Wellington was again on
the move. Having re-organised his army, and been strength-
ened by considerable reinforcements from home, with 78,000
excellent troops, he proceeded to drive the enemy before him.
The French, on the other hand, discouraged by evil news
from Eussia, and denied that assistance they needed, because
of the more urgent necessities of the Grand Army, could not
be expected to act with the same energy as heretofore, yet
did they exceed these anticipations.

At " Vittoria " King Joseph and Marshal Jourdan having
gathered together their utmost disposable force, ventured to
try the fate of battle, hoping to check the progress of the
British, or at least secure a safe retreat, laden, as they were,
with the spoil of the Peninsula. But the battle of Vittoria
fatally disappointed them, and rescued the treasures of Spain
from their avaricious grasp. In this battle, the Ninety-second
Highlanders, having been ordered to seize the heights whereon
the village of Puebla was perched, and hold the position to
the last, with persevering valour overcame a determined re-
sistance, pressed up the sides of the mountain, entered the
village with an impetuous charge, and, after a fierce struggle,
drove the enemy out.

Having gained this great victory, the British now addressed
themselves to the Herculean task of forcing a passage through
the defiles of the " Pyrenees" into France. Notwithstanding
the stupendous efforts of Marshal Soult to retrieve the losses

iOi HISTOEY OF THE SCOTTISH REOmEI?TS.

of Vittoria and defend these Datiiral barriers of his couutry,
the British still pressed " forward/' On the 20th July, 1813,
whilst the brigade was threading its way through the pass of
Mnya, it was vigorously attacked by a corps of 15,000 French,
who, forcing back that ''fierce and formidable old regiment,
the Fiftieth," upon the Seventy-first and Ninety-second High-
landers, very nearly drove them out of the pass. These,
however, for ten hours stood the shock of this formidable
assault, "So dreadful waa the slaughter, especially of the
Ninety-second, that it is said the advancing enemy waa
actually stopped by the heaped mass of dead and dying-
Never did soldiers fight better — seldom so well. The stem
valour of the Ninety-second would have graced Thermopylae,"
Of 750 Gordon Highlanders who were engaged, only 400 sur-
vived it scatheless, but these returned in the truest sense
"conquering heroes,^^ having, when every cartridge was ex-
pended, and in presence of succour, decided the victory as
their own by a desperate charge. Throughout the many con-
flicts which it needed to clear a passage through the Pyrenees,
and thereafter drive so terrible a foe successively across the
" Nivelle" and the " Nive,'' the Ninety-second always displayed
the same desperate resolution and valour.

At the sanguinary action of St Pierre, which raged with
exceeding fury for three hours, cumbering a little space of one
mile with more than 5000 dead and dying, the Ninety-second
impetuously charged and destroyed two regiments of the
enemy. Pressing onwards, the Highlanders were arrested by
a fearful storm of artillery, and forced to retreat upon their

THE NINETY-SECOND FOOT. 405

comrades of the Seventy-first; who likewise yielding to the
iron tempest, both found shelter and rallied behind their
brethren in brigade of the Fiftieth. **Then its gallant
colonel (Cameron) once more led it down the road, with
colours fl3ring and music pla}dng, resolved to give the shock
to whatever stood in the way. A small force was the Ninety-
second compared with the heavy mass in its front, but that
mass faced about and retired across the valley. How gloriously
did that regiment come forth again to charge, with their colours
fljing and their national music plajing as if going to a review!
This was to understand war. The man who in that moment,
and immediately after a repulse, thought of such military
pomp, was by nature a soldier."

Excepting at the battle of Toulouse, the Ninety-second was
daily engaged with the enemy, and always with equal credit.

The abdication and exile of Napoleon spread the calm of
peace over the face of Europe. Alas I that it should have been
but as some sweet vision of the night, doomed to be dissipated
by the dawn of the morrow, when the sterner realities of life,
its toils and its wars, anew presented themselves. The night
which had shrouded the destiny of imperial France was suc-
ceeded by a new day happily; but^ as a brief winter's day, when
for a moment a glimpse of sunshine shone upon the spirit of
the old empire, as it seemed to revive beneath the influence of
the great Magician, who was wont to conjure up kingdoms
and dynasties by the mere fiat of his will. Soon we shall
find the day-dream of ambition eclipsed in a darker night.
Already, we can almost read the mysterious writing, propheti-

406 HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

cally pointing to Waterloo, as more siirely sealing the fate
of imperial France.

In 1815 the rude blast of war once more summoned the
Ninety*aecond to the field, as the gathering hosts of France
and the Allies accepted the dread arbitration of war on the
chivalric field of Flanders.

In this campaign the Ninety-second was brigaded with the
First Eoyal Scots, the Forty-second Koyal Highlanders, and
the Forty-fourth Foot, under Major-General Sir Denis Pack»
and placed in the famous fifth division of Lieut. -General Sir 1'.
Picton, The same tide of imperial power, which rose upon
the Prussians at Ligny, rolled along towards Quatre Bras^
and dashed its stormy billows in foaming wrath upon the
living rocks of British valour there. As the Gordon High-
landers encountered the furious onset of the corps of Marshal
Ney, Wellington himself was in their midst, and beheld their
splendid valour. Concealed in a ditch by the road-side, they
waited the charge of the French cavalry, as it ventured to
sweep past them in pursuit of the Brunswickers. Here,
however, the pursuit was stayed by a fatal volley from the
Highlanders. At length the Duke gave the word, as he
observed the enemy pushing along the Charleroi Boad, " Now,
Cameron," said he, " now is your time; you must charge these
fellows, and take care of that road." Soon the massive
columns of the foe were broken and hurled back in confusion,
as the Ninety-second emerged from the awful conflict a bleed-
ing yet victorious remnant, having lost its brave commander,
Lieut-Colonel Cameron, and nearly 300 comrades. Colonel

^^

THE NINETY-SECOND FOOT. 407

Cameron was deeply lamented by the regiment, and the whole
army. Temporarily buried in the vicinity of the field of
his latest glory, his remains were afterwards removed, by his
family, to the churchyard of Kilmallie, where his sacred dust
now reposes beside the chieftains of Lochiel. No fiineral in the
Highlands was ever so honoured — the great, the noble, the
brave, and upwards of 3000 Highlanders were there to pay
the last tribute of respect to the beloved soldier, now no mora

But the great event of these " himdred days^' was at hand,
as the 18th of Jime dawned upon the plains of Waterloo.

It was late in the day ere the Gordon Highlanders were
brought into action to recover the farm-house of La Haye
Sainte, lost by the Belgians, and which the First Boyal Scots
and Forty-fourth regiments had failed to regain, from a column
of 3000 French. At this critical moment Major-General Sir
Denis Pack said, "Ninety-second, you must charge, for all
the troops to your right and left have given way." Although
mustering scarce 300 men, with characteristic daimtlessness,
the Highlanders rushed impetuously to the attack, and in
another moment seemed lost amid the dark masses of the
foe. As if moved to help their coimtrymen, the Scots
Greys came to their aid, or rather to witness and complete
the victory the Highlanders had already won. Together,
shouting "Scotland for ever," these splendid corps renewed
the assault which utterly ruined the column of the enemy,
the survivors being only too glad to seek refuge in flight.
Sir Denis Pack having witnessed this magnificent charge
and its glorious effects, commending the Ninety-second, said.

408 HISTOEY OP THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS-

"You have saved the day, Highlanders." MeanwhUe, behold-
ing with unfeigned regret the discomfiture of his troops, the
Emperor, at the same time^ felt constrained to admire the
valour of the Highlanders, which had so signally triumphed,
exclaiming, " the brave Scots."

And on the plains of Waterloo
The world confessed the bravest few

Were kilted men frae Scotland.

Pursuing the enemy, the allies entered Paris in triumph,
and thence, on the surrender of Napoleon, dictated peace.

Betuming to England, the regiment was employed in
various home garrisons, until the year 1819, when it was
removed to the West Indies. During its sojourn there it was
almost destroyed by the dreadful ravages of fever among its
soldiers, and returned to England a mere skeleton in 1827.
In 1834 it was removed to Gibraltar, and thence, in 1836, to
Malta. Whilst stationed at Malta, it was reviewed by Prince
Maximilian of Bavaria, and further honoured in furnish-
ing a Guard to Her Majesty the Queen Dowager w^hilst resi-
dent in the island. In 1841 it was removed to the West
Indies, and tw^o years later returned home. In 1851 it pro-
ceeded to Corfu. Removed to Gibraltar in 1853, it embarked
thence to the Crimea, arriving a few days after the fall of
Sebastopol. Eeturning to Gibraltar in 1856, in 1858 it was
despatched, via overland route, to Bombay. In the suppres-
sion of the Indian mutiny it was engaged at Rajghpur, Mon-
growlie, and Sindwah. It still remains in India.

t .

•-^

THE NINETY- THIRD FOOT;

OR,

SUTHERLAKD HIGHLANDERS.

CHAPTER XLIII.

"Trust in the Lord, for ever trust,
And banifih all your fears,
Strength in the Lord Jchoyali is.
Eternal as Ilis years."

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE — NEW ORLEANS — CRIMEA — INDIAN
MUTINY — 1804-18G2.

General Stuart writes of this most respectable corps: —
"None of the Highland corps is superior to the Ninety-
third Begiment. I do not make comparisons in poiut of
bravery, for, if properly commanded, they are all brave; but
it is in those well-regulated habits, of which so much has been
already said, that the Sutherland Highlanders have for
twenty years preser\'^ed an unvaried line of conduct. The
light infantry company of this corps has been nineteen years
without having a man pimished."

Unfortunately, it has not been so highly favoured as many
of its predecessors in having the same rare opportunities for
displaying in the field the sterner qualities of the soldier.

Nevertheless, in the few enterprises in which it has been

3 b

410

UlSTOEY OP THE SCOTTISH EEGIMEITrSb

engaged, it has always shown itself to he equally meritorious,
possessing the same heroic valour which has so signally glorified
the Highland regiments in every comer of the world-
It was raised in the year 1800^ on behalf of the ancient
and houourable family of Sutherland, by Major-Gcneral
William Wemyss of Wemyss. Of its original members, 460
were Sutherland men. It still retains its Highland character,
perhaps more so than any other corps, and like many of them,
the Channel Islands witnessed its maiden service.

When the Peace of Amiens seemed likely to continue its
blessings to the country, and supersede the necessity of an
extensive military establishment, our Government proposed to
reduce the streugth of the army, and the Sutherland High-
landers were accordingly ordered home to Scotland in 1802
for the purpose of disbandment. Ere this could be accom-
plished, symptoms of unquiet became too painfully evident in
the political horizon of Europe, which fortunately occasioned
the retention of this excellent regiment intact among the
stalwart defenders of our land at a moment of peril such as
never before had threatened our independence as a nation.

As the danger for the present somewhat subsided, the
Ninety-third, in 1805, was included in the expedition which,
under Major-General Sir David Baird, proceeded against the
Dutch colony of the Cape of Good Hope. With the Seventy-
first and Seventy-second regiments it formed the Highland
brigade of Brigadier-General Ferguson, which landed in
Lespard Bay. On this occasion, thirty-five of the Sutherland
Highlanders were drowned by the upsetting of a boat in the

THE NINETY-THIRD FOOT. 411

surf. The only opposition of any consequence made by the
Dutch Governor, Lieutenant-GeneralJanssens, was encountered
at Blaw Berg, or Blue Mountains, where the irresistible charge
of the Highland Brigade decided the fortune of the battle in
our favour. After this experience of British valour, the Gover-
nor relinquished the contest, and surrendered the colony.

Ketained in the garrison, "being anxious to enjoy the
advantages of religious instruction agreeably to the tenets of
their national church, the men of the Ninety-third Raiment
formed themselves into a congregation, appointed elders of
their own number, engaged and paid a stipend (collected
from the soldiers) to a clergyman of the Church of Scot-
land, and had Divine service performed agreeably to the
ritual of the Established Church." Consistent with thia
excellent conduct, so gratifying to every thinking man who
claims a patriotic interest in the soldiers of his country, no
matter what be his creed, we quote a further illustration of the
godly character of these true soldiers. On their return from
the Cape of Good Hope, when " disembarked at Plymouth in
August, 1814, the inhabitants were both surprised and grati-
fied. On such occasions it had been no uncommon thing
for soldiers to spend in taverns and gin-shops the money
they had saved. In the present case, the soldiers of Suther-
land were seen in booksellers' shops, supplying themselves
with Bibles, and such books and tracts as they required."
Mindful of the wants of the "old folks at home," "during
the short period that the raiment was quartered in Plymouth,
upwards of ;£500 were lodged in one banking-house, to be

►•

419 HISTOEY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

remitted to Sutherland, exclusive of many sums sent Lome
through the post-office and by officers* Some of these sums
exceeded £20 from an individual soldier/* We may well
expect great things from men of such a stamp, no matter what
be their profession — truly in them is exhibited " an honourable
ttxample, worthy the imitation of all,"

In the eventful times of which we write little rest could
be granted to the soldier. Thus, we find the regiment, within
a month after its arrival at Plymouth, on its way across the
Atlantic, as part of the expedition under Major-General the
Hon, Sir Edward Pakenham, destined to operate against the
city of New Orleans, Rendevou^ed at Jamaica, the expedition
proceeded thence on the 27th November, and landed at Cat
Island, at the mouth of the Mississippi, on the 13th December,
1814. The unfavourable nature of the ground, the immediate
presence of an enemy greatly superior in numbers, and having
an extended line of formidable entrenchments whither to retreat,
rendered the enterprise one of difficulty and danger. Com-
manded by able officers having every confidence in their soldiers,
perhaps overrated as they overtasked their capabilities, the army
fearlessly advanced, surmounting all the obstacles which lay in
the way ere they confronted the citadel of the American position.
Nothing could surpass the heroism of the Commander-in-Chief,
who fell whilst leading the troops to the assault, nor the gal-
lantry of the officers supporting him, of whom Major-Generals
Gibb and Keane (afterwards Lord Keane) were wounded — the
former fatally. Nothing could excel the dauntless bravery with
which the troops followed their leaders through the murderous

THE NINETY-THIRD FOOT. 413

tempest of musketry and artillery, which carried death and
destruction into their very midst; yet all was unavailing, save
the attack of Colonel Thornton upon the right of the enemy —
everywhere else these formidable entrenchments proved im-
pregnable to so small a force, unaided by an adequate artillery.
Thus, after a fearful loss of life and limb, Major-General Sir John
Lambert felt constrained to' abandon the attempt and sound
the retreat. Weakened by a loss of upwards of 1500 killed
and wounded — nearly a third of which was sustained by the
Ninety-third, proof of the valour of the corps in this fiery trial
— the troops were re-embarked, and bade adieu to the scene of
so terrible a disaster.

On their return home in 1815, the Sutherland Highlanders
were peacefully employed; for the long period of nearly forty
years its history presents a comparatively uninteresting re-
cord of military stations occupied from time to time, lightened
by such glimpses of character as these: — One inspecting officer
reports the Sutherland Highlanders to exhibit a " picture of
military discipline and moral rectitude;" another declares them
"altogether incomparable;" and the colonists of the Cape of
Good Hope lament their loss as "kind friends and honourable
soldiers." Such are the men whose good conduct in quarters
and in peace evince a sterling character which, never failing in
the day of battle, is capable of sustaining a great renown.

Passing down the stream of time, we arrive at the year
1854, and follow the Ninety- third to the Crimea —

When despot power in pride sent forth
Her slayeB from empire of the North,

414 HISTOBY OF THE SCOTTISH REGIMENTS.

To crush in her gigantio fold

The nation who its own woold hold.

And wad be free hike Scotland.

On leaving Plymouth en route to embark for the seat of war,
whilst other troops in like circumstances manifested a fearless
indifference, striving to kill the thoughts of long farewells by
marching to the tune (tf " Cheer, boys. Cheer," in keeping with
their past history, the Sutherland Highlanders unostentatiously
preferred to chant a hymn of praise to the God of battles.
What a lovely and impressive sight! — ^lovely in the sight of
God and man, to behold these brave men going forth as
Christian British soldiers beneath the banner of their country,
at the same time the banner of the Crossl

Thence we learn the secret of that Samson strength, deep-
rooted in the soul, which fixed them like a living rock of
Gaelic valour at Balaklava. They feared not to die, for death
to such was welcome, not to satisfy the cravings of a mere
earthly heroism, but because in that grim messenger they could
recognise the herald beckoning their immortal spirits on high,
opening the portals of a bright hereafter to an emancipated soul.

In our army, which after a variety of anterior and unimpor-
tant movements landed in the Crimea in September, 1854, with
a view to the humbling of the aggressive might of Kussia, the
Ninety-third with the Forty-second and Seventy-ninth formed
the original Highland Brigade, so justly celebrated. No higher
compliment to its worth could have been accorded, than that of
being associated in the same division with the brigade of Guards.
Advancing towards Sebastopol, the enemy was discovered in a

.IP

I—

CO

THE NINETY-THIED FOOT. 415

very strong position, prepared to dispute the passage of the
river Alma. It needed all the skill of our officers, and a
desperate exercise of bravery on the part of our troops, to
drive the enemy from the position; and the occasion called
forth the native energy of the Highlanders, led by their
deservedly favourite chief, Major-General Sir Colin Campbell.
"Balaklava," than which no name is more expressive of
glory dearly won, is commemorative of the triumphs of our
cavalry — the irresistible charge of the Heavy Brigade, and
the *' death ride" of the dauntless Light Brigade. But
another and, if possible, a grander event immortalises the
scena The story of " the thin red line" which the Sutherland
Highlanders presented when, isolated from the army, alone
and in line, they withstood the desperate charge of the
Bussian cavalry, is an exploit which must stir the soul of
every Scotsman. The cool intrepidity of Sir Colin Campbell
in such trying circumstances, and his unbounded confidence in
the mettle of his Highlanders, most remarkably glorify the
victors in the marvellous result.

Like bDlowB clashed upon the rock,
Unmoved, ye met the dreadful shock;
When hofsemen furious charged your Une^
Brave Campbell cried, "These men are mine—
"Ye needna fear for Scotland.*'

The brigade was increased to a division by the addition of
the Seventy-first and Seventy-second Highlanders, and was
chiefly employed in reserve, covering Balaklava. In the final
bombardment of Sebastopol, the Highland regiments were

HISTORV OF THE SUOTTISH REGIMENTS.

selected to m^he the second assault iipoi; the Reduu, but in
the meantime the place was abandoned by the enemy. The
subsequent fall of Sebastopol brought about peace, when the
Ninety-third, releasetl from the stem duties of war, returned
home laden with many honours.

The awfal tragedy of the
dismal shadow over the history
called forth the services of the
favourite leader^ Sir Colin Cam
visiting with a terrible ve
ti^aitors, and the rehels, as ^ the army it advanced to the
relief of the beleaguered garrison of Lucknow, yet struggling
for very life. In every instance where the foe was to be
encountered, the Sutherland Highlanders were most (^nspicu-
ous for their gallantry. Having finally captured Lucknow,
the regiment was engaged in several harassing conflicts with
the enemy, sharing in some of these, such as Bareilly, with the
Ninety-second. Its last action was fought in December, 1858,
near Biswah. It still remains in India, and is now stationed
at Peshawar.

lian mutiny, which cast iti5
kf the year 1857^ once more
nety-third. Tt followed its
)en» to the plains of India,
the murdering villains, the

*^>

Thus we close our History of the Scottish Regiments with
this latest illustration of Highland valour, and we think our
readers will admit, however faulty the writer, the theme at
least is worthy of their best attention, nay, is .entitled to their
truest sympathy.

QLASGOW : PRIMTBD BT THOKAB MURRAY AND BON.

**^->'"'

i| >

»!•

ATTACK ON TH&

CNTRCHCHCD CAMP

SCALE or mile:-:
,—i—l I !*-

oil the m^lit of the 6* oF Yehr

/Wy>/^yb*

^i-a

1'

ASSAULT

Of

SrSEBAStUN

'ET ♦•T*p«fc«i>^.:^*«<Pr< H' --r"; ""1>^

ASSAULT

^ DELHI.

14* September 1857.

Chuniiraol

n.

vxa?

t

m^- ?ft\\-|^v t

^^^IN-., Ll^_. -L_ ^

^: ♦

J.

4

k

j^l

I

•;

•.#5l

• - u?

*m %

■*&■

'f

[