was called a provincial corps of the line: This was declined by the emigrant Highlanders, and after a negotiation of twelve days, they retired to their settlements, and the army marched for Wilmington, where they arrived on the 17th of April, expecting to find supplies, of which they now stood in great need.*

Among these settlers was a gentleman of the name of Macneil, who had been an officer in the Seven Years' War. He joined the ar my with several followers, but soon took his leave, having been rather sharply reprimanded for his treatment of a republican family. He was a man of tall stature, and commanding aspect, and moved, when he walked among his followers, with all the dignity of a chieftain of old. Retaining his loyalty, although offended with the reprimand, he offered to surprise the republican garrison, governor, and council, assembled at Willisborough. He had three hundred followers, one-half of them old country Highlanders, the other half born in America, and the offspring of Highlanders. The enterprise was conducted with address, and the governor, council, and garrison, were secured without bloodshed, and immediately marched off for Wilmington, Macneil and his party travelling by night, and concealing themselves in swamps and woods by day. However, the country was alarmed, and a hostile force collected. He proceeded in zig-zag directions, for he had a perfect knowledge of the country, but without any provisions except what chance threw in his way. When he had advanced two-thirds of the route, he found the enemy occupying a pass which he must open by the sword, or perish in the swamps for want of food. At this time he had more prisoners to guard than followers. "He did not secure his prisoners by putting them to death;" but, leaving them under a guard of half of his force on whom he could least depend, he charged with the others sword in hand through the pass, and cleared it of the enemy, but was unfortunately killed from too great ardour in the pursuit. The enemy being dispersed, the party continued their march disconsolate for the loss of their leader; but their opponents again assembling in force, the party were obliged to take refuge in the swamps, still retaining their prisoners. The British commander at Wilmington, hearing of Macneil's enterprise, marched out to his support, and kept firing cannon, in expectation the report would reach them in the swamps. The party heard the reports; and knowing that the Americans had no artillery, they ventured out of the swamps towards the quarter whence they heard the guns, and meeting with Major (afterwards Sir James) Craig, sent out to support them, delivered over their prisoners half famished with hunger, and lodged them safely in Wilmington. Such partizans as these are invaluable in active warfare.

After a short delay at Wilmington, Lord Cornwallis resolved to penetrate to Petersborough, in Virginia, and to form a junction with Major-General Philips, who had recently arrived there from New York with 3,000 men. And now the British had to traverse "several hundred miles of a country chiefly hostile, frequently deserted, and which did not afford one active or zealous friend; where no intelligence could be obtained, and no communication established." On the 26th of April the army marched from Wilmington, and reached Petersborough on the 20th May, where the united forces amounted to 6,000 men, and proceeded thence to Portsmouth, on the march to which, and when preparing to cross the river at St James' Island, the Marquis de la Fayette, ignorant of their number, made a gallant attack with 2,000 men on Colonel Thomas Dundas's brigade. Fayette was repulsed, but not without a smart resistance, the approach of night favouring his re

treat.

After this skirmish Lord Cornwallis marched to Portsmouth, and thence to Yorktown, where a position was taken on the York river on the 22d of August. This encampment was formed on an elevated platform, nearly level, on the bank of the river, and of a sandy soil. A ravine of about forty feet in depth, and more than one hundred yards in breadth, extended from the river on the right of the position; a line of entrenchments, with a horn-work, formed the centre; and an extensive redoubt beyond the ravine on the right, and two smaller redoubts on the left, also advanced beyond the entrenchments, constituted the principal defence of the camp. These defences had not been completed when the enemy took up a position at the distance of two miles from the British camp. Previous to this period, they had received great reinforcements both by sea and land. The Count de Grasse had arrived with a strong fleet, having troops on board, and General Washington and the Count de Rochambeau had united their forces, amounting in all

to 7,000 French, and 12,000 Americans. The troops in Yorktown did not exceed 5,950 men.

*

The enemy lost no time in commencing operations; batteries were erected, and approaches made in the usual manner. During the first four days the fire was directed against the redoubt on the right, which was reduced to a heap of sand, but no storm was attempted, the enemy directing their whole force to the left, as the redoubts on that side were considered more assailable. A storm was attempted, the redoubts were carried, and the guns turned on the other parts of the entrenchments. The situation of the besieged was now become very critical; the whole encampment was open to assault, exposed to a constant and enfilading fire, and numbers were killed in carrying on the common duties. In this dilemma it occurred to the General to decamp at midnight with the elite of his army, to cross the river, and leave a small force in the works to capitulate for the sick and wounded, the former being very numerous. The measure was bold, and would have succeeded, had it not been defeated by the accident of a violent squall of wind, which rendered the passage of the river dangerous, if not impracticable. The first division had embarked, and some boats had gained the opposite shore at Gloucester Point, when the storm commenced, and induced the General to countermand the enterprise, and to make immediate proposals of capitula tion. The terms were drawn up in the usual manner, and the troops marched out with their arms and baggage on the 8th October 1781, and were afterwards sent to different parts of the country.

The loss of the garrison was 6 officers, 13 serjeants, 4 drum

One of these redoubts had been manned by some soldiers of the 71st. Although the defence of this redoubt was as well contested as that of the others, the regiment thought its honour so much implicated, that a petition was drawn up by the men, and carried by the commanding officer to Lord Cornwallis, to be permitted to retake it. There was no doubt of the success of the undertaking by inen actuated by such a spirit, but as the retaking was not considered of importance in the existing state of the siege, the proposition was not acceded to.

mers, and 138 rank and file, killed; and 6 officers, 24 serjeants, 11 drummers, and 284 soldiers, wounded: the 71st lost Lieutenant Thomas Fraser and 9 soldiers killed; and 3 drummers and 19 soldiers wounded.

And thus ended the military service of this army, which had marched and countermarched nearly two thousand miles in less than twelve months, during which they had had no regular supply of provisions, or of necessaries,—had forded many large and rapid rivers, some of them in face of an enemy, had fought numerous skirmishes and two pitched battles, and in every skirmish and every battle, one affair only excepted, had been victorious; and yet such was the unfortunate issue of all their exertions, that no success, however gallantly achieved, led to the usual consequences of victory. On all occasions where Lord Cornwallis met General Green, the former gained the day, but afterwards retired and left the country open, surrendering the advantages usually resulting from a victory to the enemy he had beaten.

Fraser's Highlanders were now prisoners, and not being exchanged till the conclusion of hostilities, they did not perform any other service. In what manner they discharged the duties which they were called to perform will be partly seen by the foregoing narrative. The numerous military details, and the consequent necessity of compression, have prevented me from particularly noticing the moral conduct of these men. I may now, however, state shortly, that it was in every way equal to their military character. Disgraceful punishments were unknown. Among men religious, brave, moral, and humane, disgraceful punishments are unnecessary. Such being the acknowledged general character of these men, their loyalty was put to the test, and proved to be genuine. When prisoners, and solicited by the Americans to join their standard and settle among them, not one individual violated the oath he had taken, or forgot his fidelity or allegiance; a virtue not generally observ ed on that occasion, for many soldiers of other corps joined

the Americans, and sometimes, indeed, entered their service in a body.

On the conclusion of hostilities the men were released, ordered to Scotland, and discharged at Perth in 1783.

ter.

SEVENTY-THIRD REGIMENT,

OR LORD MACLEOD'S HIGHLANDERS;

NOW SEVENTY-FIRST REGIMENT, OR GLASGOW LIGHT INFANTRY.

1777.

It has often been remarked, that Highland soldiers do not show the same character, nor the same spirit, and even have a reluctance to serve under officers not of their own country. The correctness of this opinion has not, however, been established by facts, either in recent or more distant times. Instances have indeed occurred where Highland regiments, and these, too, of the best and bravest, were nearly ruined, and their good name tarnished, by having the misfortune to be commanded by men, intelligent, indeed, in other respects, but ignorant of their true characAlthough the Highlander certainly prefers a commander of his own country, and especially of his own blood and kindred; yet men of gallant and generous spirits, of whatever nation, have always secured his attachment and fidelity. Of this we have remarkable instances in the case of Gustavus Adolphus and others. This great King and consummate general had attached to himself, as a bodyguard, a strong corps of Highlanders, consisting of Mackays, Munroes, Macdonalds, and other clans, who were devoted to him as to a superior being. They were his right hand in battle, brought forward on all dangerous enterprises, and may, like himself, be said to have been al