sition. Being well supported by his troops, he kept the enemy in check, and preserved his communication with the shipping, which they attempted to cut off. In this manner, much skirmishing ensued, but with no important result, till the morning of the 13th of August, when Commodore Sir George Collier appeared in the bay, with a fleet intended for the relief of the post. This accession of strength disconcerting the enemy, and completely destroying their hopes, they quickly decamped, and retired to their ships; but, being unable to re-embark all the troops, those who remained, along with the sailors of several vessels which had run aground in their hurry to escape, formed themselves into a body, and endeavoured to penetrate through the woods. In the course of this attempt, they ran short of provisions, quarrelled among themselves, and, coming to blows, fired on each other till their ammunition was expended. Upwards of sixty men were killed and wounded; the rest dispersed in the woods, numbers perishing before they could reach an inhabited country. The object of the expedition was thus completely frustrated.

The conduct of General Maclean and his troops met with high approbation; and in his dispatch, giving an account of the attack and defeat of the enemy, he particularly noticed the exertions and zeal of Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Campbell of the 74th, and Lieutenant Crawford of the 82d regiments. The loss of the garrison was 2 serjeants and 23 privates killed, and two lieutenants, 3 serjeants, and 29 privates, wounded. The loss of the 74th was 2 serjeants, and 14 privates, killed, and 17 rank and file wounded.

General Maclean, with the detachment of the 82d, returned to Halifax, and left Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Campbell of Monzie, with the 74th, at Penobscot, where they remained till the peace. On this occurrence, they embarked for England, and landed at Portsmouth, whence they were marched for Stirling, and reduced in the autumn of 1783;

the flank companies, who had been detached, having previously joined them.

SEVENTY-SIXTH REGIMENT,

OB

MACDONALD'S HIGHLANDERS.

1778.

IN December 1777, letters of service were issued to Lord Macdonald to raise a regiment in the Highlands and Isles, allowing him the same military rank as the Earl of Seaforth and Lord Macleod, by whose influence so many men had been added to the military strength of the country. In such cases, gentlemen had been promoted to high rank in the army, without going through the previous gradations. As Lord Macdonald declined this rank, he recommended Major John Macdonell of Lochgarry, who was accordingly appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant. But although his Lordship had no military rank, his influence was extensively and successfully exerted to complete the regiment; and, having made a good selection of officers from the families of Macdonalds of Glenco, Morer, Boisdale, and others of his own clan, and likewise from those of others, as Mackinnon, Fraser of Culduthel, Cameron of Callart, &c., 750 Highlanders were raised. The company of Captain Bruce was principally raised in Ireland. Captains Cunningham of Craigend, and Montgomery Cunningham, as well as Lieutenant Samuel Graham, raised their men in the low country. These amounted to nearly 200 men, and were kept together in two companies; while Cap

In this manner,

tain Bruce's company formed a third. each race was kept distinct. The whole amounted to 1,086 men, including non-commissioned officers and drummers, and were inspected, and reported complete, by Lieutenant-General Skene at Inverness, in March 1778, and immediately afterwards removed to Fort George, under the command of Major Donaldson.

The regiment remained twelve months in Fort George, under the guidance of Major Donaldson, an officer admirably calculated to command and train a body of young Highlanders. Being a native of the country, and having served for nineteen years as adjutant and captain in the 42d regiment, he had a full knowledge of their character and habits.

In March 1779, the corps was removed to Perth, and reviewed there on the 10th by General Skene. Being complete in number, and in a high state of discipline, they were marched to Burntisland, where they embarked on the 17th of March. In this place the men evinced an unmilitary spirit, owing to the non-payment of bounty and arrears of pay. The particulars of this transaction will be found in the Appendix.

Lieutenant-Colonel Macdonell having been taken prisoner on the passage home from America, where he had been serving with Fraser's Highlanders, and Major Donaldson's state of health being such as not to allow him to embark, the command devolved on Major Lord Berridale, who accompanied the regiment to New York, where they landed in August.

The regiment touched at Portsmouth. While they lay at Spithead, the enemy made an attack on Jersey; in consequence of which, the transports, with the 76th on board, were ordered to the relief of that island. When they were on the passage, Lord Berridale gave orders that the men were not to take their broadswords on shore, nor the officers to land in the Highland dress, but directed, however, that the orders should not be disclosed to the men till the moment at which they were to disembark,-influenced, pro

bably, by an apprehension of their not wishing to part with their swords; but the officers were verbally told of the commanding officer's wishes. During the night on which they approached the island, the men did not sleep, but were busily engaged in preparing for the landing. Their swords seemed the objects of their particular attention, as they devoted most of their time to sharpening and putting them in the best possible order. Next morning, some of the officers appeared in the Highland dress, and all the men with their broad swords. When they were informed of the orders, they said that it might be so, but they hoped that, God willing, they would be allowed to fight with the arms, and die in the dress, of their country and of their forefathers.

But the French being repulsed before the regiment reached Jersey, they returned to Portsmouth, and proceeded on their voyage to America. On their arrival there the flank companies were attached to the battalion of that description. The battalion companies remained between New York and Staten Island till February 1781, when they embarked with a detachment of the army, commanded by Major-General Phillips, for Virginia; the light company being in the second battalion of light infantry, it formed a part of this army; the grenadiers remained at New York.

This year, Major Lord Berridale having, on the decease of his father, become Earl of Caithness, and accompanied the army, as a volunteer, to Charlestown, was severely wounded at the siege of that place, and soon after returned to Scotland. The command of the regiment devolved on the Honourable Major Needham, now Lord Killmorey, who had purchased Major Donaldson's commission.

The detachment landed at Portsmouth, in Virginia, in March, and joined the troops under Brigadier-General Arnold. In May they formed a junction with the army under Lord Cornwallis. When the soldiers of the 76th regiment found themselves with an army which had been engaged in the most incessant and fatiguing marches through difficult and hostile countries, they appeared to look down

upon themselves as having done nothing which could signalize and enable them to return to their country and friends with that reputation which their countrymen, and brother soldiers, had acquired. "And they were often heard murmuring among themselves, lamenting their lot, and expressing the strongest desire to distinguish themselves. This was particularly observable, and their regrets greatly heightened when visited by the men of Fraser's Highlanders, who had been in so many actions to the southward.” However, they soon had the opportunity which they had so much desired, and the spirit with which they availed themselves of it, showed that no more was wanting to prove that they were good and brave soldiers. On this occasion they were fortunate in being in the brigade of Colonel Thomas Dundas, whose spirited example would have animated any soldier; but in this instance no excitement was necessary. On the evening of the 6th of July, the Marquis de la Fayette, eager to signalize himself in the cause of his new friends, and ignorant of the full strength of those he was about to attack, pushed forward a strong corps, forced the picquets, who made an admirable resistance, and drew up in front of the British line. *

* The picquets in front of the army that morning consisted of twenty men of the 76th, and ten of the 80th, commanded by Lieutenant Balvaird of the latter regiment. He was killed by the first fire, and a report sent to Colonel Dundas. As the duty was pressing, it being necessary to keep the enemy in check, no time was to be lost, and without waiting to call the officer who was next on the list for duty, Lieutenant Andrew Alston of the 80th, with the proper spirit of a soldier, offered his services to maintain the post to the last; and, instantly flying to the front, was mortally wounded in the act of leading some of his men to a spot where they could fire with more effect. Colonel Dundas, observing that the enemy persevered in the attack, ordered Lieutenant Wemyss, with twenty-five men of the Highlanders, to reinforce Lieutenant Alston. On marching forward, he found the party without an officer, and therefore remained and defended the post till himself and every individual were either killed or wounded. When Lieutenant Wemyss had been appointed Adjutant, he found the want of the Gaelic language a great disadvantage, as more than 500 of the