Stuart, judging that more loss would be sustained by delay than by an immediate attack, resolved to attempt. an assault, small as the breach was; as, besides other difficulties, he was short of ammunition. Accordingly, on the evening of the 21st, the attempt was made. The defences were unusually complete, and the resistance more firm than had been experienced on any former occasion. Every man who reached the summit of the breach was met and forced down by triple rows of pikes from the interior of the rampart. After a bold, but fruitless effort, they were repulsed with considerable loss. But the enemy were so intimidated, and dreaded so much the consequences of a second, and, perhaps, successful attempt, that they surrendered next morning; ignorant of the want of ammunition, the real cause of the premature attack.

From this service Colonel Stuart was again directed to proceed against Palacatcherry, the season being now more favourable than on the former occasion. The fortifications of this place had been much strengthened since its capture by Colonel Fullarton in 1783, and the guns and ordnance stores necessary for the attack were, therefore, on a more extended scale. On the 21st of September, two batteries were opened within 500 yards of the place, and, the same day, a practicable breach was made. Every preparation was completed in the course of the night for an assault the following morning, but before day-light the enemy demanded terms of capitulation, which were granted, and the usual protection to prisoners and private property promised and secured. Colonel Stuart, having left the place well provisioned and in a respectable state of defence, marched back, and, on the 15th of October, joined the army in the neighbourhood of Coimbatore. From this period Colonel Stuart, with his regiment, followed all the movements of the army, till the 29th of January 1791, when Lord Cornwallis arrived and assumed the chief command.

In the preceding service and marches, the casualties of the regiment were few. The subsequent operations of

the 72d were, along with the 71st, in the second attack of Bangalore, the first attack of Seringapatam, and the attack on Sundidroog and Ootradroog, the fall of the last of which places was accelerated by the promptitude of Captain John M'Innes of the 72d, who, being ordered out with a small party to reconnoitre, and observing a favourable opportunity, turned this duty into an assault, scaled the walls, and carried the place without loss.

In the same manner the service of the regiment is connected with that of the 71st and 75th, in the second attack on Seringapatam, and afterwards down to the conclusion of the war with the Sultan. While this corps, when on service, was under the command of so respectable and judicious an officer as Colonel Stuart, the Colonel at home was equally unremitting in his exertions to promote the welfare of his regiment, and attentive to the promotion of his officers, and the supply of good and efficient men to support the character of the regiment. From 1783 downwards, they received a full complement of excellent recruits from Scotland. General Murray had established a party at Perth, whose success was such, that one serjeant enlisted 273 men. This affords a proof of what may be done, under proper encouragement, and when men qualified for the duty are employed. When a man of address and knowledge of human nature meets with proper encouragement, recruiting has seldom failed in the North.

In the year 1793, the regiment was employed on the expedition against Pondicherry, and, in 1795, formed part of the force under their old commander Colonel, now MajorGeneral James Stuart, in the capture of Ceylon. This was the last service of the regiment in the East at that period. In 1797, they were removed from Ceylon to Pondicherry, when orders were received, in December, to draft the regiment, then 800 strong, into the corps on that station, and for the officers, non-commissioned officers, and invalids, unfit for service, to embark for England. This was one of the last instances in the East Indies of enforcing, as that of

the 42d and 79th Highlanders in the West Indies was the first instance of relaxing the system of drafting and trans ferring soldiers without their consent; which deprived men of nearly all hopes of ever revisiting their native land, and every good soldier of the great incitement to regular conduct. The suppression of this unfeeling practice encourages him to preserve regular habits, and to be careful of his constitution, as he has now a prospect of revisiting his native country, of enjoying the reward of his service, and that his good character will meet with the approbation of his friends and countrymen.

The skeleton of the regiment embarked at Madras in January 1798, and, after a short passage, landed at Gravesend. From thence they were ordered to Perth, where they arrived in August, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Hugh Fraser, who had gone out the third Captain, and remained constantly with the regiment. Soon after they reached Perth, Major-General James Stuart, who had so long commanded them in India, was appointed Colonel in room of General Williamson, who had succeeded General Murray in 1794.

During two years that the regiment was quartered in Perth, recruiting was not successful. Whether it was that the emaciated appearance of the few permitted to return home, did not hold out much encouragement to the young men, or the observation, that none of the great number of men who had left Perth to join the regiment returned with it,—or the great drain of men from the Highlands at this period; from one or other of these causes, or probably from all combined, the corps did not recruit 200 men in three years. However, when removed to Ireland in 1802, the ranks were filled up to 900 with young men from the Scotch Fencible regiments, then reduced. This opportunity was eagerly embraced by Colonel Macfarlane, who succeeded to the command by the death of Lieutenant-Colonel Fraser. He was now at the head of an efficient body of young men, which formed" a fine regiment, possessing as pure and true

a spirit as any corps. One-fourth of the men and officers were English and Irish, and three-fourths Scotch Highlanders; and, singular as it may seem, the former were as fond of the kilt and pipes as the latter, and many of them entered completely into the spirit of the national feeling." And, "in all the solid essential qualities which form the character of the British soldier, they were perfect."

This regiment formed a part of the expedition, under Sir David Baird, against the Cape of Good Hope, on which occasion they maintained the long established character of the corps. The loss by the enemy was trifling, being 2 privates killed, and Lieutenant-Colonel Colquhoun Grant, Lieutenant Alexander Chisholm, 2 serjeants, and 34 privates, wounded.

Agreeably to the general orders of 1809, the designation of Highland, and the ancient garb, were altered along with the other corps, and the uniform is now the same as that of the line.

EIGHTY-FIRST,

OR

ABERDEENSHIRE HIGHLAND REGIMENT.

1778.

THE year 1778 is memorable in the North for the number of new regiments raised there, besides a very considerable number of soldiers recruited for the old regiments of the line. The 73d, of two battalions, the 74th, 76th, 77th, 78th, and 81st, regiments of the line, and the Argyle Regiment of Fencibles-in all nine battalions, of ten companies each were embodied and completed in less than five months.

In December 1777 the Honourable Colonel William Gordon, brother of the Earl of Aberdeen, received orders to raise a regiment of Highlanders. Although the estate and influence of the Aberdeen family lay in the Lowland districts of Aberdeenshire, it was from the Highlands that Colonel Gordon expected to fill his ranks; and as an inducement to the young men to enter more readily, the Highland garb, to which they were then extremely partial, although prohibited by severe penalties, was to be the regimental uniform.

It would appear that the expectation entertained of the ready enlistment of the Highlanders was well founded. Of 980 men then embodied, about 650 were from the mountains. Major Ross was followed by so many of his own clan and name, that he had nine men of the name of John Ross. In a body of men so intimately connected as these were, it may be supposed that their character and conduct must either be very good or very indifferent, as example, of whatever tendency, would more readily spread among a community so much knit together by the ties of kindred, country, and early intimacy.

In this regiment the current took a favourable turn, and its conduct and character were excellent throughout; but, unluckily, like their neighbours the Athole Highlanders, they had not an opportunity of proving in what manner they would acquit themselves before an enemy, and realize the expectations grounded on the steadiness of their general conduct.

The regiment was marched to Stirling, and passed from thence to Ireland, where it was stationed three years, always sustaining a character approved by the general officers in command, and by the people of the country. In the end of 1782 they crossed over to England, and, in March 1783, were embarked at Portsmouth, with an intention of sending them to the East Indies, immediately after the preliminaries of peace were signed, although the terms on which the regiment had enlisted were, that they should be discharged