Lieutenant-Colonel commanding.

The Honourable Archibald Montgomerie, (afterwards Earl of Eglinton,) died a General in the army, and Colonel of the Scotch Greys,

Majors.

James Grant of Ballendalloch, died a General in the army in 1806. Alexander Campbell.

Captains.

Alexander Mackenzie, killed at St John's, 1761.

William Macdonald, killed at Fort du Quêsne, 1759.

Allan Maclean, from the Dutch Brigade, Colonel of the 84th Highland

Emigrants; died a Major-general, 1784.

Lewis Houston.

Ronald Mackinnon.

George Munro.

Alexander Mackenzie.

John Maclachlane.

Chaplain, Henry Monro.

Adjutant, Donald Stewart.

John Macdonald.
Archibald Crawford.

James Bain.

Allan Stewart.

Quarter-Master, Alex. Montgomerie.
Surgeon, Allan Stewart.

This corps was embodied at Stirling, and embarked at Greenock for Halifax, without time being allowed for acquiring the use of arms in an uniform manner. On the commencement of operations in 1758, the 77th was attached to the corps under Brigadier General Forbes, in the expedition against Fort du Quêsne. But this, and all the other movements of the 77th, are included in the narrative of the service of the 42d regiment.

Montgomerie's Highlanders were often employed in small detached expeditions, traversing, to a very great extent, the most difficult countries. In these marches they had numberless skirmishes with the Indians, and with the irregular troops of the enemy; * a species of service of the most ha

* Several soldiers of this and other regiments fell into the hands of the Indians, being taken in an ambush. Allan Macpherson, one of these soldiers, witnessing the miserable fate of several of his fellowprisoners, who had been tortured to death by the Indians, and seeing them preparing to commence the same operations upon himself, made signs that he had something to communicate. An interpreter was brought. Macpherson told them, that, provided his life was spared for a few minutes, he would communicate the secret of an extraordinary medicine, which, if applied to the skin, would cause it to resist the strongest blow of a tomahawk, or sword, and that, if they would allow him to go to the woods with a guard, to collect the plants proper for this medicine, he would prepare it, and allow the experiment to be tried on his own neck by the strongest and most expert warrior amongst them. This story easily gained upon the superstitious credulity of the Indians, and the request of the Highlander was instantly complied with. Being sent into the woods, he soon returned with such plants as he chose to pick up. Having boiled these herbs, he rubbed his neck with their juice, and laying his head upon a log of wood, desired the strongest man among them to strike at his neck with his tomahawk, when he would find he could not make the smallest impression. An

rassing kind, as it required the greatest personal exertion on the part of the soldiers, and demanded constant vigilance and presence of mind on that of the officers. Hence it was well calculated to open a field to the junior officers for acquiring professional experience in their detached commands. The enterprises in which they were engaged necessarily obliged them to depend on their own resources, in a way quite different from what would have been called for, had they been acting under the immediate direction of others.

At the conclusion of the war, all the officers and men who chose to settle in America were permitted to do so, each receiving a grant of land in proportion to his rank. A number of these officers and men, as well as those of the 78th regiment, joined the King's standard in 1775, and formed a corps along with the Highland Emigrants in the 84th regiment.

The following is a statement of the killed and wounded during the war :—

Indian, levelling a blow with all his might, cut with such force, that the head flew off to the distance of several yards. The Indians were fixed in amazement at their own credulity, and the address with which the prisoner had escaped the lingering death prepared for him; but, instead of being enraged at this escape of their victim, they were so pleased with his ingenuity, that they refrained from inflicting farther cruelties on the remaining prisoners.

SEVENTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT,

OR

FRASER'S HIGHLANDERS.

1757.

In the course of ten years after the Insurrection of 1745, the wise policy of Lord Chatham (then Mr Pitt) had suggested a remedy for the spirit of disaffection among the Highlanders, which his sagacity had enabled him to trace to its proper source. It did not escape his penetration, that

much of their attachment to the descendants of their ancient kings was to be ascribed to the romantic and chivalrous dispositions of the people, which kindled and kept warm the sentiment of mistaken loyalty, by constant reference to the misfortunes and sufferings of those who were its objects. He, therefore, determined to abandon the illiberal policy which had served only to alienate the affections of a valuable portion of the people, and to repose that confidence in the gratitude and fidelity of the Highlanders, which future events have so fully justified. In his celebrated speech on the commencement of the differences with America, in 1766, he thus expresses himself: "I sought for merit 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 in the war before the last. These men in the last war were brought to combat on your

side; they served with fidelity, as they fought with valour, and conquered for you in every part of the world." An anonymous author, a friend of Lord Chatham's, noticing how this call to arms was answered, observes, that "now battalions on battalions were raised in the remotest parts of the Highlands," of those men who, a few years before, and while they saw any hope, "were devoted to, and too long had followed, the fate of the race of Stuart. Frasers, Macdonalds, Camerons, Macleans, Macphersons, and others of disaffected names and clans, were enrolled; their chiefs or connections obtained commissions, the lower class, always ready to follow, they with eagerness endeavoured who should be first enlisted."

Actuated by such liberal sentiments, Mr Pitt, in the year 1757, recommended to his Majesty George II. to attach the Highlanders to his person, by employing them in his service; and, in evidence of the disappearance of all jealousy on the part of the Crown, the Honourable Simon Fraser, who had himself been engaged in the Rebellion, for which his father, Lord Lovat, had been beheaded on Tower Hill, was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant of a battalion, to be raised on the forfeited estate of his own family, (then vested in the Crown,) and of those of his kinsmen and clan.

The result showed the wisdom that had suggested the experiment, as well as the disinterested fidelity with which young Lovat was supported. Without estate, money, or influence; beyond that influence which flowed from attachment to his family, person, and name; this gentleman, in a few weeks, found himself at the head of 800 men, recruited by himself. The gentlemen of the country and the officers of the regiment, added more than 700; and thus a battalion was formed of 13 companies of 105 rank and file each, making in all 1,460 men, including 65 serjeants and 30 pipers and drummers.

All accounts concur in describing this as a superior body of men. Their character and actions raised the military