nate misunderstanding which occurred in Glasgow * was of a different cast, and would probably not have happened, had the character of the men been properly appreciated, and their dispositions studied; for that severity of punishment which is necessary, and without which it would be impossible to curb and preserve in due discipline certain descriptions of men, would totally destroy others, and produce the very crimes which it was intended to prevent. It will be seen in another article that the attempt to enforce this power, which every commander of a corps ought to have, (though it should be used with great discretion, and not without extreme necessity,) was attended with the worst effects; for the horror excited by this sort of punishment in the minds of men who viewed it, as all such punishments ought to be viewed, namely, as a misfortune and disgrace, occasioned in the Breadalbane Fencibles an open violation of all order and military discipline. The conduct of the men on this occasion, after the first burst of indignation and horror had subsided, and after they had become sensible of the breach of duty which they had committed, was manifested in the voluntary surrender of a few, who offered themselves for punishment as an atonement for their comrades. This was a conclusive proof of the principles on which they acted; and as contrition for a crime is of ten admitted as a proper satisfaction, more particularly when originating in honourable, though mistaken motives, military discipline would not probably have suffered had these men been pardoned. Officers who have violated the laws by killing an antagonist in a duel, are allowed the plea of honour as a sufficient defence; therefore, when soldiers act from a principle of honour, why should not the same excuse be extended to them? By thus admitting them within the pale of honour, would not an additional security for their future conduct be obtained? Might not the generous self-devotion of the soldier Macmartin, to save from

* See article on the Mutinies of the Highland Regiments.

censure his officer and friend, who had conceded so much to his solicitation, have been accepted as a sufficient expiation for the crimes of the whole, including Sutherland, the soldier who was shot?

But the circumstance was not publicly known at the time. Had it been so, it would undoubtedly have been duly appreciated by those who had the power to direct, and whose duty it was to see that the discipline was applicable to the character of the troops; to foster and preserve ho nourable feelings and principles among them; and to reward, by proper notice and encouragement, every instance in which those desirable characteristic traits were exhibited. How well this soldier merited pardon for his offence is evident, from his voluntary sacrifice of life, merely to screen his officer from the reprimand to which his neglect of duty would subject him. Had the officer's life been at stake, the devotion of the soldier would have been conspicuous. When the responsibility was so trifling, the magnanimity of mind was perfect; and, had it been known, would cer tainly have saved him from being sent to the colonies as a degraded man.

SUTHERLAND.

1793.

I HAVE already stated the zeal and spirit with which the youth of this distant country engaged in his Majesty's service in the years 1759 and 1779. On the occasion in question there was no deficiency of spirit, and when it was known in Sutherland that their Countess was expected to call forth a portion of the most able-bodied men on her extensive estates, the officers whom she appointed had only to make a selection of those who were best calculated to fill up the ranks of the regiment, which was completed in as short

a time as the men could be collected from the rugged and distant districts they inhabited. *

The regiment was embodied at Fort George, and, including a company from Ross-shire, commanded by Mr Macleod of Cadboll, amounted to 1,084 men, with drummers and pipers. Colonel Wemyss of Wemyss, who commanded the Sutherland regiment of 1779, was appointed Colonel, and the Honourable James Stuart, brother of the Earl of Moray, Lieutenant-Colonel.

This regiment was fortunate in having a Colonel and Lieutenant-Colonel who understood the character of the men, and the discipline which suited them. The Adjutant did not, in the first instance, attend to this, and, resorting to a system of coercion which experience proved to be unnecessary, the same horror at the thoughts of disgraceful punishments, and the same symptoms of resistance occurred as had been exhibited in other Highland corps in similar circumstances; but the judicious interference of the commanding officer checked the proceedings of the Adjutant, and this threatening storm instantly subsided. + With

* An instance of this selection of men was seen in Perth when the regiment was stationed there some time after it was established. So numerous a band of fine young men came up from Sutherland, that all could not be received, as the regiment did not require so many recruits. They were consequently obliged to return home. However, several enlisted into other regiments.

+ This man afforded an example of the propriety of keeping a vigilant eye over the conduct of some men, when suddenly or unexpectedly placed in authority. He had been upwards of twenty years in the 42d, and was Serjeant-Major when I joined, and conducted himself with propriety, and extremely attentive to his duty; but occasionally rather too imperious in his manner towards the soldiers. However, he was in a good school in that respect, and had he not followed the example of his superiors, he would be quickly checked; but when he was promoted to a commission, and was appointed Adjutant to the Sutherland regiment, where he had a full scope for the exercise of authority, his natural disposition broke forth, and although he perfectly knew the character and dispositions of the men, and that no severity was necessary, he irritated the soldiers by his harsh language and man

the exception of the men put into confinement on this occasion, and of that of a serjeant and two men for the escape of a deserter whom they were escorting, this respectable body of men saw five years pass without an individual offending in a manner that could be called crime.

In 1797 the regiment extended their services to Ireland. In that country, except some rapid marches, and one skirmish with the rebels, they had little opportunity of proving themselves in the field; but it was said of them, that "their conduct and manners softened the horrors of war, and they were not a week in a fresh quarter, or cantonment, that they did not conciliate and become intimate with the people."

Immediately after the conclusion of the disturbances, the regiment was ordered from Ireland, marched to Fort George, and there reduced. Considering the great demand for men at that period, and the character the corps had sustained, it was a matter of subsequent regret that no attempt had been made to encourage them to re-engage on a more enlarged scale of service. There is every reason to believe that al

Two-thirds of

most all of them would have re-enlisted. the men returned to their native country. This oversight, however, was in some measure remedied, and their service again called for. In what manner they answered this call will be seen by the service of the 93d regiment.

GORDON.

1793.

In the course of a long life, the Duke of Gordon has seen his country engaged in three successive wars, for the prosecu

ners, to a degree that their spirit would not brook; and had not Colonels Wemyss and Stuart interfered, the consequences might have been that of which there were too many instances in Highland regiments, all originating in the same cause.

tion of which he, by his territorial and personal influence, contributed to raise four regiments, composed of men well qualified for such a purpose. The 89th and 92d regiments have proved this in their service both abroad and at home. The Gordon Fencibles of 1779, although confined to a more limited sphere of service, was composed of equally good materials. The Fencible regiment of 1793 was the same. It was quickly raised and embodied at Aberdeen. The Duke of Gordon's commission as Colonel was dated the 3d of March. The uniform was the full Highland garb. Upwards of 300 men were raised on the Gordon estates in Strathspey, Badenoch, and Lochaber. An equal number was recruited from gentlemen's estates in the neighbourhood, and about 150 from the Lowlands of Aberdeen, Banff, and Elgin; all of them men of good character, and though not in general tall, yet stout and well made. The service of the regiment was confined to Scotland, but the men having volunteered to extend it, the offer was accepted, and accordingly, in 1794, they were removed to England. When quartered in Kent, the King, who had never seen a Highland regiment, ordered the Gordon Fencibles up to London, where they were reviewed in Hyde Park in the presence of his Majesty, who expressed himself highly satisfied with their appearance. As this was the first Highland regiment reviewed near London, with the exception of the review of the Black Watch on Finchley Common in 1743, the novelty of the sight attracted a great crowd of people from all parts of the town and neighbourhood.

The Gordon Fencibles remained in England till ordered to Scotland in 1798, where they were reduced with the other Fencible corps.