ceedingly heavy, and without any intermission, insomuch, that the oldest soldier present never saw so furious and incessant a fire. The affair at Fontenoy was nothing to it: I saw both. We laboured under insurmountable difficulties. The enemy's breastwork was about nine or ten feet high, upon the top of which they had plenty of wall pieces fixed, and which was well lined in the inside with small arms. But the difficult access to their lines was what gave them a fatal advantage over us. They took care to cut down monstrous large oak trees, which covered all the ground from the foot of their breastwork about the distance of a cannon shot every way in their front. This not only broke our ranks, and made it impossible for us to keep our order, but put it entirely out of our power to advance till we cut our way through. I have seen men behave with courage and resolution before now, but so much determined bravery can be hardly equalled in any part of the history of ancient Rome. Even those that were mortally wounded cried aloud to their companions, not to mind or lose a thought upon them, but to follow their officers, and to mind the honour of their country. Nay their ardour was such, that it was difficult to bring them off. They paid dearly for their intrepidity. The remains of the regiment had the honour to cover the retreat of the army, and brought off the wounded as we did at Fontenoy. When shall we have so fine a regiment again? I hope we shall be allowed to recruit." This hope was soon realized; for at this time letters of service were issued for adding a second battalion, and an order to make the regiment Royal, " as a testimony of his Majesty's satisfaction and approbation of the extraordinary courage, loyalty, and exemplary conduct of the Highland regiment." This mark of approbation was the more gratifying, as it was conferred before the conduct of the corps at Ticonderago was known in England; for, if their previous conduct was considered worthy of approval, their gallantry at Ticonderago would have given an additional claim..

The vacancies occasioned in the 42d by the deaths at

Ticonderago were filled up in regular succession. The second battalion was to be formed of the three additional companies raised the preceding year, and of seven companies to be immediately recruited. These were completed in three months, and embodied at Perth in October 1758, each company being 120 men strong, all, with a few exceptions,* Highlanders, and hardy and temperate in their habits. The seven companies formed a battalion of 840 men, the other three companies having previously embarked for America to reinforce the first battalion.

The officers appointed to the seven additional companies were, Francis M'Lean, Alexander Sinclair, John Stewart of Stenton, William Murray of Lintrose, Archibald Campbell, Alexander Reid, and Robert Arbuthnot, to be captains; Alexander M'Lean, George Grant, George Sinclair, Gordon Clunes, Adam Stewart, John Robertson, son of Lude, John Grant, James Fraser, George Leslie, John Campbell, Alexander Stewart, Duncan Richardson, and Robert Robertson, to be lieutenants; and Patrick Sinclair, John M'Intosh, James M'Duff, Thomas Fletcher, Alexander Donaldson, William M'Lean, and William Brown, to be ensigns.

So much was the General disconcerted by his disaster at Ticonderago, that he immediately embarked his army, and sailed across Lake George to his former camp. Yet, unfortunate as the result of that affair was, the nation was highly satisfied with the conduct of the army; and the regret occasioned by the loss of so many valuable lives was alleviated by the hope, that an enterprise, so gallantly though unsuccessfully conducted, offered a fair presage of future success and glory.

• Eighteen Irishmen were enlisted at Glasgow by two officers anxious to obtain commissions. Lord John Murray's orders were peremptory, that none but Highlanders should be taken. It happened in this case that several of the men were O'Donnels, O'Lachlans, O'Briens, &c. The O was changed to Mac; and they passed muster as true Macdonnels, Maclachlans, and Macbrairs, without being questioned.

The old Highland regiment having suffered so severely, and the second battalion being ordered on another service, (to the West Indies,) they were not employed again this year. But as it is part of my plan to give a detailed narrative of the military service of all corps raised in the Highlands, with a view to preserve an uniformity in combined operations, I shall now trace the movements of an expedition against Louisburg, in which Fraser's Highlanders were employed, and then follow those of the expedition against Fort du Quesne, under Brigadier-General Forbes, with Montgomery's Highlanders. +

For the first of these enterprises a formidable armament sailed from Halifax on the 28th May, under the command of Admiral Boscawen and Major-General Amherst, and Brigadier-Generals Wolfe, Lawrence, Monckton and Whitmore. This armament, consisting of twenty-five sail of the line, eighteen frigates, and a number of bomb and fire-ships, with the Royals, 15th, 17th, 22d, 28th, 35th, 40th, 45th, 47th, 58th, the 2d and 3d battalions of the 60th, 78th Highlanders, and New England Rangers—in all, 13,094 men, anchored on the 2d of June in Garbarus Bay, seven miles from Louisburg. This garrison was defended by the Chevalier Ducour, with 2500 regulars, 600 militia, and 400 Canadians and Indians. Six ships of the line and five frigates protected the harbour, at the mouth. of which three of the frigates were sunk. The fleet was six days on the coast before a landing could be attempted; a heavy surf continually rolling with such violence, that no boat could approach the shore. On the accessible parts of the coast, a chain of posts had been established, extending more than seven miles along the beach, with entrenchments and batteries. On the 8th of June, when the violence of the surf had somewhat abated, a landing was effected.

The troops were disposed for landing in three divisions. That on the left, which was destined for the real attack,

• See article Fraser's Highlanders.

† See article Montgomery's Highlanders,

was commanded by Brigadier-General Wolfe. It was composed of the grenadiers and light infantry of the army, and Fraser's Highlanders. The landing place was occupied by 2000 men, entrenched behind a battery of eight pieces of cannon and ten swivels. Reserving their fire till the boats were near the beach, the enemy opened a discharge of cannon and musquetry. The surf aided their fire. Many of the boats were upset or dashed to pieces on the rocks, and numbers of the men were killed or drowned before they could reach the land. At this time Captain Baillie and Lieutenant Cuthbert of the Highlanders, Lieutenant Nicholson of Amherst's, and thirty-eight men, were killed. "But nothing could stop our troops when headed by such a general (Wolfe). Some of the light infantry and Highlanders got first ashore, and drove all before them. The rest followed; and, being encouraged by the example of their heroic commander, soon pursued the enemy to the distance of two miles, when they were checked by a cannonading from the town."

For a few days offensive operations proceeded very slowly. The continued violence of the weather retarded the landing of the stores and provisions, and the nature of the ground, in some places very rocky, and in others a morass, presented many serious obstacles. These difficulties, however, yielded to the perseverance and exertions of the troops. The first operation was to secure a point called the Light House Battery, from which the guns could play on the ships and on the batteries on the opposite side of the harbour. On the 12th, General Wolfe performed this service with his usual vigour and activity; and "with his Highlanders and flankers," took possession of this and all the other posts in that quarter, with very trifling loss. On the 25th, the fire from this post silenced the island battery immediately opposite. An incessant fire was, however, kept up from the other batteries and shipping of the enemy. On the 9th of July, the enemy made a sortie on Brigadier-General Lawrence's brigade, but were quickly repulsed. In this skirmish fell Captain the Earl of Dundonald. On the

16th, Brigadier-General Wolfe pushed forward some grenadiers and Highlanders, and took possession of the hills in front of the battery, where a lodgment was made, under a fire from the town and the ships. On the 21st, one of the enemy's line-of-battle ships caught fire and blew up, communicating the fire to two others, which burned to the water's edge. This loss nearly decided the fate of the town. The enemy's fire was almost totally silenced, and their fortifications were shattered to the ground. To effect the possession of the harbour, one decisive blow remained yet to be struck. For this purpose, the admiral sent a detachment of 600 seamen in boats, to take or burn the two ships of the line which remained, determining, if the attempt should succeed, to send in some of the large ships to batter the town on the side of the harbour. This enterprise was gallantly executed by the Captains Laforey and Balfour, who towed off one of the ships, and set the other on fire in the place where she grounded. The town surrendered on the 26th July, and on the 27th Colonel Lord Rollo marched in and took possession: the garrison and seamen, amounting to 5637 men, were made prisoners of war. Thus, with the expence of 12 officers, 3 serjeants, and 150 soldiers killed, and 25 officers, 4 serjeants, and 325 soldiers wounded, the British obtained possession of Cape Breton and the strong town of Louisburg, and destroyed a powerful fleet. Except the Earl of Dundonald, no officer of rank was killed. The Highlanders lost Captain Baillie, and Lieutenants Cuthbert, Fraser, and Murray, killed; Captain Donald McDonald, Lieutenants Alexander Campbell and John M'Donald, wounded; and 67 rank and file killed and wounded.

The news of this conquest diffused a general joy over Britain. Eleven pair of colours were, by his Majesty's orders, carried in full procession, escorted by the horse and foot guards, from Kensington Palace to St Paul's, and there deposited under a discharge of cannon; and addresses of