congratulation were sent to the King by a number of towns and corporations.

The third great enterprise of the year 1758 was that undertaken by Brigadier-General Forbes against Fort du Quesne. The prodigious extent of country which he had to traverse, through woods without roads, and over mountains and morasses almost impassable, rendered this expedition no less difficult than the other two, although the point of attack was less formidable, and the number of the enemy inferior. His army consisted of Montgomery's Highlanders, 1284 strong, 554 of the Royal Americans, and 4400 provincials; in all, 6238 men.

In July the Brigadier marched from Philadelphia; and, after surmounting many difficulties, in the month of September he reached Raystown, ninety miles distant from Du Quesne. Thence he sent forward Colonel Bouquet, with 2000 men, to Loyal Henning, fifty miles in advance, whence this officer dispatched Major James Grant of Montgomery's, with 400 Highlanders and 500 provincials, to reconnoitre Fort du Quesne, distant about forty miles. If Colonel Bouquet endangered this detachment by sending forward a small force so far beyond the possibility of support from the main body, the conduct of Major Grant did not lessen the risk. When near the garrison, he advanced with pipes playing and drums beating, as if he had been going to enter a friendly town. The enemy did not wait to be attacked. Alarmed at this noisy advance, they marched out to meet the assailants, when a desperate conflict ensued. Major Grant ordered his men to throw off their coats, and advance sword in hand. The enemy fled on the first charge, and rushed into the woods, where they spread themselves; but, being afterwards joined by a body of Indians, they rallied, and surrounded the detachment on all sides. Being themselves concealed by a thick foliage, their heavy and destructive fire could not be returned with any

• Afterwards General Grant of Ballindalloch.

effect. Major Grant was taken in an attempt to force into the wood, where he observed the thickest of the fire. On losing their commander, and so many officers killed and wounded, the troops dispersed. About 150 of the Highlanders got back to Loyal Henning.

Major Grant was taken prisoner, and 231 soldiers of his regiment were killed and wounded. Captains Monro and McDonald, and Lieutenants Alexander M'Kenzie, Colin Campbell, William M'Kenzie, Alexander M'Donald, and Roderick McKenzie, were killed; and Captain Hugh M'Kenzie, Lieutenants Alexander M'Donald junior, Archibald Robertson, Henry Monro, and Ensigns John M'Donald and Alexander Grant, wounded. This check, however, did not dispirit General Forbes, who pushed forward with expedition. The enemy, intimidated by his approach, retired from Fort du Quesne, leaving ammunition, stores, and provisions untouched The Fort was taken possession of on the 24th of November, and its name changed to Pittsburg. An alliance was formed with the Indians, who, now beginning to think that the English were the stronger party, renounced their connection with the French, and became as active in aiding the English as they had formerly been in opposing them.

The General returned soon afterwards to Philadelphia, where he died, universally lamented and respected as one of the most accomplished and ablest officers then in America t.

• Major Grant's attack, though unfortunate, must have been made with great effect, to have so much dispirited the enemy as to induce them to retire without an attempt to defend the garrison. Their loss is said to have been severe, but the number has not been stated.

+ General Forbes was son of Colonel Forbes of Pittencrief, in the county of Fife. He served in the Scotch Greys as cornet, and rose in rank till he commanded the regiment. He was subsequently appointed colonel of the 71st foot. In the German war he was on the staff of Field-Marshal Lord Stair, General Ligonier, and General Sir James Campbell of Lawers. Latterly he was Quarter-Master-General to the army in Flanders, under the command of the Duke of Cumberland, when he was or

Notwithstanding the disaster at Ticonderago, and the defeat of Major Grant's detachment, the superiority of the campaign was evidently on the side of Britain. The military character of the nation, which had suffered so much from the events of the preceding compaign, was restored; and our possession of Louisburg, St John's, Frontiniac, and Du Quesne, deprived the enemy of their principal defences, and laying their colonies open, accelerated the success of the vigorous measures which were pursued in the following campaign.

Before detailing the services of the 1st battalion of the 42d regiment during this year, which, indeed, were more fatiguing than brilliant, I return to the 2d battalion, or rather the seven new companies raised and added to the regiment. In August 1758, the officers received their recruiting instructions, and in the month of October following, 840 men were embodied at Perth, 200 of whom were immediately marched to Greenock, where they embarked for the West Indies, under convoy of the Ludlow Castle, and joined an armament lying in Carlisle Bay, ready for an attack on Martinique and Guadaloupe. Being delayed for want of transports, the other division of the battalion did not join the armament till after it had left Martinique, and was about to disembark at Guadaloupe. The troops employed in this expedition were, the Old Buffs, King's, 6th, 63d, 64th, seven companies of the Royal Highlanders, 800 Marines, and a detachment of Artillery, amounting in all to 5560 men, under the command of Major-Generals Hopson and Barrington, and of Brigadier-Generals Haldane, Armiger, Trapaud, and Clavering.

On the 13th January 1759, they sailed from Barbadoes, under convoy of the fleet commanded by Commodore Moore,

dered to America; "where, by a steady pursuit of well-concerted measures, he, in defiance of disease and numberless obstructions, brought to a happy issue a remarkable expedition, and made his own life a willing sacrifice to what he valued more-the interest of his King and country."

• Westminster Journal.

and appeared off Martinique on the morning of the 15th. On the 16th three line-of-battle ships were ordered to anchor opposite to Fort Negro, the guns of which they soon silenced; and in the afternoon, a detachment of seamen and marines was landed without opposition, and kept their ground during the night, without being disturbed by the enemy. Next morning, the whole were landed at Cas de Navire, as if going to exercise, no enemy being then in sight. At 10 o'clock, the grenadiers, the King's regiment, and the Highlanders, moved forward, and soon fell in with parties of the enemy, with whom they kept up an irregular fire, the former retreating as the latter advanced, till a party of the grenadiers and Highlanders got within a little distance of Morne Tortueson, an eminence behind Fort Royal, and the most important post in the island. Whilst they were waiting in this position till the rest of the army came up, the advanced parties continued skirmishing with the enemy, during which it was said of the Highlanders, "that, although debarred the use of arms in their own country, they showed themselves good marksmen, and had not forgot how to handle their arms." In the meantime, General Hopson, finding from the ruggedness of the ground, intersected by deep ravines and rocks, that he could not get up his guns without great labour, determined to relinquish the attempt, and gave orders to re-embark without delay. The loss in this abortive expedition was, Captain Dalmahoy, of the grenadiers of the 4th foot, killed; Captain Campbell, of the same regiment, and Lieutenant Leslie, of the Royal Highlanders, wounded, and 60 privates killed and wounded.

After the whole army had embarked, a council of war was held, when it was proposed to attack St Pierre, which being an open town, defended by only a few small batteries on a point of land in the neighbourhood, could not be expected to make any serious resistance. To this plan it was objected, that the ships might be disabled, and the troops so much diminished by losses, as not to be able to proceed

to any farther service. This opinion prevailed, and Gua daloupe being of equal importance, it was resolved to proceed to the conquest of that island. There might be very good grounds for this preference, although it does not appear how any service of this nature can be accomplished, without running a risk of disabling and diminishing the arms employed. In a political point of view, Martinique was of more importance than Guadaloupe, as, from its spacious and safe harbour, it was the usual rendezvous of the French fleets, although, as a sugar plantation, it is inferior. Accordingly, on the 29th of January, the line-ofbattle ships ranged themselves in a line with the Basseterre in Guadaloupe, and at 9 in the morning commenced a furious attack on the town and batteries, which was returned and kept up on both sides, with great spirit, for many hours. About 5 o'clock in the evening, the fire of the citadel slackened, and at 10 many parts of the town were in a blaze. The Rippon of 74 guns having run aground, and being observed by the enemy while in that state, they brought all their guns to bear upon her, the other ships being unable to afford her assistance. Captain Leslie of the Bristol coming in from sea, and seeing her in this perilous situation, gallantly dashed in between her and the batteries, and poured in his broadsides with such effect, as to silence their fire, and enable the Rippon to get off with the tide. It was observed as a remarkable circumstance in this engagement, that, although the Burford had all her cables shot away, her rigging cut and destroyed, and several guns upset, and was at last driven out to sea almost a wreck, there was not a man killed on board.

Next morning (January the 24th) the troops landed without opposition, and after taking possession of the town and citadel, encamped in the neighbourhood. For a few days nothing took place except the establishment of some small posts on the hills nearest the town. On one of these, Major (afterwards General) Melville took up a position opposite to some entrenchments, thrown up by Madame Du