“For gold the merchant ploughs the main,
The farmer ploughs the manor;
But glory is the sodger’s prize,
The sodger’s wealth is honour.
The brave poor sodger ne’er despise,
Nor count him as a stranger:
Remember he’s his country’s stay,
In day and hour o’ danger.”
MARTINIQUE—HAVANNAH—BUSHYRUN—ILLINOIS—AMERICAN
REVOLUTION—HALIFAX—CAPE BRETON—1762–1769.
Its sobriety, abstemious habits, great activity, and capability of
bearing the vicissitudes of the West Indian climate, had commended the
selection of the Forty-second as part of an expedition then assembling
at Barbadoes for a renewal of the attack upon the valuable island of
Martinique, which, after some severe fighting, was surrendered, in 1762,
by the French governor to the British commander, Major-General the
Honourable Robert Monckton. Scarcely had the rude tempest of war
subsided in its wrath, and the genial calm of peace asserted its blessed
influence over the nation, ere that tranquillity was again disturbed by
the malignant passions which unhappily prevailed, and launched our
country into antagonism with Spain. Reinforced by fresh troops from
home—including our Highlanders—the British army of the West Indies,
under the Earl of Albemarle, embarking, effected a landing on the
Spanish island of Cuba, and gloriously captured its wealthy metropolis,
acquiring therein prize-money to the enormous extent of three millions
sterling. After achieving this very successful result, the regiment,
embraced in one battalion, returned to the continent of America, where
it was employed in most harassing duty, checking and punishing the
depredatory incursions of the Indians, who were ever on the alert to
avenge themselves on the white men of the colony, whom they could not
help regarding, and not altogether unreasonably, as their spoilers, and
hence their natural enemies. At Bushyrun the Forty-second encountered
the army of red warriors, and inflicted a severe defeat, which so sorely
distressed them, that, tendering their submission, a favourable peace
was thereupon secured. Thereafter a party of a hundred men, detached
from the regiment, under Captain, afterwards General Sir Thomas
Stirling, was engaged in an exploring expedition, journeying 3000 miles
in ten months, as far as Fort Charteris on the Illinois; and
notwithstanding all the difficulties and dangers encountered in the way,
returning to head-quarters safe and sound. At length, after these many
faithful and arduous services, the regiment received the order to return
home. Enjoying the esteem of the colonists, its departure was most
deeply regretted. The regiment reached Cork in October, 1767, and
remained on duty in Ireland for about twelve years, whence it was
removed to Scotland in 1775, to be recruited. Scarcely had its
establishment been completed when the American Revolution, involving our
country in a new war, occasioned its recall to that continent. On the
eve of its departure from Greenock, the regiment comprised 931
Highlanders, 74 Lowlanders, 5 Englishmen (in the band), 1 Welshman, and
2 Irishmen—ample evidence of its genuine Highland character. In the
passage outwards the fleet was separated in a tempest, and a company of
the Forty-second, which had been quartered on board the “Oxford”
transport, was so unfortunate as to be captured by an American
privateer. Retained as prisoners on board the “Oxford,” the soldiers
succeeded in overpowering the crew, and, assuming the command of the
vessel, navigated it to the Bay of Chesapeake, unwittingly to find
themselves in the enemy’s grasp, who held possession of the bay. As
captives, our Highlanders were removed into the interior of the
continent, where every attempt was made to seduce them from their
allegiance, and tempt them to enter the American service, but, “true to
their colours,” without avail. Meanwhile, the rest of the regiment had
joined the British army in Staten Island, under General the Honourable
Sir William Howe.
During the whole course of the war which followed, it may with truth be
averred that no one regiment was more constantly employed, serving
chiefly with one or other of the flank corps, and that no regiment was
more exposed to danger, underwent more fatigue, or suffered more from
both.
The events of the war are so much a matter of history, that we forbear
to detain the reader with more than a mere enumeration of those in which
the Forty-second bore a conspicuous part. Having, through the battle of
Brooklyn, achieved the capture of Long Island, landing with the British
army on the mainland, the Highlanders were present with distinction at
the siege of Fort Washington, the capture of Fort Lee, the re-taking of
Trenton, but especially in the affair of Pisquata, where, assailed by
overwhelming numbers, the gallantry of the regiment was beyond all
compliment. The Forty-second was also present, although in a subordinate
position, at the battle of Brandywine, where General Washington was
defeated. On the 20th September, 1777, it was detached with the first
battalion of Light Infantry and the Forty-fourth regiment, to surprise a
strong force of Americans which lay concealed in the recesses of the
forest in the neighbourhood of the British camp, purposing to annoy the
army and cut off stragglers. The surprise—effected with scarcely any
loss—favoured by the darkness of the night, was successful. The enemy,
wholly unsuspecting, was utterly dispersed with great slaughter. The
regiment was further engaged in the attack upon Billingspoint and the
defence of Germanstown.
At length allied with France, the Americans were so helped and
encouraged that it became necessary to concentrate the British army,
and, in consequence, relinquishing many of their more distant conquests,
our troops retired to the sea coast to oppose the threatened debarkation
of a French force from their fleet which cruised off the coast.
Dispersed by a storm, this armament failed to afford that assistance
which had been anticipated, compelling General Sullivan, who commanded
an auxiliary army of Americans, to abandon the siege of Nieuport, in
Rhode Island, and beat a precipitate retreat to the mainland. Meanwhile,
the Forty-second, with the Thirty-third, Forty-sixth, and Sixty-fourth
regiments, successfully accomplished the destruction of the arsenals and
dockyards of Bedford and Martha’s Vineyard. At Stoneypoint and
Vereplanks, after a desperate struggle, the persevering efforts of the
Royal Highlanders were rewarded with complete success. Under General Sir
Henry Clinton, the regiment formed a part of the expedition which
undertook and achieved the siege of Charlestown. The increasing force
and daring of the enemy, inspired and sustained by the genius of
Washington, glorying in the disaster of Yorktown, where a British army
was forced to surrender, induced peace, which, concluded in 1782, put an
end to further hostilities. The regiment served for a while thereafter
in Halifax, and, ere it returned home in 1789, garrisoned the island of
Cape Breton. Whilst in Nova Scotia, in 1785, Major-General John
Campbell, in presenting a new set of colours to the regiment, thus ably
addressed it—an address which, in its excellence, lives to encourage our
army, and than which we are convinced no better epitome of a soldier’s
duty exists:—
“I congratulate you on the service you have done your country, and the
honour you have procured yourselves, by protecting your old colours, and
defending them from your enemies in different engagements during the
late unnatural rebellion.
“From those ragged, but honourable remains, you are now to transfer your
allegiance and fidelity to these new National and Regimental Standards
of Honour, now consecrated and solemnly dedicated to the service of our
King and Country. These colours are committed to your immediate care and
protection; and I trust you will, on all occasions, defend them from
your enemies, with honour to yourselves and service to your country—with
that distinguished and noble bravery which have always characterised the
ROYAL HIGHLANDERS in the field of battle.
“With what pleasure, with what peculiar satisfaction—nay, with what
pride, would I enumerate the different memorable actions where the
regiment distinguished itself. To particularise the whole would exceed
the bounds of this address; let me therefore beg your indulgence while I
take notice only of a few of them.
“And, first, the conduct of the regiment at the battle of _Fontenoy_ was
great and glorious! As long as the bravery of the fifteen battalions in
that conflict shall grace the historic page, and fill the breast of
every Highlander with pleasure and admiration, so long will the superior
gallantry of the Forty-second Regiment bear a conspicuous part in the
well-fought action of that day, and be recorded in the annals of Fame to
the latest posterity!
“I am convinced that it will always be a point of honour with the corps,
considered as a collective body, to support and maintain a _national_
character!
“For this purpose you should ever remember that, being a national and
reputable corps, your actions as citizens and civil subjects, as well as
your conduct as soldiers, will be much observed—more than those of any
other regiment in the service. Your good behaviour will be handed down
with honour to posterity, and your faults, if you commit any, will not
only be reported, but magnified, by other corps who are emulous of your
_civil_ as well as of your _military_ character. Your decent, sober, and
regular behaviour in the different quarters you have hitherto occupied,
has rendered you the distinguished favourites of their respective
inhabitants. For the sake, then, of your country—for the sake of your
own established character, which must be dearer to you than every other
consideration—do not tarnish your fame by a subsequent behaviour less
manly!
“Do not, I beseech you, my fellow-soldiers, allow your morals to be
corrupted by associating with low, mean, or bad company. A man is always
known by his companions; and if any one among you should at any time be
seen spending his money in base, worthless company, he ought to be set
up and exposed as an object of regimental contempt!
“To conclude: As you have, as soldiers, displayed sufficient valour in
the field by defeating the enemies of your country, suffer me to
recommend to you, as Christians, to use your best endeavours, now in the
time of peace, to overcome the enemies of your immortal souls! Believe
me, my fellow-soldiers, and be assured, that the faith and virtues of a
Christian add much to the valour, firmness, and fidelity of a soldier.
He, beyond comparison, has the best reason, and the strongest motive,
for doing his duty in scenes of danger, who has nothing to fear, but
every thing to hope, in a future existence.
“Ought you not, therefore, to be solicitous to adorn your minds with, at
least, the principal and leading Christian virtues, so that if it should
be your fate hereafter to fall in the field of battle, your
acquaintances and friends will have the joyful consolation of hearing
that you leave an unspotted name, and of being assured that you rose
from a bed of honour to a crown of immortality.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------