The genesis of this memorial was an address made by the late Joseph
Cook at the services held in front of the boulder erected to the
heroes of Ticonderoga, Academy Park, Ticonderoga, N. Y. July 31,
1899, in which he made this remark: “There ought to be a memorial
to the Black Watch composed largely of Scotch Highlanders who,
with the Colonials charged Montcalm’s entrenchments for eight
consecutive hours.”
[Illustration: Major D. L. Wilson Farquharson, D. S. O., at
“Allargue”
Representation of the Black Watch at Unveiling of Memorial Tablet,
Ticonderoga, July 4, 1906]
The writer, who was secretary of the Ticonderoga Historical Society
at that time, had the honor of being the medium through which this
chance remark became an enduring memorial of brick and stone. He
was unsuccessful, however, until Mr. David Williams, the publisher
of “The Iron Age,” a summer resident of Ticonderoga at Rogers
Rock, came to his assistance. Mr. Andrew Carnegie was the generous
donor of the funds to build this memorial. The grants were in
two amounts, the first gift for a public library with the usual
provisions, and the second gift, with no limitations, with which to
build an historical addition to the library, thus making it both a
public library and historical building.
The laying of the corner stone, Oct. 4. 1905, was made the occasion
for one of the greatest celebrations Ticonderoga has ever seen.
The pipe band of the 5th Royal Scots of Canada, Highlanders,
now the 5th Royal Highlanders of Canada, from Montreal, and the
Regimental band and a Battalion of the 5th Infantry, U. S. A., from
Plattsburgh, were the principal features of the parade. It was
particularly appropriate that the Royal Scots should be present, as
they are allied to the Black Watch and wear the same uniform. It
was also an education to the thousands of spectators, few, if any
of whom had ever seen Highlanders in full regimentals marching to
the music of bagpipes. After the exercises of the day, the Royal
Scots visited the ruins of old Fort Ticonderoga, about two miles
from the village and the picture of a body of Highlanders with
their scarlet coats and tartan kilts marching up the green slopes
of the old ramparts, with the setting sun behind them, was one
never to be forgotten and which probably had not occurred since the
Revolution.
The officers of the present Black Watch Regiment, then stationed
at Fort George Scotland, being advised of the Memorial sent the
following letter to the secretary of the Ticonderoga Historical
Society:
“Dear Sir: Your letter 9th Sept., 1905, on the subject of a Black
Watch Memorial, has been perused by the Commanding Officer and
the Officers of the 1st battalion of The Black Watch, formerly
called the 42nd Royal Highland Regiment, and it was also
submitted and discussed at the Annual Gathering of Black Watch
Officers--past and present--recently held in Edinburgh. I am
authorized to inform you that all Ranks of the Regiment are proud
to know that the Ticonderoga Historical Society had decided to
appropriate an alcove in the Ticonderoga Free Public Library as
a memorial to the 42nd Regiment, to commemorate their services
in the engagement before Fort Ticonderoga on July 8, 1758. The
suggestion contained in your letter, to the effect that Officers
of the Regiment might be disposed to erect a tablet on a wall of
the Alcove to the memory of the officers and men of the 42nd who
were killed or wounded in the action has met with the unanimous
approval of those to whose notice it has been brought, and I am
to inform you that such a Tablet will gladly be provided and that
the work of executing the Tablet will be entrusted to a London
firm as soon as a suitable design has been decided upon. In order
to assist us in choosing a suitable form of tablet I shall be
much obliged if you can favor me with a rough plan of the alcove,
the dimensions of the actual wall on which the Tablet will rest,
and an idea of the general style of the building.
I shall be glad to hear from you as soon as you can conveniently
supply the information for which I have asked.