terbalance it. The feelings of an honourable old soldier were outraged when he saw himself associated with men collected from the police offices and streets of London. By such society the moral principles of the young soldiers were not only endangered, but it dissolved that charm and expectation of companionship, which had hitherto so greatly favoured recruiting, and it destroyed that national feeling which influenced the men, who believed, that, while they were all Scotsmen, they were bound to support the honour of Scotland. In the honour of their new comrades of St Giles's and Tothil Fields, Westminster, they could hardly be expected to take the same lively interest. This measure will appear the more remarkable when it is recollected, that a desperate mutiny, by which many lives were lost, occurred this year at Leith, in consequence of two detachments of recruits belonging to the 42d and Fraser's Highlanders being ordered to join other corps, instead of those for which they were originally enlisted.* Thus while, on

the one hand, the good name of the regiment was in danger of being tarnished by the depravity of those men who were forced upon them, the lives of several spirited youths fell a sacrifice to their desire to join this regiment; and the whole became amenable to the laws for the mutinous manner in which they endeavoured to prevent their original engagements from being violated. +

See article on the Mutiny of Highland Regiments.

A more mischievous and unnecessary measure than this could not well have been devised: it exposed the corps to almost certain degradation, besides the danger of the young and virtuous soldier becoming familiar with the view of vice, which he might at first abhor, but would in the end, perhaps, learn to imitate. Every delinquency of their new comrades would necessarily lower the whole regiment in the estimation of the public, who could not distinguish between the innocent and the guilty. Of this we have many instances in Highland corps, where the guilt and depravity of a few (and these few aliens and strangers to the country whose name is borne, and whose character is represented by the regiment) have brought discredit upon an honourable body of men. It is said, that, in some Highland corps, who have

I have noticed, that, at the conclusion of the Seven Years' War, the officers of the regiment were highly respectable, and many of them both accomplished gentlemen and able officers. At the present period also the regiment was fortunate in this respect. How much the authority and example of such officers will influence the conduct of the soldiers is evident. The regiment was now in its fifth campaign; but the men preserved so completely their original habits of temperance and moderation, that, while rum and all spiritous liquors were served out daily to the other troops, the Highlanders received their allowance every third or fourth day, in the same manner as the officers. This was continued till it was found inconvenient for the soldiers to carry more than one day's allowance on long marches. At that period all the soldiers were natives of the country from which the regiment took its denomination; and, consequently, they carried with them to the military ranks those ha bits of temperance and sobriety which, as I have noticed in the preliminary sketch of the manners and customs of the Highlanders, formed a marked trait in their character. That they did not abuse this honourable confidence is evident from the circumstance of its never having been withdrawn, except for the convenience of the soldiers. These five campaigns embraced many movements, and, from affinity of language, and from the promises and allurements which the Americans held out, there were, of course, many inducements to desertion. Desertions from other corps were, indeed, very frequent; but in this regiment it was otherwise; not a man deserted, and, of more than 1000 men of whom the corps consisted, there was only one punished during the whole of these five years. This man had asked leave of absence, stating that he had business of consequence to transact; but, as there was a general order

a considerable mixture of strangers, the same firmness in the field, and the same urbanity and regular habits in quarters, are evinced. While this statement seems perfectly correct, it would still be desirable to ascertain the share of this praise due to the strangers.

against granting leave, Colonel Stirling was obliged to refuse him. However, the man was determined, and went away without leave, and having, as he said, settled his business, returned to his regiment. This defiance of orders could not be passed over. He was tried and punished. But the unfortunate man endured a double punishment. The soldiers considered the honour and character of the corps implicated and tarnished when they saw one of their number thus publicly brought to shame, and such was their horror of the castigation, and of the disgrace attached to it, that not a soldier in the regiment would mess with him. The second punishment was, in some respects, more severe than the first, and, in every way, more efficient in preserving correct principles and conduct.

Such was the Royal Highland regiment, while it was preserved as a national and unmixed body. The InspectorGeneral dissolved the charm. Punishments being found indispensable for the men newly introduced, and others becoming more habituated to the sight, much of the sense of disgrace was necessarily lost. While Captain Peebles* commanded his company, there was not a complaint made to the commanding officer. His successor was constantly prefering complaints, and calling for punishment. The reason is plain. He misunderstood the character of his men, and knew not how to manage them. When he saw them looking sour and discontented at the suspicion and reproach thrown on their conduct by his harshness, his threatenings, and complaints, he called them mutinous; and, if he had not been checked, he would have made them so. Had this officer looked back to the five years previous to his joining the regiment, and reflected that 1000 men had continued to

* Captain Peebles was a volunteer serving with Montgomery's Highlanders, and was promoted to the 42d for his gallant conduct at Bushy Run in 1763. He retired from the service at the conclusion of the war in 1783, and is now the last surviving officer of those who served with Montgomery's and with the Royal Highlanders in the Seven Years' War.

live together with so little cause for suspicion or reflection on their general behaviour, that no severity was necessary, it might have occurred to him, as it did to his commanding officer, that many faults which he saw in the men proceeded from some uncommon cause, or perhaps from his ignorance of their character, and from the harsh measures and intemperate language which he used towards them, and against which their spirit revolted; while, had he pursued a contrary line of conduct, they would probably have been as quiet and obedient to his orders as they had formerly been to his predecessors.

SECTION XIII.

Attack on Charlestown-Surrender-Highlanders return to New York-Engaged in no further active service during the war-In 1783 several men deserted to the enemy-Probable causes-Return of casualties during the war-Removed to Halifax-Embark for England in 1789-March to Scotland-Reception.

To return to the army at New York. Sir Henry Clinton, wishing to prosecute the war with vigour, and undertake some enterprise of importance, determined to make an attack on Charlestown, the capital of South Carolina. Having made his arrangements for this purpose, he left General Knyphausen in the command, and, embarking the troops intended for Charlestown, sailed from New York on the 26th of December. Such was the severity of the weather, however, that, although the voyage might have been accomplished in ten days, it was the 11th of February 1780 before the troops disembarked on John's Island, thirty miles from Charlestown. Several of the transports were driven out of their course; others were taken ; and a great proportion of the horses, both of cavalry and artillery, died on the voyage. So great were the impediments to be overcome, and so cautious was the advance of the general, that it was the 29th of March before the besieging army crossed Ashley River. The following day they encamped opposite the American lines,

On the 1st of April they broke ground in front of Charlestown. The American general Lincoln commanded in the town, and had strengthened the place in all its defences, both by land and water, in such a manner as threatened to render the siege both a tedious and difficult undertaking. Being probably aware of this, the Commander-in-Chief ordered the