advanced on the left and centre posts, their cavalry, with a body of Alba nian infantry, surrounded the right of the position, and attacked it furiously on all points. Colonel Macleod formed his men into a square, which, for a long time, resisted every effort of the enemy. Had this handful of men been attacked in one or two points only, they might have charged the enemy; but they were so completely surrounded that they could not venture to charge to any front of the square, as they would have been assailed in the rear the moment they faced round. At every successive charge made by the cavalry, who attempted, at the point of the bayonets, to cut down the troops, the square was lessened, the soldiers closing in upon the vacancies as their comrades fell. These attacks, though irregular, were bold, and the dexterity with which the assailants handled their swords proved fatal to the British.

This unequal contest continued till Colonel Macleod and all the officers and men were killed, with the exception of Captain Colin Mackay of the 78th and eleven Highlanders, and as many more of the 35th.* With this small band, Captain Mackay, who was severely wounded, determined to make a desperate push to join the centre, and several succeeded in the attempt; but the rest were either killed or wounded. Captain Mackay received two wounds, and was about reaching the post when an Arab horseman cut at his neck with such force, that his head would have been severed from his body, had not the blow been in some measure neutralized by the cape of his coat and a stuffed neck cloth. The sabre, however, cut to the bone, and the Captain fell flat on the ground, when he was taken up by Sergeant (afterwards Lieutenant) Waters, who alone escaped unhurt, and carried by him to the post.

During their contest with the right, the enemy made little exertions against the other posts; but when, by the destruction of the first, they had gained an accession of disposable force, they made a warm onset on the An attempt was at first made to oppose them; but the commanding officer soon saw that resistance was hopeless, and desirous of

centre.

Sergeant John Macrae, a young man, about twenty-two years of age, but of good size and strength of arm, showed that the broad sword, in a firm hand, is as good a weapon in close fighting as the bayonet. If the first push of the bayonet misses its aim, or happens to be parried, it is not easy to recover the weapon and repeat the thrust, when the enemy is bold enough to stand firm; but it is not so with the sword, which may be read ly withdrawn from its blow, wielded with celerity, and directed to any part of the body, particularly to the head and arms, whilst its motions defend the person using it. Macrae killed six men, cutting them down with his broadsword (of the kind usually worn by sergeants of Highland corps) when at last he made a dash out of the ranks on a Turk, whom he cut down; but as he was returning to the square he was killed by a blow from behind, his head being nearly split in two by the stroke of a sabre. Lieutenant Christopher Macrae, whom I have already mentioned as having brought eighteen men of his own name to the regiment as part of his quota of recruits, for an ensigncy, was killed in this affair, with six of his followers and namesakes, besides the sergeant. On the passage to Lisbon in October, 1805, the same sergeant came to me one evening crying like a child, and complaining that the ship's cook had called him English names, which he did not understand, and thrown some fat in his face. Thus a lad, who, in 1805, was so soft and so childish, displayed in 1807 a courage and vigour worthy a here of Ossian."-Stewart's Sketches.

saving the lives of his men, he hung out a white handkerchief as a signal of surrender. The firing accordingly ceased, and the left following the example of the right, also surrendered. A general scramble of a most extraordinary kind now ensued amongst the Turks for prisoners, who, according to their custom, became the private property of the captors. In this melée the British soldiers were pulled about with little ceremony, till the more active amongst the Turkish soldiery had secured their prey, after which they were marched a little distance up the river, where the captors were paid seven dollars for every prisoner they had taken. Some of the horsemen, less intent upon prize-money than their companions, amused themselves by galloping about, each with the head of a British soldier stuck upon the point of his lance.

In this disastrous affair the Highlanders had, besides Colonel Macleod, Lieutenant William Mackenzie Dick, Christopher Macrae, and Archibald Christie, four sergeants, two drummers, and sixty-one rank and file, killed; and Captain Colin Campbell Mackay, Ensign John Gregory, two sergeants, one drummer, and eighteen rank and file, wounded.

When General Stewart was informed of the critical situation of Colonel Macleod's detachment, he marched towards Etko, expecting that it would retreat in that direction; but not falling in with it he proceeded to El Hamet, where on his arrival he learned its unfortunate fall. With a force so much reduced by the recent disaster, and in the face of an enemy emboldened by success and daily increasing in numbers, it was vain to think of reducing Rosetta, and therefore General Stewart determined to return to Alexandria. He accordingly commenced his retreat, followed by the enemy, who sallied out from Rosetta; but although the sandy plain over which he marched was peculiarly favourable to their cavalry, they were kept in effectual check by the 35th and the 78th. No further hostile operations were attempted; and the prisoners who had been sent to Cairo having been released by capitulation, the whole army embarked for Sicily on the twenty-second of September.

After returning to Sicily, the 78th joined an expedition under Sir John Moore, intended for Lisbon; but the regiment was withdrawn, and ordered to England, where they landed, and were marched to Canterbury in the spring of eighteen hundred and eight. About this time several changes took place amongst the field-officers of the regiment. Lieutenant-colonel Hercules Scott of the 1st battalion was removed to the 103d regiment, and was succeeded by Major John Macleod from the 56th. Major David Stewart was promoted to the lieutenant-colonelcy of the Royal West India Rangers, and was succeeded by Major Robert Hamilton from the 79th Highlanders.*

Shortly after the return of the regiment to England, it obtained a considerable accession of recruits raised from several Scotch militia regiments, chiefly from that of Perthshire by Major David Stewart, who,

• Stewart.

in consequence of a wound received at Maida, had been obliged to return to Scotland. A detachment of four hundred men, including three hundred and fifty of the newly raised men (of whom two hundred and eighty were six feet and upwards, and of a proportionate strength of limb and person) was drafted to reinforce the second battalion in India, and embarked accordingly. The remainder of the second battalion was then removed from Little Hampton in Sussex, where they had been for a short time quartered, to the isle of Wight, where they remained till August, eighteen hundred and nine, when a detachment of three hundred and seventy men, with officers and non-commissioned officers, was sent on the unfortunate expedition to Walcheren, being incorporated with a battalion commanded by the Honourable Lieutenant-colonel Cochrane. The men suffered greatly from the fever and ague, which affected the rest of the troops, and were so emaciated that they did not recover their usual strength till the following year. Another draft of all the men fit for service in India was made in eighteen hundred and ten, and joined the first battalion at Goa on the eve of the departure of the expedition against Batavia, in eighteen hundred and eleven.

The remains of the second battalion were now ordered to Aberdeen, where they remained nearly four years, during which time the officers endeavoured to fill up their ranks by recruiting. Their success, however, was by no means great, but their recruits were of the best quality, and Highlanders by birth. In December, eighteen hundred and thirteen, the regiment embarked for Holland to join the army under Lieutenantgeneral Sir Thomas Graham, at which time it was four hundred strong.

In order to support the operations of the Prussian General Bulow in the neighbourhood of Antwerp, General Graham moved forward part of his army; and an engagement took place between the Prussians and the French on the evening of the thirteenth of January, eighteen hundred and fourteen, to the left of Merexem. This village could only be approached by the high road, which entered at its centre, and the enemy had taken the precaution of posting a considerable force at this point. As the possession of Merexem was of great importance, Major-general Kenneth Mackenzie, with a detachment of the Rifle corps and the 78th regiment supported by the second battalion of the 25th, and the 33d regiment, was ordered to attack this post. The party advanced in column, the Highlanders leading, and both flanks were exposed to the fire of the enemy, who occupied the houses both to the right and left of the entrance into the village. The Highlanders moved forward with great intrepidity, and an "immediate charge with the bayonet by the 78th, ordered by Lieutenant-colonel Lindsay, decided the contest." enemy gave way at all points, and took refuge in Antwerp after sustaining a loss in killed, wounded, and drowned in the ditches, of about eleven hundred men. "No veterans," adds the British generai,

Dispatch of General Graham.

The

ever behaved better than those men who then met the enemy for the first time. The discipline and intrepidity of the Highland battalion which had the good fortune to lead the attack into the village, reflect equal credit on the officers and the men. The same spirit was manifested by the other troops employed."

In this affair the Highlanders had Lieutenant William Mackenzie, Ensign James Ormsby, and nine rank and file, killed; and Lieutenantcolonel John Macleod, who commanded a brigade, and Lieutenants William Bath and John Chisholm, and twenty-six rank and file, wounded.

This was the only enterprise in which the Highlanders were engaged in the Netherlands. Their duties, until the return of the battalion to Scotland in eighteen hundred and sixteen, were confined to the ordinary details of garrison duty at Brussels, Nieuport, and other places, where they acquired the esteem and confidence of the inhabitants. So popular were they with the population of Brussels, that when the 78th received orders to quit that town, the mayor* was requested by the inhabitants to endeavour to detain the regiment. But this predilection was not confined to the 78th, for the 42d and the other Highland regiments who had served in the Netherlands were equally well esteemed by the natives. They," the Highlanders, "were kind as well as brave;" "enfans de la famille ;" "lions in the field and lambs in the house." Such were the kindly expressions which the Belgians employed when speaking of the heroes of the North.

66

Shortly after the return of the regiment to Scotland, the officers were put upon half pay, and all the men who were unable to serve any longer were discharged. The rest were stationed in Scotland till the return of the first battalion from India in summer, eighteen hundred and seventeen.

CAMERON HIGHLANDERS,

OR

SEVENTY-NINTH REGIMENT.—1793.

THIS Corps was raised by Allan Cameron of Errach, to whom letters of service were granted on the seventeenth of August, seventeen hundred and ninety-three. No bounty was allowed by government, as was the case with other regiments raised in this manner, the men being recruited at the sole expense of the officers. The regiment was inspected

• This functionary, on the departure of the 78th, issued the following document :-" As mayor of Brussels, I have pleasure in declaring, that the Scotch Highlanders, who were garrisoned in this city during the years 1814 and 1815, called forth the attachment and esteem of all by the mildness and suavity of their manners and excellent conduct, insomuch that a representation was made to me by the inhabitants, requesting me to endeavour to detain the 78th regiment of Scotchmen in the town, and to prevent their being replaced by other troops."

at Stirling in February, seventeen hundred and ninety-four, and Mi Cameron was appointed Lieutenant-colonel commandant. Some time after the regiment was embodied, it was completed to a thousand men.

This regiment shared in the unfortunate campaign in Flanders, in seventeen hundred and ninety-four and ninety-five, and in the summer of the last mentioned year it was ordered to the West Indies. The regiment having suffered considerably by a residence of two years in Martinique, an offer was made to the men in July, seventeen hundred and ninety-seven, to volunteer into other corps, and such of them as were inclined to return to Europe were allowed to enter the 42d regiment, then under orders to embark for England. The officers and noncommissioned officers were to return to Scotland to recruit for another battalion. Two hundred and ten men volunteered into the 42d, and came home with that regiment in seventeen hundred and ninety-seven; the rest entered other regiments, and remained in the West Indies.

By the exertions of Colonel Cameron and his officers who returned home with the fleet which brought the 42d to England, a fresh body of seven hundred and eighty men was raised. This newly-raised corps assembled at Inverness in seventeen hundred and ninety-eight, and in the following year formed part of the expedition to the Helder. In this enterprise Captain James Campbell and thirteen rank and file were killed; and Colonel Cameron, Lieutenants Colin Macdonald, D. Macneil, Staer Rose, four sergeants, and fifty-four rank and file, wounded.

In eighteen hundred the regiment embarked for Ferrol, whence it proceeded for Cadiz, and joined the expedition under Sir Ralph Abercromby, destined for Egypt. The corps sustained little loss on this occasion, having had only one sergeant killed; Lieutenant-colonel Patrick Macdowall, Captain Samuel Macdowall, Lieutenants George Sutherland, John Stewart, Patrick Ross,* Volunteer Alexander Cameron, two sergeants, and nineteen rank and file, were wounded.

In eighteen hundred and four a second battalion was added, and in eighteen hundred and eight the regiment embarked for Portugal, and entering Spain with the army under Sir John Moore, followed all his movements till he fell at Corunna. The regiment was next employed in the expedition to Zealand under the Earl of Chatham, and in eighteen hundred and ten embarked for Spain. In the battle of Busaco, which took place on the twenty-seventh of September that year, the regiment had seven men killed, and Captains Neil Douglas and Alexander Cameron, and forty-one rank and file, wounded. In the severe action at Fuentes de Honor on the third of May, eighteen hundred and eleven, the regiment acquired a high reputation for bravery, having mainly contributed to repulse a formidable column of Massena's army in one

This officer, who was son of the late Mr William Ross, tacksmon of Brae in Rossshire, had his arm amputated close to the shoulder; but he refused to leave the regiment. He was promoted by the duke of York, in reward of his merit, to a company in the 69th, at the head of which he was killed at the storming of Fort Cornelis in Java, in 1811.