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12 3

4 5 6

r V

SECOND EDITION, WITH ADDITIONS.

■V "

MEMOIRS

OFTHE

OLD HIGHLANDER,
SERJEANT D. MACLEOD.

1- I

[price two $HILLI^fGS.]

r V

ENTERED AT STAT10NE|l's HALU

*; ■

* *■

t ' -IS'-

<'%„

li, ■ 1'-'-'

'*'.

,*•,

;'%«•■■

HE .6
.Yt

MEMOIRS

OF THE

LIFE AND GALLANT EXPLOITS

OF THE

OLD HIGHLANDER,

SERJEANT DONALD MACLEOD,

WHO,
HAVING RETURNED, WOUNDUD, WITH THE

CORPSE OF GENERAL WOLFE,

FROM QUEBEC,

WAS ADMITTED AN OUT-PENSIONER OF CHELSEA
HOSPITAL, IN 1759 }

''■'''■* I -.. ■• ■

AND IS NOW IN THE • ■

Clll.d YEAR OF HIS AGE.

1 1

LONDON:

¥ROM PETERBOROUGH-HOUSE PRESS,
BY D. AND D. STUART.

o •

SOLD BY J. DEBRETT, PICCADILLY } AND J. FORBES,
COVENT GARDEN.
MDCCXCI.

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A -t

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■. vJ

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-'(^ ■

MEMOIRS

OF THE LIFE OF

1 /

SERJEANT DONALD MACLEOD.

- Donald Macleoo, acadet of the family
of Ulinifh in the Ifle of Skye, from the
time of his enliftiiig in the Scottifh army, in
the reign of King WilUam, to his laft cam-
paign with Sir Henry Clinton in America,
fent many a hero to his long home: but^
in return> he raifed up from his own loins
ft numerous race of brave warriors, the
eldefl of whom is now eighty-three years old,
and the youngeft only nine. Nor, in all pro-
bability, would this lad clofe the rear of his
immediate progeny, if his prefent wife, the
boy's, mother, had not now attained to the
forty and ninth year of her age*

..V. .-A It

•(l^'iTf

«Mlifcf.

( * )

It was formerly ciiftomary in Scotland, a»
well as other countries in Europe, for gen-
tlemen of landed property to make provifion
for their fons by fettling them, in fome
charader and fituation or other, on their
own eftates; fo that the fame tradts, and
even diftrids of land, came, in the natural
courfe of things, to be occupied by people
of the fame name and kindred, who lived
together like one great family, drawn to-
gether by mutual fympathy, and often more
flrongly united by antipathy to fome com-
mon enemy. Sometimes an eftate was par-
celled out among feveral brothers, whether
in equal or unequal divifions ; fometimes
large and advantageous farms weie let to the
younger fons, who, at an eafy rent paid to
the elder branch and reprefentative of the fa-
mily, enjoyed their pofleffions under the name
of tackfmen: and thefe pofTeffions, fubdivided
and fub-let to inferior tenants, palTed by a
kind of hereditary right, which it would
have been deemed a fpecies of impiety to
violate, in the families of the original tackf-
men, from generation to generation. As
the tackfmen were often the immediate

. defcendents

i 'i

;en-
lifion
ibme
their

and
tural
bple
lived

to-
lore
:om-

deicendents of the independent baron or te*
nant of the Crown, fo alfo the fubtenants
were, for the moil part, connected by ties
of blood with the tackfmen. All the capital
and moft of the fccondary poflcflions, and all
the offices or places in the eftate, from the
fa^or Or land-fleward down to the ground-
officer and game- keeper, were in the hands
of men who boafted of the fame name and
the fame defcent with the chief Such, in
general, was the ftate of fociety, and fuch
the mode in which landed eftates were par-
celled out, under the feigneur, in feudal and
Warlike times j wheu men of family had not
the fame refources in manufactures and trade
that they have nowj and which, if they had
enjoyed, they would have defpifed.

Let it not therefore feem any ways incre-
dible, to thofe who are educated in a com-
mercial age, that Serjeant Donald Macleod,
the fubjed of this Narrative, is the fon of
John Macleod the fon of Roderic Mac-
leod, Efq; of Ulinifli, by his wife Margaret
Macleod, daughter to Macleod of Talifkar,
in the parilh of Bracadill in Skye, and county
tf Invernefs, North Britain,

A 2 Sir

( 4 )

• Sir Roderic Macdonald of the Ifle of Skyc,
anceilor to the prefent Attorney-General,
and Roderic Macleod of Ulinini, coufins iii
the fecond degree, fent their children Ifa-
hella Macdonald and Jolin Macleod, to be
educated in Invernefs. In former times,
more fimple than the prefent, it was com-
mon for boys and girls, of the beft families,
to be brought up together in the fame
fchools, as it is among common people, in
common fchools in Scotland, even at this day.
Ifabella Macdonald, accordingly, and John
Macleod had been brought up together, in
a familiar manner, at the public fchool of
Invernefs, for feveral years, when they ac-
knowledged the mutual influence of love.
Ifabella was in the fourteenth year of her
age, when John, in his fixteenth year, ran
away with her from fchool, and married her.
The firft fruit of this union was our hero,
Donald, who was born at Ulinifhmore on
the 20th of June i688, as appears from the
parifli regifter of Bracadill already men-
tioned. •..*. . , .
•X Sir Moderic Macdonald, informed of
the e^ifly ^nd unfortunate marriage of his
:-'" - ' ^ daughter.

'■is)

daughter, banlfhed her, together with her
young hufband, from his prefence, and vowed
revenge againfl Roderic Macleod of UUnifh,
John's father, to whofe privity and contri-
vance, in the firfl tranfports of his paflion, lie
attributed all that had happened. But, in the
lapfe of time, his anger abated, and, on the
pregnancy of his daughter, when her time
drew nigh, he agreed to meet the laird of
Ulinifli on peaceable and friendly terms, for
the purpofe of providing an eflablifliment
of fome kind for the very young couple,
that were the natural objects of their com-
mon concern.

At an interview between thofe gentlemen
it was fettled, that John Macleod fhould be
put in the exclufive poflefllon and right of
the village and farm of Ulinifhmore, by his
father; and that another farm, of about equal
value, (hould be added to this by the father
of the young lady. Sir Roderic Macdonald,
On this ground, contributed from different
eftates, the father and mother of our hero
were fettled, and lived in perfed: romfort for
fix years, at Ulinifhmore ; where, befides
their firfl-born, who faw light, as already

A 3 mentioned.

I i

( o

mentioned, in the year of the Revolution,
they were comforted by the birth of an-
other fon in 1690, named Alexander; that
of a third in 1692, named Roderic ; and
that of a daughter, Agnes, in 1694. — But
this ftate of domeftic innocence and felicity
was foon converted, on the part of the fond
hufband and parent, into a life of great dif^
quietude and danger to himfelf, as well as
negledt and unnaturality to his offspring, by
the death of his wife, who never recovered
after bearing Agnes ; for that melancholy
event drove him to a courfe of diflipation,
which terminated in a military life, and in
the alienation of all his paternal inheritance
from his family.

Being a man of high fpirit and feniibility,
and at no time reftrained by the flridteft laws
of moderation, he gave a loofe rein, after the
lofs of his wife, to unruly paffioas; and, while
he wafted his fubftance by gaming and vari-
ous kinds of expensive excefs, he incurred
general difpleafure and diflike by challeng-
ing, in his cups, even his beft neighbours
and friends to fight him with the broad fword,

on,
an*
hat
and
But
city
bnd
dif,
1 as
by
ered
holy

( 7 )

at which he was efleemed uncommonly ex-
pert and dextrous.

But all the power of extreme difllpatlon
was not able to efface, from his mind and
heart, the image of his dear and almoll in-
fant partner. The whole fcenery around,
every objed:, recalled to his imagination that
beloved image, together with tender regret and
forrow, that fhe whom it vainly reprefented
was now no more ! A year had not elapfed,
from the death of his wife, when he mort-
gaged the land that had been made over to
him, for feven years, for a fum of money ;
left a country, the light of which was become
painful to him; went to fea; and, after vari-
ous viciflitudes of fortune, became a Lieu«
tenant of Marines in the Chatham Divi-
ion.

By the time that the term of years for
which he had granted the pofleffion of his
land had expired, he came home, fold it, re-
turned to fea, and purfued his fortune. He
rofe in the naval fervice to the rank of
Captain of Marines, in a fhip of war, and
fell at Belle-Ille, in the year 176 1.

* ifi

* si
■it'

A 4

Captain

( 8 )

Captain Macleod, when he went to feaj
left his children, four in number, in the care
of their grand-father, Roderic Macleod of
Ulinifh } who was not able to do much for
them, as he had a family of his own by a
fecond wife, young, numerous, and yearly
increafing. His children and grand- children
amounted to the number of twenty-three,
wixo lived all of them together at Ulinifhmore;
the youngeft part going every day a fpace of
about four miles, even amidft the fevered
wintry ilorms, to the parifh-fchool of Bra-
cadill. Sometimes Donald was obliged to
carry his little brother Alexander, fcarcely
five years old, on his back. At the fchool
of Bracadill Donald learned to read Englifli,
and to write j though his lingers have now
become fo ftifF, through age, that it is with
difficulty he can fign his own name. It
would coft him greater exertion to write one
page than to walk an hundred miles, or to go
through a trial at the broad-fword.

The regimen and manner in which he,

with his little brothers and uncles, feme of

whom were younger than either he or any of

hi3 brothers, were brought up, was as follows/

•: . ,. --* They

'1'

( 9 )

They were clothed with a woollen fhirt, a kilt,
or fhort petticoat, and a fhort coat, or rather a
waiftcoat with fleeves, reaching down and
buttoned at the wrift. This was the whole of
their clothing. No hats, nor bonnets, no
ilockings, nor yet Ihoes, either in fummer or
winter! in fun-fliine, rain, froft, or fnow ! If
the elder boys had one pair of brogues, or coarfe
ihoes, formed rudely by leathern thongs out
of raw and undrelTed hides, it was rather for
ornament than ufe; for particular folemni-
ties than for conftant wear. For the moft
part, their heads, necks, legs and feet were
quite bare. It was only when the youth
approached to manhood, and became, as we
would fay, beaus, that they were indulged
with either fhoes or bonnets. How, thus
flightly attired, they could endure the rigour
of an hyperborcal winter, appears to be
aftonifhing and fcarcely credible. But mark
what I am going to relate. In the morn^
. ings, the moment they came out of bed, they
wafhed themfelves all over in large tubs of
jcpld water, which feafoned them to the wea-
ther, whatever it was, and gave them the
temperature of the day. In the evening

again.

V'j-

M''

' s*'

tgain, they waflied with cold water before
iheir going to bed. This fecond ablution
was neceflary to clear away the dirt occa-
iioned by going without flioes and flock-
ings. The application of water was the
more necelTary, that the ufe of linen was
then but little known, or in fafliion. But,
whatever were the circumftances and views
that determined the Highlanders, in trains
ing up their children, to make free and frc-t
quent ufe of the cold-bath, certain it is
that they did make fuch ufe of it. It is
affirmed by many writers, and, indeed, on
grounds ahnoft certain, that not only the
Lowland Scots, but even many of the
Highland tribes, as the Campbells, Mac-,
lecds, Macpherfons, 6:'^ are not of Celtic,
but of Scandinavian, that is. of Scythian or
Tartarian origin. Now, it is well known,
that the Tartarian tribes, the fame people
with the ancient Scythians, are in the con-
dant ufe of dipping their children in cold
water, into which they put as much fait as
they can fpare. By this means they think their
conftitutions are invigorated, and prepared

ore
ion
ca-
k-
the
as
ut.
;wa
in-,
re-
is

t6 encounter all inequalities and rigours of
climate. ...

With regard to the food with which
our young hero was nouriflied, it confifted,
for the mofl: part, nay almoft folely, in meal,
or flour of oats and barley boiled up into
gruel or porridge, or formed into cakes-
with milk ; and fifh, which are caught on
the weftem fhores of Scotland in extreme
abundance. As to flefli-mcat, it feldomor ever
icame within his reach j for, though the Illc
of Skye fends thoufands of fmall bullocks
annually to the Englifli market; this very
circumftance, this very abundance in cattle,
induces the poor natives to hufband well thife
article, as the only fund for railing a little
money. Without corn fufficient for them-
felves, without mines, and without manufac-
tures, the exportation of cattle is their only ar-
ticle of commerce. Herrings, whitings, cod,
ling, &c. &c. croud upon their fhores ; but
they want fait, they want capitals, they
want the foftering breath of rich indivi-
duals as well as that of government, to fwell
their fails, and fpread their vefTels over the
furrounding feas.

What

, ( ,2 )

Whatapity that fourmillions ftcrlingfhould
have been expended for liberty to fifh on the
other fide of the globe for ftinking whales,
when even a fmall part of thatfum, judicioufly
laid out on fome fuch pra<ftical and eafy plan
as that recommended by Captain Newte, in
his late tour in England and Scotland, woulcj
have nourifhed a flourifhing fifhery at home»
furnifhed the tables of both rich and poor
with fuch a variety of iifhes, good for food,
and pleafant to the eye, and which would
tend, in more ways than one, to the increafc
of population ? If tempefts and furious
ftorms drive our feamen within thirty miles
of the Spanish fhores, they have nothing to
cxpeft but barbarity from a proucf and bi-
gotted people, whofe jealoufy of our en-^
croachments will now, after the late con-
vention, be greater, and theii infolence more
intolerable than ever. If the winds and
waves tofs them on the Caledonian coaft,
every fkiff is fitted out, every arm extended
for their relief and comfort ! But, not to
digrefs too far from our fubjecft .: .^ '

When Donald Macleod was no more than
nine years of age he was fent to Invernefs,

and

( '3 )
and bound apprentice to Walter and John
Watfons, alias Macpherfons, mafons and
ftone-cutters. On this occafion he was ho-
noured with a pair of brogues and a bonnet.
The apprentice-fee paid to the Macpherfons,
who were efteemed excellent in their profef-
fion, was 50I. Scotch; that is, 4I. 3s. 4d. fter-
ling. He was bound for feven years. His own
family was to furnifh him clothes: the Mac-
pherfons with bed and board in their own houfe.
He wasan apt and diligent apprentice, learned
his trade with great facility, and pleafed his
mafters well. Both here, and when he was
at "the fchool of Bracadill, his fpare hours,
like thofe of other boys, were wholly em-
ployed in training up himfelf, .by cudgel-
playing, to the ufe and management of the
broad-fword and target.
. The only article of food that he had,
cither here or in his grand-father's houfe,
in abundance, was milk and iifh. Bread was
dealt out with a very fparing handj the
porridge, or rather water-gruel, was greatly
too thin ; and as to the foup-meagre, made
of oatmeal and a fmall handful of greens,
(which, with a little barley-bread, was hi$
- * moil

ifli

tnoft common dinner), it did not defefve tJld
name of foup, or broths fo much as that of
water tinged with thofe ingredients. With
regard to fifli, ahhough even the common
people were, on many occafions, plentifully
fupplied with this delicate food, it was neither
found palatable for any great length of time^
nor yet nutritious, unlefs duly feafoned with
fait, and mixed, in ufing it, with fomething
of the mealy or farinaceous kind; articles
«f provifion in which the northern counties!
of Scotland were, at that time, miferably de-
ficient. So that, on the whole, our hero
confeffes, that he very feldom had a full and
fatisfadtory meal ; or rofe from table without
« degree of appetite — if he fheathed his
fword, it was for lack of argument. He is
convinced that, by this penury of living, his
ilomach was contraded, at leafl not dilated
to the ufual fize of men's brought up in the
midft of plenty. For at no period of his
life did he ever defire or ufe near fo much
food, of any kind, as the bulk of thofe around
him in any countryi At this moment he eats
iparingly, and next to nothing at all, tho* h&
takes a chearful^nd even plentiful glafs witb^

V, r

tUa

It of

^ith

Imon
fully
Ither
|imcy

rith

( 15 )

out the fmalleft inconveniency* A gentleman
juft turned of forty, after drinking a hearty
glafs with Macleod to an hour much later
than ufual, and who felt the effeds thereof
next morning, was happy to be called up
from bed, in London, by the arrival of Mr.
Macleod, in good fpirits and health, from
Chelfea. • • ♦ .

While Macleod remained in his grand-
father's family in the Ifle of Skye, fcan-
tinefs of more folid provifion was, in fome
meafure, compenfated by liberal fupplies of
milk ; and, now and then, on holidays, they
were treated with aii egg. But, with the
ftone-cutters he found not one egg, and of
milk very little. He felt the pinching pain
of want. His fituation became infupportable.
Extreme hunger induced him to harbour
thoughts of breaking loofe from his mailer,
and trying to fatisfy the cravings of nature in
fomc other part of the kingdom. ■ '

If all this prefTure of hunger and want
fhould appear extraordinary, the furprize of
the reader will wholly vanifh, when he recol-
lects, that the firft years of Macleod's ap-
prenticeihip fell within the period of th^t de«

plora|]fle

plorable famine which afflidcd Scotland, not
yet taught to provide againft fcarcity of grain
by means of navigation, for the laft kvtn
years of the fevcnteenth century, which was
long remembered under the name of the dear
years \ and of which tradition has yet pre-
ferved in the minds of men a melancholy
recolledlion. It was this dreadful famine
that occafioned the noted propofal of Mr*
Fletcher of Saltouri, to redeem the begging
poor of his country from the fangs of warit^
by binding them in the chains of flavery*
This idea appears fhocking to a modern ear4
Mr. Fletcher's mind was tutored in the Grecian
and Roman School ; nor was it much more
than a hundred years fince the Parliament of
Scotland had pafled an ad, by which the
children of beggars fliould be taken away
from their unhappy parents, and be brought
up in flavery for a certain term of years.
And it was a hundred precifely lince the
Scottifh Parliament, in 1597, extended that
limited term to life. Mr. Fletcher tells us,
that, in the year 1698, there were, befides
a great many poor families pining in fecret
want, others very meanly provided for out of
- , the

( '7 )

...»

the church Bbxes, and others who had fallen
into varidus difcafcs by living on bad food— -
that there were, bcfide'-^ all thcfe, two hun-
dred thtnifahd people in Scotland begging
their bread frbm door to door.

Such then were the hard circumftances
atid times in which Donald Macleod was
brought up, from the fifth year of his age
nearly to the twelfth.

Towards Chriftmas, in the year 1699, in
the rfiidfl of froft and fnow, with his inden-
ture, whicl> he had contrived to get into his
hands, and one lihen fliirt in his pocket, our
young adventurer, before it was yet day, fet
out from his mailer's houfe at Invernefs, fe-
cretly, \^ithout any other deftination than
that of \<randering with his face fouthward.
tiis brogues and his ftockings foon gave way,
and he was reduced to the neceffity of en-
countering the icy and rugged paths through
which he palTed with his legs and feet quite,
bare. This circumflance, however, w^s not
half fo afflicting to little Donald, as the con-
ftant appreheiifion left he fliould be purfued
and overtaken by the Macpherfons, his maf-
t^s, and forcibly taken back to fulfil the

tune

( '8 )

• . ■

time of his apprenticefhip. He, therefore,
as Hiuch as pofTiblc, avoided the highway,
and ftruck, at every turn, into the narrow
defiles, and bye-paths, that led through the
mountains. Mr. Burke thinks that nothing,
no, not Liberty itfelf, is abfolutely or ab-
ftradledly good : that things are only dcfir-
able and good relatively; and that all their
comfort depends on circumftances. But
Donald Macleod w^as of a different opinion :
for, even in the midfl of fnowy hills, and
dreary, frozen waftps, he exulted in his
freedom, in the confcioufnefs of being un-
controlled, and his owrn mafter. Liberty
appeared to Donald to be good, abftradledly
and in itfelf; for, though it did noi imme-
diately remove the evil, of which he had
fo much reafon to complain in a flate of
fervitude, it excited courage, and nou-
rifhed hope: it gave full fcope to fancy
and contrivance, and alleviated the weight
of what he now fufFered, by the profpedt
of what he might yet enjoy. His feelings
were in exad unifon with thofe of another
adventurer, on a Tour into the Interior Parts
of Africa,

^ .. " I now

((

( '9 ) ,

•* I now exulted," fays the traveller, " In
my emancipation, (from his maftcrs,) and
" felt an cxtafy of joy in the mere pof-
** fciHon of life and liberty, though I knew
" not how to fuftain the one, or fccure the
** other. Nor was I plunged into defpair
" when this tranfport began to fubfide. If
" I fliould fubfift on the reptiles of the
" earth, and roots, and herbs, and feeds,
and to whatfoever I fliould be drawn by
the keennefs of fenfe, purified by want,
and invigorated by the breath of Heaven,
I would efleem myfclf happy in being my
" own mailer."

Our young wanderer feldom went near
any houfe in the day-time ; but when night
approached, he looked about for fome ham-
let, or village, where he might get a lodging,
and fomething to fuftain Nature. Though,
in thofe calamitous times, he met with fre-
quent repulfes when he begged a bit of bread
or a little meal, he was never rcfufed a
night's lodging by any one to whom he
made application. ** Woe is me !" people
would fay, " he is a comely boy. His coat
" and kilt too are of a finer plaid than ufual.
-, B 2 " He

..^

( 20 )

*• He is fufdy fomc gciltIcttiJln*s fon.-
•* Perhaps," another wonid fay, "he is fomc
" gentleman's baftard." Some, in the morn-
ing, would give him a fmall pittance of the
little that they had for their own famifhed
children^ md, with tears In their eyes, bid the
Lord blefs him and guide him. Others
would eataeftly advife him to return home.
To dl their inquiries coftcerning his family,
his name, 2Cnd the pkce from whence he
came, he gare evafive anfwers, fearing no-
thing fo much, as that he fhould fell again
into the hinds di the Macpherfons. f hofc
men were not harih to him, though they
confined him ciofeJy to his work ; but he
was abfoluteiy ftarved, as they had not, m
the midft of prevailing famine, wherewithal
*<i fatisfy the wa.its of their family. *"^ "

When he came (for he fteered hvs courfe
fouthward by the highland, not by the coaft-
rosid) near to Abcrfeldic, where xhttt was si
ferry, the bridge not being yet built, he fell
in with an elderly woman^ decently ap-
parelled, and, in appearance, rather above the*
common rank. She put many queftions, atid
at length oifercd to take him home with
"■ ■■• . * - ,. . - ■* •.- her

fome
ofn-
of the
i/hed
idfhc
thers
hotnc,
amily,
ce he
igno-
again
ThoCc

1 they
ut he
ttt, in
"fithaf

;bar/e
:oafl-
iV'as si
efcH
ap-

2 thtt*
atid

ivith
her

•c

«<

( 81 )

her to her own houfe. He aiked her what
ihc would do with him. She faid, ftrok-
ing his curling hair, " My pretty boy I have
loft ipy only child, who, had he lived,
would have juft been about your age, and
I think not unlike you. I will take you
*' along with me, and you fhall be my fon.'*
He was not infeniible to this good woman's
kindnefs i for, while fhe fhed tears for pity,
he cri^d out of grateful a0e<5tion. But flill he
thought he was too near Invernefs ; too much
cxpoied to the inquiries of his late maflers.
He, therefore, thanked the kind ftranger for
her offer, but poiitively refufed to accept it.
" Alas !" faid fhe, " Where will you go ?
" Some heart, I fear, aches for you this day.*'
So> finding him refolutc to purfue his jour-
ney, fhe put a fhilling in his hand, and a
warm handkerchief about his neck, and
committed him, with many prayers for his
fafety, to the care pf Providence.

Turning eaflward from Aberfeldie, he
purfued his journey along the north fide of
the Tay till he came to Logierait, at the
jun(3tion of the Tay and the Tumel. This
lafl river, that he might not fpend one far-

B 3 thing

( « )

thing of his fhilling by taking the ferry-boat,
he boldly determined to ford, and adually
did ford it, though the water was breafl-
high. But as he journeyed onward to Dun-
keld, he was met by a well-drefTed man on
foot, with another man a little behind him
who appeared to be his fervant. The iirfl
of thefe, who was one of the gentlemen
robbers fo frequent in Scotland in thofe days,
flopped our young traveller, and after feveral
queflions, afked him what he had in his
pocket. Donald, trembling for his ilillling,
affirmed that he had nothing. But the ap-
plication of a piflol pointed to his breaft,
extorted his whole treafure without delay.
The unfeeling plunderer held on in his way
northward, and the haplefs youth whom he
had plundered proceeded on his jouj-ney, to
which he knew not when or where there
would be an end.

), ii«is rj

.U'h/? J^i i.Ai,k,i.> ,./

It was now in the dufk of the evening,
and being overcome with fatigue, cold, and
great forrow at the lofs of his (hilling, he
felt an irrefiflible propenfity to go to lleep.
No houfe or hut was near in which he
might obtain friendly fhelter ; but he efpied

a flieep-

(

)

'S»

jlL (heep-cot as he advanced, in which he
found a very warm and comfortable night's
lod_,'In<^ and mofl profound and refrelliing
rc'pofe, among the flieep and the goats.
I'hc n' xt morning difcovered a village, not
far dillant, in which he was refrefhed wdth
both' oatmeal and milk : on the ftrength of
wl^ich rt^pail: he pafTed on to Dunkeld,
crolfcd the Tay, and, about two o'clock, ar-
rived at the town of Perth.

Here he thought himfelf, at firft, at a
■greater lofs, amidfl; allthe.conyeniencies and
'wealth oJf a very confiderable town, than he
had i>. n vyhile he wandered from mountain
'to mountain, and found, at long diftancfes, the
thinly fcattered and humble abodes of the
■poor fljepherds. Though gentlefolks, or thofe
who conlider themfelves as fuch, would oc-
cafionally give a bit of bread, he knew that
they were very fhy of affording quarters. He
was, therefore, eagerly looking about for fome
mean hoiife, where his application for a
night's lodging might not give offence or
meet^ with infult, and where the poor inha-
bitant, taught fympathy, perhaps, by fuf-
Tering, might be difpofed to have compaffion

JJ 4 on

( H )

on the unfortqnate ; when he faw, in the
' ftreet called the Skinner- Gate, occupied
chieHy by people froin the |iighlands, a
woman, in a fniall ihop with an earthen
floor, fpinning[ at a wheel, and watching a
few articles which ihp was ready to fell.

Thefe circumftanccs of poverty, togethc^r
VfiiYi a benignity pf foal exprelTed in the
countenance of the woman, encouraged him
to apply for pcrmiflipn tp ^-eft ^ Utjtle in the
houfe : nor did hp apply in yain. The wo-
man, whom he afterwards found to be a
widp\y, received him into Her little manfipj|,
and treated him ^yith the utmoil kindnef^.
To Iter queflipns r^fped^ing his iituatfps^,
he anfwered, that he was a poor apprentipp
who had run away from his maftcf. The
woman, looking earneftly in his face, with
tears darting ii^tp her eyes, faid, " He n^uft
be a bad man frpni whopfi you have rup
away." Ponald replied, that his mafter
was not indeed a cruel man, though aeceility
inade all of them wprjc, and with yeiy little
fuftenance, by night and by day. The
tender-hearted woman loft no time to give
him a bafon of gopd broth, with a lij^rs^

-»vJ ...

t€

him

■' • •>

the

€t

fupply of brea4. This was tjie fif-fl: plenti-
ful meal that he ever had received, Jg t\\^
befl of his reipen^hrance, in his IJfe, He fpU
immediately to deep. He was put to Jjed, an^
llept till twelye o'clpck at jiight, >yl^en )ip
arofe, and found his good hoftef^, ^t tli^t latp
hour, ftiiifpinniqg.r-." Welir 6id ftp. '' my
pretty boy, will ypu have any thing tp e^
now ?" For he had fallen afleep ^/ter tafcr
ing the broth, without taftin^ a bit of th?
meat th^t ha^ been bgilf d in it. fie (Ji4 n9t
defire to eat a^y ^hing inpre than he had
done, but begged leave to go agsiin \o bed.

Early in the morning tjie gppd ^VQH^an )iad
lighted her fire, and fat dpvyn ^o fpiq, when
her young gueft arofe, and, afraid pf b,eing
too long troublefonie, offered tp \^ke h^f
leave, with ipany thanks for Jier great l^indr
fiefs. " Woe is me," faid flie^ " ypi; have
" peither ihpes nor ftpckipgs !'* With that
fhe brought forth, put of an pld cjiefl:, a pair
pf ihpes an4 Apckings which l^elonged to
one of her own children, tb^t h^d been dcafl
a^ouV fix mpntjis, and whi}e (h^ trie4 hp\y
they wpul4 fit her yo^pg gueft, \\^hich they
did pretty well, fhcd |i\ap.y tfarf . She now

invited

I Mliiti

.r-f'T

Mil

>•

• ( 26 )

invited Donald to flop another night, and,
in the mean time, converfed with him, in
the Gaelic tongue, about the place and peo-
ple he had left, and about his own family.
Being now at a tolerable diftance from In-
Vernefs, and pretty fafefrbrn the purfu it of
the flone-cutters, he linbofomed himfelf to
Mary Forbes, for that was his landlady's
name, with great freedom. — " Oh !" faid,
he, " is there any body in this place, do you
^* think, that would keep me ?" "I don't
'** know," Mary replied, " but there is.
Stay in the houfe, and mind the little
things at the door till I come back."
Having faid this fhe went out, and foon re-
turned with a young man, of very genteel
'appearance, who kept a fhop in Perth near
the fouth end of the Water-Gate. He was a
Strathern man ; his name James Macdohald.
Mr. Macdonald being fatisfied that the boy
could both read and write, and that he had
'a pure as well as a fair fkin, (for, in thofe
fad times, cutaneous diforders were almoft
univerfal), took him immediately to his houfe,
and let hini deep in the fame bed with him-
felf; for he' had but two in the houfe, in one.

«i

of which lay his mother and a i^rvant girl.
When Donald left Mary Forbes he promifed
to fee her often -, and he kept his word/^^'^'

Mr. Macdonald, as he walked homeward
to his own houfe, faid to his little fervant,

I had once a boy, older than you j ijnd

after I had been very good to him he rirt
," away With all the money that he could
" find in the fhop." '* He rnuft have been
" a very bad bidy," Donald replied; ** but. I
" will fponW die than behave in fuch a man-
ner." — " I couM fwear, faid Mr. Macdonald, '
- that y6u Would." ^'^^^^^^ ^'' ^^^^^^ '^^^ .

The good old gentlewoinan, Mr. MiCd-
donald's mother, at her fon*s requeft, fur-
Yiifhed his little man with (lockings arid
fliirts. He was alfo equipped with a new
Voat and a- bonnet. He might have had
breeches too, according ' to the lowknd
fafhibn, but he preferred the philebeg, and
'fiis mafter indulged him in his choice. He
give perfect fdtisfadiion to his tnafter in every
[thing, and particularly' in the bufinefs of
■going on errands, which he did with aftonifh-
"ihg expedition. At that time there was not
'^ny general poft in Scotland ; and therefore
*•-- •=► the

ibf5 intw.^urfe hp.tw^n rocrch^nte w^p car-
ried Qn by (pm4 lueffisDgdrp. Mf. JVjA^r
donald put fucb egnfideocc ja hip ywoj;
foatm^n as to f«ji4 km to Ed.inbuFgh, with
ii^ty-ninp pounds ip g9ld» fcw<;d wpi by
pon^W'p advi(?e, in hi^ plgthe?. Jh^ 4if-r
)t^ce from F?rth to Edinburgh, by fthip nwr*
fft: tp^if is twcnty-pight Scotch, or forty
JPpgliflj i^iks. Dur young courier, with bread
find j?hcc/c, ^ndtwQ iji^lings \i\ his pocket, kt
oyt frpm Perth at eigfet p'cjg^ jin the Wiprnr
ij^g, juad arrive4 af Wnghprft ^t(\^ in tJie even-
ing, when he luckily found ^ bP4t* th^i, ia

^ little ixiQrc than an hour, carried hm Qverthc

Fr^th of Fprth tg f^^iit j froi?> whence be raiji
^p E^ii>bi|rgh ift half ^ ho^r, delivered bi|

lyw^jfafejy, received ^ proper reoeipt, with
^ filling to \i'mfpl( f![om the fhop-ke?per5 tp

whpw the iponey, in different pprtion^, w^
yconligned, flept all night at ^ Stahlpj-'s, in thp
C|inonj5?l;e^ recrofled the Frith iwxt ^loxningt
and, towards the evening, returned to Perth.

,f he p}d wonvin, Mr?. Macdpnald^ who wa«

fif^ing in the kitchen, e^cl^imed, " O Don^Jdf

" what has happened ^ what h^s brpught ypu

" back V But, hy this tii»f^ hf M given

a hit

( *5 )

cUnd of thtf ikfe delivei^iK^tf 6f the tA($ii«y^

At thi» time thtrti WJis ii ASctUitttig ffAfty iH
fetthi b^tltii Up f^ y6huM6^ts t^ ft^in kii>
Majefly Kiilg WiUittm IlL in Ihe regiiikf^
df the Royal itot^, comAliitdbd^y Khe Barl
of Of kii^. Thejr Wore m& iipt, i^d We«
irtnsd 'With Bo-^i artd a^rbWS, and fWwdi
artd <*rget*. Donald Maefeed, ftptick \Vith
fhe Aidrtial Cighi vttid fennd of t^ie little
imnd, felt hi* hiart kstt tkld to the fhitti^
ptt arid druih ; afid, forgetting hi§ fta'fttfi
attd years', riot yet thirteen, ^g^rit iip' afid
otfered his fefviceS to the fefjoniit Th6
ferjcarit, lookirig. oh hin* with a fihile of
cotti|)iaceriey, fkid, "Nay/ riiy goOid laid, yoii
are toidr frtiall : howevct", as you fcerii a fpi-
f itcd and well-made yoiith, I will take yoii
** totheCaptafifi/' The Captain, whofcnamtf
was^ Macdonald, ftrCirigly prepoffefTed With
his appearanfce, enquired who he wa:^, and
Whe'nce he had come. He told this officer
til tlie tnith, and fhe^ied hrrifi the ind^nijUTe
executed, ort Ms account,' between R6di6^rte
Macleod of Ulinifti, M^ ^aAd-fat^ei^i and

' -- . - . - ..;-■= •■:-:-i:''^:{ ilofktfi

I I

(30) ■

ftone-cuttfcrs. On this, the Captain rccog-*
pizing him to be the dcfcendant of a gen-,
tleman, and, as it feemed, his own relation,
immediately e. lifted him by giving him a
fhilling, in the King's name, of Englifh mo-
ney; and, at the fame time, the promife of
being foon promoted to the rank of a fer-,
jeant. He now took leave of his good friend
Mary Forbes, and James Mardonald, an in-
dulgent mafter, with fome regret, and fet
out for Edinburgh with Captain Macdonald
"who prefented him, in that city, to Lord
Orkney, informing his Lordfliip, at the
fame time, of his family. In thoi'c days it
was not an uncommon thing for the younger
fons of gentlemen, and fubflantial farmers and
manufadurers, to go into the army as vo-
lunteers, with the view of bv^ing loon made
at leaft non-commiflioned olliccrs. The
army was not then, as it is now, the com-
mon receptacle of all that carry the name and
appearance of men. The art was not then
known, or profefled, of bending the greateft
black-guards and poltroons into brave men,
by the povver of difcipline : Regard was had
to morals, to perfonal courage and ftrength,
and to political and perfonal attachments.

The

( 31 ) .

The noble Earl of Orkney highly applaud-
ed the martial fpirit and appearance of his
young volunteer ; and foon after even truft-
cd him fo far as to fend him, in the capa-
city of recruiting ferjeant, virith a confider-
able fum of money, a party of thirty men,
and a trufty corporal, into the fliire of In-
vernefs. A certain number of thefc re-
mained with himfelf, where-ever he went.
The reft were fent, in fmall parties, under
corporals, into different quarters.

The fuccefs of our young recruiting of-
ficer was very uncommon. He returned to
Edinburgh, after an abfence of only a few
months in the county already mentioned,
with a great number of recruits; and foon
thereafter embarked with his regiment at
Berwick, in 1703, for Flanders.

The French King, Lewis XIV. at this pe-
riod aimed at nothing lefs than univerfal
monarchy in Europe. The grand theatres
of military adtion were thofe regions that
are watered by the great rivers, the Rhine
and the Danube, both of them having their
fource in the neighbourhood of the lofty
country of Switzerland ; but the firft, run-
ning from fouth to north, and falling into

the

( 5i J

ifi6 6ctftiJirt St^ cm thfc cdalti 6? th<i tfhited
Pf6vJficfcS } the fbcohd floWirig in a fotith^
artcrly difedion, arid driptyihg itfclf iii th6
Black Sta in the Turkifh territorits. The
chitf cbrhhiihders in the Frenth arffiy w€t6
thfe Maffcfchils d6 Vltleroy, tdiard, aiid
Villar§ ; the moft rthbWried attiong thi Coh-
fcdchlt^i, ebnliftirtg of ih6 Dutth, thfe Ini-
pferialiftS, afid t\i6 feh^ifli— Princ^ t\igch6
6f Savdy, and thtf Dlike' of Marlb6r6iigll.
The French, ifi daily e±J)6£tatidn of b<iirig
joliitfd by the fisVariari army, heade'd fey the
Eledio^ Wetd enlplbyed iti fortifying thelf
cattp ndar lidnumtt, oh th^ fiariks of thd
Dahai)^. fhe Confederate army f6tt6i
^ their entrenchment.*!, and put them to flight,
after ah ohftinate engagement; in which thd
enemy lofl fix thbufand meh, befides de«
fertefs. in this bittle, the firft in Which
oiit he'i-o iJbnald Macleod WaS ehgaged, h6
had hi6 fiili fharfe* : for, accofdirig t6 the btA
ififbrriied hiftorkns of ihoie times ^, «* Th6
* tiitl of OlKNfiY's and Licutfenaht-geherd

* Sec Cuniwngham's Hrftory of Great-Britain, voK i,
p. 3^9. Canningham was travelling governor and tutor
to John DuJce of Argyle.

( 33 )

^ InGoldsby*s regiments, Major-gCncfal
** Wood's fquadron, and the Lord John

Hay's dragoons, purchafed immortal glory

in the victory of this day, with the lols
•* of many of their meni"

The battle of Donawert, otherwife called
the battle of Schcllenberg, was followed, in
Auguft, 1704, by the celebrated adtion at
Blenheim^ in which, alfo, the Royal Scots
were engaged. After the battle had gone
fore agiainfl the French, with their allies the
Bavarians, and the Marefchal de Tallard was
taken prifonef, a ftrong detachment of
the former flill maintained their poft in the
village of Blenheim. The Duke of Marlbo^
rough fent a meflage to the commanders^ ad-»
viling them, from motives of humanity, vo-
luntarily to furrender themfelves and their fol-
diers. The general officer made choice of for
carrying this mefTagc was the Earl of Orkney;

Serjeant Macleod continued to do his duty*
with great applaufe, in Lord Orkney's
tegiment, when his lordfhip was fent by
the Duke of Marlborough, in his fourth cam-
paign, to raife the fiege of Liege; at the
battle of Ramillies or Malplaquet; and all

p the

'■; ; T

'^1:

( 34 )

the time that his regiment fetved In the
Duke of Marlborough's campaigns In Ger-

' many and Flanders. Yet, in all t'.is quick
fucceflion of battles and fieges, he had the
good fortune to efcape without a wound ,

During the ceiTation of arms that pre-
ceded the peace of Utrecht, 171 3, he was
engaged in feveral private encounters. A-^
he one day walked along the ramparts of
the town in which his regiment lay, a
French non-commiilioned officer, who hap-
pened to pafs aiong underneath, ufed fome
taunting expreflions, which provoked Mac-
leod to retaliate, in a torrent of contempt
poured forth in different languages, French,
German, and Erfe, as each mofl readily pre-
fented an emphatic term of abufe. The
Frenchman bei>ig almoll as hot as the High-
lander, a challengij was mutually given, and

■ received. At the time and place appointed
a duel was fought, with fwords, in which
the Frenchman fell, giving his antagonift
his gold watch, and confelfmg, with his laft
breath, that what had happened was owiiig

' to his own vantonnefs. — After the peace
was coacluded, and the army was preparing

n, and

minted

-vhich

gonift

islait

)wiiig

peace

aring

. ( 35 )
to re-embark for Great-Britain, parties wel-e
fent out in fearch of deferters. Serjeant
Macleod was fent with a party to the town
of Breda* Whether there was any thing in
the air and manner of the Serjeant, that was
conftrued by the French, whom he met
with near that place, into ftudied infolence,
cr no, is not here affirmed ; but certain it is,
that a French oliicer came up to hii/i, and
faid, ** I enUfled the two men whom you
want, and (fwearing by a great oath) I
will keep them." A warm altercation
cmu^d. Macleod challenged him to fingle
combat. The French lieutenant obtained
leave from his fnperior office •• to nght
with Macleod, though only a ferjeant. The
Frenchman fell in the duel ; and the two
men in queilioa were given up by the fu-
perior officer on Macleod's paying the en-
liiling money, which amounted to fifteer..
ducats. — On another occafion, and in ano-
ther town, to the befb of his remembrance
Liile, as he was walking with two ladies on
the rampart, a German trooper, looking
flernly at our hero, faid, in German, " The
** Devil take the whole of fuch dogs."

c 2 " What

ifi:

<■

'•■vr'

' ( 36 )

«* What is that you fay ?" — The German
repeated it — Macleod immediately drew hie
fword — the trooper ran off: but a Ger-
man officer, who had come up to take his
part, faced Macleod, £.id a fharp conflict
cnfued. The Oilicer had more courage and
ftrength, t ..' :.vill, at the broad-fword,
and it would have been an eafy thing for
Macleod to have cut him off; but he had
no quarrel with the gentleman who had
generoufly come up to the afliflance of his
countryman when his life was threatened.
He, therefore, finding that he was fully
miifter of his man, determined to proceed by
degrees. He firft cr: o^t a part of the calf
of his large and th - i'^g. The Captain
Hill perfevered in the o nbat — the Serjeant
wounded him fmartly in the fword-arm.

He gave up the contefl on this, and faid,
** It is enough." The officer was affifted to
his quarters; and, wounded as he was, he
infifted on Mac) . J's accompanying him
home, and drinking vv ita him j which they
did very plentifully. They both cried, and
kiffied at parting. — Such is the nature of
man, divided by fdtifh and fecial paffions,

according

^^ C 37 )
according to various ^fituations ! Duelling,
in thofe days, was more frequent in the
army than now, but lefs common among aU
ranks in civil life.

Lord Orkney's regiment, on the peace,
was fent to Ireland, in order to keep the
country quiet, and to quell fome riots and
infurred:ions. By this time Serjeant Mac-
leod's name was highly diftinguifhed as a
trave and expert fwordsman. An Irifh
bully, called Maclean, while the Royal
Scots lay in the barracks of Dublin, came
to challenge him to i^ght with fword and
target. He was prefented, by a Lieutenant
Maclean, his name's-fake, a Scotchman, to
Captain Macdonald, to whufe company our
hero, now in the very prime of life, his 26th
year, belonged, as has been already men-
tioned. Lieutenant Maclean hoped that
Captain Macdonald would not be offended if
his name's- fake, the fwordsman, fhould chal-
lenge Serjeant Macleod to the broad-fword.
The Captain gave his hearty concurrence,
for he had the mofl perfect confidence in
the agility, experience and addrefs of the

c 3 Serjeant.

€f

( 38 )

Serjeant. The Bully went, in company with
Lieutenant Maclean, to Donald Macleod.
I hear," faid he, ** that you are a good
fwordfman. Will you iight me for fve
guineas ?'* " As you are a Maclean,"
Donald replied, " it fhall not cofl you fo
** much: I will, for the Lieutenant's fake,
** fight you for one guinea." They now
fliook hands, in token of mutual good-will :
but Maclean gave fuch a fqucezc to Ma-
cleod' s fingers as made him roar, to the great
diverfion of Lieutenant Maclean and the
Bully; who paid dear for this joke before
they parted. Maclean had great mufcular
ilrength, and was, befides, of gigantic flature.
His hand, by frequent ufe, had acquired fuch
a power of fqueezing, that it might be com-
pared to a fmith's vice ! He now, before they
Ihould proceed to the fword, would lay a
wager, he faid, that there was not a man in
the company, nor in Dublin, that could turn
his wrift an inch, one way or the other, from
the pofition in which he fliould place it.
There was a bet laid of two guineas. The
Bully laid his right arm fiat on a table :
but Donald, by a fudden jerk, turned his
I wrift.

( 39 ) ■ , -

wrift, and gained the wager. The champions
now fell to fwords, and Macleod cut off Ma-
clean's right arm.

The Scots Royals had not been more than a
year in Ireland, when they were called over to
Scotland, by the Earl of Marr's rebellion, in
171 5. They joined the main army, comman-
ded by the Duke of Argyle, near the town of
Stirling. Among the rebels, under the Earl
of Marr, who lay at Perth, was a Captain
Macdonald, a highland robber of Croydart.
This man drew near to the Duke of Ar-
gyle *s camp, with a trumpet from the Earl
of Marr, defying the whole army to fingle
combat. Lord Marr was willing to infpirit
his undifciplined troops by this braggadocio.
The Duke of Argyle, who was an excellent
fwordfman himfelf, and kept a band of ex-
cellent fwordfmen always about him, did not
defpife and negled: this challenge, as he might
have done, but gave permillion to Serjeant
Donald Macleod, who was pointed out to his
Grace, on this occaiion, as the fitteft ahta-
gonift to the rebel champion, to meet him.
They met accordingly, without feconds, un-
accompanied, and all .lone, at a place ap-
pointed, nearly midway between the two

c 4 armies.

I M

<i '

( 40 )

armies. Macdonald pulled out a large canteen,
filled with whifK-ey ; and, before he fhould
begin his attacl. on our hero, Donald, offered
to drink with him. " No, the Devil a drop,"
faid Donald, and calmly flood on his • de-
fence. Macdonald began; aflailing Macleod
with great fury, but with little fkjll. The
Serjeant did not think that his life, or limb,
v/as any objed : he cut off his purfe, and
immediately demanded a parley. — ** I have
cut off your purfe," faid he, " ig there
any thing more I muff cut off before you
give up ?" Macdonald acknowledged him-
felf inferior in prowefs to our Serjeant, and
leaving his purfe, in token of his inferiority,
went back, with a very bad grace, to Marr's
camp. The Earl of Marr, on the next day,
fent ten guineas to Macleod: his own general,
the Duke of Argyle, fent for him and gave
him as much. ^ r .'. . -. i:,; j.

The famous battle of the Sheriffmuir, near
Dumblane, had lafted upwards of an hour,
when a French officer, perceiving that our
hero was making great havoc, with his broad
fword, wherever he went, had the courage to
pppok hirn -, but, in a few minutes, his head
........ , was,

' ( 41 ,)

^as, by a touch of Macleod's hand, fevered
from his body. A horfeman, feeing this,
fprung forward on Donald like a tyger. A
fmall water-courfe was between them, with
the aid of which Donald was able to make a
fland. But the horfenr \n with hic^ long fword
wounded him in the fhouldcr, and was pref-
fmg him forely, when he leaped forward,
acrofs the water-courfe, and plu.if^ed his
fword into the horfe's belly. The animal fell
down, and his rider was immediately hewn
in pieces by the enraged Serjeant, who, in the
a^ pf ftabbing the horfe, had been cut in the
head by the horfeman's fabre, into the very
brain. He bound his head fafl with a hand-
kerchief, otherwife. 4s he fays, he verily be-
lieves i( would have fallen into pieces. The
left wing of the enemy fled, and left the right
wing of the King's army, in which Lord
Orkney's regiment was pofted, in the field
of battle. Our wounded Serjeant was car-
ried from the SheriiFmuir to Stirling : and
from thence, after fome time, during which
he was treated with all due care, he was
moved, in a covered waggon, with other
pounded men, under a guard of twenty-five

men.

i.i

#■

( 42 )

men, commanded by Captain Abercrom-
bie to Chelfea Hofpital 3 where the wound
or fra(5lure in his fcuU was repaired. A
blucncfs, or lividity in the ikin, marks the
place in the forehead where the wound was
inflidled. After he was completely cured,
he was reclaimed by his Colonel, the Earl of
Orkney, now appointed Governor of Edin-
burgh caflle. He again, in confequence
of this, joined his regiment; which, for
many years, lay in Berwick, Newcaftle,
and other places on the Scotch and Englifh
borders.

' About the year 1720, or foon after, our
hero, as he returned from exercifmg fome
men on the common near Newcaftle, heard
a woman hawking about a paper through
the flreets, which contained intelligence
that there was a Highland regiment to be
raifed for the fervice of Government. It
appeared that a certain number of inde-
pendent companies were to be formed, under
different commanders, for the purpofe • of
•preventing robberies, enforcing the law, and
keeping the peace of the country ; which,
it was underftood, they were not to leave, but
i^---";-' ■ to

lund
A
the
iwas
Ired,
lof
in-

ince
for

tie,

Rilh

( 43 )
to fenve, within its bounds, in the nature and
charadler of Fencibles. Serjeant Macleod,
fond of the highland drefs and mufic, and
of the fociety of his countrymen, conceived
the defign of quitting an old regiment, and
the rank and pay of a Serjeant, in order to
enter as a private in one of the new high-
land companies, headed by Lord Lovat.
He went to Major William Scot, fenior
officer in Newcaftle, and told him, that
he had come to afk a favour. — " You defervc
*• any favour, Macleod," faid the good old
Major, " that I can grant : but I firft defirc
" the favour of you to take a dram." This
requeft being readily complied with by
the Serjeant, he told the Major, that he
wiftied to have his difchar^e from the
regiment. The Major was aflonifhed at
his requeft j and this the more, that he was
in favour with Lord Orkney and all his
officers, and that it was generally underftood
that he would be one day raifed to the rank
of a commiffioned officer. His requeft,
however, was granted, on his paying fifteen
guineas to the Major : which, it was under-
ftood, was to be expended, on finding a per-

fon

iklsi

III

( 44 )

fon properly qualified to ad as a Tcrjcant ; for
education to read and write, and cafl up
accounts, was by no means (o common in
thofe days as at prefcnt.

Away, then, Donald, having obtained his
difcharge, fet out for Edinburgh, and went
ftraight to the Earl of Orkney. ** How now,
*' Macleod? How do ye do ? Is all the re-
** giment well?" — ** Yes, ple^fc your Lord-
" fliip, but I have left the regiment :" (hew-
ing, at the fame time, his difcharge.
" Who dares," fa id Lord Orkney, with an
oath, ** to give a difcharge to any man in
*• my regiment, without confulting me?"
Macleod related his tranfadtion with old
Major Scot. Lord Orkney was pacified,
being a very good-natured, though hafty
man, and called upon Simon Black, his
fervant, to know how much pay was owing
to Serjeant Macleod. Simon, having con^.
fulted his books, reported that 20/. was
due. " D— n my b ," faid Lord Ork-
ney, " Macleod, I am not able to pay you."

" Never mind, my Lord," Macleod

replied, who v/ell knew that he was ge-
nerally poor, " I will wait, when it may
" be convenient, on your Lordlhip's mo-

" ther.

( 45 )

<* ther, the Countefs Dowager of Orkney,
** as I have done before." With this he took
his leave of Lord Orkney, who fliook him
kindly by the hand, and told him he was
a damned fool for leaving the regiment. He
went to the Countefs, who had often flood
pay-mafter for her fon ; and flie readily paid,
and took his receipt for all his demand.

Our late Serjeant in Captain Macdonald's
company, in the Scots Royals, was now all
impatience to revifit the environs of Inver-
nefs, from which, about twelve years ago,
he had fled, and to offer his fervices to Lord
Lovat, who had married a daughter of Mac-
leod of Dunvegan, the chief of his clan.
At three o'clock, on a fummer's morning,
he fet out, on foot, from Edinburgh, and,
about the fame hour, on the fecond day
thereafter, he flood on the green of Caflle
Downie, Lord Lovat's r^fidence, about five
or fix miles beyond Invcrnefs : having per-
formed, in 48 hours, a journey of an hun-
dred miles and upwards, and the greater
part of it through a mountainous country^
His fuflenance on this march was bread and
cheefe, with an onion, all which hq^ carried
**> in

111

}

( 4<i )

in his pocket, and a dram of whifkey at each
of the great flages on the fdad,.as Falkland,
the half-way houfe between Edinburgh,
by the way of Kinghorn, and Perth ; the
town of Perth, (where he did not fail to call
on Mary Forbes, to whom he made a pre-
fcnt, and his former maftcr James Macdo-
nald); DunI Blair, Dalwhinnie, Ruth-

ven of Badenoch, Avemore in Strathfpey,
and, perhaps, one or two other places. It is
to be undcrflood, that what is here called a
dram of whifkey was jufl half a pint : which,
it may be farther mentioned, he took pure
and unmixed, fie never went to bed during
the whole of this journey J though he flept,
once or twice, for an hour or two together,
in the open air, on the road fide.

By the time he arrived at LordLovat's park
the fun had rifen upwards of an hour, and
(lione pleafantly, according to the remark of
our hero, well pleafcd to find himfelf in this
fpot, on ihe walls of Caflle Downie, and
thofe of the ancient Abbey of Beaulieu in the
near neighbourhood. Between the hours of
&VC and fix Lord Lovat appeared, walking
about i^ his hall, in a morning drefs ; and at

the

;acb
[and,

the
call

( 47 )
the fame time a fervant flung open the great
folding do' 3, and all the outer doors and
windows of the houfe. It i^ about thia
time that many of the great families in Lon*
don, of the prefent day, go to bed.

As Macleod walked up and down on the
1; vvn before the houfe, he was foon ob-
ferved by Lord Lovat, who immediately
went out, and, bowing to the Serjaant with
great courtefy, invited him to come in. Lovat
was a fine looking tall man, and had fomc-
thing very infmuating in his manners and
addrefs. He lived in all the fulnefs and dig-
nity of the ancient hofpitality, being more
folicitous, according to the genius of feudal
times, to retain and multiply adherents than
to accumulate wealth by the improvement
of his eftate. As fcarcely any fortune, and
certainly not his fortune, was adequate
to the extent of his views, he was obliged
to regulate his unbounded hofpitality by
rules of prudent oeconomy. As his fpacious
hall was crouded by kindred vifitors, neigh-
bours, vaflals, and tenants of all ranks, the
table, that extended from one end of it nearly
to the other, was covered, at diiFerent places,
- A ; b. .L with

V J]

-f

( 48 )

U'lth diiFerent kinds of meat and drink ^
though of each kind there was always great
abundance. At the head of the table, the lords
and lairds pledged his lordfliip in claret,
and fometimes champagne ; the tackfmen, or
duniwaflals, drank port or whiflcey punch;
tenants, or common hufbaridmeny refreshed
themklvcs with flrong beer: anu below fhe
utmoft extent of the table, at the door, and
fometimes without the door of the hall, you
might fee a multitude of Frazersj without
fhoes or bonnets* regaling themfeives with
bread and onions, w'th alittV cheefe perhaps^
and fmall beer. Yet, amidft the whole of
this ariftocratical inequality, Lord I bvat
had the addrefs to keep all his guefts in
perfedly good humour. Coufm, he would
fay to fuch and iiich a tackfman, o" duni-
wafTal, I told my pantry lads :o hand you
fome claret, but they tell me ye like port
and punch beft. In like manner, to the
beer- drinkers, he would fay. Gentlemen,
there is what ye pleafe at your fervice : but
I fend you ale, becaufe I underftand ye like
ale beft. Every body was thus wvdl pleafed^
and none were fo ill-bred as to gainfay what
had been reported to his lordlhip.

Donald

ith

( 49 )

Donald Mac.eod made his compliments
to Lovat ill a military air and manner, which
confirmed and heightened that prepolTeflion ^
in his favour, which he had conceived froni
his appearance. " I know," fliid he, " with-
•' out your telling me, that you have come
" to enlifl in the Highland Watch. For a
" thoufand fuch men as you 1 would give my
** eflate." Maclcod acknovvdcdged the jul-
tlce of his lordfI:iip's prefcntiment; and, at
his requefl, briefly related his pedigree and
hiftory. Lovat ciafped him in his arms,
and kilTed him ; and, holding him by the
hand, led him into an adjoining bed-cham-
ber, in which Lady Lovat, a daughter of the
family of Macleod, lay. He faid to his Lady,
My dear, here is a gentleman of your ovv'h
nime and blood, who has given up a com-
miflion in Lord Orkney's regiment, in order
" to ferve under me." Lady Lovat raifed her-
lelf on her bed, congratulated his lordfliipon fo
valuable an acquilition, called for a bottle of
brandy, and drank prof])erity to Lord Lovat,
the Highland Watch, and Donald Macleod.
It is fuperfluous to fay, that in this toad, the
lady was pledged by the gentlemen. Such

D were

■ ( so )

were the cuftoms and manners of the high-
lands of Scotland in thofe times.

By the time they returned to the hall, they
found the laird of Clanronald ; who, having
heard Macleod's hiflory, faid, ** Lovat, if you
'* do not take care of this man, you ought to

(t bed d.'* His lordfliip immediately be-

ilowed on him the fame rank, with feme-
what more pay, than he had received in the
Royal Scots ; and, after a few days, fent him
©n the bufmefs of recruiting. Macleod,
from the time that he went to the fliires of
Invernefs and Rofs, to recruit for Lord
Orkney, pafTed under the name of the man
that was loil and found.

The time that he ferved in the Highland,
now called the 42d regiment, fo long as if
was ftationed in the mountains of Scotland,
a period of about twenty years, v/as filled up
in a manner very agreeable to the talle of our
hero: in training up new foldiers (for he
was now employed in the lucrative depart-
ment of a drill-ferjeant) j in the ufe of
the broad-fword, hunting after incorrigible
robbers, Ihooting, hawking, fiiliing, drink-
ing, dancing, and toying, as heroes of all
times and countries are apt to do, with the

young

t- .-

high-

they
laving
if you
ht to
be-
rcme-
ui the
t him
cJeod,
■es of
Lord
" man

iland,
as if
lana,
'd up
four
r he
)art-
of
:iblc
nk.
•all
the
ing

. ( 5i )

yoiihg women. As fpecimens of the life h6
led, in thofe days, the following are feledled
from numberlefs fcenes in which he was en-
gaged of the fame kind. James Roy Stewart,
a gendeman, and a driver, dr rather flealer of
cattle, in Strathfpey, had long laid the coun-
try, far and near, under heavy contributions of
both horfe and cattle j and defied> wounded,
and difperfed the officers of juftice : when
Serjeant Macleod, with a party of 30 men,
was fent to fufprize, if poffible, and to fe-
C e him in his houfe, at Tulloch-Gorum.
The ferjeant came upon 1 *m fuddenly, and
early in the morning, while he was in bed.
He left the men wiihout, difpofed at fmall
diftances from each oth.r, around the houfe.
He himfelf we; t boldly in, armed with a
dirk, a fwofd, and loaded piftols. His
wife, a very kdy-likc woman, was up and
drefTed, early as it was ; for it was cuflomar/
for fbme trufty perfon to keep watch, while
the *reJ robber flept. At the fight of Mac**
leod Mrs. Stewart was greatly difcompofed,
for (he fufpeded his errand -, but fhe endea-
voured to diffemble her tears, and \o fbothe

her fufpicious guefl by all the officioufnefjj.

[- ■ ' - ' 1 '■■-.,{'

* So called from the colour of his liair.

D » of

( 52 )

of hofpitality. " Madam," faid Macleod,
" I am come to fpeak to James Roy. He is
" in the houfe, I know, and in bed." This
he faid at a venture j for he was not fure of
it: but his firm and determined manner over-
came the poor gentlewoman; fo that Ihe
affented to the truth of his information.
Stewart Roy, on hearing what pafTed, jumped
out of his bed, with his clothes on, in
which he had lain, and, armed with a dirk
and piftols, feemed defirous at firft: of mak-
ing towards the door; but Macleod feiz-
ed the pafs, and the robber, difTembling his
intentions, alTumed a courteous air, called for
whilkey and bread and cheefe, and preiTed
his uninvited gueft to partake heartily of
fuch cheer as his houfc afforded. ** I know,"
faid he, " you are not alone ; for no man
** ever duril to come into my houfe alone,
<* on fuch an errand." . .. ,

*. i'v ' * , . ■ I ' ' -

The Serjeant, without acquiefcing in this
lafl fentiment, but, on the contrary, with
an aiTeveration that he feared not tlie face
of man or of devil, acknowledged that a
company of men lay not far from them both
at that moment. " Very well," fiiid Stewart,
** but, I hope you are not; in a hurry; fit
. " down.

( 53 )

♦' down, and let you and I talk together, and
" take our breakfaft." Macleod agreed to
this, and a bottle of whifkey, at leaft, was
exhauiled in good fellowfhip, before a word
was faid of bufinefs on either fide. At
length, Macleod, after a fliort p^iuf'^ in the
converfation, faid, " Jamie, what did you
** with the thirty head of cattle you drove
away from the Laird of Glen BifTet's, and
the fix fcore, or thereabout, that you took
away from the lands of Strathdown ?" It
was in vain to deny the fadt ; Macleod had
not come to try, but to fccure, and produce
him for trial. Stewart, therefore, waving all
difjuflion of that point, faid, " Serjeant Ma-
** cleod, let me go for this time, and neither
** you nor the country will be troubled with

" me any more." " Jamie, I cannot let

** you go: you have flafhed many men, and
" ftolen much horfe and cattle. How many
** ftraths * are afraid of you ? — ^Jamie, you
muft ^o with me." — " Serjeant Macleod,
let me go for this time, and I will give

you a hundred guineas." " It was not

for guineas, Jamie, that I came here this

• Vallles.

W. i

da^

! ..:■:

1 i. ,

•1 V-

,.v-j

I-

;)': i

( 54 )

** day ; rather than be drawn ofF from the
♦* duty of a foldier for a few guineas, I would
♦' go with you and ileal cattle,"

Jarnes Roy was now in great diflrefs, and
his poor wife, falling on the ground before
Macleod, and embracing and holding faft his
knees, implored mercy to her hufband with
iliowers of tears; and their four children,
naked from their beds, joined their infant
interceflions with tears and loud lamenta-
tions. The noble-minded Serjeant, moved
with compaflion, took the Lady by the hand,
and comforted her with thefe words : " My
dear, I will, for your fake, and the fake of
thefe innocent babes, let James Roy go,
** for this time, on condition that he will
" deliver all the cattle that I have men-
" tioned, to be given up to their right
" owners." This condition was eagerly ac-
cepted, and Stewart, in the flow of gratitude
and joy, would have given Macleod what-
ever fhare or portion of the hundred guineas
Jie had offered as his ranfom, that he pleafed
to accept : but the Serjeant generoufly de^.
clined to accept one ilngle lliilling ; ai)d all
that he reg^uired w^s refreshment for his

thirty

((

.lOilM

. - ( ss ) ■

thirty men, which was afforded in great
plenty. A great part of the day was fpent
in conviviality, and, in the evening, they
were dired;ed to the cattle, which they re-
ftored to their proprietors.

Very different from the condud of our
Donald, towards the notorious James Stewart
Roy, was that of Serjeant Macdonald, not
many years thereafter. It was known
that two oxen, which were miffmg, had
been taken by Stewart j and Serjeant Mac-
donald was fent with a party to take both
the robber and the oxen. The oxen were
readily given up ; but Stewart was forced to
purchafe the connivance of Serjeant Mac-
donald at his efcape, by giving up all that
he had in the world, which amounted to
245/. This fum he kept, in a ftrong chefl
in his own houfe: for, in thofe days, the
Highlanders were unacquainted with Bills
of Exchange, and there was no paper cur-
rency. Yet Macdonald, to whom James
Roy weakly imagined he might now truft
his fafety, in order, it was fuppofed, to con-
ceal or difcredit any report of his robbing
the robber, had the treachery, a few weeks

04 after.

. ( S6 ) •■

Ik.

after, to draw the unfortunate Stewart Into
an ambufcadc, under the guifc of fricndfnip,
and furrendcr him to juflice. Stewart
was hanged, together with one Macallum,
at Perth. The fluiic ardour of mind that
diftinguiflied James Roy among all the cattle-
drivers of his times appeared on his trial;
and during the interval bety/ccn his fentencc
and its execution. His only hope had been,
that he might, by cunning or by force, efcapc
the hands of confl.ibles and foldiers. It
never occurred to hiin to place any confi-
dence in deficiency of evidence, or any chi-
caner/ of law. He made a free and full
confefTion of the life that he had led, and was
anxious to vindicate the charader of his poor
wife and children, from allfufpicionof parti-r
cipation in his crimes. He declared that his
Avife had often forwarned him of th: end to
which his courfe led, and conjured him,
with tears, to live at home, and be contented
with the returns of his own farm. He h d
many accomplices among his neighbours and
kindred; but no dehifive hints of a reprieve,
not even the exhortations of the fanatical
minillers about Perth, renowned in all times
• . . : : for

• •■ C 57 ) , ■

for blind zeal and abfurdity, could pcrfuade
him to give up one man, that had com-
mitted himfelf to his honour. Eagerly ac-
quiefcing in the Antinomian dotflrine of the
Perth clergy, and others, who vifitccl him
from the country around, even from the
noted Preibytry of Auchterarder, that the
man who confcfles his fins may be faved by
faith, he worked himfelf up, by meditating
on fcriptural promifes, to luch a pitch of
enthufiafm, that he believed himfelf to be
quite fure of going immediately to heaven.

In contraft with the animated, and, in fomc
refpedls, noble condudt of James Roy Stewart,
appeared the brutal ftupidity of Macallum,
This wretch had for many years retired with
his father from all human fociety, and lived
in caves and dens, in the recefTes of the
Minegeg mountains ; into which habitation*
he brought, like the Cyclops in Homer, iheep,
goats, and even oxen. The party that dif-
covered Macallum, found, in his den, a deep
cavern in a mountain, the borJes of the ani-
mals he had made his prey, piled up in heaps,"
or difpofed in fuch a manner as to forifih,
with hay laid over them, a kind of bed ; the

fleih

I';!

■ ' ( 58 ) •

flefh of bullocks falted up in their iWns j and
large quantities of fir-wood for firing. In
the interior part of the cavern lay the father
of Macallum, in his plaid, refting his head
on a trufs of hay, and groaning in the ago-
nies of death. This miferable object they did
not dillurb, but left him to his fate. Young
Macallum, in the form as well as the na-
ture of a favage, for his hair und beard had
extended themfelves over his face fo as to
render it fcarcely vifible, was condu(fted to
Perth, where he was condemned to die, for
a fcries of thefts committed for more than
twenty years. During the time of his trial,
as well as after it, he fliewed an iftonifliing
indifference about his fate. He minded no-
thing but eating ; and had a very conftant
craving for food, particularly animal food,
which, had it been given, he would have
devoured in immoderate quantities. When
the minillicrs of Perth talked to him of the
'* Heavenly Manna, and the Bread of Life" —
"Give me meat,"" faid Macallum, " in the
** dnean; time." Even on his way from his
}>fifon to the gallows^ he called for fome
rolls and: cold meat, that he recollected had
iUj;; been.

( 59 )

liccn left in his cell. This beafl, however,
(o inveterate and often ridiculous is the pride
of Clanfliip, growled fome expreflions of dif-
contcnt that Stewart was honoured with the
right hand, as they were led forth to thc'
place of execution, ; ^ ! .

After the melancholy fate of Stewart, his
family were foon involved in fo great diftrefs,
that they were obliged to throw themfclves
on the charity of the world. Now the
treachery of Serjeant Macdonald, who, on
pretence of faving the life of Stewart, had
robbed his family of almofl all that flood be-
tween them and ruin, was difcovered, and
excited univerfal indignation. He was giveu
up by Sir Robert Munro, his Colonel, to
a judicial trial; and, for that and other
crimes of ^ fimilar nature, was hanged at
Invernefs.

Our worthy Serjeant Macleod, not long
after his expedition to TuUoch-Gorum, was
fent with a fmall party to catch James
Robertfon, a horfe-fteajer, in Athol. Thc
ferjeant, in his way, flopped and took a
very liberal potion of whifkey at Aberfeldie j
fo that, when he went to Robertfon' s houfe.

. (60)

he was fomcwhat elevated with liquor.
The horfc-ilealer was at no lofs how to
interpret the fudden appearance of a ferjeant
of the Black Watch. He, therefore, en-
deavoured to cajole him as much as pofTiblc
into good humour, in order to protradl time,
and devife fome means cf efcape.
M- This horfe-ftcaler had four handfomc
daughters, with one of whom Donald fell
greatly in love. " Jamie," faid he, to her fa-
ther, " I believe I mufl have one of your lalTes
to-night." " Yes, my dear," faid James,
you are welcome to make yourfclf agreeable
to any of my girls that you chufe. Make up
matters between yourfelves, and your court-
ing fliall not be diflurbed by Jamie Robert-
" fon." Aftcragrcatdeal of amorous dalliance,
our hero, without any further ceremony, re-
tired with his Brifcisy and fhe became his wife.
In lefs than an hour, when Donald had for-
gotten every thing but the objedt of his love,
behold three fine young fellows in the houfe,
wkh rufty fwords, ramping and raging like
lions 1 One of them particularly, a very flout
man, of the name of Meldrum, the lover of
her whom Macleod had fancied, made a great
\- ' noife.

««

<«

€i

;une,

( 6' )

noifc, and vowed vengeance. The men who
luid accompanied the fcrjeant, as he deter-
mined to pafs the night in Robertfon's, he had
difmifTed to a neighbouring village till next
morning. There was nobody near to help
him. But up jumped our hero from the
fragrant heather- bed, grafpcd his fword, and
laid about him fo luftily, that the four f i^f.rs,
who had been flily fent for by old Robertfon,
not unnaturally, were glad to confult their
fafety by flight. Robertfon endeavoured to
make Maclcod believe that the young men
had come to his houfe by accident ; but the
ferjeant fufpeding the truth, told him that he
was a traitor, and fwore that he would call
his men, and, binding him flifl:, furrender
him to the oflicers of juftice. But the fweet
girl, whofe charms had captivated our hero's
heart, threw her arms around his neck, and
with many kilTes and tears implored lenity
to her father. On this occafion Serjeant
Macleod a£lcd a very different part from that
of Colonel Kirke *. Thoui.ni he mipht

have

* Amidft the executions that followed the defeat of
Monmouth, in 1685, a young maid pleaded for the litb of

kill

her

( 6z )

hive veiled feverity to the father of thd
young woman, whom he had gained in fa
fhort a time, under the name of juftice, and
natural retaliation for intended afTaflin.ation,
he agreed to connive at Robertfon's efcape,
on condition of his giving back the horfes to
thofe from whom he had llolen them. — As
the Britifli laws, made fmce the Union, had
not yet free courfe in the Highlands, and
depended, for their execution, on military aid,
4 great difcretionary power, in all cafes of
this kind, was affumed and exercifed by mi-
litary officers of all ranks.

If it (liould be thought in any degree in-
credible, that the horfe-ftealer, Robertfon,

her brother, and flung hcrfelf at Kirke's feet, armed with
all the charms which beauty and innocencfij kithed in
tears, could bcftow upon her. The tyrant was enflamcd
with defire, not foftened into love or clemency. He pro*
mifed to grant her requcft, provided that fhe, in her turnj
yvould be equally compliant to him. The maid yielded to
the conditions: but, after {he had palfed the night with
him, the v\ anton favage, next morning, fliewed her from
the window her brother, the darling objedl for whom flie
had facriliccd her virtue, hanging on a gibbei-, which hd
had fecretly ordcret there to be creeled for the txecution*
Kagre, dcfpalr, and indignation, took poiTellr'- t of her
aiitid, and dcprivefi her, for ever, of her fcnfes.

would

••^**»^H^S»Xa^«!»SSSlS!«™HS•w«KWl^MW

Mli»'liiMilli»^gl

. ■»«<

thd

( 63 )

tvrould fo readily confent to the requefl of
Macleod refpeding his daughter, let it be
recolledted that the Higlanders of the lower
ranks, agreeably to what is affirmed by the
excellent hiftorian Cunningham, make no
great account of the poffelTion of virginity ;
and that, in general, the northern nations
are lefs fcrupulous on the fubjecfl of chaftity
than thofe in warmer climates. Some of the
northern nations of Afia carry their polite-
nefs fo far as to offer to their guefls their
wives and daughters ; to refufe v/hcm v/ould
be reckoned an infult. •' '. . . , '

Donald Macleod has nothing with which
to upbraid himfelf on the fcore of Eliza Ro-
bertfon. He cheriilied her as every good
and tender hufband ought to cherifli his
wife, till the hour of her death, which hap-
pened in child-bed. The boy of whom Ihe
was delivered is now a taylor, of the name of
Robertfon, in Edinburgh.

Towards the clofe of the year 1739, the
independent companies of Highland Watch
were encreafed by four additional compa-
nies, and the whole formed into a regiment,
being the 42d, under the command of

their

s~-^-:,\

i '

.#■

( 64 )

their iirfl: colonel John Earl of Crawfurd
About a year thereafter they were marched
to London; and, previoufly to their going
abroad, were reviewed before the King in
St. James's Park. What happened on that
bccafion falls within the memory of many
perfons now living, and will be long re-
membered as an inflance of that indignant
fpirit, which juftice and broken faith infpire
on the one hand, and of that gradual encroach-
ment which executive and military power are
prone to make on civil liberty on the other.
Many Gentlemen's Tons, and near relations,
had entered, as private men, into the High-
land Watch, under the engagement that they
{liould never be called out of their own coun-
try. That promife, made long before, in
times of peace, was forgotten amidft the
prefent exigencies of unfuccefsful war ; and
it was determined to fend the Hie-hland com-
panies as a reinforcement to the army in
Germany untier the Duke of Cumberland.
A, fpirit of refinance and revolt, proceeding
from Corporal Maclean, pervaded the whole
regiment. The whole of the Guards, and
all the^ troops itationed about London, were

• V fcut

( «i )

kilt for to furround the Highlanders, quetl
what was now called a mutiny, and reduce
them to obedience. A great deal of blood
WAS Ihed, and lives loft, on both fidesa The
long fwords of the horfe -guards were op-
pofcd to the broad- fwords of the Highlanders
in front, while one military corps after ano-
ther was advancing on their flanks and rear*

Yet5 in thefe circumftances, a confidera-
ble party of them forced their way through
the King's troops, and made good their re-
treat northwards, in their way home, as far
as Yorkrtiire, where, being overtaken by a
body of horfemen, they took poft in a wood,
and capitulated on fafe and honourable terms*
But, in violation of the engagements come
under, on that occafion, to the Highlanders,
three of them, among whom was the high-
fpirited Corporal Maclean, the prime mover
of the feceffion, were (liot ; the rell fent to.
the plantations. , , . ,,<, ',. , ; ,- ., -■

Though Serjeant Macleod was not of the
number of the feceders, he was indignant
at the ufage they had met with ; and
Tome of the horfe-guards, bore, for years,
marks of hi§ refentment, — But the lefs that

Hffil

( 66 )

is faid 6n this fubjedt the better. Tht
Highland companies, cr the 42d regiment,
were now fent over to the Low Countries,
and to Germany, where they were engag«d
in different battles, and particularly that of
Fontenoy, in which Serjeant Macleod waa
not a little diftinguifhed. On the day be-
fore the main engagement there was fome
fkirmiihing j and the j\.2d regiment was fent
to ftorm a fix-gun battery. Led on by their
Lieutenant-Colonel, Sir Robert Munro, they
attacked the enemy in theic entrenchments,
and filenced the battery ; but at a very great
expence of men. They fuffered much from
the French fire, as they advanced to their
works; but when the Highlanders threw
themfelves in the midft of them, flaihing
terror and death with their broad-fwords,
they were feized with terror, abandoned their
works, and fled in great confufion. Mac-
leod, as they approached to the French lines,
received a mufket ball in his leg, yet he did
not drop down, nor yet fall behind, but wa*
among the firft that entered the trenches :
nor did he make this wound an excufe for
retiring to the hofpital; but, on the con-
"^ trary.

giment,
un tries,
ngag«d
that of
od wag
day be-
fome
v^as fent
)y their
o, the^
iments,
•y great
h from

their
threw

lafliing

Avords,

d their

Mac.

1 lines,
^e did
Jt wa&
iches ;
fe for

con-
trary.

( 67 )

trary, he made as light of it as poffible, and
Was in the heat of the engagement the next
day, in which, fo great was the carnage, that
on either fide there fell, as is computed, about
twelve tfioufand. The Highlanders, with
an impetuolity that could not be reftrained,
vr guided by difciplinc, rufhed forward, out
of the line, and loft more than two thirds of
their number; but not till they had com-
mitted ftill greater flaughter, and revenged
their fufFerings and lofs on the enemy. The
battle, where the ^26. regiment was ftationed,
was clofe and hot, and individual was op-
pofed to individual ; or one, fometimee, to
two, and even a greater number of antago-
nifts. Serjeant Macleod, with his own hand,
killed a French Colonel, of the name of
'Montard ; and, in the midft of dangers and
death, very deliberately fervcd himfelf heir
to 175 ducats which he had in his pockets,
and his gold watch. He had not well gone
through this ceremony, when he was attacked
by Captain James Ramievie, from Kilkenny^
an officer in the French fervice, whom he
killed after an obftinate and fkilful contcft.
By this time the prowefs of our hero drew

£ 2 more

t 68 )

more and more attention, and he was fet upon
by three or four Frenchmen at the fame
time; and, in all probability he muft have
yielded to their ferocity and numbers, had
not a gentleman of the name of Cameron,
though of a humble ftation only in the
French fervice, come to his aid. This gen-
tleman came feafonably to his relief, and he
came over with the Serjeant, whom he had
faved, to the lide of the Englifli. His Scotch
blood, he fald, warmed to his countryman in
fuch a fituation, and he immediately tpok his
part. * ' ' ' '

Xhe rebellion, which broke out in Scotland
in 1 745, called over the Duke of Cumber-
land, with his army, to Britain. But, after
what had happened on the occafion above-
mentioned, in St. James's Park, it was
not judged proper to march the 42d regi-
ment, which had been re-inforced, after
the battle of Fontenoy, by a number of
recruits, into Scotland. When the Duke
marched northwards, the Royal Highlanders
were, therefore, left at Barnet ; from whence
they went to Coventry, where they lay a
fortnight. Frgm Coventry they marched

L._ i

( 69 ) '

•into Wales; from whence, after the rebel-
lion was extinguifhed, they went to Carlifle,
and from thence to Ireland. They landed
at Limerick in 1746, and marched from
thence to Dublin. They were Rationed,
at different places in Ireland, for more
than ten years; during which time they
had frequent encounters with the White-
boys, and Hearts of Steel, and other infur-
gents ; to all of whom the Highland impetu-
ofity ahd broad-fwords were objedts of great
terror. Serjeant Macleod continued to be
formidable to Irifh bullies and braggers, and
performed various exploits that fully fup-
ported the charadler he had acquired of being
an excellent fwordfman. ' ' • ■

About the year ly^y, after the ^id regi-
ment was ordered to America, Serjeant Mac-
leod was fent over, on the bufinefs of recruit-
ing, to Glafgow. At Belfaft, where he
halted with the party he commanded for a
few days, he had an adventure, in the
fighting way, with one Maclean a taylor,
and a native of Invernefs. This man, hav-^
ing heard of the prowefs of Donald> and par-
• . , ; ,!. .u . E 3 - ticularly

'! ?

}''flW

■ ( 70 )

ticularly how he had, a great many years ago^
maimed a Maclean, came to a refolution, one
day, when he was in his cups, of doing no-
thing lefs than cliallcnging the Serjeant to
fingle combat with broad-fwords. Macleod,
perceiving that the man was fluflercd, and
unwilling to take any unfair advantage, ad-
vifed him to re-confider the matter ; telling
him, that if he fhould perfevere in his de-
termination of fighting, he would meet him
on the following day. But the more that
the Serjeant was pacifically inclined, the
more obftreperous and infolent was the taylor;
fo that an encounter at laft became inevitable.
They went, with their feconds, to a field be-
hind a garden, in the out-fkirts of the town,
and fet to work immediately. The taylor,
who was a well-wmde and a very nimble
fellow, attacked his opponent with great ala«
cnty, and not without a confiderable degree
of art ; but he foon exhaufted his fpirits and
llrength, and was entirely at the mercy of
the veteran, whom he had rafhly dared to
provoke to an engagement. Donald firfl
cut off one of his ears, and then another }
yet the taylor, with a foolifh obftinacy, ftill
* main-

agoi
one
no-
U to
leod,
and
ad-
ling
s de-
him

that
the

yhr;

able.

I be.

)wn,

^lor,

iiblc

ala«

jree

and

rof
to

ir/l

nil

( 71 )

maintained the eonflid:, and fwore that he
would rather die on the fpot, than yield to
any Macleod in the Britifli Ifles ; fo that the
Serjeant, in felf-defence, would have been
obliged, as he expreffed it, to /ay offer the Tay-
lor s belly ^ if he had not fortunately brought
him to the ground, by cutting a fincw of
his hough. . '

Soon after the Highland regiments arrived
in America, Macleod was drafted from the
42d into the 78th regiment, commanded by
General Frafer, to fill the honourable and ad-
vantageous ftation of a drill-ferjeant. In the
courfe of the war in Canada, in 1758 and
1759, Macleod became perfonally known to
General Wolfe, the poor man's friend, and
the determined patron of merit in whatever
ftation he found it. The General, finding
that our Serjeant, to courage, honour, and ex-
perience, added a tolerable knowledge of
both the French and German languages,
employed him on fundry occafions that re^
quired both addrefs and refolution. He ac>-
quitted himfelf always to the GeneraPs fa-
tisfadtion ; which he expreffed in handfomc
prefents, and in the moft fincere and cordial
J*irurances of preferment. At the fiege of

E 4 Louifbourg,

!« ^

'till

'1 ^!

Louifbourg, witJi a handful of men, he fui*.
prifed a fmall party of French, (lationed as
an out-port:, and cut thcni oft* without leav-
ing a man to tell tidings. This adlion,
wliich was volunteered by the Serjeant, fa-
cilitated the redudlion of a poH: called the
Light- Houfe Battery, from whence our fire
was played with eifetfl on the enemy's vef-
fels, and the batteries on the other fide of
the river. A few days after the fiege of
Louifbourg was begun, a party of the be-
fieged had the courage to make a fally on the
affailants. They were led on with great
firmnefs and intrepidity by Lieutenant Colo-
nel O'Donnel, an Iriihman in the French
fervice. This bold fortie made an impref-
fion that might have led to difart:rous confe-
quences, if it had not been counteraded and
overcome by the fpirit of the Royal High-
landers, a part of whom faced the Irifh Bri-
gade that had made the fortie, while the reft:
threw themfelves between them and the
town, and cut off their retreat. O'Donnel,
fighting valiantly, wa§ flain, but did not fall
till his body was pierced through with feve-
fal bayonets. His men were all killed qr
S ... .. ". , um, .. , ^: taken

( 73 )

taken pnfoners, and brought within the
Bnti^h lines. In this engr.gemcnt Serjeant
Macleod received a violent contufion, by a
mufket-ball, on the bone of his nofe, which
was more painful, and is even now more
fenfibly felt, than other wounds, where balls
have pierced him through and through.

At the glorious battle of Quebec, Ser-
jeant Macleod, amongft the foremoft of the
grenadiers and Highlanders, who drove the
fhaking line of the enemy from poft to poll,
and compleatcd their defeat, had his fhin-
bone (battered by grape fliot, while a niuf-
ket ball went through his arm. He was af-
fifted to retire behind the Britifli line ; and,
in doing this, was infoimed of the multi-
plied wounds that threatened the immediate
diflblution of his admired and beloved Gene-
ral. It was, under this weight of adual fuf-
fering, and fympathetic forrow, fome confola-
tion to the good old Serjeant, (for by this time
he was feventy years of age,) that the tender
which he made of his plaid, for the purpofe of
carrying the dying General to fome conve-
nient place off the field of a<Sion, was accepted.
In Serjeant Macleod's plaid was General

' Wolfe

i L

( 7+ )
Wolfe borne by four grenadiers ; and witK
General Wolfe's corpfe, being now an inva^
lid, he was fcnt home to Britain, in Novem--
ber, i759> in a frigate of war, named the
Royal William. Minute guns were fired
from the (hips at Spithead, from the time of
the body's leaving the fhip, to that of its
being landed at the Point of Portfmouth.
AH due honour being paid to the remaint
of General Wolfe, by die garrifon here, the
body was put in a travelling hearfe, and car-
ried to London. Although there were many
ihoufands of people allemblcd on this occa-
fion, there was not the leail difturbancc.
Nothing was to be heard but murmuring
and broken accents, in praife of the departed
hero. On the 20th of November, at night,
his body was depofited in the burying-placc
of his anceflors at Greenwich. A monu-
ment was afterwards ereded to his memory
in Weftminfler Abbey. . , • .^

Ponald Macleod was admitted, on the 4th
of December thereafter, an out-penfioner of
Chelfea Hofpital. This was all that war
done for our hero, thpugh his own merit, and
the very occafiqn^and circumftances in which

( 75 )

he returned from America, might well hare
drawn more countenance and protedion. 1 lis .
wounds, however, foon healed, and he was
enabled, by a perfctl recovery of his ftrength,
to go a recruiting to the Highlands, for Co-
lonel Keith and Colonel C:impbell, who raif-
cd fome companies of Highlanders for the
war in Germany. It was in that recruiting
excurfion that he married, at Invernefs, Mrs.
Jane Macvane, hio prefent wife, who accom-
panied him to the Continent, where, with the
rank and emoluments of a pay-mafler Ser-
jeant, he ferved as a Volunteer under Colo-
nel Campbell, until there was a cefTation of
arms. In the courfe of different engage-
ments, in 1760 and 1 76 1, he received a muf-
ket (hot which went in an oblique manner
between two of his ribs and his right (lioul-
der. This wound, in cold and froft/ wea-
ther, and after violent exercife, fuch as walk-
ing againft time for wagers. Hill gives him a
good deal of pain. He received alfo, in the
fame compaigns, a mufket ball in the groin,
which could not be extracted, and on ac-
count of which he flill wears a bandage.
After the peace he came home with Colonel
'♦'; * Campbell's

>:f

( 76 )
Campbell's Highlanders, and received pay
for two or three years from Chelfea Hof-
pital. He went now to Scotland, and ftaid
about two years and an half at Invernefs,
working at Jiis own trade. The conftant
nfe of the mell, however, was more than he
was able to bear, and threatened to re-open
fome of his wounds; he, therefore, came again
to England, laid out what money he had
faved in the purchafc of a fmall houfe in
Chelfea, in which he lived for about ten
years with his family, which was every year
increafing, and was employed under Mr.
Tibbs, in an extenfive manufadure of while
lead; but, on the commencement of the late
war in America, leaving his wife and chil-
dren, with the boufe and what little money
he had, he went out in a tranfport called the
Duchefs of Hamilton, to New- York, and
from thence to Charleftown, where he of-
fered himfelf as a volunteer, to the Com-
mander of the Britifh forces in that quarter.
Sir Henry Clinton, whom he had known in
Germany. Sir Henry, flruck with the fpirit
of the old man, let him remain with the ar
my, under the name which he hinifelf chofe

is!

"d pay

d Aaid
ernefs,

>nflant
lan he

-open

■ { 77 )
cf a drill-ferjeant, and very humanely allow-*
cd him, out of his own pocket, half a guinea
a week. But when the army began to move
iiorthward, that he might be exempted from
the fatigues of war, he fent him home ; ac-
cording to Mr. Macleod's beft recoUedion,
in the New Gallant frigate, which carried
home difpatches from his Excellency to Go-^
vernment. ^^.^ _. , ,,...,,;,:.;' . :-*
J He came to a refolutlon now, fince he
found that he had no farther profped of
being employed to his mind in the army, of
retiring, with what little wealth he had, to
the Highlands, where he might live cheap,
and, when he fliould die, where his bones
might reft with thofe of his kindred and an-
ceilors. He fold his houfe in Chelfea for
about two hundred pounds, to which he
added fome fmaller fums that he had depo-
fited from time to time, in the hands of Mr.
Alexander Macdonald, a clerk in the King's
office, Chelfea, and who there kept a Pub-r
lie Houle at the fign of the Serjeant and
Crown. As. his wife was very much afraid
of the fea, he left her, v/ith the little ones, to
purfue their journey home to Invernefs by
■v land.

i 4-.

\\ i

i ■ :

I I

( 78 )

land, while he himfelf, with the chief part
of the money, and feveral large trunks full
©farms, clothes, and other fluff, on which
he fet a great value, was to make for the
fame place by fea. The fliip in which he
embarked was the Margaret and Peggy
of Aberdeen ; the Mafter's name Captain
Davidfon. Off the coafl of Yorkiliire a
tempefl arofe, which drove the iliip on the
rocks, and funk her to the bottom. Mac-
Leod alone, of the pailengers, faved his life
by lafhing himfdf to a plank when the {hip
was finking. He was taken up almoft dead,
hetv/r.cn Whitby and Scarborough, and car-
ried to the houfe of a gentleman, originally
from Air (hire, whofe people had come to
look after the wreck. By that gentleman,
as well as by his lady, he was treated with
the utnioft humanity. He afked him, after
he came to his fenfes, if he knew where he
was ? Mr. Macleod replied, that all he knew
at that moment was, that he was under the
roof of fjme good people, who had taken
compallion on his misfortune ; but that, if
it fhould pleafe God to recover him perfedl-
ly, he would be able to tell where he was,

v/hefi

ief part
ks full

which
for the
lich he

aptain
lliire a

on the

Mac-
hls life
"le {hip
1 dead,
id car-
ginally
•me to
leinan,
■ with
, after
Te he
knew
;r the
taken
lat, if
rfedl-

was,
vvhc^

( 79 )
wheh he fliould be taken out into the ontfrt
air. Mr. Boyd, in the kindeft manner, dd
vifed him to compofe himfelf for reft,, and, in
the mean time, gave it in charge to his /ervanti
to wait upon the ftranger, and to adminifter
all proper refrefhment and neceHaiy aflift-*
ance. For three or four days he was kindly
detained by Mr Boyd, who knew many of-
ficers known to Mr. Macleod, and who had
himfelf a brother. Major Boyd, in the army*
As Macleod's clothes were wet and torn b?
the rocks, he fitted him as well as he could,
with a fuit from his own wardrobe, two
fhirts, and a filk handkerchief for keeping
his neck warm ; and though he had a gold
watch in his pocket, as well as a ring of
fome little value on his hand, Mr. B<:)yd in-
filled on his acceptance of two guineas. Nor
did his generous goodnefs flop herej he of-
fered his carriage to take the old Serjeant to
Durham, from whence he might hnd conve-
nient means of travellirig to Nev/caflle and
Edinburgh, in both of which places he had
feveral acquaintance. That favour, how-
ever, Macleod pofi lively and refolutcly de-
clined to accept I and, after the warmeil ac-

knowlodgemciits

« i.

H'l

( 80 )

knowiedgcments of gratitude to the honouf*
able family, took his leave. — Still the ge-
nerous cares of Mr* Boyd purfued him. He
fent his chariot after him on the road, with
orders to the coachman, to pafs himfelf for
the driver of a ret4»Sr chaife going that way
by accident. The coachman did (o, and after
walking about a mile or two before Mac-
leod, and converfing with him, offered him
" a lift," which he accepted. He was made
acquainted with the generous deception at
the inn at Durham, ']-, ' . •

Donald Maclcod, after all his toils, fuffer-
ings, and gains, found himfelf at laft fet
down at Invernefs, not much richer than
when he ferved as an apprentice to the ma-
fons and flone-cutters ; except, indeed, wo
account as riches, a very fa.diful and attached
wife, and a plentiful flock of flourifliing
children, fuper-added, in his old age, to a
pretty numerous off-fpring procreated in his
younger years. As his memory is now con-
fiderably impaired, he docs not pretend to
make an exad enumeration of the whole of
bis off-fpring ; but he knows of fixteen fons,
the cldelt of whom is turned of eighty, and

the

( 8i )

the youngeft of nine ; befides daughters : of*
whom, the eldeft, by the prefent wife, is a
mantua-maker, in pretty good bufinefs, in
Newcaftle. Perhaps this intimation may
have the good effedl that is certainly in-
tended. Of the fixteen fons, that he knows
of, not a lefs number than t'»velve are in dif-
ferent ftations in the army and navy ; and, of
courfe, in fome fhape or other, in the mili-
tary fervice of his country. He hved from
1780 to 17S9 in Invernefs and the neigh-
bourhood ; where, old as he was, he did a
i e buiinefs in his own profeflion of mafonry.
But fome neglcdl or delay having happened in
the payment of his penfion, he fct out on foot,
accompanied by his wife, in the fummer of
1789 J and arrived in London in the be-
ginning of Auguil. He laid his fituation
before Colonel Small, a gentleman of un-
bounded philanthropy^ univerfiUy refpe(5led
and beloved, and under whom he had fjrved
for many years in Ireland and America. The
Colonel treated him with the utmofl: kind-
nefs, entertaining him hofpitably at his houfe,
and allowing him a iliilling a-duy while he re-
mained in London, out of his own pocket.
By his advic« a memorial and petition, fet-

t ting

''r*

■I

( 82 )

ting forth the mi^rits and fuii<;rings of Ser-
jeant Macleod, was drawn up; and, with the
coimtenance and aid of the Colonel, and
other officers, he was favoured with an op-
portunity of prefenting it to the King. The
very firft day that his Majefty came to St.
James's, after his indifpofition, Macleod, ad-
mitted to the ftair-cafe leading to the draw-
ing-room, prefented his petition, which his
Majefly gracioully accepted, and looked over
as he walked up flairs. At the head of the
flairs the King called him. The old Ser-
jeant was going to fall on his bended knee,
but his humane Sovereign, refpeding his age,
would not fuffer him to kneel, but laid liis
hand upon the old man's breafl; and, making
him fland upright, exprefTed no lefs furprize
than joy at feeing the oldefl foldier in his
fervice, in the enjoyment of fo great a fliare
of health and flrength. The fentiments
that filled his own royal brcail, he eagei'ly
exprefTed to the different noblemen and gen-
tlemen that were near him. He gave it in
clxarge to a gentleman prefent, Mr. Macleod
thinks Mr. Dundas, to take care that the
prayer of his petition fhould be granted,
which was modefl enough, being no other

than

•f Ser-
'itJi the

'^» and
an op-

The
to St.

|od, ad,
draw-

ich his

-d over

of the

d Ser-
knee,

IS ^ge,

lid his

taking

fprize

n his

/hare

nents

g:ei-ly

gen^

it in

leod
tl)e

ted,

:her

ban

( 83 )

than that he might have what is called the
King's Letter, that is, being put on the
charitable lift, or a lift of perfons recom-
mended by his Majefty for a lliilling a-day
for life, on account of extraordinary fervices,
or fufterings. On that lift Lord Howard,
the Governor of Chclfca Ilofpital, imme-
diately put the name of Serjeant Donald
Macleod : and this circumftance, with ten or
eleven guineas received out of his Majcfty's
hand, together with many exprellions of
kindiiefs, agreeably to what has been accu-
rately enough ftated in different newfpapers,
fent home the old Serjeant and his Lady,
with their fmall annual penfion, as happy as
princes. — But fee again the crooks of one's
lot, the labyrinths of life ! Though Mac-
Icod's name was inferted in the King's Lift,
he was lo wait for the actual receipt of a
ftiilling a-day until there ftiouldbe a vacancy,
which lias not yet happcnci]. — Uehold, there -
fo'-e, Serjeant Macleod and Mrs. Macleod
again in London, in September, 1790, after
a journey performed on foot, from Invcrnefs,
upwards of five hundred miles, in the Ipace
of three or four weeks, accompanied by
their youngcft fon, a lively little lad, about

F 2 nine

( 84 ) •

nine years old, as above-mentioned. Tliough
it does not appear that any negledt has been
Ihewn to his Majefty's orders refpedling his
old ftrvant, yet it is difficult to perfuade the
good old man, and ftill more difficult to fa-
tisfy Mrs. Macleod, that, if his Majefly's
courtiers had been as fincerely interefted in
his welfare as his Majefly himfelf, fomething
fubftantial might not have been done for him
before this day. And he is firmly perfuaded,
that when his Majefly, to whom he hopes
to be again admitted, comes to underiland
how he has been treated, he will be very angry.
In the mean time, it is to be hoped, that
he will draw a liberal fupply from the publi-
cation of his pi(fture, which may be had to
be bound up with this Ikctch of his life, or fe-
parately, as the fubfcriber pleafcs. Before
that fupply be wholly exhaufted, it is to be
expedted tliat he will be in the pofieffion of
fome regular provifion from the generofity,
and, indeed, the juflice of a country which,
in his humble fphere, he has ferved with
moil ciiftinguiflied reputation. It is ex-
tremely afflicting to the reader to be informed,
that inilead of fecurity and eafe, this gallant
vetjran was lately attacked by a confederacy

wmm

lough
been
g his
tJ the
to fa,

ed in
thing
■ him

lopes
(land

'gry.

that
Jbji-

d to

rfe-

fore

lof

^h,

ith "

X-

:d, •
nt

-y

( 85 )

of aflafnns, and was in the utmofl danger,
after braving death fo often in the field of
battle, of pcrifhing by the hands of thofe
niifcreants. On Saturday the 18th of De-
cember laft, after leaving the llage-coach,
from Uxbridge, where he had been on an
invitation from that elegant hiflorian of anti-
quity, Dr. Rutherford *, and walking a little
way down Park-lane, he was fet on by three
footpads. lie made all the refinance that
he was able, and, with a Ihort ftick that iic

* The Doctor, wifliing to converfe with this Itv/'ng
antiquity, chofe, for inviting him, the time of tlic
public examination of his flourifhing academy, that
he might gratify the young gentlemen with a fight of
him before the Chriflmas vacation. Ffc fliewed, i:i
the public fchool, in the prefence of a moft arcom-
pliflied fcncing-maRLr, a fine fpecimen of his (kill in
the ufe of the broatl-fword ; and he was greatly de-
lighted with the proficiency that feveral (-f the young
gentlemen had made in the noble fcicncc of J-jfencc.
Their proficiency in other fludles was no Icfs nJmira-
blc ; but fencing was the only exercife of which he
pretended to be a judge. He faid, that Dr. Ruther*
ford's academy would be a fine nuifery for rioble recruitSt
The young gentlemen, as well as the Doiloi's Lady and
Family, behaved lo Macleod in a mofl refp\v-tful and af-
fetStionate manner: worthy of the virtue of Sparta, Ke
was treated at Uxbridge with great kindnefs*

F 3 has

III

( 86 )

lias carried about with him for near half a
century, knocked down oneof the villains, and
drove a knife cut cf his hand, with which he
aimed at flabbing himj but the other two
came behind him and having brought
him to the ground, robbed him of fixteen
lliillings. I lis clothes were torn, and his
body fo much bruifed in the fcuffle, that he
kept his bed from Saturday to Monday even-
ing: nor is it certain that he would have
efcapedfrom the robbers with his life, if they
had not been forced to retreat v\ ihin the Park-
wall, at the approach of a gentlei .an on horfe-
back, who, calling a coach, fentMacleod home
to his quarters, and a number of men in fearch
of the mifcreants ; but to no purpofc. It is
to be regretted that, old as Donald Mac-
leod is, he ftill thinks it neceffary to keep up
tlie fpirit, and to ftrain after the a(flivity and
power of a younger foldier. It is lu;; by
caution and prudent fubmiffion that ;".c leeks
to efcape ; as it is not by means of the law
that he willies to revenge injuries. In every
thing he fliews the fpirit and the ideas of a
Ibldier and hero. A pleafant -enough proof
of this we have in the following Anec-
dote — A man, who is a good-enough en-
• ' graver.

lalf a
s, and
•h iie
two
'light
teen
|i his
at he
vcn-
havc
they

( 87 )

graver, and can alfo take off the outlines of a
countenance, made an engraving of Macleod,
which, as the expvrcflion of the countcnunce,
or phyfiognomy, was fcarcely touched, and
the drefs and arms of the highlander were
mifreprefented, did not give entire fatisfadion.
/nftrudtions \fere therefore given to make
tome improvements, and fome corredions.
But the wretch — after the old Serjeant had
iat to him as often as he plcafcd, Hiewed
him where he had erred, and advanced five
guineas in partial payment — the wretch,
with whofe infauftous name Macleod (for
he i« not a little tindured with fuperftition)
begs that thefe Memoirs of his Life may
not I c defiled, attempted to publifh the
portrait, intended for the benefit of his aged
anu generous employer, on his own account*.
This acl of piracy, he apprehended, would

* A ftrikinglikenefsof Mack ', drawn by Mr, Bi^gs,
artid engraved by Mr. Grozier, 1 , fold, for the benefit of
the old Serjeant, by the publiftiers f thefe Metncirs. It
is fubmitted to the Polygraphia Society, whether
they might not employ their cui lous art 1 m a manner worthy
of their liberality, in multiplying cxadl wiveneiTes of this
living antiquity, and circulating them, at an eafy rate,
through Britain, Europe, and the world.

r 4 excite

i i

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0

1.1

11.25

Uit2S 125

150 ^^^" Hi^B

Hi li^

■ 2.2

m Mi

IS!
U

■ 4.0

2.0

Photograjiiic

Sciences

Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716)S72-4503

( 88 ) ' r ^

excite the old Serjeant's refentment, and fub-
jed: him to the difcipline of his cudgel : he
therefore, although in both fize and appear-
ance he bears a great refemblance to a middle-
aged brawny porter or coachman, thought it
necefTarv to ikulk from Macleod, like a w^.-
lefad:or from the officers of juflice ; but our
magnanimous old Soldier, in order to quiet
the apprehenfions of the pirate, declares that
he may live for him, till fome hangman
hang him, or a flea fell him !

Donald Macleod, in the prime of life, was
five feet and feven inches in height. He is
now inclined by age to five feet five inches.
He has an interefling phyfiognomy, expref-
five of fincerity, fenfibility, and manly cou-
rage, though his eyes have lofl their luHre
and become dim and languid. With regard
to his mental qualities, that which is moft
impaired is the faculty of memory, and of
difcriminating lively conceptions or ideas,
from hiflofic£-l truths or realities. What
pafied in the firft fifty years of the prefent
century, he remembers more diftindlly than
the occurrences of the laft. In company,
where the cuflom of giving toails is kept
up, it is the beauties of the lail age that are
2^'";'-' commonly

( 89 )

commonly given by Mr. Macleod, though
they have been in their graves for many
years j a circumftance vv^hich, in the vivacity
of animated converfation, (for he has exceed-
ingly high fpirits,) he is very apt to over-
look. His flanding toafts are Her Majefty
Queen Anne; Sarah, Duchefs of Marlbo-
rough ; and the Countefs of Eglinton. I
have noticed the pronenefs of the old Ser-
jeant, in the prefent debilitated ftate of his
mind, to confound mere imaginations w^ith
realities; that a juft diftindtion may be made
between this weaknefs and deliberate decep-
tion. It really often happens, that when his
mind is warmed by a lively defcription of
fcenes, in which he could not have been pre-
fent, he imagines that he had adually feen
them paiTmg before his eyes. ' ' - '■' - -'
• The queftion is often put to Macleod,
How do you live ? to which he as often re-
plies, " I eat when I am hungry, and drink
when I am dry, and never go to bed but
v/hen I can't help it." This laft maxim re-
quires a little illuftration. He can never be
perfuaded to go to bed till he falls aileep. If
he is taking a glafs after fupper, and a pro-
pofition be made for the company to wifli

one

C 90 )

one another a good night, he will ob&rvc,
" My eyes are not fbut yet." It is only
when he feels himfelif under a n«ceflity of
clofing his eyes, that he h willing, to ga to>
reftj and, what is not a Iktle ludicrous, one
of his eyes being much weaker, goes fooner to
reft than the otlier. O^i the other hand, he ne-
ver lies a~bcd longer than he is fail! alleep. The
moment he awalces, up he fprings, wafbes his
face and hands, and goes fome where or other;
for he feems to have an averiion to reft, and h
conftantly in motion. He is of a wandering
difpofition, and never likes to ftay long in
one place : a very trifling motive, even at
this day, would fuffiee to carry Donald Mac-
leod to America, or to the Eaft Indies.

Mr. Macleod talks, not unfrequently, on
the fubjed: of death, and in a religious ftrain.
But he fpeaks oftener of the feats of his
youth and manhood ; and of men and women
who have lived to great ages, feveral of whom
he reckons in his own family. Alexander
Macleod, Efq. of Ulinifli, Sheriff of a Dif-
trid of Invernefs-fhire, his uncle, is now in
the 1 00th year of his age. -^ •• -*-''» • ^

Since the publication of the jirji Edition
ef thefe Memoirs, an incident happened to

[only
of

or to>

one
r ta
Jie-

riic

5 his

ber;

id- k

( 9\J

Mr. and Mrs. Maclcod of a very affeding
nature. One of their fons, falbwing the
wandering genius of hi^ country and fomily,
had come about ten years ago to England, in
the charader of a journeyman gardener ; and
while he fteadily purfued his profcffion, and
uniformly maintained a good charader, en-
countered a variety of fortune : fometimea
adting as a head -gardener, and, at others,
workins: with his hands as a labourer in nar^
fery and other gardens. — It was in this Lifk-
mentioned fituation that he ftood in January
lalt; wb -n, happening to come to town by
the WLi)/ oi Knightf bridge, he fpied on the
roiii iide ail old }iii.ddand.:r, for fuch he
readily cone, r/ed hmi to be by his drefs,
wi;.l: a V <vnan who appeared to be, what (lie
was, his wife, and a little boy between nine
and tcii years of age. Plaving accofted and
converfed \vith the old man for a little time
on the highway, he propofed to reft a little
and take fome refrefliment in a public houfe:
to which propofal the other party readily
agreed. — He afked his name, and the place;
of his ufuai abode. — My name is Macleod :
my native country, and ufual refidence, the
fiiire of Inverncfs,. Scotland. — ^Having further

learned

; 1.

( 9* )

learned that his name was Donald, that he
had lived in the town of Invcrnefs, and been
long a ferjeant among the Royal Highlarders,
the young man burll into tears ! — The mo-
ther, who hrd now furveyed ?nd recognized
the features of her fon, alfo wept, throwing
her arms around his neck and embracing him.
The old man, aftonillied at all this, afked
the youth what was his name, and family. —
O, oerjcant Macleod, his wife exclaimed, do
you not know your own child ! — The old
ferjeant was now extremely moved, and wept
very much; while the young lad, fcarcely
knowing what all this meant, joined in the
general concert. The name of the gardener
was John, the name of the little lad alfo
John ; for the tender parents, conceiving the
former to be dead, had called their youngeft
fon by his name, in remembrance and re-
fpedt to his memory. — The unfettled life of
both father and fon had occalioned the mif-
carriage of many letters on both (ides, and this
circumftance led the parents to apprehend
the death of their fon, and the fon to fup-
pofe the death of his father. ' *" •

John Macleod fenior, from the moment
he accidentally met with the old gentleman

. : ' his

•v'l

he
)een
iers,
no-
ized
''inn:

:ed

( 93 )

his father, has never left him, but waited on
him conflantly, ferving him with the alli-
duity of a fervant, and the attachment of a
fon. It is to be hoped, that this deferving
young man will meet with encouragement in
his own profefTion of a gardener, which he
well merits, both on account of his ability '
and his morals.

^^ Donald Macleod takes this public op-
portunity of returning his moft fincere and
humble thanks to thofe ladies and gentlemen
who have encouraged the fale of his pidture
and this pamphlet ; and, particularly to the
Gentlemen Reviewers, V\^ho have early and
kindly, and not without effed:, recommended
both him and them to the confideration of a
generous public. ,„| v; . 7

%■

W HAT follows, which has come to hand
fmce the preceding (heets were printed, at
the fame time that it exhibits a very pleafing
inflance of that warm attachment to kindred, •
by which the Plighlanders of Scotland are,
even now, fo amiably diflinguifhed, is an.
authentication of fome of the principal points '

( 94 )

in -thefe Memoirs; the family, the great age,
the fu"fferrngs, and the ndble fpirit, of our
veteran ferjeant. -' <^''>-'' ''-^ • " " ••

A'fter leaving the inn at Durham, he pro-
ceeded to Newcaille, w^here he fell in vv^ith
fome old fellow^- foldiers w^o 'had ferved with
'him, and in the fame place, 'half a century
before. Their mutual joy was fo great, and
their temperance fo fmall, that much dif-
■tre^sto Macleod quickly followed this inter-
view. All that had been left to him by the
wtives, or 'furnifhed by the beneficence of
Mr. Boyd, was fpent ^for 'the ferjeant has
no idea of difguifing the truth) at New-
ca:ftle. He 'found hhnfelf again in a mofl
foflorn fituation ; but, from his relations at
Edinburgh, whither he now directed his
courfe in his journey northward, he received
every mark of kind and anxious concern
for his relief, and future welfare. Lady
Clanronald, in a letter dated at Eafter Dud-
dingfton, December 30, 1785, and directed
-to her uncle, Alexander Macleod, Efq; of
Ulinifh, by Duhvegan, uniting the fweetefl:
humanity with the nobleft condefcenfion,
fays — " This will be given to you, if he
" lives to get your length, by a perfon, in

" whom

it
<c

«<
*(

4(
*«
tt
tt
*(
t(
€<
4t
€f

C(
((
«

<(
{(
((
<(
«

< 95 )

whom all the woi'ld, if they knew his
'hiftory, would be deeply interested ; much
•more you and I, who, by the ftrongell
ties of natural affed:ion, have eveiy reafoft
to be fo. I will not attempt to relate hi-J
imisfortunes, but v/ill leave them to him-
felf. The effedts of them on his appear-
ance, is fuch as is fufficient to awaken
all the tender fympathetic feeling* of
which the human heart is capable. It
has, indeed, made animpreflion on my el-
defl daughter (the only one of <my family
at home at prcfent) and myfelf, beyond
any incident we ever met with. Deftitute
totally of every means of fubfiftence, at
the age of ninety -five ! Almoft naked and
without a fhiliing, till providentially hs
met with Major Macdonald of the 84th,
who gave him what enabled him to get
quarters, and directed him to my houfe,
for which, I do affune you, he will fm-
cerely get my thanks, if ever I meet with
liim. O! my ilear uncle, it is impoiTible
to defcribe what an intere fling objedl he
is. The fine old veteran ! What makes
him doubly interefting is, that he feenied
more hurt .at feeing us fo much mpved,
. ^ " than

■I

( 96 )

than by his own diftrefs. I indeed never
wiflied more to be rich than I did at that
moment. With infinite fatisfa(5tion would
I have fent him all the way to your houfe,
if I could have afforded it, in a carriage.
And this is no more than what his king
and country owe him, after a fervice of
from three to fourfcore years. But now,
like a true old foldier, all that he laments,
is the lofs of his fword.
" With my daughter's afUflance, I made
him, as he thought, rich, by giving him
three guineas, with fome clothes I ordered
him fron:^ my cloth-merchants, which
will, I hope, if this fevere weather will
permit him, enable him to get to your
houfe, where, I make no doubt, he will
meet with a tender reception, and I will
be anxious till I hear of his arrival.
** My daughter joins me in wifliing you
and yours many happy returns of the fea-
fon. I ever am, dear uncle, yours

(Signed) Flora Macdonald."

. The tender care of this good lady over
ner unfortunate kinfman did not ceafe, when
his perfonal prefence ceafed to obtrude him

«
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it
it

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f<
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levcr
that
ould
oufe,
iage.
king

( 97 )
on her mind and heart. After he had taken
leave of her, in order to proceed foon there-
after on his journey northward, we find her
in another letter, dated at Eafter Dudding-
flon, January 17, 1786, and addrefled to Mr.
Donald Maclcod, at James's Court, Edin-
burgh, comforting him in thefe words.

^ I

<€
€€
<t
«<
«

Dear Sir,

" Receive with this a filk handkerchief

for your neck, for, on looking on what you

had on to-day, I faw it was not futHcicnt

to keep you v^arm. I fmcerely wirti you

were fafe at Ulinifh, and will remain

anxious about you till I hear you have got

well over the mountains.

** Be fure to write to me foon. My love

to my uncle and his family. And I am,

dear Sir,

" Your affedtionate coufin,

" Flora Macdonald.''

>»

The ferjeant was received by Ulinifh, and
his other relations in Skye, with great kind-
nefs. But hofpitality, in its very nature, is
rather a ftepping-ftone than a refting place,

G He

■-•• ...v.-_

( V8 )

lie 'was tugcr to rejoin his own poor family

at Inverncfs. ... ..; . f *•

Many other inflances might be here pro-
duced of the countenance and kindncfs Ihewn
to Maclcod by his own honourable kindred,
and of letters from them to him, or concern-
ing him, in proof of his veracity. But we
avoid the expence which the publication of
thefe would occafion. It has been alledged,
by fome who have fcen Macleod, that it is
impoiUble fo hale and fo hearty a man oan
be turned of 1.00. Let fuch wifeacres re-
fledt, that the fame vigour of conllitution
that prolongs life, prolongs the appearance
of health and ftrength. They would have
made the fame obfervation on old Parr and
Jenkins at the fame period of their lives,
though the former lived to the age of 150,
and the latter to that of 1 60.

FINIS

n .-■

, r'-

■; <*■

4 ("i «... 7

family

e pro-
file wn
ndred,
icern-
Jt we
ion of
idged,
tit is
1 can
-s re-
ution
ranee

have
r and
lives,

150,

^' i