Chapter I: Preface

It is a perplexing thing when the making of history is often terrible, sometimes tragic, but hardly ever tedious, that the reading of history should be considered uniformly grey. In compiling the present book I shrank from the word ‘History’—I altered it to ‘Story.’ It is the same thing, but it does not sound so depressing.

_The Story of the Highland Regiments_ is not merely a narrative of regimental gallantry—it is also the story of our Empire for nearly two hundred years, the story of strange lands and peoples, of heroism and endurance, of the open sea and the frontier. It is even more than that—it is the story of self-sacrifice, of courage, of patriotism.

Long ago, when my father related to me how, as a little boy, he had watched the Highlanders march into Edinburgh after the Crimean War, I determined to secure a book that would tell me, in simple words, without any dates whatever, about the ‘Thin Red Line’ at Balaclava, the relief of Lucknow, and the charge of the Greys. It was just because no such book existed that I was encouraged to write a narrative history that would cover, no matter how slightly, the entire period.

Whatever may be the faults of this book there are pictures, and there are not many dates. I have also, where I could, allowed the actual combatants or eye-witnesses to tell their story in their own way, and on occasions I have inserted verses that have either won popularity or deserve to do so.

It is also my hope that, despite the simplicity of treatment, this story of the campaigns in which the Highland regiments took their part, will interest not only young people, but, for the sentiment of all things Scottish, their elders too.

In some chapters minor campaigns may appear to receive an undue attention, and greater wars, such as the Peninsular, to be treated in outline. The reason for this is obvious. This record must follow in the footsteps of the Highland regiments, and the greater the campaign the less accentuated are individual achievements. For this reason, too, I have not attempted to treat the present War in any detail, for no detail is so far to hand, and in the vast forces raised since August 1914 the Highland regiments have passed into armies, and cannot be treated as single battalions. But already one thing calls for no chronicler. Never since those old days when the clans first fought beneath the British flag has the imperishable star of the Highland regiments—whether of the Old Army or the New, Colonial or Territorial—gleamed more steadily throughout the long night of War. In answer to the last and greatest summons of the Fiery Cross, the tramp of marching feet came sounding from the farthest outposts of the Empire.

Of the books that have provided me with much of my working material I must acknowledge as the basis of this volume Browne’s _History of the Highlands_, vol. iv., Cromb’s _The Highland Brigade_, Archibald Forbes’ _The Black Watch_, the various regimental records, and for their respective campaigns—Maclean’s _Highlanders in America_, Napier’s _War in the Peninsular_, Dr. Fitchett’s _Wellington’s Men_ and _The Tale of the Great Mutiny_, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s _The Great Boer War_. For the chapter on Afghanistan I have drawn upon Miss Brooke-Hunt’s _Biography_ of Lord Roberts, and for the last chapter I have to thank the proprietors of the _Scotsman_ for permission to quote some extracts from their files. I should also like to express my indebtedness to many other writers, whose books I have named where possible in the text.

There are those whose personal assistance has saved me much labour. In particular are my thanks due to my wife, who has collected much material and revised the proof sheets.

FREDERICK WATSON.

_September 1915._

CONTENTS

Preface v

1. The Formation of the Black Watch 1

2. Flanders and Fontenoy 8

3. The Black Watch at Ticonderoga 17

4. With Wolfe and Fraser’s Highlanders 26
at Quebec

5. Red Indian Warfare 33

6. The American War of Independence 43

7. With the Highland Light Infantry at 55
Seringapatam

8. The Winning of the Hackle 63

9. With Abercromby in Egypt 70

10. The Retreat on Corunna 79

11. The Camerons in the Peninsular 91

12. The Gordons at Quatre Bras 105

13. With Wellington at Waterloo 114

14. The Highland Brigade at the Alma 126

15. The ‘Thin Red Line’ at Balaclava 135

16. From Meerut to Cawnpore 142

17. With Sir Colin Campbell and the 158
Sutherlands to Lucknow

18. With Wolseley and the Black Watch to 178
Coomassie

19. With Roberts and the Seaforths in 187
Afghanistan

20. Majuba Hill 204

21. The Highland Brigade at Tel-el-Kebir 212

22. From El-Teb to Omdurman 218

23. Chitral and Dargai 234

24. Outbreak of War in South Africa 241

25. The Highland Brigade at 255
Magersfontein

26. Paardeberg and the Gordons at 264
Ladysmith

27. With Sir Ian Hamilton to Pretoria 277

28. The Greatest War 288

Index 313

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

1. The Camerons at Fuentes de Oñoro (p. _Frontispiece_
95)

2. A Highland Chief 4

3. The Black Watch at Ticonderoga 22

4. The Highland Light Infantry at 60
Seringapatam

5. The Gordons at Quatre Bras 112

6. The Sutherland Highlanders at Lucknow 166

7. The Seaforths at Candahar 202

8. The Argyll and Sutherlands entering 294
Boulogne, August 1914