| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| CT•Ranger |
Posted - November 25 2003 : 5:22:31 PM
An Historical Journal of the Campaigns in North America for the Years 1757, 1758, 1759, 1760 by Captain John Knox.
During the French and Indian War John Knox was a lieutenant in the 43rd Regt. on the campaigns against Louisbourg and Quebec. On January 8, 1761 he became captain of an Independent Company which afterwards became the 99th Regt. of foot. Knox ended his years as a captain and commanding officer of a garrison of Invalids in Berwick where he died in 1778.
His Journals which were published by subscription in 1769 are an extremely valuable source of primary information. They consist of three large volumes full of period maps and illustrations. Besides his daily journal entries, Knox also includes many of the orders that were issued as well as letters he received. His journals are full of thousands of obscure and interesting details about the campaigns he was involved in. No serious F & I War reenactor, history buff, or historian should ignore these journals. If you wish to purchase Knox’s Journals, you’ll have to find them used. Or you can probably find them at a university library. Below I’ve included two excerpts which I found particularly interesting while skimming through the first volume today.
“July 12th and 13th 1757, Halifax
A body of rangers, under the command of Captain Rogers, who arrived with the other troops from the southward, march out every day to scour the country; these light troops have, at present, no particular uniform, only they wear their cloaths short, and are armed with a firelock, tomahock, or small hatchet, and a scalping knife; a bullock’s horn full of powder hangs under the right arm, by a belt from the left shoulder; and a leathern, or seal’s skin bag, buckled round their waist, which hangs down before, contains bullets, and a smaller shot, of the size of full-grown peas; six or seven of which, with a ball, they generally load; and their officers usually carry a small compass fixed in the bottoms of their powder-horns, by which to direct them, when they happen to lose themselves in the woods....”
I found it interesting that the rangers are described as wearing "a leathern, or seal's skin bag buckled round their waist..." rather than a hunting bag hanging from the shoulder. Also another interesting note is that they load their muskets with a ball and six or seven smaller shot. Knox describes the enemy Indians as using this same load. It's also interesting that Benjamin Church and his men used a similar load during King Philip's War 1675-6. It would have been a very effective load for close range, evidently they were expecting to come in close contact with the enemy.
“September 21st 1757
The reinforcement of Highlanders, mentioned before to have arrived lately at Halifax, consisted of two new-raised regiments; an unlucky accident lately happened to one of their private men, of which the following are the particulars; a soldier of another regiment, who was a centinel detached from an advanced guard, seeing a man coming out of the wood, with his hair hanging loose, and wrapped up in a dark-cloured plaid, he challenged him repeatedly, and receiving no answer (the weather being hazy) he fired at him and killed him; the guard being alarmed, the Serjeant ran out to know the cause, and the unhappy centinel, strongly prepossessed that it was an Indian, with a blanket about him, who came skulking to take a prisoner, or a scalp, cried out, I have killed an Indian, I have killed an Indian, there he lies, &c. but, upon being undeceived by the Serjeant, who went to take a view of the dead man, and being told he was one of our own men, and a Highlander, he was oppressed with grief and fright, that he fell ill, and was despaired of for some days. In consequence of this accident, most of these young soldiers, being raw and unexperienced and very few of them conversant in, or able to talk English (which was his case who was killed) these regiments were ordered to |
| 4 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| CT•Ranger |
Posted - November 30 2003 : 8:26:42 PM
quote:
Originally posted by SgtMunro
The only Highland Soldiers that could have possibly been in that area, would have been the 42nd, after their return from the aborted attack against Fortress Louisburg.
Yes the reference is to the failed campaign against Louisbourg in 1757. So Knox may be refering to the 42nd, but the 42nd was not a "new-raised regiment." The only other Scot regiment in Halifax in 1757, that I can find is the 2nd Battalion 1st Regiment of Foot Royal Scots, but this was neither a Highland nor new reg't. Knox's quote is perplexing, I haven't been able to find any mention of two new Highland regiments in Halifax in '57. He was a "eye witness" and should have known what was going on, I've no reason to believe he was making this up. Perhaps he meant two companies. Also, Frasers 78th Highlanders were part of the 1758 seige of Louisbourg, as well as the 1759 seige of Quebec. I've also seen a reference to the 78th as a "Gaelic-speaking" regiment. Knox was at both of these campaigns as well, so maybe his memory failed him, and this event happened during one of these later campaigns. But then again Knox recorded the events as they happened in his journal. It's a perplexing question.
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| SgtMunro |
Posted - November 26 2003 : 8:01:22 PM
You're right, Ranger, I should have stated that the bi-lingual skills of the officers, warrant-men and private soldiers of the 42nd were probably not as common with the private soldiers of the two junior highland regiments (77th & 78th Regiments of Foote). I do not know of which regiment that Capt. Knox speaks of, since I have not read his works yet. I can tell you that in September of 1757, the 77th Regeiment of Foote (Montgomeries Highlanders) were stationed outside of Charleston (SC) and were no where near Upstate New York. The 78th Regiment of Foote (Frasiers Highlanders), were still in the mustering and transport phase at Cork. The only Highland Soldiers that could have possibly been in that area, would have been the 42nd, after their return from the aborted attack against Fortress Louisburg.
As to the color of the plaids worn by the soldiers of the 78th Regiment of Foote, I have found references to both the standard Government Sett, as well as the brown sett you describe. I will have to do some more checking on this, before I can say for sure. I come from the school of thought that if I do not know the answer, I had better find it, because obviously I need to know it. I'll post an update, once I can find two or more sources that give the same answer.
Your Most Humble Servant,
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| CT•Ranger |
Posted - November 26 2003 : 11:44:03 AM
Thanks for your assesment Sgt. Would the fact that these were "two new-raised regiments" explain Knox's description, would these new regiments be more likely to speak Gaelic? I'm assuming the regiments he speaks of are Montgomerie's 77th which was raised in 1757, and Fraser's 78th. I also found it interesting that according to Stuart Reid, the 78th may have worn a brown sett rather than the government sett. William Delacour's portrait of an unknown officer of the regiment, and Benjamin West's "The Death of Wolfe" depict a brown sett. Does anyone today portray this regiment? It would certainly be an interesting uniform with the brown sett and white or pale buff facings. Something different than what you normally see. |
| SgtMunro |
Posted - November 26 2003 : 01:53:50 AM
Interesting choice of books, CT Ranger. I have finally located and got my hands on a Folio Press edition (circa 1976) of Capt. Knox's Journal last month. I think I got a good deal, for it cost me only $15 and it is in excellent condition (It even still had the original pasteboard storage sheath). It is to be one of my 'winter reads'.
As to the assumption that most Highlanders did not know English, well most of them could communicate in it if they had to. There were those who could not speak it, but they were in the minority in the 42nd RHR, since a large number of even the private soldiers in the 42nd were from minor gentry and of a moderate level of formal education. Highlanders, while polite and friendly, are somewhat guarded around 'outsiders'. Some English officers mistook overhearing informal conversation, as well as commands from Highland officers and NCO's while on parade, in Gaelic as a sign that most Highlanders were not bi-lingual. It is more likely that they prefered to keep some topics to themselves. Just a few of my observations, from the different orderly books that I have perused...
Your Most Humble Servant,
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