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.-s,*- 
 
 M E iM O I R S 
 
 OF THE 
 
 OLD HIGHLANDER, 
 
 SERJEANT D. MACLEOD, 
 
 [price two shillings. j 
 
 V,! 
 
 ENTER.LD AT STATIONKR'. HALL. 
 
 1 ; s 
 
 J 
 
LII 
 
 SE] 
 
 C( 
 
 W; 
 
 501 
 
MEMOIRS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 LIFE AND GALLANT EXPLOITS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 OLD HIGHLANDER, 
 
 SERJEANT DONALD MACLEOD, 
 
 . : 
 
 ' 
 
 w H a, 
 
 HAVING RETURNED, WOUNDED, WITH THE 
 
 CORPSE OF GENERAL WOLFE, 
 
 FROM QUEBEC, 
 
 « 
 
 WAS ADMITTED AN OUT-PENSIONER OF CHELSEA 
 HOSPITAL, IN 1759 ; 
 
 AND IS NOW IN THE 
 
 Clll.d YEAR OF HIS AGE. 
 
 
 m. 
 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 FROAf PETERBOROIL'-HOUSF. PRESS, 
 BY D„ AND D. STUART. 
 
 SOLD BY J. FORBES, COVENT-GARDEN ; J. DEBRETT, 
 
 PICCADILLY j AND J. SEWELL, CORNHiLL. 
 
 MDCCXCI. 
 
 hi' 
 
SE 
 
 I 
 
 of 1 
 
 tim( 
 
 the 
 
 paig 
 
 fent 
 
 but, 
 
 loin: 
 
 elde 
 
 and 
 
 babi 
 
 imrr 
 
 boy' 
 
 fort^ 
 
OF THE LIFE OF 
 
 SERJEANT DONALD MACLEOD. 
 
 ■If 
 
 111' 
 It 
 
 MEMOIRS 
 
 < ■ 
 
 iJoNALD Macleod, acaclct of the family 
 of Ulinilli in the Ifle of Skye, from the 
 time of his enlifling in the Scottifh army, in 
 the reign of King Wilham, to his laft cam- 
 paign with Sir Plenry Clinton in America, 
 lent hundreds of heroes to their long homes: 
 but, in return, he raifed up from his own 
 loins a numerous race of hrwe warriors, the 
 eldeft of whom is now eighty three years old, 
 and the youngeft only nine. Nor, in all pro- 
 bability, would this lad clofc the rear cf his 
 immediate progeny, if his prefent wife, the 
 boy's mother, had not now attained to the 
 forty and ninth year of her age. 
 
 A It 
 
 
( 2 ) 
 
 It was formerly cuftomary in Scotland, as 
 well as other countries in Europe, for gen- 
 tlemen of land>^d 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 diflirids 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 eflate was par- 
 celled out among feveral brothers, whether 
 in equal or unequal divifions ; fometimes 
 large and advantageous farms were let to the 
 younger fons, who, at an eafy rent paid to 
 the elder branch and reprefentative of the fa- 
 mily, enjoyed their pofleflions under the name 
 of tackfmen: and thefe poiTefTions, fubdivided 
 and fub-let to inferior tenants, pafTf^d 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 
 
 t 
 
 ^*. 
 
( 3 ) 
 
 dcfccLients of the independent b.iron or te- 
 niuit of the Crown, fo alfo the fiibtenants 
 were, for the moft parr, conncdted by ties 
 of blood with the tackfmen. All the capital 
 and mofl of the fccondary pollefnons, and all 
 the oiTices or places in the eftate, from the 
 fiiclor or land'fleward, down to the ground- 
 officer and game-keeper, were in tlie hands 
 of men who boafled of the {duvc name and 
 the fame defcent with the chief. Such, in 
 general, was the ftate of fociety, and fuch 
 the mode in which landed ellates were par- 
 celled out, under the feigueur, in feudal and 
 warlike times ; vvhen men of laniily had not 
 the fame refources in manufaftures 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 fubieet of this Narrative, is the fon of 
 John Macleod tlie fon of Roderic M-dc- 
 Icod, Efq: of Uliniili, by his Vvife Margaret 
 Macleod, daugliter to Macicoii of Taliiliar, 
 in the parifh of Eracadill in Skye, v.nd cuunty 
 of Invcrncfs, North Britain. 
 
 A 2 •■U* 
 
 'M 
 i 
 
 I 
 
 
( 4 ) 
 
 Sir Pvodcric Macdonald of the Illc of Skye, 
 anccilor to the prcfcnt Attorney-General, 
 and Roderic Macleod of Ulinifli, coulins in 
 the fecond degree, fent their children Ifa- 
 bella Macdonald and Jolin Macleod, to be; 
 educated in Invcrnefs. In former times, 
 more fimpic than the prefent, it was com- 
 iiion for boys and girls, of the bell families, 
 to be brought up together in the f;me 
 fehools, as it is among common people, in 
 comiiion fehools in Scotland, even at this thy. 
 Ifubeiia Macdoiiaid, accordingly, and John 
 Macieod had been brought up toojether, in 
 a familiar manner, at the public fchool of 
 Ifjverncfs, for feveral vears, when thev ac- 
 knowled^^ed tlie mutual influence of love. 
 Ifibella was in the fourteenth year of her 
 age, when John, in his iixteenth year, ran 
 away with her from fchool, and married her. 
 The firfl fruit of this union was our hxCro, 
 Donald, who was born at Uliniflim.orc on 
 tlic 2oth of June 1688, as appears from the 
 parilh re'riftcr of Bracadill already men- 
 tioned. 
 
 Sir Fvoderic Macdonald, informed of 
 the earl'/ and unfortunate marriaG;e of his 
 
 daufrhter. 
 
 H 
 
1 • 
 
 his 
 
 ( 5 ) 
 
 daughter, haniilicd her, together with licr 
 young hufbaud, from his pretence, and vowed 
 revenge againft Ivoderic M.icleod of Uunirii, 
 John's father, to whofe privity and contri- 
 vance, in the flrfl tranfpurts of his p.-.tnon, he 
 attributed all that had happened. Bat, 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 
 Ulinidi on peaceable and friendly terms, for 
 the purpofe of providing an edabliiliment 
 of fome kind for the very young couple, 
 that were the natural objeds of their com- 
 mon concern. 
 
 At an interview between thofe gentleman 
 it was fettled, that John Macleod lliould be 
 put in the exclufive poifeffion and right of 
 the village and farm of Uliniflimore, by his 
 father; and that another farm, of about equal 
 value, (liould 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 perfe(51: coinfort for 
 fix years, at Ulinilhmore ; where, befxdes 
 their firil-born, who law light, as already 
 
 A 3 nientioned. 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 i 
 
 ,•.•*<'"• 
 
I 
 
 )1 
 
 / ! 
 
 I 
 
 , 
 
 ( 6 ) 
 
 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 
 tjiat of a daughter, Agnes, in 1694. — But 
 this Hate of domeilic innocence and felicity 
 was foon converted, on the part of the fond 
 Ivaliiand and parent, into a life of great dif- 
 quictude and danger to himfelf, as well as 
 neglcd: 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 diffipation, 
 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 fenfibility, 
 and at no time retrained by the ftri(5lefl laws 
 of moderation, he gave a loofe rein, after the 
 lofs of his wife, to unruly pailions; and, while 
 he wafted his fubflance by gaming and vari- 
 ous kinds of expenfive excefs, he incurred 
 general difpleafure and dillike by challeng- 
 ing, in his cups, even his beft neighbours 
 and friends to fight him with the broad fword, 
 
 at 
 
( 7 ) ' 
 at which he was efleemed uncommonly ex- 
 pert and dextrous. 
 
 But all the power of extreme difTipation 
 was not able to efface, from his mind and 
 heart, the image of his dear and almoll in- 
 fant partner. The whole fcencry around, 
 every objedt, recalled to his imagination that 
 belovedimage, togetherwith tender regret and 
 forrow, that Ihe whom it vainly reprefentcd 
 was now no more ! A year had not elap fed, 
 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 fight of which was become 
 painful to him; went to fea; and, after vari- 
 ous viciffitudes of fortune, became a Lieu- 
 tenant of Marines in the Chatham Divi- 
 fion. 
 
 By the time that the term of years for 
 which he had granted the pofTefTion 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-Ifle, in the year 1761. 
 
 W 
 
 I 
 
 B^-,1 
 
 f 
 
 % 
 
 m 
 m 
 
 A 4 
 
 Captain 
 
n 
 
 
 V 
 
 n 
 
 U 
 
 I 
 
 ( 8 ) 
 
 Captain Macleod, when he went to fea, 
 left liis children, four in number, in the care 
 of their grand-father, Roderic Macleod of 
 Ulinidi ; who was not able to do much for 
 them, as lie had a family of his own by a 
 fecond wife, younr:, numerous, and yearly 
 incrcafin:^ His children and p'rand-children 
 amounted to the number of twenty-three, 
 who lived all of them together at Ulinilhmore j 
 the youngcfl part going every day a fpace ol 
 about four niiles, even amidfi the fevereft 
 wintcry ilorms, to the paridi-fchool of Bra- 
 cadill. Sometim.e3 Donald was obliged to 
 carry hii little brother Alexander, fcarcely 
 fiveyeai. old, on his back. At the fchool 
 of Bracadill Donald learned to read Englifli, 
 and to write J though his fiiigers have now 
 become fo fiiiF, through a2:e, that it is with 
 diiiicuity he can fign his ov/n nam.e. It 
 would cod him greater exertion to write one 
 page than to walk an hundred miles, or to go 
 throueh a trial at the broad-fword. 
 
 The regimen and manner in which he, 
 with his little brothers and uncles, fomie of 
 whom were younger than cither he or any of 
 hlsbrollicrs, v/cre brouglit up, was as follows. 
 
 They 
 
he, 
 iC of 
 ly of 
 
 ( 9 ) 
 
 They were clothed with a woollen fhirt, akilt, 
 or (hort petticoat, and a (hort 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 
 ftockings, nor yet fliocs, either in fummeror 
 winter! in fun-lliine, rain, froil:, or fnow ! If 
 the elder boys had one pair of brogues, orcoarfe 
 fhoes, formed rudely by leathern thongs out 
 of raw and undrelTcd hides, it was rather for 
 ornament than ufe; for particular folemni- 
 ties than for conflant wear. For the moll: 
 part, their heads, necks, legs and feet were 
 quite bare. It was only when the youth 
 approached to manhood, and became, as we 
 would fiy, bi^us, that they were indulged 
 with either llioes or bonnets. How, thus 
 nightly attired, they could endure the rigour 
 of an hyperboreal winter, appears to be 
 afloniiliing and fcarcely credible. But mark 
 what I am going to relate. In the morn- 
 ings, the moment they cam.e out of bed, they 
 walhv,J. themfelves all over .n large tubs of 
 cold wuter, which feafoned them to the wea- 
 ther, whatever it was, and gave them the 
 temperature of the day. In the evening 
 
 again. 
 
 
 fin. 
 
 ■ .>■ ; 
 
 ■■■\\ 
 
 It ' ' 
 
f 
 
 
 ( lo ) 
 
 again, they wafhed with cold water before 
 their going to bed. This fecond ablution 
 was neceflary to clear away the dirt occa- 
 fioned by going without flioes and ftock- 
 ings. The application of water was the 
 more necelTary, that the ufe of linen was 
 then but little known, or in fadiion. But, 
 whatever were the circumftances and views 
 that determined the Highlanders, in train- 
 ing up their children, to make free and fre- 
 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 almoll certain, that not only the 
 Lowland Scots, but even many of the 
 Highland tribes, as the Campbells, Mac- 
 leods, Macpherfons, &cc. 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- 
 ftant ufe of dipping their children in cold 
 
 much fait as 
 
 they put 
 
 th :y can fpare . By thi 
 
 conujtutions are 
 
 means 
 invieorated 
 
 they think their 
 and prepared 
 to 
 
:forc 
 Ltion 
 cca- 
 ock- 
 
 the 
 
 was 
 
 But, 
 
 :rain- 
 i fre- 
 
 it is 
 
 It is 
 d, on 
 y the 
 ■ the 
 Mac- 
 :ehic, 
 liiin or 
 nown, 
 people 
 e con- 
 n cold 
 
 fait as 
 ik their 
 repared 
 to 
 
 ( II ) 
 
 to encounter ill inequalities and rigours of 
 climate. 
 
 With regard ♦^o the food with which 
 our young hero was nouriflied, it confiflcd, 
 for themoft part, nay almoll folely, in meal, 
 or flour of oats and barley boiled up into 
 gruel or porridge, or formed into cakes, 
 with milk 3 and lidi, which are caught on 
 the wellern fhores of Scotland in extreme 
 abundance. As to tiefli-meat, it leldomor ever 
 came within his reach ; for, though the Ille 
 of Skye fends thoufands of fmall bullocks 
 annually to the Englifli market j this very 
 circumftance, this very abundance in cattle, 
 induces the poor natives to hufband well this 
 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 v/ant capitals, they 
 want the foflering breath of rich indivi- 
 duals as well as that of government, to fwell 
 their fails, and fpread their veflels over the 
 furrounding feas. 
 
 What 
 
 
 
 i-1..' 
 
•'"■▼" 
 
 h 
 
 |! 
 
 i I 
 
 ^ i 
 
 i 
 
 i ' 
 i 
 
 ( 12 ) 
 
 Whatapltythatfourmillionsflerlinglliould 
 liavc been expended for liberty to fidi on the 
 other fide of the globe for ftinking whales, 
 when even a fmall part of thatfum, judicioully 
 laid out on fome fuch practical and eafy plan 
 as that recommended by Captain Newte, in 
 his late tour in England and Scotland, would 
 have nourillied a Hourifhing iifliery at home, 
 furnifhed the tables of both rich and poor 
 with fuch a variety of fifhes, good for food, 
 and plealant to the eye, and which would 
 tend, in more ways than one, to the increafe 
 of population ? If tempefls and furious 
 florms drive our feamen within thirty miles 
 of the Spanilli lliores, they have nothing to 
 expedl but barbarity from a proud and bi- 
 gotted people, whofe jealoufy of our en- 
 croachments will now, after the late con- 
 vention, be greater, and their infolence more 
 intolerable tlian ever. If the winds and 
 waves tofs them on the Caledonian coall:, 
 every ll^iff is fitted out, every arm extended 
 for their relief and comfort ! But, not to 
 digrefs too far from our fubjed: : 
 
 When Donald Macleod was no more than 
 nine years of age he w.is fent to Invernefs, 
 
 and 
 
 i: 
 
 of 
 
 (wh. 
 
 ( 
 
Lould 
 n the 
 lales, 
 oiiily 
 
 plan 
 te, ill 
 vould 
 lome, 
 
 poor 
 • food, 
 would 
 icreafe 
 urious 
 
 miles 
 ling to 
 \d bi- 
 
 r eii- 
 con- 
 e more 
 
 Is and 
 coaft, 
 
 tended 
 
 not to 
 
 re than 
 ft'ernefs, 
 and 
 
 ( 13 ) 
 
 nnd bound apprentice to Walter and John 
 Watfons, alias Macpherfons, maibns and 
 ftone-cutters. On this occalion 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- 
 ficn, was 50I. Scotch; that is, 4I. 3s. 4d. ftcr- 
 ling. He was bound for i'cven years. His own 
 family was to furnifh him clothes: the Mac- 
 pherfons with bed and board in their own houle. 
 He was an apt and diligent apprentice, learned 
 his trade with great facility, and plcafed 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, 
 either here or in his grand-father's houfe, 
 in abundance, was miik and fifli. Bread v/as 
 dealt out. with a very fparing hand; tlie 
 porridge, or rather water-grucl, was greatly 
 too thin; and as to the foup-meagre, made 
 of catmeai and a fmall handful of p-reen^, 
 (which, with a little barley-bread, was his 
 
 moll 
 
 :',V, 
 
 :■> 
 
I,; 
 
 ( H ) 
 
 mofl common dinner), it did not dcferve th ■ 
 name of ibup, or broth, fo much as that of 
 water tinged with thofe ingredients. With 
 regard to fifli, although 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 
 of provifion in which the northern counties 
 of Scotland were, at that time, miferably de- 
 ficient. So that, on the whole, our hero 
 confefTes, that he very feldom had a full and 
 fatisfadtory meal ; or rofe from table without 
 a degree of appetite — if he fheathed his 
 fword, it was for lack of argument. He is 
 convinced that, by this penury of living, his 
 flomach was contradled, at kaft 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 thofc around 
 him in any country. At this moment he eats 
 fparingly, and next to nothing at all, tho' he 
 takes a chcarful and even plentiful glafs v/ith- 
 
 2 out 
 
1 
 
 re tV 
 hat of 
 With 
 mmon 
 Ltifully 
 neither 
 if time, 
 d with 
 le thing 
 articles 
 :ounties 
 ibly de- 
 ar hero 
 [uU and 
 without 
 hed his 
 He is 
 ing, his 
 dilated 
 ip in the 
 d of his 
 fo much 
 'c around 
 It he eats 
 tho' he 
 .afs with- 
 out I 
 
 ( 15 ) 
 
 out the fmallefl inconveniency. A gentleman 
 juft turned of forty, after drinking a hearty 
 glafs with Macleod to an hour mucli 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 
 Chelfca. 
 
 While Macleod remained in his crand- 
 father's family in the Ifle of Skye, fcan- 
 tinefs of more folid provifion was, in fomc 
 meafurc, compenfated by liberal fupplies of 
 milk : and, now and then, on holidays, they 
 were treated with an e^g. But, with the 
 flone-cutters he found not one egg, and of 
 milk very little, lie felt the pinching pain 
 of want. His (ituation became infupportable. 
 Extreme hunger induced him to harbour 
 thoughts of breaking loofe from his mailer, 
 and trying to fatisfy the cravings of nature in 
 fome other part of the kingdom. 
 
 If all this prefiiire of hunger and want 
 fliould appear extraordinary, the furprize of 
 the reader will wholly vanifli, when he recol- 
 ledts, that the firft years of Maclecd's ap- 
 prenticefhip fell within the period of that de- 
 plorable 
 
 •1^ 
 
 I 
 
 V 
 
 
f 
 
 I 
 
 
 i 
 
 ( i6 ) 
 
 plorablc famine whicli afliidcd Scotland, not 
 yet taught to provide againft fcarcity of grain 
 by means of navigation, for the lafl {<^ven 
 years of the feventeenth 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 
 recollection. It was this uxxadful flimine 
 that occalioned the noted propofal of Mr. 
 Fletcher of Saltoun, to redeem the begging 
 poor of his country from the fangs of want, 
 by binding them in the chains of flavery. 
 This idea appears fhocking to a modern ear. 
 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 pafTed an adl, 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 precifcly flnce the 
 Scottifli Parliament, in 1597, extended that 
 limited term to lil'e. Mr. Fletcher tells us, 
 that, in the year 1698, there were, befidcvS 
 a great many poor families pining in fecret 
 want, others very m^eanly provided for oat of 
 
 the 
 
not 
 rain 
 ven 
 was 
 dear 
 pre- 
 holy 
 -nine 
 Mr. 
 
 vant, 
 very, 
 near, 
 ecian 
 more 
 mt of 
 n the 
 away 
 
 DUght 
 
 years, 
 the 
 i that 
 Us us, 
 De fides 
 iecret 
 oat of 
 the 
 
 ( 17 ) 
 
 the church boxes, and others who had fallen 
 into various difeafes by Hving on bad food; — 
 that there were, befides all thefe, two hun- 
 dred thoufand people, in Scotland, begging 
 their bread from door to door. 
 
 Such, then, were the hard circumflances 
 and times in which Donald Macleod was 
 brought up, from the fifth year of his age 
 nearly to the twelfth. 
 
 Towards Chilflmas, in the year 1699, in 
 the midft of froft and fnow, with his inden- 
 ture, which he had contrived to get into his 
 hands, and one linen fhirt in his pocket, our 
 young adventurer, before it was yet day, fct 
 out from his mafter's houfe at Invernefs, fe- 
 cretly, without any other deflination than 
 that of wandering with his face fouthward. 
 His brogues and his flockings foon gave way, 
 and he was reduced to the' necefTity of en- 
 countering the icy and rugged paths through 
 which he pafled with his legs and feet quite 
 bare. This circumflance, however, was not 
 half fo affliding to little Donald, as the con- 
 ftant apprehenfion lefl he fliould be purfued 
 and overtaken by the Macphcrfons, his maf- 
 ters, and forcibly taken back to fulfil the 
 
 B time 
 
 !1 
 
 i 
 
If 
 
 ( i8 ) 
 
 time of his apprenticefliip. He, therefore, 
 as much as pofiible, 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- 
 flradledly good : that things are only defir- 
 able and good relatively; and that all their 
 comfort depends on circumftances. But 
 Donald Macleod was of a different opinion : 
 for, even in the midft of fnowy hills, and 
 dreary, frozen waftes, he exulted in his 
 freedom, in the confcioufnefs of being un- 
 controlled, and his own mailer. Liberty 
 appeared to Donald to be good, abftradtedly 
 and in itfelf; for, though it did not imme- 
 diately remove the evil, of which he had 
 fo much reafon to complain in a ftate 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 
 
 or I 
 ni; 
 nvc 
 
 W( 
 
eforc, 
 iway, 
 arrow 
 rh the 
 ithing, 
 Dr ab- 
 
 delir- 
 
 11 their 
 
 But 
 
 pinion : 
 
 [Is, and 
 
 in his 
 ing un- 
 Liberty 
 radledly 
 t imme- 
 
 he had 
 
 {late of 
 d nou- 
 to fancy 
 e weight 
 
 profped 
 
 5 feeUngs 
 
 another 
 
 rior Parts 
 
 «« I now 
 
 ( 19 ) 
 
 " I now exulted," £ivs the traveller, " lu 
 my emancipation, (from his mafters,) and 
 felt an extafy of joy in the mere pof- 
 felTion ^'i life and liberty, though I knew 
 not how to fuflain the one, or fecure the 
 other. Nor was I plunged into defpair 
 when this tranfport began to fubfide. If 
 I (hould flibfill on the reptiles of the 
 earth, and roots, and herbs, and feeds, 
 and to whatfoever I {hould be drawn by 
 the keennefs of fenfe, purified by want, 
 and invigorated by the breath of Heaven, 
 I would e{leem myfelf happy in being my 
 own ma{ler." 
 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 fuflain 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 refufed a 
 night's lodging by any one to whom he 
 made application. " Woe is me !" people 
 would lav, ** he is a comelv bov. His coat 
 
 " and kilt coo are of a finer plaid than ufuaL 
 
 B ;, 
 
 (( 
 
 He 
 
( 20 ) 
 
 *' He is furely fome gentleman's Ton.- 
 
 " Perhaps," another would fay, "he is fome 
 '* gentleman's baflard.'* Some, in the morn- 
 ing, would give him a fmall pittance of the 
 little that they had for their own famifhed 
 children, and, with tears in their eyes, bid the 
 Lord blefs him and guide him. Others 
 would earneftly advife him to return home. 
 To all their inquiries concerning his family, 
 his name, and the place from whence he 
 came, he gave evafive anfwers, fearing no- 
 thing fo much, as that he fhould fall again 
 into the hands of the Macpherfons. Thofe 
 men were not harfli to him, though they 
 confined him clofely to his work ; but he 
 was abfolutely ftarved, as they had not, in 
 the midft of prevailing famine, wherewithal 
 to fatisfy the wants of their family. 
 
 When he came (for he fleered his courfc 
 fouthward by the highland, not by the coall- 
 road) near to Aberfeldie, where there was a 
 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 queflions, and 
 at length offered to take him home with 
 
 her 
 
 lai 
 
e the 
 J, and 
 with 
 her 
 
 ( 21 ) 
 
 her to hei own houfe. He afked her what 
 file would do with him. She faid, ftrok- 
 ing his curling hair, " My pretty boy I have 
 ** loil my only child, who, had he lived, 
 " wouldhave juft been about your age, and 
 " I think not unlike you. I will take you 
 ** along with me, and you Hiall be my fon." 
 He was not infenfible to this good woman's 
 kindnefs ; for, while (he fhed tears for pity, 
 he cried out of grateful afFedtion. But ftill he 
 thought he was too near Invernefs ; too much 
 expofed to the inquiries of his late mafters. 
 He, therefore, thanked the kind ftranger for 
 her offer, but pofitively refufed to accept it. 
 ** Alas !" laid fhe, " Where will you go ? 
 " Some heart, I fear, aches for you this day.** 
 So, finding him refolute 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 of Providence. 
 
 Turning eaflward from Aberfeldie, he 
 purfued his journey along the north fide of 
 the Tay till he came to Logierait, at the 
 junction of the Tay and the Tumel. This 
 lafl river, that he might not fpend one far- 
 
 B 
 
 3 
 
 thing 
 
I! 
 
 H 
 
 M 
 i-l 
 
 ( 22 ) 
 
 thing of his fliilling by taking the ferry-boat, 
 he boldly determined to ford, and adlually 
 did ford it, though the water was breafl- 
 high. But as he journeyed onward to Dun- 
 keld, he was met by a well-drelfed man on 
 foot, with another man a little behind him 
 who appeared to be his fervant. The firll 
 of thefe, who was one of the gentlemen 
 robbers fo frequent in Scotland in thofe days, 
 ftopped our young traveller, and after feveral 
 queilions, afked him what he had in his 
 pocket. Donald, trembling for his (liiliing, 
 alHrmed that he had nothing. But the ap- 
 plication of a piflol pointed to his brcaft, 
 extorted his whole treafure without deky. 
 TJie unfeeling plunderer held on in his ^ /ay 
 northward, and the haplefs youth ^^ noia he 
 had plundcied proceeded on his journey, to 
 which he knew not when oi where there 
 would be an end. 
 
 It was now in the dufk of the evening, 
 and being overcome With tatigue, cold, and 
 great forrow at tiie loib of his (hilling, he 
 felt an irrtfiHible propenfity to go to fleep. 
 No houfe or hut was near in which he 
 might obtain friendly flielter^ but he efpied 
 
 a flieep- 
 
boat, 
 :ually 
 reall- 
 Dun- 
 an on 
 1 him 
 efirft 
 icmen 
 : days, 
 evcral 
 in his 
 killing, 
 he ap- 
 brcaft, 
 deluy. 
 is '/ay 
 toiii he 
 Tcy, to 
 c there 
 
 vening, 
 Id, and 
 ing, he 
 :o fleep. 
 lich he 
 e elpied 
 a Iheep- 
 
 ( 23 ) 
 
 a flieep-cot as he advanced, In which he 
 found a very warm and comfortable night's 
 lodging, and moft profound and refrefhing 
 repofe, among the flieep and the goats. 
 The next morning difcovered a village, not 
 far diflant, in which he was refreflied with 
 both oatmeal and milk : on the flrength of 
 which repaft he palTed on to Dunkeld, 
 crolTed the Tay, and, about two o'clock, ar- 
 rived at the town of Perth. 
 
 Here he thought himfelf, at firft, at a 
 greater lofs, amidft all the conveniencies and 
 wealth of a very confiderable town, than he 
 had been while he wandered from mountain 
 to mountain, and found, at long diflances, the 
 thinly fcattered and humble abodes of the 
 poor fliepherds. Though gentlefolks, or thofe 
 who coniider 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 houfe, where his application for a 
 night's lodging might not give oifence or 
 meet with infult, and where the poor inha- 
 bitant, taught fympathy, perhaps, by fuf- 
 fering, might be difpofed to have compafiio^ 
 
 B 4 t>n 
 
i ( 
 
 I'M 
 
 :. i 
 
 ( H ) 
 
 on the unfortunate; when he faw, in the 
 flreet called the Skinner-Gate, occupied 
 chiefly by people from the Highlands, a 
 woman, in a fmall ihop with an earthen 
 floor, fpinning at a wheel, and watching a 
 few articles which ihe was ready to fell. 
 
 Thefe circumfl:ances of poverty, together 
 with a benignity of foul expreflTed in the 
 countenance of the woman, encouraged him 
 to apply for permiflion to refl: a little in the 
 houfe : nor did he apply in vain. The wo- 
 man, whom he afterwards found to be a 
 widow, received him into her little manflon, 
 and treated him with the utmofl: kindnefs. 
 To her queilions refped:ing his fltuation, 
 he anfwered, that he was a poor apprentice 
 who had run away from his mafl:er. The 
 woman, looking earnefl:ly in his face, with 
 tears darting into her eyes, faid, " He mull 
 " be a bad man from whom you have run 
 " away." Donald replied, that his mafl:er 
 was not indeed a cruel man, though neceflity 
 made all of them work, and with very little 
 fuftenance, by night and by day. The 
 tender-hearted woman lofl: no time to give 
 him a bafon of good broth, with a liberal 
 
 fupply 
 
 tJ 
 dj 
 
1 the 
 upied 
 ds, a 
 irthen 
 ing a 
 i. 
 
 gather 
 n the 
 id him 
 in the 
 le wo- 
 ) be a 
 anfion, 
 ndnefs. 
 uation, 
 rentice 
 The 
 with 
 ;e mufl 
 ve run 
 mailer 
 eceflity 
 ry little 
 The 
 to give 
 liberal 
 fupply 
 
 ■■> 
 
 €< 
 
 (( 
 
 ( 25 ) 
 
 fupply of bread. This was the firfl plenti- 
 ful meal that he ever had received, to the 
 beft of his remembrance, in his life. He fell 
 immediately to lleep. He was put to bed, and 
 llept till twelve o'clock at night, when he 
 arofe, and found his good hoftefs, at that late 
 hour, ftill fpinning. — " Well," faid fhe, " my 
 pretty boy, will you have any thing to eat 
 now ?" For he had fallen afleep after tak- 
 ing the broth, without tailing a bit of the 
 meat that had been boiled in it. He did not 
 deiire to eat any thing more than he had 
 done, but begged leave to go again to bed. 
 
 Early in the morning the good woman had 
 lighted her lire, and fat down to fpin, when 
 her young gueil arofe, and, afraid of being 
 too long troublefome, offered to take his 
 leave, with many thanks for her great kind- 
 nefs. ** Woe is me,'* faid llie, " you have 
 " neither flioes nor llockings !" With that 
 /he brought forth, out of an old chell, a pair 
 of fhoes and llockings which belonged to 
 one of her own children, that had been dead 
 about lix months, and while fhe tried how 
 they would lit her young gueil, whicli they 
 did pretty well, ihed many tears. She now 
 
 invited 
 
 W 
 
 
I 
 
 I 
 
 t 
 
 ( 26 ) 
 
 invited Donald to flop another night, and, 
 in the mean time, converfed with him, in 
 the GaeUc tongue, about the place and peo- 
 ple he had left, and about his own family. 
 Being now at a tolerable diilance from In- 
 vernefs, and pretty fafe from the purfuit of 
 the ilone-cutters, he unbofomed 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 
 Strath':'rn man ; his name James Macdonald. 
 Mr. Macdonaid being fatisfied that the boy 
 could both read and write, and that he had 
 a pure as well as a fair ikin, (for, in thofe 
 fad times, cutaneous diforders were almoll 
 univerlal), took him immediately to his houfe, 
 and let him fleep in the fame bed with him- 
 felf; for he had but two in the houfe, in one 
 
 of 
 
near 
 
 ( 27 ) 
 
 of which lay his mother and a fervant girl. 
 When Donald left Mary Forbes he promifed 
 to fee her often ; and he kept his word. 
 
 Mr. Macdonrid, as he walked homeward 
 to his own hot .e, faid to his little fervant, 
 " I had or ' i boy, older than you ; and, 
 " after I had been very good to him he ran 
 " away with all the money that he could 
 " find in the fliop." " He muil have b^en 
 " a very bad boy," Donald replied j " but I 
 " will fooner die than behave in fuch a man- 
 ner." — " I could fvvear, faid Mr. Macdonald, 
 " that you would." 
 
 The good ola gentlewoman, Mn Mac- 
 donald's morher, at her fon's requeil, fur- 
 niflied his littlj laan \/it:h ftockings and 
 fliirts. He was aKo equipped with a new 
 coat and a bonnet. He might have had 
 brcrohes too, according to the lowland 
 fa{hion, but ne preferred the philebeg, and 
 his mailer indulged him in his choice. He 
 gave perfect atisfad:ion to iiis mafter in every 
 thing, and particularly in the bufinefs of 
 going on errands, which he did with aflonilh- 
 ing expedition. At that time there was not 
 any general pofl in Scotland 5 and therefore 
 
 the 
 
 i 
 
 ^ 
 
 !l^' 
 
 
 m 
 
 
 ■M 
 
( 28 ) 
 
 the intercourfe between merchants was car* 
 ried on by fpecial mefTengers. Mr. Mac- 
 donald put fuch confidence in his young 
 footman as to lend him to Edinburgh, with 
 fixty-nine pounds in gold, fewed up, by 
 Donald's advice, in his clothes. The dif- 
 tancc from Perth to Edinburgh, by the near- 
 eft road, is twenty-eight Scotch, or forty 
 Englifh miles. Our young courier, with bread 
 and chcefe, and two Ihillings in his pocket, fet 
 out from Perth at eight o'clock in the morn- 
 ing, and arrived atKinghorn at fix in th€ even- 
 ing, when he luckily found a boat, that, in 
 a little more than an hour, carried him over the 
 Frith of Forth to Leith -, from whence he ran 
 to Edinburgh in half an hour, delivered hi& 
 money fafely, received a proper receipt, with 
 a fiiillingto himfclf from the fhop-keepers to 
 whom the money, in different portions, was 
 configned, llept all night at a Stabler's, in the 
 Canongate, recrpiled the Frith next morning, 
 and, towards the evening, returned to Perth. 
 The old woman, Mrs. Macdonald, who was 
 fitting in the kitchen, exclaimed, ** O Donald ! 
 " what has happened ? what has brought you 
 back ?" But, by this time, he had given 
 2 his 
 
 
 
 i( 
 
 €( 
 
 <i 
 
fc 
 
 " 
 
 IS car- 
 Mac - 
 young 
 , with 
 p, by 
 le dif- 
 ; near- 
 • forty 
 
 1 bread 
 iet, fet 
 morn- 
 
 2 even- 
 hat, in 
 >ver the 
 
 he ran 
 red hi& 
 t, with 
 ■pers to 
 ns, was 
 
 in the 
 orning, 
 
 Perth, 
 ho was 
 )onald! 
 
 ht you 
 i given 
 his 
 
 i 
 
 1 
 
 'i 
 
 I 
 
 ( 29 ) 
 
 his mailer the acknowledgment he had re- 
 ceived of the lafe dehverance of the money. 
 At this time there was a recruiting party in 
 Perth, beating up for vohmteers l^ fcrve his 
 Majefty King Wilham III. in the regiment 
 of the Royal Scots, commanded by the Earl 
 of Orkney. They wore fleel caps, and were 
 armed with bows and arrov/s, and fvvords 
 and targets. Donald Macleod, ftruck with 
 the martial fight and found of this little 
 band, felt his heart beat time to the trum- 
 pet and drum; and, forgetting his ftature 
 and years, not yet thirteen, went up and 
 offered his fervices to the fcrjeant. The 
 ferjeant, looking on him v/ith a fmilc of 
 complacency, faid, " Nay, my good lad, you 
 ** are too fmall : however, as you feem a fpi- 
 ** rited and well-made youth, I will take you 
 " to the Captain." The Captain, whofename 
 was Macdonald, flrongly prepoiTefTed with 
 his , appearance, enquired who he was, and 
 whence he had come. He told this otliccr 
 all the truth, and fhewed him the indenture 
 executed, on his account, between Rodcric 
 Macleod of Ulinifli, his grand-father, and 
 the Macpherfons, the Invernefs mafons and 
 
 ftone- 
 
 ■4i 
 
 
 
 if 
 
 m-\ 
 
'i\ 
 
 1, 
 
 \'' 
 
 ( 30 ) 
 
 flone-cuttcrs. On this, the Captain recog- 
 nizing him to be the defcendant of a gen- 
 tleman, and, as it I'eemed, his own relation, 
 immediately enlifted him by giving him a 
 iliilling, in the King's name, of Englifli mo- 
 ney j 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 Macdonald, an in- 
 dulgent mafler, with fome regret, and fet 
 out for Edinburgh with Captain Macdonald, 
 who prefented him, in that city, to Lord 
 Orkney, informing his Lordlhip, at the 
 fame time, of his family. In thofe days it 
 was not an uncommon thing for the younger 
 fons of gentlemen, and fubftantial farmers and 
 manufacturers, lo go into the army as vo- 
 lunteers, with the view of being foon made, 
 at leafl, non-commiflioned officers. The 
 army was not then, as it is now, the com- 
 mon recepidcle of all that carry the name and 
 appearance of men. The art was not then 
 known, or profefTed, of bending the greatell 
 black-guards and poltroons into brave men, 
 by the power of difcipline : Regard was had 
 to morals, to perfonal courage and ilrength, 
 and to political and perfonal attachments. 
 
 The 
 
I 
 
 recog- 
 gcn- 
 ation, 
 lim a 
 1 mo- 
 life of 
 a fer- 
 friend 
 an in- 
 nd fet 
 lonald, 
 I Lord 
 t the 
 days it 
 Dunger 
 ers and 
 as vo- 
 made, 
 The 
 ; com- 
 iie and 
 )t then 
 jreatefl 
 e men, 
 /as had 
 rength, 
 nts. 
 The 
 
 
 ( 31 ) 
 
 The noble Earl of Orkney, ' 'crhly aj plau- 
 ded the martial fpirit and appearance 01 his 
 vounor volunteer : and foon after even truil- 
 ed him fo far as to fend him, in the capa- 
 city of recruiting ferjeant, v^^ith a confider- 
 able fum of money, a party of thirty men, 
 and a trufly corporal, into the {hire of In- 
 vernefs. A certain number of thefe 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 action were thofe regions that 
 are watered by the great rivers, the Rliine 
 and the Danube, both of them having their 
 fource in the neighbourhood of the lofty 
 country of Switzerland ; but the fnft, run- 
 ning from fouth to north, and falling into 
 
 the 
 
, 
 
 \ 
 
 i 
 
 ( 32 ) 
 
 the German Sea on the coafls of the United 
 Provinces -, the fccond flowing in a fouth- 
 caflerly direction, and emptying itfelf in the 
 Black Sea in the Turkifli territories. The 
 chief commanders in the French army were 
 the Marefchals de Villeroy, Tallard, and 
 Villars ; the moft renowned among the Con- 
 federates, confifting of the Dutch, the Im- 
 periaUfls, and the Englifh — Prince Eugene 
 of Savoy, and the Duke of Marlborough. 
 The French, in daily expectation of being 
 joined by the Bavarian army, headed by the 
 Eledlor, were employed in fortifying their 
 camp near Donawert, on the Banks of the 
 Danub^g^ The Confederate army forced 
 their entrS^bments, and put them to flight, 
 after an obflinate engagement; in which the 
 enemy loft fix thoufand men, befides de- 
 ferters. In this battle, the firft in which 
 our hero Donald Macleod was engaged, he 
 had his full fhare : for, according to the beft 
 informed hiftorians of thofe times *, " The 
 " Earl of Orkney's and Lieutenant-general 
 
 ♦ See Cunningham's Hiftory of Great-Britain, vol. I. 
 p. 379, Cunningham was travelling governor and tutor 
 to John Duke of Argyle. 
 
 " Ingoldsby's 
 
 a 
 
( 33 ) 
 
 i;. 
 
 re 
 
 In GOLDS 15 y's regiments, Major-gcJicra! 
 ** Wood's fquadron, and the Lord joiiM 
 " Hay's dri'.goons, pvirchalcd imniortLil glory 
 " in the victory of this day, with the lofs 
 " of many of their men." 
 
 The battle of Donavvert, otherwife called 
 the battle of Schellenbcrg, was followed, in 
 Augull, 1704, by the celebrated a6:ion at 
 Blenheim, in which, alfo, the Royal Scots 
 were engaged. After the battle had gene 
 fore againil the French, with their allies the 
 Bavarians, and the Marefchal dc Tallard was 
 taken prifoner, a ftrong dctachn'ient of 
 the former flill maintained their poil in thii 
 village of Blenheim. The Duke of Marlbo- 
 rough fent a melTage to the coniniaiiders, ad- 
 vifing them, from motives of humanity, vo- 
 luntarily to furrender themfclvcs and their lol- 
 diers. The general officer made choice of for 
 carrying this melfage was the Earl of Orkney. 
 
 Serjeant Macleod continued to do his duty, 
 with great applaufe, in Lord Orkney's 
 regiment, when his lordihin was fent by 
 the Duke of Marlborough, in his fourth cam- 
 paign, to raife the iiege of Liege j at the 
 battle of Ramillies or Malplaquet; and all 
 
 c the 
 
 I. 
 
II 
 
 
 i 
 
 I 
 
 ( 34 ) 
 
 the time that his regiment fcrved in the 
 Duke of Marlborough's campaigns in Ger- 
 many and J -landers. Yet, in all this quick 
 fucceffiua of battles and fiegcs, he had the 
 good fortune to efcape without a wound. 
 
 During the ceffation of arms that pre- 
 ceded the peace of Utrecht, 171 3, he was 
 engaged in feveral private encounters. As 
 he one day walked along the ramparts of 
 the town in which his regiment lay, a 
 French non-commillioned ofHcer, who hap- 
 pened to pafs along underneath, ufed fome 
 taunting cxpreflions, which provoked Mac- 
 ieod to retaliate, in a torrent of contempt 
 poured forth in different languages, French, 
 German, and Erfe, as each moll readily pre- 
 fented an emphatic term of abufe. The 
 Frenchman being almoft as hot as the High- 
 lander, a challenge was mutually given, and 
 received. At the time and place appointed 
 a duel v/as fought, with fwords, in which 
 the. Frenchman fell, giving his antagonifl 
 his gold watch, and confeffing, with his lafl 
 breath, tliat what had happened was owing 
 to his own wantonnefs. — After the peace 
 was concluded, and the army was preparing 
 
 to 
 
 <( 
 
 (( 
 
 << 
 

 n the 
 Gcr- 
 
 quick. 
 ad the 
 id. 
 
 it pre- 
 hc was 
 s. As 
 \rts of 
 lay, '<^ 
 lo hap- 
 d fome 
 d Mac- 
 mtempt 
 French, 
 ily pre- 
 Thc 
 e High- 
 ^^en, and 
 )pointed | 
 n which j 
 itagonift I 
 1 his laft I 
 IS owing I 
 le peace 
 )reparing 
 to 
 
 1 
 
 ( 35 ) 
 
 to re-cmbark for Great-Britain, parties were 
 fcnt out in fearch of deferters. Scrjeanf 
 Macleod was fent with a party to tjic town 
 of Breda. Whether there was any thing in 
 the air and manner of the Serjeant, tliat was 
 conftrued by the French, whom he met 
 with near that place, into ftudied infolencc, 
 or no, is not here atlirmed ; but certain it is, 
 that a French officer came up to him, and 
 faid, " I enlifted the two men whom you 
 " want, and (fwearing by a great oath) I 
 " will keep them." A warm altercation 
 enfued. Macleod challenged him to finglc 
 combat. The French lieutenant obtained 
 leave from his fuperior officer to fight 
 with Macleod, though only a ferjeant. The 
 Frenchman fell in the duel ; and the two 
 men in queftion were given up by the fu- 
 perior officer on Macleod's paying the en- 
 lifting money, which amounted to fifteen 
 ducats. — On another occafion, and in ano- 
 ther town, to the heft of his remLnibrancc 
 Lifle, as he was walking with two lathes on 
 the rampart, a German trooper, looking 
 fternly at our hero, faid, in German, " The 
 " Devil take the whole of fuch dogs." 
 
 c 2 " What 
 
 m 
 
u 
 
 'l 
 
 
 ( 36 ) 
 
 " What is that you fay ?" — The German 
 repeated it — Macleod immediately drew his 
 Iword — the trooper ran off: but a Ger- 
 man officer, who had come up to take his 
 part, faced Macleod, and a (harp conflict 
 enfued. The officer had more courage and 
 ftrength, than fkill, at the broad-fword, 
 and it would have been an eafy thing for 
 Macleod to have cut him oiF; but he had 
 no quarrel with the gentleman who had 
 generouily come up to the affiftance of his 
 countryman when his life was threatened. 
 He, therefore, finding that he was fully 
 mafter of his man, determined to proceed by 
 degrees. He iirfl cut off a part of the calf 
 of his large and thick leg. The Captain 
 flill perfevered in the combat — the Serjeant 
 wounded him fmartly in the fword-arm. 
 
 He gave up the conteft on this, and faid, 
 5* It is enough." The officer wasaffiiled to 
 his quarters; and, wounded as he was, he 
 infifled on Macleod's accompanying him 
 home, and drinking with him ; which they 
 did very plentifully. They both cried, and 
 kiifcd at parting. — Such is the nature of 
 man, divided by fellilh and focial paffions, 
 
 according 
 
 li 
 
man 
 his 
 
 -•w 
 
 r- 
 
 i his 
 
 liiia 
 
 and 
 vord, 
 r for 
 ■had 
 
 had 
 )f his 
 tened. 
 
 fully 
 ed by 
 e calf 
 aptaiii 
 
 rjeant 
 
 m. 
 
 d (aid, 
 fted to 
 as, he 
 him 
 they 
 d, and 
 ure of 
 afiions, 
 :ording 
 
 ( 37 ) 
 
 according to various fituations ! Duelling, 
 in thofe days, was more frequent in the 
 army than now, but lefs common among all 
 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 diilinguiflied as a 
 brave and expert fwordsman. An Irifii 
 bully, called Maclean, while the Royal 
 Scots lay in the barracks of Dublin, came 
 to challenge him to fight with fword and 
 target. He was prefented, by a Lieutenant 
 Maclean, his name's-fake, a Scotchman, to 
 Captain Macdonald, to whofe 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, fliould chal- 
 lenge Serjeant Macleod to the broad-fword. 
 The Captain gave his hearty concurrence, 
 for he had the mofl: perfed: confidence in 
 the agility, experience and addrcfs of the 
 
 c 3 Serjeant, 
 
I; 
 
 ( 38 ) 
 
 Serjeant. The Bully went, in company with 
 Lieutenant Maclean, to Donald M.:cIeod. 
 " I hear," faid he, " that you are a good 
 " fvvordfman. Will you light me for live 
 ** guineas ?" ** As you are a Maclean," 
 Donald replied, " it Ihall not cofl you fo 
 *' much: I will, for the Lieutenant's fake, 
 " fight you for one guinea." They now 
 lliook hands, in token of mutual good- will : 
 but Maclean gave fuch a fqueeze to Ma- 
 cleod's fingers as made him roar, to the great 
 diverfion of Lieutenant Maclean and the 
 Bully J who paid dear for this joke before 
 they parted. Maclean had great mufcular 
 llrength, and was, befides, of gigantic ftature. 
 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 
 fliould 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 wrill; an inch, one way or the other, from 
 the pofition in which he fhould place it. 
 There was a bet laid of two guineas. The 
 Bally laid his right arm flat on a table : 
 but DoiialJ, by a tlidden jerk, turned his 
 2 wrill, 
 
 . 
 
 goii 
 Thl 
 
 acci 
 poii 
 

 :ood 
 
 five 
 
 » > 
 an, 
 
 a fo 
 
 fake, 
 now 
 will : 
 Ma- 
 great 
 [ the 
 )efore 
 fcular 
 ature. 
 Ifuch 
 com- 
 c they 
 
 lay a 
 Inan in 
 d turn 
 , from 
 \ce it. 
 The 
 
 table : 
 cd his 
 
 wrift> 
 
 J 
 
 { 39 ) 
 wriil, and gained the wager. The champions 
 now fell to fwords, and Maclcod 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 
 1715. 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 fmgle 
 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, diii not 
 defpife and negledt this challenge, as he might 
 have done, but gave permifiion to Serjeant 
 Donald Macleod, who was pointed out to his 
 Grace, on this occafion, as the Httefl anta- 
 gonifl to the rebel champion, to meet him. 
 They met accordingly, without feconds, un- 
 accompanied, and all alone, at a place ap- 
 pointed, nearly midway between the two 
 
 i 
 
 c 4 
 
 arniK.s. 
 
i 
 
 ( 40 ) 
 
 armies. Macdonald pulled out a large canteen, 
 iilled with whidiey ; and, before he fliould 
 begin his attack on our hero, Donald, offered 
 to drink with him. " No, the Devil a drop,'* 
 f.iid Donald, and calmly ftood on his de^ 
 fence. Macdonald began; alTailing Macleod 
 with great fury, but with little ikill. The 
 Serjeant did not think that his life, or limb, 
 was any objeft : he cut orf his purfe, and 
 immediately demanded a parley. — " I have 
 ** cut off your purfe," faid he, " is there 
 " any thing more I mufl cut off before you 
 *' give up ?" Macdonald acknowledged him- 
 fcit 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. 
 
 The famous battle of the SherifFmuir, near 
 Dumblane, had lafled upwards of an hour, 
 when a French oflicer, perceiving that our 
 hero was making great havoc, with his broad 
 fword, wherever he went, had the courage to 
 oppofe him ; but, in a few minutes, his head 
 
 was, 
 
 I 
 
was, 
 
 ( 41 ) 
 
 was, by a touch of Macleod's hand, fes'ered 
 from his body. A horfeman, feeing this, 
 fprung forward on Donald like a tygcr. A 
 fmall water-courfe was between them, with 
 the aid of which Donald was able to make a 
 fland. But the horfeman with his long fvvord 
 wounded him in the flioulder, and was pref- 
 iing him forely, when he leaped forward, 
 acrofs the water-courfe, and plunged 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 
 ad: of ftabbing the horfe, had been cut in the 
 head by the horfcman's fabre, into the very 
 brain. He bound his head fail with a hand- 
 kerchief, otherwife, as he fays, he verily be- 
 lieves it v/ould 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 poflcd, in the field 
 pf battle. Our wounded Serjeant was car- 
 ried from the SherifFmuir 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 
 wounded men, under a guard of twenty-five 
 
 men„ 
 
 '-It 
 
( 42 ) 
 
 incn, conunanded by Captain Ahcrcrom- 
 l)ic to Chellea hofpital ; where the wound 
 or fradiirc in his Icull was repaired. A 
 Miicnefs, or lividity in the fkin, marks the 
 place in the foreliead where the wound was 
 inrtidlcd. After he was completely cured, 
 he was reclaimed hy his Colonel, the Earl of 
 Orkney, now appointed Governor of Edin- 
 burgh caftle. He again, in confequence 
 of this, joined his regiment; which, for 
 many years, lay in Berwick, Newcaille, 
 and other places on the Scotch and Englifli 
 borders. 
 
 About the year 1720, or foon after, our 
 hero, as he returned from exercifmg fome 
 men on the common near Newcaflle, heard 
 a woman hawking about a paper through 
 the llreets, which contained intelligence 
 that there was a Highland regiment to be 
 raifed for th^ fv:;rvice 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 underilood, they were not to leave, but 
 
 to 
 
 i 
 
 I 
 
( 43 ) 
 
 to fervc, within its bounds, in the nature iUid 
 charader of Fcncibles. Serjeant Macleod, 
 fond of the highland drefs and inufic, and 
 of the focicty 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 deferve 
 ** any flivour, Macleod," faid the good old 
 Major, " that I can grant : but I iirfl defire 
 " the favour of you to take a dram." This 
 requeft being readily complied with by 
 the Serjeant, he told the Major, that he 
 w idled to have his difcharge from the 
 regiment. The Major was aftonifhed at 
 his requeft -, 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 
 cf a commiiTioned oliicer. 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 
 
: » 
 
 I' 
 
 ( 44 ) 
 
 foil properly qualified to adl as a ferjeant ; for 
 education to read and write, and cafl up 
 accounts, was by no means fo common in 
 thofe days as at prelent. 
 
 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, pleafe your Lord- 
 " fliip, but I have left the regiment :" fhew- 
 
 ing, at the fame time, his difcharge. 
 
 " Who dares," faid Lord Orkney, with an 
 oath, " to give a difcharge to any man in 
 ** my regiment, without confulting mer'* 
 Macleod related his tranfadlion 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 well knew that he was ge- 
 nerally poor, " I will wait, when it may 
 " be convenient, on your Lordlhip's mo- 
 
 " ther. 
 
 I 
 
4 
 
 ( 45 ) 
 
 " ther, the Countefs Dowager of Orkney, 
 " as I have done before." With this he took 
 his leave of Lord Orkney, who fliook hina 
 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-mafler for her fon ; and fhe 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 revilit 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 Dun vegan, 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 Cailie 
 Downie, Lord Lovat's reiidence, about five 
 or fix miles beyond Invernefs : having per- 
 formed, in 48 hours, a journey of an him- 
 dred miles and upwards, and the greuter 
 part of it through a mountainous country. 
 His fuflenance on this march was bread and 
 cheefe, with an onion, all which he carried 
 
 in 
 
( 46 ) 
 
 in his pocket, and a dr.im of whilkey at each 
 of the great flages on the road, as Falkland, 
 the half-way houfc between Edinburgh, 
 by the way of Kinghorn, and Perth j the 
 town of Perth, (where he did not fail to call 
 on Mary Forbes, to whom he made a pre- 
 fent, and his former mafter James Macdo- 
 nald) ; Dunkcld, Blair, Dalwhinnie, Ruth- 
 ven of Badenoch, Avemorc in Strathfpey, 
 and, perhaps, one or two other places. It is 
 to be underftood, that what is here called a 
 dram of whilkey was juft half a pint : which, 
 it may be farther mentioned, he took pure 
 and unmixed. He never went to bed during 
 the whole of this journey ; though he llept, 
 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 liour, and 
 flione pleafmtly, according to the remark of 
 our hero, wellpleafed to find himfelf in this 
 fpot, on the walls of Caftle Downie, and 
 thofe of the ancient Abbey of Bcaulieu in the 
 near neighbourhood. Between the hours of 
 five and fix Lord Lovat appeared, walking 
 about in his hall, in a morning drefs ; and at 
 
 the 
 
 i 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 A 
 
 1 
 '1 
 
and 
 
 rkof 
 
 this 
 
 and 
 
 n the 
 
 M's of 
 
 ( 47 ) 
 the fame time a fcrvant tlung open the great 
 folding doors, and all the outer doors and 
 windows of the houfe. It is about this 
 time that many of the great families in Lon- 
 don, of the pre fen t day, go to bed. 
 
 As Macleod walked up and down on the 
 lawn 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 till man, and lad fome- 
 thing very infmuiting 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 tlian 
 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 ccconomy. As his fpacious 
 hall was crouded by kindred v ill tors, neigh- 
 bours, vaflals, and tenants o{ all ranks, the 
 table, that extended from one end of it nearly 
 to the other, was covered, at different places, 
 
 with 
 
 i. 
 
( 43 ) 
 
 with different kinds uf meat and drink ; 
 though of each kind there was always great 
 abundance. At the head of the table, the lords 
 and lairds pledged his lordihip in claret, 
 and fometimcs champagne ; the tackfmen, or 
 duniwalTals, drank port or whifkey punch ; 
 tenants, or common hufbandmen, refrefhed 
 themfclves with ftrong beer: and below the 
 litmoft extent of the table, at the door, and 
 fometimes without the door of the hall, you 
 might fee a multitude of Frazers, without 
 (lioes or bonnets, regaling themfelves with 
 bread and onions, with a little cheefe perhaps, 
 and fmall beer. Yet, amidfl: the whole of 
 this arillocratical inequality. Lord Lovat 
 had the addrefs to keep all his guefts in 
 perfcftly good humour. Coufin, he would 
 fay to fuch and fuch a tackllnan, or duni- 
 wafial, I told my pantry lads to hand you 
 fome claret, but they tell me ye like port 
 and punch beil. In like manner, to the 
 beer-drinkers, he would lay. Gentlemen, 
 there is what ye plcafe at your fervice : but 
 I fend you ale, becaufc I underfland ye like 
 air befl. Every body was thus well pljafed; 
 and none were fo ill-bred as to gainfay what 
 had been reported to his lordfliip. 
 
 Donald 
 
 <( 
 
 t( 
 
 €< 
 
but 
 Hike 
 
 fed; 
 
 Am 
 nald 
 
 { 49 ) 
 
 Donald Macleod made his compliments 
 to Lovat in a military air and manner, which 
 confirmed and heightened that prepofleffion 
 in his favour, which he had conceived from 
 his appearance. ** I know," faid he, " with- 
 ** out your telling me, that you have come 
 ** to enlifl in the Highland Watch. For a 
 ** thoufand fuch men as you I would give my 
 *' eftate." Macleod acknowledged the juf-* 
 tice of his lordfliip's prefentiment ^ and, at 
 his requefl, briefly related his pedigree and 
 hiflory. Lovat clafped him in his arms, 
 and kifled 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 own 
 " name and blood, who has given up a com- 
 " miiTion in Lord Orkney's regiment, in order 
 ** toferveunderme." LadyLovat raifedher- 
 fclf on her bed, congratulated his lordlhip on fo 
 valuable an acquilition, called for a bottle of 
 brandy, and drank profperity to Lord Lovat, 
 the Highland Watch, and Donald Macleod* 
 It is fuperfluous to fiy, that in this toad, the 
 lady was pledged by the gentlemen. Such 
 
 © were 
 
I f 
 
 ( 50 ) 
 
 were the cuiloms and manners ©f 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 hiftory, faid, " Lovat, if you 
 " do not take care of this man, you ought to 
 " bed d." His lordfliip immediately be- 
 llowed on him the fame rank, with fome- 
 what more pay, than he had received in the 
 Royal Scots ; and, after a few days, fent him 
 on the bulinefs of recruiting. Macleod, 
 from the time that he went to the fhires 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 42 d regiment, fo long as it 
 was ftationed in the mountains of Scotland, 
 a period of about twenty years, was filled up 
 in a manner very agreeable to the tafle of our 
 hero: in training up new foldiers (for he 
 was now employed in the lucrative depart- 
 ment of a drill-ferjeant) ; in the ufe of 
 the broad- Vord, hunting after incorrigible 
 robbers, fliooting, hawking, filhing, drink- 
 ing, dancing, and toying, as heroes of all 
 times and countries are apt to do, with the 
 
 young 
 
rh. 
 
 hey 
 zing 
 you 
 It to 
 ^be- 
 )me- 
 1 the 
 : hun 
 :leod, 
 es of 
 Lord 
 ^ man 
 
 iland, 
 as it 
 tland, 
 lied up 
 lof our 
 ibr he 
 [epart- 
 Ife of 
 irigible 
 Irink- 
 of all 
 lui the 
 young 
 
 ( 51 ) 
 
 young women. As fpecimens of the Hfc he 
 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 gentleman, and a driver, or rather ftealer of 
 cattle, in Strathfpey, had long laid the coun- 
 try, far and near, under heavy contributions of 
 both horfe and cattle ; and defied, wounded, 
 and difperfed the officers of juilice ; when 
 Serjeant Macleod, with a party of 30 men, 
 was fent to furprize, if poffible, and to fe- 
 cure him in his houfe, at Tulloch-Gorum. 
 The ferjeant came upon him fuddenly, and 
 early in the morning, while he was in bed. 
 He left the men without, difpofed at fmall 
 diftances from each other, around the houfe. 
 He himfc:lf went boldly in, armed with a 
 dirk, a fword, and loaded piflols. His 
 wife, a very lady-like woman, was up and 
 drefled, early as it was ; for it was cuflomary 
 for fome trufty perfon to keep watch, while 
 the *red robber llept. At the fight of Mac- 
 leod Mrs. Stewart was greatly difcompofed, 
 for fhe fufpedted his errand j but flie endea- 
 voured to difiemblc her tears, and to foothe 
 her fufpicious guefl by all the officioufncfs 
 
 H ■ 
 
 '1? 
 
 * So called from the co]our of his hair. 
 D 2 
 
 cr 
 
( 52 ) 
 
 of hofpitality. " Madam," faid Macleod, 
 ** I am come to fpeak tx) James Roy. He is 
 
 " in the houfe, I know, and in bed." This 
 ]ic laid at a venture ; for he was not fure of 
 it: but his firm and determined manner over- 
 came the poor gentlewoman ; fo that flie 
 alien ted to the truth of his information. 
 Stewart Roy, on hearing what paiTed, jumped 
 out of his bed, with his clothes on, in 
 which he had lain, and, armed with a dirk 
 and piilolii, he feemed defirous at firft of 
 making towards the door; but Macleod 
 feized the pafs, and the robber, dilTembling 
 his intentions, afTumed a courteous air, called 
 for whilkey and bread and cheefe, and prefled 
 his uninvited guefl to partake heartily of 
 fuch cheer as his houfc afforded. " I know," 
 faid he, " you are not alone ; for no man 
 " ever durft to come into my houfe alone, 
 *' on fuch an errand." 
 
 The Serjeant, without acquiefcing in this 
 laft fentiment, but, on the contrary, with 
 an aiTeveration that he feared not the face 
 of man or of devil, acknowledged that a 
 company of men lay not far from them both 
 .at that moment. " V^ery well," faid Stewart, 
 " but, I hope you are not in a hurry j fit 
 
 " down, 
 
 
this 
 I with 
 
 face 
 Uat a 
 
 both 
 
 [wart, 
 . ; fit 
 
 • ( S3 ) 
 
 *' down, and let you and I talk together, and 
 ** take our breakfafl." Macleod airreed to 
 this, and a bottle of whifkey, at leaft, was 
 exhaufled in good fellowfliip, before a word 
 was fiiiri of bulinefs on either fide. At 
 length, Macleod, after a fhort paufe in the 
 converfation, faid, ** Jamie, what did you 
 " with the thirty head of cattle you drove 
 " away from the Laird of Glen Billet's, and 
 " the iix fcore, or thereabout, that you took 
 " away from the lands of Strathdown ?" It 
 was in vain to deny the fadl ; Macleod had 
 not come to try, but to fecure, and produce 
 him for trial. Stewart, therefore, waving all 
 difcuffion of that point, faid, " Serjeant ?4a- 
 " cleod, let me go for this time, and neither 
 ** you nor the country will be troubled v/ith 
 
 ** me any more." " Jam.ie, I cannot let 
 
 " you go : you have flashed many men, and 
 " ftolen much horfe and cattle. How many 
 ** flraths are afraid of you ? — Jamie, you 
 " mufl go 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 
 " d^y; rather than be drawn off from the 
 
 D 3 ** duty 
 
 
 town, 
 
( 54 ) 
 
 " duty of a foldier for a few guineas, I would 
 " go with you and ft«ial cattle." 
 
 James Roy was now in great diflrefs, an4 
 his poor wife, falling on the ground before 
 Macleod, and embracing and holding faft his 
 knees, implored mercy to her hu(band with 
 ihowers of tears; and their four children, 
 naked from their beds, joined their inflint 
 interceffions 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 : ** Mv 
 " 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 IVIacleod what^ 
 ever fhare or portion of the hundred guineas 
 he had offered as his ranfom, that he pleafed 
 to accept : but the Serjeant generoufly de- 
 clined to accept one fingle lliilling -, and all 
 that he required was refrefliment for his 
 
 thirty 
 
( ss ) 
 
 thirty men, which was afforded in great 
 plenty. A great part of the day was fpent 
 in conviviaHty, and, in the evening, they 
 were direded to the cattle, which they re- 
 flored to their proprietors. 
 
 Very different from the condud of our 
 Donald, towards the notorious James Stewart 
 Roy, was that of Serjeant Macdonald, not 
 t: .ly -^ars thereafiCi'. It was known 
 that two oxen, which were miffing, had 
 been taken by Stewart; 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 ffrong chcfl 
 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 trull 
 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 
 
 D 4 after. 
 
 •H, 
 
( S6 ) 
 
 after, to draw the unfortunate Stewart Into 
 an ambufcade, under the guifs of friendfhip, 
 and furrender him to jufiice. Stewart 
 was hanged, together with one Macallum, 
 at Perth. The fame ardour of mind that 
 diftinguiflied James Roy among all the cattle*- 
 drivers of hh times appeared on his trial; 
 and during the interval between his fentence 
 and its execution. His only hope had been, 
 that he might, by cunning or by force, efcape 
 the hands of conllables* and foldiers. It 
 never occurred to him to place any confi- 
 dence in deficiency of evidence, or any chi-r 
 canery of law, He made a free and full 
 confeflion of the life that he bad led, and was 
 anxious to vindicate the character of his poor 
 wife and 'aldren, from allfufpicion of partis 
 cipation in his cfimes. He declared that his 
 wife had often for warned him of the end to 
 which his courfe led, and conjured him, 
 with tears, to live at horne, and be contented 
 with the returns of hU own farm. He hacj 
 many accomplices among his neighbours and 
 kindred; but no delufive hints of a reprieve, 
 not even the exhortations of the fanatical 
 jninifters about Perth, renowned in all times 
 
 for 
 
( 57 ) 
 
 for blind '^eal and abfurdity, could perfuadc 
 him to give up one man, that had com- 
 mitted himfelf to his honour. Eagerly ac- 
 quiefcing in the Antinomian dodrine of the 
 Perth clergy, and others, who vifiteci him 
 from the country around, even from the 
 noted Prefbytery of Auchterarder, that the 
 man who confelTes his fins may be faved by 
 faith, he worked himfelf up, by meditating 
 on fcriptural promifes, to fuch 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 
 refpeds, noble condudl of James Roy Stewart, 
 appeared the brutal flupidity of Macallum. 
 This wretch had for many years retired with 
 his father from all human fociety, and lived 
 in caves and dens, in the recelfes of the 
 Minegeg mountains ; into which habitations 
 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 bones of the ani- 
 mals he had made his prey, piled up in heaps, 
 or difpofea in fuch a manner as to form, 
 with hay laid over them, a kind of bed ; the 
 : ' . flefh 
 
 ii^ 
 
 ii. 
 
( S8 ) 
 
 flcfli of bullocks faked up in their flcins ; 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 obje(fl 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 and beard had 
 extended themfelves over his face fo as to 
 render it fcarcely vifible, was conducted to 
 Perth, where he was condemned to die, for 
 a feries of thefts committed for more than 
 twenty years. During the time of his trial, 
 as well as after it, he Ihewed an aflonifhing 
 indiiTerence about his fate. He minded no- 
 thing but eating ; and had a very conilant 
 craving for food, particularly animal food, 
 which, had it been given, he would have 
 devoured in immoderate quantities. When 
 the miniflers of Perth talked to him of the 
 ** Heavenly Manna, and the Bread of Life" — 
 5< Give me meat," faid Macallum, " in the 
 " mean time." Even on his way from his 
 prifon to the gallows, he called for fome 
 rolls and cold meat, that he recollected had 
 , . been 
 
( 59 ) 
 
 been left In his cell. This beafl, however,' 
 fo inveterate and often ridiculous is the pride 
 of Clanfliip, growled fbme expreliions of dif- 
 content that Stewart was honoured with the 
 right hand, as they were led forth to the 
 place of execution. • * • ^ 
 
 After the melancholy fate of Stewart, his 
 family were foon involved in fo great diftrefs, 
 that they were obliged to throw themfelves 
 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 almoll all that iiood be-" 
 tween them and ruin, was difcovered, and 
 excited univerfal indignation. He was given 
 up by Sir Robert Munro, his Colonel, to 
 a judicial trial; and, for that and other 
 crimes of a fimilar nature, was hanged at 
 Invernefs. 
 
 Our worthy Serjeant Macleod, not long 
 after his expedition to Tulloch-Gorum, was 
 fent with a fmall party to catch James 
 Robertfon, a horfe-flealer, in Athol. The 
 ferjeant, in his way, flopped and took a 
 very liberal potion of whifkey at Aberfeldie ; 
 £o that, when he went to Robertfon's houfe, 
 
 he 
 
 m 
 
 * 
 I- 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 ■j»: 
 
 
( 6o ) 
 
 he was fomewhat elevated with llquor- 
 The horfe-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 polTiblc 
 into good humour, in order to protradt time, 
 and devife fome means of efcape. 
 
 This horfe-ilealer had four handfome 
 daughters, with one of whom Donald fell 
 greatly in love. " Jamie," fa id he, to her fa- 
 ther, " I believe I mufl have one of your lafles 
 to-night." " Yes, my dear," faid James, 
 you anj welcome to make yourfelf agreeable 
 to any of my girls that you chufe. Make up 
 matters between yourfelves,andyourcourt- 
 ing fliall not be difturbed by Jamie Robert- 
 fon." Aftera great deal of amorous dalliance, 
 our hero, without any further ceremony, re- 
 tired with his Brlfeisy 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, 
 with rully fwords, ramping and raging like 
 lions ! One of them particularly, a very ftout 
 man, of the name of Meldrum, the lover of 
 her whom Macleod had fancied, made a great 
 
 noife. 
 
 it 
 
 €( 
 
 « 
 
 <( 
 
 U 
 
 « 
 
( 6i ) 
 
 nolle, and vowed vengeance. The men who 
 had accompanied the ferjeant, as he deter- 
 mined to pafs the night in Robertfon's, he had 
 difmilTed 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 fuiters, 
 who had been llily fent for by old Robertfon, 
 not unnaturally, were [>,'ad to confi It their 
 fafety by flight. Robertfon endeavoured to 
 make Macleod believe that the younr- meri 
 had come to his houfe by accident; I'Jt the 
 ferjeant fufped:ing the truth, tc;d him that he 
 was a traitor, and fwore that he would call 
 his men, and, binding him fafl, furrender 
 him to the officers of juftice. But the fweet 
 girl, whofe charms had captivuted our hero's 
 heart, threv/ her arms around his neck, and 
 with many kifles and tears implored lenity 
 to her father. On this occaiion Serjeant 
 Macleod acted a very j , Jerent part from that 
 of Colonel Kirke *. Though he might 
 
 have 
 
 * Amidft'the executions that followed the defeat of 
 Monmoulh, in 1685, a young rr.aid pleaded for the life 01 
 
 her 
 
( 62 ) 
 
 have veiled fcverity to the father of the 
 young woman, whom he had gained in fo 
 (liort a time, under the name of juftice, and 
 natural retaliation for intended aflaflination, 
 he agreed to connive at Robertfon's efcape, 
 on condition of his giving back the horfes to 
 thofe from whom he had ftolen 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, 
 a great difcretionary power, in all cafes of 
 this kind, was aflumed and exercifed by mi- 
 litary officers of all ranks. 
 
 If it lliould be thought in any degree in- 
 credible, that the horfe-flealer, Robertfon, 
 
 her brother, and flung herfelf at Kirke's feet, armed with 
 all the charms which beauty and iniiocence> bathed in 
 tears, could beftow upon her. The tyrant was enfiamed 
 with dcfirc, not foftened into love or clemency. He pro- 
 riifed to grant her rcqueft, provided that ihe, in her turn, 
 would be equally compliant to him. The maid yielded to 
 the conditions : but, after fhe had paffed the night with 
 him, the wanton favage, next morning, fhewed her from 
 the window her brother, the darling objeit for whom (he 
 had facrificcd her virtue, hanging on a gibbet, which he 
 had fccretly ordered there to be ereiSted for the execution. 
 Rage, defpair, and indignation, took poflcfTion of her 
 mind, and deprived her, for ever, of her fenfes. 
 
 would 
 
with 
 in 
 amed 
 pro- 
 turn, 
 ed to 
 with 
 Tom 
 ihe 
 hhe 
 tion. 
 her 
 
 mlJ 
 
 ( 63 ) 
 
 would fo readily confent to the requefl of 
 Macleod refpedting his daughter, let it be 
 recolledled that the Higlanders of the lower 
 ranks, agreeably to what is affirmed by the 
 excellent hiftorian Cunningham, make no 
 great account of the pofleirion of virginity ; 
 and that, in general, the northern nations 
 are lefs fcrupulous on the fubjed: 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 whom would 
 be reckoned an infult. 
 
 Donald Macleod has nothing with which 
 to upbraid himfclf on the fcore of Eliza Ro- 
 bertfon. He cherifhed her as every good 
 and tender hufband ought to cherifh his 
 wife, till the hour of her death, which hap* 
 pened in child-bed. The boy of wiiom ihe 
 was delivered is now a taylor, of the name of 
 Robertfon, in Edinburgh. 
 
 Towards the clofe of the year 17^9, 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 
 Z . their 
 
 I, 
 
 i 
 
 J 
 
( 64 ) 
 
 their iirft colonel John Earl of Crawfurd. 
 About a year thereafter they were marched 
 to London i and, previoufly to their going 
 abroad, were reviewed before the King in 
 St. James's Park. What happened on that 
 occafion falls within the memory of many 
 perfons now living, and will be long re- 
 membered as an inftance of that indignant 
 fpirit, which juflice and broken faith infpire 
 on the one Iiana,and of that gradual encroach- 
 ment which executive and military power are 
 prone to make on civil liberty on the other. 
 Many Gentlemen's fons, and near relations, 
 had entered, as private men, into the High- 
 land Watch, under the engagement that they 
 ihould never be called out of their own coun- 
 try. That promife, made long before, in 
 times of peace, was forgotten amidfl the 
 prefent exigencies of unfuccefsful war ; and 
 it was determined to fend the Hiohlandcom- 
 panics as a reinforcement to the army in 
 Germany under the Duke of Cumberland. 
 A fpirit of refillance and revolt, proceeding 
 from Corporal Macleane, pervaded the whole 
 regiment. The whole of the Guards, and 
 all the^ troops ftationed about London, were 
 
 fcnt 
 
in 
 nd. 
 ing 
 lole 
 md 
 rerc 
 Lent 
 
 ( 6s ) 
 
 fent for to furround the Highlanders, quell 
 what was now called a mutiny, and reduce 
 them to obedience. A great deal of blood 
 was (lied, and lives loft, on both fides. The 
 long fwords of the horfe-guards were op- 
 pofed to the broad- fwords of the Highlanders 
 in front, while one military corps after ano- 
 ther was advancing on their flanks and rear. 
 
 Yet, in thefe circumflances, a coniidera- 
 ble party of them forced their way through 
 the King's troops, and made good their re- 
 treat northwards, in their way home, as fir 
 as Yorkihire, where, being overtaken by a 
 body of horfemen, they took port 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 hi?}\- 
 fpirited Corporal Maclean, the prime mover 
 of the fecellion, were ihot ; the relT: fcnt to 
 the plantations. 
 
 Though Serjeant Macleod was noi of tlie 
 number of the feceders, he was indignant 
 at the ufage they had met VN^ith ; and 
 fome of the horfe-guards, bore, for years, 
 marks of his refentment. — But the ^efs that 
 
 £ is 
 
.rfv ' 
 
 ( 66 ) 
 
 Is faid on this fubjedt the better. The 
 Highland companies, or the 42d regiment, 
 were now fent over to the Low Countries, 
 and to Germany, where they were engaged 
 in different battles, and particularly that of 
 Fontenoy, in which Serjeant Macleod was 
 not a little diftinguifhed. On the day be- 
 fore the main engagement there was fome 
 fkirmifliing ; and the 42d regiment was fent 
 to florm a fix-gun battery. Led on by their 
 Lieutenant- Colonel, Sir Robert Munro, they 
 attacked the enemy in their entrenchments, 
 and filenced the battery ; but at a very great 
 cxpence of men. They fuffered much from 
 the French fire, as they advanced to their 
 works J but when the Highlanders threw 
 themfelves in the midfl of them, flafliino; 
 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 /as 
 among the firfl that entered the trenches : 
 nor did he make this wound an excufe for 
 retiring to the hofpitalj but, on the con- 
 trary, 
 
 Bi 
 
1 
 
 lung 
 
 fords, 
 
 1 their 
 
 [ac- 
 
 llines, 
 
 le did 
 
 It /as 
 
 :hes: 
 [Q for 
 con- 
 Itr.-irv, 
 
 ( 67 ) 
 
 trary, he made as Hght of it as pofTible, 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 thoufand. The Highlanders, with 
 an impetuofity that could not be reftrained, 
 or guided by difcipline, ruflied forward, out 
 of the line, and lofl more than two- thirds of 
 their number; but not till they had com- 
 mitted flill greater flaughter, and revenged 
 their fufFerings and lofs on the enemy. The 
 battle, where the 42d regiment was ftationcd, 
 was clofe and hot, and individual was op- 
 pofed to individual ; or one, fometimes, to 
 two, and even a greater number of antago- 
 nifls. Serjeant Macleod, with his own hand, 
 killed a French Colonel, of the name of 
 Montard; and, in the mid ll: of dangers and 
 death, very deliberately ferved bimftrlf heir 
 to 175 ducats which he had in his pockets, 
 and his gold watch. He had not well pone 
 through this ceremony, when he was attacked 
 by Captain James Ramievie, from Kilkenny, 
 an officer in the French fervicc, whom he 
 killed after an obflinate and Ikilfid contcll. 
 By this time the prowefs of our licro drew 
 
 K 2 more 
 
 
( 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 flation 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 fide of the Englifh. His Scotch 
 blood, he faid, warmed to his countryman in 
 fuch a fituation, and he immediately took his 
 part. 
 
 The rebellion^ which broke out in Scotland 
 in 1 745, called over the Duke of Cumber- 
 land, with his army, to Britain. But, after 
 v.hat had happened on the occafion above- 
 mentioned, in St. James's Park, it was 
 not judged proper to march the ^26. 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. From Coventry they marched 
 
 into 
 
'as 
 
 Ifter 
 of 
 luke 
 
 lers 
 tnce 
 
 y a 
 
 hed 
 liiitQ 
 
 ( 69 ) 
 
 into Wales ; from whence, after the rebel- 
 lion was extinguiflied, they went to Carlillc, 
 and from thence to Ireland. They landed 
 at Limerick in 1746, and marched from 
 thence to Dublin. They were ftationed, 
 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 impctu- 
 ofity and broad-fwords were objedls of great 
 terror. Serjeant Macleod continued to be 
 formidable to Irifh bullies and braggers, and 
 performed various exploits that fully fup- 
 ported the chara(!ler he had acquired of being 
 an excellent fwordfman. 
 
 About the year 1757, after the ^26. 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- 
 
 E 3 ticularly 
 
( 7° ) 
 
 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 challenging the Serjeant to 
 iingle combat with broad-fwords. Macleod, 
 perceiving that the rnan was fluilered, and 
 unwilling to take any unfair advantage, ad- 
 vjfed him to re-confider the matter ^ telling 
 him, that if he Ihould 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 obflreperous and infolent was the taylor; 
 fo that an encounter at lafl 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-made and a very nimble 
 fellow, attacked his opponent with great ala- 
 crity, and not without a confiderable degree 
 of art ; but he foon exhaufi:ed his fpirits and 
 flrength, and was entirely at the mercy of 
 the veteran, whom he had rafhly dared to 
 provoke to un engagement. Donald firil 
 cut off one of his ears, and then another; 
 yet the taylor, with a fcolilli obftinacy, fi:iU 
 
 main-. 
 
of 
 to 
 
 irfl 
 
 till 
 
 ( 7' ) 
 maintained the conflid, and fwore that he 
 would rather die on the fpot, than yield to 
 any Macleod in the British Illes ; fo that the 
 Serjeant, in felf-defence, would have been 
 obliged, as he exprefled it, to lay open the Tay- 
 lor s belly y if he had not fortunately brought 
 him to the ground, by cutting a fmew 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 
 llation 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 General's fa- 
 tisfadtion ; which he exprdTed in handfome 
 prefents, and in the moft fincere and cordial 
 allurances of preferment. At the fiege of 
 
 E 4 LouifLourg, 
 
( 72 ) 
 
 Loulfbourg, with a handful of men, he fur* 
 prifed a fmall party of French, flationed as 
 an out-poft, and cut them off without leav- 
 ing a man to tell tidings. This adtion, 
 which was volunteered by the Serjeant, fa- 
 cilitated the redudion of a port: called the 
 Light-Houfe Battery, from whence our fire 
 was played with effedt on the enemy's vef- 
 felj-, and the batteries on the other fide of 
 t'le 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 
 aifailants. They were led on with great 
 lirmnefs and intrepidity by Lieutenant Colo- 
 nel O'Donnel, an Irifliman in the French 
 fervice. This bold for tie made an impref- 
 fion that might have led to difaftrous conle- 
 quences, if it bad not been counteraded and 
 overcome by the fpirit of the Royal High- 
 landers, a part of whoni faced the Irifh Bri- 
 gade that had made the fortie, while the reft 
 threw themfelves between them and the 
 town, and cut oiF their retreat. O'Donnel, 
 fighting valiantly, was flain, but did not fall 
 till his body was pierced through with feve-r 
 ral bayonets. His men were all killed or 
 2 takei> 
 
( 7,1 ) 
 
 taken prilbncrs, and brought within the 
 Britifli lines. In this engiigemcnt Serjeant 
 Macleod received a violent con tu (ion, 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 foremofl of ths* 
 grenadiers and Highlanders, who drove the 
 fhaking line of the enemy from pod: to polt, 
 and compleated their defeat, had his fhin- 
 bone fliattered by grape {hot, while a muf- 
 ket ball went through his arm. He was af- 
 fifled to retire behind the Britifh line ; and, 
 in doing this, was informed of the multi- 
 plied wounds that threatened the immediate 
 diflblution of his admired and beloved Gene- 
 ral. It was, under this weight of adtual 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 adlion,WaS accepted. 
 Iji oerjeant Macleod's plaid was General 
 
 Wolfe 
 
( 74 ) 
 Wolfe borne by four grenadiers ; and with 
 General Wolfe's corpfe, i^i 14 iiOvv an inva- 
 lid, he was fent home to Brii. in, in Novem- 
 ber, ijijQ, in a frigate of war, numed the 
 Royal William. Minute guns were fired 
 from the fhips at Spithead, from the time of 
 the body's leaving the fhip, to that of its 
 being landed at the Point of Portfmouth. 
 All due honour being paid to the remains 
 of General Wolfe, by the garrifon here, the 
 body was put in a travelling hearfe, and car- 
 ried to London. Although there were many 
 thoufands of people auembled on this occa- 
 fion, there was not the leaft difturbance. 
 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- place 
 of his anceflors at Greenwich. A monu- 
 ment was afterwards eredled to his memory 
 in Weftminfter Abbey. 
 
 Donald Macleod was admitted, on the Ath 
 of December thereafter, an out-penlioner of 
 Chelfea Hofpital. This was all that was 
 done for our hero though his own merit, and 
 the very occalion and circumll;ances in which 
 
 he 
 
( 75 ) 
 he returned from America, might ;vcll have 
 drawn more countenance and protection. His 
 wounds, however, foon healed, and he was 
 enabled, by a perfedl recovery of his flrength, 
 to go a recruiting to the Highlands, for Co- 
 lonel Keith and Colonel Campbell, who raif- 
 ed fome companies of Highlanders for the 
 war in Germany. It was in that recruiting 
 excurfion that he married, at Invernefs, Mrs, 
 Jane Macvane, his 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 ceflation of 
 arms. In the courfe of different engage- 
 ments, in 1760 and 1 76 1, he received a muf- 
 ket fhot which went in an oblique manner 
 between two of his ribs and his right flioul- 
 der. This wound, in cold and frofly wea- 
 ther, and after violent exercife, fuch as walk- 
 ing againft time for wagers, ftill gives him a 
 good deal of pain. He received alfo, in the 
 fame compaigns, a muil^et brJl in the groin, 
 which could not be extracted, and on ac- 
 count of which he ftill wears a bandage. 
 After the peace he came home with Colonel 
 
 Campbell's 
 
h 
 
 ( 76 ) 
 
 Campbell's Highlanders, and received pay 
 for two or three years from Chelfea Hof- 
 pital. He went now to Scotland, and flaid 
 about two years and an half at Invernefs, 
 working at his own trade. The conftant 
 life of the mell, however, was more than he 
 was able to bear, and threatened to re-open 
 fomc of hi? wounds; he, therefore, came again 
 to England, laid out what money he had 
 faved in the purchtJe of a fmall houfe in 
 Chelfea, in which he lived for about ten 
 years with his family, which was every year 
 i'lcreafing, and was employed under Mr. 
 Tibbs, in an extenfive manufad:ure of white 
 lead; but, on the commencement of the late 
 war in America, leaving his wife and chil- 
 dren, with the houfe and what little money 
 he had, he went out in a tranfport called the 
 Duchefs of Hamilton, to New-York, and 
 from thence to Charleflown, where he of- 
 fered himfelf as a volunteer, to the Com- 
 mander of the Britilh forces in that quarter, 
 Sir Henry Clinton, whom he had known in 
 Germany. Sir Henry, ilruck with the fpirit 
 of the old man, let him remain with the ar- 
 my, Uiider the name which he himfelf chafe 
 
 of 
 
{ 11 ) 
 
 of a drill-ferjeant, and very humanely allow- 
 ed him, out of his own pocket, half a guinea 
 a day. But when the army began to move 
 northward, that he might be exempted from 
 the fatigues of war, he fent him home ; ac- 
 cording to Mr. Macleod's beft recoUedlion, 
 in the New Gallant frigate, which carried 
 home difpatchcs from his Excellency to Go- 
 vernment. 
 
 He came to a refolution now, nee 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, v/here his bones 
 might refl with thofe of his kindred and an- 
 ceflors. He fold liis 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\ 
 office, Chelfea, and who there kept a Pub- 
 lic Houfe at the fign of the Serjeant and 
 Crov/n. As his wife was very much afraid 
 of the fea, he left her, with the little ones, to 
 purfue their journey home to Invcrncfs by 
 
 land, 
 
( 73 ) 
 
 land, while he himfelf, with the chief part 
 cf the money, and feveral large trunks full 
 of arms, clothes, and other fluff, on which 
 he fet a great value, was to make for the 
 fume place by fea. The fhip in which he 
 embarked was the Margaret and Peggy 
 of Aberdeen ; the Mafler's name Captain 
 Davidfon. , Off the coafl of Yorklliire a 
 tempeft arofe, which drove the fhip on the 
 rocks, and funk her to the bottom. Mac- 
 lecd alone, of the paffengers, fived his life 
 by lafhing himfelf to a plank when the fhip 
 was fmking. He was taken up almofl dead, 
 between Whitby and Scarborough, and car- 
 ried to the houfe of a gentleman, originally 
 from Airfliire, whofe people had come to 
 look after the wreck. By that gentleman, 
 as well as by his lady, he was treated with 
 the utmofl humanity. He afked him, after 
 he came to his fenfes, if he knew where he 
 was ? Mr. Maclcod replied, that all he knew 
 at that moment was, that he was under the 
 roof of fome good people, who had taken 
 compafuon on his misfortune ; but that, if 
 it (hould pleafe God to recover him periet^- 
 ly, he would be able to tell where he was, 
 
 when 
 

 ( 79 ) 
 when he fliould be taken out into tlie open 
 air. Mr. Boyd, in the kindeft manner, ad- 
 vifed him to compofe himfelf for reft, and, in 
 the mean time, gave it in charge to his fervants 
 to wait upon the ilranger, and to adminifter 
 all proper refrefliment and neceffary affifl:- 
 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 by 
 the rocks, he fitted him as well as he could, 
 with a fuit from his own wardrobe, two 
 fliirts, 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. Boyd in- 
 iifled on his acceptance of two guineas. ' or 
 did his generous goodnefs flop here; he of- 
 fered his carriajj-e to take the old Serieanc to 
 Durham, from wheiK^c he .nijjht find conve- 
 iiient means of travellir.^;- to Ncwcalllc and 
 Edinburgh, in both cf which j[.'::.ccs he had 
 feveral acquaintance. That iiv/our, how- 
 ever, Macleod pofitively and rcfolutely de- 
 clined to accept ; and, after the warmell ac- 
 
 knov.dcd^cmcntii 
 
( 8o ) 
 
 knowledgements of gratitude to the honour- 
 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 retour chaife going that way 
 by accident. The coachman did fo, and after 
 walking about a mile or two before iMiic- 
 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 Macleod, after all his toils, fuffer- 
 ings, and gains, found himfelf at laft fet 
 down at Invcrnefs, not much richer than 
 when he fcrved as an apprentice to the ma- 
 fons and llonc-cutters; except, indeed, we 
 account as riches, a very faithful and attached 
 wife, and a plentiful flock of iiourillnng 
 children, fuper-added, in his old age, to a 
 pretty numerous oiF-fpring procreated in his 
 younger years. As his memory is now con- 
 fidcrably impaired, he does not pretend to 
 make an exacl enumeration of the whole of 
 his Oif-fprin J, ; but he knows of fixteen fohb, 
 the eldell cf vv horn is turned of eighty, and 
 
 tho 
 
we 
 led 
 
 to 
 of 
 
 )h; 
 
 
 ( 8i ) 
 
 the vouiiQ:efl of nine : bcfidcs dair^htcrs : of 
 whom, the eldeft, by the prcfent wife, is a 
 mantua-maker, in pretty good bufmefs, in 
 Newcallle. Perhaps this intimation may 
 have the good effed: that is certainly in- 
 tended. Of the fixteen fons, that he knows 
 of, not a lefs number than twelve are in dif- 
 ferent flations in the army and navy ; and, of 
 courfe, in fome fhape or other, in the mili- 
 tary fervice of his country. He lived from 
 1780 to 1789 in Invernefs and the neigh- 
 bourhood J where, old as he was, he did a 
 little bufinefs in his own profeffion of mafonry. 
 But fome negledl or delay having happened in 
 the payment of his penfion, he fet out on foot» 
 accompanied by his wife, in the fummcr of 
 1789; and arri/ed in London in the be- 
 ginning of Auguit. He laid his lituation 
 before Colonel Smrdl, a gentleman of un- 
 bounded philanthropy, univerfiljy refpetlcd 
 and beloved, and under whom he had ferved 
 for many years in Ireland and America. The 
 Colonel treated him, with the utmofl kind- 
 ncfs, entertaining him hofpitably at his houfe, 
 and allowing him a fliilling a-day while he re- 
 mained in London, out of his ov/n pocket. 
 "Q'j his advice a memorivil and petition, fet- 
 
 r tinc^ 
 
( 82 ) 
 
 ting forth the merits and fufFerings of Ser- 
 jeant Macleod, was drawn up^ and, with the 
 countenance and aid of the Colonel, and 
 other officers, he was favoured v/ith an op- 
 portunity of prefenting it to the King. The 
 very firfl day that his Majefty came to St, 
 James's, after his indifpofition, Macleod, ad- 
 mitted to the ftair-cafe leading to the drav/- 
 ing-room, prefented his petition, which his 
 Majefly gracioufly accepted, and looked over 
 as he walked up ftairs. At the head of the 
 flairs the King called aim. The old Ser- 
 jeant was going to fall on his bended knee, 
 but his humane Sovereign, rcfpecling his age, 
 would not furtcr him to kneel, but laid his 
 hand upon the old man's breafl^ and, making 
 him {land upright, exprelTcd nolefs furpri/j 
 than joy at feeing the oldell foldier in his 
 fervicc, in the enjoyment of fo great a fliare 
 of health and ftrength. The fentiments 
 that filled his own royal breaft, he eagerly 
 exprell'ed to the different noblemen and gen- 
 tlemen that were near him. He gave it in 
 char;7e t^' a gentleman prefer t, Mr. Macleod 
 thinks Mr. Dun las, to take care that the 
 prayer of his petition Ihould be granted, 
 which was modvil enough, being no other 
 
 than 
 

 lis 
 
 il'lZC 
 
 his 
 imre 
 
 KIUS 
 
 ^erly 
 >cn-. 
 lit ill 
 
 the 
 
 |ucd, 
 
 1 1 her 
 
 :lKm 
 
 ( 83 ) 
 
 than that he might have what is called the 
 King's Letter, that is, heing put on the 
 charitable lill, or a lift of peribns recom- 
 mended by his Majefty for a fliilling a-day 
 for life, on account of extraordinary lervices, 
 or fufferings. On that lift Lord Howard, 
 the Governor of Chelfca Hofpital, imme- 
 diately put the name of Serjeant Donald 
 Macleod: and this circumftance, with ten or 
 eleven guineas received out of his Majefty's 
 hand, together with many exprellions of 
 kindnefs, agreeably to what has been accu- 
 rately enough ftated in difterent newfpapers, 
 fcnt 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- 
 
 leod' 
 
 s name was infcrted in the Kinir's Lift, 
 
 he was to wait for the adlual receipt of a 
 ihilling a-day until there Ihouldbe a vacancy, 
 which has not yet happened. — Behold, there- 
 fore, Serjeant Macleod and Mrs. Macleod 
 again in London, in September, 1790, after 
 a jourjicy perlurmed on foot, from Inverneis, 
 upwards of iive hundred miles, in the fpace 
 ot three or four weeks, accompanied by 
 their youngeft fon, a lively little lad, about 
 
 F 2 
 
 nine 
 
( 84 ) 
 
 nine years old, as above-mentioned. Though 
 it docs not appear that any negledl has been 
 iliewn to his Majefly's orders refpedling his 
 old ftrvant, yet it is difficult to pcrfuade the 
 ♦.'■ood old man, and ftill more difficult to fa- 
 tisfy Mrs. IVTacleod, that, if his Majefly's 
 
 •tiers had b( 
 
 fincercly intereftcd 
 
 courtiers naa been as iincerc 
 his welfare as his Miijcfly himfelf, foniething 
 fubilanti.il nii^ht have been done for him 
 before this day. xA.nd he is iirmly perfuadcd, 
 th :i when his Majefly, to whom he hopes 
 to be aeain admitted, comes to underhand 
 iiow he lias been treated, he v/illbe very angry. 
 In the mean time, it is to be hoped, that 
 lie will draw a liberal fupply from the publi- 
 cation of liis piclure, which may be had to 
 be bound up with this iketch of his life, or fe- 
 paratcly, as the fubfcriber pleafes. Before 
 tiiiU fupply be v/ holly exhaulted, it is to be 
 expecLted that he will be in the polleffion of 
 lome regular provifion from the generofity, 
 and, indeed, the juilice of a country which, 
 in his liumble fphere, he has ferved with 
 moil dill'in;;uiffied reputation. It is ex- 
 tremely aliiicling to the reader to be informed, 
 that inllead of k cUrity and eafe, this gallant 
 vetciviii \v,io lately attacked by a confederacy 
 
 k 
 
. ( 85 ) 
 
 of aiTaffins, and was in the utmofl: danger, 
 after braving death fo often in the field of 
 battle, of peridiing by the hands of thofe 
 mifcreants. On Saturday the i8th of De- 
 cember laft, after leaving the Icage-coach, 
 from Uxbridge, where he liad been on an 
 invitation from that elegant liiiloriaii ofanti- 
 tjuity, Dr. Rutherford '*, and walking a little 
 way down Park-lane, he was fet on by three 
 footpads. He made all the refillance that 
 he was able, and, with a fhort flick that he 
 
 f fX 
 
 * The Do.n:or, wifliing to converH: with tlils //i'//.- 
 antiquity, chofe, for inviting him, the time of the 
 public examination of liis flonrifliing academy, that 
 ho might gratify the young gentlemen with a fight of 
 him before the Chrilhiias vacation. He ihcvvccl, in 
 the public fchool, in the prefcncc of a moft accom- 
 plifhed fencing-mafter, a fme fpecimcn of his ViixW in 
 the ufc of the broad-fwor J ; and he was greatly de- 
 lighted with the proficiency that fevcral of the young 
 gentlemen had made in the noble fcicnce of defence. 
 Their proiiciency in other fludies was no lefs admira- 
 ble j but fencing was the only cxcrcife of which he 
 pretended to be a judge. He laid, that Dr. Ruther- 
 ford's academy would be a fine nurl'ery for noble recruits. 
 ']"he young gentlemen, as well as the Doctor's I.uJy and 
 Family, beiiaved to Macleod in a moll refpckSlful i.iid af- 
 feClionate manner: worthy of the virtue of Sparta. He 
 was treated at Uxbridge with great kiiidncfs. 
 
 has 
 
( 86 ) 
 
 has carried about with him for near half a 
 century, knocked down oneoftlic villains, and 
 drove a knife out of his hand, with which he 
 aimed at flabbing him; but the other two 
 came behind him and having brought 
 him to the ground, robbed him of fixteen 
 (hillings. His clothes were torn, and his 
 body fo much bruifed in the fcnffle, that he 
 kept his bed from Saturday to Monday even- 
 ing: nor is it certain that he would have 
 cfcapedfrom the robbers with his life, if they 
 liad not been forced to retreat within the Park- 
 wall, at the approach of a gentleman 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 purpofe. It is 
 to be regretted that, old as Donald Mac- 
 leod is, he flill thinks it neceifary to keep up 
 tiic fpirit, and to llrain after the activity and 
 power of a younger foldier. It is not by 
 caution and prudent fubmiffion that he feeks 
 to efcape ; as it is not by means of the law 
 that he wiihes to revenge injuries. In every 
 thing he Ihev/s the fpirit and the ideas of a 
 foldier and hero. A pleafmt-enough proof 
 of this wc have in the following Anec- 
 dote — A man, who is a good-enough en- 
 graver. 
 
( 87 ) 
 
 graver, and can alio take off the outlines of a 
 countenance, made an engraving of Macleod, 
 which, as the exprefTion of the countenance, 
 or phyfiognomy, was fcarcely touched, and 
 the drefs and arms of the highlander were 
 mifreprefented, did not give entire fatisfadlion. 
 Inftrudtions were therefore given to make 
 fome improvements, and fome corredtions. 
 But the wretch — after the old Serjeant had 
 fat to him as often ^ he pleafed, ihewed 
 him where he had e; , and advanced five 
 guineas in partial payment — the wretch, 
 with whofe infaullous name Macleod (for 
 he is not a little tindtured with fuperftition) 
 begs that thefe Memoirs of his Life may 
 not be defiled, attempted to publilh the 
 portrait, intended for the benefit of his aged 
 and generous employer, on his own account*. 
 This ad: of piracy, he apprehended, would 
 
 l^'ery 
 )f a 
 •oof 
 lec- 
 len- 
 vcr, 
 
 * A firiking likenefs of Macleod, drawn by Mr. Bi^./;';, 
 and engraved by Mr. Grozier, is Told, for the benetit of 
 the old Serjeant, by the publilhers of thefe Memoirs. It 
 is fubmitted to the Polygraphic Society, whether 
 they might not employ their curious art in a manner worthy 
 of their liberality, in multiplying exacl likenefFes of this 
 iivifig antiquity, and circulating them, at an cafy rate, 
 through Britain, Europe, and the world. 
 
 2 excite 
 

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 IMAGE EVALUATION 
 TEST TARGET (MT-S) 
 
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 Sciences 
 Corporation 
 
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 (716)872-4503 
 
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( 88 ) 
 
 excite the old Serjeant's refentment, and fub- 
 jedl 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 
 neceflarv to fkulk from Macleod, like a ma- 
 lefador 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 i^v^w 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 luftre 
 and become dim and languid. With regard 
 to his mental qualities, that which is moft 
 impared is the faculty of memory, and of 
 difcriminating lively conceptions or ideas, 
 from hiftorical truths or realities. What 
 pafTed in the firft fifty years of the pre fen t 
 century, he remembers more diftindly than 
 the occurrences of the lail. In company, 
 where the cuftom of giving toafts is k?pt 
 up, it is the- beauties of the lafl age that ar^ 
 - ' commonly 
 
 t( 
 
 « 
 
moil 
 id of 
 lideas, 
 hat 
 •efent 
 
 than 
 Ipany, 
 
 k?pt 
 lat ar*;: 
 aonly 
 
 ( 89 ) 
 
 cDmmonly given by Mr. MacleoJ, though 
 they have been in their graves for many 
 years ; a circumftance which, 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 v^ith 
 realities. That a juftdiflindion 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 fctn 
 them paffing before his eyes. 
 . The queflion 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 
 " when I can't help it." This lall maxim re- 
 quires a little illuftration. He can never be 
 perfuaded to go to bed till he falls afleep. If 
 he is taking a glafs after fupper, and a pro- 
 
 Q pofition 
 
( 9° ) 
 pofitioii be made for the company to wifh 
 one another a good night, he will obferve, 
 " My eyes are not fhut yet." It is only 
 when he feels himfelf under a neceffity of 
 clofing his eyes, that he is willing to go to 
 reft; and, what is not a little ludicrous, one 
 of his eyes being much weaker, goes fooner to 
 reft than the other. On the other hand, he ne- 
 ver lies a-bed longer than he isfaft alleep. The 
 moment he awakes, up he fprings, wafhes his 
 face and hands, and goes fomewhere or other; 
 for he feems to have an averfion to reft, and is 
 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 fuffice to carry Donald Mac- 
 leod to America, or to the Eaft Indies. , - .. 
 Mr. Macleod talks, not unfrequcntly, on 
 the fubje<5t 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- 
 tridt of Invernefs-fhire, his uncle, is now in 
 the 1 ooth year of his age. 
 
 FINIS, 
 
 S 
 
 
wifh 
 ferve, 
 
 only 
 ty of 
 go to 
 5, one 
 •ner to 
 iiene- 
 .. The 
 leshis 
 other; 
 and is 
 dering 
 ong in 
 /en at, 
 
 Mac- 
 
 • , ■ - ■ '••' * 
 tly, on 
 ftrain. 
 of his 
 ^vomen 
 whom 
 ixander 
 a Dif- 
 now in