In this Situation were Things in that Part of the Country about the Time of the Union of the Kingdoms, when the Government very wisely, by the Act called the Clan-Act, abolished these Tenures, and for preventing these Depredations last mentioned, raised several Independent Companies in the Highlands, the command of which were given to some of the most considerable Gentlemen in that Corner, such as Lord Loveat, Laird of Grant, Lochnell, Farah, etc., all men of Distinction and Weight, who were willing to engage their Personal and Family Influence, as well as that of their Companies, for suppressing those Quarrels, and settling a Civil Polity in the Country.
When this Levy was made, the Officers took a special Care that none should be enlisted into that Service, but the Sons of the wealthiest and most reputable Farmers in the Country; and the second and younger Sons of some of the lesser Vassals were not asham’d to enlist in a service calculated for restoring of Peace, and establishing Liberty and Property in their Country. And as they were allowed to occupy their own Farms or follow any other Occupation, except upon Muster-Days, or when they were actually employed in pursuit of Robbers, or Disturbers of the public Peace; they, instead of receiving Bounty-Money, made Interest with the Officer to be admitted.
In this Shape they continued till they were Regimented, under the Command of the Honourable the Earl of Crawford, a Nobleman, whose Character was every way agreeable to them, and made little or no Alteration in their Circumstances.
When we have taken this View of their Original and History, down to the Period of their being Regimented, it will be no Matter of Surprize to find the private Men of that Regiment differing much in their Manners from those of other Corps, if we consider that when they entered the Service it was impossible for them to have the least Apprehensions of ever being obliged to leave their own Country where most of them had Farms or other Concerns, and looked upon themselves, and I believe were esteemed by the Country, only as a regulated Militia, at least till such Time as they were Regimented, which was only a few Years ago.
The Earl of Crawford enjoyed that Regiment but a short time, when it was given to their present Colonel the Honourable Lord Semple.
They were quartered last year, the one half of them at Inverness, and the other at Perth; some Time in Spring the Regiment was informed by their officers that they were to be reviewed at Musselburgh, a village within four miles of Edinburgh, and afterwards to return to their quarters.
Accordingly they had a Rout given them to that place, and arrived there; but were told they were not to be reviewed there, but at Berwick upon Tweed; when they came to this place, they were told that his Majesty designed to review them in Person at London, and that then they would all return to their Families.
When they arrived at London, and found that his Majesty was gone, the Regiment were universally dissatisfied, that after so long a March they were disappointed of the Honour of being reviewed by his Majesty.
Some Time after their coming here a Report was currently spread that the Regiment was to be sent to some Parts of the West-Indies, and broke or divided amongst the Colonies; which raised in the private Men, who believed this Report, a very great Animosity against their Officers, whom they groundlessly blamed for not informing them truly where they were to go before they carried them from their own Country; and not allowing them Time to settle their Concerns, of which some had very considerable, which they were obliged to leave in great Disorder, they thought the Interest of the Government did no ways require that they, more than any other Regiment in Britain should be left ignorant of the Rout they were to take, and by that means be disappointed of an Opportunity of settling their private affairs in a manner suitable to so long an Absence; that they had been so long settled in that Country without any View of being so suddenly called from it, that it amounted to as great a Hardship on them (comparatively speaking) as it would be to the Militia of the City of London to be shipped for the Indies on an Hour’s Warning.
The Officers took pains to allay this flame, by assuring the Men that so soon as the Review was over they would be allowed to return Home.