Blair Collection > Celtic monthly > Volume 6, 1898

168
THE CELTIC MONTHLY.
The loss sustained by the Highlanders amounted
to 694 in killed and wounded.
The intrepid conduct evinced by the " Black
Watch " in this unfortvmate aflair was made
the topic of universal panegyric throughout the
whole of Britain, the public prints teemed with
honourable mention of, and testimonies to their
- bravery.
If anything could add to the gratification the
survivors received from the approbation of their
country, it was enhanced by the handsome way
in which their services were ajjpreciated by
their gallant companions in-arms. An olEcer of
the 55th, wiiting to the St. James' Clnoiu'cle,
says, "With a mixture of esteem, grief, and
envy, I considtr the great loss and immortal
glory acquired by the Scots Highlanders in the
late bloody aflair. Impatient for orders, they
rushed forward to the entrenchments, which
many of them actually mounted. They appeared
like lions breaking from their chains. Their
intrepidity was rather animated than damped
by seeing their comrades fall on every side. I
have only to say of them that they seemed more
anxious to revenge the cause of their deceased
friends, than careful to avoid the same fate.
By their assistance we expect soon to give a
good account of the enemy and of ourselves.
There is much harmony and friendship between
us."
An extract of a letter from Lieutenant
William Grant, an officer of the regiment, is
worth recording, as it seems to contain no
exaggerated detail — " The attack began a little
past one in the afternoon, and about two the
fire became general on both sides, which was
exceedingly heavy, and without intermission, in
so much that the oldest soldier present never saw
so furious and incessant a fire. The affair at
Fontenoy was nothing to it : I saw both. We
laboured under insurmountable difficulties. The
enemy's breastwork was about nine or ten feet
high, upon the top of which they had plenty of
wall pieces fixed, and which was well lined in
the inside with small arms. But the difficult
access to their lines was what gave them a fatal
advantage over us. They took care to out down
monstrous large oak trees, which covered ail tiie
ground from the foot of their breastwork about
the distance of a cannon shot every way in their
front. This not only broke our ranks, and
made it impossible for us to keep our order, but
put it entirely out of our power to advance till
we cut our way through. I have seen men
behave with courage and resolution before now,
but so much determined bravery can hardly be
equalled in any part of the history of ancient
Rome. Even those who were mortally wounded
cried aloud to their companions not to mind or
lose thought upon them, but to follow their
officers, and to mind the honour of their country.
Nay, their ardour was such, that it was difficult
to bring them off. They paid dearly for their
intrepidity. The remains of the regiment had
the honour to cover the retreat of the army, and
brought off the wounded as we did at Fontenoy.
When shall we have so fine a regiment again ! "
Previous to the affair of Ticonderoga having
become known in England, letters of service
were issued to raise a 2nd battalion for the 42nd.
Pitt, to facilitate the recruiting of this battalion,
induced George IT. to confer upon the regiment
the title of " Royal Highlanders," '■ as a testi-
mony of His Majesty's satisfaction and approba-
tion of the extraordinary courage, loyalty, and
exemplary conduct of the Highland regiment"
Well they deserved it, then, and ever since.
iicipfnrrt Jon\ Mackay.
THE MERMAID OF COLONSAY.
jt^A^j YE, it is on Colum's Isle more than on
C^^^i ^^y c-ther i.sle, that the winds blow
!&M^ clean and snell when the sea will be
laughing and dancing along the shores. There
is music everywhere around the sea-girt home of
solitude that is set like a gem in the western
seas. The waves liave a merry song in their
breaking and the pyots call with a wondrous
sweetness in their notes, and always through
the rushes of the meadow-lands the winds will be
humming and sighing and whi.stling as they do
on no other Hebrid Isle.
It is the place of sweet sounds, Colonsay, the
music-haunted island, where Colum long ago did
bless the people with the heavenly peace. You
can see the white sands gleaming and glistering
from afar. When the sailors, returning on a
quiet evening from their distant voyagings,
make out a low shadowy cloud floating in the
summer sea, their hearts beat faster in their
breasts and they murmur to them.selves, " It is
Colum's Isle, the isle of peace, the music-haunted
Colonsay, where the sea-maids sing their luring
songs." And so it is.
As you go along the rocks towards Oransay —
that is, Oran's Isle, where Colum's friend
stayed — you will be hearing in the dusk of a
summer night the long sad song of the maighdean-
mhara. as she conies up out of the water with
the sweet smelling scent of sea-wrack about her.
More than one of the men out of Scallasaig —
the Bay of Shells — have gone that way to hear
the sea-maid sing, and it was not given to any
of them again to return. But there will always
be some who will dare the decrees of heaven,
and Alastair Trom said that he would go along