Blair Collection > Celtic monthly > Volume 8, No.5 (February, 1900)

THE CELTIC MONTHLY.
83
'lut their efforts were
for the purpose of
enlisting their syni
pathies. On the otiier
hand, the royal Gover-
nor, Josiah Martin,
took steps to enroll
them into active British
service. The Governor
was in constant com-
munication with them,
and, in a measure,
directed their move-
ments. Allan Mac-
donald of Kingsburgh
was their recognised
leader. As early as
July 3, 1775, he went
to Fort Johnson, and
there concerted with
Governor Martin the
raising of a battalion
of " the good and faithful Highlanders," fully
calculating on the recently settled Macdonakls
and Macleods. There must have been prior
intercourse between them, for in his com-
munication to Lord Dartmouth, on June 30
preceding, Martin recommended that Kingsburgh
should be appointed major. In the report of
the same, to the same, dated Nov. 12, 1775, the
statement is made that Kingsburgh had raised
a company, as had also his son-in-law, Alexander
Macleod.
Affairs among the Highlanders in North
Carolina were rapidly taking form. General
Gage sent Major Donald Macdonald from
Boston to take immediate charge of raising the
Highlanders. All these movements were noted
by the Americans. Knowing that Kingsburgh
was the most important man in the settlement,
he was not only watched, but early came under
the suspicion of the Committee of Safety at
Wilmington. On the very day, July 3, 1775,
he was in consultation with the Governor, its
chairman was directed to write to him, "to
know from himself respecting the reports that
circulate of his having an intention to raise
troops to support the arbitrary measures of the
Ministry against the Americans in this colony,
and whether he had not made an offer of his
services to Governor Martin for that purpose?"
The influence of Kingsburgh was supplemented
by that of Major Donald Macdonald, then in
his 65th year, an ofScer of varied experience.
He was in the Rising of 1745, and headed many
of his own name
All the emissaries of the British sent into the
settlement were officers in the army, but
represented themselves as only visiting friends
and relatives; but this guise was seen through.
ALLAN JI VCDONALD S FARM AT 5I0UNT PLEASANT.
as may be witnessed in a letter of Samuel
Johnston of Edenton, dated July 21, 1775,
written to the Committee at Wilmington : " A
vessel from New York to this place brought
over two officers who left at the Bar to go to
New Bern : they are both Highlanders, one
named Macdonald, the other M'Cloud. They
pretend they are on a visit to some of their
countrymen on your river, but I think there is
reason to susjiect their errand of a base nature.
The Committee of this town have wrote to New
Bern to have them secured. Should they
escape there, I hope you will keep a good look-
out for them."
A vigorous campaign for 1776, in the
Carolines, was determined on in the fall of
1775. In deference to the oft repeated and
urgent solicitations of the royal governors, and
on account of the appeals made by Governor
Martin, the brunt of it was to fall upon North
Carolina. He had assured the home Government
that large numbers of the Highlanders 'and
Regulators were ready to take up arms on behalf
of the king.
The programme, as arranged, was for Sir
Henry Clinton, with a fleet and seven corps of
Irish regulars, to be at the mouth of the Cape
Fear, early in the year 1776, and there form a
junction with the Highlanders and other dis-
affected persons from the interior.
(To he continued).
Henderson's Tutor for the Bagpipe and
Collection of Pipe Music. — We have pleasure in
directing attention to this valuable work which has
just been published. It contains a splendid selection
of the most favourite tunes, many being here printed
for the first time. The whole work has been care-
fully edited by Pipe-Major J. Macdougall-Gillies,