Historical memoir of the family of Eglinton and Winton

THE FAMILY OF
CHAPTER X.
Ey ARL ALEXANDER was succeeded by his only
J surviving brother, Archibald, who thus became
the Eleventh earl of Eglinton ; and who to some
extent followed out the enlightened views of his
worthy brother in the management of the family
inheritance, under the superintendance of au able
and experienced commissioner, Mr Alexander Fairlie
of Fairlie, near Kilmarnock — consequently the es-
tate was rapidly improved and the earl accumulated
great wealth. The eleventh earl of Eglinton, how-
ever, was chiefly distinguished through life as a
soldier and military commander. The schools ap-
pear to have had but little charm for him, and at
the age of about seventeen, he obtained a commis-
sion as cornet in the celebrated Scots Grays, From
this, his promotion, chiefly by purchase, appears to
have been by no means of a tardy nature. Pie rais-
ed the Seventy-eight Highland regiment, of which
he was Lieutenant-Colonel, by commission dated
January 4th, 1757. He accompanied this regiment
to the British colonies in North America, where he
served under General Amherst; saw much severe
service and approved himself an intrepid and able
officer. On one occasion in particular, he command-
ed an expedition,_twelve hundred strong, sent against