Sutherland and the Reay country

230 SUTHERLAND AND THE REAY COUNTRY.
General Stewart in his " Sketches " gave currency to an
error when he stated there were " 104 William Mackays in
this regiment . . . and 17 in one company." The
Muster-Roil shows that there were in all 211 Mackays,
including 7 officers, in the regiment ; and out of this number
16 only had the Christian name William. With a strength
of 1084 men of all ranks, the leading names were as follows:
Mackay, 211; Sutherland, 128; Murray, 42; Ross, 34;
Macleod, 29 ; Macdonald, 29 ; Munro, 28. The clan names
in the 1st and 2nd Regiments were in almost identical
proportions.
The Reay Fencibles.
The Royal Warrant for raising this regiment was dated
24th October, 1794. Colonel Mackay Hugh Baillie, a
military officer of note and experience, and a near kinsman
of Hugh, Lord Reay, the then chief of the Mackays, was
selected to command the regiment, and George Mackay of
Handa (afterwards designated of Bighouse) was appointed
Lieutenant Colonel. The strength of the regiment was
fixed at 800 men, and a few weeks sufficed to obtain the
required number. When placed on the Establishment (18th
June, 1795) it consisted of 46 officers and 754 non-
commissioned officers and men, and of these 1 1 officers and
209 rank and file were Mackays, while 381 had the honour-
able Gaelic prefix " Mac " to their names. The uniform of
the regiment was similar to that of the 42nd. Scarlet coat
with dark blue facings and silver lace, and kilt of Mackay
tartan.