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The Black Watch Memorial at Ticonderoga
The genesis of this memorial was an address made by the late Joseph Cook at the services held in front of the boulder erected to the heroes of Ticonderoga, Academy Park, Ticonderoga, N. Y. July 31, 1899, in which he made this remark: “There ought to be a memorial to the Black Watch composed largely of Scotch Highlanders who, with the Colonials charged Montcalm’s entrenchments for eight consecutive hours.”
The writer, who was secretary of the Ticonderoga Historical Society at that time, had the honor of being the medium through which this chance remark became an enduring memorial of brick and stone. He was unsuccessful, however, until Mr. David Williams, the publisher of “The Iron Age,” a summer resident of Ticonderoga at Rogers Rock, came to his assistance. Mr. Andrew Carnegie was the generous donor of the funds to build this memorial. The grants were in two amounts, the first gift for a public library with the usual provisions, and the second gift, with no limitations, with which to build an historical addition to the library, thus making it both a public library and historical building.
The laying of the corner stone, Oct. 4. 1905, was made the occasion for one of the greatest celebrations Ticonderoga has ever seen. The pipe band of the 5th Royal Scots of Canada, Highlanders, now the 5th Royal Highlanders of Canada, from Montreal, and the Regimental band and a Battalion of the 5th Infantry, U. S. A., from Plattsburgh, were the principal features of the parade. It was particularly appropriate that the Royal Scots should be present, as they are allied to the Black Watch and wear the same uniform. It was also an education to the thousands of spectators, few, if any of whom had ever seen Highlanders in full regimentals marching to the music of bagpipes. After the exercises of the day, the Royal Scots visited the ruins of old Fort Ticonderoga, about two miles from the village and the picture of a body of Highlanders with their scarlet coats and tartan kilts marching up the green slopes of the old ramparts, with the setting sun behind them, was one never to be forgotten and which probably had not occurred since the Revolution.
The officers of the present Black Watch Regiment, then stationed at Fort George Scotland, being advised of the Memorial sent the following letter to the secretary of the Ticonderoga Historical Society:
“Dear Sir: Your letter 9th Sept., 1905, on the subject of a Black Watch Memorial, has been perused by the Commanding Officer and the Officers of the 1st battalion of The Black Watch, formerly called the 42nd Royal Highland Regiment, and it was also submitted and discussed at the Annual Gathering of Black Watch Officers—past and present—recently held in Edinburgh. I am authorized to inform you that all Ranks of the Regiment are proud to know that the Ticonderoga Historical Society had decided to appropriate an alcove in the Ticonderoga Free Public Library as a memorial to the 42nd Regiment, to commemorate their services in the engagement before Fort Ticonderoga on July 8, 1758. The suggestion contained in your letter, to the effect that Officers of the Regiment might be disposed to erect a tablet on a wall of the Alcove to the memory of the officers and men of the 42nd who were killed or wounded in the action has met with the unanimous approval of those to whose notice it has been brought, and I am to inform you that such a Tablet will gladly be provided and that the work of executing the Tablet will be entrusted to a London firm as soon as a suitable design has been decided upon. In order to assist us in choosing a suitable form of tablet I shall be much obliged if you can favor me with a rough plan of the alcove, the dimensions of the actual wall on which the Tablet will rest, and an idea of the general style of the building.
I shall be glad to hear from you as soon as you can conveniently supply the information for which I have asked.
I am, Sir, yours truly,
D. L. Wilson Farquharson.
Major The Black Watch.”
The exercises for the unveiling of the memorial tablet July 4, 1906, was made the occasion for another grand celebration at which the full bag pipe band of the 5th Royal Highlanders of Canada and a company of 50 men from the same regiment, making a total of 75 Highlanders, were a feature of the parade. Major D. L. Wilson Farquharson of the Black Watch, came over from Scotland to unveil the tablet in behalf of the Regiment. It was accepted by Frank B. Wickes of Ticonderoga for the Ticonderoga Historical Society. The address of the day was delivered by Senator Edgar T. Brackett of Saratoga Springs.
List of Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and Partial List of Men Composing Ticonderoga Detachment, 5th Royal Highlanders of Canada, July 4th, 1906.
Capt. A. F. Gault.
Capt. V. C. Buchanan.
Capt. C. M. Monsarrat.
Capt. J. Muir, Quartermaster.
Sergt. Major D. A. Bethune.
Q. M. Sergt. B. Howard.
Col. Sergt. J. H. A. Mackay.
Staff Sergt. T. A. Gardiner.
Staff Sergt. J. Phillips.
Sergt. C. Denman.
Sergt. P. Forde.
Sergt. T. Mitchell.
Bugle Sergt. P. Broadhurst.
Drum Sergt. F. W. Flood.
Drum Major, G. Foley.
Pipe Major, D. Manson.
Sergt. J. MacLean.
Corp. P. W. MacFarlane.
Corp. H. Massey.
Corp. N. Manson.
Corp. P. Sutton.
Privates.
J. Bayley.
F. H. Benson.
Walsh.
A. E. Smith.
S. Tapster.
Scobie.
P. Roache.
J. Cockburn.
A. Bishop.
J. A. McLean.
Jeffries.
W. Marsh.
J. Ferguson.
J. Corbett.
J. Palmer.
C. Myers.
C. Black.
J. Stuart.
J. Roney.
Dean.
A. Reid.
A. Williams.
A. Betts.
D. Reid.
L. Pickering.
Pipers.
R. Morrison.
M. McLeod.
J. Ferrier.
D. McArthur.
D. Brash.
J. Husband.
B. Milligan.
Drummers.
J. Ryan.
Gore.
Kemp.
Jones.
Footnotes
1 A Military History of Perthshire, Page 28.
2 The most complete account of the independent companies may be found in “A Military History of Perthshire.”
3 See Appendix for list of officers.
4 See Appendix for the regimental names of the Black Watch at different periods.
5 Stewart of Garth, Page 246, Vol. I.
6 Capt. I. H Mackay Scobie claims that this tartan was probably evolved from a Campbell Sett and was a Government pattern for Government service, worn by the independent companies of the Black Watch before embodied in 1739 and also by other Scottish regiments “The Government or Black Watch Tartan” Army Historical Research, Vol. I, Page 154.
7 Stewart of Garth, Page 247, Vol. I.
8 3 additional Companies Black Watch and 3 for Montgomery’s and 3 for Fraser’s, stationed at Halifax.
9 The only reference to the Black Watch that I could find in the unpublished Colonial Manuscripts in the N. Y. State Library was the report of the receipt at New York, 8th July, 1757, from the ship Free Mason, of 22 Bales, 10 Casks and 1 Box for Lord John Murray’s Regiment. Colonial Mss., 1757, Vol. 84, Page 126.
10 Col. John Glen, born July 2, 1735, died Sept. 23, 1828, was quartermaster during the French and Indian and also the Revolutionary wars and was a man of great prominence in this locality. His brother, Col. Henry Glen, born July 13, 1739, died January 6, 1814, was deputy quartermaster under his brother and was member of Congress from Albany District from 1794 to 1802. Schenectady at that time was in Albany District. It was Col. John Glen who gave the name to Glens Falls, changing it from Wing’s Falls, it is said as the result of a wine supper.
11 After this article had gone to press I received through the kindness of Arthur Doughty Litt, D. Archivist of the Dominion of Canada, a copy of the references to the Black Watch in the archives at Ottawa and one reference proves that the 42nd was stationed at Schenectady the winter of 1756-7, as follows: Nov. 22, 1756, Loudon to Fox, the 42nd Regiment I quartered at Schenectady from whence they take the posts, on the Mohawk River, etc. See Appendix.
12 Atholl Records, page 428, Vol. III.
13 Atholl Records, p 433, Vol. III.
14 Public Record Office W. O. 1.-1.
15 Public record office W:O:1.-1.
16 His last letter had been written from New York, April 28th. If this were an earlier date it might indicate the winter quarters, but at this time the army was assembling at Albany for the seasons campaign. It will be noted as illustration that the Highlanders quartered at Stamford left there March 30.
17 For further information in regard to Halfway Brook, which is just north of the city of Glens Falls, see the “Halfway Brook in History”, by James A. Holden in Vol. VI. of N. Y. State Hist. Assn. proceedings.
18 Atholl Records page, 444 Vo. III.
19 Abercromby’s full report to Pitt, under date of July 12, 1758, will be found in Mr. Holden’s article on Lord Howe.
20 This General James Abercrombie must not be confused with Sir Ralph Abercrombie who led the Black Watch to victory in Egypt in 1801.
21 Translation by Bell, Page 539, Vol. I.
22 Lossing’s Pictorial Field Book of the Revolution. Page 119, Vol. 1.
23 Some of the names in the two preceding letters from Capt. Campbell are interesting because they illustrate the Scottish custom of using name of estate rather than the family or given name. This was often necessary to distinguish between several of same name.
Captain Stratchur is Captain John Campbell of Stratchur, there are also John Campbells of Duneavis, and of Glendaruel. Archie Sherreff is Lieut. Archibald Campbell, son of the Sheriff of Argyle. Duchra is Capt. Thomas Graeme of Duchray. George and “the Major” are sons of John Campbell of Barcaldine—George Campbell was appointed Ensign in the 42d in 1756, promoted Lieut, in Gage’s Regiment 1757, and killed at Havana 1762. “The Major” was Alexander Campbell, Major in the 77th (Montgomery Highlanders). Unkle Corries is John Campbell of Corries and his son Colin was evidently at the massacre at Fort William Henry in August 1757. Fort du Quesne was the French fort at what is now Pittsburgh.
24 Atholl Records. Page 438, Vol. 3.
25 This name is given in various places as MILL, MILLS, MILLER and MILNE. The Duke of Atholl is authority for the statement that MILNE is correct.
26 Atholl Records, p. 444, Vol. III.
27 Atholl Records, p. 443, Vol. III.
28 Montcalm and Wolfe, p. 435, Vol. II.
29 Public Record Office, C.O. 5. 50.
30 Translation by Bell, page 539, Vol. I.
31 N. Y. Col. manuscript O’Callaghan’s, p. 827, Vol. 10.
32 Public Record Office C.O. 5. 50.
33 See Appendix for extracts from Commissary Wilsons Orderly Book for record of daily service of Black Watch in Ticonderoga and Crown Point campaign.
34 Atholl Record, p. 452, Vol. III.
35 The oath of the Campbells of Inverawe was by Ben Cruachan.
36 Bibliography of the Legend of Duncan Campbell of Inverawe.
A. P. Stanley, “Inverawe and Ticonderoga,” Fraser’s Magazine, Oct. 1880.
Robert Louis Stevenson, poem on “Ticonderoga,” Scribner’s Magazine, December, 1887.
Francis Parkman, Appendix G. “Montcalm and Wolfe,” and “Historical Handbook of the Northern Tour,” Boston, 1885.
Robert O. Bascom, New York State Historical Proceedings, Vol. II., “Fort Edward Book,” pages 80-88.
C. F. Gordon Cumming in the Atlantic Monthly, September, 1884.
W. Max Reid, “Lake George and Lake Champlain.”
Sir Thomas Dick Lauder, “Tales of the Highlands.”
Winsor’s Critical and Narrative History of the United States.
Lord Archibald Campbell, “Records of Argyle,” William Blackwood & Sons, 1885.
“The Magazine of History,” July, 1906.
“Book of Dreams and Ghosts,” Longman’s, 1897
37 More probably Fort Carrillon.
38 Inver means “the mouth of,” therefore the mouth of the River Awe.
39 Major Sir Duncan Campbell of Bacaldine says should be “of Glendaruel” and that younger of Glenlyon went to the Marines in 1755.
40 Lieut. Sir James Cockburn transferred to 48th Foot. Ensign Patrick Balneavis made Lieut., commission dated 1st April, 1758, and Mr. Elbert Hering succeeded to the Ensigncy, commission dated April 3d, 1758. (See extract from letter Jas. Abercrombie to Lord Viscount Barrington. Albany, May 27, 1758.)
41 See Foot Note at bottom of preceding page.
[42] Miss Ethel Lomas, copyist at Public Record Office, London, is authority for the statement that this should be Peter (not Patrick) Stewart.
43 This name is given as David Mills in the Army List, but the Duke of Atholl is authority for the statement that Milne is correct.
44 Stewart of Garth calls him Dougal Campbell, but he appears as James in his commission.
45 It is not stated to which companies Lieutenant Malcolm Fraser and Francis Grant belonged. No other lieutenants are mentioned for Balliemore and Newmore; they have therefore been assigned respectively to them.
46 i. e. Drynie. A younger son of the Laird.
47 See note to Lieutenant Malcolm Fraser.
48 Garth gives the adjutant as being Gilbert Stewart (presumably the ensign to the Colonel’s Company.) He probably acted in this capacity until John Lindsay was gazetted to the regiment.