In the military history of Great Britain, the plan of raising a fencible corps in the Scottish Highlands was first proposed and carried into effect by British politician William Pitt the Elder, (afterwards Earl of Chatham) in the year 1759. During the three preceding years, both the fleets and armies of Great Britain had suffered reverses, and it was thought that a "home guard" was necessary as a bulwark against invasion.
In England, county militia regiments were raised for internal defence in the absence of the regular army; but it was not deemed prudent to extend the system to Scotland, the inhabitants of which, it was supposed, could not yet be safely entrusted with arms due to the Jacobite risings. Groundless as the reasons for this caution may have been in regard to the Lowlands, militias could have been hazardous in the Highlands at a time when the Stuarts and their adherents were still plotting a restoration to have armed the clans. An exception, however, was made in favour of the people of Argyle and Sutherland; accordingly, letters of service were issued to John Campbell, 5th Duke of Argyll, then the most influential and powerful nobleman in Scotland, and William Sutherland, 18th Earl of Sutherland, to each raise a fencible regiment within their districts.
Unlike the militia regiments which were raised by ballot, the fencibles were raised by the ordinary mode of recruiting, and like the regiments of the line, the officers were to be appointed and their commissions signed by the king. The same system was followed at different periods down to the year 1799, the last of the fencible regiments having been raised in that year. The following is a list of the Highland fencible regiments according to the chronological order of the commissions:
Seven Years' War
Argyle Fencibles (1759)
The commissions of the officers of the Argyle Fencibles were dated in the month of July, 1759. The regiment, which consisted of 1,000 men, was raised in three months. Of 37 officers, 21 were of the name of Campbell. The regiment was quartered in different parts of Scotland, and disbanded in the year 1763.
Sutherland Fencibles (1759)
Though the commissions of the officers were dated in the month of August, the Sutherland Fencibles was raised several weeks before that of Argyle Fencibles, 1,100 men having assembled at the call of the earl of Sutherland, on the lawn before Dunrobin Castle, within nine days after his lordship's arrival in Sutherland with his letters of service.
This regiment was disbanded in May, 1763.
American War of Independence
Argyle or West Fencibles (1778)
The Argyle or West Fencibles was raised by Lord Frederick Campbell, who had been appointed colonel, and it was embodied in Glasgow in April, 1778. Of the men, 700 were raised in Argyleshire and other parts of the western Highlands; the rest were recruited in Glasgow and the south-west of Scotland. Sir James Campbell of Ardkinglas was appointed lieutenant-colonel, and Hugh Montgomery of Coilsfield, afterwards Earl of Eglintoun, Major. The regiment was disbanded in 1783.
Gordon Fencibles (1778) or Northern regiment of Fencible Men
The Gordon Fencibles regiment, which consisted of 960, was raised by Alexander, Duke of Gordon on his estates in the counties of Inverness, Moray, Banff, and Aberdeen. He was appointed colonel and Lord William Gordon to be Lieutenant-colonel, James Chisholm and James Mercer to be majors and George Gordon, Lord Haddo a captain. In a newspaper notice for a General Muster at Elgin in September 1778, the title Northern Fencible Highlanders is used by Major Mercer. It was embodied at Aberdeen, and disbanded in 1783. During the five years this regiment was embodied, only twenty-four men died.
Sutherland Fencibles (1779)
The family of Sutherland being at that time represented by an infant female (Elizabeth Gordon), countess of Sutherland (afterwards the duchess-countess of Sutherland) and no near male relative of the name to assume the command of this regiment, William Wemyss of Wemyss, nephew of William Sutherland, 18th Earl of Sutherland), was appointed colonel. With the exception of two companies from Caithness, commanded by William Innes of Sandside, and John Sutherland of Wester, the recruits were raised on the Sutherland estates; and so desirous were the men of Sutherland of entering the regiment, that in the parish of Farr, Sutherland alone 154 were enlisted in two days. In February 1779 the regiment was embodied at Fort George, whence it marched southward, and was stationed in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh during the part of its service. In November 1780 a party of Sutherland Fencibles held off an attack by boats from a privateer, Rohan Soubife of Dunkirk, on a brig the privateers had driven into Portlethen. The fencibles drove off the privateers, killing and wounding a number without loss to themselves. It was disbanded in 1783.
Samuel Macdonald, better known by the sobriquet of "Big Sam", was a soldier in the regiment. He was born in the parish of Lairg in Sutherland, and was of extraordinary stature, being seven feet four inches in height, and every way stout in proportion. Being too large to stand in the ranks, he was generally placed on the right of the regiment when in line, and marched at the head when in column. Whether on duty, marching with his regiment, or on the streets, he was always accompanied by a mountain-deer of uncommon size, which was greatly attached to him.
French Revolutionary Wars and Irish Rebellion of 1798
Grant or Strathspey Fencibles (1793)
The Grant or Strathspey Fencibles were raised when Sir James Grant, 8th Baronet, having offered to raise a regiment, he obtained permission to do so, and two months after the declaration of war by France, the regiment was assembled at Forres in the end of April, 1793. With the exception of 41 Scottish Lowlanders, three Englishmen, and two Irishmen, the regiment consisted of Highlanders. On 5 June it was embodied and inspected by Lieutenant-general Alexander Leslie, marched to the southward in August, and quartered successively in most of the towns in the south of Scotland.
Whilst the fencibles were stationed at Dumfries in 1795, a mutiny broke out amongst the Strathspey Highlanders. A spirit of jealousy and distrust of their officers had taken deep root in the breasts of the men, in consequence of an attempt that had been made the preceding year at Linlithgow, to induce them to extend their service, which was confined to Scotland. They erroneously conceived that there was a design to entrap them; a suspicion which appears to have originated in the conduct of the officers, some of whom did not explain the nature of the proposals to their men, whilst others entirely mistook their import and meaning.
For a time the good understanding between the officers and the men appeared to have returned; but an incident which occurred at Dumfries rekindled the dying embers of dissension, and led to the most unpleasant consequences. A soldier in the ranks having made a jocular remark, which was considered as offensive by the officers, he and some of his comrades, who appeared to enjoy the joke, were put into confinement, and threatened with punishment This injudicious step roused the feelings of the Highlanders, who considered themselves as insulted and disgraced in the persons of the prisoners, and they could not endure that such a stain should "attach to themselves and their country from an infamous punishment for crimes, according to their views, not in themselves infamous in the moral sense of the word". The consequence was, that many of the soldiers, in open defiance of their officers, broke out, and released the prisoners.
After this unfortunate affair, the regiment was marched to Musselburgh, when Corporal James Macdonald, and privates Charles and Alexander Mackintosh, Alexander Fraser, and Duncan Macdougall, were tried, and being found guilty of mutinous conduct, condemned to be shot. The corporal's sentence was restricted to a corporal punishment. The four privates were marched out to Gullane Links, East Lothian, on 16 July 1795, and when they had arrived on the ground they were told that only two were to suffer, and that the two Mackintoshes would be permitted to draw lots. They accordingly drew, when the fatal one fell on Charles, who, with Fraser, was immediately shot in presence of the Scots Brigade, (afterwards the 94th regiment) and the Sutherland, Breadalbane, and Grant Fencibles. The others were ordered to join regiments abroad.
No other act of insubordination occurred in the regiment, which was disbanded in the year 1799.
Breadalbane Fencibles (1793 and 1794) – three battalions
The Breadalbane Fencibles were raised when John Campbell, Earl of Breadalbane, moved by the same patriotic feeling which actuated Sir James Grant, offered to raise two fencible regiments, which were completed in the summer of 1793. A third battalion was embodied a few months thereafter, under an arrangement, that its service, if necessary, should be extended to Ireland. The number of men raised was 2,300, of whom 1,600 were obtained from the estate of Breadalbane alone.
A mutiny, similar in every respect in its cause, object, and consequences, to that of the Strathspey Fencibles, occurred amongst the Breadalbane Fencibles, at Glasgow in 1795. Measures were taken to secure the ringleaders; but so many of the men were concerned, that it was found almost impossible to make a proper distinction. The difficulty was however solved by some of the soldiers themselves, who, becoming sensible of their error, with a noble and high-minded feeling, voluntarily offered to stand trial, and to abide the issue. They were accordingly sent to Edinburgh castle, tried, and four of their number condemned to be shot, but only one, Alexander Morland, suffered. He was shot on Musselburgh Sands.
An anecdote of one of these men, related by David Stewart, affords a striking illustration of the faithfulness of the Highlanders in fulfilling obligations. On the march to Edinburgh, this man stated to Major Colin Campbell, who commanded the party, that he knew what his fate would be, but that he had left business of the utmost importance to a friend in Glasgow, which he wished to transact before his death; that as to himself he was fully prepared to meet his fate, but, with regard to his friend, he could not die in peace unless the business was settled; and that if the officer would permit him to return to Glasgow, he would join his comrades before they reached Edinburgh. He added, "You have known me since I was a child; you know my country and kindred, and you may believe I shall never bring you to any blame by a breach of the promise I now make, to be with you in full time to be delivered up in the castle". Major Campbell, a very judicious and humane man, was startled at this extraordinary proposal; but having perfect confidence in the prisoner, he complied with his request. The soldier, accordingly, returned to Glasgow at night, transacted his business, and left the town before day-light to redeem his pledge. To avoid observation, he made a circuitous route through woods and over hills, which retarded him so much, that he did not appear at the appointed hour. Major Campbell, on reaching the neighbourhood of Edinburgh without his prisoner, was greatly perplexed. He had indeed marched slowly forward, but no soldier appeared; and unable to delay any longer, he entered the city, marched up to the Castle, and as he was delivering over the prisoners, but before any report had been given in, Macmartin, the absent soldier, rushed in amongst his fellow-prisoners, all pale with anxiety and fatigue, and breathless, with apprehension of the consequences in which his delay might have involved his benefactor.