The men were no longer "Johnny Raws;" the reports of General Officers were all to the effect that the Gordon Highlanders were orderly and regular in quarters, and exemplary in the performance of duty. The Regimental Orders show that this was accomplished by continual attention on the part of Lord Huntly and Lieut.-Colonel Erskine, who commanded them, and whose motto seems to have been, "Suaviter in modo, fortiter in re."

CHAPTER IV.

AT Hilsea Barracks, Lieut-Colonel Erskine granted the request of the regiment to return to the Highland uniform, which has never since been departed from, and on May 19th the quartermaster is desired to issue to the companies a sufficient quantity of tartan for kilts and hose. The kilt of those days had at least the advantage of lightness and economy, but was a scant covering compared with the voluminous garment which is now worn. The quantity ordered "as sufficient for a kilt" being 33 yards for the Grenadier Company, and 3 yards for the other companies; yard for a pair of hose.*

Meanwhile it would appear that the long voyage had given some officers a taste for naval costume.

R.O.-Lieut.-Colonel Erskine begs to remind those officers who have bad memories that nankeen pantaloons and halfboots is the uniform in which they were ordered to appear on regimental parade. He hopes he will never see a repetition of what he saw last night-an officer coming to inspect his company dressed like a sailor.

In July 1797, Lord Malmesbury had been sent for the second time to Paris to negotiate a peace, but the demands of the French Directory rendered the attempt abortive. On the 17th October a treaty of peace was signed between France and Austria, and Great Britain was thus left to continue the contest single-handed against France and her allies.

In 1796 the French had already turned their eyes to Ireland as the part of the British Isles where they could most seriously harass the British Government. Accordingly a fleet. was fitted out at Brest, having on board about 14,000 troops, which sailed December 17th, and, evading the British cruisers, neared Bantry Bay on the 22nd, the plan being to land there and march to Cork, forty-five miles distant, before the Irish Govern

* On the 5th April 1798, Captain J. Gordon, on recruiting service at Coynachie, writes-"We have upwards of forty recruits in this country, and generally very good."

ment had notice of the expedition. Heavy gales from the east, however, scattered the fleet, and prevented a landing. Meanwhile news of their arrival having been received in Dublin, steps were taken to oppose them. A council of war on board the French fleet decided that, under these circumstances, and as the inhabitants of that part of Ireland showed no disposition to revolt, they should sail towards the Shannon; but a fearful storm arose on the 28th, the scattered vessels steered for France, and the danger of invasion was averted for the time.* But French emissaries travelled through the country, who fanned into flame the discontent which smouldered among a large part of the population, and culminated in the Irish Rebellion of "the year ninety-eight, when our troubles were great."

In consequence of these unhappy circumstances, the Gordon Highlanders were hurriedly ordered to Ireland, and, embarking in ships of war at Southsea Beach on May 31st, they arrived at Dublin on the 15th June, and were quartered in barracks. Here they formed part of a large garrison of regular and fencible corps. Among the latter were such now forgotten regiments as the Angus and the Reay Fencibles, the Dumfries Dragoons, the Ancient British Dragoons, etc. The troops were held ready to march at a moment's notice, and all was carried on as in an enemy's country. Soldiers were ordered not to speak to any man in plain clothes unless buying in a shop, and only to be out of barracks before 10 am. Officers are desired to pay great attention to the men being well fed, as they have so much duty.

A.G. Office, Dublin, June 16th, 1798.-His Majesty has been pleased to appoint Colonel the Marquis of Huntly, 100th Regiment, to serve as brigadier-general on the Staff of the army of this kingdom. It is, therefore, General Lake's orders that he be obeyed as such.

The Gordon Highlanders formed part of the brigade commanded by their colonel.

* "Autobiography of Wolfe Tone." This attempt on Ireland was connected with a scheme for the invasion of England. A body of about 1200 Frenchmen were to have ascended the Avon and burned Bristol, but having landed in Pembrokeshire, they surrendered to a force of Fencibles and Militia under the Earl of Cawdor. The two frigates that brought them were captured.-Hume's "History of England," continuation of (Murray, 1865).

R.O., June 20th.-On account of there being so few officers with the regiment, Lieut.-Colonel Erskine directs that Volunteers M'Pherson, MacDonald, Clark, and Cameron shall in future fall in as supernumerary officers, and are to be obeyed as such.

No officer to appear in the streets without his cross-belt and sword, except field-officers, who, for convenience in riding, may wear a waist-belt.

On June 21st, Lieut.-General Lord Lake defeated the rebels at Vinegar Hill, but they were encouraged to continue their resistance by expected aid from France.

On July 2nd, the regiment marched at a moment's notice, being conveyed on carriages, and encamped at Gorey on the 7th.

The General Orders are stringent that the peaceful part of the inhabitants shall be well treated; that horses captured from the rebels, having generally been taken by them from the peaceful inhabitants, are not to belong to the captors, but are to be returned to the rightful owners; and the Regimental Orders desire that the people be treated with kindness, and all milk, etc. paid for; but the men are discouraged from making acquaintances.

R.O. No man to be allowed to marry a woman of the country. Lieut.-Colonel Erskine informs the soldiers that no marriage without his consent can be lawful, and no woman will be allowed to embark with the regiment but those that came with it.

The dreadful cruelties of the rebels had given rise to reprisals on the part of the troops, and especially of the yeomanry of the country, and the peasantry were subjected to all the horrors of civil war. The exceptional conduct of the Gordon Highlanders at this time, as witnessed by the following letter, has been a matter of honest pride to the regiment ever since.

R.O., August 19th, 1798.-Lieut.-Colonel Erskine is extremely happy that the following letter from the Dean of Ferns to the Marquis of Huntly, expressive of the good conduct of the regiment during their stay at Gorey, should be inserted in the Regimental Orderly Book:

MY LORD, I have the honour of enclosing to you that part of the proceedings in the last Vestry held in Gorey wherein your Lordship and your regiment are mentioned. This mark of our respect and gratitude should have been sooner expressed and conveyed to you, had not our calamitous situation delayed the calling of a Vestry, which we conceived the most regular mode of expressing our sentiments collectively. It may be pleasing to your Lordship to hear that, in the attendance of my parish, I have heard all the poor loud in the praise of the honesty and humanity of the privates of your regiment. They not only did not rob them of the wretched pittance that was left by the rebels, but refused such trifling presents (of provisions, etc.) as were offered them, saying their King paid them nobly, and enabled them to supply every want at their own expense.

*

"We, the loyal inhabitants of the parish and vicinity of Gorey, in Vestry assembled, beg leave thus publicly to acknowledge the goodness and humanity evinced by the Marquis of Huntly during his short stay amongst us. We are proud to add that during that short stay rapine ceased to be a system, and the confidence of the people in the honour of government began to revive. We should be wanting in gratitude if we omitted our testimony that the humanity of the colonel was emulated by the soldiers, and we request the 100th Regiment to accept our thanks for the moderation and honour which marked the conduct of every individual officer and private who composed it.

*

(Signed) PETER BROWN, Rector.

J. JERMAN, Churchwarden.

The journal of a private soldier of the regiment mentions the poverty of the people, and that his comrades, though they often had the opportunity of taking by force what they liked, never took even a drink of butter-milk without paying for it.

The pay and allowances of a soldier no doubt were "noble," compared to those of Post Office employés in the Highlands. In 1799 the runner from Inverness to Loch Carron, a distance of over fifty miles, was paid 5s., and from Inverness to Dunvegan in Skye, a much greater distance, 7s. 6d. for the week's work.-J. W. Hyde ("One Hundred Years by Post").

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