Col. McDonald After the British Evacuation

On 14 Apr 1776, almost a month after the British military had evacuated Boston, the Scottish veteran and Loyalist officer Alexander McDonald tried to cheer up his wife Susannah (or “Susey”) with a letter from Halifax. McDonald had left his wife and children on Staten Island in the fall of 1774 when he went to raise soldiers for the Crown. In this letter, the colonel assured Susey that the force which had left Boston was still in good fighting shape, and that more troops were on the way from Britain to restore order.

I dare Say you will hear a varst number of Militias & false Reports about our Armys Leaving boston, these falsehoods will be spread among the poor deluded, and unwary inhabitants of America, though the truth is that General [William] How with his army Left that place as well as the Admiral and the fleet under his Command, by a positive order from home, to be in readiness to join the Grand Army and Navy, now on their way to America, Consisting of 60000 troops 70 Sail of men of war small and great, when these are joined with what there is already in America planns will be formed for the opperations of the Ensuing Campaign, where attacks will be made is unknown, and even if it was Known to me I could not acquaint you of it, one thing is most certain, that its fully determined to Conquer America and the Longer they will Continue obstinate & hold out the worst will their terms be.

No doubt it will be reported through the Country that the army was forced to Leave boston, if so it is a most Infamous falshood, the army embarked on board their transports with all their baggage stores and artillery and every thing that was worth the Carrying without the Least hindrance or Mollestation, or the Loss of one Single Man, and which is more rare not a single Soldier of any of the Regiments attempted to desert though hundred’s of them might Concealed themselves in Cellers and Empty houses about the town, and none of the Yankees durst venture into the town for twenty four hours after the army had Left it.

I have nothing more to add but that I am in perfect Good health and greatly at a Loss which way to advise You, tho’ there is nothing on Earth I wish for More than to have you and the Children along with me, yet the dread of the fatigues and dangers you must Undergo Strikes a damp upon me that I cannot run the risque of ordering you and the Children to be exposed to Such dangers, this, and the Uncertainty of my staying in this place and yet unknown where I am to go, puts it intirely out of my thoughts to give you any such orders. I will certainly write by every opportunity, and Let you know, my farther thoughts upon this affair.

Surely the people has not got so barberously mad as to Mollest or hurt a poor innocent woman and still more Innocent poor Children and Especialy till they know how Matters are to be Settled in America. Should you form a Resolution of Coming to me with the Children, I have given directions to the Commanding officer of His Majestys Ships in the harbor of New Yorke to Send you all the asistance In his power, and procure you a passage in any of his Majestys Ships that Should Come this way; it’s to be hoped you will be allowed to depart in peace and dispose of as much of your Effects as you dont chuse to Carry along with You. You may bring as much Corn, oats, wheat or flour, Gammons, & fowls, of all Sorts as you can possibly get aboard.

David & Donald & Gilbert if he chuses shall Come along with You, all this is only in Case you should Chuse to Come, but if you could Live happy and at peace where you are, I would Like it better as I think it was best for you, for a Little time ’til I am able to know how Matters are Like to go—Peggy is perfectly recovered, her daughter is to be Christened this afternoon by the Name of Susanah McDonald, all the Gentlemen of our Core are very well, those of your acquaintance desires their kind Love to you and the Children. James McDonald mounted his post Guard to day as Lieutenant and I asure you will make a fine brisk officer.

(As usual, I’m adding a few more paragraph breaks into these documents to make them easier to enjoy online. Please go to AmericanRevolution.org to check out more exact transcriptions.)

Col. McDonald recognized that the evacuation of Boston meant that there were no significant British troops left anywhere in the thirteen colonies that had formed the Continental Congress. He didn’t know what that would mean for his family. In this period American public opinion swung to favor independence from Britain, and on 2 July Congress voted for that split as well. But that same day, the British force that McDonald described was landing in Staten Island, poised to take over Long Island and then Manhattan Island.

In his letter, the colonel alluded to David, Donald, and Gilbert, his and Susey’s children. Donald had been studying at Princeton, but his father was angling to get him a British army commission; on 19 Feb 1776, he’d pointed out to Maj. John Small on 19 Feb 1776 that “Mr. Day [a recently commissioned ensign] is not much bigger or older than My Son Donald.” James McDonald was, I suspect, a nephew of the colonel, and Peggy perhaps his wife.

The most famous member of this family was Alexander’s sister-in-law Flora McDonald, who had helped Charles Stuart escape capture in 1746. She had emigrated to North Carolina in 1773 and returned to Britain six years later, suffering a wound during a sea battle on the way back. The picture of Flora McDonald above comes from FirstFoot.com, which offers a more decidedly iconoclastic view of “Bonnie Prince Charlie.”

Capt. McDonald Manages His Company

Here are more extracts from the letterbook of Capt. Alexander McDonald, as transcribed and made available to all on AmericanRevolution.org. The last installment quoted McDonald’s letters seeking a higher rank for himself, and oh-by-the-way an officer’s commission for his twelve-year-old son. At the time, he was helping to organize a company of Scottish and other Loyalists into a British army regiment, eventually called the Royal Highland Emigrants or 84th Regiment of Foot.

Here’s how McDonald said he dealt with his non-commissioned officers. On 15 Nov 1775, he wrote from Halifax to Maj. John Small in Boston:

I am sorry to tell you Serjt SinClair Serjt McArthur and one Corpl McQuinn a rascal I inlisted here all three Highlanders are the most unruly drunken rascals I have in the whole recruits and I was obliged to Lay hands on McMillan even before I brought him to some order.

McArthur and SinClair fought the other day and were both Confined after they got Sober was kept one night in the guard I gave them both a severe reprimand and desired them to forgive one another and Make friends. McArthur insisted on a Court Martial. I told them they may both depend on being broke and may be receive Corporal punishment besides when I told them what A pretty figure two highland Serjeants would shew to all the rascals in this place stripped at the whipping post after being broke and I swore to them by a most violent oath that it Certainly would be the Case if they did not forgive one another and promise never to be guilty of the Like again

finding I was in Earnest and their honours touched up a Litle they thought proper to Setle Matters amongst themselves and are now upon their good behaviour.

A military company of the time required drummers to beat out signals during training and maneuvers. The Loyalist Institute offers the 12 June 1775 orders from Gen. Thomas Gage for organizing the regiment in ten companies, each with “two Drums.” On 9 Jan 1776, Capt. McDonald told Maj. Small, “I want much a drum Major and two or three drums” for his company in Halifax. McDonald seems to have gotten the job of recruiting and training drummers for the whole regiment. In a letter dated 27 January, McDonald updated the major on his progress:

I have picked out fourteen boys to be Drummers. I have got two Drumms from Mr Buckley the Secretary of the province and I am about hiring the Drummer that acts as Drum Major of the 65th to teach these boys, but he Says that Each of them Should have a Drumm and then he would teach the whole with the Same Ease as one.

The thumbnail picture above leads to the King’s Orange Rangers photo gallery, which includes images of reenactments undertaken with the recreated Royal Highland Emigrants.

Capt. Alexander McDonald Raises a Regiment

In November, Ed St. Germain added a nifty primary source to the resources available at AmericanRevolution.org: the letterbook of Alexander McDonald, a British army captain who had retired on Staten Island. He married Susannah Livingston of the important New York political family, and remained on the British army half-pay-pension list.

In October 1774, McDonald recognized that a rebellion was imminent in New England, and indeed had already started, so he set off to recruit a Loyalist regiment from among his fellow Scotsmen. In late 1775, McDonald sent letters to top army commanders reviewing his work. Those letters advanced his other purpose: to compete with rival officers in seniority.

Here’s some of McDonald’s 30 Nov 1775 missive to Gen. William Howe in Boston:

Last October was a year when I found the people of America were determind on Rebellion, I wrote to Major [John] Small desiring he would acquaint General [Thomas] Gage that I was ready to join the Army with a hundred as good men as any in America, the General was pleased to order the Major to write and return his Excellency’s thanks to me for my Loyalty and spirited offers of Service, but that he had not power at that time to grant Commissions or raise any troops; however the hint was impproved and A proposal was Sent home to Government to raise five Companies and I was in the mean time ordered to ingeage as many men as I possibly Could.

Accordingly I Left my own house on Staten Island this same day year and travelled through frost snow & Ice all the way to the Mohawk river, where there was two hundred Men of my own Name, who had fled from the Severity of their Landlords in the Highlands of Scotland, the Leading men of whom most Chearfully agreed to be ready at a Call, but the affair was obliged to be kept a profound Secret till it was Known whether the government approved of the Scheme and otherwise I could have inlisted five hundred men in a months time, from thence I proceeded straight to Boston to know for Certain what was done in the affair when General Gage asur'd me that he had recommended it to the Ministry and did not doubt of its Meeting with approbation.

I Left Boston and went home to my own house and was ingeaging as Many men as I Could of those that I thought I Could intrust but it was not possible to keep the thing Long a Secret when we had to make proposals to five hundred men; in the Mean time Coll McLean arrived with full power from Government to Collect all the Highlanders who had Emigrated to America Into one place and to give Every man two hundred Acres of Land and if need required to give Arms to as many men as were Capable of bearing them for His Majestys Service.

Coll [Allan] McLean and I Came from New York to Boston to know how Matters would be Settled by Genl Gage: it was then proposed and Agreed upon to raise twenty Companies or two Battalions Consisting of one Lt Colonl Commandant two Majors and Seventeen Captains, of which I was to be the first, or oldest Captain and was Confirmed by Coll McLean under his hand writeing in the beating order he gave me. I now See by a List that came here of ten Companies that Coll McLeans, Major Smalls and Wm Dunbars Commissions are dated the 13th June and all the rest of the Captains dated the 14th, I suppose to Settle their Ranks when they Come together by a throw of the dice and I may have the good Look to be the youngest in place of the oldest Captain in the Regt

Captn Dunbar Sold his Company Som’time agoe and of Course his rank of the Army the same time and I think it hard that he should be now put over my head after all my Services, and the trouble I have taken from first to Last about this Regiment. I am now going on to fifty Years of Age and if my Loyalty and Long Services are to be rewarded In this Manner I have but a poor Chance of dying a field officer. I am far from blaming Major Dunbar for accepting of the oldest Company I know he has merit to deserve Every promotion that Can be given him. without prejudice to others, there are few people I wish better than he but if it were my own brother I Could not help Complaining this time.

McDonald complained more directly to Gen. James Grant on 3 Dec 1775:

Besides my Long Services of about one & thirty years, I have taken more pains about the raising of this Chore than any other person Concernd in it. I have Sacrificed my wife & four Children & all I had in the world to Contribute all in my power for the Service of my King & Country.

I was promised to be the oldest Captain in this Regiment and now I find that Major Wm Dunbar is put over my head, a Gentleman who a few years agoe Sold his Company and of Course his Rank and I think it very hard and very unjust that he should take rank of me, notwithstanding I have a Sincere Reguard for him and think him worthy of every Step that can be given him without prejudice to others; this is the Grievance that I Complain of, and You’re the only officer of rank in the Army that I have the Least dependance upon I hope you’ll Use your Intrest to See me Redressed.

On 27 Jan 1776, McDonald hinted to Gen. Gage, “I am almost fifty years of Age and if Your Excellency thought proper its almost time I was A Major.” Of course, Gage was no longer in any position to help, having been superseded by Howe.

And Capt. McDonald wasn’t just looking out for himself. On 29 Dec 1775, he wrote to Maj. Small:

I gave you a hint before of my Eldest boy being twelve years of age and that I have seen Officers Children even bastards get Commissions at three years of age, witness Lt Colonel Alexander Campbell at the havannah and I think it would Not be adoeing a great deal of injustice either to the Regiment or the Army to give My Child an Ensigncy [the lowest officer rank].

McDonald’s 15 Jan 1776 letter to his wife Sukey implies that this boy had been at Princeton until a short time before: “Pray Let me know whether Mr Weatherspoon refuse to keep the boy in the College or whether it were your own Choice that he should remain at home...”

(As usual, I added a few paragraph breaks to these passages to make them easier to enjoy online. Please go to AmericanRevolution.org to check out more exact transcriptions. The thumbnail picture shows an officer of the 42nd Regiment of Foot in full dress uniform, courtesy of Parks Canada. This uniform resembles that of McDonald’s regiment, the Royal Highland Emigrants, after 1776. But the men may well have worn trousers or breeches while on the march.)