Private Andrew McCulloch Returns to England

Andrew McCulloch's name appears with Major James Abercrombie as private soldier discharged from the 78th Regiment on August 23, 1763. And while his name does not appear on the official list of Soldiers Discharged in America, it is quite evident he remained in Canada for at least two years following the conclusion of the war.

Secretary's Office 2d July 1765

To Lieut. James Hall

Agent to the Transports 

at Quebec.---

Embarkation list:
Nicholas Ribichon, his Wife and seven Children: 9
Pierre Marchand, his Wife & seven Children: 9
Jean Baptists Delome, his Wife & three Children: 5
Joseph Tarraux and two Children: 3
Luc Emble, his Wife & two Children: 4
Pierre Michelaux, his Wife & two Children: 4
John Packer a soldier of the 27th Regmt.: 1
Andrew McCulloch, his Wife & Child: 3

Total Thirty eight Persons: 38

James Murray letter:
The above is a List of Men and their Families that have been Employed at the Iron works near Three Rivers, in this government ever since the Reduction of the country, at which time they were prevailed upon by General Amherst to Continue working at the Forge upon his promise that they should be sent to England in His Majesty's Ships or Transports, free of expense. This therefore is to require you to give orders to the Masters of the Transports under your care, now bound to Ireland with the 44th Regmt. to Receive on Board and Victual the said Families in the same manner as the Troops are Victualled, until their arrival at Deptford, where they are to Disembark, and proceed to London with the Letter I will write concerning them to the Secretary of State. And you are also required to give orders for the Passage and Victualling of John Parker a soldier of the 27th Regiment, who is to pay for his Provisions as the other soldiers do; and Andrew McCulloch a Reduced Soldier from the 78th Regiment with his wife and one child, said McCulloch having lost his leg is recommended to Chelsea, is an object of Charity, and therefore is to pay nothing for his Provisions nor that of his wife and child, for doing of which this shall be your sufficient authority.~

                                                                                  Given under my hand & seal at

                                                                                  arms at the Castle of St. Levis

                                                                                  in the City of Quebec the 27th day of

                                                                                  August 1765

Void

                                                                                  Signed                   Ja: Murray

                                                                                  By His Excellency's Command

An updated list, signed by James Murray and dated 31 August 1765, was discovered in succession to the former as follows:

Embarkation list:
Nicholas Ribichon, his Wife and seven Children: 9
Andrew McCulloch, his Wife & Child: 3
John Paker, a Soldier of the 27th Regiment: 1
Elenor McBeth with her Child, wife of an Invalid of the 15th Regiment: 2

Total: 15

Royal Chelsea Hospital Admissions:
Private Andrew McCulloch was admitted to the Royal Chelsea Hospital on 13 Dec. 1765 as follows:

Andrew McCulloch
Age: 40 years
Time in Serv: 10 years
Ailment: Lost his right leg
Born: Tayne [Scotland]
Occ: Taylor

Sources:
"Reduced soldiers employed at the Iron Works, 1765." Letterbook/Copie de lettres, 1763-1771. Microfilm 10462, Series RG4, C2, vol. 1. Public Archives Canada. n.d. Print.

"An Account of His Majesty's Royal Bounty of Fourteen Days Subsistence, also the Sword Money paid the following Men of the 78th Regiment Discharged in America." Microfilm C-10462, Series RG4 C2 vol. 1, National Archives of Canada. n.d. Print.

Public Records Office. Royal Chelsea Hospital Admission Books, TNA, W.O. 116-6 [Kew, U.K.]

©  Jeffrey Campbell, The 78th Regiment of Foot, 2018.  All rights reserved.  

Campaign Quotables

A collection of inspirational quotes about the men of Fraser's 78th Highlanders found among the many historical military documents gathered from various sources over the years. We hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

[Alexander Gregorson, Ensign, 78^th Regiment]

“…very strongly recommended by Colonel Campbell & to whose friends I am so much indebted that I should take his being provided for as a very great favour."

-Colonel Simon Fraser, on board Halifax off Nantasket Lighthouse

“…Amhersts & the Hiland Regts. alone By their Soldier like and Cool Behaviour would undoubtedly have beat back the whole Canadian army if they Had been order’d to attack them.”

-General James Wolfe, Camp at Quebec

“…I shall only observe that both fleet and army Did their Duty like true Sons of Britton, and it was a common saying all over the fleet that the Highlanders behaved like angels!”

-John Clephane, on board Prince of Orange in Halifax Harbour

“Captain Donald McDonald a Brave and Experienced officer who had been on several little party’s this winter, having asked to have the Command of a Company of Volunteers, I formed one for him this Day consisting of Picked men, as such a Corps might be of use, and I thought Necessary to give officers who were willing to have an Opportunity to distinguish themselves.”

-General George Townshend, Camp at Quebec

[Robert Macpherson, Chaplain, 78^th Regiment]

“…This gentleman is a most deserving Sensible man & the best chaplain I ever knew.”

-Major James Abercrombie, at New York

“…The Highlanders returning towards our main body tho’ had all this time kept their order and behaved nobly with the outmost courage and regularity.”

-Chaplain Robert Macpherson, Camp at Quebec

“…Besides the loss of officers and men this victory compleats, it was to our sad regrete too dearly Brought in the death of our gallant commander Mr Wolfe.”

-Chaplain Robert Macpherson, Camp at Quebec

"...The Colony of Connecticut & the 2d Highland Battalion are hand & glove & we are the only old countrymen they believe capable of performing great exploits, not but they hold themselves as the great Warriors, & suffer us only to follow longo intervallo."

-Colonel Simon Fraser, Camp at Connecticut

"...I dare assure you that I shall be able, when I come to Glasgow, to make out a company of 110 or 112 men, as good hearty young fellows as are to be seen in many regiments, and all as willingly and cheerfully engaged as is possible any men to be, for not one of them ever confined, and not one deserted while here, in which I glory and have great joy."

-Major James Clephane, at Inverness

[Battle of Sainte-Foy]

"...I assure you, that during the Siege we had not above 2000 Men fit for Duty; the rest were taken ill with Flux and Scurvy; and it must be said of the Governor and Garrison, that they have acted with a Spirit worthy of True Britons."

-Officer of Colonel Fraser's Regiment

"...The Highlanders are very usefull serviceable soldiers, and commanded by the most manly corps of officers I ever saw; they have behaved with distinction."

-Brigadier General James Wolfe to Lord George Sackville

Sources:

Major James Abercrombie, "Letter addressed to John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun, discussing Chaplain Robert McPherson, 15 September 1763." John Campbell Loudoun Papers Concerning the Siege and Fall of Quebec, 1756-1784. Houghton Library, Harvard University, cat. no. 45M-113F.

John Clephane, "Letter to Major James Clephane at New York, 10 November 1759." NAS, GD125/22/17/29.

Colonel Simon Fraser, "Letter addressed to John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun, discussing Ensign Alexander Gregorson, 23 April 1758." Loudoun Papers, LO 5447, Huntington Library, San Marino, CA.

Robert Macpherson to Andrew Macpherson, "Camp Before Quebec, 16 September 1759." James Grant of Ballindalloch papers, 1740-1819. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., microfilm 46.

Rose, H., and Lachlan Shaw. A genealogical deduction of the family of Rose of Kilravock: with illustrative documents from the family papers, and notes [Edinburgh, 1848].

Wolfe, B.G James. Report on the Manuscripts of Mrs. Stopford-Sackville of Draytonhouse Northamptonshire [London, 1904].

General George Townshend, "Personal journal entry discussing Captain Donald McDonald, 24 April 1763." LAC, Northcliffe collection: Series 1: Robert Monckton papers, Microfilm C-368.

General James Wolfe, "Personal journal entry discussing Amherst’s and the Highland regiments, 2 August 1759." LAC, Northcliffe collection: Series 1: Robert Monckton papers, Microfilm C-369.

Colonel Simon Fraser, "Letter of Col. Simon Fraser to Colonel Forbes, Adjutant General, at His House in the Broadway or at the Fort, New York." NAS, GD45-2-29, pp. 18-19.

“Battle of Sainte-Foy.” Public Advertiser, 24 July 1760.

© Jeffrey Campbell, Fraser's 78th Regiment of Foot, 2018.

Letter from Colonel Simon Fraser to General Forbes, Jan. 1758

Dear Sir

I had the pleasure of your letter Saturday, & acording to your directions have sent the ten drafts with a carefull Serjeant, they are clear by our Regiment to the 25th decr.

I did not at all grudge the trouble of making up the controut & only mention'd it as an apology for it being so long unsent.

The people here at present fancy themselves oblig'd to furnish our Officers with fireing & their genius in such that they do easily whatever they think themselves oblig'd to do, but not a lot more; therefore if any reference is made to head quarters, if it cannot be determined for us I wish the matter of right may not be determin'd against us, & then I think we can persuade them; for it will be very expensive for a Subaltern to pay a dollar a week for firing, which is what the people askd at the beginning when they thought themselves under no obligation to furnish it.

I shall follow your directions about Serjt. Fraser, but I imagine you will think it proper to let me have as soon as conveniently may be The Earl of Loudoun's further orders, because I was told two days ago that the Governor had wrote to the Authority of this place & left it in their discretion to claim Serjt. Fraser or not, directing them at the same time to take care that guilt shoud not come upon the land. Now if he was tried by a Court Martial they woud be satisfied there was no guilt to come upon the land & woud think no more of claiming him, which I know they want to avaoid if they can conscientiously.

                                                                 
                                                                                       I am with great regard

                              

                                                                                       Dear Sir

                                                                                       Your most obedient & most

                                                                                        humble Servant

                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                     S. Fraser

Stratford Janry 23d. 1758.

Note: The ten drafts Colonel Fraser spoke of were being sent to Otway's 35th Regiment to augment heavy losses during the siege on Fort William Henry. The colonel was ordered to send 90 men in December 1757, but it's not clear if these ten are fulfilling that original requirement or if they are additional augmentees, thus possibly raising the final number to 100.

Serjeant Fraser was involved in the killing of Corporal Mackay, at the guardhouse, and his chain of command was in turmoil about turning him over to the civilian authorities, or try him internally by military court martial.

Source:

Colonel Simon Fraser, "Letter of Colonel Simon Fraser to Colonel Forbes, Adjutant General, at His House in the Broadway or at the Fort, New York." NAS, GD45-2-29-12.

©  Jeffrey Campbell, Fraser's 78th Regiment of Foot, 2017.

Lieutenant Alexander Gregorson, 78th Regiment

Lieutenant Alexander Gregorson, of Ardtornish [1730-1789] - s/o James Macgregor & Marjorie Campbell [dau. of Alexander Campbell of Airds] - a gentleman volunteer gazetted an ensign on June 10, 1758 after the death of Lieutenant John Cuthbert created a vacancy. 

Colonel Simon Fraser recommended him for the promotion before the regiment sailed for Halifax and Louisbourg in a letter, 23 April 1758, to Lord Loudoun, describing Mr. Gregorson as "very strongly recommended by Colonel Campbell & to whose friends I am so much indebted that I should take his being provided for as a very great favour." And while the real identity of Colonel Campbell is not known, the introduction of Gregorson as a civilian suggests no earlier military service. The recording of his commission in the British Army Lists advocates his assignment with Colonel Fraser as his first post.

Gregorson, a descendant from Clan Macgregor, and whose kinsman, John, also served in Quebec with the 2nd Battalion of the 60th Royal American Regiment, was listed among the officers who sailed for Louisbourg in 1758; fought at Plains of Abraham on September 13, 1759 where he, along with Ensign McKenzie and Lieutenant Alexander Fraser, was described in the journal kept by Malcolm Fraser as "slightly wounded." Additionally, he sustained injuries at the Battle of Sainte-Foy on April 28, 1760, where he was taken a prisoner and almost killed by Indians, but erroneously documented as "dead" in Governor Murray’s Return of Prisoners of War.

List of Officers Sent in Governor Murray’s Return not Included in the List of English Prisoners returned from Canada, June 14, 1760

Fraser’s: Ens. Alexr. Gregorson: Prisoner on Parole at Quebec. Dead.

                Ens. Malcolm Fraser: Prisoner on Parole at Quebec. Dead.

Otway’s: Capt. Ince: Dead

Lascelle’s: Capt. Archbold: Dead

Amherst’s: Ens. Montgomery: Dead

Lawrence’s: Lt. Forbes mentioned in Govr. Murray’s is Dead.

A contemporary newspaper account from the period captured the death of Captain Ince and the four other officers correctly.

The Pennsylvania Gazette, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 3, 1760

That Captain Ince, of Otway's, and four other Officers, wounded and taken Prisoners the 28th of April, died of their Wounds at Montreal.

The ensign was promoted to lieutenant on April 29, 1760 in room of Lt. Cosmo Gordon, killed.

Alexander's kinsman, John, having knowledge his regiment were to remain and provide the guard to Quebec after the war, joined the 78th in the summer of 1763 in order to return to Europe.  The Highlanders' sailed home in October and "broke" at Glasgow on December 14, 1763, where both men were exchanged to half-pay.

Gregorson returned to active service on January 23, 1788 as a then-58-year-old lieutenant in the Landguard Fort Invalid Company, and was discharged dead the following year.

The Edinburgh Evening Courant, October 16, 1789
INVALIDS. Lieut. Robert Thomas, from  Capt. James Malcolm's Independent Company at Sheerness, to be Lieutenant in Captain William Pemble's Independent Company at Landguard Fort, vice Alexander Gregorson, deceased.

Note: Since the publishing of this post, new evidence has surfaced suggesting John Gregorson transferred from the 78th Regiment to the 2nd Battalion, 60th Royal Americans prior to September 1761.

Sources:

Fraser, Malcolm. Extract from a Manuscript Journal Relating to the Siege of Quebec [Quebec, 1886].

Marie Fraser, “Officers of the 78th Regiment.” Clan Fraser Society, Canada, 2001.

Macgregor, Amelia Georgiana Murray. History of the Clan Gregor: from public records and private collections. Vol. 2 [William Brown, 1901].

©  Jeffrey Campbell, Fraser's 78th Regiment of Foot, 2017. 

This article last update 18 October 2021.

Soldiers of the 78th Regiment Remaining in North America After 1763

As it is our primary goal to provide our readers with the most accurate information available, the following update is provided to our article originally published 1 December 2017. 

Update: New information has been secured in the form of a contemporary military return dated October 1763, which specifies 584 soldiers of Colonel Fraser's Regiment discharged at Quebec between 24 August and 24 September 1763 [TNA, W.O. 17/1489]. Of those 584, it is previously confirmed that 170 men were authorized passage to Albany, New York, leaving 414 men, of which Governor Murray commented on 16 September 1765, "The Poor Highlanders were drafted almost to a man into the 15th, 27th and my Battalion [2nd Bn., 60th R.A.], they behaved on this, as on every other occasion, with great prosperity both men and officers [LAC, James Murray Papers. M.G. 23, G II1, vol. (2-7), pp.4-6]."

[Original post]

Once question more commonly asked of those researching the 78^th Regiment is, how many soldiers remained in North America at the conclusion of the war? And while exact numbers are not known, by studying available published material for the regiment we can arrive at a fairly close approximation.

It can be stated with a certain degree of confidence that about 528 soldiers initially remained; 170 discharged soldiers, plus an additional 358 men who transferred to other military regiments in the area. How many soldiers of the latter group stayed after 1768 remains a mystery.

During the official demobilization at the conclusion of the war, the disposition of each soldier was dependent on one of the following categories:

     - Returned home and discharged in Scotland.

     - Discharged in North America.
     - Joined the 2d Battalion, 60th R.A. Regiment.
     - Joined the 15th Regiment.
     - Joined the 27th Regiment.
     - Recommended to Royal Chelsea Hospital in London.

Let's take look at how we calculated these numbers to get a better understanding of what transpired.

The Numbers
An analysis of the Subsistence Rolls in the summer 1763 indicates the regiment's strength as follows:

- 865 + 22 soldiers

- 28 women
Total: 915

Note: 22 soldiers do not appear on the rolls as having received their subsistence pay in 1763, but must be accounted for in the final totals.

From that, we need to make a few subtractions.

- 283 soldiers listed as returning home in October 1763.

- 76 invalid soldiers separately listed as returning home in October.

Total: 359

So, we have 887 – 359 = 528 [women have been removed from the equation.]

Additionally, 170 soldiers discharged in North America. These men appear on the Subsistence Rolls and need to be separated from the other soldiers.

528 – 170 = 358

Now, we have two separate groups that remained consisting of 170 and 358 men respectively. The group of 358 soldiers continued military service with one or more of two regiments that remained to guard the government through 1768. 

In his 12 September 1763 letter to the Earl of Loudon, Major James Abercrombie affirms a transfer of soldier strength. The majority of the men of the 78th were only subsisted to the 13th of the month, one day later. 

"...The 47^th & 78^th have been drafted to compleat the 15^th, 27^th & 2d Bn. Royal Americans, those three Regts. remain in this govt. & trois rivieres..."

The major's statement is further reinforced by this contemporary newspaper account:

St. James Chronicle or British Evening Post, London, 8 December 1763

Edinburgh, December 3. From Glasgow we have Advice that only the Officers and 200 private Men of Colonel Frazer's Regiment from Quebec had arrived at Greenock, and that 400 of them, before they left that Place, had been draughted into General Amherst's Regiment of Royal Americans.

It's unclear the exact disbursement of soldiers in support of the three remaining regiments, but the 15th Regiment, by 12 September, received 254 draughts, 18 recruits; General Amherst stated, "...the majority of the men from the 78th...." And a thorough review of their muster rolls confirms that about 164 soldiers of the 78th Regiment transferred to the 15th Regiment on 25 August 1763. The remaining soldiers transferred to the Royal Americans as stated in the newspaper, and the 27th Foot.

A letter from General Amherst to Governor Thomas Gage, dated 1 August 1763 at New York, provides an insight to the challenges the general faced in supplying troops to the three remaining regiments [Amherst to Gage, LAC, W.O. 34/7, Microfilm C-12838, vol. 7, images 271-278].

"...The Reduced States in which the several Corps at prest. are, The Difficulty in Recruiting them in this country, and the absolute Necessity there is to have them compleat, obliges me to Draft men from those Regiments that are ordered home, as well as take every man of the Disbanded Corps fit for service and who are not Entitled to their Discharge, to fill up the others..." He further continued, "Should there be any men belonging to the Corps in your Government, that are really Invalids, or are Intitled to their Discharges, and are Willing to accept thereof in this Country which I would much rather they should, as I think they can get their Livelyhood by working in America, Easier than at home, you will be pleased to Discharge them accordingly, but they should have a right to be sent to Europe, Agreably to the King's Intentions."

We also discovered evidence supporting 80 soldiers of the 78th Regiment applying for passage to Albany, in a letter from Governor James Murray to General Amherst dated 15 September 1763. And it only makes sense this group was part of the 170 discharged soldiers. 

"...Major Abercrombie has apply'd to me for a march route & Provisions to Albany for Eighty of the Men of His Regt. who chuse to remain in America rather than go home. I this day allow'd them to march, and I flatter myself you will approve. At Albany every man will go to his respective Destination..." 

Amherst's approval arrived by letter from New York three weeks later on 6 October 1763.

"...I am glad to find that so many Men of the 78th have Chose to come to Albany, where I hope they will be able to fix on Places to settle in, to their liking, Nothing could be more reasonable than your allowing them provisions to that place."

In Conclusion
A conservative estimate is about 60 percent of the demobilized regiment initially remained in North America, at least for a few years after the war. And of the original 528 men thought to have stayed, we have currently identified 234 [plus or minus] applying for Crown land in Quebec, New York, and Vermont from 1765-1802. 

Author and librarian W.S. Wallace wrote, in a 1948 article, "It has been estimated that two or three hundred of the regiment remained in Canada." And while it has been suggested that as many as 400 men may have never returned to Scotland at all, the lack of available paperwork offered as confirmation further concretes this mystery. 

One thing is for certain, though: both family love and public interest solidifies the continued search for official records of these courageous men and women. And as more information becomes available perhaps one day we'll finally have the answers.

Do you have a Highlander ancestor you would like to share? We would love to hear your story! If you could please reach out and contact us with your information it would be greatly appreciated.

Sources:

Treasury Board Papers, "Subsistence Rolls of Fraser's Highlanders (the 78th), 1763." LAC, T.1, vol. 422.

Ibid, "Subsistence Rolls of Fraser's Highlanders (the 78th), 1763." TNA, T.1, vol. 422.

Marie Fraser, "Subsistence Rolls of Fraser's Highlanders (the 78th), 1763." Clan Fraser Society, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2001.

McIntosh, Walter H. 78th or Colonel Simon Fraser's Regiment [Topsfield, Massachusetts, n.d.]

General James Murray, "Letter addressing various campaign issues." War Office Records: Amherst Papers. Letters from the Governor of Quebec to the Commanders-in-Chief, New York, 1760-63. LAC, W.O. 34, vol. 2.

Earl John Chapman, "Soldiers of the 78th in North America." Email letter received 20 Nov. 2017. 

General James Murray, "Embarkation Return of Soldiers of the 78th Regiment [and others.]" October 1763. LAC, War Office Records: Amherst Papers. Miscellaneous Correspondence, Papers and returns, 1759-1763. W.O. 34, vol. 4. 

Royal Chelsea Hospital. Chelsea Pensioners: 78th Regiment of Foot, January-June 1764. TNA, Series W.O. 116/5. 

Wallace, W.S. The Footprints of Fraser's Highlanders on the Sands of Time [Quebec, 1948.]

©  Jeffrey Campbell, Fraser's 78th Regiment of Foot, 2017. 

 

Last updated 8 December 2022.