Invalid Soldiers of the 78th Regiment, 1759-1763

Invalid soldiers were typically injured soldiers fully capable of performing light garrison duties, but not cleared to participate in extended campaigns. They were given duties such as gate guard, cook's assistant, or night watch patrols until such a time when funding and availability permitted their transport back home to Royal Chelsea Hospital in London to attend to their injuries. However, some...

Private Duncan Cumming, 60th & 78th Regiment

Born in Scotland [date/town unknown], Private Duncan Cumming enlisted in the army and initially served six years with the 78th Foot in various campaigns in North America. At the conclusion of the war in the summer of 1763, his name appears on two separate muster reports as having received seven days of subsistence pay: 78th Foot: A Detachment of Invalids, dated August 16, and in Colonel Fraser's...

The Siege of Quebec: Week Five

July 25th, 1759. Arrived this morning on the lower settlements of the North side, the River en Chemin, Capt. Fraser's Co. having the van. Seized about 300, including men, women and children, 150 head of cattle, some horses, and several sheep. When we came near the above camp forage was forwarded with Capt. Delaune's Company, as also the prisoners. Major Dalling marched to Capt. Goram's house,...

The Siege of Quebec: Week Four

July 18th, 1759. This morning General Wolfe reconoitered the opposite or north shore above the town ; seems to think a landing practicable. In the afternoon Major Dalling marched with two companies along the south shore three miles to the westward of our post, in order to look for places most convenient for the troops to ascend at the landing on the north shore. He found two or three. On...

The Siege of Quebec: Week Three

July 11, 1759. Some cannonading from town. The enemy has changed their encampments to prevent the annoyance of a battery erected on the opposite side of the Falls of Montmorency, by putting themselves under cover of a hill, which has rendered our battery useless. But notwithstanding it's to be hoped that our engineers will use their utmost efforts to reconoitre their situation, and erect on some...