Land Petition of Corporal Alexander Gray, 78th Regiment

A breathtaking 18th-century panorama from Crown Point, revealing the tranquil beauty of Lake Champlain at sunrise. The horizon is a canvas of soft, pastel hues, with the sun peeking over the distant Adirondack Mountains, casting a warm, golden light that reflects brilliantly on the lake's calm surface. The fortifications at Crown Point stand as stoic sentinels, a testament to the strategic importance of the area during the colonial period. (Jeffrey Campbell, Crown Point, 2024. Artist's rendition created with Perchance AI Image Generator)

Land Petition of Corporal Alexander Gray, 78th Regiment

To his Excellency William Tryon Esqr. governor of the Province of New York and the Territories depending thereon in America Captain General Vice Admiral and Chancellor of the same &c: &c: &c: in Council

The Petition of Alexander Gray Late Corporal of his Majestys 78th Regiment of Foot whereof the Honorable Colonel Simon Fraser was Colonel

Humbly Shewith your petitioner having apply'd to His Excellency Cadwaller Colden Esqr. Lieut. Governor for his Quantity of Land allowed to Non Commission'd officers and Private who Serv'd his Majesty during the Late War in America by his Majestys Royal proclamation of Octr. 3d 1763 his Excellency was pleas'd to order your Excellency's Petitioner to [illegible] to [illegible]: Coldin Esqr. purveyor general who told your Excellency's Petitioner that he knew of no Vacant Land at that time which occasions your Excellencys Petitioner to make this his Humble Request to your [illegible] Earnstly desiring of your Excellency on Council to grant to your Excellencys Petitioner his Quantity of Land which is 200 acres adjoining to Major Campbells Land on Lake Champlain and Nigh Crown Point as your Excellencys Petitioner is informed that their is Vacant Land there and hopes your Excellency will order the said grant to be given to your Excellencys Petitioner as soon as possible as your Excellencys Petitioner is but a poor man and having a family wants to Settle upon it as soon as possible if your Excellency should want a person who understands Farming your Excellencys Petitioner would be very glad to engage as he is thoroughly acquainted with that Branch of Business

May it please your Excellency to take the above consideration and do for your Excellencys Petitioner as [next three words illegible] to your Excellency and your Excellencys Petitioner is [illegible] in duty Bound to pray ~

New York
April 16th, 1771

Cover sheet:
The petition of Alexr. Gray Corpl. for 200 acres of Land Rec'd. 18th Septr. 1771. [initials] "W.G"
1771 Sepr. 18. Rec'd in Council
1771 Novr. 13th Rec'd again in Council and granted not interfering with any [next two words illegible]

28 : 148 [volume/page]

Notes:
1. Corporal Alexander Gray's name does not appear in the surviving muster rolls of 1763, indicating he most likely discharged beforehand.

2. "The Calendar of N.Y. Colonial Manuscripts Indorsed Land Papers; in the Office of the Secretary of State of New York, 1643-1803" (Albany: 1864) lists all documents on the first series of "Land Papers" as they were rearranged in 1819. There is an index to the personal names and to land tract names or geographical locations at the back of the volume. The series consists of applications for grants of unappropriated land by letters patent from New York Colony and State.

Sources:
New York State Department of State Applications for Land Grants, 1643-1803. Series A0272, volume XXVIII, p. 148. New York State Archives, Albany, New York.

©  Jeffrey Campbell, Fraser's 78th Regiment of Foot, 2020.

Weekly Army Returns of Four Companies at Connecticut, 1757

A serene 18th-century view of the city of Norwalk, Connecticut, bathed in the soft, warm light of dusk. The cityscape is composed of quaint, colonial-style buildings with their wooden facades and shingled roofs, standing tall against the backdrop of the horizon, where a mellow orange sky meets the emerging twilight. The cobblestone streets are lined with gas lamps, flickering to life as the day gives way to evening. A gentle breeze rustles through the mature trees, their leaves casting dappled shadows on the ground. (Jeffrey Campbell, Norwalk, Connecticut, 2024. Artist's rendition created with Perchance AI Image Generator)

Weekly Army Returns of Four Companies at Connecticut, 1757

The army returns reported on the strength of each company or regiment, depending on reporting requirements, including total numbers of men present, absent, sick, or on extra daily duty, as well as giving a report of officers and some categories of enlisted men. They were a very useful and effective planning tool in eighteenth-century combat operations and are still in practical use throughout today's armed forces.

While garrisoned at Connecticut for 17 weeks, from 30 November 1757 to 30 March 1758, Colonel Fraser's Regiment was billeted in civilian homes across five towns, with the colonel and some of his officers occupying The Wetmore House, built by Reverend Izrahiah Wetmore, during his stay at Stratford.

Town expenses incurred for hosting the Regiment included house hire; hospital rent; supplying wood to the guardhouse; the making of some small cabins; and other incidentals such as candles, blankets, cider, and utensils. Approval for appropriations by the General Assembly occurred the following spring, in 1759. 

Stratford (head quarters):
Colonel Simon Fraser's Company; Captain Charles Baillie's Grenadier Company. 
Expenses: £472-5s-11d.

Fairfield: 
Major James Clephane's Company; Captain Simon Fraser's Company. 
Expenses: £491-15s-7d.

Norwalk: 
Major John Campbell's Company; Captain John Campbell's Company. 
Expenses: £487-5s-6d.

Milford: 
Captain John Macpherson's Company; Captain Donald McDonald's Company. 
Expenses: £491-10s-9d.

Stanford: 
Captain John McDonell's Company; Captain Thomas Fraser's Company. 
Expenses: £433-13s-11d.

Connecticut Army Returns: 

Captain John Macpherson; Captain Donald McDonald's Company

Cover sheet:

A Weekly Return of Capt. Macphersons & Capt. Donald McDonald Companys 

Milfort 12 Decemr. 1757. [NAS, GD125-22-17-00032].

A Weekly Return of Captain John Macpherson & Capt. Do. MacDonald Companys of the Honble. Coll. Fraser Highland Battalion. Milfort 12 Decemr. 1757. [NAS, GD125-22-17-00031].

Capt. Mcpherson's Company

Captains: Present: 1; Absent: 0

Lieuts.: Present: 2; Absent: 0

Ensigns: Present: 1; Absent: 0

Serjeants: Present: 4; Absent 0

Drummers: Present: 2; Absent: 0

Sick: In Quarters: 4; Hospital at Cork [Ireland]: 4; Hospital at Fairfield [Connecticut]: 3

In Rank & File: 98

Wanting to Compleat: 2

Supernumeraries: 8

Capt. Do. McDonald's Company

Captains: Present: 0; Absent: 1

Lieuts.: Present: 2; Absent: 0

Ensigns: Present: 1; Absent: 0

Serjeants: Present: 3; Absent 1

Drummers: Present: 2; Absent: 0

Sick: In Quarters: 5; Hospital at Cork [Ireland]: 1; Hospital at Fairfield [Connecticut]: 3

In Rank & File: 99

Wanting to Compleat: 1

Supernumeraries: 15

[signed] John Macpherson

Captain Charles Baillie's Company

Cover sheet:

Sir,

Inclosed are the Returns of Collos. Frasers Compy and mine, according to the note you sent by Doctor McLane; I beg your favour you would let me know if you had any further notice of our Marching from here; and in what manner the men are to be exercised; I beg you make my Compls. to your Gentlemen and I am your [very humble servant - abbreviated]. [NAS, GD125-22-17-00035].

[signed] Chars: Baillie

Return of the Present Strength of Captn. Baillies Companey of Granadiers Stratford December 14, 1757. [NAS, GD 12-remainder cropped off].

The Present Strength of the Companey:

Captn.: 1; Lieuts.: 2; Serjts.: 4; Drums: 2; Rank & File: 95

Supernumeraries present: 12

Women Victual with the Companey: 7

Lieut. Cuthbarts Servant belonging to Captn. Campbells Compy: 1

Alexr. McCertar Musishener: 1

Total:

Captns.: 1

Lieuts.: 2

Serjts.: 4

Drums: 2

Rank & File: 116

Sick in Ospitell [not included in the rank/file]

John Fraser

Doncom Comern

Allexr. Gray

[signed] Chars: Baillie Captn.

Notes: 

1. Ensigns not present 

2. Supernumeraries, women, servant, and musician were counted towards rank/file strength. 

3. While unconfirmed, the "musishener" may have been Alexander McEntyre or McArthur, the Company piper. By March 1761, pipers were no longer authorized to be carried on the Regiment's establishment by order of the King's Instructions dated 2 December 1760. [Amherst Papers: W.O. 34, vol. 4, p. 148].

Colonel Simon Fraser's Company

Return of the Present Strength of Colonel Fraser's Companey Stratford December 14th 1757. [NAS, GD125-22-17-00038].

The Present Strength of the Companey:

Captn.: 1; Lieuts.: 1; Ensigns: 1; Serjts.: 4; Drums: 3; Rank & File: 104

Supernumeraries present: 15

Women Victual: 6

Total:

Captns.: 1

Lieuts.: 1

Ensigns: 1

Serjts.: 4

Drums: 3

Rank & File: 125

[signed] Jn. Fraser Sjt.

Note: 

1. Supernumeraries and women were counted towards rank/file strength.
2. Colonel Fraser's piper may have counted as "drummer," but no firm evidence to corroborate. Typically two drummers per company were carried on the establishment.

It is said that it was Colonel Fraser's men who amused themselves at times in shooting at the old weathercock at the top of the Episcopal Church spire, piercing it several times. A letter from Captain Charles Baillie to Major Clephane might help explain away some of the jovial fracas among the troops. Baillie wrote to the major, at Fairfield: "Sir, enclosed are the returns of Colonel Fraser's Compy and mine, according to the note you sent by Doctor McLean, I beg the favour you would let me know if you had any further notice of our marching from here; and in what Manner the men are to be exercised..." [NAS, GD125-22-17-00035].

Source:
Wilcoxson, History of Stratford, Connecticut, 1639-1939.

©  Jeffrey Campbell, Fraser's 78th Regiment of Foot, 2020.

Last updated 21 September 2021.

Colonel Fraser's Request for Levying Assistance, 1757

An ethereal 18th-century Scottish Highlands countryside at the break of dawn. The sun, a fiery orb of gold, is just peeking over the distant, craggy peaks, casting a warm glow that slowly unfurls across the undulating landscape. In the foreground, a solitary stone cottage, with a thatched roof and a wisp of smoke curling from its chimney, stands sentinel against the vibrant backdrop of purple heather and emerald-green rolling hills. A narrow dirt path, flanked by ancient standing stones, snakes its way through the tranquil scene, leading the viewer's eye to a shimmering loch in the mid-distance. (Jeffrey Campbell, Scottish Highlands, 2024. Artist's rendition created with Perchance AI Image Generator)

Colonel Fraser's Request for Levying Assistance, 1757

Letters from the Treasury Board concerning the raising of troops in the Scottish Highlands, and those estates fortified in 1747 as well as those relating to fortified estates that were annexed to the Crown in 1752 and managed by the Board of Commissioners for the Fortified Estates, at the request of Lieutenant-Colonel Simon Fraser and a copy letter to the factors ordering their assistance.

Commissioners Office for the Annexed Estates

Edinr. 7th January 1757

Sir,

By a minute of the Board of this date I am ordered to acquaint you; That His Majesty having directed a Body of Forces to be raised in the Highlands of Scotland; And Application having been made by Lieut Colonel Fraser To The Lords Commissioners of his Majestys Treasury, That the Factors & other officers upon the Annexed Estates might have orders from this Board, for each of them to give their utmost aid & assistance to the military officers who shall be employed in raising the said Troops. The Commissioners therefore, In pursuance of Instructions from the Lords of the Treasury for that effect, Have ordered that you do give your utmost aid and assistance towards the raising of the said troops; But that this is not to be understood to Supercede the orders you formerly had from this board for giving your Assistance in Levying the Quotas to be furnished by each County for Compleating the additional Battalions.

I am 

Sir

your most Humble Servt.

Cover sheet:

Copy Letter to the 

Factors on the Annexed Estates

Directing them to give their

assistance for raising the Highland Battalions

Letter of Samuel Martin

My Lords and Gentlemen,

His Majesty having directed a Body of Forces to be raised in the Highlands of Scotland; And application having been made by Lieutenant Colonel Fraser, to the Lords Commissioners of his Majesty's Treasury that the Factors and other officers on the Annexed Estates under your management may have directions for each of them to give their utmost aid and assistance to the Military Officers who shall be employed in raising the said Troops; And My Lords thinking the same may be for his Majesty's Service, They desire you will imediately transmit to your officers the necessary orders for that purpose.  I am

My Lords and Gentlemen

your most obedient Servt.

Saml: Martin

Treasury Chambers

26 January 1757

Cover sheet:

Letter from the Treasury

To The Commissioners for

managing the Annexed Estates

in Scotland.

26th Janry. 1757

Letter from the Treasury directing orders to be given for assisting Lieut Coll. Fraser in Levying Forces for his Majesty on the Annexed Estates.

Read 7th Febry. 1757.

Members of the Board for the Fortified Annexed Estates

Year of Appointment: 1755

Commissioners

Archibald, 3rd Duke of Argyll, 1682-1761.

John Hay, 4th Marquis of Tweedale, 1695-1762.

James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton, c.1702-1768.

James Olgivie, 5th Earl of Findlaster and 2nd Earl of Seafield, c.1689-1764.

Hugh Hume, 3rd Earl of Marchmont, 1708-1781.

John Hope, 2nd Earl of Hopetoun, 1704-1781.

James Olgivie, Lord Deskford, 1714?-1770.

Charles Shaw, 9th Lord Cathcart, 1721-1776.

James, 12th Lord Somerville, 1697/8-1765.

Charles Hope Weir of Craigiehall, 1710-1791.

Andrew Fletcher, Lord Milton, 1692-1766.

Edward Edlin, d.1760.

John Maule of Inverkeillor, 1706-1781.

William Grant, Lord Prestongrange, 1701-1764.

Robert Dundas of Arniston, 1713-1787.

James Oswald of Dunnikier, 1715-1769.

Andrew Mitchell of Thainston, 1708-1771.

Gilbert Elliot of Minto, 1722-1777.

William Alexander, 1690-1761.

George Drummond, 1687-1766.

Lieutenant-Colonel David Watson, c.1713-1761.

Mansfeldt Cardonnel, 1697-1780.

Alexander Le Grand, 1682-1766.

Joseph Tudor, d.1774.

Sources:

"Commissioners for the Annexed Estates: Miscellaneous Letters." 1757-1782. NRS, E727/61.

Smith, Annette M. The Fortified Estate Papers, 1745: a study of the work of the Commissioners for the Fortified Annexed Estates, 1755-1784, with particular reference to their contribution to the development of communications in Scotland in the eighteenth century. Thesis, PhD, University of St. Andrews, Scotland. 1975. http://hdl.handle.net/10023/2923. [Accessed 13 August 2019].

©  Jeffrey Campbell, Fraser's 78th Regiment of Foot, 2020. 

Four Soldiers Named William Ross

An idyllic 18th-century countryside in Quebec, Canada, as the first light of dawn breaks over the horizon. The sun, a warm orb of burnt gold, rises above the distant Laurentian Mountains, casting a soft glow across the rolling hills and valleys that stretch as far as the eye can see. A serene river, reflecting the fiery hues of the early morning sky, snakes through the landscape, flanked by a tapestry of autumnal foliage. (Jeffrey Campbell, Quebec Countryside, 2024. Artist's rendition created with Perchance AI Image Generator)

Four Soldiers Named William Ross

Of the original 1600 soldiers that served with Colonel Fraser during the Seven Years' War in North America, we have identified birth locales for about 250 of the nearly 900 men that officially discharged from the Regiment in the fall of 1763. William Ross was a common name found among the troops, and four men from the Regiment found on the surviving muster rolls at the conclusion of the war shared that same name. Albeit there is a limited amount of surviving paperwork available for the soldiers, the birthplace of Corporal William Ross has been positively identified. Further known details and the post-war disposition of each of these soldiers bearing the same name are as follows.

Corporal William Ross
Discharged from Captain John Nairn's Company on 23 August 1763, he was part of a larger group of 170 soldiers that discharged from the regiment at the conclusion of the war and remained in Canada. He had follow-on service and bore arms in the late rebellion and was wounded in 1779 in Nova Scotia on an expedition with Lord Harvey. He had a wife by the name of Mary, and six sons, to wit: Alexander, William, John, Donald, Hector, and Lauchlan. He and his family settled in the Parish of Rimouskie, he was a merchant by trade, and was originally from the city of Tane [sic, Tain], in the shire of Ross, North Britain (Scotland). [LAC, Lower Canada Land Papers, RG1 L3, vol. 157].

Note: An article published in 2005 by Alain Ross suggests the following regarding the ancestry of Corporal Ross: William Ross was born in Scotland at Tain, in the township of Geanies, located in Ross County, six miles from Eastern Fern, on the strait of Dornoch in the northeast corner of Scotland. William was the son of Alexander Ross and Helen Bayne (Baine) from Tulloch. [Je Me Souviens, A Publication of the American-French Genealogical Society, Volume 28, Number 1, Spring 2005].

Private William Ross
Discharged from the 78th Regiment in August of 1763, he re-entered service that same month with the 2d Bn, 60th Regiment of Foot, where he continued to provide guard over Quebec for a number of years.  He is located on the following muster roll with the 60th Regiment.

Captain Samuel Holland's Company

Reporting at Fort William Augustus, 25 July 1765 

His disposition beyond 1765 remains unknown. [TNA, W.O. 12/6935].

Private William Ross
Discharged from the 78th Regiment in August of 1763, he reentered service that same month with the 15th Regiment of Foot, where he continued to provide guard over Quebec for a number of years.  He is located on the following muster rolls with the 15th Regiment.

Captain James Cuthbert's Company:

Reporting at Quebec, 24 October 1763

Reporting at Quebec, 24 August 1764

Captain Andrew Cathcart's Company:

Reporting at La Prairie, 8 August 1765

Reporting at St. John's, 9 October 1766

Reporting at Quebec, 18 July 1767

As the 15th Regiment returned to England in August 1768, his disposition beyond 1767 remains unknown. [LAC, W.O. 12, vol. 3228; film C-9202].

Private William Ross
Returned home to Scotland at the conclusion of the war in the fall of 1763, and his further disposition is currently unknown.

It's worth mentioning, as with all Colonel Fraser's soldiers, considering less than 900 men of the original regiment remained at the conclusion of the war, we must be observant of the other approximately 700 men who share the same names. There is a distinct possibility other William Ross' were once present at some point during the conflict.

©  Jeffrey Campbell, Fraser's 78th Regiment of Foot, 2020.

Searching for a Commission

The majestic silhouette of an 18th-century European castle standing tall against a fiery backdrop of an 18th-century sunset in Ireland. The castle's ancient stones, kissed by the warm glow of the sinking sun, are bathed in a rich tapestry of oranges and reds, which contrast sharply with the deep blue of the early evening sky. The sky above is scattered with feathery clouds that have caught the light and turned a vibrant shade of pink. The castle's towers and battlements cast long, dramatic shadows over the meticulously manicured lawns that stretch out before it, creating an atmosphere of both grandeur and quiet solitude. (Jeffrey Campbell, European Castle, 2024. Artist's rendition created with Perchance AI Image Generator)

Searching for a Commission

Writing from Dublin Castle to Sir Robert Wilmot, Thomas Waite, who served as Under-Secretary to the Chief-Secretary of Ireland between 1747-1777, informs him that he has been visited by a gentleman named Archibald Campbell, purportedly an ensign in the First (or Royal) Regiment of Foot, 2d Battalion Am. It emerged that Hon. Henry Seymour Conway had promoted Campbell to become a lieutenant in Colonel Fraser's Highland Regiment, but that either his place was still awaiting him or else it had been filled by fraud. Campbell had been permitted to go to Scotland and find out the circumstances.

Dublin Castle 9th April 1757

Dear Sir,

This evening a young gentleman, who call'd himself Archibald Campbell, call'd upon me for a commission, which he said, he was inform'd, had been signed in Sept. last appointing him Ensign in the Royal: and he told me, that he was a Brother of Kilberry Campbell who is related to Lady Aylesbury, & had been recommended for that commission by General Conway. In answer hereto I acquainted him, that if he really was the person for whom the commission of that Date [?] was intended, He would find it in the possession of a gentleman of the same name, who was now doing duty with the 2d [Highland] Battalion at this date and ready to embark with it for America: But that according to accounts which I had received from the 2d Battalion of the Royal, the Archibald Campbel [sic] who was appointed on the 21st Sept., had been promoted to a Lieutenancy in Lt. Col. Fraser's Highland Battalion before he could get hither to take out his first commission; and I related to him what I had heard from young Paterson [?] thereupon. The Result of the whole was, that he would immediately repair to Lt. Col. Fraser's Battalion, & enquire if any one of the name Arc. Campbell had taken possession of the commission of Lieutenant, & if not, that he would put in his claim to it, But if he found it occupied, he said he would repair to London & lay his case before General Conway.

I am Dear Sir

Yours most sincerely

[signed] Thos. Waite

This letter suggests two men, both named Archibald Campbell, were unknowingly competing for a single commission in the First (Royal) Regiment of Foot. Archibald Campbell, brother to Kilberry, appears to have been taking out his first commission, while history has shown that Archibald Campbell, son of Glen Lyon, (commissioned 23 January 1757 in Colonel Fraser's Second Highland Battalion) ultimately received the nod and completed a successful military career. The final disposition of the former Campbell is not known.

Source:

Waite, T. "Waite, Dublin Castle, to Wilmot. Has." 9 April 1757. Dublin, Ireland. PRONI, T3019/3146.

©  Jeffrey Campbell, Fraser's 78th Regiment of Foot, 2020.