The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-07
THE BLACK WATCH.

From the Philadelphia Ledger.

From the Philadelphia Ledger.
The story of the Transvaal once more
brings the daring of the Black Watch, or
Royal Forty-second Regiment of High
landers, into prominence, as they formed
the heaviest contingent of the Highland
brigndes so recently decimated, and os
natural sequence to this prominence, one
hears many queries as to why the name of
Black Watch is added TO its official title
To reply simply, because of its dark
tartan" scarcely suffices, because in that
very tartan and its colors is bound up the
story of the regiment.
Unlike the Gordons, Camerons and Sea-
forths, which, with the Black Watch, form
the crack regiments of Highlanders
the Black Watch does moi belong to one
clan. but to several, and. unlike the first
two mentioned, it was not enrolled to de-
fend the country against a foreign enemy
or for foreign service, but to keep its
neighbors, the VIGOROUSLY Jacobite clans
of Stewards, MacDonalds, Camerons, Muir
rays, Gordons, Ogilvies, etc, in order and
subsection.
Needless to add. the men of this Forty
third, as it was at first called, were not
peprsonae gratae to Inc real cansmen
who spoke and thought of the Hanoverl-
an King 'as a wee wee German lairdie,"
as they also boisterously sang, "Oh!
who'll be King but Charlie"
ne t1dnONtTIdH government, knOWlilS
well the hereditary jealousy and enmity
which existed between certain clans, de-
termined, with wisdom approaching SUBJ
tlety, to make the most of the same and
turn it to their own advantage.
All is fair in love and war and so, IN
1929, after the first disastrous effects of
the rising of "the - had passed off and
there were symptoms of a fresh attempt
on behalf of the exiled Stuart, six COM
panieS of Highlanders were enrolled for
the protection of their country" The
first three companies of 100 men ca IN
were commanded by Fraser. Lard Lovat,
Campbell of Lochnell and Grant of Bal
lindalloch. The three smaller companies
of seventy-five men each had as leaders
the Campbers of Finah and Carick and
Munro of Calcairn so that the Campbell
influence predominated.
Rightly or wrongly there has always
been strong feeling amongst clansmen
that the MacCullum Moore's influence has
ever been expended from commercial
Their than sentimental points of view,
and that after a judicious seat on the
fence he dropped to the winning side
The sentiment of the true Highlander
always burned brightly when on the los
ing side to fight for a lost cause was his
ideal of chivalry
Various Tartans Worn.
Each separate company woret he tartan
l.
ousy. as the Munros bright red was as fa-
removed from the dark green ard blve
Campbell as the whole range of tsrtans
displayed.
Then the Kings Regulars wore the red
coat whereas this new body wo tartan
throughout.
In 1740 the independence Of each compa-
ny was stopped by an order from the gov
eminent to muster at Tangbridge near
Perth, and raise recruits to the number of
1000, under the colonelcy of Lord Craw-
ford
AS he was a Lowlander and had no tar
tan, the several clan chiefains in SUBJ
command could not brook that his own
particular tartan be set aside.
So rather to avoid feud than to please
every one new tartan was manufao tur-
ed for the whole regiment, and the Kings
red coat Was afterwards added.
The New Tartan.
This "Black Watch" tartan is much like
the Campbell. only that its "setr' is sma l.
CIR, and the dark blue, green and black
checks are unrelieved as is the Campbell
tartan by the yellow and the white
stripes.
The Kings soldiers came 10 be known
as the Saighdearan Deary-red soldiers
whilst these newly enrolled clansmen for
the King were HIS Freiceadan Dubh-tlack
soldiers.
The Mutiny.
The next chapter in the story of the new
| regiment is delightfully."- human.
| To keep our would be friends in order
by criticism and our neighhors by assume
superiority is alike grateful TO our own
| feelings and our self Importance
| 1t is a winning rather than a losing
game from our point OF view and so these
clansmen had found it,
| But in 1743 under pretense of a ROYAL
| Review, they were summoned to London,
| and never before had a Highlander been
| at an outsiders beck and calll
| The German Lairdle' in distant per-
| spective was so much more pleasing than
at close quarters. The Highlander in Lon
don could have no environment, or local
color, as we so happily express II nova
| days, and on his way thither the jibes
and jeers of English village urchins and
"chaw bacons," TO whom the bare-kneed