The fatal land: war, empire, and the Highland soldier in British America

314 Pages·2016·3.491 MB·English

by  Great Britain. Army;Dziennik, Matthew P

The Fatal Land
(cid:2)
the lewis walpole series
in eighteenth- century culture and history
The Lewis Walpole Series, published by Yale University
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to the culture and history of the long eighteenth century (from
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(cid:2)
The Fatal Land
War, Empire, and the Highland Soldier
in British America
Matthew P. Dziennik
new haven and london
Published with assistance from the Annie Burr Lewis Fund, and from the Louis Stern Memorial Fund.
Copyright © 2015 by Yale University.
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Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data
Dziennik, Matthew P., 1984–
The fatal land : war, empire, and the Highland soldier in British America / Matthew P. Dziennik.
pages cm — (The Lewis Walpole series in eighteenth- century culture and history)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978–0–300–19672–6 (alk. paper)
1. Great Britain. Army—Scottish regiments—History—18th century. 2. Soldiers—Scotland—History—
18th century. 3. United States—History—French and Indian War, 1754–1763—Participation, Scottish.
4. United States—History—Revolution, 1775–1783—Participation, Scottish. 5. Great Britain—History,
Military—18th century. 6. Scotland—History, Military—18th century. 7. Soldiers—North America—
History—18th century. I. Title.
UA664.D98 2015
355.0089ʹ9163073—dc23
2014042890
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48–1992 (Permanence of Paper).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
air mo phàrantan
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Behold my Doom! This feather’d omen,
Portends what dismal times are coming.
Now future scenes before my eyes,
And second- sight forms arise;
I hear a voice that calls away,
And cries, The Whigs will win the Day;
My beck’ning Genius gives command,
And bids us fl y the fatal land;
Where, changing name and constitution,
Rebellion turns to Revolution,
While loyalty oppressed in tears,
Stands trembling for his neck and ears.
—John Trumbull, MacFingal (Philadelphia, 1776), 117
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Contents
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction 1
1. A Perfect Purgatory: Recruitment in
the Scottish Highlands 27
2. Spirited Martialists: The Highlander
as Military Laborer 58
3. The Same as Other Civilized People:
Colonial Points of Contact 96
4. The Blessing of Peace: Demobilization 123
5. Land and Interest in the Gaelic
Atlantic World 155
6. The Soldier and Highland Culture 183
Conclusion 220
Appendix: The Highland Regiments,
1739–1784 229
Notes 237
Index 287