it is a perplexing thing when the making of history is often terrible, sometimes tragic, but hardly ever tedious, that the reading of history should be considered uniformly grey. in compiling the present book i shrank from the word ‘history’—i altered it to ‘story.’ it is the same thing, but it does not sound so depressing.
the story of the highland regiments is not merely a narrative of regimental gallantry—it is also the story of our empire for nearly two hundred years, the story of strange lands and peoples, of heroism and endurance, of the open sea and the frontier. it is even more than that—it is the story of self-sacrifice, of courage, of patriotism.
long ago, when my father related to me how, as a little boy, he had watched the highlanders march into edinburgh after the crimean war, i determined to secure a book that would tell me, in simple words, without any dates whatever, about the ‘thin red line’ at balaclava, the relief of lucknow, and the charge of the greys. it was just because no such book existed that i was encouraged to write a narrative history that would cover, no matter how slightly, the entire period.
whatever may be the faults of this book there are pictures, and there are not many dates. i have also, where i could, allowed the actual combatants or eye-witnesses to tell their story in their own way, and on occasions i have inserted verses that have either won popularity or deserve to do so.
it is also my hope that, despite the simplicity of treatment, this story of the campaigns in which the highland regiments took their part, will interest not only young people, but, for the sentiment of all things scottish, their elders too.
in some chapters minor campaigns may appear to receive an undue attention, and greater wars, such as the peninsular, to be treated in outline. the reason for this is obvious. this record must follow in the footsteps of the highland regiments, and the greater the campaign the less accentuated are individual achievements. for this reason, too, i have not attempted to treat the present war in any detail, for no detail is so far to hand, and in the vast forces raised since august 1914 the highland regiments have passed into armies, and cannot be treated as single battalions. but already one thing calls for no chronicler. never since those old days when the clans first fought beneath the british flag has the imperishable star of the highland regiments—whether of the old army or the new, colonial or territorial—gleamed more steadily throughout the long night of war. in answer to the last and greatest summons of the fiery cross, the tramp of marching feet came sounding from the farthest outposts of the empire.
of the books that have provided me with much of my working material i must acknowledge as the basis of this volume browne’s history of the highlands, vol. iv., cromb’s the highland brigade, archibald forbes’ the black watch, the various regimental records, and for their respective campaigns—maclean’s highlanders in america, napier’s war in the peninsular, dr. fitchett’s wellington’s men and the tale of the great mutiny, and sir arthur conan doyle’s the great boer war. for the chapter on afghanistan i have drawn upon miss brooke-hunt’s biography of lord roberts, and for the last chapter i have to thank the proprietors of the scotsman for permission to quote some extracts from their files. i should also like to express my indebtedness to many other writers, whose books i have named where possible in the text.
there are those whose personal assistance has saved me much labour. in particular are my thanks due to my wife, who has collected much material and revised the proof sheets.
frederick watson.
september 1915.
