how the black watch won the red hackle
(1795)
the sun rises bright in france
and fair sets he,
but he has lost the blithe blink he had
in my ain countrie.
oh, gladness comes to many,
but sorrow comes to me,
as i look o’er the wide ocean
to my ain countrie.
old highland air.
it may appear that our last chapter, telling of an action in 1799, has fallen out of place, but there are sufficient reasons why it should come where it does. the trouble with tippoo sahib commenced very much sooner, only reaching its climax at seringapatam, while being at best but an echo of the battle thunder in europe.
we are now entering upon the first actions in what was to prove a long and terrible war in europe. for long england had fought france in america and india. from now until 1815 the conflict was to rage ever fiercer nearer home, to break out in flanders, to spread to egypt, to drench the peninsula in blood, and finally to return to the tragic plains of belgium.
it is important to understand the reasons for this new development.
in the annals of history the french revolution, that wild outbreak against oppression, stands alone. coming so swiftly, sweeping from anarchy to anarchy, from one excess to another, passing from bloodshed to bloodshed, from civil war to international strife, from democracy to tyranny, it stunned europe into a stricken silence. things were happening which had never happened before. not only in france, but in many other countries the voice of the people was heard in no uncertain way, while even in scotland, that country of old causes, a poet, robert burns by name, was voicing an altogether new sentiment. the future was as dark and ominous then as it was on that fateful august night in 1914, when, like wind hastening across a dark stretch of country, the word was passed that england was at war with germany.
against the dark background of the french revolution the conflict between england and france had sunk into nothingness. many are the tales that depict the tragic story of the reign of terror, perhaps the most frightful explosion of human anarchy in the history of the world. innumerable are the instances of heroism, courage, and sacrifice, that have lit up that gloomy period. were it not for actions so noble and bravery so deathless such a story would be better left untold. later on, when we come to an equally tragic episode in the outbreak of the indian mutiny, it will be seen how cruelty and death called forth as an inspiration to englishmen throughout eternity the greater and more enduring qualities of self-sacrifice and patriotism. it was that spirit, however tarnished, of tradition that carried the french nobility with unbroken composure to the guillotine. it was this same tradition—but by no means tarnished—that burned like a bright flame in the hearts of lawrence and john nicholson. the horrors of war are in themselves of little account when the years have passed. the thing that matters is the spirit with which they are met and conquered.
in the troubles of the french people england desired to take no share unless she was compelled to guard her own interests. the time came soon enough. passing from arrogance to arrogance, the national assembly of france at last issued a proclamation offering to assist any nation in europe against its rulers—or, as it was pleased to call them, its oppressors. upon that declaration of anarchy the kings and emperors prepared for war. in 1792 the french, defeating the austrians and russians in belgium, swarmed over the frontiers, and the invasion of holland was planned. but just as england went to war with germany to avenge the violation of belgium, so she was prepared to sustain the independence of holland. so, on february 1st, 1793, war was declared.
to return to the nearer issues of our regimental story, the black watch embarked for flanders in 1793, joined the army under the duke of york at menin, and marched to the relief of nieuport. some time elapsed before they saw service, but in 1794, having returned in the meantime to england, they landed at ostend at a somewhat critical moment. the approach of the french forces, coupled with the uncertain attitude of prussia, placed the division of the duke of york, then stationed at malines, at a disadvantage. lord moira, who was in command of the highlanders, determined, if possible, to unite his forces with those of the duke. the troops were accordingly formed up in the sand-dunes in marching order and advanced towards ostaker and alost. while they were stationed there, out of the night, like uhlans entering brussels, came 400 french cavalry, whom the highlanders very naturally mistook for their allies the hessians. the enemy, trotting through the streets reached the marketplace, but when one of them made an attempt to sabre a highlander on the way, the trick was discovered. the enraged soldier drawing his bayonet, attacked the horseman. the alarm was given, and the enemy were driven out by the dragoons. shortly after, when lord moira had been succeeded by lieutenant-general ralph abercromby, the british were beleaguered in nimeguen. it was deemed politic to evacuate this town, and the highlanders, with the other troops, began one of the most terrible retreats in our history. so piercing was the cold, although it was only the beginning of november, that the enemy crossed the waal on the ice, pushing back the english army behind the leck. the french had taken tuil, and a few days later general dundas, with the aid of the black watch, drove the enemy back again over the waal. again the french advanced, and it fell to the highlanders as at fontenoy to cover the british rear. retreat they must for fear of being outflanked. to make matters worse the swift advance of the french cavalry drove the light dragoons backward, resulting in the loss of two guns.
it was at that critical moment that general dundas appealed to the black watch to recover what the dragoons had lost. without hesitation, but fired by the honour laid upon them, the highlanders charged headlong at the french cavalry who fell into disorder. the artillery horses had already fallen, but undismayed the 42nd pulled the precious guns home again.
it was a swift, minor incident, but at the moment when the british army was in the heart of a hostile and frost-bound country it stood out of the dreary story like a splash of gold upon a grey sky. never have the black watch refused the call, and very seldom have they failed.
it is recorded by archibald forbes in his admirable history of the black watch that on the rescue of the guns general dundas addressed the highlanders saying, “forty-second, the 11th dragoons shall never wear the red plume on their helmets any more, and i hope the 42nd will carry it so long as they are the black watch.” it was this red plume or “hackle” that the gallant 42nd have worn on their feather bonnets to this day, and on june 4, 1795, upon the king’s birthday, it was first distributed.
this was to prove the only bright episode in the retreat on bremen. the numbers of the enemy increased daily, the british were not only in danger of defeat, but were in imminent peril of starvation, were also ill equipped for a campaign in the depths of winter, and throughout the march endured the tacit hostility of the peasantry on their line of route. “day after day,” says mr. fortescue in his history of the british army, “the cold steadily increased; and those of the army that woke on the morning of the 17th of january saw about them such a sight as they never forgot. far as the eye could reach over the whitened plain were scattered gun-limbers, waggons full of baggage, stores, or sick men, sutlers’ carts, and private carriages. beside them lay the horses, dead; here a straggler who had staggered on to the bivouack and dropped asleep in the arms of the frost; there a group of british and germans round an empty rum-cask; here forty english guardsmen huddled together about a plundered waggon.... had the retreat lasted but three or four days longer, not a man would have escaped; and the catastrophe would have found a place in history side by side with the destruction of the army of sennacherib and with the still more terrible disaster of the retreat from moscow.”
out of all the army, only the highlanders endured the rigours of the weather and such awful privation with any success, losing not more than twenty-five dead.
that for the time being concluded the operations of the highland regiments on the continent, for in october 1795 the government decided to launch an attack directed against the ascendancy of the french republic in the west indies.
