For Clansmen not on good terms with the Campbells the Black Watch was not thought highly of in the early days of the Regiment, considering it was pretty much a tool of the Campbells and English loyalists.
Of course, later the Clan hostilities did subside. The Black Watch proved to be a gallant unit in and out of battle. One of the most famous episodes in its history occurred in 1852 -- the sinking of the Birkenhead. Two platoons of recruits were on board to join the Regiment which was fighting in South Africa. Near Cape Town the ship struck a rock and broke in half. The troops were told by the ship's officers that their own hope lay in jumping overboard and swimming for the lifeboats. Their own officers, however, explained that this would endanger the women and children already in the boats. The men stood firm in their ranks while the ship sank and 357 of them were drowned. This kind of courage and honor is a rare thing.