71st Regiment of Foot (Fraser's Highlanders) action in Savannah, Georgia

[Tobus]

I hadn't seen that before. Thanks for the pointer! I've downloaded it as a PDF for further reading. It's going to take some time to go through. They sure had a way of using a lot of words without any real substance.

[tripleblessed]

It might be relevant at this juncture to note that at the time of his arrival, most in this colony were loyalists. Quite lukewarm, in many cases,
but standing with the king. People were very aware Georgia had been founded on a population of quite limited resources, and they depended
on continued financial support from the Isles. They may have dreamed of independence, but most knew where their bread was buttered. Some,
of course, bolder and more headstrong, hoped claiming Savannah for independence would sway others; this led to the southern expedition. The 71st
performed well and took military control of both Savannah and Augusta quickly. While Campbell was in polite society and history books commended
on his forbearance in victory at Savannah and Augusta, his time in the state was not entirely successful. Following Augusta, he made a recruiting
swing through the area north and west of Augusta, and certain partisans were specifically targeted. Locals did not respond well to pressure, and
were lukewarm in enlisting and promising supplies. This led to the burning out of many who preferred to stay out of the whole thing, and they
instead enlisted in the Continental Line and with local militias. Campbell was recalled.

This version is from local sources, most not widely published. Known to me through extensive combing through militia rolls, tax records, court records,
and the like in genealogical research on my family and those of friends in Wilkes County before and during the Revolution. Writings of the times
and comments in later court cases paint a picture of the 71st as an effective unit, but point at Campbell having been more successful recruiting for
Washington than for the King. Which may have influenced his recall.

Please don't ask for citations of sources, this was years past and my focus was family, not Campbell.

[Highland Logan]

Just came upon this thread. My 5th great-grandfather, James Logan, was a member of the 71st. He was wounded, and along with many Highlanders of different regiments was sent to the Royal Garrison Battalion to garrison Bermuda. After the war, he and many of the Battalion, took land grants, and founded my home town of Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia. I have quite a few copies of the discharge papers, along with copies of correspondence by him and his wife.

Frank

[Orvis]

Just came upon this thread. My 5th great-grandfather, James Logan, was a member of the 71st. He was wounded, and along with many Highlanders of different regiments was sent to the Royal Garrison Battalion to garrison Bermuda. After the war, he and many of the Battalion, took land grants, and founded my home town of Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia. I have quite a few copies of the discharge papers, along with copies of correspondence by him and his wife.

Frank

The documents you mentioned represent quite a cache not only of ancestral family history, but of material potentially of interest to historians. Congratulations on possessing this material. In my research into the RevWar British Army in North America, I generally found that Scottish soldiers were more likely to be literate than English ones, as proved by the letters you possess. Treasure them.

My ex-wife was from eastern Ontario (Cornwall), which was settled as a royal township by Loyalists of the King's Royal Regiment of New York under Sir John Johnson. Other towns along the St. Lawrence River were settled by veterans of the 84th Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants). There are cemeteries from the Cornwall area to Morrisburg (including some that were moved from the submerged towns west of the Cornwall power dam) that contain graves of Loyalists who were forced to evacuate their homes in the USA and start over in the wilderness. Upper Canada Village (near Morrisburg) gives an excellent depiction of what these new settlers must have gone through before they became comfortable farmers in the 19th century. This site is also near the War of 1812 battlefield of Crysler's Farm, where British regulars and Canadian militia (including the Glengarry Militia, a light infantry regiment) defeated American forces.

[Highland Logan]

The documents you mentioned represent quite a cache not only of ancestral family history, but of material potentially of interest to historians. Congratulations on possessing this material. In my research into the RevWar British Army in North America, I generally found that Scottish soldiers were more likely to be literate than English ones, as proved by the letters you possess. Treasure them.

My ex-wife was from eastern Ontario (Cornwall), which was settled as a royal township by Loyalists of the King's Royal Regiment of New York under Sir John Johnson. Other towns along the St. Lawrence River were settled by veterans of the 84th Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants). There are cemeteries from the Cornwall area to Morrisburg (including some that were moved from the submerged towns west of the Cornwall power dam) that contain graves of Loyalists who were forced to evacuate their homes in the USA and start over in the wilderness. Upper Canada Village (near Morrisburg) gives an excellent depiction of what these new settlers must have gone through before they became comfortable farmers in the 19th century. This site is also near the War of 1812 battlefield of Crysler's Farm, where British regulars and Canadian militia (including the Glengarry Militia, a light infantry regiment) defeated American forces.

Not to stray too far from the topic, but a great book for anyone looking into the Loyalists is; This Unfriendly Soil: The Loyalist Experience in Nova Scotia, 1783-1791 by Neil MacKinnon. Another book dealing more on the war would be; Scottish Highlanders and the American Revolution by G. Murray Logan (no known relation).

Frank