historical info please

[Finn]

Greetings!
A young man I know is a budding reenactor and wants to portray an immigrant Highlander of the American 18th Century frontier. He has an amateur DIY kilt.
Were there many kilted Highlanders wandering our frontier outside the British regiments? I'm basically familiar with Moore's Creek, NC.
Should I get him Smoke & Fire's kilt packet?
Thanks!

[MacWage]

Actually . . .

I am presently at my denominational meetings today and tomorrow (in Flat Rock, North Carolina). I THINK some of out churches are in the Moore's Creek area. I'll see and ASK them. There are a number of historians that are pastors or elders. they may know.

-I'll get back if I find out anything!

I'm SURE Matt Newsome would know off the "top" of his head.

[Mr. MacDougall]

As I mentioned in another post, one of my ancestors came to America following Culloden, because he was on the losing side of the battle. It's possible he continued to wear highland dress while tramping about the mountains (he eventually married himself a Cherokee lass, so that tells you what part of the frontier he was tramping), because he was proud of his origin -- but it's also possible he wore the same leather trews as other fur trappers and mountain men, because it was harder to get a suitable length of plaid here in the wilds, or because it was more suitable for the local terrain... remember that, in the 18th century, it was said a squirrel could travel from the Atlantic to the Mississippi without touching the ground.

So I'd bet you could justify wearing a great kilt for reenacting, as long as you're not portraying a military unit -- my great-great-etc-grandfather can't have been the only Highlander to come to the new world as a fugitive during the troubles in Scotland.

[Finn]

The popular myth of Moore's Creek was that Highlanders fought Highlanders all in kilts, but I'm not sure about that. I do know that Highland regiments wore leggings or gaiters. I have since seen other threads on this topic, and will have the young man research from those listed references.
Thanks!

[Archangel]

A bit north and maybe a bit earlier, you have these people. Some stayed and settled here. Somewhere, there is a website by Robert Griffing, that artist, outlining his work.
This is pretty well my favourite painting:

[Archangel]

The popular myth of Moore's Creek was that Highlanders fought Highlanders all in kilts, but I'm not sure about that. I do know that Highland regiments wore leggings or gaiters. I have since seen other threads on this topic, and will have the young man research from those listed references.
Thanks!

I wrote a paper in my university paper about this, oh, ten years ago. Can't remember much except that, yes, not all were kilted. The one side was mostly, they were trying to maintain a tradition/memory.

Going to have to find that paper and read it over. Got a good mark on it.

[Woodsheal]

My post from the other thread:
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/s...345#post383345

[macwilkin]

My post from the other thread:
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/s...345#post383345

Brian's post pretty much sums it up, INMHO, and agrees with the findings of historians that the North American colonies did not look like a production of "Brigadoon".

Here endeth the lesson.

T.