by R. W. Hughes
‘Most fortunate that the frigate arrived when it did,’ said George, inwardly relieved and thanking his lucky stars that they had not delayed their plans. ‘Did they also capture all the prisoners’ associates,’ he asked casually as he poured a good measure of whisky into the near empty mug of his friend.
‘I did hear a rumour that several armed men were detained in one of the taverns, but I was busy obtaining a horse in order to reach you before you sailed, so I did not dawdle in Thurso.’ The captain took a swig of the whisky and broke into a bout of coughing with tears coming from his eyes. ‘This is potent fiery liquid you drink here in the Highlands, George,’ he gasped wiping the tears from his eyes. ‘Well as you can see, we have all been busy here, and you have managed to reach us before we sailed, if you wish to rest after your tiring night’s journey, there is a spare bedroom we keep prepared for guests, and I in the meantime will make arrangements for this new detachment of recruits you have sprung upon me.’ He poured another good measure of whisky in the captain’s now empty mug.
‘I will take up your kind offer, George. The long cold journey, the hot food the root beer and this exceptional mellow, but very strong whisky, has made me feel rather drowsy. There is a waggon following me with the prisoners who have all signed or made their mark on papers to join the Regiment; they are under an escort of Redcoats and will be released into your care on their arrival.’
The captain made an effort to stand but was swaying slightly holding on the edge of the table to steady himself.
‘My brother will help you to your room, John. A few hours’ sleep and you will be a new man,’ he said, and winked at his brother as the captain leaning heavily on Riavach was helped out to bed. He was glad his friend had taken the offer of a few hours’ rest; he did not want a stranger wandering around the village, as what they did not see they could not be involved in. He pondered on the situation and the most prudent action to take while he waited for Riavach to return.
‘Riavach, the prospect of ex-prisoners, mingling with the rest of the families in the confined space of the sailing ship, is a worrying thought. I can keep the two groups apart until we have sailed, but they will inevitably eventually come into contact with one another. They would put two and two together, which would lead to an embarrassing situation for Captain Mclintosh if it became common knowledge when we reach the colony.’
‘That George,’ replied Riavach scratching his chin thoughtfully, ‘is something you will have to deal with when you arrive in Georgia if the situation ever raises its head. At present, you have enough problems to deal with, so I suggest you put this one out of your mind for the time being.’
It was the following morning that a large open cart arrived in the village loaded with a pitiful group of men, all chained together like animals with little warm clothing to protect them from their bitter journey and what they were wearing was in rags. They were accompanied by an escort of six Redcoats and a sergeant.
As the group stopped in the main street of the village, it quickly drew a crowd of people from the nearby cottages. Feeling rather isolated and unnerved by being surrounded by so many Highlanders, many of whom were armed in preparation for boarding the boat, the Redcoats formed a rough nervous circle around the prisoners.
It was Sithig that burst into the kitchen at Tongue House, startling George, Fiona, Ailie, and Riavach, who were finishing their breakfast with the news.
‘A group a Redcoats in yon village square, an’ I smell a fight brewing,’ exclaimed the old stable hand breathlessly. The old man saying the building was on fire could not have caused so much action, as everyone abandoned breakfast and rushed from the building towards the village, but not before George had shouted instructions to Sithig to wake Captain Mclintosh.
It was George who arrived first in time to see the sergeant roughly pushing away with his musket one of the village women who had tried to pass some oatmeal bread to the prisoners. He moved forward and grabbed the sergeant’s shoulder and spun him around. There was a snarl from the sergeant of ‘Scottish swine!’ as he also recognised George, and George in turn recognised the sergeant from the barracks at Thurso castle.
The Sergeant drew back the butt of his musket and attempted to strike George, who moved to one side and thumped the man on the side of his head as he stumbled passed him, causing the sergeant to fall to the ground slightly dazed. From this position, he screamed instructions for the soldiers to shoot his assailant, at the same time rising and drawing his bayonet attempting to use it as a sword, but George brushed the thrusting weapon to one side with his forearm and smashed his other clenched fist into the sergeant’s face, knocking him to the ground once again.
As the soldiers raised their muskets to carry out their sergeant’s orders, the Highlanders surrounding them also drew and cocked their array of pistols and muskets, and those who were not carrying any fire arms, quickly drew their dirks and swords. The situation was like a powder keg taking one spark for it to explode into a bloody battle.
‘Stand fast there! Lower your weapons! Lower your weapons I say! Do you rabble not recognise the voice of an officer?’ shouted the voice of authority, a voice used to commanding men and expecting to be obeyed without question. It was Captain Mclintosh who had arrived on the scene, and he made his way through the crowd and appeared still in his night clothes, rather breathless and suffering from a raging bad head after mixing the herb beer and strong whisky from the night before, but in time to halt an action that could have had far reaching devastating consequences for the fledgling Highland Regiment of Foot and in turn the colony of Georgia.
‘Corporal! Yes, you man,’ shouted the captain to a bewildered soldier with one stripe on each shoulder. ‘Arrest that man on the ground for striking an officer in the King’s Highland Regiment of Foot.’
The Corporal looked bemused things were moving too fast for his brain to keep track of.
‘At once, Corporal, disarm the prisoner.’
This last command spurred the corporal into action and he moved forward towards a still dazed Sergeant who was now standing upright but still swaying slightly.
‘These Highland scum are carrying weapons, sir; they are breaking the law,’ shouted the Sergeant, gesturing towards the armed MacKays, in an attempt to defend his actions.
‘Silence!’ shouted the Captain. ‘I did not give you permission to speak. You soldier.’ Captain Mclintosh pointed to one of the Redcoats. ‘Stand to attention when spoken to by an officer.’
The startled soldier immediately jumped to attention. It was obvious that the captain had the situation under control and the Highlanders in turn replaced their weapons seeing that the threat to their clan leader had been averted.
‘Help the corporal secure the prisoner,’ continued the captain. The soldier quickly moved forward and helped the corporal fasten the sergeant’s hands behind his back.
Captain Mclintosh now continued for the benefit of the rest of the Redcoats. ‘Lieutenant MacKay of the Highland Regiment of Foot, with the authority invested in me by General Oglethorpe and the English Parliament in London, I now transfer these conscripts into your keeping. And corporal, you will place your prisoner forthwith in the cart, and after a meal and a short rest, you will deliver the said prisoner with my report to your commander at the garrison in Thurso. I also intend to recommend in the same report that you be considered for promotion to sergeant, for the exemplary way you handled yourself in this situation along with your fellow companions.’
George smiled to himself at this ploy by his friend, by doing this he would be sure that the report and the prisoner would be delivered to the Castle Garrison Thurso, and the ex-Sergeant would find it difficult to browbeat or bully the corporal or the rest of the soldiers into re-leasing him on their journey, as such a report was a stepping stone in their favour towards any future promotion and the rise in pay that would follow.
‘This morning’s inciden
t as given me an appetite for some breakfast, but first I think I will change. This is not the attire for an officer of the Highland Regiment of Foot to address the troops,’ said Captain Mclintosh to the laughter from the group as they made their way back towards the kitchen of Tongue House.
George said he would follow later after he had made arrangements for the wellbeing of the new recruits, who were now huddled together shivering in the main street of Tongue village. Amongst the group George recognised the young man from the clan Morrisonwho had shared the passage on the Dolphin under the deceitful Captain Barnes. He was in a pitiful state filthy, obviously half starved and dressed in rags.
Well young man your high assperations came to nothing, but a least you will have the opportunity of a better life than sailing on the prison ship to the Caribbean to spend the rest of your days working as a slave on the estates there.
He thought as with the assistance of Paul Aberach and his son, Ian, he led the ex-prisoners, now new recruits, towards the barn recently occupied by Douglas Polson and his fellow escapees. While warm clothing and a hot meal were being prepared, he addressed the group of cold and half-starved Highlanders standing sullenly in front of him. He smiled as he recognised three more of the men in the group. Two were the MacKay brothers, who he had been forced to leave behind on the prison ship, and the other was the butcher, the brother of the man who he had conversed with in Thurso while watching the prisoners moved from the Castle dungeons to the floating prison.
‘All you men, rightly or wrongly, were sentenced to work on the plantations in the Caribbean, and there your life would have been hell, if you had survived the most horrible of conditions and worst nightmare of a journey. You men were fortunate to be given a choice; and you took that decision to enlist in the Highland Regiment of Foot, and you may not think so at the present, but in time you will realise you have made the right decision. When we arrive in Georgia, if you have followed orders while on board ship, had no charges have been registered against you by your officers, you will be allowed to apply for your families to join you.’
It was this last sentence that suddenly caused the men before him to stir and show renewed interest in George’s speech.
Having now got their full attention, he continued, thanking his time in the debating chamber at University and his experience with the law firm of Forbson and Forbson. This had given him the experience and developed his natural skills of communicating and not only persuading his audiences to his way of thinking, but also by following him they would inevitably succeed on whatever course he decided to lead them.
‘But there are conditions! he continued. ‘The fact that you made your mark on an application form to join the Highland Regiment of Foot does not necessarily mean that the Regiment is ready to except you.’ He stopped and observed the men in front of him, who were now looking rather confused.
He had purposely deviated from the usual process of men joining a regiment, but these were not usual times and these men were joining an organisation under duress. He had been thinking of how to approach this issue of the ex-convicts ever since Captain Mclintosh had first informed him of the situation, and had decided this was the way he was going to tackle this group during the journey to the Americas. He knew that his clan members would stand by him in any situation; they had proved this in the many past conflicts. He had to be sure that these new recruits could be relied on to be of the same solid reliable calibre.
‘First, gentlemen! The cost of providing this extra transport for your families to join you after your trial period will be borne by the Clan MacKay. During our journey to Georgia, while on the ship you, will drill with the musket every morning. Every afternoon you will practice with the bayonet and the broadsword. By the time we arrive, every one of you will be able to load and fire your musket three times in every one minute. In comparison, the French and Spanish troops only fire twice in every minute. Any soldier that has been placed on a charge by a superior officer or cannot reach this fire power will have their enlistment to this Regiment rescinded. And that means they will be kept under close arrest on board this ship, and on its arrival back in Scotland returned to the dungeons at Castle Thurso. So, think on, gentlemen, you hold your destiny and that of your families in in your own hands.’
Since being told about the prisoners by Captain Mclintosh he had given the situation a lot of thought and discussed it at length with his brother. They had come to the conclusion that they had to convince the ex-prisoners that it was in their best interest if they ever wished to be reunited with their families, and that George and the other conspirators were never associated with the prison escape at Thurso. Hence the scheme to stand the cost of transporting the ex-prisoners’ families to Georgia, but only when the men involved had proved they could be reliable and trustworthy soldiers.
As he finished his presentation the barn door opened and Sithig entered pulling a hand cart containing two large tubs with steaming water splashing over the wooden sides.
‘There is hot water in which to wash the stink of the prison from your frames and clean clothes to replace the rags you wear at the moment. Hot food will follow shortly. The ex-prisoners needed no second bidding and immediately stripped naked, laughing and joking amongst themselves for the first time since they had been captured, as they started to scrub the grime from their bodies with the hard soap and the cloths provided.
As he left the barn in the company of Paul and Ian Aberach, and out of hearing of the men inside, George called them to one side. ‘I think it will be prudent to place several armed men at the barn entrance, Paul. It will be embarrassing for us and the families left behind if any of these men decide to abscond during the night.’
‘Aye! I will see to it at once. I think it will be a wise decision, as we don’a want anything ruffling the feathers of that English Major Thornton. He is the type of man who would go out of his way at the slightest excuse to disrupt our departure, and hold our families that remain to task afterwards, being that any chance of further promotion for him as been dashed, with the episode of the prison ship. Also,’ he continued. ‘One of the prisoners is a member of the Sutherlands, do we send him back with the Redcoats as unsuitable.’
George rubbed his chin thoughtfully before replying. ‘We are leaving for a new country and a new start in life for us and our families. I think we should leave the feuds of the old country behind us; every man will be judged on his merits and on the contributions he and his family do make for the benefit of our new community.’
‘Well said, George,’ replied Paul Aberach. ‘I could not agree with you more. Here lad!’ he said drawing his pistol from his belt and handing it to his son. ‘Stay by the door until I send a couple of my men, and look yer on; the new recruits stay in the barn, and don’na you be afraid to use this weapon to keep them there if needs must.’
Both men parted. Paul Aberach to organise several of his clan to take over from his son at the barn door, and for George to meet with his brother to arrange for the discrete embarkation of the ex-prisoners from the barn to the ship at high tide early the next morning.
It was dusk the following day as the last families’ few precious belongings were loaded up the gangplank and onto the ship. Riavach, following George’s instructions, had organised a going away party in one of the barns that was the same barn that had housed the escaped prisoners and the Regiment’s new recruits, and these men were now berthed at opposite ends of the transport ship. Everyone from the surrounding farms and hamlets were gathered here saying their goodbyes to members of their families and neighbours. They all knew that it would be most unlikely they would ever see any of them again. It was a very sombre gathering in the large barn. Fiona, Ailie, and Riavach were all in tears as were Sithig and his wife as they all hugged each other and said their goodbyes. It had surprised George that Sithig, who as long as he could remember, had always been so grumpy and seemingly uncaring, could now show such emotion. But when
it came to say the final farewell to his brother, he too was finding it extremely difficult to hold back the tears.
‘The clan his in your hands now, Riavach,’ he said grasping his brother’s outstretched hand with both of his, and pulling him close in a big hug. ‘Do not be afraid to call upon the senior members of the other families for advice, as there are hard and difficult times ahead, not just for you, but for all the peoples of Scotland, no matter what their religious beliefs are. There will be many hardships ahead that you will have to face, but you do have a financial buffer with the remaining French gold Use it wisely to ease the hardship of the more vulnerable families, and you will retain their loyalty and help keep together the families that make up the clan MacKay.’
As the ship left the Kyle of Tongue on the ebbing tide George, Fiona. Douglas and Ailie were all watching from the stern as the lights from the torches and lanterns of the large groups of people on the quay slowly faded, and its sister ship, the transporter with the animals and less personal belongings of the families stored in its hold, dropped into line following in its wake.
‘Do you see the ruin of Caisteal Bharraich,’ he said attracting the attention of the group and pointing to the remains of the large stone building on a large outcrop of rock overlooking the bay, standing out like a giant sentry in the moonlight. ‘That was the 15 century ancestral home of the MacKay clan, and the home of the family’s most famous warrior, Iain Abrach MacKay.’
‘You must run a close second to your famous ancestor, George,’ the voice came from Captain Mclintosh who had joined the group unobserved.
‘You embarrass me John! Now let me introduce you to my friend, Douglas Poulson, and his betrothed, my sister Ailie.’
There was polite conversation for several minutes between the group until George concerned that Fiona may catch a chill in the cold night air, insisted he escort her back to their cabin and was followed by Ailie, leaving Douglas and Captain Mclintosh alone on the deck.