77th Regiment, Montgomery's Highlanders
(Originally raised as the 62nd)
Note:
4-Jan
1757
England officially declared war on May 18, 1756, beginning the Seven Year's
War in Europe
Peace between Britain and France was proclaimed with the signing of the
Treaty of Paris on February 10, 1763
Viscount Barrington, Secretary of War, ordered two regiments to be raised in the Scottish Highlands. These were initially designated as the 62nd and
63 Regiments of Foot. [3]
Montgomery recruited 1460 men in the remotest part of the highlands including men from the following clans; Fraser, MacDonald, Cameron,
Maclean, and MacPherson. [2]
5-Jan Commissions handed out to commanding officers. Below is a list of officers and the area where they did their recruiting. [3] recruiting Montgomery - Athole & Strathdearn
[3 - page 31-32] Major James Grant - Strathspey & Urguhart
Major Alexander Campbell - West Highlands
Capt. John Sinclair - Sutherland & Aaithness
March
Capt. Hugh McKenzie - Glasgow & Rossshire
Capt. John Gordon - Edinburgh & Aberdeenshire
Capt. Alexander McKenzie - Perthshire & Aberdeenshire
Capt. William MacDonald - Edinbourgh & Skye
Capt. George Munroe - Fairn Donald
Capt. Roderick McKenzie - Kintail
Some companies had arrived in Glasgow.
June
28-Jun
1-Jul
3-Sep fall
Marched from Glasgow to Port Patrick [3]
Boarded ships for NA [3]
Ships set sail [3]
Landed in Charlestown SC, after a 9 week passage. [3]
Very hot weather and over 500 of the 77th fell sick, and 60 died. [3] fall
15-Nov
Three more companies raised. (Captains were; Sir Allan Maclean, Allan
Cameron,, and James Robertson)
Additional companies mustered in Glasgow, then on to Cork, and finally left for North America on Dec. 1, 1757.

June
10-Jul
15-Aug
August
2-Nov winter 1757-58 Charleston, SC. Soldiers were not well received and had very poor living conditions. Regiment suffered with a lot of illness. [3]
1758
11-Mar Additional 3 companies reached New York after a 12 week crossing. [3]
May
10 sep
14-Sep
December
They joined and formed part of the army under General Amherst in his proceedings at Ticondroga, Crown Point, and the Lakes. [1]
In the middle of June, he reached the neighborhood of the Indian town
Little Keowee and marched to Estatoe [1]
Last 4 companies arrived at Carlisle with Major Grant. [3]
Seven companies marched to Shippensburg. [3]
The garrison, too weak to encounter the enemy in the field, was at length compelled by famine to surrender (Aug 8th), on condition of being permitted to march to the English settlements; but the Indians observed the convention no longer than their interest required, and attacked the garrison on their march, and killed all the officers except Captain John
Stewart
300 of the fittest of the 5 companies were selected to go to Shannopin, 2 miles from Fort Duchesne. [3]
Attack on Fort Duquesne, a serious defeat with the loss of 270 lives. French later abandoned the fort for the winter. [3]
All 13 companies together. [3]
Fort DuQuesne Expedition, July-November, 1758 [1]
> Highland Regiment : Montgomery's Highlanders (77th)
> Other Regiments : the Royal Americans, and the Provincials
> Battle Under General Command of : Brigadier-General Forbes
Major Grant was taken prisoner, and 231 soldiers of his regiment were killed and wounded. This check, however, did not dispirit General Forbes, who pushed forward with expedition.
Rather than endure a siege and capture, the French destroyed their post; but before retreating from the Fort, many of the prisoners were ruthlessly slaughtered: "On the night of November 24th the men heard a tremendous explosion. Next day they came in sight of the smoking ruins of Fort
DuQuesne, blown up and burned. No enemy was in sight - only a row of grisly stakes erected by the Indians. On each one was the head of one of
Grant's detachment and a Scotch kilt tied around its base."
Most marched back to Pittsburg.

winter 1758-59 Montgomery's Highlanders passed the winter of 1758 and 1759 at
Lancaster, Fort Mercer, Pittsburg and Fort Legionier. [3]
1st Battalion wintered in Long Island [2]
6-May
1759
13-Jul
July
The 77th had marched from Pennsylvania to Elizabethtown, NJ. Some 2000 highlanders sailed up the Hudson to Albany. [3]
The 14th additional company arrived at Albany to join the rest of the 77th.
[3]
Moved northward to Lake George. [3]
Ticonderoga, Crown Point & Niagara Campaigns, June-July, 1759
> Highland Regiment : Royal Highlanders (42nd) & Montgomery's
Highlanders (77th)
> Other Regiments : the Royals, 17th, 27th, 2 battalions of the 55th, and 9 battalions of Provincials; and Indian allies under command of Sir William
Johnson.
> Battle Under General Command of : Major-General Wolfe; Generals
Amherst and Prideaux
Major-General Wolfe, who had given such promise of great military talents at Louisbourg, was to attack Quebec from Lower Canada
2 divisions of the 77th assailed Canada at Niagara [2]
2 divisions headed for Quebec with Major-General Wolfe. [2]
2nd Battalion upon arrival in North America headed to Oswego [2]
August - October Constructing a fort on Lake Champlain [3]
11-Oct 1/42nd and Montgomery's 77th finally embarked at Crown Point bound for the northern end of Lake Champlain. Both regiments were at half strength.
The 42nd had 536 me of all ranks and the 77th had 609 men of all ranks, part of an army of 5168. Some had been left to man the warships , some sick and some at Crown Point and Ticonderoga. [3] winter 1759-60 Most billeted in Claverack, in upper Hudson River Valley. Long, cold winter.
1760
8-Mar Boarded transports in New York heading for Charleston, SC with 6 companies, about 600 men.

1760, continued
1-Apr
23-Apr
2-Jun
Jun
Arrived and found that no preparations had been made. Marched immediately to Moncks Corner.
Marched out of Moncks Corner and after 9 days stopped to rest in
Congarees for 17 days.
Next marched to Fort Ninety-Six, near Saluda River. Montgomery cursed
"the Shameful backwardness of this province in every Particular."
Arrived at Fort Prince George and continued inland only to meet heavy resistance from the natives. Main battleground was at Tessuntee near the town of Etchoe.
Retreated to Fort Prince George.
July Two battalions of the 42nd and eight companies of the 77th assembled at
Oswego to move down river toward Montreal.
Cherokee Revolt at Little Keowee & Fort Loudon, Jun-Aug, 1760 [1]
> Highland Regiments : Montgomery's Highlanders (77th)
> Other Regiments : the Royals; and Provincials
10-Sep
16-Oct
> Battle Under General Command of : Colonel Archibald Montgomery; and recently exchanged Major James Grant (later Lieutenant Colonel). [1]
> Between the Cherokees and disease the 77th suffered heavy losses. After this campaign they lost another 16 highlanders to desertion. [3]
Arrived back in Albany with 404 of the 600 men who left a few months earlier. [3]
Five of the six companies left for Halifax. Sixth company left in mid-
November. [3]
20-Nov The sixth company, that of Alexander Mackenzie, headed for Halifax, but due to bad weather never arrived. Instead they landed in Bermuda in
January, 1761. [3] winter 1760-61 For the winter of 1760-61, the 77th were distributed as follows:
9 companies in Halifax
1 company in Chignecto
1 company in Annapolis Royal
2 companies in Lunenburg
British armies normally down-sized after a war. The 77th was reduced from
14 companies to 980 rank and file.

3-May
1761
Summer
Nov
6-Jun
Jan
8-Jan
27-Jan
1762
May
October
77th sailed from Staten Island for Guadeloupe. Terrible trip. Ships scattered.
Many Highlanders began to sicken and die of disease.
Moved to Martinique.
Attack and Surrender of Dominique, June 1761 [1]
> Highland Regiments : six companies of Montgomery's Highlanders (77th)
> Other Regiments : the Grenadiers; Light infantry of the 4th and 22nd; small garrison force; and four ships of war.
> Battle Under General Command of : Colonel Lord Rollo; Lieutenant-Colonel
Melville; and Commodore Sir James Douglas.
> arrived off Dominique, they immediately landed and marched, with little opposition, to the town of Roseau.
> So rapid was the charge of the Grenadiers and Highlanders, that few of the British suffered to Martinique [2]
Landed at L'Anse d'Arlet [3]
Interesting note; "The regiments women, along with baggage and tents, had come ashore. As men pitched the tents the women washed clothes and began making the evening dinner." [3 - page 273] to Cuba [2] from Havanah to New York [2]
Martinique & the Havannah
1
Expedition, Jan-Aug, 1762 [1]
> Highland Regiments : Murray's Royal Highlanders (42nd) & Montgomery's
Highlanders (77th)
> Other Regiments : 20 regiments; and 19 sail-of-the-line, with frigates, bomb vessels and fireships.
> Battle Under General Command of : Major-General Monckton; Lieutenant-
Generals the Earl of Albemarle, and Elliot afterwards Lord Heathfield; and
Brigadiers Haviland; James Grant of Ballindallon; Rufane; Walsh and Reid; and Colonel Lord Rollo (due to fever, replaced by Guy Carlton in Havannah); and Rear-Admiral Rodney; Admiral Sir George Pocock; and Commodores
James Douglas; and Keppell.

> The whole force amounted to eighteen regiments, including 3 battalions of Highlanders, viz. Montgomery's regiment, and the 1st and 2nd battalions of Lord John Murray's.
1762, continued
Summer Of the 12,000 man army stationed in the Caribbean, over 1000 men died and another were3000 sick. [3]
August
3-Sep
11-Sep transferred to Staten Island
Small army left Halifax headed for Newfoundland, containing some men from the 42nd, 77th, and 78th. [3]
Arrived at Petty Harbor. [3]
Battle at St. John's, Newfoundland, Sep 13-17, 1762 [1]
13-Sep
> Highland Regiments : Fraser's Highlanders (78th) & 2 co.'s of
Montgomery's Highlanders (77th)
> Other Regiments : the Royals; and detachments of 45th and the
Provincials.
> Battle Under General Command of : Colonel William Amherst; Commodore
Lord Colville.
Colonel Amherst landed on the 13th of September, seven miles to the northward of St. John's,
17-Sep After the service at St. John's, the detachments joined their respective regiments in New York and Louisbourg, where they passed the ensuing winter. winter 1762-63 At the conclusion of the war, all the officers and men in Mongomery's
*
and
Fraser's regiments who chose to settle in America were discharged, each receiving a grant of land in proportion to his rank; the rest were sent home and discharged in Scotland.
6-Jun
1763
7-Aug
Amherst ordered 3 ad hoc light infantry companies of the 17th, 42nd and
77th, about 50 men each, to be sent to Philadelphia to quell an Indian uprising. The 42nd had only 214 men left. [3]
About 100 men formed the 9th company of the 42nd and were sent to
Niagara. They came from the 7th and some surviving privates of the 42. [3]
Battle of Bushy Run (Pontiac's Rebellion), Aug-Nov, 1763 [1]
> Highland Regiments : Royal Highlanders (42nd) & Montgomery's
Highlanders (77th)

1763, continued
> Other Regiments : detachment of the 60th.
> Battle Under General Command of : Colonel Henri Bouquet (Swiss soldier in British service).
> In the summer of 1763 the 42nd were put under the command of Colonel
Bouquet of the 60th regiment, and ordered to the relief of Fort Pitt, along with a detachment of Bouquet's own regiment, and another of the 77th; in all 956 men
Bibliography
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5] http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/mil/usa/frind/
Keltie, Sir John Scott, "History of the Scottish Regiments"
McCulloch, Ian, "Son's of the Mountains"
Cannon, Richard Esq., "Historical Record of the 42nd Regiment of Foot."
Pennsylvania Gazzette, June 24, 1756