Clan Donald Australia 

McDONALD's HIGHLANDERS

Old 76^th  Highland regiment

Three Regiments in the British army have borne the number “76”.

(a)    First was an Irish regiment.

(b)     MacDonald's Highlanders raised 1777,disbanded 1784.

(c)     2^nd  Battalion of the Duke of Wellington''s Regiment.

In December 1777 letters of service were granted to Alexander, 1^st Lord MacDonald of Sleate, empowering him to raise a regiment in the Highlands. Lord MacDonald was offered the command of hisregiment, which, however, he declined. On Lord MacDonald's recommendation command of the regiment was conferred on Major John MacDonell of Lochgarry.

The regimental strength 1,086 was inspected at Inverness

in march 1778 by General Skene; 750 were Highlanders, the remainder being composed of two companies raised in the lowlands, and a third recruited chiefly in Ireland . As the Colonel of the 76^th Lochgarry, who had served in America with Fraser's Highlanders, had been taken prisoner on his passage from there, the command of MacDonald's Highlanders devolved upon Major Donaldson, formerly a Captain in the 42^nd Regiment.

In 1779 the regiment moved to Perth, and hence to Burntisland, where they embarked for America.

Their Commanding Officer was then Major Lord Berriedale (eldest son of the 10^th Earl of Caithness). Major Donaldson's health not permitting him to embark.

The 76^th served in different parts of Canada and what is now the United States.  They were unfortunately part of the force, under Lord Cornwallis,which surrendered to the Americans at Yorktown in 1781. After the surrender the 76^th were marched in detachments as prisoners to different parts of Virgina, were they remained until the peace of 1783.

During the regiments captivity, tempting offers were made to the men by their captors to join the American forces. The MacDonald Highlanders were, however, proof against allurements, and not a single soldier was seduced from his allegiance.

When peace was restored, the 76^th was brought together and embarked from New York for Scotland. MacDonald's Highlanders disbanded in 1784 at Stirling Castle.