The 42nd Foot/Blackwatch at Fort Ticonderoga

[ItchyTick]

I ran across this by accident. An interesting read. My fathers side of the family is german (Schoharie valley). I was raised just outside of Schenectady. There is quite the Scot imprint in the area.

https://archive.org/stream/blackwatc...hiala_djvu.txt

By Lord Duncan of Invernawe.

[figheadair]

An Interesting read but one which repeats a number of myths, especially about the various tartan worn by the regiment, for which there is little, or even contradictory evidence. The claimed use of the Royal Stewart tartan by pipers and the Band is a good example.

[ItchyTick]

An Interesting read but one which repeats a number of myths, especially about the various tartan worn by the regiment, for which there is little, or even contradictory evidence. The claimed use of the Royal Stewart tartan by pipers and the Band is a good example.

Thanks Fig.

Are there any more historically accurate accounts you can recommend. They are of interest given my family history and geographical upbringing.

Thx.

Chris

[Luke MacGillie]

Any of Ian MacColloch's books will be a bit closer to Peer Reviewed scholarly works. I dont always agree with his conclusions, but that's life. He has never failed to answer any question I have ever had, and even scoop himself by giving me info that he could have just told me to wait and buy the book!

https://www.amazon.com/Sons-Mountain.../dp/1930098758


He has a new book coming out this month, annotated journal of a 2/42 officer that has been in an Archive in Australia or New Zealand since the end of the 18th Century.

http://www.robinbrassstudio.com/styled-5/DS.html

[Orvis]

Luke,

Thanks for the information about the forthcoming 2/42 officer's memoir. I don't reenact the F&IW anymore, but it looks like I'll be getting the memoir as soon as it's published. Books like that are all too rare!

[ItchyTick]

Any of Ian MacColloch's books will be a bit closer to Peer Reviewed scholarly works. I dont always agree with his conclusions, but that's life. He has never failed to answer any question I have ever had, and even scoop himself by giving me info that he could have just told me to wait and buy the book!

https://www.amazon.com/Sons-Mountain.../dp/1930098758


He has a new book coming out this month, annotated journal of a 2/42 officer that has been in an Archive in Australia or New Zealand since the end of the 18th Century.

http://www.robinbrassstudio.com/styled-5/DS.html

Thanks for the recommendations. Just ordered the first one.

Amazingly I don't find a lot of good work here in the US on the F&IW. Maybe one of the other members can make a recommendation.

[ItchyTick]

Thanks for the recommendation. A nice footnoted history text.

[derosa]

I ran across this by accident. An interesting read. My fathers side of the family is german (Schoharie valley). I was raised just outside of Schenectady. There is quite the Scot imprint in the area.

https://archive.org/stream/blackwatc...hiala_djvu.txt

By Lord Duncan of Invernawe.

My wife's family on her father's side were Livingstons who came through Schoharie Valley and into Albany and beyond. Scot Presbyterian minister who had to leave Scotland.

[figheadair]

He has a new book coming out this month, annotated journal of a 2/42 officer that has been in an Archive in Australia or New Zealand since the end of the 18th Century.

http://www.robinbrassstudio.com/styled-5/DS.html

I’ll be interested to hear what it says about dress and tartan.

[Luke MacGillie]

I’ll be interested to hear what it says about dress and tartan.

COL Ian was kind enough to give me a couple quotes from the book, pre publication!


"Our dress was a red coat turned up with blue, laced button holes, blue waistcoats. The belted plaid, which was passed round the body, [was] pleated behind [and] kept up with a belt – the remainder was pinned to the left shoulder. A Bonnet with a small black ostrich feather from the side for a cockade. Hose, shoes and buckles [and] a purse. Broadsword [and] Dirk attached to [the] belt that held [the] kilt. One pistol [held] by a small belt on the left breast, [the] other attached to sword belt."

This reference to blue waistcoats is interesting, as its contrary to the established regulations at the time which called for red, and its contrary to the general practice at this time which was to ignore the regulation and wear white! That is seen in both period portraits, but also in a tailor bill for an officer of the 77th/ But you see Highland Officers ignoring the regs going all the way back to Loudoun's Highlanders in the 45.

Here is a miniature of an unknown highland officer of a Royal regiment, I think of 2/42.




Here is the white waistcoat from an Officer of Keith's Highlanders:



Then we have Ensign Reid of Loudoun's





Anyway, so they were pretty normally dressed when departing Scotland for service in North America. 2/42s first campaign was in the Caribbean at the Siege of Martinique, and the clothing that worked in Scotland and in Northern North America was not exactly the best choice for the tropics. On service modifications included the following:

"I was ordered with another officer to make a report to Brigadier General Grant. We were equipped in jackets without lace made to resemble [the] soldiers’, with a haversack with provisions on one side and a canteen of liquor on the other. Our few change of shirts &c. wrapped in our plaid which was wound round our chest.

We did not cut gay figures. We took off our bonnets in giving our report. The general returned [the salute]. We afforded a good deal of mirth [to the] Belleisle Gentry near whose Regiment the Camp was, but he very properly said, “I own you will regret you have not followed their example.”

There are lots of orderly book quotes regarding official modifications to soldiers clothing that will be in the book, and a comparison/contrast with Grant's journal ect.

For a Reenactor, this is really, really great stuff.