42^nd Highlanders

Description

A welcome return to the Great Lakes territories to present this new Highlander from the French Indian Wars. Sculpted by Giampiero Russo and brought to life by Danilo Cartacci……

History:

The Highland Watch was established in 1724, destined to become a regiment in the British Army. It operated as an armed police force which presided over the hills maintaining law and order just like a military unit. The provisions set in 1739 formed an army made up of the six independent companies that made up the Highland Watch. Another four companies known as the 43^rd Infantry Regiment were added to these six. In 1749 the 43^rd Regiment was reclassified as the 42^nd Infantry Regiment and became the most renowned regiment in service in North America during the French Indian War. The 42^nd Regiment was dispatched to New York in 1756, in 1757 took part in the unsuccessful attack at Louisburg and in 1758 at Fort Carillon (Ticonderoga). The 42^nd Regiment was already recognised as the Royal Highland Regiment even before Ticonderoga and not as recognition for their actions. After the capture of Martinique and Havana in 1762, the Regiment returned to North America and fought at the Battle of Bushy Run in 1763. The Regiment went to Ireland in 1767. The 77^th (Montgomery’s) Highlanders Regiment was promoted as 1^st Regiment in 1757 and sent to New York, where it went into service in New York and Carolina. In 1762, just like the 42^nd Regiment, it went into service at Martinique and Havana. In 1763 a contingent fought at Bushy Run and was subsequently dissolved. The 78^th (Fraser’s) Highlanders were promoted to 2^nd Regiment. It was in service in North America, mostly in Quebec, in 1759. It was also dissolved in 1763. In 1758 there were 4200 enlisted on a grand total of 24,000 regular British soldiers in North America. The Highlander battalions fought in some of the fiercest battles in the French Indian War. The Black Watch suffered terrible losses at Ticonderoga in 1758, losing more than 500 men of the 1100 soldiers and officers that were part of it. Two months later after the 77^th lost 223 men, out of 389, during the unsuccessful surprise attack at Fort Duquesne. In 1759, Fraser’s 78^th lost 18 men and 148 were wounded on the Abraham plains. The following April at Saint-Foy, Fraser’s Highlanders suffered great losses, 213 soldiers. Due to the desolate environment of their homeland, the Highlanders were considered as the ideal men for the wild regions of North America. It was common belief that the Highlanders shared some sort of mysterious ties to the Native Americans. Both groups belong to tribal societies considered as exotic and barbaric when compared to English society in the mid-1700s. In fact, documents dating to 1740 describe the Highlanders as savages and barbarians, the same terms used to describe the natives of North America.