s year a
draft of one hundred and fifty men, recruits raised principally from the
refuse of the streets of London and Dublin, was embarked for the
regiment by orders from the inspector-general at Chatham. These men were
of the most depraved character, and of such dissolute habits, that
one-half of them were unfit for service; fifteen died in the passage,
and seventy-five were sent to the hospital from the transport as soon as
they disembarked. The infusion of such immoral ingredients must
necessarily have a deleterious effect. General Stirling made a strong
remonstrance to the commander-in-chief, in consequence of which these
men were removed to the 26th regiment, in exchange for the same number
of Scotchmen. The introduction of these men into the regiment dissolved
the charm which, for nearly forty years, had preserved the Highlanders
from contamination. During that long period there were but few
courts-martial, and, for many years, no instance of corporal punishment
occurred.

With the intention of pushing the war with vigor, the new
commander-in-chief, Sir Henry Clinton, who had succeeded Sir William
Howe, in May, 1778, resolved to attack Charleston, the capital of South
Carolina. Having left General Knyphausen in command at New York, General
Clinton with his army set sail December 26, 1779. Such was the severity
of the weather, however, that, although the voyage might have been
accomplished in ten days, it was February 11, 1780, before the troops
disembarked on John's Island, thirty miles from Charleston. So great
were the impediments to be overcome, and so cautious was the advance of
the general, that it was March 29th before they crossed the Ashley
river. The following day they encamped opposite the American lines.
Ground was broken in front of Charleston on April 1st. General Lincoln,
who commanded the American forces, had strengthened the place in all its
defences, both by land and water, in such a manner as to threaten a
siege that would be both tedious and difficult. When General Clinton,
anticipating the nature of the works he desired to capture, sent for the
Royal Highlanders and Queen's Rangers to join him, which they did on
April 18th, having sailed from New York on March 31st. The siege
proceeded in the usual way until May 12th, when the garrison surrendered
prisoners of war. The loss of the British forces on this occasion
consisted of seventy-six killed and one hundred and eighty-nine
wounded; and that