THE BLACK WATCH.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1159, 16 May 1884, Page 4

THE BLACK WATCH.

Archibald Forbes thus writes of the IBlack Watch, who bore the brunt of : tbe fighting at the recent battle of -Zareba, with the Arabs under Osman Digraa-t—“General Stephenson has •chosen from the six battalions under his command in Kgypt the 42nd Highlanders, the Ist Battalion Gordon Highlanders (the old 75th), and the 3rd Battalion of the 60th Rifles for service in the Soudan. The Black Watch was sure to be among the seh ct; there is no stauncher regiment in the service. Colonels may come and colonels may go ; a Macpherson ■ may succeed a Macleod, and a Ranff- ■ shire Green mayfollowa Macphersonbut the regimental traditions and systems of the ‘ Forty twa’ goon forever It is very Scotch in composition, although not nearly so Highland as the 78th, 92nd, and 93rd. Lowlanders abound in its ranks—hawky, canny fellows, as fierce as any Highlanders when their blood is up, but having the attributes of steadfastness, staunchness—‘dourness,’ if your readers know the word. When 2000 bhang-mad-dened Ghazls suddenly dashed at the Black Watch in one of the marches of the Indian mutiny, with the brandished tulwar in one hand and the cruel stabbing dagger in the other, the chief serenely halted his regiment in line, and bade his felLws tire one volley and then stand fast to take the Ghazls on the bayonets. The bayonet, as the Ghazls found, has a farther reach than the tulwar. They skewered themselves recklessly on the points of the Scoti ish bayonets ; and, pierced as they were, slashed at hands and faces ; but their fierce rush nowhere broke the line. When there was some wavering in the advance at A maeful—for it was nervous work for young soldiers to tread the bush out of which, from unseen foes, rattled a hailstorm of Ashantee slugs Alison made the advance lie down, and brought up the 42nd at tire double. They passed over the pro strate detachments, took the front, and bored their way with grim resoluteness through the bush, wasting no ammunition while no mark showed itself; Macleod, stern and composed, riding on a mule at their head, with a big stick in his right hand. Their blood was tingling sharper when Alison again, in the morning gloaming, led them in that fierce rush athwart the sand, across the ditch and over the parapet into the hottest section of the Tel el Kebir position. A fine sterling regim -nt the 75th proved itself through r out the lohg strain of the seige of 1 Delhi, and it had its place in the first line of Hamley’s at Tel-el-Jiebir.”