Morris : Letter-Book of Capt. Alexander ]\IcDonald 89 



" I have been on the most active Services on the Continent of 

 America & in the West Indies during the last war — have been 

 severely wounded & as I never missed an hour of My duty all 

 that time no Command'g Oofif'r Challenged or fovuid fault with 

 me — 



" In time of the Stamp Act, I most freely Offered my Service 

 to Gen'l Gage in Case it should be found Necessary to levy any 

 troops in America. 



"In October 1774 perceiving the Americans Were determined 

 to revolt, I wrote Major Jno. Small then at Boston, desiring he 

 w'd inform Gen'l Gage that I was Settled on Statten Island & 

 ready to Join the Army with a hundred as fine fellows as ever 

 Carried arms, most partly Non Commiss'd officers & private men 

 Who had been discharged from the Highland Regim'ts after the 

 Conclusion of last War & from the Knowledge they had Ac- 

 quired of the Country might be found very useful as Guides to 

 conduct Any part of the Army Wherever his Excellency had 

 Occasion to send them or in Any Other way in w'ch they might be 

 found conducive to the Service. . . . 



" Accordingly I sent out from Statten Island thro' frost & Snow 

 to the Mohawk river, where there were 200 highlanders who had 

 lately arrived from Scotland Settled on part of Sir John Johnstons 

 Estate & being Chiefly of my own Name I engaged every one of 

 them, Offering a Captain's Commission to the Gentleman who 

 was at their head from thence I returned to Boston making My 

 observations on the Conduct of the Country People as I went 

 along & leaving trusty persons at Dift''t Stations to pick up all 

 able bodied & well effected young men Especially Such as had 

 emigrated from the North of Scotland Enjoining the greatest 

 Secrecy as I had been directed. 



" Arriving at Boston I reported every thing I had done & Seen 

 to the Gen'l — But no Acco't having then as yet been rec'd from 

 home concerning a plan there was nothing more to be done for 

 that time & I ret'd home to Statten Island— Making my Remarks 

 as I went along, I found the people more violent & Insolent — 

 Nothing but Committees & Liberty poles at every Mile end." 



