236 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
At Gibraltar, on one occasion, the General ordered a regiment, which had
newly arrived to replace another about to embark on different service, to be
inspected by several of the field-officers-each private to step six paces in front
of the line for that purpose. The corps thus to be scrutinised was a battalion
of the Scots Brigade, which had been raised in Edinburgh in 1794 by the late
Lieut.-General Ferrier, and of such a diminutive size were the men, that they
were called “ the Garvies I’ by the inhabitants. Major Campbell was one of
the inspectors, and he patiently endured the tedious process of overhauling this
very indifferent sample of his countrymen, till at length one peculiarly coarsevisaged,
short, cross-made, elderly little fellow stepped out his six paces. Unable
longer to contain himself, and running up to the soldier, he stooped to the
level of the ill-favoured ‘‘ militaire,” then grinning, or rather girning in his face,
he bawled out-“ Well, doubly d-n me ! (his usual exclamation), but you
are an ugly b- ! my dear.’’ Then turning to a fellow officer (Lieut.-General
Ainslie) who stood by-“He seems conglomerated, my dear; from con arid
glomeo, as we used to say at St. Andrews, my dear.”
Major Campbell remained with his regiment until a very old man, and so
worn out that he could not poise his sword without the assistance of both his
hands.
He married Miss Macalister, sister to Lieut.-Colonel Macalister, 35th Regiment,
by whom he had one son, Henry Fletcher.
Our hero died more than forty years since. His son was an officer in the
same regiment, and having retired, married a sister of Sir Charles Turner, of
Abberley, near Witherley, in Yorkshire, by whom he obtained a handsome
fortune.
No. XCVIII.
THE ROYAL EDINBURGH VOLUNTEERS.
MR. ARCHIBALD GILCHRIST.
THE Edinburgh (or, as they were afterwards called, the Royal) Volunteers,
were embodied in 1794. The plan of instituting the corps was first contemplated
in the month of June of that year ; and, on the 3d of July following, a
general meeting of the proposed members were held in the Sheriff Court-Rooms,
when certain leading articles of regulation were established, and a committee of
management appointed.’ By one of the articles, the uniform is described to
The Volunteers were to bear all their own expenses of clothing and other necessaries ; and halfa-
guinea of entry-money was exacted from each member, towards defraying contingencies. Subsequently,
however, on application to Government, the usual pay was obtained for an adjutant ; pay
and clothing for a aergeant-major and twenty sergesnta ; and also for twelve drummers and twelve
fifers. The entire scheine of embodying the citizens 8s volunteers, it ia said, waa solely projected by
the late James Laing, Depute City-Clerk.
