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William,
born in the island of Pabbay in 1760, who did not emigrate
with his parents but was left behind in the care of
his uncle, Rev. Dr. John MacLeod, D.D., of Harris. He
joined the 81st Regiment in 1778 as a Lieutenant. This
Regiment, however, was reduced in 1783. He gave evidence
in the Loyalist Papers on 27th May 1783 in which he
stated that "he was a Lieutenant in the 81st Regiment,
which will be reduced -- his father was very active
in America and had died in Charlestown last year --
he is the eldest son -- his father lost about £1000
in America, he has 3 brothers and 2 sisters -- he was
never in America -- his father was in America about
2 years before the Rebellion. He does not apply for
himself but for his (father's) family. They are not
now in England but he expects them soon". In a
further letter dated 19th July 1787 he states "I
lost 4 years awaiting the result of my claim and though
my father and mother (she died in 1785) fell a sacrifice
to their loyalty and though my brothers and sisters
are dispersed in various parts of the world"--
he required some relief for "my poor sisters."
The Secretary for War now offered William MacLeod a
Lieutenancy in the 73rd Regiment (2nd. Bn. Black Watch),
if he ould recruit sufficient men. Again, William wrote
from George's Coffee House on 30th November 1787, "The
Regiment to which I am appointed being in India, I must
either raise the number of men required... or lose the
only opportunity that perhaps I'll ever have of getting
into the Service again. I had the honour of being examined
in the beginning of May last and it is now upwards of
4 years since I came to London on this business though
I have not hitherto received a farthing from the Government".
He joined th e73rd Regiment in India in the end and
his rank of Lieutenancy is dated 24th September 1787
and that of Captain 2nd September 1795. He took part
in the assault on Seringapatam on 4th May 1799 and while
leading the attack was wounded in the lungs, being led
off by a sergeant of De Meuron's Swiss Regiment. The
last entry under his name was in 1800 and we can only
conclude that he was either invalided out of the Service
or more probably died of wounds. The silver medal (Seringapatam),
still an honoured possession of members of the Clann
mac mhic Alasdair Ruaidh is almost certainly that gained
by this gallant officer.
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