The chiefs of Grant - Electric Scotland

45G SIR JAMES Gi;.\XT OK Or.AXT, I'.AlIOXr.T. [1773-
brouyiit to Edinburgh, trieil, and cuiiiU'iniiod tn be liuMgvd, tliougli be \v:is
defended by the celebrated advocato, Henry Erskinc, but his sentence was
commuted.
Shortly after the aflair Avilli the tinkers, and v:hV' (he regiment was
f-lill at lUunfries, an nnhapp)' state of insuboi'dinatiiT broke out, whidi
c"';ded in tlie execution of two of the fencibles. Some '
' the
men had been
];ut in confinement and tlireatcned with punishment, which then meant
flogging. Such an Indignity was so abhonent to the mind of tlie lliuh-
landers, that a party of them defied their ollicers and released the {U'isoiU'rs.
At the first appearance of a mutinous spirit among the men. Sir James
Gi'ant was informed of the occurrence. ]Ie hastened to the regiment to
put matters right, but he ari'ived too late, and tlie flagrant bi'cach of
military discipline which had taken jjlace could not be overlooked. The
regiment was marched to Musselliurgh, and five men were tried and found
guilty of mutiny. One, a corporal, was pardoned, and of the fimr otho'S,
who were privates, two were finally ordered fir execution, which took place
at Gullane Links on IGth July 1795, in the ]iresence of all the regular and
volunteer troops in the neighbourhood. After this afiaii- the rcnment, it
it is said, was quiet, orderly, and attentive to dut}-, but their service was
not of long duration.
In the royal warrant I'or raising the regiment it was stipulated that
it should not be sent out of Great Britaiji, and the service of the Scotch
fencible regiments was strictly confined to Scotland. But while the Grant
Fencibles were stationed at Linlithgow in 17'.)-1, it was proposed to employ
the men in service in England and L'eland. With a view to ascertain the
feeling of the soldiers themselves, orders were directed to be issued to this
effect, but misunderstandings arose and the jjroposal was abandoned.
In 1799 it was resolved to discharge all fencible regiments whose
service did not extend beyond Scotland, and the Grant FencilJes were
therefore disbanded, with several other regiments on the same footing.'
Sir James Grant's zeal for the service of tiie Gover'nment did not con-
fine itself to raising troops who were to serve oidy within Scotland, but
took a wider range. As soon as Ins fencibk's \\-ere enJjodied, he proceeded
' Stewart's Sketches, vol. ii. .'jlo ; Kaj s I'oitraits, vol. i.
i>. jj. M'J'J.