{"id":77,"date":"2010-07-16T19:38:24","date_gmt":"2010-07-16T19:38:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/infj.net\/smith\/?page_id=77"},"modified":"2011-08-30T14:31:08","modified_gmt":"2011-08-30T14:31:08","slug":"lt-charles-grant","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/smithrebellion1765.com\/?page_id=77","title":{"rendered":"Lt. Charles Grant"},"content":{"rendered":"

Biography of Capt. Charles Grant, 42nd<\/sup> or Royal Highland Regiment <\/strong><\/p>\n

Excerpted from Kilts & Courage, Vol. II, The Officers of the 42nd<\/sup> or <\/em><\/p>\n

Royal Highland Regiment in the American War for Independence 1776 \u2013 1783<\/em><\/p>\n

by Paul Pace<\/p>\n

Charles Grant was born Mar. 13, 1740, the youngest child of Jacobite Alexander Grant, 4th<\/sup> of Sheuglie and his second wife, Isabella Grant (daughter of John Grant, 6th<\/sup> of Glenmoriston).\u00a0 Sheuglie is located in Glen Urquhart, about eight miles west of Urqhart Castle on Loch Ness. At the end of the \u201945 Jacobite Rebellion sixty-year old Alexander Grant of Sheuglie was made prisoner, and was accused of being the chief mover in the rebellious actions of the Urquhart men, though he himself, did not actually join the Prince Charles\u2019 Jacobite army. \u00a0Grant was taken to London and confined in Tilbury Fort, where he died of a fever on July 29, 1746, just as he was about to be brought to trial. One of Charles Grant\u2019s older brothers was Col. Hugh Grant of Moy, the father of Lt. Alexander Grant, 42nd<\/sup> Regt.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Grant began his service as a Volunteer in the 77th<\/sup> Regt. (Montgomery\u2019s Highlanders) during the French and Indian War.\u00a0 Volunteer Grant took part in Maj. James Grant of Ballindalloch abortive attack on Fort Duquesne (at the current site of the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) in September 1758 and was captured and held prisoner by the Wyandott Indians near Detroit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A July 1759 letter from Lt. James Grant of the 77th<\/sup> Regt. to Col. Henry Bouquet requests assistance for Grant writing \u201cColonel<\/em> [Archibald] Montgomery desires his Compliments to you & General Stanwix & begs the favour Youl exert yourselves in recovering the prisoners among the Indians taken in Major<\/em> [James] Grants affair particularly Lt<\/sup><\/em> [Alexander] Mc<\/sup>Donald <\/em>[77th<\/sup> Regt.] & Mr<\/sup> Charles Grant, a Volunteer who came from home under Major Grants protection, if this opportunity of treating wt<\/sup> the Indians when you are in their Country, is overlooked; it is hard to Say how long those poor people may remain in Slavery.\u201d <\/em>\u00a0Vol. Charles Grant and Maj. James Grant of Ballindalloch were distant cousins.<\/p>\n

Indian Scout George Croghan was involved in Grant\u2019s release and wrote in his journal for Jan. 11, 1760 that \u201ca Number of Wyandotts came here to trade, and brought Lieutenant Mc<\/sup>Donald of the [77th<\/sup>] Highland Regiment, and one Hamilton that was taken <\/em>out of the Cove, both of them they delivered up to me; and said that their Nation would bring in <\/em>all <\/em>the English Prisoners they had, and deliver them up in the Spring.\u201d <\/em>\u00a0He continued in his journal on Jan. 26 that \u201cOne Charles Powers an English Prisoner…gives the following intelligence…That the Wyandotts are Pretty kind to their Prisoners, but all other Nations that he has been amongst are very Cruel…\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

In late Nov. 1760 Capt. Campbell of the 60th<\/sup> Regt. arrived at Detroit to accept the surrender of the fort, per an earlier arrangement with the French. The former French Garrison of three officers and 35 privates was sent to Fort Pitt and arrived on Dec. 24, 1760.\u00a0 Croghan noted on Dec. 2, 1760 that \u201cLieut. <\/em>[Robert] Holmes <\/em>[of Roger\u2019s Rangers] set out with Mr <\/sup>Belleater and the rest of the Garrison for Fort Pitt with whom I sent <\/em>15 <\/em>English Prisoners that I had got from the Indians.<\/em>\u201d<\/em> Lt. Holmes made a listing or \u201cReturn\u201d<\/em> of the released English prisoners at Detroit dated Dec. 26, 1760 and included Volunteer Charles Grant, indicating he had been captured at Major Grant\u2019s defeat near Fort Duquesne, Sept. 14, 1758, and had been a prisoner with the \u201cWyondot Indians<\/em>\u201d ever since.<\/p>\n

Soon after Vol. Grant\u2019s arrival at Fort Pitt, Col. Henry Bouquet, commander at Fort Pitt sent a letter to Gen. Monckton which read \u201cFort Pitt 25th<\/sup> Jany. 1761\u00a0 <\/strong><\/em>Sir, <\/em>The bearer <\/em>Mr<\/sup>. <\/em>Charles Grant was a Volunteer in Col. Montgomery\u2019s Regiment, and had the misfortune to be taken by the Indians in the Campaign of 1758. Having made his Escape, he came here last month, and hath been sick ever since, as he desired me to inform you of his case I take the liberty to do it…. Your most Obedt<\/sup> and most Humble Servant\u00a0 <\/em>Henry Bouquet.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Grant was commissioned Ensign in the 42nd<\/sup> Regt. on July 28, 1760, although \u201cVolunteer Charles Grant,\u201d<\/em> discuss above, was still a prisoner of the Indians until Nov. 1760. \u00a0After commissioning Ens. Grant participated in the capture of Montreal in 1761 and Martinique in 1762.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ens. Grant was promoted to Lieutenant in July 1762 and instead of going out on half-pay when the battalion was reduced, he reverted to the rank of Ensign but retained his seniority as Lieutenant and participated in the 1764 expedition to Muskingum, Ohio under Gen. Henry Bouquet.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lt. Grant was the commander of Fort Loudoun in Western Pennsylvania in 1764 to1765 with a half-company of the 42nd<\/sup> Regt. to enforce the Proclamation Line of 1763 (which prohibited illegal settlement west of the Allegheny Mountains).\u00a0 Fort Loudoun was located about 70 miles southwest of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and about 150 miles southeast of Fort Pitt where the largest part of the 42nd<\/sup> Regt. was located.\u00a0 In 1765 Lt. Grant was involved in a series of confrontations with James Smith, the leader of a local paramilitary group of about 300 men, nicknamed \u201cThe Black Boys,\u201d<\/em> who darkened their faces prior to engagements.\u00a0 At one point Grant was captured by Smith but was soon released. A senior officer described Grant\u2019s capture in a letter from Carlisle dated June 1, 1765, writing \u201cI received letters from Lieutenant Grant, commanding at Fort Loudoun, complaining much of some late insult, received <\/em>from the rioters near that post. He says on the 28th ult<\/em>., [May], he was taking the air on horseback and about half a mile from his post, was surrounded by five of the rioters, who presented their pieces at him. The person who commanded <\/em>them, <\/em>calling to them to \u201cshoot the bugger\u201d \u2013 that one of them fired at him, frightened him and his horse that he ran into <\/em>the bushes and occasioned his being thrown upon the ground. They then disarmed him, carried him fifteen miles into the woods and threatened to tie him to a tree and let him perish if he would not give them up some arms…\u201d <\/em>Grant was released by the \u201cBlack Boys\u201d<\/em> and resumed his command of Fort Loudoun.<\/p>\n

Grant was finally re-promoted to Lieutenant on Dec. 16, 1771 (effective with his earlier date of rank of Aug. 1762) in place of Lt. Nathaniel Mc<\/sup>Culloch.\u00a0 Several editions of the annual Army List incorrectly listed Grant\u2019s date of rank as 1771, but the date was corrected to Aug. 9, 1762 by the 1775 edition.\u00a0 Lt. Grant then obtained Capt. Alexander, Earl of Balcarras\u2019 company when Lord Balcarras was promoted out of the regiment in Mar. 1776.<\/p>\n

Just a few weeks before Grant sailed for America, his illegitimate daughter was born. The entry of the baptism read \u201c3 April 1776 Inverness – Captn<\/sup> Charles Grant of the 42d<\/sup> Regt<\/sup> & Jean Steven had a child begotten in fornication baptised by Mr<\/sup> George Watson called Anne<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grant\u2019s company traveled to America on the transport Glasgow<\/em>.\u00a0 Upon arrival Grant served as a company commander in one of the line battalions for the entire American war, including the New York\/New Jersey campaign of 1776-1777, the Philadelphia Campaign of 1777-1778, the occupation of Stoney Point, New York \u00a0in 1779, the Charleston, South Carolina Campaign of 1780 and the relief attempt to rescue Lord Cornwallis in 1781.\u00a0<\/p>\n

During the war, Grant married a \u201cMiss Hunt\u201d<\/em> from Newtown, Long Island, where the regiment went into Winter Quarters in Nov. 1778.\u00a0 Capt. Peebles commented on Mrs. Grant in his journal for July 17, 1780 writing \u201c…paid a visit to Mrs<\/sup> C. Grant who is in Camp.\u00a0 She looks well & may turn out something.<\/em>\u201d\u00a0 In Sept. 1781, Grant offered a five dollar reward in The Royal Gazette<\/em> for \u201c…a negro man named TOM, about 27 years of age five feet five or six inches high, thick and well made, has a cut in his forehead.\u00a0 Whoever brings the said negro man TOM, to Captain Grant, or Mr. Hunt, at Newtown, Long-Island, or gives information where he can be found, shall have the above reward…\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Grant was the senior Captain of the regiment in 1784 and contrary to the regimental succession book, which shows Grant retiring on Aug. 26, 1785, his tombstone in the St. Paul\u2019s Church burial ground in Halifax reads: \u201c…Here lies the body of Charles Grant, Esq., late Captain in the First Battalion of His Majesty\u2019s 42nd Royal Highland Regiment of Foot, who departed this life the 1st day of February, in the year of our Lord, 1785.\u00a0 Aged 44 years.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Commissions: Ens. July 28, 1760; Lt. Aug. 9, 1762; Ens. (as Lt.) 1763; Lt. Dec. 16, 1771 (effective Aug. 9, 1762); Capt. Mar. 20 1776; Died Feb.1, 1785.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Biography of Capt. Charles Grant, 42nd or Royal Highland Regiment Excerpted from Kilts & Courage, Vol. II, The Officers of the 42nd or Royal Highland Regiment in the American War for Independence 1776 \u2013 1783 by Paul Pace Charles Grant … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":35,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-77","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smithrebellion1765.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/77","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smithrebellion1765.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smithrebellion1765.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smithrebellion1765.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smithrebellion1765.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=77"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/smithrebellion1765.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/77\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1095,"href":"https:\/\/smithrebellion1765.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/77\/revisions\/1095"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smithrebellion1765.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/35"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smithrebellion1765.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=77"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}