Lieutenant John Murray was serving with the 78th (Highland) Regiment of Foot, otherwise known as the 78th Fraser Highlanders, in North America when he wrote this letter home. The regiment was raised in Scotland in 1757 to take part in the conflict that came to be known as the 7 Years War (or the French and Indian war in North America). The war began with a dispute over territory between the North American colonies of Britain and France, particularly relating to areas in western Pennsylvania and upstate New York but eventually escalated to involve every European great power at the time apart from the Ottoman Empire. Battles took place on land and sea across Europe and in the North American Colonies and involved various alliances with Native American peoples.
In his letter, John gives some indication of the dangers that faced the early settlers in the country:
‘now & then a back settler scalped by the Indians which we are so familiarized as to think nothing of it, I dare say not near so much as most people at home do.’
John is impressed by the country he finds himself in:
‘The lay of the Country In generall is woody but very Fertile when Clear’d, which is but every small proportion of the whole, Yet is for the most part very pleasing to the Eye’
His views on the settlers is rather more condemnatory:
‘The Inhabitants (I mean of the Country only) are A Vulgar, Ignorant, Rich, Independent, People And mostly all upon the same footing, Owing I believe to their wealth & the too great lenity of the Government to them… I believe they may make a very good figure in the Trading world, but I think never will in either the Polite or Political (altho they all pretend to be Great statesmen) for their heads are so crammed with Profit & Lose, That they have left no Room for any thing else, The more refin’d sentiments of ffriendship & honour seldom enter their Brains I believe I might have even added honesty however I wou’d not Mean from this that the whole are so, As there are some extreame Good People amongst them, Altho there is too many of them in the Above style.’
John asks his father for news and sounds rather despondent at the lack of letters from home:
‘I beg you will write me by every Packet and let me hear how your affairs are & how you and Mama keep your health, with every thing else concerning You And my other Relations, As I assure you your long Silence has given me great uneasiness, I always, until I met my Uncle flatored myself with the hopes of your letters having been miscarried But he Informed neither you nor he had ever wrote any.’
This letter is held as part of the MacGregor of MacGregor collection of family papers as John and his family were connected to the MacGregors by marriage. Unfortunately, there are no other letters from John in the collection. It is known that John was killed in June 1758 at the Siege of Louisbourg, a decisive victory for the British forces during the 7 Years War.
The full text of the letter reads as follows: –
My Dearest Sir
About six weeks ago I wrote from Boston
By Capt. Noble bound for Clyde, I was sent from Halifax to boston
To provide Quarters for Coll: Frasers Regt. who I believe my Lord
Loudon intended should winter there, but he has since ordered them
Here where I expect them Dayly & I believe they will winter either at
Philadelphia or this place I long vastly to to see Coll: Fraser both
to thank him for his kindness in appointing me one of his officers
and in hopes of receiving letters from you by him, as I have not
had one single line from any of my friends since I arrived on
this Continent which I assure you my D[ea]r papa has given me very
great uneasiness often, I hope I shall not for the future for the same
Cause.
In my last by Capt. Noble I gave you my journal
since my arrival in this Country since which letter nothing re –
markable has happened me My uncle is very well & writes
you by this Packet, But of an older date than Mine, he is about
Forty miles Above this, on his way to Albany where I believe the
Regt. will Quarter this winter, As will likewise Lord John Murray’s
who are all well, And at present between Albany & Fort Edward
In short every body that I recollect & that you are Acquainted with
are in perfect good health, As for me I never was better in my life
than since I came to this Country(Except one touch of the Bloody
Flux), Altho I have gone thro’ some very Quick Transitions of climate
first from heat to coald & then from cold to heat And indeed every body
that I know are in the same way, for there never was such a Number
of troops together with so few deaths Amongst them, As there is here
As for News, I entirely refer you to the Publick Papers, indeed
there is none for every thing is in the greatest Tranquillity here At
present except now & then a back settler scalped by the Indians
which we are so familiarized as to think nothing of it, I dare say
not near so much as most people at home do.
It is very usuall for people
who come to a strange Country to make some remarks upon it
The inhabitants their Manners Customs & Trade &c &c But as
You have seen many much more distinct Accounts of all these
Things Than I could pretend to give As my unsettled way of life
And the Company I mostly keept have prevented my coming to
the thorough knowledge of them.
However that I may not seem entirely Ignorant of the
People Amongst whom I have lived above a Twelvemonth,
I will sett down a few things that must appear
Obvious to every person who comes here.
The lay of the Country In generall is woody but very
Fertile when Clear’d, which is but every small proportion of
the whole, Yet is for the most part very pleasing to the Eye
The produce I dare say you are thoroughly well Acquainted with
Therefore will not detain you on that head.
The Inhabitants (I mean of the Country only) are
A Vulgar, Ignorant, Rich, Independent, People And mostly all
upon the same footing, Owing I believe to their wealth & the too
great lenity of the Government to them which indeed they
seem to be very Insensible of, But I hope will soon.
To say any thing of their Towns (that at present
seem to be flourishing very fast wou’d lead me entirely out of
my design of Brevity Therefore I shall not touch on that subject.
As for the Inhabitants of them. I believe they may
make a very good figure in the Trading world, but I think never
will in either the Polite or Political (altho they all pretend to be
Great statesmen) for their heads are so crammed with Profit &
Lose, That they have left no Room for any thing else, The more
refin’d sentiments of ffriendship & honour seldom enter their
Brains I believe I might have even added honesty however I
wou’d not Mean from this that the whole are so, As there are
some extreame Good People amongst them, Altho there is
too many of them in the Above style.
As I dare say you are very much Tired with this long
Narration I will conclude it with giving you a hint that I don’t
intend to Publish my remarks at present I mean to put them
in the press, Therefore beg that you may not expose me by
shewing this Nonsense to any body, I hope you’l forgive this
freedom
Just now I rece[ive]d a letter from my Uncle he is Extreamly
Well In the list of Captains for Lord John Murray’s Additional
Company’s there is one James Murray which I think is very
Probably my Uncle as there is not a James Murray in the
Army, Some think it is Lord John’s Nephew, But a litle
Time will soon determine us.
It is reported here that there is another Highland
Regt. to be raised And the Command to be given to Lochiel
who I’me told is at London. If so I should Imagine it was
possible to procure me a Company in it, But of this And
the method how to apply for it, you are best Judge
Believe me my D[ea]r Sir the greatest pleasure it would give
me, wou’d be that I should be enabled to Assist you in your
Difficulties, I pray God you may have no need of it, But
I beg you may do me the Justice to believe that if it
shall be ever in my power I will perform with a greatefull
and Dutifull heart.
I hope this will find you reconciled to Mr
Drummond & Sir John Miln’s as I dare say it would extricate
you out of some of your Difficulties, I beg you will write me by every
Packet and let me hear how your affairs are & how you and
Mama keep your health, with every thing else concerning
You And my other Relations, As I assure you your long
Silence has given me great uneasiness, I always, until
I met my Uncle flatored myself with the hopes of your
letters having been miscarried But he Informed neither you
nor he had ever wrote any.
If it were convenient for you to get a letter of
Recommendation for me from Mr Hugh Forbes to his
Brother the Coll: who is adjutant Generall here I should be
greatly Obliged to you And I believe it might be of Service
to me, Not that I think I could procure me a step But it might
be of use in severall other cases, I am pretty well Acquainted
with him & go pretty often to see him, he is at present very
well. I have not heard one word from Mrs Brand since I came
here yet & very seldom of her – I beg you may remember
me to all my Relations, friends, and Acquaintances in the
proper Manner, And with my Duty to Mama Grandmama, Aunts
and Uncles, and love to my sister & her Children, her husband And
Brother in law are both well & I am
My Drlay yrs most affect & loving
Son John Murray
New York Octr 18th 1757
P.S. always send your letters by the Packet and direct for
Me To lieut John Murray of Collonal Frasers Ret at New York
North America, If they are so directed they must come to hand,
Provided you pay the postage to Falmouth & the freight from there
Here. This is my fourth letter – Since I wrote the rest of my
Letter, I’me ordered by Lord Loudon to go to Connecticut
Collony & take up Quarters for Col: Frasers Regt as they are
To be Cantoned in several different Villages in that Government
This winter, adieu once more my Drllays John Murray
Octr 20th.
