Talk:71st Regiment of Foot, Fraser's Highlanders

Regarding tone of article
This article has 1st person references, and it also sounds like a handbook or brochure. contribs STYROFOAM☭1994 TALK 15:57, 10 February 2008 (UTC)


 * Or it sounds like somebody's term paper. Sbowers3 (talk) 04:00, 11 February 2008 (UTC)
 * After three or four days of editing, I think I have cleaned it up in a major way; it still needs direct cites in the article but I think it reads a lot better now, and much of the trivia has been removed. I also added images and put the article in the proper categories. I'm sure others can be added.139.48.25.61 (talk) 20:43, 12 June 2008 (UTC)
 * I am afraid this still reads like somebody's term paper. Numerous errors and notable omissionsJF42 (talk) 06:42, 11 September 2016 (UTC)
 * I have now removed extensive unsourced material. Dormskirk (talk) 23:34, 4 February 2017 (UTC)

71st Light Companies
There is no mention of the Light Infantry companies (L.I. coys) of both the 1st and 2nd battalions (bn), 71st Regiment. The L.I. coy, 1st Bn was captured at sea. It is not clear when but the L.I.coy 2nd Bn was eventually assigned to the composite 2nd Battalion Light Infantry, commanded by John Maitland. This had definitely taken place by the time of the Philadelphia campaign as is shown by orderly books from other companies in the 2nd battalion. Almost certainly, therefore, the 71st L.I.coy participated in Major General Charles Grey's night attack on General Anthony Wayne's Pennsylvanian troops near Paoli Tavern, on the night of 20th September, 1777.The 2nd L.I. led the assault on the American encampment, later dubbed by the Americans 'The Paoli Massacre'

A year later the 71st L.I.coy were unquestionably involved in another night attack when they spearheaded an assault on Colonel Baylor's 3rd Dragoons billeted in farm buildings in the Jersey village of Old Tappan in which the conduct of the 71st L.I. men was the object of serious allegations of atrocity. Captain Sir James Baird commander of the 71st L.I. coy, the focus of much of the allegation, was described by one witness parading in the streets of New York with a bloody bayonet on his belt.

This event would appear to be the origin of the spurious anecdote in David Stewart of Garth's 'Sketches of the Highlanders' which tells of the 71st Regiment being ordered by Colonel Maitland to wear red feathers in their bonnets to let George Washington know when they were in the field. Maitland's nephew specified in a letter forwarded to Stewart that this order was given to the 2nd Bn. 71st after their destruction of 'Lady Washington's Dragoons'- an alternative name for Baylor's regiment. The anecdote is probably a variation of a tale usually told of the 2nd L.I. as a whole who are said to have adopted red feathers following the so-called 'Paoli Massacre' after which the 2nd battalion was nicknamed 'The Bloodhounds' by the Pennsylvanians.

The 71st L.I. built on their reputation for ruthless efficiency when they rejoined the main body of the Regiment on the move south to Georgia and were once again divided into two companies. This reputation was characterised by their decisive attack at Briar Creek when, seeking retribution for the murder of a L.I. coy sergeant in Augusta- the men called out"Remember poor MacAllister" and, it was alleged, refused quarter to any American they caught up with in the rout. It was also alleged thatSir James Baird, by then a major in command of the southern light infantry corps, threatened cutting the rum ration of any man who took prisoners and was an enthusiastic participant in the killing.

The original 71st L.I. coy ended its career at Cowpens when the majority were captured. JF42 (talk) 21:07, 21 August 2013 (UTC)