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He supped at the Honourable Alexander Gordon's, now one of our judges, by the title of Lord Rockville; at Mr Nairne's, now also one of our judges, by the title of Lord Dunsinan; at Dr Blair's, and Mr Tytler's; and at my house thrice, one evening with a numerous company, chiefly gentlemen of the law; another with Mr Menzies of Culdares, and Lord Monboddo, who disengaged himself on purpose to meet him; and the evening on which we returned from Lord Elibank's, he supped with my wife and me by ourselves.
A sequel of the incident was that a non-commissioned officer and eight men of the Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment were sent to guard the remaining prisoners at Murray Bay a task apparently beyond Nairne's local militia. This guard was, no doubt, composed of Germans; one wonders to what extent they fraternized with the French Canadians.
When I came to the last verse of Lady Nairne's 'Hundred Pipers, the spirited words had taken my fancy captive, and I am sure I could not have sung with more vigour and passion had my people been 'out with the Chevalier.
A part of Nairne's duty was to watch the French Canadians and check sedition. In spite of the failure of Arnold's expedition many of them were still favourable to the American cause. They harboured deserters in the remoter parishes, gave protection and assistance to rebels, and threw as many difficulties as possible in the path of loyalists.
The next day Colonel Plenderleath, who was not two yards away when Captain Nairne fell, wrote to Judge Bowen what words of comfort he could for Nairne's friends: He was a gallant officer of most amiable Manners and Disposition.... It may be of some comfort to his family that he has fallen in the honourable service of his country.
News travelled slowly in those days but bad news has swifter wings than good; a week after Thomas Nairne fell the particulars of his death had reached Quebec. It was Judge Bowen's painful duty to send to Murray Bay the intelligence he had received from Nairne's Colonel. He wrote to Mr.
Nearly half a century later when Malcolm Fraser was giving advice to a young officer, Nairne's son, he advised him not to be too critical of the actions of his superiors. The confident young diarist of 1760 had meanwhile learned reserve. But he was not alone among the Highlanders in his criticism of Murray. A Murray led at Culloden in April, 1746, as at Quebec in April, 1760.
Sir, you may as well maintain that a carrier, who has driven a packhorse between Edinburgh and Berwick for thirty years, does not know the road, as that Lord Mansfield does not know the law of England . At Mr. Nairne's, he drew the character of Richardson, the authour of Clarissa, with a strong yet delicate pencil.
His Education in Scotland. His winning character. He enters the army. Malcolm Fraser's counsels to a young soldier. Thomas Nairne's life at Gibraltar. His desire to retire from the army. His return to Canada in 1810-11. His life at Quebec. His summer at Murray Bay, 1811. His resolve to remain in the army. Beginning of the War of 1812. Captain Nairne on Lake Ontario.
He had given only a part of his system: Dr Johnson thought he should have given the whole. Dr Johnson enforced the strict observance of Sunday. 'It should be different, he observed, 'from another day. People may walk, but not throw stones at birds. There may be relaxation, but there should be no levity. We went and saw Colonel Nairne's garden and grotto. Here was a fine old plane tree.
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