teers." The battalion consisted of four companies of eighty men each, rank and file, which, for the conveniency of field movements, were subdivided into eight companies of forty men each, including a grenadier and light company. They had muskets, havresacks and canteens; and were allowed the common rate by government for clothing, which being of a finer fabric than that used by the regular army, the difference was defrayed at their own expense. Their clothing was scarlet, faced with green, and white lace; with white breeches and long gaiters. The corps drilled twice a-week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays; and, as they had a good band of music, they drew forth on all occasions plenty of the young and the gay as spectators. In short, the smart appearance of this little battalion, with its music, and its spirited manœuvres, gave it considerably the lead of all the neighbouring volunteer corps.

The determined principle which the country had adopted in prosecuting the war against the "modern Cromwell," rendered it necessary that more substantial cantonments should be found for the soldiery than the tented field; accordingly, barracks were erected at Dunbar and Haddington, in the autumn of 1803, with wonderful celerity. At Dunbar they were begun ere the crop was off their site, and were occupied by the 1st of November. The infantry and artillery barracks were situated on the Heugh Heads, a high ground overlooking the sea, west from the castle park. The huts were capable of containing 1200 infantry, and 300 artillery. The cavalry barracks were sitų

ated in the park betwixt the Gallowgreen and Bel÷ haven, and were capable of containing 300 men.* The first regiments that occupied the barracks were the Ayrshire and Lanarkshire militias, and a light brigade of artillery.

In regard to the barracks, one thing is worthy of remark, that a more healthy situation, independently of other circumstances, could not have been chosen. A regiment has been known to march into the barracks with 170 in the sick-report, which, in a short time, was reduced to six; and, in one instance, a regiment of 1360 men had not one man in the hospital. It was a general complaint all over Britain, that the hospitals could not contain the sick; but at Dunbar, the hospital, though only constructed for one-half. of the regulated number, would have answered the purpose had it been one-fourth of the size.

Dunbar was now pretty well prepared to meet the threatened invasion; and a more vigilant officer than General Don could not have been appointed. He

*The Infantry Barracks consisted of 104 huts; viz. 2 messrooms, with kitchen, cellars, &c.; 8 field-officers' rooms, 42 for officers, 45 for soldiers, 25 for servants; and 2 for staff-sergeants. Besides stables for 40 horses; an hospital, store-houses, guard-houses, &c.

The Artillery Barracks consisted of 34 huts; viz. 1 mess-room, 2 field-officers' rooms, 12 for officers, 12 for soldiers, 7 for servants; besides stables for 140 horses: gun-shed, smiths', farriers', wheelers`, and saddlers' shops, guard-house, stores, &c.

The Cavalry Barracks consisted of 44 huts; viz. 1 mess-room, 4 field-officers' rooms, 16'for officers, 4- for quarter.masters, 4 for sergeants, 12 for soldiers; besides stables for 320 horses, hay-sheds, granaries, guard-house, store-rooms, &c.

had already been severely wounded in actual service; and he both knew the care and circumspection necessary for the important post which he filled. On the 19th November, 1803, he issued instructions for the regulation of the yeomanry and volunteer infantry of the county of Haddington, in the event of being called into service, which will be found in the Note at the end of this chapter.

General Don seems to have taken a great interest in the volunteers; and, accordingly, on the 29th of the same month, he entered into a correspondence with Major Middlemass respecting their equipment, in order that they might feel as comfortable as possible when on duty. The articles recommended were, great-coats, knapsacks, havresacks, canteens, and camp-kettles. To carry this into effect, the town of Dunbar contributed fifty guineas, General Don thirty guineas, and each man 40s. It was considered, that a sum not less than £.600, would be required for this purpose. It was also the wish of Lord Moira that each man should carry sixty rounds of ball-cartridges. The boxes, however, were only enlarged to carry forty.

On the evening of the 2nd February, 1804, a circumstance occurred, which at least placed the zeal of the yeomanry and volunteer corps beyond a doubt. The person who kept watch at Hounamlaw in Roxburghshire, mistook some accidental light which arose at a house-heating, situated in a conspicuous spot in the neighbourhood of Dunse, for the beacon of Dunselaw, and she in her turn lighted up, when she beheld the former in a blaze; or, according to another

version, in a note to the Antiquary, it was the person stationed at Home Castle, who was deceived by some accidental fire in Northumberland; consequently the signal was immediately repeated through all the valleys on the English border. Luckily the watch stationed at St Abb's Head considered, that had there been a descent on the eastern sea-coast, the alarm must have come from that quarter, and did not fire his beacon; otherwise the alarm would have blazed from Blackcastle to Garleton, and alarmed the whole of the north of Scotland.

In Berwickshire, Roxburghshire, and Selkirkshire, the volunteers got under arms with wonderful rapidi-' ty; and next morning, the inhabitants of Dunbar were surprised by the arrival of the Berwickshire yeomanry at an early hour; some of whom were no doubt chagrined at the hoax, while others were agreeably disappointed. The same day the Dunse volunteers came to Haddington, being their appointed place of rendezvous in the event of an invasion, and the Selkirkshire yeomanry, notwithstanding their remote distance from the alarm-post, reached Dalkeith by one o'clock.

On the 7th May, 1804, the Haddington volunteers, commanded by Lieutenant-colonel Hay Mackenzie, went on permanent duty into the North Barracks of Dunbar for fourteen days; and on the 19th, the whole of the military stationed in the neighbourhood of Dunbar, including the garrison of Haddington, were reviewed on Westbarns Links, by the Earl of Moira, then commander-in-chief of the forces in

Scotland. The regiments reviewed, were the first and second battalions of the 18th or Royal Irish; the Perthshire and Galloway militia, the latter as gunners; and a brigade of the Royal Artillery; also a brigade of volunteer infantry; viz. the Dunbar, Haddington, North Berwick, Dunse, Eyemouth, and Coldingham regiments; and the Berwickshire and East Lothian yeomanry; the whole amounting at least to 5000 men..

This military parade continued but a few years., Napoleon got so much embroiled with the continental powers, that our brave countrymen, in junction, with their allies, met the enemy in other lands, and on other shores, and the alarm of an invasion ceased.

In 1808, the Haddingtonshire Local Militia was embodied under the command of Lord Sinclair, and the volunteer regiments of the county transferred their services to that corps. The regular military force was concentrated at Haddington under Brigadier-general John Hope. This place, from its situation between the capital and the coast, was the most centrical for any accidental movements; hence, the garrison of Dunbar, now consisted only of the 94th regiment, of 676 men, while that of Haddington, which was composed of cavalry, infantry, and artillery, amounted to 2000. In a few years more, a revolution in human affairs took place, as remarkable as that which gave it birth. This was the abdication of Bonaparte and the general peace of Paris. After this event, the barracks, which had arisen with the celerity of magic, to live the brief space of eleven years, were disposed of by public auction, and totally removed in November 1814.