by Maj. Geo. (Duff) Mitchell, MC,CD,UE,

Ontario's Glengarry County is studded with 20 bronze plaques along its highways and byways which give us fascinating glimpses of its early history as well as its Highland and Loyalist pioneers who settled there from 1784. Some of these plaques, however, are decades old and are based on one or two old records rather than on comprehensive research. Some bronze plaques shroud untold stories and unsung heroes. One such plaque is that memorializing the “MacLeod Settlement” It is found two miles east of Kirkhill on the old Dalkeith Laggan concession road. (now provincial #24). It is mounted on an impressive stone cairn erected by Clan MacLeod Society of Glengarry at Lot 18, 6th Concession, Lochiel Township. This lot was first granted to Alexander MacLeod (1769-1850), the youngest of the five organizers who shepherded 40 Highland families from Scotland to Canada in 1793-1794. (See appended text of plaque.) The MacLeod Settlement plaque was unveiled before provincial and local dignitaries on August 1St, 1965 by Alexander's 6th generation descendant. Provincial representatives included the late “Prof. G.F.G. Stanley, Kingston Archeological and Historic Sites Board,” (later New Brunswick's Lieutenant- Governor), who gave the principal address, and Hugh P. MacMillan of “Toronto Dept. of Public Records and Archives,” who made introductory remarks at the dedication ceremonyⁱ. Alexander MacLeod became recognized as a prime leader of Lochiel's “MacLeod Settlement” after being commissioned as a captain of the 2nd Regiment; Glengarry Militia, in the War of 1812. He was instrumental in founding the county's second Presbyterian congregation, and obtaining by 1820 a Gaelic-speaking, Church of Scotland minister for what later became St. Columba Church. But the plaque that memorializes Alexander's leadership neglects the heroic roles of four other men in establishing the MacLeod Settlement. This neglect can be traced to the source used for the wording on the plaque. It is based largely on Captain Alexander's unsuccessful petition for a leader's 1000-acre grant in 1838. By then he was the only surviving organizer of the five who had directed the MacLeod emigration. Hardship was the common lot of the Highland men and Women who emigrated to Glengarry, but few endured the misfortunes and setbacks that befell this MacLeod emigration. The survival of 36 out of the 40 families, who eventually reached their new Glenelg (later Kirldaill) in upper Lancaster (from 1818-Lochiel) Township, owes much to the experience and tenacity of all the expedition leaders, but especially two Loyalist comrades-in-arms whose remarkable contributions receive scant mention in Glengarry historiesⁱⁱ.

The two stalwarts, Archibald 'King' McGillivray (c1756-1836), my ancestor, and 'Big' Alexander MacLeod (1756-1836), had emigrated to New York colony, probably settling in the upper Hudson River valley with their kin as young men, before the American Revolution. When colonial discontent burst into full-blown rebellion both enlisted in the 71st Regiment of Foot (Fraser's Highlanders) soon after it reached New York from Britain in 1776. 'Big' Alex's father, Norman(d) MacLeod (c1733-1794), had also served in the British forces aboard Royal Navy ships blockading the St. Lawrence to prevent arms and supplies being smuggled to American rebels.ⁱⁱⁱ

Like its forerunner the Old 78th Fraser Highlanders, which fought so well at Louisbourg and Quebec under General Wolfe in 1759-1760, the 71st gained fame campaigning from Brooklyn, NY, to Savannah, Georgia, and back north until October 1781. Then, outnumbered three to one by 7,000 Frehch and 12,000 American troops near Yorktown, Virgjnia, the British forces under Lord Cornwallis capitulated and were interned in camps, albeit with their personal weapons for game hunting, These Highlanders suffered severe hardships; “in less than 12 months they had marched and countermarched nearly 2,000 miles ….” With peace concluded in 1783, the 71st. Regiment was soon disbanded with honours at Perth, Scotland, but prisoners of war such as 'Big' Alex and likely comrade Archie, awaited discharge there in mid-May 1784.^iv Returning to Inverness-shire, 'Big' Alex MacLeod soon wed Jessie MacPhee — a sister of emigrant John ‘Gibraltar' MacPhee (1760-1847) who had fought at the siege of Gibraltar in 1782. Archie returned to kin on north Mull, Argyllshire, and to court Catherine McLean (c1768-c1790), probably of the nearby Torloisk clan branch.^v They married at Ballochvoy near Tobermory in December 1785, but daughter Ann McGilvray (sic) was born at a nearby hamlet the following October 9th, and son, Donald, at Kilbeag in the fall of 1788.^vi A widower soon after, Archie likely re-visited the mainland to discuss prospects in Canada with 'Big' Alex.

In 1791, according to their denied petitions, for land and Loyalist status of April 1834, Archie and 'Big' Alex, as veterans of America and fluent in English, were picked to explore Glengarry's frontier for the MacLeod emigration that ultimately sailed with 12 MacLeod, five McGillivray and 19 other clan families. The next year the two veterans sailed back to Scotland, rejoining the other emigration leaders — Kenneth MacLeod (1745-1815) of Moyle, a tacksman of Glenelg parish, his young son (later Captain) Alexander MacLeod (1769-1850); and 'Big' Norman MacLeod (c1733-1794) of Glenelg's Sandaig, second cousin to Kenneth — to ready the expedition for Sea. 'Big' Norman's naval experience doubtless helped in the planning and aboard ship, but late in the long voyage he became ill and died shortly after reaching Glengarry. His wife, Mary McRae (c1734-c1793), died before the departure. (See Highland maps). Some 150 men, women and children set sail from Glenelg's port on 15 June 1793, aboard a ship chartered by the co-leaders at Greenoch. Mid-way across the Atlantic a violent storm so damaged the ship that it was forced to return to Greenoch. On August 2^nd the families were transferred to the brig Argyle of 145 tonnes. Barely four days at sea, the Argyle lost her upper masts and sailing in a violent gale and was forced into Lamlash, Isle of Arran, for repairs before finally making a stormy fall crossing of the Atlantic. (Built in New Brunswick in 1789, it mounted two guns, but its crew of 12 may have been from Greenoch.) it is hard to grasp the hardships these would-be settlers endured over the next three months at sea in a small vessel. Crammed below decks in rough, unheated spaces, fetid from foul air, so that some nursing mothers, children, aged men and women succumbed to the haydships and were buried at sea. Finally, braving a “severe snowstorm and excessively cold weather off Prince Edward Island,” the Argyle limped into Charlottetown on November 2^nd with a foot of ice encasing its deck.^vii In May 1794 most of the MacLeod contingent set sail again, although a few decided to settle near Charlottetown. The 115 or so aboard schooner Charlot reached Quebec on June 3^rd and at Montreal transferred to bateaux, portaging past the St. Lawrence rapids