Lachlan Macquarie:
1804 Diary
Feby. 22. Wednesday.
--- I this day received the certain
most mournful and melancholy accounts
of the Death of my much beloved, amiable
and good Nephew Lieut. Hector Maclaine
of the 19th. Regt. of Foot --- who has fallen in
a most lamentable and cruel manner in a
massacre that took place in the month
of June last [ie. 1803] at Candia in the Island
of Ceylon in the East Indies; where he
was stationed with a Detachment of
Major Davie. --- This Detachment having
been attacked by the Candians in great
force, were under the necessity of surrendering
to superior numbers by Capitulation; and
having afterwards most unfortunately,
given up their Arms, were immediately
all put to Death in Cold Blood by these
merciless, ferocious, and cruel bloody savage
Candians. --- Thus fell a gallant
and most promising Youth prematurely
in the flower of his age -- being only Nineteen
years old -- and a fine elegant handsome
young man, highly respected in his Corps. --
I feel sincerely grieved and afflicted
for the loss of this very fine young man,
being my favorite Nephew. --- But
how much more wretched must be his
unfortunate Father and Mother when
they hear the sorrowful tidings! --- He
was their youngest son -- and the
Darling of their Hearts! ----
These mournful accounts were
communicated to me both by the Public Papers,
and by Letters from my Nephew Lieut. Hugh
Maclaine of the 77th. Regt. in India dated
the 31st. July, and stating this horrid massacre
to have taken place on the 23d. of June last.
I wrote to my Uncle Lochbuy by this day's,
Post to communicate this mournful News!
Provenance
Lachlan Macquarie. Journal No. 5. 12 Sept. 1801 - 14 July 1804.
Original held in Mitchell Library, Sydney. ML A770 pp.303-304.
[CY Reel 300 Frames #208-209].
Background Notes
Hector Maclaine (1783-1803) was the youngest son of Macquarie's sister, Betty (c.1760-1833) and Farquhar
Maclaine of Oskamull (1743 - 1822). Commissioned as Ensign 19th Regiment
of Foot on 23 May 1799; Lieutenant (19th) 1 November 1802. He was killed
at Watapulawa, near Kandy. Hugh Maclaine (also known as Murdoch Hugh)
(1781-1828) was Hector's older brother, and would later serve with the 77th
Regiment in Spain and Portugal during the Peninsular War. He was severely wounded at the storming of
Ciudad Rodrigo on 19 January 1812 - requiring his leg to be amputated.
Manuscript Transcripts
Transcript prepared by Robin Walsh
Macquarie University Library, Sydney, Australia.
© 2004
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