!SOURCE: Rev. Dr. Donald MacKinnon and Alick Morrison, THE MACLEODS:
THE GENEALOGY OF A CLAN, Section III, "MacLeod Cadet Families",
Edinburgh, The Clan MacLeod Society, 1970, pp. 230-231.
William, born in the island of Pabbay in 1760, who did not emigrate
with his parents but was left behind in the care of his uncle, Rev. Dr.
John MacLeod, D.D., of Harris. He joined the 81st Regiment in 1778 as a
Lieutenant. This Regiment, however, was reduced in 1783. He gave
evidence in the Loyalist Papers on 27th May 1783 in which he stated that
"he was a Lieutenant in the 81st Regiment, which will be reduced -- his
father was very active in America and had died in Charlestown last year
-- he is the eldest son -- his father lost about £1000 in America, he has
3 brothers and 2 sisters -- he was never in America -- his father was in
America about 2 years before the Rebellion. He does not apply for
himself but for his (father''s) family. They are not now in England but he
expects them soon". In a further letter dated 19th July 1787 he states "I
lost 4 years awaiting the result of my claim and though my father and
mother (she died in 1785) fell a sacrifice to their loyalty and though my
brothers and sisters are dispersed in various parts of the world"-- he
required some relief for "my poor sisters."
The Secretary for War now offered William MacLeod a Lieutenancy in
the 73rd Regiment (2nd. Bn. Black Watch), if he ould recruit sufficient
men. Again, William wrote from George''s Coffee House on 30th
November 1787, "The Regiment to which I am appointed being in India, I
must either raise the number of men required... or lose the only
opportunity that perhaps I''ll ever have of getting into the Service again.
I had the honour of being examined in the beginning of May last and it is
now upwards of 4 years since I came to London on this business though I
have not hitherto received a farthing from the Government".
He joined th e73rd Regiment in India in the end and his rank of
Lieutenancy is dated 24th September 1787 and that of Captain 2nd
September 1795. He took part in the assault on Seringapatam on 4th May
1799 and while leading the attack was wounded in the lungs, being led
off by a sergeant of De Meuron''s Swiss Regiment. The last entry under
his name was in 1800 and we can only conclude that he was either
invalided out of the Service or more probably died of wounds. The silver
medal (Seringapatam), still an honoured possession of members of the
Clann mac mhic Alasdair Ruaidh is almost certainly that gained by this
gallant officer.