Hi and greetings!
This is a gift to all of you Camerons, septs of Clan
Cameron, sons, daughters, aunts, uncles, nephews,
sisters, brothers, husbands, wives, all others related
by blood and /or marriage, friends and interested
parties,
What follows is so special I just couldn't resist
sharing it with you.
For more, dial up
CLANCAM1.org and see what a beautiful
page Tom Cameron has for you.
We are bringing more geneology news in addition to what
we have and look to you to feed us more as time goes
by.
Yours aye
Clan Cameron Online Newsletter
A publication of Clan Cameron Online, the Electronic
Chapter of The Clan Cameron Association
September/October 1999
LOCHIEL'S MEN IN THE COLONIES
A recent research discovery in the "Camerons in
America" project
by Thomas A. Cameron
Throughout the entire 1745 Jacobite Rebellion nearly
one thousand varied men would fight for the Clan
Cameron; some remained with Lochiel's regiment for only
a short amount of time, others stayed with Bonnie
Prince Charlie's army for the entire eight month
campaign, south to England and back north to Culloden.
At this final battle, that fateful day in April of
1746, an estimated seven hundred Camerons stood behind
their chief and the various Cameron chieftains on the
moor. Hundreds of Lochiel's men would never leave
Culloden, their remains are symbolically marked there
by a memorial stone today, with the word "Cameron"
chiseled upon it.
During the Rebellion a total of fifty-five "recorded"
Camerons were either captured or surrendered. Four
unfortunate souls would be executed for their roles in
this action against King George II, while eleven others
would perish on the Hanoverian transports or English
jails. Of the remaining "Rebels," twenty-two Camerons
were sent to the Americas under indentures as "bound
servants," and seventeen would eventually be released
from their British jail cells..
The fate of these twenty-two Camerons has been, for
the most part, a mystery. It is recorded that four
Camerons were fortunate, with their transport, the
"Veteran," being "liberated" by the French privateer
"Diamond" on June 28, 1747. The former prisoners were
soon after taken to the French island of Martinique and
given their freedom. Yet what of the other eighteen
"sons of the hound" that had proudly fought for the
chief in the Rebellion? Twelve soldiers would arrive
in the ports of Jamaica and Barbados, and their
individual fates have not as of yet been determined.
The remaining six Camerons would arrive in Maryland.
Recent research through microfilmed copies of the
"Maryland Gazette" has shed some light upon the fate of
these Highlanders in the Colonies.
The transport "Johnson," which bore Jacobite prisoners
from the prisons at Carlisle and Chester, departed
Liverpool on either April 22 or May 5, 1747 (records
vary). Its arrival in "Choptank" at Port Oxford,
Maryland is recorded as occurring on July 17, 1747, but
contemporary newspaper accounts place the arrival one
day earlier, on Thursday, July 16th. The Cameron
Jacobite soldiers on this ship were:
Donald Cameron
Duncan Cameron
John Cameron, purchased by Jesse Wharton.
John Cameron, purchased by John Lammond, of Anne
Arundel County, Maryland.
These four Cameron men were to have been joined on the
"Johnson" by yet another kinsman, a third John Cameron,
but he was among the eight men that accidentally
drowned while being brought from Chester. These men
had been manacled together and their long boat
accidentally capsized while on the River Mersey in
Liverpool. Many records indicate three "John Camerons"
on this ship - they mistakenly include the unfortunate
drowned Cameron.
As for the "disposal" of the Jacobites, a limited
amount of information is available. Within a short
time of their arrival, the prisoners on the "Johnson"
had their irons removed, and were addressed by Robert
Horner, "a Maryland Gentleman and Planter." One
prisoner recorded that Horner came on board, spoke "a
quiet word to us," and ordered all prisoners to remove
themselves to below deck. At that point "Horner came
down and made a vertie fine speech concerning the
goodness of the countrie." On August 22nd, under the
direction of Horner, who had advertised their sale to
local planters, many of the Jacobites were sold. All
purchasers were "gentlemen," except for "two common
buckskins then that are born in the countrie." It
seems that the "going" price for a Scottish Jacobite
prisoner was somewhere around £10 Sterling. The
following week (July 28th) a newspaper advertisement
stated:
"A number of Rebels brought over in the ship Johnson,
into Oxford, have been brought to Annapolis and are now
on sale there."
This seems to indicate that either some prisoners were
just not in a condition to be sold, or that someone had
"speculated" on them, and was selling them via a
business.
It appears that the term of indenturment varied from
prisoner to prisoner, though the Crown had instructed
that the term was to be "seven years and none less."
Of the aforementioned Camerons from the "Johnson,"
nothing yet is known of the fates of Donald and
Duncan. Fortunately, that is far from the case with
both John Camerons. The first John Cameron was "free"
by early 1753, as evidenced by this article:
Thursday, March 1, 1753
"James Mills, living in St. Mary's County, reports a
runaway convict servant man named Thomas M'Clain, about
age 17. He is thought to be with John Cameron, who
served his time with Jesse Wharton."
What John's involvement in his fellow Jacobite's escape
might have been is best left up to the reader's
imagination. His participation in aiding his fellow
prisoners was far from over, and he was soon to be
joined by the other John Cameron. This gentleman's
term of indenturement had not, like his fellow John
Cameron's, expired, and he was still a prisoner in
early 1755 (this would have been his eight year of
indenturement). His story is related by the
aforementioned newspaper:
Thursday, February 6, 1755
"John Lammond, living in Anne Arundel County, reports a
runaway servant man named John Cammeron (sic), a
Scotsman, 20 odd years old, who can speak Irish
(Gaelic). Deliver to John Inch in Annapolis or William
Horn on Kent Island."
At this point there are now two John Camerons "on the
run," one an accomplice to an escapee, and the other an
escapee himself. The following month yet another
article was printed, and although it is difficult to
surmise exactly which John Cameron it refers to, it
seems to concern the first John Cameron, the one who
had previously aided an escaping prisoner:
Thursday, March 13, 1755
"Daniel Meconekin, living on Kent Island (at Broad
Creek), reports a runaway servant man named Thomas
Johnson, about age 24. He's probably gone off with a
servant man named John Cameron, and they're probably
headed for St. Mary's County."
The final mention of "the Johns" is by far the most
puzzling, and adds to the notion of a "Robin Hood-like"
figure, one who frees the oppressed, and takes from the
rich. Once again, it is not clear exactly which John
this might be, though it appears that it might be the
second John, the escapee.
Thursday, November 11, 1756
"George Steuart says that John Cameron robbed the store
house of John Skinner, of Calvert County. He was
captured near Mr. Snowden's iron works in Prince
George's County, but escaped again. He is a Scotsman
who came here after the last rebellion. John Skinner
added that he is 'a great Gamester.'"
After this date there is no further mention of either
of these John Camerons, or the aforementioned Dougall
Cameron.
In addition to the prisoners of the "Johnson," two
other Camerons were also placed into indentured
servitude in Maryland. Departing from Liverpool on May
4, 1747, Master Richard Holmes' transport "Gildart"
reportedly arrived at Port North, Potomac, Maryland on
August 5th. Strangely, the August 4th edition of the
"Maryland Gazette" indicates that this ship and Rebel
prisoners, had arrived on Sunday, July 26th.
Regardless of the exact date, the "Gildart" docked on
the lower Potomac and delivered its "cargo" of
prisoners, among which were:
Dougall Cameron, resident of Inverness, a Jacobite
soldier in Lochiel's Regiment. Purchased by Robert
Horner, of Newport, Charles County, Maryland.
Malcolm Cameron, formerly of the Fort William area
(probably from Maryburgh), who was also a Jacobite
soldier in Lochiel's Regiment.
Nothing of Malcolm's fate is known, however details are
available regarding Dougall. Less than one year into
his service as a "servant," he was featured
prominently:
Wednesday, May 11, 1748
"Robert Horner, living at Newport in Charles County,
reported 2 runaway rebel servants: Dough Cameron and
Andrew Smith."
Fortunately, there is no mention of "Dough" after this
date, and it may be assumed that he escaped to freedom
in a remote area of the Atlantic seaboard. His fellow
escapee, Andrew Smith, was an 18 year old weaver who
had served with Roy Stuart's Regiment in the 1745
Uprising, and spent time along with Dougal in prison at
Carlisle and Chester before transportation. It appears
that Dougal's "owner" was none other than the
aforementioned Robert Horner, who was the gentleman in
charge of the prisoner sales. He was an influential
man who owned many slaves; remaining free from him must
have been difficult.
The fate of the prisoners of the '45 has always been
subject to much conjecture, and many have assumed the
worst, namely a lifetime of near slavery conditions in
Colonial America. Their stories serve as a hopeful
sign that the Jacobite prisoners were in many instances
able to either earn or "take" their personal freedom
back. While these recent discoveries are far from
conclusive, they are hopeful indications that these
Highlanders were able to make the best of a bad
situation, and perhaps begin a new life in the
Americas.
ACHNACARRY 2001
As many of you have no doubt read by now, Lochiel
recently announced a Gathering of The Clan Cameron for
sometime in early August of 2001. No further details
are yet available, other than the tentative events
currently listed on our website's "News" link:
- Estate tour on Friday for members of the clan
- March Past
- Various demonstrations
- Clay pigeon shooting
- Helicopter ride (not definite) on Saturday
- Ceilidh on Saturday night in Fort William
- Sunday Church Service at Achnacarry
- Shinty match on Sunday afternoon
We plan on bringing more details to you as soon as
possible, when they are made available. Make your
plans early, as to be there for the first Gathering of
the new Millennium!
ASSOCIATION NEWS
-The Scottish Branch of the Clan Cameron Association
bids a heart-felt adieu to President Alistair Cameron,
who has recently ended his five year presidential
term. At the late September AGM, David Cameron of
Edinburgh became the new president, and on behalf of
the entire Association we wish him the very best as he
assumes his new position.
-The Northern U.S. Region welcomed their newest member,
the High Plains Chapter. Convened in early August,
this exciting new chapter is based in Rapid City, South
Dakota and will cover events in both North and South
Dakota, lead by Convenor Neil Taylor. Neil may be
reached via either Clan Cameron Online's "Member's
Page" or our "North America" page.
-The Southern U.S. Region also welcomed a new entity,
the Mississippi Chapter. Based in Hattiesburg,
Mississippi, these proud new members are led by
Convenor Roger Cameron, and may also be reached via our
"Member's Page" or "North America" page.
OUR CHARTER PETITION
Two months ago, in an article of the last Online
Newsletter, it was announced that Clan Cameron Online
was readying an petition to become acknowledged as the
Clan Cameron Association of North America's 15th
branch. Sadly, to date, we have only received a
handful of responses to this open call for members to
e-mail their support of this petition. Our goal is to
achieve this status prior to year's end, and we have
received responses from only about 15% of the families
in our membership.
It has been a confusing time for many of us, being from
different segments of the Clan Cameron Association
outside of Clan Cameron Online, in addition to those
who have no affiliation other than our Electronic
Chapter. I cannot stress enough that the e-mails of
support, while addressed to Lochiel, should be sent
here to our main e-mail address. I have received
indications that some letters of support have gone
directly to our chief, which makes it impossible for us
to include such letters in our petition.
The following is a re-print of a portion of our last
newsletter's article, detailing what we are trying to
accomplish. I would ask that if you have enjoyed our
online newsletter, the kinship you have established via
our Member's Page, and the entire experience of being
connected to your fellow Camerons via the Internet,
that you take a few minutes today and send us an e-mail
of support - nothing fancy is necessary folks, just a
few words would be wonderful!!
"All members of our chapter are encouraged to simply
send in an e-mail to our main address
(clancam1(a)aol.com); ADDRESSED TO LOCHIEL. This
collection of e-mail will be gathered together and
forwarded in a packet to Lochiel, in lieu of your
personally signing the petition. In your e-mail,
simply state your own feelings about our efforts here
online, and if you agree that the "electronic" Camerons
should be afforded full membership status within the
Association, please close by summarizing your support
of our "charter petition" and list your full name. I
can guarantee that our chief will receive this
collection of e-mail, along with a chapter roster of
our membership. I will also request that this
collection be kept on-file in the Clan Cameron Museum
after Lochiel is finished considering it. We stated
earlier this year that your names would be recorded in
the museum at Achnacarry folks, here is your chance to
make your voices heard. We have the opportunity to
become the Clan Cameron Association of North America's
fifteenth branch, the last branch of the twentieth
century."
One last note to our members. We have mentioned in the
past the wonderful membership certificates that we have
readied for our Charter Members. Unfortunately, we
cannot send these certificates out to you unless we are
in fact issued our charter (we are not "charter
members" unless we have a charter in our
possession...), so send those letters of support in, we
need your voice to be heard.
SCOTTISH BEARS OF NOTE
by Kari Cameron
Just recently the Ty Corporation of Oak Brook, Illinois
announced what might become one of the most sought
after Scots oriented collectibles on the market, a
Scottish "Beanie Baby." This green bear, adorned with
a tartan scarf, is named, appropriately enough
"Wallace." The new member of the incredibly popular
family of Beanie Babies is already commanding
astronomical prices, reportedly going for as much as
$50 on the Home Shopping Network - it should be
available in retail outlets for the more "down to
earth" price of $5.99, if you feel like searching one
out. While this bear is not "designated" to represent
Scotland, as its counterpart "Erin" does for Ireland,
or "Britannia" does for England, industry insiders are
for all intents and purposes considering this "THE"
Scottish bear.
In addition to "Wallace," a handful of other stuffed
bears are making a splash these days. A recent visit
to the Mall of America, in Bloomington, Minnesota,
yielded an unusual Scots-oriented line of products, the
MacBear Clan Tartans. The "Basic Brown Bear Factory,"
a wonderful store for all ages, is quite simply, as
their advertisement states "a place where teddy bears
are born." Also based in San Francisco and San Diego,
California, the stores specialize in selecting your own
bear "skin," and with the assistance of the employees
stuffing it with "fluff." The entire experience is
concluded by selecting an outfit for your bear, and
that is exactly where the MacBear Clan Tartans come
into play.
Three Scottish outfits are available under this "line"
of clothing, ensuring that your bear will be dressed in
authentic garb. The entire experience, from beginning
to end, is memorable for children and adults alike, and
would make a wonderful gift for Christmas for the "wee"
laddie or lassie in your family (or the not so wee
ones!).
With over twenty-two years of creating lasting
memories, The Basic Brown Bear Company earns our seal
of approval, and is awaiting your visit at:
http://www.basicbrownbear.com
2000 CHAPTER DUES
With this newsletter, we close the 1999 membership
year, and will be preparing for the upcoming year. At
this time, members are encouraged to renew their
memberships, via the same process as last year. We
will shortly be posting a new "2000" membership form on
the website (look for this on our "main page" somewhere
beneath the main Cameron crest image in the next few
days), and it should be mailed in just as before. If
at this time any members would like to update/revise
their "Member's Page" listing, you may list revisions
on the membership form.
I would like to remind all designated "Internet
Contacts" within the Clan Cameron Association, that no
dues or fees are required for your "Honorary
Membership" within our chapter, in appreciation of the
wonderful services that you provide to our chapter.
A CAMERON IN THE E.R.?
Thursday, September 30th's season premier of the
critically acclaimed television drama, "E.R." featured
a new character, Dr. Charles Cameron. Although it is
not known whether "Charlie" will become a regular
member of the show's cast, there are indications that
this visiting cardio-thoracic surgeon with "privileges"
at Chicago's County General, might be here to stay.
Stay tuned television viewers!
MILLENNIUM NEWSLETTER
This year's final Online Newsletter will be a
monumental one. Include will be articles written by
numerous Camerons of renown worldwide (we can't reveal
just who yet), in addition to other topics such as
"Scotland at the Millennium," and a report from the
Lochaber Tourist Board, all written especially for this
occasion - a Clan Cameron Association exclusive.
At this time it appears that this edition will be our
largest effort to date, somewhere near fifteen pages in
length. A publication marking such a notable occasion
as the upcoming Millennium comes around only once...oh,
perhaps every thousand years...and should be
memorable. In that spirit, in addition to transmitting
a text-only copy to your "in-box" on December 1st, we
will also be making the newsletter available at Clan
Cameron Online in Microsoft Word format. We cannot
accommodate any other formats, and encourage you to
download this file in addition to your regularly
transmitted "text" version, and get it printed wherever
you might for a special keepsake.
Throughout the Clan Cameron Association worldwide, the
formatted "hard copy" of this newsletter will be sent
to a contact in each chapter or branch. They may, in
turn, elect to send copies of this publication out as a
"bonus edition" to their members - if you happen to
belong to another chapter or branch, you might wish to
encourage the distribution of this Millennium
Newsletter, which will arrive in their respective hands
just before December 1st. Please remember: the
"text-only" version is not what should be re-directed
to your members. We will send formatted paper copies
to you for that purpose.
This Millennium Newsletter has been "in the works" for
some time now, and was originally designed exclusively
for the November/December Online Newsletter. After
giving the passing of the Millennium some thought, we
have decided that this newsletter might serve a "higher
purpose." Consequently, we are making it available to
all Camerons, regardless of their membership in the
Association, or their level of interest in Clan
Cameron. As members of the Electronic Chapter, you
will be the very first to share in this wonderful
commemoration of the new Millennium.
ANNS AN DEALACHADH
(finally, in closing...)
That's all for our 34th Online Newsletter. In regard
to the article "Lochiel's Men in the Colonies," if
anyone might have more information regarding this
topic, or may perhaps even be descended from any of
these gentlemen, by all means e-mail me the details.
The book project is an open one, in which Camerons may
relate their ancestor's stories, and those unfortunate
prisoner's need their story told.
Please feel free to join your fellow Camerons in the
AOL and WWW chatrooms on the first Sunday evening of
every month, from 10:00 to 11:00 PM, eastern time. We
will be chatting on Sunday, October 3rd and also on
Sunday, November 7th. For both sites you will find
convenient links on our website, or for AOL members,
just type the "Keyword" Lobby, then go to "Private
Room"; at the name prompt simply enter Clan Cameron.
We will return, as you know, on December 1st for what
is shaping up to be the biggest and best publication in
our chapter's existence, The Millennium Newsletter.
Mar sin leibh,
Tom
Clan Cameron Online
clancam1(a)aol.com
http://www.clan-cameron.org
Thomas A. Cameron
Electronic Chapter Director/
Northern U.S. Regional President
PLEASE NOTE: You are hereby granted rights, unless
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with any articles you re-distribute:
From Clan Cameron Online
http://www.clan-cameron.org