"Survivors of the Mutiny; Entertainment in London," Inverness Courier, Dec. 27, 1907, p. 3e-f.   "Nearly 600 survivors of the Indian Mutiny, including about thirty from Scotland, dined together in the Albert Hall on Monday evening, and some 700 more might have been there but for old age and infirmity. The proprietors of the 'Daily Telegraph', who organised the celebration at their own expense, despatched Christmas hampers to those who could not accept their hospitality in London, and ninety-five of these gifts went North. Earl Roberts (Lieutenant Roberts of Mutiny days) presided over his old comrades, who, previous to the banquet, were reviewed by the Field-Marshal in front of the Albert Memorial. One could only guess at the feelings that took possession of those 600 old men. In the words of Lord Curzon, they were there to answer the last roll-call that they would hear together upon earth. There was something pathetic and yet inspiriting in the scene. Several thousand persons, filling the galleries of the great hall, looked down upon the line of the aged soldiers making their way to the dining tables, some tottering on crutches, some assisted along. The double row of Chelsea pensioners in red tunics formed a touching and admirable picture. Partly hidden by three banners taken from the Imperial Palace on the recapture of Delhi, the Royal Artillery band played some old songs. The emotions then were hard to hide, and many be-medalled veterans carried handkerchiefs to their eyes. No sooner was the dinner over than the strain of the bagpipes was heard, Piper Angus Gibson, of the Black Watch, the only surviving piper of the Mutiny, playing 'The Campbells are Coming', an air for ever associated with those anxious days of fifty years ago. Admirable speeches were made by Lord Curzon and Earl Roberts, whose special mention of the dead was made the more solemn by the sounding of the Last Post by buglers of the old 32nd Foot. Other impressive incidents in the celebration were Mr Ben Davie's singing of 'The Recessional', Mr Lewis Waller's recitation of some verses composed for the occasion by Mr Rudyard Kipling, and the singing of 'Auld lang syne' by the entire company.   Scottish veterans at the gathering among the officers who accepted invitations were: Colonel H.W. Fielder, Black Watch, Burwash; Colonel F.W. Grant, Black Watch, London; Colonel G.W.M. Cockburn, Black Watch, Carshalton; Capt. S. Gordon McDakin, Black Watch, Dover; Captain J. Robertson, 78th Highlanders, Liverpool; Major R. S. Williams, 93rd Highlanders, London; Lieut. Colonel Sir Charles Elliott, Wimbledon; Colonel Sir Colin Scott Moncrief, Chelsea. Among the following non-commissioned officers and men who signified their intention to be present were: Drummer David Russell, Black Watch, Glasgow; David McAusland, do., Paisley; Robert Downie, do., Kirkcaldy; John B. Wilson, do., Falkirk; John Robertson, do., Dundee; John Calderwood, do., Perth; Lance Sergeant John Lillie, do., Edinburgh; Sergeant James Barclay, do., Dundee; W. Baird, do., Glasgow; A. Thomson, do., Edinburgh; John Gibb, do., Aberdeen; Gunner James Gauld, do., Aberdeen; F. Govin, do., Perth; Piper-Corporal A. Gibson, do., Aberdeen; Thomas Mowatt, do., Edinburgh; J. Mackenzie, do., Dundee; James A. Burch, do., Edinburgh; Sergeant William Hutchinson, 78th Highlanders, Glasgow; Francis Paterson, do., Edinburgh; Colour Sergeant G. Bertram, do., Culross; David Wade, do., Dundee; R. Russell, do., Glasgow; David Wade, do., Edinburgh; John Fraser, 93rd Regiment, Forres.   Survivors of Highland Regiments   William Hogg, formerly a private in the 79th Highlanders, is seventy-two years of age, and resides at 5 Murray Street, Edinburgh. When 16 years of age (he was entered as 20 years of age) he enlisted in the 79th Highlanders on 6th January 1855. He served in the Crimea, where he earned the medal and clasp for Sebastopol. On 31st July 1857 he embarked for India, and served throughout the campaign, including the capture of Lucknow. He served eleven years with the colours, and completed twenty-one Over Forty Years' Service.   Quartermaster-Sergeant John Mackenzie, 109 Dalkeith Road, Edinburgh, is seventy-one years of age, and is at present in very poor health. He joined the 79th Cameron Highlanders on 18th August 1854, and served through the Crimean campaign, including the siege and fall of Sebastopol. He served through the Mutiny campaign, and was present at the following engagements: Secundragunge, Rooyah, Allygunge, Bareilly, Shajehanpore, capture of Mahomdie, storming of Rampore Kussia, the crossing of the Gorgra, and the subsequent operations in Oude. For conspicuously gallant conduct at the seige and capture of Lucknow, he was thanked by Colonel Taylor, C.B., then commanding the 79th Highlanders. In addition to the Crimean medals (British and Turkish) he possesses the Mutiny medal and clasp, and also the medal for long service and good conduct. He was presented to the late Queen at Osborne on the occasion of the handing over of the old colours of the 79th Highlanders. He was also presented to his Majesty the King at Edinburgh Castle a few years ago. After twenty-one years' service with the colours, Mr Mackenzie was attached for twenty years to the Black Watch Depot at Perth.   Making light of wounds - Up six flights of stairs in the garret of a lofty tenement at 17 Drummond Street, Edinburgh, resides Robert Brand, formerly a private in the 78th Highlanders. It was the fate of the reporter who asked to see him to be mistaken for a local missionary. The reporter's knock at the door had wakened the old man from slumber on his chair before a cheerful fire. Brand is seventy-six years of age. His general health is good, but he suffers from weakness in the legs and from troublesome rupture. He joined the 78th Highlanders on the 17th September 1851, and served in the Persian campaign of 1856. Thereafter he went with his regiment to India. Serving under Havelock and Outram, he took part in the relief of Lucknow. He and a number of the 78th were left in the garden of the Alumbagh till the arrival of Sir Colin Campbell set them free. After the fighting was over, he says that the band of the 78th used to play daily in the streets of Lucknow in order to restore the confidence of the natives, and to encourage them to return to their ordinary occupations. When his regiment was ordered home, he volunteered to the Rifle Brigade so that he might complete his term of service in India. He came back to this country in 1862. In reply to a question, he said he had not been wounded, but his wife paused in her housework to remind him that he had been injured in the breast by a spent bullet. 'That's nothing,' responded the old man, somewhat testily, 'I never was in hospital.' 'All the same the mark is there yet,' retorted his spouse, in the interests of truth and accuracy.   A Tale of the Ninety-Third - As is the modest manner of his kind, Private Brand has in his conversation no stirring echoes of the thunder of the battlefield. There was more of cheerfulness than regret in his remark that he and his comrades used to shoot the Sepoys down whenever they came in sight. 'You were warned not to shoot any single native who approached, because he might be one of our spies. But when they appeared in twos and threes we gave them what they tried to give us.' Becoming reminiscent, Brand said 'One day Lang Robb - he never got any other name, he was so tall - and I were standing at our tent, when a gentleman in civilian clothes came up and asked Lang Robb if he could tell where the officers' mess was. 'Fine that,' says Robb, and he showed him where the mess was. The gentleman looked more like a farmer than a soldier. After moving off a few steps, the gentleman came back and said to Robb, 'Do you ever see any of the 93rd?' 'I ken plenty of them,' said Robb. 'What do you think of the 93rd?' Robb, not knowing who the gentleman was, replied, 'They're jist like corsel's, a pack o' (adjective) rogues and vagabonds.' The gentleman laughed and went away. Later we learned that the gentleman was Sir Colin Campbell, the gallant Colonel of the 93rd, and we knew he thought there was no regiment like them. We were a bit anxious, but we heard no more about it.' "