One of the Most Distinguished Officers

Death of Fraser

Alexander Fraser was born in Inverness, Scotland, probably at Balnain House, in early 1735, and was christened 21 June 1735, less than a month after the death of his father, Hugh Fraser of Balnain on 04 June 1735. Hugh Fraser was a son of Alexander Fraser who married Jean McKintosh; their last son was Simon Fraser, sometimes known as “Of Balnain” who served so gallantly throughout the American War and died at Saratoga.

After Hugh’s death in 1735, the house was passed to his father’s older brother, and the two-month-old Alexander and his mother must have had to move almost immediately. Alexander might well have had no memories of the level of prosperity that his father had achieved. His uncle William was the lawyer for Simon Lord Lovat and was deeply involved in the various conspiracies of the ’45. Alexander Fraser would have grown to boyhood at the heart of the Jacobite conspiracy, and the battle of Culloden and its resulting pursuit and terror would have affected every resident of Inverness-shire. During the resulting Hanoverian oppression of the Highlands, Alexander Fraser would have grown to manhood.

Like many highlanders in the gentry class (Alexander was the first son of a laird and tackman, although his father’s death probably reduced his circumstances enormously) Alexander Fraser joined the army when Clan Fraser began to attempt its reconciliation with the British Crown in 1755. There is some evidence that Alexander joined the Fraser Highlanders (78th Regiment of Foot) as a surgeon’s mate, the lowest rank commensurate with any pretense to gentility, in 1755. At twenty, he would have been considered old for an ensign’s commission, and regardless, he was probably too poor to buy one. However, by 22 July 1757 he was commissioned Lieutenant in the 78th. He was wounded at St. Foy in Canada in 1760, and took his half pay (a form of retirement) in 1763, almost certainly intending to settle in Canada, where a number of other Frasers had prosperous businesses and farms. In 1765 he served as an interpreter for George Croghan’s expedition to seal the end of the Pontiac affair by making peace in the Ohio. Mr. Fraser pressed on after Croghan was stopped on the upper Ohio. Fraser and a party of soldiers (from the 42nd Black Watch) made it to Cascaskias, and Fraser sent the following letter:

Illinois Cascaskias 20th May 1765.

Sir, I had the Honour of writing you from this place the 18th Inst Acquainting you of the Message the Shawanese Chief who came lately from New Orleans, had given to the Indians whom I had detained here to wait for Colonel Croghan. I complained to Monsr de St Ange* in a letter from this place giving the Message in the name of Mortar Obrie the present Governor of New Orleans as it seemed to make a very great alteration in the Disposition of all the nations here abouts I Desired that Monsr De St Ange would Contradict it as I could not suspect Monsr Obrie could be capable of advising the Indians to make war with us when we were on such good terms with his nation. But Monsr St Ange has not hitherto made me an answer to this though I had Letters from Him on other Subjects. It is a great Encouragement to the Indians to continue the war, to see the vast Quantities of Goods that are come up here within these three weeks past.

The Indians would almost have made peace on our own terms before this Convoy came up, as they were in the greatest want of every thing, but the French who intended to quit New Orleans, as it is Credited to the Spaniards have sent all their Goods up here, and they are Eternally Spurring on the Indians to Continue the War thinking to dispose of it the sooner. The Shops and most of the houses in Town have already crowded with goods before the Arrival of a second Convoy here last night, which has brought a Considerable Quantity more. I have been insulted by some of the Traders here, and threatened in the plainest terms that I might assure myself if I made the least mention of them to the Indians that I should suffer for it.

I told them that their threats should not in the least alter my resolution of executing my General's orders & that if I should suffer that they should pay for it. They alledged that I had spoke to the disadvantage of the Inhabitants and wanted the Indians to cut their throats, I had no great difficulty in proving this Allegation to be false, & I told them that I saw plainly such Stories could never have been invented with any other design than to deprive me of my Life & I had seen some instances that confirmed my suspicions in a manner to be true.

I had sent away my men the night of the 18th as I proposed, but I thought best to stay behind myself till I should receive some news of Colonel Croghan kept the Departure of my men so private that scarce an Inhabitant in the place had known of it till they were two days on their journey. Pondtach was the first whom I acquainted of it. I told him that my reasons were that I had no provisions nor Cloathing to give them, and that the Indians had always beat them when they got drunk. He told me it was very well, that I had done very right. But the Merchants who had threatened me the day be had him to dine with them, filled him Drunk, and soon afterwards I (as Well as my Servant) was taken prisoner, He and his men fought all night about us he was reproached by them for having allowed my men to got off, they said that we would got off next day if they should not prevent our flight by killing us. Thus Pondiach would not do. All night they did nothing else but sing the Death Song but my Servant & I with the help of an Indian who defended ourselves till morning when they thought proper to let us escape. When Pondiach was sober he made me an Apology for his behavior, and told me it was owing to bad Counsel he had got, that he had taken me. but that I need not fear being taken in that manner for the future. He told me if I chose to go to his village that he Expected to meet the Chiefs who had gone away there, and as they had promis'd to await the arrival of Mr. Croghan at that place, that after he would hold a Council with Him he would go with me & deliver me safe to the commanding Officer at Detroit he begg'd I would let him know Whether that should be more agreeable to me than going down the river.

I chose the later and he approved of it and beg'd I would give him a Letter to you Sir to acquaint you of his having saved my Life as well as those of my men several times. He told me if this nation on the Ohio had made peace (as I assured them they had) that he would make peace also how soon he would see them. I gave him some Presents and I intend to sett off in a day or two as I can learn no news of Mr Croghan, and that I have the General's Instructions for going down the river to meet Major Farmar. I think the Indians seem at present very well inclined to peace, and if Mr Chrogan has put matters on a good footing with the nation on the Ohio and comes to this country, I do not doubt but that he may fix a solid Peace with them, but as the French in this Colony are so capable of making them do what they please, I think Sir that you ought to be on your guard against them without shewing any Suspicion, as they are all unanimous they will begin the War again or make a General peace soon. Monsr St. Ange has held several Councils with them but I would not suspect him of any evil designs or giving them bad Counsels as he always spoke all he could for our Interests, when I was present. But Monsr Obries giving Permits for taking so much Goods into this Country at present gives reason to suspect what the Shawanese had told the Indians to be not entirely without foundation. If he had delayed the Convoy two or three days, one Monsr Gotterie a French officer could come along with it who is employed to settle a peace with the Indians in our behalf. The French say that the Arcansa Indians intend to take his presents from him, and send himself back.

I have the honour to be

Sir &c.

(signed)

Alexr Fraser.

Alexander Fraser apparently went down the Mississippi to Mobile, held by Major Farmar of the 34th Foot, and proceeded from there to Pensacola, part of Great Britain’s new West Florida holdings. Although General Haldimand, the commander in Florida, did not arrive from England until 1767, the timing of Fraser’s movements and comments in later correspondence suggest that Fraser may have remained in the Southern Department until Haldimand’s arrival. In 1766, Fraser returned to active duty as a Lieutenant in the 9th Regiment of Foot, which was stationed in Florida and remained there until at least 1768. Fraser may well have returned to England for his commission, as travel from Florida to England was common enough, but it is equally possible - in fact, probable - that he was given a commission in the under-strength 9th Regiment as a reward for his services with Pontiac and remained with the regiment. Certainly Fraser and Haldimand already knew each other, and Haldimand and Fraser developed a long professional relationship despite their differences in rank.

In 1769, Lt. Fraser traveled with his regiment to Ireland. The 9th was in very poor condition, having served from the siege of Havana to 1768 in some of the worst country in the Empire for a soldier’s health. They may have had as few as 210 effectives including officers at embarkation. However, the subsequent eight years in Ireland allowed them to recruit back to strength and also provided some much-needed training and re-equipping. For instance, the 9th was one of the regiments that received Townshend’s orders on the conduct of light infantry warfare while in Ireland. During this period, Alexander Fraser made a number of visits to Scotland with parties for recruiting. In 1774, when his distant relative, Major General Simon Fraser (not the same General Fraser of Saratoga fame), achieved the limited restoration of the Lovat estates lost in the attainder of the ’45, a Lt. Alexander Fraser was listed as a Tacksman in the Particular Register of Sasines for Inverness. As Lt. Fraser was in fact recruiting at this point, it is possible that he was available as a responsible “gentleman” of the family to be invested as a tacksman. In fact, such an investment with property and rents may be directly related to his next several promotions.

In May of 1776, regiments from the Irish Establishment under the temporary command of Lt. Col. Simon Fraser (sometimes also referred to as “Of Balnain” and almost certainly Alexander Fraser’s uncle) proceeded to Quebec to raise the siege and prosecute the war for Canada. Alexander Fraser was promoted to Captain Lt. in the 20th Regiment early in the campaign, probably by purchase, and then almost immediately to Captain in the 34th Regiment. Alexander Fraser purchased the captaincy from the former captain of the Grenadier company, and is listed in 1776 as such in the Orderly book of Lt. Poole England, but as he never appears to do duty for the 34th Grenadiers, and as Captain Richardson is appointed to do this duty, it is unclear whether Alexander Fraser was the commander of the grenadier company. As is so often the case, the evidence points both ways. What seems most likely is that Captain Fraser was, indeed, the Captain of the Grenadier Company, but that Captain Richardson assumed the duties, as Richardson was the most junior Captain in the 34th and had no company.

In September of 1776, Captain Alexander Fraser was given command of the newly formed “Company of Select Marksmen” which served for the whole of the Carleton and Burgoyne Expeditions (see the article by Steven Strach). Captain Fraser was most likely sent with General Burgoyne’s dispatches to Ticonderoga in 1777 and was not surrendered. Some evidence indicates that he may, in fact, have been in charge of General Burgoyne’s counter-intelligence section in addition to running the Marksmen, and may have been too important to allow to be captured. Much remains to be learned about Fraser’s role with Burgoyne. It is worth noting, however, that Burgoyne referred to Alexander Fraser as “One of the most distinguished officers in his line of service that ever I met with.”

Alexander Fraser served with the Canada Indian Department throughout the rest of the American War, occasionally serving with raiding parties to the Mohawk Valley, and on one occasion serving in the Genesee Country against Sullivan. He may have been present at the so-called “Groveland Massacre” in 1779. He also served as Commandant at Oswagotchie.

He led a patrol that may have led to the last combat contact of the American War in the winter of 1782-83 near Oswego.

He remained in Canada after the war with the 34th Regiment, in which he was made Major in 1785. In 1794 he was Lieutenant Colonel of the 34th, and in 1795 he became Lieutenant Colonel of the 45th regiment. In 1798 he died of Yellow Fever, probably on campaign in Haiti, although much remains to be found on his last two years of service.

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