“Charlie wrote a letter from Dunbar, Saying Johnnie meet me if ye daur. And I’ll teach you the art of war, So early in the morning.” After the defeat of the French, the Highlanders amused themselves by composing a song to the air of “Johnnie Cope,” with the refrain, “Hey, Monsieur Gérard, are you waukin’ yet?” which is more remarkable for patriotic feeling than poetical power. One verse may be given. “Go and tell Napoleon, go, While Freedom’s laws he tramples low, That Highland boys will be his foe, And meet them all in the morning.” No wonder that Cameron appreciated and respected a class of men who did more by their music than mere valour could have effected, and animated their comrades by the strains familiar to them from infancy. A characteristic anecdote is related by General Gordon, of Lochdhu, who served during the Peninsular war in the 50th regiment, and had frequent opportunities of witnessing the gallantry of the 92nd. He and Cameron were fording the river Nive, at Cambo; the French opposed their passage, and a hostile bullet struck down Cameron’s favourite piper, who was marching by his side. If his own brother had fallen, he could not have exhibited deeper feeling or anxiety. He stopped to render assistance, and, on finding that the poor piper was beyond the reach of all human aid, exclaimed, in a tone of deep emotion, that he had rather have lost twenty men of his regiment. At the battle of St. Pierre, which was fought a few days after the passage of the Nive, the 92nd charged early in the day against two French regiments, which yielded and broke; but Soult brought such a storm of artillery to bear on them, that they in their turn were forced to retire. The 50th and the Portuguese held their ground and fought desperately till the 92nd had time to reform. Then Cameron gave the word to advance; the pipers sounded the charge, and the Highlanders rushed forward with colours flying and music playing. They were but a small force compared to the enemy, but nothing could resist their impetuosity; and they drove the French across the valley, remaining in possession of the field. Napier thus alludes to their conduct on this occasion: “How gloriously did that regiment come forth again to charge, with their colours flying, and their national music playing as if going to a review. This was to understand war. The man who in that moment, and immediately after a repulse, thought of such military pomp, was by nature a soldier.”