Duncan Campbell was a Scots nobleman who died on 18 July 1758 as a result of wounds received in an unsuccessful frontal attack against French forces at Fort Carillon (renamed Fort Ticonderoga when the British took the fort a year later). The legend associated with Campbell is that a number of years prior—while still living in Scotland—Campbell gave shelter to a stranger who turned out to have killed Duncan's cousin. Faced with the conflict between betraying a guest or taking vengeance for the death of his cousin, Campbell compromised by allowing the killer to hide out in a cave. The ghost of Campbell's cousin is claimed to have appeared to Campbell in a dream and promised to meet him again at ''Ticonderoga'', a place that Duncan surely had never heard of previously. This story was published in the poem "Ticonderoga a Legend of the West Highlands" by

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll a ...

in ''Scribner's Magazine'' December 1887. Campbell's

42nd Regiment of Foot The 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot was a Scottish infantry regiment in the British Army also known as the Black Watch. Originally titled Crawford's Highlanders or the Highland Regiment and numbered 43rd in the line, in 1748, on the disband ...

Highlanders took many casualties in the ill-fated attack on Fort Carillon. Legend has it that the battle was replicated in the clouds over Inveraray Castle in Scotland on the afternoon of the attack. The story of the ghostly prediction and the apparition in the clouds over Inverawe has been repeated a number of times in magazines, song, and used several times in television scripts. His remains are interred at the Union Cemetery in Fort Edward, NY alongside

Jane McCrea Jane McCrea (1752 – July 27, 1777) was an American woman who was killed by a Native American warrior serving alongside a British Army expedition under the command of John Burgoyne during the American Revolutionary War. Engaged to a Loyalist o ...

and her cousin Sara McNeil.

Songs

Inspired by the history and legend,

Rich Nardin Rich may refer to: Common uses * Rich, an entity possessing wealth * Rich, an intense flavor, color, sound, texture, or feeling **Rich (wine), a descriptor in wine tasting Places United States * Rich, Mississippi, an unincorporated communi ...

wrote (circa 1980) the song "Piper's Refrain", about the end of Campbell's story. The song was first released on Nardin's 1983 album, and has been recorded by multiple artists since. The song is in the folk tradition and may be thought by some to be a traditional ballad when sung by others. The story further inspired

Margaret MacArthur Margaret MacArthur (7 May 1928 – 23 May 2006) was an American singer and player of the Appalachian dulcimer. Biography Margaret MacArthur was born in Chicago. As a youngster, she moved around with her family - in California, Louisiana, and Ariz ...

to write "The Legend of Duncan Campbell" as an accompanying song which explores the beginning of the tale in Scotland. * (1983) by

Mudcat Café The Mudcat Café is an online discussion group and song and tune database, which also includes many other features relating to folk music. History The website was founded by Max Spiegel as a Blues-oriented discussion site. It was named after a ...

* (1989) by

Sources

1758 deaths 42nd Regiment of Foot officers British Army personnel of the French and Indian War Year of birth unknown Place of birth missing British military personnel killed in the Seven Years' War {{UK-army-bio-stub