David Stewart of Garth

Major-General

David Stewart of Garth
NicknameDavie
Born(1772-04-12)12 April 1772
Drumcharry House or Kynachan, Fortingall, Perthshire
Died18 December 1829(1829-12-18) (aged 57)
Buried
AllegianceScotland
BranchBritish Army
Service years1783 to 1815
RankMajor General
Unit42nd Regiment of Foot, Black Watch
CommandsBattle of San Juan (1797)
Capture of Minorca (1798)
Battle of Alexandria
French Revolutionary Wars

David Stewart of Garth CB FSA Scot FRSE FLS (12 April 1772 – 18 December 1829) was a Scottish soldier and later author and antiquarian, whose book, Sketches of the Character, Manners, and Present State of the Highlanders of Scotland published in two volumes by Archibald Constable and Co in Edinburgh in 1822, was responsible for largely creating the modern image of the Highlander, the clans and Scottish regiments and is considered the foundation for all subsequent work on Highlanders, clans and Scottish regiments system.

He held commissions in several Highland regiments, notably the 42nd Royal Highland Regiment, (The ‘Black Watch’) from 1787 to 1804. Ultimately he rose to the rank of Major General. In 1819, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were Lord Gray, Sir George Steuart Mackenzie and Sir David Brewster.