Raised in late 1777 for service against the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, the 76th Regiment was a traditionally clad “Highland” Scottish unit. When they embarked for America in 1779, Ensign James McDonald, a son of the Chief of Clanranald, was with them. He purchased this custom-made shoulder belt plate from Lewis Fueter, a noted Loyalist silversmith working in New York City. In classic Scottish fashion, the front of this plate is engraved with a large thistle, two roses, and the Latin phrase NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSET (loosely meaning “no one can harm me unpunished”). Cut deeply, the Regimental number “76” appears within a shaded oval, much like it does on the buttons worn by Officers of this unit. The inscription “Lt J Mc D” was engraved on the back of the plate sometime after McDonald attained the rank of Lieutenant on September 9, 1780. Dispatched to bolster Lord Cornwallis’s forces, the 76th Regt. left New York for Virginia in February 1781. Over the next eight months, Lt. McDonald and the 76th saw service at the Battles of Petersburg, Osborne’s Landing, and Green Spring. After occupying Williamsburg from June 25 to July 4, 1781, they found themselves at Yorktown with Cornwallis, where they ultimately surrendered to Washington’s forces on October 19, 1781. This ended their active service and much of the 76th Regt. became prisoners. Once the war ended and the remnants of the 76th were back in Scotland, the unit was disbanded. This item was purchased at auction by Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in 2019.