Neil Morrison in the Peruvian Army

This is the story of Neil Morrison, born on the Isle of Lewis in 1850, in Newton near Stornoway, the island capital and famous port. He lived there with his parents and used to watch the ships come sailing in and out of Stornoway harbour, which in those days was a much busier port than it is today.

Neil was an adventurous young man and at the the age of sixteen years he ran away from home and joined a Dutch ship which had called into Stornoway harbour. He spent two years sailing around the world, only returning to Stornoway for two weeks at the age of eighteen, before setting off again on his travels.

He eventually made his way to the USA, where he worked for some years and trained to be a mining engineer. He must have become restless again and he would doubtless have known about employment opportunities in South America from his previous travels and he would certainly have known the port of Callao in Peru, now part of Lima.

So off he went arriving in Peru in 1879 at the time of The War of the Pacific, (1879-1894), between Peru and Chile. Also involving Bolivia of course whom Peru went to defend against the Chileans. I don't have time here to explain the background to this war but it had long lasting consequences and changed the geography of all the countries involved fairly dramatically. It's still remembered with some degree of sadness if not bitterness hereabouts.

Neil decided that there was nothing for it but to join the Peruvian Army. He rose to the rank of colonel and fought at the Battle of Miraflores, which was a decisive battle in the war, where Peru lost 3000 men and after which Chile occupied Lima and most of Peru it seems, though not Cusco. Neil was injured in the battle and bleeding for a long time.

He survived his injuries and because of his bravery the Peruvian government offered him a pension, which was said to be substantial at the time. But with one condition. He would have to give up his Scottish nationality and become a Peruvian citizen. Needless to say your man rejected the offer telling then that he was born a Scotsman and would die a Scotsman. So no pension was paid.

He continued to work in various places in South America in the mining sector including working in a Chilean mining camp which was hit by a large earthquake and sunami which wiped out the whole camp and mine. He continued to wander around South America and is said to have been the first white man to have walked the length of the Amazon basin from Peru to the Atlantic.

He eventually settled once again in Lima where he died in 1942 at t he age of 92 years. He is buried in a cemetery in Lima but which one is another matter altogether.

I've only recently discovered about Neil Morrison. I was told his story by Donald J Macleod , a Lewis historian now living in Aberdeen. He has asked me to see if I can find his grave and any other information about him that I can find. A tall order but I shall do my best. In fact I may already have found his grave. But more later.