Cap badge Montreal Highland Cadets

It was the combination of two widely recognized Scottish characteristics or virtues which resulted in the organization of the Highland Cadets — the soldier instinct and national spirit. Early in the autumn of 1889 a deputation of youths, with their fathers, waited on Major Lydon who was then, and had been for many years previously, adjutant of the Fifth Battalion Royal Scots, with a request that he Mayor Lydon would organize a cadet corps with the abjectly of its being attached to and acting as a feeder to his regiment. Mr. W. Stuart, now a very efficient captain in the First Prince of Wales Fusiliers, then a lad, was the spokesman. It was intended, he explained, that the corps should be formed of two companies, the first of youths of sixteen years of age and upwards, and the second company to be made up of boys from twelve to fifteen years of age. Each company was to be limited in number to fifty.

Major Lydon promptly accepted the task and agreed to give all his spare time to drilling and otherwise organizing the corps, providing of course that his then commanding officer, the late Lieutenant-Colonel Frank Caverhill, would give his consent and allow the corps the use of the regimental armoury to drill in and to store their arms, etc. This consent Colonel Caverhill very ready agreed to, and the cadets always met with the kindest consideration and encouragement from Colonel Caverhill, even after he had retired from the command of his regiment.