HISTOKY
IN 1745.
JOHN HOME, ESQ.
AUTHOR OF DOUGLAS, A TRAGEDY, &C.
Treason doth never prosper What's the reason ?
Why, when it prospers, none dare call it treason.
COPE would not cope,
Nor WADE wade through the snow,
Nor HAWLE Y haul his cannon to the foe.
EDINBURGH:
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THE KING.
SIR,
YOUR MAJESTY, at every crisis of a
most eventful reign, hath acted in such a manner
as to captivate the hearts of your people, who love
a brave and steady Prince. It becomes not one,
whose praise may be thought partial, to celebrate
the virtues of his Sovereign ; for the first book I
published was dedicated to your Majesty, then
Prince of WaleS*: and when his Royal Highness
the Duke of Cumberland presented my petition,
for leave to dedicate this History to your Ma-
jesty, the petition was granted in terms that I
shall be proud of as long as I live.
I am, with the most profound respect,
SIR,
Your MAJESTY'S
Most faithful subject,
And most obedient
Humble Servant,
JOHN HOME.
PREFACE.
HISTORY assumes various forms, and attains
different degrees of excellence, from the import-
ance of the subject, from those opportunities the
Author has had to know the truth, and from the
manner in which he relates the most interesting
events of that period he hath chosen.
It is universally acknowledged, that the most
complete instruction and entertainment are to be
found in histories, written by those illustrious
persons who have transmitted to posterity an ac-
count of the great actions which they themselves
performed.
Small is the number of such historians ; and at
this day, Xenophon and Caesar seem to stand un-
rivalled and alone. Instructed by them and other
ancient authors, men of learning, in modern
times, are made acquainted with the military art
and civil policy of Greece and Rome. But in
the year 1745, when the Highlanders took arms
against government, the condition and manner of
the Highlanders at home, in time of peace, with
their arms, array, and alacrity in making war.
VI PREFACE.
were unknown in England, and the Low-coun-
try of Scotland, to a degree almost incredible.
Our author, Wishart*, Bishop of Edinburgh,
(who had been the Marquis of Montrose's cha-
plain, and an eye-witness of all his battles,) pub-
lished a History of the Wars of Montrose, who
gained so many victories, with a body of men
consisting almost entirely of Highlanders ; but
very few people in the Low-country of Scotland
had read the Bishop's History of Montrose ; and
when the rebel army was marching from the
North to Edinburgh, though every body talked
of nothing but the Highlanders, no mortal ever
mentioned Wishart's name.
In the preface to a History of the Rebellion, it
seems proper, for more than one reason, to take
some farther notice of the Revolution, which is
but slightly mentioned in the History itself.
That memorable event, which took place in
England and Scotland at the same time, forms a
new epoch in the constitution of both nations :
for the great precedent of deposing one king, and
soon after transferring the crown to another fa-
mily, the nearest Protestant heir, but more re-
mote than several Roman Catholic families, gave
such an ascendant to popular principles, as puts
._ the nature of the constitution beyond all contro-
versy.
j From the accession of James I. to the Revolu-
tion, (one short interval excepted -f.) there had
been a continued struggle between the King and
the Parliament ; during which, foreign affairs
were either altogether neglected, or treated in
* Soon after the Restoration, Episcopacy was established in
Scotland, and Wishart made Bishop of Edinburgh.
j- The despotism of Cromwell, which was called the Com-
mon wealth.
PREFACE. VM
such a manner as greatly lessened that weight
which Britain ought to have in the scale of Eu-
rope : but the Revolution put a period to the he-
reditary succession of the Stuart line ; and the
settlement of the crown upon the Prince and
Princess of Orange was accompanied with a de-
claration of rights, where all the points disputed
between the King and the Parliament were final-
ly determined, and the powers of the royal prero-
gative were more narrowly circumscribed, and
more accurately defined, than they had been in
any former period of the government.
To the Revolution it is owing that the people
of this island have ever since enjoyed the most
perfect system of liberty that ever was known
amongst mankind. To the Revolution it is ow-
ing, that at this moment, in the year 1801, Great
Britain stands the bulwark of Europe ; whilst her
fleets and armies, in regions the most remote, de-
fend the cause of Government and Order, against
Anarchy and Confusion.
The greater part of this account of the Revo-
lution is given in the very words of Mr. Hume,
in his History of England ; for no words can ex-
press more perfectly the advantage of the Revo-
lution settlement. The same author, in the last
volume of his history, has given the speech which
James II. made to the Privy Council, assembled
at his brother's death, in which he professed his
resolution to maintain the established govern-
ment, both in Church and State ; saying, that
he knew the laws of England were sufficient to
make him as great a monarch as he wished to be,
and he was determined not to depart from them ;
that as he had heretofore ventured his life in de-
fence of this nation, he would still go as far as
any man in maintaining all its just rights and pri-
vileges.
l
Vlll PREFACE.
This speech was received with great applause,
not only by the council, but by the nation ; and
addresses full of loyalty and zeal came from eve-
ry quarter of his dominions ; so that the whole
nation seemed disposed of themselves to resign
their liberties, had not James, at the same time,
made an attempt upon their religion ; for, not-
withstanding that regard which he professed for
the established government in church and state,
either he was not sincere in his professions, or he
had entertained such a lofty idea of his preroga-
tive, as left his subjects little or no right to liber-
ty but what was dependent on his will and plea-
sure. Besides this account, given by Mr. Hume
of the behaviour of James at his accession, and
of the behaviour of his people at that time, there
is a manuscript in Lord Lonsdale's possession,
written by one of his ancestors, John Lord Lons-
dale *, who says expressly, that when James suc-
ceeded his brother Charles II., the current of
public favour ran so strong for the Court, that if
the King had desired only to make himself abso-
lute, he would not have met with much opposi-
tion ; but James took the bull by the horns, and
without the least regard to the laws, endeavoured
to introduce Popery, which his subjects abhorred.
* John Lord Lonsdale was first Loid of the Treasury in the
I'eign of King William.
CONTENTS.
CHAP, I.
Page
The Subject Introduction Extent and Limits of the
Highlands of Scotland- Manners of the Highland-
ers Clanship The Highlanders inferior to the
Lowlanders in Arms When and how they became
superior Their attachment to the Family of Stuart
They take arms at every Crisis of Public Af-
fairsMeasures suggested to reconcile them to Go-
vernment Approved by Sir Robert Walpole Re-
commended by him to the Cabinet Council Re-
jected by the Cabinet Council Britain declares
War against Spain ,. . . .1
CHAP. II.
Conspiracy to Restore the Family of Stuart En-
gagement to take Arms Sent to the Old Pretender
Transmitted by him to Cardinal Fleury War
at the Death of Charles VI. Emperor of Germany
The House of Austria attacked Assisted by
Great Britain Cardinal Fleury sends an Agent to
Edinburgh Plan of Invasion Death of Cardi-
nal Fleury Succeeded by Cardinal de Tencin
Charles Stuart arrives at Paris Goes to Dunkirk
The Troops begin to embark Design of Inva-
sion frustrated by a Storm Charles embarks for
Scotland Lands in the Highlands . .17
CHAP. III.
Charles at Borradale His Interview with Locheil
Resolves to erect his Standard Commencement of
Hostilities Sir John Cope His Correspondence
with the Secretary of State Marches towards Fort-
Augustus The Rebels take post on his way to the
X CONTENTS.
Page
Fort Sir John changes his Route The Rehels
advance to the Southward Alarm at Edinburgh
Condition of the City The Rehels take possession
of Perth Petition of the Citizens of Edinburgh
for leave to take Arms The Petition granted
Observations . .29
CHAP. IV.
Preparations to defend the City Transports sent for
General Cope's Army Notice that the Rebels had
left Perth Their March Conduct of the Volun-
teers The Highlanders advance towards Edin-
burgh Retreat of the Dragoons Consternation
in the City Meeting of the Magistrates and Citi-
zens Proceedings of the Meeting Deputation
sent to Charles Notice that the Transports are
offDunbar Return of the Deputies Another De-
putation sent out The Deputies ordered to be
gone The Rebels get Possession of the City . 51
CHAP. V.
Charles comes to Holyrood House His Father pro-
claimed The Dragoons join Sir John Cope His
march towards Edinburgh Receives information
of the Rebels advancing to meet him Forms his
Army to receive the Enemy The Rebels come in
sight A Morass between the Armies Various
Movements till Night The Rebels pass the Mo-
rass The Battle of Preston . . .71
CHAP. VI.
Charles at Holyrood House Resolutions of his
Council Contest with General Guest in the Cas-
tle The Rebels reinforced Some Ships arrive
from France Correspondence of Charles with the
Chiefs Of the Chiefs with one another Their
Engagements to join the Rebel Army Message
by Lord Lovat's Secretary Embarrassment of
Charles and his Council Resolution and Prepara-
tions to March into England Number of the Re-
bels when they left Edinburgh . ,,jj 5 '.':. . 89
CONTENTS. XI
Page
CHAP. VII.
March of the Rebels towards Carlisle Carlisle in-
vested General Wade at Newcastle Charles
marches to Brampton The Duke of Perth sent
back to besiege Carlisle The Mayor capitulates
The Rebels take possession of the City Dissension
in their Army Cause of Dissension The Cause
removed A Council of War Order sent to Lord
Strathallan March of the Rebels from Carlisle
They arrive at Derby Council held at Derby-
Resolution of the Council to march back The
Retreat begins The Duke of Cumberland pur-
sues Skirmish at Clifton The Rebels continue
their march Cross the Esk, and return to Scot-
land. ..... 101
CHAP. VIII.
State of Scotland while the Rebel Army was in Eng-
land Preparations for War Head Quarters of
both Armies Skirmish at Inverury Number of
the Rebels Contention and Animosity amongst
them Charles marches to Stirling The Town
surrenders The Rebels besiege the Castle Ge-
neral Hawley marches to raise the Siege The two
Armies meet at Falkirk The King's Army de-
feated The Rebels take Possession of Falkirk
Tumult and Mutiny in their Army The Duke of
Cumberland arrives at Edinburgh Marches to at-
tack the Rebels They Retreat to the Highlands
Escape from the Castle of Downe, of the Volun-
teers taken Prisoners after the battle of Falkirk, 111
CHAP. IX.
The Duke of Cumberland pursues the Rebels Halts
at Perth Sends several Detachments of his Army
to different Places The Prince of Hesse, Avith a
Body of his Troops, escorted by Ships of War, ar-
rives in Firth of Forth The Duke of Cumberland
comes from Perth to visit the Prince of Hesse A
Council of War at Edinburgh The Duke of
Cumberland returns to Perth Sends several Re-
giments to Dundee Marches himself with the
Xll CONTENTS.
Page
main Body of his Army to Aberdeen Halts there
some Time Charles with a few Men at Moy, near
Inverness An attempt made by Lord Loudon to
seize him The Attempt Defeated Charles as-
sembles his Men Marches to Inverness Lord
Loudon retreats to Ross- shire Charles besieges
the Castle of Inverness The Castle surrenders
Various Expeditions of the Rebels while the
Duke's Army lay at Aberdeen Account of these
Expeditions An Order from Charles to the Com-
manding Officers to desist from them, and join him
at Inverness, . -1*0
CHAP. X.
The Duke of Cumberland at Aberdeen His Army
leaves Aberdeen Proceeds towards Inverness
Skirmish at the Bridge of Nairne The Rear-
guard of the Rebels retreats The Van-guard of
the Duke's Army pursues Charles cumes up with
a Body of his Troops The Van-guard of the
Duke's Army retreats Joins their main Body-
Design of a Night Attack Night March of the Re-
bels The Design frustrated The Rebels retreat
to Culloden March of the Duke of Cumberland
to attack them Defeat and Dispersion of the Re-
bel Army, .... 154
CHAP. XI.
Circumstances and Incidents at the Battle of Cullo-
den Number of the Slain in both Armies Fate
of the Chiefs who commanded the Highland Re-
giments that attacked the King's Army Route of
Charles when he left the Field Crosses the Ri-
ver of Nairn Halts there some time Goes to
Gorthleek Sees Lord Lovat Travels through
the Highlands to Borradale Embarks for the
Long Island His Danger and Distress there
Returns to the main Land His Distress does not
abate Joins Locheil and Cluny Lives'with them
in the Great Mountain Renalder Notice comes
that two French Frigates are arrived at Borradale
He travels to Bonadale Embarks, and lands in
France, . . . . 171
THE
HISTORY OF THE REBELLION
IN
THE YEAR 1745.
CHAP. I.
The Subject Introduction Extent and Limits of the
Highlands of Scotland Manners of the Highlanders-
Clanship The Highlanders inferior to the Lowlandert
in Arms When and how they became superior' Their
Attachment to the Family of Stuart They take Armt
at every Crisis of Public Affairs Measure suggested to
reconcile them to Government Approved by Sir Robert
Walpole Recommended by him to the Cabinet Councils-
Rejected by the Cabinet Council Britain declares War
against Spain.
1 N the year one thousand seven hundred and forty-
five, CHARLES EDWARD STUART, the Pretender's eld-
est son, calling himself the Prince of Wales, landed
with seven persons in a remote part of the Highlands
of Scotland. A few days after his arrival, some High-
landers (not a very considerable number) joined him,
and descending from their mountains, undisciplined,
and ill armed, without cavalry, without artillery, with-
out one place of strength in their possession, attempt-
ed to dethrone the king, and subvert the government
I
THE HISTORY OF
of Britain. The conclusion of this enterprise was
such as most people both at home and abroad expect-
ed ; but the progress of the rebels was what nobody
expected ; for they defeated more than once the king's
troops j they over- ran one of the united kingdoms,
and marched so far into the other, that the capital
trembled at their approach, and during the tide of
fortune, which had its ebbs and flows, there were
moments when nothing seemed impossible ; and, to
say the truth, it was not easy to forecast, or imagine,
any thing more unlikely than what had already hap.
pened.
More than half a century has elapsed since the bat-
tle of Culloden was fought, in which the rebel army was
defeated and dispersed, never to make head, nor appear
in force again ; but no history has yet been published
of a war in which the inhabitants of Britain were so
much interested, that, as long as it lasted, they thought
and spake of nothing else.
In those days, I carried arms, (though not a mili-
tary man by profession,) and, serving with the king's
treops, underwent part of their adverse fortune ; for
I was taken prisoner at the battle of Falkirk, and
during my captivity was an eye-witness of some me-
morable events, an account of which I committed to
writing, whilst the facts were recent, and fresh in my
memory ; and have taken no small pains for many
years, to procure authentic information of what I did
not see, visiting every place which was the scene of
any remarkable occurrence, and examining the ac-
counts which I had collected of each battle, upon the
field where it was fought, accompanied and assisted
by persons who had been present upon every occa-
sion, and sometimes principally concerned.
Proceeding in this manner, I have finished a course
of inquiry, which has enabled me to deduce, from its
origin to its final extinction, the history of the rebel-
lion.
That the story may be understood without the help
of digressions, to explain and illustrate some circum-
stances concerning the Highlanders, which are not
generally known, I shall introduce the subject by de-
5
THE REBELLION, 1715. 3
scribing the country of the Highlanders, and the man-
ners of the Highlanders, who, when Charles Stuart
landed amongst them, were essentially different from
the other inhabitants of Britain.
Scotland is divided into Highlands and Lowlands :
these countries, whose inhabitants speak a different
language, and wear a different garb, are not separat-
ed by firths or rivers, nor distinguished by northern
and southern latitude : the same shire, the same parish
at this day, contains parts of both; so that a Highland-
er and Lowlander (each of them standing at the door of
the cottage where he was born) hear their neighbours
speak a language which they do not understand.
The extent and limits of the country called the
Highlands, (at the time of which I write,) may be
traced by a winding line from Dunbarton upon the
river Clyde, to Dunistra, upon the firth of Dornoch,
separating the Highlands from the Lowlands.
This line, beginning at Dunbarton, goes on by
Crieff and Dunkeld to Blairgowrie in Perthshire, from
which it runs directly north to the forest of Morven,
in the heights of Aberdeenshire : at Morven it pro-
ceeds still northwards to Carron in Banff- shire : from
Carron it takes its course due west, by Tarnoway, in
the shire of Murray, to the town of Nairne (in the
small shire of that name ;) from Nairne, the line is
continued by Inverness to Contin, a few miles to the
west of Dingwall in Ross- shire; at Contin, it turns
again to the north-east, and goes on to Dunistra, upon
the south side of the firth of Dornoch, where the line
of separation ends, for the country to the north of the
firth of Dornoch (that runs up between Ross-shire
and Sutherland,) is altogether Highland, except a
narrow stripe of land, between the hills and the Ger-
man Ocean, which washes the east coast of Sutherland
and Caithness. To the west of this line lie the High-
lands and Islands, which make nearly one half of
Scotland, but do not contain one-eighth part of the
inhabitants of that kingdom. The face of the coun-
try is wild, rugged, and desolate, as is well expressed
by the epithets given to the mountains, which are
B 2
4 THE HISTORY OF
called the grey, the red, the black, and the yellow
mountains, from the colour of the stones of which in
some places they seem to be wholly composed, or
from the colour of the moss, which, in other places,
covers them like a mantle.
In almost every strath, valley, glen, or bottom,
glitters a stream or a lake ; and numberless firths, or
arms of the sea, indent themselves into the land.
There are also many tracts of no small extent,
(which cannot properly be called either mountains or
valleys,) where the soil is extremely poor and barren,
producing short heath, or coarse sour grass, which
grows among the stones that abound every where in this
rough country. Nor is the climate more benign than
the soil : for the Highlands in general lying to the west,
the humid atmosphere of that side of the island,
and the height of the hills in such a nothern latitude,
occasion excessive rains, with fierce and frequent
storms, which render the Highlands for a great part
of the year a disagreeable abode to any man, unless
it be his native country. In the Highlands, there
are no cities nor populous towns *, no trade or com-
merce, no manufactures but for home consumption ;
and very little agriculture. The only commodity of
the country that fetches money is cattle ; and the
chief employment of the inhabitants is to take care of
the herds of their black cattle, and to wander after
them among the mountains.
From this account of the Highlands, it is manifest
that the common people, earning little, must have
fared accordingly, and lived upon very little : but it
is not easy to conceive how they really did live, and
how they endured the want of those things which other
people call the conveniences, and even the necessaries
* There are several royal boroughs in the Highlands, that
make a part of the different districts (each of which districts sends
a representative to parliament.) Some of these boroughs lie near
the line of separation, and are inhabited by a mixed race of people,
Highlanders and Lowlanders. Jn the borough of Nairne, at the
time of the rebellion, the inhabitants of one side of the town spake
English, and their neighbours on the other side spake Gaelic.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 5
of life. Their houses, scattered in a glen or strath *,
were usually built of sod or turf, sometimes of clay
and stone, without lime. In such habitations, with-
out household stuff or utensils wrought by an artifi-
cer, the common people lived during the winter t, ly-
ing upon boards with heath or straw under them, and
covered with their plaids and blankets. For a great
part of the year, they subsisted chiefly upon whey,
butter, cheese, and other preparations of milk, some-
times upon the blood ^ of their cattle, without much
grain or animal food, except what of the latter they
could procure by fishing or hunting, which, before
the late rebellion, were free to people of all ranks, in a
country where the rivers and lakes swarmed with fish,
and the hills were covered with game. Making a
virtue of necessity, the Highlanders valued them-
selves upon being able to live in this manner, and to
endure cold and hunger, to a degree almost incredi-
ble. In those days, the chieftains and gentlemen who
were, many of them, stock farmers and graziers,
though much better accommodated than their inferiors,
occasionally lived like the common people ||, and con-
tended with them in hardiness, maintaining that it
was unworthy of a Highlander to stand in need even
* A glen is a narrow rule with a rivulet, and hills on each side.
A strath is a valley with its hills, and a river.
t The winter town, as it was called, consisted of a number of
such houses, and sometimes a better one belonging to a gentleman
or farmer. In summer the Highlanders left the winter town with
their cattle and servants, and went to the hills (for to each of the
winter towns belonged a considerable tract of land in the adjacent
hills.) There they built temporary huts in the shylings, or best
spots of pasture, removing from one shyling to another when the
grass failed. About the end of August they left the hill and re-
turned to the winter town.
$ The first thing the Highlanders did when they went to the
hills, was to bleed all their black cattle ; and, boiling the blood in
kettles, with a great quantity of salt, as soon as the mass became
cold and solid, they cut it in pieces and laid it up for food.
|| The Highland gentlemen used to make hunting parties, and
go to the hills in time of frost and snow, where they remained se-
veral days. They carried with them no provision? but bread and
cheese, with some bottles of whisky, and slept upon the ground,
wherever night overtook them, wrapped up in their plaids.
B 3
O THE HISTORY OF
of oat-meal, to discharge the prime duty of a man,
and fight for his chief.
In these words, which are their own, the High-
landers expressed their opinion of themselves, and
their enthusiasm for clanship. As that singular in-
stitution formed and stamped the peculiar character
of the Highlanders, I shall endeavour to explain the
principle of the domination of chiefs, which now ex-
ists no more.
The Highlands are divided into a number of territo-
ries or districts, separated by rivers, lakes, or moun-
tains, sometimes by ideal and arbitrary boundaries.
Each of these districts, called by the natives a coun-
try, was the residence of a clan or kindred, who paid
implicit obedience to the Cean Cinne, or head of the
kindred. This person (known in the English lan-
guage by the name of the Chief) was the hereditary
magistrate, judge, and general of the clan : he deter-
mined all disputes that arose amongst his people, and
regulated their affairs at his discretion. From his
judgment there was no appeal : to decline the tribu-
nal of the chief, and apply to any of the king's courts
for redress against one of the same kindred, was con-
sidered as highly criminal, a kind of treason against
the constitution of clanship, and the majesty of the
chief. The sirname of the chief was the name of the
clan, and the title which he bore constantly reminded
the Highlanders of the kindly origin of his power;
for the Cean Cinne was the kinsman of his people,
the source and fountain of their blood. His habita-
tion was the place of general resort, the scene of mar-
tial and manly exercises : a number of the clan con-
stantly attended him both at home and abroad : the
sons of the most respectable persons of the r.ame liv-
ed a great part of the year at his house, and were bred
up with his children. To bind the kindred faster
together, the cord of interest (in the most ordinary
sense of the word) was drawn strait between them :
the lands of the chief were let to his nearest relations
upon very easy terms ; and, by them, parcelled out
to their friends and relations, in the same manner.
That consanguinity, the great principle of clanship,
might not lose its force by being diffused amongst a
THE REBELLION, 17-tj. 7
multitude of men, many of whom were far removed
from the chief, there were intermediate persons, called
the chieftains, through whom the inferiors looked up
to their chief. Every clan consisted of several tribes;
and the head of each tribe was the representative of a
family descended from that of the chief. His patro-
nimick (which marked his descent) denominated the
tribe of which he was chieftain, and his lands (for
every chieftain had some estate in land) were let to
his friends and relations in the same manner that the
lands of the chief were let to his friends : each chief-
tain had a rank in the clan regiment according to his
birth ; and his tribe was his company. The chief
was colonel, the eldest * cadet was lieutenant-colonel,
and the next cadet was major. In this state of sub-
ordination, civil and military, every clan, was settled
upon their own territories, like a separate nation,
subject to the authority of their chief alone. To his
counsels, prowess and fortune, (to his auspices,) they
ascribed all their success in war. The most sacred
oath to a Highlander, was to swear by the hand of
his chief. The constant exclamation, upon any sud-
den accident was, may God be with the chief, or,
may the chief be uppermost. Ready at all times to
die for the head of the kindred, Highlanders have
been known to interpose their bodies between the
pointed musket, and their chief t, and to receive the
shot which was aimed at him.
* In settling the rank of their officers, the same rule was not
observed by every clan that took arms in the year 1745. In some
regiments, the eldest cadet was lieutenant-colonel, and in others the
youngest cadet. The Highlanders say, that, according to the
original customs of clanship, the eldest cadet ought to be next in
command to the chief, and that the appointment of the youngest
cadet to be lieutenant-colonel, was an innovation introduced by
those chiefs who had great land estates.
f- Examples of this sort of enthusiasm are handed down by
tradition, and preserved in the memoirs and manuscript histories
of the Highland families. A low-countryman, not many years
ago, expressing his admiration of one of those commoners who sa-
crificed himself to save the life of his chief, a Highland gentleman
said that he saw no reason to admire the action so much, that the
man did his duty, and no more ; for he was a villain and a cow-
ard who, in the same circumstances, would not do the same.
B 'it
8 THE HISTORY OF
In such communities, the king's peace and the law*
of the land were not much regarded: beyond the territo
ries of each clan, the sword was the arbiter of all dis-
putes : several of the clans had inveterate quarrels,
and deadly feuds ; they went to war and fought bat-
tles. Rapine was often practised, under pretext of
reprisal and revenge ; and, in those parts of the low
country that bordered upon the Highlands, depreda-
tion and rapine were often committed without any
pretence at all : hence, fierceness of heart, prompt to
attack or defend, at all times and places, became the
characteristic of the Highlanders. Proud of this
prime quality, they always appeared like warriors ;
as if their arms had been limbs and members of their
bodies, they were never seen without them : they
travelled, they attended fairs and markets, nay they
went to church with their broad swords and dirks j
and in latter times, with their muskets and pistols.
Before the introduction of fire-arms, the bow, the
broad sword and target, with the dirk, were the wea-
pons offensive and defensive of the Highlanders.
When the use of fire-arms became common in the
kingdom, they assumed the musket instead of the
bow, and, under the smoke of their fire, advanced to
close with the enemy. As to their dress, or Highland
garb (for so they call it at this day, ) which, like eve-
ry thing unusual in war, had an effect of terror in
the last rebellion, it is needless now, when so many
battalions of the king's troops wear it as their uniform,
to describe a dress which is to be seen every day in
the streets of London and Edinburgh : but it seems
necessary to mention, that the target was no part of
a Highlander's accoutrements, except on the day of
battle ; and in those battles that were fought during
the rebellion, most of the men in the front rank of
every Clan regiment, besides his other arms, had a
* The chiefs sometimes went to law with one another, but the
decisions of the Court of Session, and the judgments of the Privy
Council, were not oi much avail, unless the party who had obtained
judgment in his favour was more powerful than his antagonist, or
better supported by his neighbouring chiefs. -Locheil and Mac-
kintosh were at law, and at war, for 360 years.
THE REBELLION, 1745.
pistol ; though in the present times, neither the 42tl
regiment, renowned for valour, nor any other High-
land regiment, has any arms but the musket and
bayonet.
Such were the arms and accoutrements of the High-
landers when they went to war. Order and regula-
rity, acquired by discipline, they had little or none ;
but the spirit of clanship, in some measure, supplied
the want of discipline, and brought them on together ;
for when a Clan advanced to charge an enemy, the
head of the kindred, the chief, was in his place, and
every officer at his post, supported by his nearest re-
lations, and most immediate dependants. The pri-
vate men were also marshalled according to consan-
guinity : the father, the son, and the brother, stood
next each other. This order of nature was the sum
of their tactic, the whole of their art of war.
Such was the state in which the Highlanders re-
mained amongst their mountains for many centuries.
Troublesome neighbours, no doubt, they were to the
inhabitants of those parts of the low country that lie
nearest the Highlands ; but not at all formidable ene-
mies to the government of Scotland, as long as Eng-
land and Scotland were separate kingdoms, and under
different sovereigns ; for in those days, although the
English and Scots were almost continually at war,
there were no standing forces in either kingdom ;
but all the men, from sixteen to sixty years of age,
were trained to arms, and obliged to provide them.
selves with armour offensive and defensive, according
to then* rank and condition. Whilst so complete a
militia was the national defence, the Lowlanders
(especially the southern Scots upon the frontier oppo-
site to England) accustomed to contend with the
English, and armed and appointed like the warriors
against whom they fought, were so much superior to
the Highlanders, that when the kings of Scotland
were at peace with England, and not engaged in war
with their own rebellious subjects in the south, they
themselves, or their own lieutenants, used to march
armies of Lowlanders to the utmost extremities of the
north to quell the insurrections of the Highlanders,
and chastise their unruly chiefs. But when James
B 5
10 THE HISTORY OF
the Sixth succeeded to the crown of England, at the
death of Queen Elizabeth, the English and the Scots
(that is the Lowlanders of Scotland) at once laid down
their arms, which seemed to be an unnecessary bur-
den, when their ancient enemies had become their
fellow subjects. The untasted pleasures of peace
were delicious to both nations ; and, during the paci-
fic reign of James, they enjoyed them in perfect se-
curity. The militia was totally neglected ; and, for
a course of years, arms were so little regarded, that
when the civil war broke out in the reign of Charles
the First, there were but few arms to be found in the
country, and nobody could use them, without learn-
ing a new trade, as recruits for the army do at pre-
sent.
Meanwhile the Highlanders continued to be the
same sort of people that they had been in former
times: Clanship flourished, depredation and petty
war never ceased : then it was that the Highlanders
became superior to the Lowlanders in arms.
The alteration of circumstances, which produced
so great a change, does not seem to have been much
attended to, nor its effects foreseen, but by the Mar-
quis of Montrose, who, having at last procured the
king's commission to command in Scotland, (which
he had long and earnestly solicited,) set out from
Carlisle in the most desperate state of the royal cause,
with two gentlemen (he himself disguised like a ser-
vant,) and made his way through the Low Country
of Scotland to the Highlands, where he erected the
king's standard, and with a handful of men, began
the war, in which he fought and won so many battles,
that, as Lord Clarendon expresses it, t( he made him-
self, upon the matter, master of the kingdom."
The victories of Montrose raised the reputation of
the Highlanders, and fixed them in the interest of
the family of Stuart *, to which they were naturally
* Not all the Highlanders The Marquis of Argyll, and se-
veral other chiefs, joined the Covenanters ; but the most warlike
clans took arms for the king ; and, since that time, the different
clans have generally adhered to the side which they took in the first
contest.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 11
well inclined ; for, ignorant and careless of the dis-
putes, civil and religious, which occasioned the war,
Charles the First appeared to them in the light of an
injured chief.
At the restoration, the Highlanders, who had given
such proofs of their loyalty to Charles the First, were
in great favour with his sons Charles and James the
Second, who looked upon them as the firmest friends
of monarchy, and confided in them so much that at
every critical time, when there were so much discon-
tent in both kingdoms, several thousand Highlanders
were brought down to the western counties of Scot-
land by the ministers of Charles the Second, and
employed as a body of troops to enforce the laws
against the Covenanters.
Soon after the Revolution, the Highlanders took
arms against the government of King William. They
were commanded by the Viscount Dundee; and, at
the battle of Killiecrankie, defeated the king's ar-
my, which was greatly superior to them in number*.
Lord Dundee was killed in the battle, and his death
may be said to have put an end to the rebellion.
From the year 1689, the Highlanders kept a con-
stant correspondence with James the Second as long-
as he lived, entreating him to procure from the king
of France a body of troops to invade Britain ; and
engaging to support the invasion by an insurrection.
After the death of James, they continued their
correspondence t with his son at St. Germain's, at
Avignon, at Rome, or wherever he was, soliciting
him to procure assistance from France, and assuring
him of their readiness to appear in arms.
* To the victory which the Highlanders gained at the battle of
Killiecrankie, General M'Kay, who commanded the king's army,
ascribes that confidence which the Highlanders had in themselves,
as equal or superior to regular troops.
t The correspondence of the Jacobites in Scotland and England
with St. Germain's, during the reign of King William and that of
Queen Anne, was known in part at the time ; but the great ex-
tent of it was not fully known till the year 1775, when Macpher-
son's History of Great Britain was published, with the Stuart pa-
pers from the Revolution to the accession of the family of Hanover
B 6
12 THE HISTORY OF
At the accession of the family of Hanover, the
Highlanders took arms against the parliamentary set-
tlement of the crown, though no French troops came
to their assistance.
Louis the Fourteenth was dead *, before the Earl
of Mar erected his standard in the Highlands ; and
the Duke of Orleans, and regent of France, never in-
tended to do any thing in favour of the Pretender's
cause.
Notwithstanding these disappointments, the Earl
of Mar was joined by so many fighting men, that the
army he commanded at the battle of Sheriffmuir was
greatly superior to the royal army ; but the king's
troops were commanded by the Duke of Argyll and
Greenwich, renowned for valour, and of great expe-
rience in arms.
The battle of Sheriffmuir was a drawn battle, for
the number of the slain was nearly equal on both
sides ; and both generals claimed the victory.
This rebellion, at the accession of the house of
Hanover, was very soon followed by another, which
was part of a plan to restore the family of Stuart,
formed by Cardinal Alberoni, minister of Spain. In
the year 1 7 19 the King of Spain declared war against
England, acknowledged the Pretender as King of
Great Britain ; and equipped a fleet of ten ships of
the line with several frigates, to escort a number of
transports, having on board 6000 troops and 12000
stand of arms. While this armament (destined to
invade England under the command of the Duke of
Ormond) was preparing at Cadiz, the Marquis of
Tullibardin, the Earls of Seaforth and Mareschal,
with several other persons attainted in the year 1716,
landed in the Island of Lewes. Most of those per-
sons came privately from France. But the Earl of
Mareschal, who came from St. Sebastian, brought with
him two Spanish frigates, having on board 300 Spa-
* Louis the Fourteenth died in the month of August, in the
year 1715. The Earl of Mar erected his standard in the month
f September in the same year.
THE REBELLION, 174,5. IS
nish soldiers, some ammunition, arms, and a sum of
money. The Marquis of Tullibardin and his associ-
ates remained at the island of Lewes, corresponding
with the disaffected chiefs in the Highlands, and en-
gaging them to take arms when the Duke of Ormond
with his troops should land in England. But the
Duke of Ormond never did land in England ; for
the Spanish fleet having sailed from Cadiz, met with
a violent storm off Cape Finisterre, which dispersed
them completely. Meanwhile the Marquis of Tulli-
bardin, who had a commission from the Pretender to
command in Scotland, left the Island of Lewes with
the 300 Spaniards, and came over to the main land
of Scotland; but, as every thing remained quiet in
England, very few Highlanders joined him. The
ministers of George the First, informed of the in-
tended invasion of England, and of the Spaniards
who had landed in the Island of Lewes with the at-
tainted chiefs, had brought over to Britain 2000 men
of the Dutch army from Holland, and six battalions
of Imperial troops from the Austrian Netherlands.
The Dutch forces were sent down to Inverness, where
General Wightman (commander in chief for Scot-
land) had taken post with some British regiments
both of horse and foot. As soon as he was informed
that the Spaniards had landed in the Highlands, and
that some Highlanders had joined them, he marched
with his troops, and the Dutch auxiliaries, into the
Highlands ; and, coming up with the enemy at Glen-
shiel (between Fort Augustus and Bernera,) he attack-
ed them immediately. The engagement, if it may
be called so, was a very short one. The Highland-
ers, favoured by the ground, withdrew to the hills,
without having suffered much. The Spaniards laid
down their arms, and were made prisoners.
Such had been the state of the Highlands, and the
attachment of the greater and more warlike part of
the Highlanders to the family of Stuart, from the
reign of Charles the First, to that of George the
Second.
Notwithstanding the frequent rebellions, during
that long and eventful period, raised by a handful of
14 THE HISTORY OF
men * in a corner of the island, no measures were
taken to reconcile them to government ; or to enable
the other inhabitants of Britain to resist the High-
landers when they thought proper to rebel.
The state of arms in every part of Britain was al-
lowed to remain the same : the Highlanders lived un-
der their chiefs in arms ; the people of England, and
ihe Lowlanders of Scotland, lived without arms under
their sheriffs and magistrates ; so that every rebellion
was a war carried on by the Highlanders against the
standing army ; and a declaration of war with France
or Spain, which required the service of the troops a-
broad, was a signal for a rebellion at home. Strange
as it may seem, it was actually so.
Meanwhile, that is, in the interval between one re-
bellion and another, the arts of peace were successful-
ly cultivated in Britain, and the national wealth was
greatly augmented; but of that wealth no part or
portion accrued to the Highland Chiefs, who still
kept their people upon the old establishment; and,
always expecting another rebellion, estimated their
consideration by the number of men they could bring
to the field t. Of the danger that was likely to arise
from the Highlanders, in case of a foreign war, go-
vernment was warned by Duncan Forbes of Cullod-
en, President of the Court of Session ; who at the
same time suggested a measure to prevent rebellion
and insurrection in the Highlands, by engaging the
Highlanders in the service of government. As there
will be frequent occasion to mention this gentleman,
who, in the course of the rebellion, contributed so
much to frustrate the designs of Charles, it seems
proper to mention some circumstances which are
* The number of men which the disaffected clans could bring
to the field was estimated at 12,000. Stuart papers, vol. ii. p. 117.
{ About the year 1740, some Low Country gentlemen made
a party to visit the Highlands, where they were entertained at the
house of one of the chiefs with great hospitality, and a profusion
of game, fish, and French wine. One of the guests asked their
landlord, somewhat bluntly, What was the rent of his estate ?
He answered he could raise 500 men. This story is told of
M'Donald of Keppoch, who was killed at the battle of Culloden.
THE REBELLION, 1745. io
now known only to the few people still alive who
remember him.
Duncan Forbes, born a younger brother, and bred
to the law, had passed through the different offices of
that profession which visually lead to the chair, uni-
versally esteemed, and thought still worthy of a high-
er office than the one he held. When called to pre-
side in .the supreme court of justice in Scotland, he
fully answered the expectations of his countrymen :
his manners gave a lustre to the dignity of his sta-
tion ; and no president of the Court of Session was
ever more respected and beloved. He was a Whig
upon principle ; that is, he thought the government
established at the Revolution was the best form of
government for the inhabitants of Britain. In the
end of autumn, in the year 1738, he came to Lord
Milton's house at Brunstane, one morning before
breakfast. Lord Milton was surprised to see him at
so early an hour, and asked what was the matter ? " A
matter," replied the president, " which I hope you will
think of some importance. You know very well
that I am, like you, a Whig ; but I am also the neigh,
bour and friend of the Highlanders ; and intimately
acquainted with most of their chiefs. For some time,
I have been revolving in my mind different schemes
for reconciling the Highlanders to government ; now
I think the time is come to bring forward a scheme,
which, in my opinion, will certainly have that effect.
" A war with Spain seems near at hand, which, it is
probable, will soon be followed by a war with France ;
and there will be occasion for more troops than the
present standing army ; in that event, I propose that
government should raise four or five regiments of
Highlanders, appointing an English or Scotch officer
of undoubted loyalty, to be colonel of each regiment ;
and naming the lieutenant- colonels, majors, captains,
and subalterans, from this list in my hand, which
comprehends all the chiefs and chieftains of the disaf-
fected clans, who are the very persons whom France
and Spain will call upon, in case of a war, to take arms
for the Pretender. If government pre-engages the
Highlanders in the manner I propose, they will not
only serve well against the enemy abroad, but will be
16 THE HISTORY OF
hostages for the good behaviour of their relations at
home ; and I am persuaded that it will be absolutely
impossible to raise a rebellion in the Highlands. I
have come here to shew you this plan, and to entreat,
if you approve it, that you will recommend it to your
friend Lord Hay*, who, I am told, is to be here to-
day or to-morrow, in his way to London."
" I will, most certainly," said Milton, " shew the plan
to Lord Ilay ; but I need not recommend it to him ; for,
if 1 am not much mistaken, it will recommend itself."
Next day, the Earl of Ilay came to Brunstane :
Lord Milton shewed him the president's plan, with
which he was extremely pleased, and carrying it to
London with him, presented it to Sir Robert Wai-
pole, who read the preamble, and said, at once, that
it was the most sensible plan he had ever seen, and
was surprized that no body had thought of it before.
He then ordered a cabinet council to be summoned,
and laid the plan before them, expressing his appro-
bation of it in the strongest terms, and recommending
it as a measure which ought to be carried into execu-
tion immediately, in case of a war with Spain. Not-
withstanding the minister's recommendation, every
member of the council declared himself against the
measure, assuring Sir Robert Walpole, that for his
sake they could not possibly agree to it ; that, if go-
vernment should adopt the plan of the Scots judge,
the patriots (for so the opposition was called) would
exclaim that Sir Robert Walpole, who always design-
ed to subvert the British constitution, was raising an
army of Highlanders to join the standing army, and
enslave the people of England. The plan was set
aside t ; and, next year, Britain declared war against
Spain J.
* Archibald, Earl of Ilay, (who, in the year 1743, succeeded
his brother John, Duke of Argyll,) was the friend of Sir Robert
Walpole ; and, during the long administration of that minister,
had the management of the king's affairs in Scotland committed to
him : Lord Milton, justice clerk, was subminister to Lord Ilay.
f This account of the president's plan, and of the reason for
which it had been rejected, was given to the author of this history
by Lord Alilton.
Britain declared war against Spain on the 23d of October,
in the year 1 739.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 17
CHAP. II.
Conspiracy to restore the Family of Stuart Engagement to
take Arms Sent to the Old Pretender Transmitted by
bim to Cardinal Fleury War at the Death of Charles
VI' Emperor of Germany The House of Austria at-
tacked Asserted by Great Britain Cardinal Fleury
sends an Agent to Edinburgh Plan of Invasion Death
of Cardinal Fleury Succeeded by Cardinal de Tencin
Charles Stuart arrives at Paris Goes to Dunkirk
The Troops begin to embark Design of Invasion frus-
trated by a Storm Charles embarks for Scotland-
Lands in the Highlands.
v AR having been declared against Spain, in the year
1739, some of the most zealous Jacobites met at Edin-
burgh, in the beginning of the year 1 740 ; and, con-
cluding that the Spanish war would certainly bring
on a war with France, they framed an association, en-
gaging themselves to take arms, and venture their lives
and fortunes to restore the family of Stuart, provided
that the king of France would send over a body of troops
to their assistance. This association, signed by seven
persons* of distinction, was delivered to Drummond
of Bochaldy, (nearly related to Cameron of Locheil,
and several other disaffected chiefs,) to be carried to
the Pretender at Rome, whom they entreated to pro-
cure assistance from France. Besides the association,
Drummond carried with him a listt of those chiefs and
* The seven were, Lord Lovat, James Drummond, commonly
called Duke of Perth, Lord Traquair, Sir James Campbell of Au-
chinbreck, Cameron of Locheil, John Stuart, brother to Lord
Traquair, Lord John Drummond, uncle to the Duke of Perth.
Lord Lovafu Trial, p. 21.
f- The list contains so great a number of names, that Secretary
Murray, in his evidence at the bar of the House of Lords, said that
he thought it to be rather a general list of the Highlands. Lo*
vat'* Trial, p. 21.
1-8 THE HISTORY OF
chieftains, who, the subscribers thought, were willing
and ready to join them, ifabody of French troops should
land in Britain. With these papers Drummond went to
Rome, where the Pretender lived ; for by an article
of the treaty of peace made at Utrecht, he had been
obliged to quit the dominions of France ; and, leav-
ing St. Germain's, went to Bar in Lorraine, from that
to Avignon, and at last to Rome. The Pretender
having examined the papers, thought the project prac-
ticable and well-timed ; for the clamour against the
government of George the Second, conducted by Sir
Robert Walpole, resounded through Europe, and fo-
reigners mistook the outcry of faction and party rage,
for the voice of disaffection and revolt. To the Pre-
tender and Jiis adherents at Rome, who were very
willing to believe what they wished, Britain seemed
ripe for another revolution ; and the papers brought
from Scotland by Drummond, were immediately for-
warded by the same messenger to Cardinal Fleury at
Paris, with the Pretender's approbation of the plan,
and a request that his Eminence would grant the as-
sistance required. The French minister thought it
sufficient to promise that the assistance required should
be granted as soon as the undertakers for an insur-
rection could shew a reasonable prospect of success.
During this correspondence, before any thing was
settled with Cardinal Fleury, a general war broke out
in Europe at the death of Charles the Sixth*, Emper-
or of Germany, the last of the male line of the house
of Austria. The rise and progress of that war are well
known : the House of Austria, divested of the impe-
rial dignity, was attacked in every part of her heredi-
tary dominions by a powerful combination of princes,
which she could not have resisted long, if Great Bri-
tain, at war with Spain, and upon very ambiguous
terms with France, had not interposed in this great
quarrel with her money and her arms. The British
subsidies* had begun to operate with effect in Ger-
* Charles the Sixth died in the month of October, in the year
1740.
4. .A subsidy of 300,0001. was granted by parliament to the
Queen of Hungary in the year 1741, and a subsidy of 500,0001.
in the year 1742. Smollett Hist. vol. iii. chap, vii.
THE REBELLION, -1745. 19
many* : the British troops were preparing to embark
for the Continent, and some foreign troops in British
pay had marched to join the Austrian army, when
the minister of France, finding that the designs of
his court were counteracted every where, by this zea-
lous ally of the House of Austria, resolved to call the
attention of George the Second and his ministers to
their own affairs, by reviving the pretensions of the
Stuart family to the crown of Britain.
In the beginning of the month of February, 1742,
Drummond of Bochaldy, formerly mentioned, came
privately to Edinburgh, where he found most of the
persons who had signed the association which he had
carried to the Pretender at Rome : these conspirators,
with the addition of some others, had formed them-
selves into a society, which they called the Concert of
Gentlement for managing the king's affairs in Scot-
land. Drummond assured the members of the Con-
cert, that he had been exceedingly well received by
Cardinal Fleury, who expressed much satisfaction
with the contents of the papers from Scotland ; and
had the Pretender's interest so much at heart, that,
provided he had the same assurances from the friends
of the Stuart family in England, he would send over
an army of 13,000 men, of whom 1,500 were to be
landed in the West Highlands of Scotland, near Fort
William, and 1,500 on the East coast at Inverness;
while the main body, consisting of 10,000 men under
the command of Marshal Saxe, should land with
Charles Stuart, the Pretender's J eldest son, as near
London as possible.
* In the months of April and May, in the year 1742, twenty-
four regiments of British troops were landed on the Continent.
f Murray of Broughton (afterwards secretary,) and one or two
more, who had not signed the association to take arms, which was
sent to the old Pretender at Rome, in the year 1740, were mem-
bers of the concert when Drummond of Bochaldy came to Edin-
burgh from Cardinal Fleury in the year 1742.
$ Cardinal Fleury, or Drummond, seems to have taken for
granted, that Charles would come over with the French troops,
though it had not been mentioned to his father. In the following
year, 1743, Drummond, at the desire of the French court, went
to Rome to persuade the Pretender to send his son to France.
Lord Lovafs Trial, p. 79.
SO THE HISTOttY OF
After this exposition of the cardinal's plan of inva-
sion, Drummond staid at Edinburgh till Cameron
of Lochiel, who had been sent for, came to town, and
having acquainted him with every circumstance of the
intended invasion, he returned to Paris, and had an
audience of the French Minister, who (as the mem-
bers of the Concert were informed by Drummond, in
a letter to Lord Traquair) was extremely pleased with
the account given him of the state of affairs in Scot-
land, and designed to put the scheme in execution
that very year.
Nothing, however, was done, or attempted to be
done, in the year 174-2 ; and the members of the Con-
cert became apprehensive that Cardinal Fleury ne-
ver intended an invasion, but that Drummond, to
keep up the spirit of party in Scotland, and make
himself considerable, as the cardinal's agent for such
great affairs, had exceeded his instructions, and laid
before the gentlemen of the Concert a plan of inva-
sion, which he knew would please them.
To be certain how matters stood, Murray of Brough-
ton, a member of the Concert, was prevailed upon to
goto Paris, and learn from the cardinal himself, what
he really intended, and what the friends of the Stuart
family were to expect from the court of France.
In the beginning of the month of January, Mur-
ray left Edinburgh, and in his way to Paris heard that
Cardinal Fleury was dead*. This piece of intelligence
he thought made it still more necessary for him to
proceed.
When Murray arrived at Paris, he had an audience
of Monsieur Amelot, secretary for foreign affairs, who
told him that Cardinal Fleury had delivered to him
all the papers relating to the Pretender's business,
and had recommended to his successor, Cardinal de
Tencin, the execution of his design to restore the fa-
mily of Stuart : that the king of France was inform-
ed of Mr. Murray's coming to Paris, and the cause of
it, in consequence of which he had given him orders to
* Cardinal Fleury died in the month of January 1 743, in the
90th year of his age.
THE BEBELLION, 1745. 21
assure Mr. Murray, that he (the king of France) had
the interest of the Stuart family as much at heart as
any of those gentlemen who had signed the associa-
tion ; and, as soon as an opportunity offered, would
certainly put the scheme in execution.
Murray returned immediately to Scotland, and
gave his friends an account of the conversation which
he had with Monsieur Amelot, whose assurances of
the king of France's intention to execute the plan of
invasion proved very soon to be true.
As the rebellion which broke out in Scotland in the
year 1745 was only a fragment of the orighial design,
it seems not improper to give an account of the at.
tempt to invade Britain, which was made in the be.
ginning of the year 1744; and, if it had not miscar-
ried, would have joined a French army of 15,000
men, commanded by Marshal Saxe, to the forces of
all the disaffected chiefs united then ; but much di-
vided when Charles Stuart landed in the Highlands,
without troops, arms, or money.
In the month of December*, in the year 1743,
Cardinal de Tencin dispatched a messenger to the
young Pretender at Rome, to acquaint him of the pre-
parations made to invade Britain, and desire him to
come immediately to Paris. The messenger arrived
at Rome on one of the last days of December ; and
Charles, giving out that he was going to hunt the boar,
as he used to do every season, left Rome very private-
ly, on the 9th of January, and rode post to Genoa,
where he embarked in a felucca, and proceeded by
Monaco to Antibes.
* Murray, in his examination before the House of Lords, gives
a long and somewhat perplexed account of the management of his
party, and the agents from France, in the year 1743. Murray
himself, and several others, seem to have been chiefly employed to
procure from the Tories in .England, the same assurances that
had been given to the court of France by the Jacobites in Scot-
land. But the English Tories were extremely shy, and unwilling
to meet or converse on that subject with the persons sent from
France or Scotland, and not one Englishman could be persuaded
to give the same assurances under his hand and seal, as had been
given by the seven original conspirators. Lord Lovat's Trial, p.
26 and 27.
32 THE HISTORY OF
At Antibes he got on horseback again, and rode to
Paris : there he found Marshal Saxe, and the general
officers appointed to serve under him in the expedi-
tion to England. As Charles, in his journey from
Rome, met with very bad weather, he had been oblig-
ed to stop some days at different places; and the Bri-
tish court received information from Antibes that the
Pretender's eldest son had arrived there on his way to
Paris. Upon which the Duke of Newcastle wrote
to the English resident at the court of France, that he
should go to Monsieur Amelot, and acquaint him
with the information which the king his master had
received concerning the Pretender's eldest son ; and
that " his Majesty did not doubt but that, if the ac-
" counts were founded, his Most Christian Majesty
" would, pursuant to treaties, give effectual orders
" that the said person may be obliged forthwith to
" quit France.'*
From this letter it is evident that the British court
had not the least suspicion that the young Pretender
had left Rome at the desire of the French minister, and
was on his way to Paris to join Marshal Saxe, and invade
Britain with an army under his command. But in a very
few days after the date* of the Duke of Newcastle's
letter, a French fleet of fifteen ships of the line, and
five frigates, made their appearance in the channel off
Torbay. The British ministers were soon informed
that this fleet was destined to escort a large body of
troops, who were assembled at Lisle, St. Omer, Ayre
and Burgues, that they might be ready to march for
Dunkirk, where a number of transports was collected
to carry them over to Britain. The court and the
people of England were greatly alarmed, and not
without causet ; for most part of the British troops
* The letter, published in the magazines, and other registers of
that year, is dated February 3, 1743-44.
f The Habeas Corpus Act was suspended ; some suspected per-
sons were taken into custody, and both Houses of Parliament ad-
dressed the King to augment his forces by sea and land in such
manner as he should think necessary at this dangerous juncture of
affairs.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 23
were in Flanders, the grand fleet of England was in
the Mediterranean, and there were only six ships of
the line ready for sea, lying at Spithead. Orders were
immediately given to fit out and man all the ships
of war in the different ports of the channel. Never
were orders better obeyed ; for the French fleet hav-
ing been driven down the channel, by a strong gale
of easterly wind, before they could get up again, Sir
John Norris with twenty-one ships of the line, and a
good many frigates, arrived in theDowns, where helay,
watching the motions of the transports at Dunkirk,
from the 16th to the 23d of February. That day an
English frigate came into the Downs with the signal
for seeing an enemy's fleet flying at her mast head.
The English ships unmoored ; and, having the tide
with them, beat down the channel against a fresh gale
of westerly wind : at four in the afternoon, .the Eng-
lish fleet got sight of the French ships lying at anchor
near Dungeness ; but, as the tide was spent, they al-
so were obliged to come to an anchor. While the two
fleets were in this position, Marshal Saxe, who, with
the young Pretender, had come to Dunkirk that very
day, was embarking his troops as fast as possible. In
the evening the wind changed to the east and blew
a storm : the French ships, sensible of their inferio-
rity, as soon as it was dark, cut their cables and ran
down the channel. During the night, all the ships of
the English fleet, (two excepted) parted their cables
and drove. Both the fleets were far enough from
Dunkirk ; and, if the weather had been moderate,
Marshal Saxe might have reached England before Sir
John Norris could have returned to the Downs. But
when the storm rose it stopped the embarkation ; se-
veral transports were wrecked ; a good many soldiers
and seamen perished : and a great quantity of war-
like stores was lost. The English fleet returned to
the Downs, and the French troops were withdrawn
from the coast.
This attempt to invade Britain occasioned the de-
clarations of war made by both nations in the month
of March in the year 1744; for though they had been
actually at war for some time, and the battle of Det-
24 THE HISTORY OF
tingen* had been fought, there was no declaration of
war till France attempted to invade Britain in favour
of the Pretender.
After the long projected design of invasion mis-
carried, Charles retired to Graveline, where he lived
very privately all the summer of the year 1744, call-
ing himself the Chevalier Douglas.
Meanwhile he solicited the French ministers, by
an agent, who was called Lord Semple, to resume
their purpose, and fulfil the engagements of Cardi-
nal Fleury. In the beginning of winter, Charles went
to Paris to enforce his solicitations ; but, not being
able to procure any positive assurance of immediate
aid, he became extremely impatient, and began to
talk among his confidants of going to Scotland, with-
out any assistance from France.
About this time Murray of Broughton went to Pa-
ris once more, at the desire of his friends in Scot-
land, who thought (as he sayst) that it was absolute-
ly necessary for them to know upon what footing
things really were. When Murray came to Paris,
he was introduced to Charles, and desired to see him
in private, which he did next day, and had a long con-
versation with him. Charles mentioned the associ-
ation of the Highland chiefs, and said he did not
doubt that the king of France intended to invade
Britain ; but that he himself was determined at all
events to come to Scotland, even without assistance
from France. Murray endeavoured to shew him that
such an undertaking was desperate ; and assured him
that if he came to the Highlands without a body of re-
gular troops, very few people would join him. Notwith-
standing Murray's arguments, Charles insisted upon
coming to Scotland. When Murray returned to Edin-
burgh, he gave his friends an account of his confe-
rence with Charles; and all of them (the Duke of
* The British troops that landed on the Continent in the year
1742, with 16,000 Hanoverians, and 6,000 Hessians, in British
pay, joined the Austrian army as allies to the Queen of Hungary,
and marching into Germany, fought the battle of Dettingen, on
the 16th of June, in the year 1743.
t Murray's evidence. Lord Lovat's Trial, p. 79 and 80.
THE REBELLION, 1745.
Perth excepted) declared against the design of com.
ino- to Scotland without assistance from France. Up-
on which Murray wrote a letter to Charles, acquaint-
ing him with the opinion of his friends, and setting
forth the bad consequence of such an undertaking.
This letter was sent off in the month of January, m
the vear 1745 ; but as the safe conveyance ot trea-
sonable letters is very difficult, Charles never receiv-
ed the letter ; and it was returned to Murray* in the
month of April. .
Matters continued in this state of fluctuation and
uncertainty till the beginning of the month of May
1745, when an event happened which determined
Charles to proceed; that event was the battle of Fon-
tenoy, (May Hth, N. S.) where the British troops,
behaving with incomparable valour, were overpower-
ed by numbers, and cut in pieces. Fame did not di-
minish the havock of that day; and Charles conclud-
ing; that, from an army so much weakened, and still
pressed by Count Saxe, no troops could be spared to
oppose his progress in Britain, resolved to embrace
si favourable an opportunity of trying what he could
do in a country where he believed he had many friends,
and no formidable enemies but the regular troops,
whose number he knew was inconsiderable.
When the French ministers were made acquainted
with this peremptory resolution, they did not choose
to commit themselves, by appearing openly to aid and
abet an enterprise which they were not prepared to
support. But, willing to procure a diversion in favour
of their master's arms, they contrived, m a very un-
derhand and indirect manner, to enable Charles to
leave France as he did. There happened to be then
in Paris two merchants named Ruttledge and Walsh
both of Irish extraction, the sons of refugees who had
followed the fortune of James the Second. Ruttledge
was settled at Dunkirk, and Walsh at Nantz: they
had made some money before the war began, by trad-
ing to the West Indies; but when war was de-
clared between France and Britain, they became ad-
Lord Lovat's Trial, p. 80.
C
2G THE HISTORY OF
venturers in privateering, and had been concerned in
several armaments. Still extending their views and
operations, they had obtained from the Court of France
a grant of an old man of war of 60 guns, called the
Elizabeth : they had purchased a frigate of 16 guns,
called the Doutelle, and were equipping these vessels
for a cruize in the north seas, to intercept some of the
valuable ships, that in time of war came north about
to England. Lord Clare, a lieutenant-general in the
service of France, (afterwards Marshal Thomond, )
was acquainted with these gentlemen, and knew the
state of their armament : he introduced them to Charles
Stuart, and proposed that they should lend their ships
to him, for a more splendid expedition, and carry
their Prince to Scotland. The two Irishmen not on-
ly agreed to lend him their ships, but engaged to fur-
nish him with all the money and arms they could
procure. Lord Clare undertook to raise 100 marines,
which he did, and put them on board the Elizabeth.
When every thing was ready Charles came from Pa-
ris to Nantz ; and on the 20th of June, leaving Nantz
in a fishing boat, went aboard the Doutelle, at St.
Nazaire, and was joined by the Elizabeth, near Bel-
leisle. In the two ships were about 2000 muskets,
and five or six hundred French broad swords. Charles
had with him in the Doutelle, which was command-
ed by Walsh, a sum of money somewhat less than
L.4000 *. Such were the preparations made for an
expedition, which it was easy to keep secret, for no-
body could possibly believe that it was intended
against the government of Britain.
The course which the seamen proposed to steer for
the Highlands of Scotland, was by the JEbudse, or
Western Isles. They had not proceeded far in their
voyage, when they met an English man of war of 60
guns, called the Lyon, commanded by Captain Brett
(afterwards Sir Percy.) The Lyon and Elizabeth en-
gaged : and after a very obstinate fight, the two ves-
" The sum of money furnished by Walsh and Ruttledge to
Charles, was 3S,8001. which the old Pretender repaid some years
after by a bill drawn upon John Haliburton, at Dunkirk, in fa-
vour of lluttledgel
THE REBELLION, 1T45. 27
sels separated both greatly disabled : the Elizabeth
was so much shattered, that with difficulty she regain-
ed the port whence she came. Charles, in the Dou-
telle, pursued his course. As he approached the coast
of Scotland, another large ship (which was supposed
to be an English man of war) appearing between his
vessel and the land, the Doutelle, (then off the south
end of the Long Island) changed her course, and rang-
ing along the east side of Barra, came to an anchor
between South Uist and Erisca, which is the largest
of a cluster of small rocky islands that lie off South
Uist. Charles immediately went ashore on Erisca.
His attendants giving out that he was a young Irish
priest, conducted him to the house of the tacksman
who rented all the small islands ; pf him they learned
that Clanronald, and his brother Boisdale, were upon
the island of South Uist ; that young Clanronald was
at Moidart upon the main land. A messenger was
immediately dispatched to Boisdale, who is said to
have had great influence with his brother. Charles
staid all night on the island Erisca, and, in the morn-
ing, returned to his ship. Boisdale came aboard soon
after : Charles proposed that he should go with him
to the main land, assist in engaging his nephew to
take arms, and then go, as his ambassador, to Sir
Alexander Macdonald and Macleod. To every one
of -these proposals Boisdale gave a flat negative, de-
claring that he would do his utmost to prevent his
brother and his nephew from engaging in so despe-
rate an enterprise ; assuring Charles, that it was need-
less to send anybody to Sky, for that' he had seen Sir
Alexander Macdonald and Macleod very lately, and
was desired by them to acquaint him, (if he should
come to South Uist, in his way to the Highlands,)
that they were determined not to join him, unless he
brought over with him a body of regular troops.
Charles replied in the best manner he could ; and or-
dering the ship to be unmoored, carried Boisdale
(whose boat hung at the stern) several miles onward
to the main land, pressing him to relent, arid give a
better answer. Boisdale was inexorable, and getting
into his boat, left Charles to pursue his course, which
c2
28 THE HISTORY OF
he did directly for the coast of Scotland ; and coming
to an anchor in the Bay of Lochnanuagh, between
Moidart and Arisaig, sent a boat ashore with a letter
to young Clanronald. In a very little time Clanron-
ald, with his relation Kinloch Moidart, came aboard
the Doutelle. Charles, almost reduced to despair in
his interview with Boisdale, addressed the two High-
landers with great emotion, and summing up his ar-
guments for taking arms, conjured them to assist their
Prince, their countryman, in his utmost need. Clan-
ronald, and his friend, though well-inclined to the
cause, positively refused ; and told him (one after
another) that, to take arms without concert or sup-
port, was to pull down certain destruction on their
own heads. Charles persisted, argued, and implored.
During this conversation, the parties walked back-
wards and forwards upon the deck : a Highlander
stood near them, armed at all points, as was then the
fashion of his country : he was a younger brother of
Kinloch Moidart, and had come off to the ship to in-
quire for news, not knowing who was aboard ; when
he gathered, from their discourse, that the stranger
was the Prince of Wales : when he heard his chief
and his brother refuse to take arms with their prince,
his colour went and came, his eyes sparkled, he shift-
ed his place, and grasped his sword. Charles ob-
served his demeanour, and turning briskly towards
him, called out, Will not you assist me ? I will, I
will, said Ranald, though no other man in the High-
lands should draw a sword, I am ready to die for you.
Charles, with a profusion of thanks and acknowledg-
ments, extolled his champion to the skies, saying, he
only wished that all the Highlanders were like him.
Without farther deliberation, the two Macdonalds de-
clared that they also would join, and use" their ut-
most endeavours to engage their countrymen to take
arms. Immediately Charles, with his company, went
ashore, and was conducted to Boradale, a farm which
belonged to the estate of Clanronald. The persona
who landed with Charles at Boradale on the 25th of
July, were the Marquis of Tullibardine, (elder bro-
ther of James, duke of Athole) who had been attaint-
THE REBELLION, 1745.
ed in the year 1716 ; Sir Thomas Sheridan, who had
been tutor to Charles; Sir John Macdonald, an oft.
cer in the Spanish service ; Francis Strickland an
English gentleman; Kelly, a clergyman, who had
been sent to the Tower of London for his concern m
the Bishop of Rochester's plot ; jEneas Macdonald, a
banker in Paris, who was Kinloch Moidart's brother ;
and Buchanan, the messenger sent to Rome by Car-
dinal De Tencin.
CHAP. III.
Charles at Boradale-His Interview m
to erect his Standard-Commencement o
John Cape-Hi. Correspondence with the
State-Marches towards Fort Augustus-The ***
23 on his way to the Fort-Sir John changes his Route
^The Rebels advance to the Southward-Alarm at Edm-
h 'h-Condition of the City-The Retake posses-
sion of Perth- Petition of the Citizens of Edinburgh for
Leave to take Arms-The Petition granted- Observe
tions.
IT is impossible to imagine an abode jmore suitable -to
the circumstances and designs of Charles than Bora-
dale, which is one of the most remote and inacoe si-
Se places in the Highlands of Scotland, surrounded
on every side by the territories of those chiefs who,
tn former times! had fought the battles of the family
of Stuart. From this retreat, Charles dispatched
messengers to the chiefs from whom he expected as-
Sstance The first chief that came to Charles at Bo-
raTale, was Cameron of Locheil. Donald Cameron
called by the Highlanders young Locheil, for hi
father was still alive, but attainted and in exile,)
30 THE HISTORY OF
succeeded, in the year 1719, to his grandfather, Sir
Ewen Cameron, (of whom so many marvellous stories
are told by his countrymen at this day.) Educated
in the principles of his ancestors, Locheil was devot-
ed, like them, to the family of Stuart ; and the old
Pretender had conceived so great an opinion of the
character and influence of this chief, that, in the year
1729 *, he wrote him a letter with his own hand, in
which he gives him full and ample powers to treat
with such of his friends in Scotland as he thought
might be trusted, and settle every thing that con-
cerned his affairs. The Jacobites in the Highlands,
and in the Lowlands of Scotland, were acquainted
with the contents of this letter, and had recourse upon
every occasion to Cameron of Locheil. He was one
of the seven who, in the year 1 740, signed the asso-
ciation which Drummond of fiochaldy carried to the
old Pretender at Rome ; and when the court of
France, after the disaster at Dunkirk, withheld their
aid, he was one of those who sent over Murray to
dissuade Charles from coming to Scotland without a
body of foreign troops ; and he was not a little trou.
bled when he received a letter from Charles, ac-
quainting him that he was come to the Highlands,
and desired to see him immediately. Locheil com-
plied with the request of the letter. He was no
sooner arrived at Boradale than Charles and he re-
tired by themselves.
The conversation began on the part of Charles, with
bitter complaints of the treatment he had received
from the ministers of France, who had so long amus-
ed him with vain hopes, and deceived him with false
promises ; their coldness in his cause, he said, but ill
* The old Pretender wrote to Locheil more than once with his
own hand. The first letter (dated in the year 1727) was written
to Locheil, before he left Paris to go to the Highlands. In this
letter James praises his zeal and loyalty, and assures him of his
particular regard. The second letter, in which he gives him powers
to treat with his friends in Scotland, is dated Albano, October 3,
1 729. The former of these letters has been preserved, but the ori-
ginal of the second letter is lost ; an extract or copy of it re
mains.
THE REBELLION, 174.5.
agreed with the opinion he had of his own preten-
sions, and with that impatience to assert them with
which the promises of his father's brave and faithful
subjects had inflamed his mind. Locheil acknow-
ledged the engagements of the chiefs, but observed
that they were no ways binding, as he had come over
without the stipulated aid; and therefore,, as there
was not the least prospect of success, he advised his
Royal Highness to return to France, and to reserve
himself and his faithful friends for a more favourabla
opportunity. Charles refused to follow Locheil's ad-
vice, affirming that a more favourable opportunity
than the present would never come : that almost all
the British troops were abroad, and kept at bay by
Marshal Saxe, with a superior army : that in Scot-
land there were only a few new raised regiments,
that had never seen service, and could not stand be-
fore the Highlanders : that the very first advantage
gained over the troops would encourage his father's
friends at home to declare themselves : that his friends
abroad would not fail to give their assistance : that he
only wanted the Highlanders to begin the war.
Locheil still resisted, entreating Charles to be more
temperate, and consent to remain concealed where he
was, till he ( Locheil ) and his other friends should
meet together, and concert what was best to be done.
Charles, whose mind was wound up to the utmost
pitch of impatience, paid no regard to this proposal,
but answered, that he was determined to put all to
the hazard. In a few days, (said he,) with the few
friends that I have, I will erect the royal standard,
and proclaim to the people of Britain that Charles
Stuart is come over to claim the crown of his ances-
tors, to win it, or to perish in the attempt : Locheil,
who, my father has often told me, was our firmest
friend, may stay at home, and learn from the news-
papers the fate of his prince. No, said Locheil, I'll
share the fate of my prince ; aad so shall every man
over whom nature or fortune hath given me any
power. Such was the singular conversation, on the
result of which depended peace or war. For it is a
32 THE HISTORY OF
point agreed * among the Highlanders, that if Loch-
eil had persisted in his refusal to take arms, the other
chiefs would not have joined the standard without
him, and the spark of rebellion must have instantly
expired.
It was otherwise decreed. After Locheil had con-
sented to raise his men, and join the standard, letters
were written from Boradale, and signed by Charles,
(bearing date the 6th of August,) acquainting the
chiefs on the main land, that the standard was to be
erected at Glenfinnin, on the 19th of August, and re-
quiring their presence there on the ipth, or as soon
as possible thereafter. Young Clanronald undertook
to go to the Isle of Sky, and inform Sir Alexander
Macdonald and Macleod of the rendezvous, and solicit
them to join.
Locheil returned to his own house, and sent mes-
sengers through Lochaber, and the adjacent countries,
where his Camerons lived, requiring his chieftains to
prepare, and hold their men in readiness to march to
Glenfinnin with their chief. The same notice was
given to their people by the other chiefs who intend-
* It is no less certain, though not so generally known, that
Locheil left his own house, determined (as he thought) not to take
arms : in his way to Boradale, he called at the house of his bro-
ther, John Cameron of Fassefern, who came out immediately, and
asked What was the matter that had brought him there at so
early an hour ? Locheil told him that the Prince was landed at
Boradale, and had sent for him. Fassefern asked, What troops
the Prince had brought with him ? what money ? what arms ?
Locheil answered, that he believed the Prince had brought with
him neither troops, nor money, nor arms ; and, therefore, he was
resolved not to be concerned in the affair, and would do his utmost
to prevent Charles from making a rash attempt. Fassefern ap-
proved his brother's sentiments, and applauded his resolution ; ad-
vising him, at the same time, not to go any further on the way to
Boradale, but to come into the house, and impart his mind to the
Prince by letter. No, said Locheil, I ought at least to wait upon
him, and give my reasons for declining to join him, which admit of
no reply. Brother, said Fassefern, 1 know you better than you
know yourself. If this Prince once sets his eyes upon you, he
will make you do whatever he pleases. Fassefern, in the year
1781, repeated the conversation between him and his brother tu
the author of this History.
THE KEBELLIOy, 1745. 33
ed to join the standard : but before the day of ren-
dezvous came, some of the Camerons, and their neigh-
bours the Macdonalds of Keppoch, spying an oppor-
tunity of attacking a detachment of the King's troops
with advantage, these ready warriors of their own ac-
cord began the war. As the circumstances of the first
encounter strongly mark the state of the Highlands
when the rebellion broke out, it seems not improper
to give a particular account of them.
The governor of Fort Augustus concluding from,
the reports which he heard, that the Highlanders
were hatching some mischief, sent, upon the l6th of
August, two additional companies of the first regi-
ment of foot, to reinforce the garrison of Fort Wil-
liam *. The distance between these fortresses is
twenty-eight English miles, and the road, called the
Military Road, (as it was made by the King's troops,)
is carried on for two-thirds of the way, having a tract
of high mountains on one side, and the lakes Loch
Oich and Loch Lochie on the other. These lakes
are separated by a narrow isthmus. Within eight
miles of Fort- William, stands High Bridge, built over
the river Spean, a torrent which, confined by high
and steep banks, and dashing amongst stones and
rocks, is extremely difficult to pass but by the bridge.
Captain John Scott, (afterwards General Scott,) who
commanded the two companies t, had set out with
them very early in the morning of the 16th, that he
might reach Fort William the same day, for there are
no quarters upon that road for any number of men.
Captain Scott had left the lakes behind him, and was
near High Bridge, when he heard a bagpipe, and saw
some Highlanders on the other side of the bridge
skipping and leaping about with swords and firelocks
* Fort William, Fort Augustus, and Fort George (called also
the Castle of Inverness,) formed the chain of forts which bad
reached from the east to the west sea. The country between Fort
William and Inverness is one of the wildest parts of the High,
lands, and was then inhabited altogether by the disaffected Clan..
t The two companies Captain Scott commanded, were the two
additional companies of the second battalion of the Royals, and
consisted altogether of new raised men.
c5
3i THE HISTOKY OF
in their hands. The captain ordered his men to halt,
and sent a Serjeant with his own servant, to learn who
these people were. When the messenger came near
the bridge, two nimble Highlanders darted out, seiz-
ed them both, and carried them to the party at the
bridge. Captain Scott, ignorant of the number of his
enemies, (for the Highlanders shifting their ground,
shewed themselves in different places,) and knowing
that he was in a part of the country where the inha-
bitants were extremely disaffected to government, lie
thought it more prudent to retreat, than to commence
hostilities. Accordingly he ordered his men to face
about, and march back again. The Highlanders who
had taken post at the bridge, were not above eleven
or twelve men, assembled and commanded by Mac-
donald of Tierndreich, who had for some time ob-
served the march of the troops, and had sent ex-
presses * to Lochiel and Keppoch to demand assist-
ance. When the soldiers turned their backs, the
Highlanders did not follow them immediately, but
kept at a distance, (to conceal the smallness of their
number,) till the troops had got about two miles from
High Bridge, for the ground so far is somewhat plain
and open ; but as soon as the soldiers had passed the
west end of Loch Lochie, and were got a little way
upon the narrow road between the lake and the
mountain, the Highlanders made their appearance,
and ascending the hill, where there was shelter both
of trees and rocks, began to fire at the soldiers, who
still marched on with great expedition. The number
of the Highlanders increased every moment; for the
report of the pieces was heard far and wide, and the
people from every quarter flew to arms. Captain
Scott having reached the east end of Loch Lochie,
descried some Highlanders on a hill at the west end
of Loch Oich, and not liking their appearance, cross-
ed the isthmus between the lakes, intending to take
possession of Invergary, a place of some strength,
which belonged to Macdonald of Glengary. He had
* The houses of these chiefs were within three or four miles of
High Bridge.
THE REBELLION, 1745. '35
not marched far, when he saw another body of
Highlanders (who were the Macdonalds of Glengary )
coming down the hill to oppose him. Captain Scott
formed the hollow square, and marched on. The
pursuers, joined by Macdonald of Keppoch, and a
party of his men, came up very fast. Keppoch ad-
vanced alone, and called out to the troops to surrend-
er, offering them good quarter ; and assuring them,
that if they attempted to resist they would be cut in
pieces. The soldiers, surrounded on every side, laid
down their arms. The affair was scarcely over, when
Locheil, with a body of his Camerons, arrived, took
charge of the prisoners, and carried them to his house
at Achnacarie. In this scuffle one or two of the sol-
diers were killed, and Captain Scott himself was
wounded.
The Highlanders did not lose a single man ; and
their success in this first essay had no small effect in.
raising their spirits, and encouraging them to rebel.
Charles having staid at Boradale, till young Clan-
ronald, who had been sent to the Isle of Sky, return-
ed with an unfavourable answer from Sir Alexander
Macdonald and Macleod : he then proceeded to Kin-
lochmoidart, and remained there till the 1 8th of
August, when he went by water to Glenaladale, up-
on the side of Loch Sheal. In the morning of the
19th, Charles, with his attendants, who were not more
than twenty or twenty-five, (Clanronald being left
behind in his own country to raise men, ) set out for
Glenfinnin in three boats, and landed about mid-day
at the east end of the lake, where the small river
Finnin runs into Loch Sheal.
Glenfinnin is a narrow vale, in which the river
Finnin runs between high and craggy mountains, not
to be surmounted but by travellers on foot. At each
end of the glen is a lake about twelve miles in length ;
and behind the mountains on both sides of the glen,
are other two lakes *, nearly of the same length.
When Charles landed in the glen, Locheil and his
* One of these lakes is an arm of the sea, which the High-
landers cull a salt- water loch.
c:6'
36 THE HISTORY OF
Camerons were not to be seen. Anxious for the
arrival of this great auxiliary, Charles entered one of
the hovels, which still stand there, and waited for
about two hours. At last Locheil with his men ap-
peared on the top of the hill.
The Camerons advanced in two lines (each of them
three men deep). Between the lines were the sol-
diers taken on the 16th, marching as prisoners with-
out their arms. Charles, elevated with the sight of
such a clan (for the Camerons are said to have been
700 or 800 men that day, many of them without
arms), proceeded immediately to erect the standard.
The Marquis of Tullibardine unfurled the * stand-
ard ; and, supported by a man on each side, held the
staff till the manifest and commission of regency were
read, both dated at Rome, December, 1 743.
In an hour or two after this solemnity, Macdonald
of Keppoch arrived with about 300 men. In the
evening of the same day, some gentlemen of the name
of Macleod came to Glenfinnin, who disclaimed their
chief, and offered themselves to return to the Isles,
and raise all the men they could for the service of their
Prince.
The same day that the standard was erected at
Glenfinnin, Sir John Cope, Commander in Chief for
Scotland, left Edinburgh, to put himself at the head
of his troops, which he had been for some time draw-
ing together near Stirling, that they might be in rea-
diness whenever it was thought proper to march, and
put a stop to the progress of the rebels.
From the beginning of summer there had been a
report flying through the Highlands, that Prince
Charles intended to come over that season ; but the
King's servants at Edinburgh heard nothing of it till
the 2d of July, when the President of the Court of
Session came to Sir John Cope, and shewed him a
letter from a gentleman of consideration in the High-
lands, acquainting him with a report current there,
* The standard erected at Glenfinnin was made of white, blue,
and red silk ; and when displayed was about twice the size of au
ordinary pair of colours.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 37
that the Pretender's eldest son was to land some
where in the Highlands that summer, in order to
attempt an insurrection ; that though the writer of
the letter gave no credit to the report, he thought it
his duty to acquaint the President of it. The Presi-
dent assured Sir John Cope, that he agreed in opi-
nion with the gentleman, and held the report to be
groundless, but thought it necessary to let the Com-
mander in Chief know that there was such a re-
port.
Qualified in this manner, and quoted as not likely
to be true, the first intelligence of the young Pre-
tender's design was conveyed by Sir John Cope to
the Marquis of Tweedale, Secretary of State. From
the time that Sir John Cope wrote this letter to the
Marquis of Tweedale, which is dated July 2d, there
appears in the correspondence* between them, a con-
tinual apprehension on Sir John Cope's part, of inva-
sion and insurrection, with an anxiety to prepare and
provide against them ; but almost every precaution
which General Cope suggested, the Lords of the Re-
gency f declined to take, lest they should alarm his
Majesty's subjects too much, at a time when they
themselves apprehended no immediate danger. How-
ever, their Lordships began very soon to apprehend
there was some danger; for on the 30th of July the
Marquis of Tweedale wrote to Sir John Cope, and
acquainted him, that several informations had been
laid before the Lords Justices, importing, that the
French Court was meditating an invasion of His Ma-
jesty's dominions ; that the Pretender's eldest son
had sailed from Nantz in a French man of war, and
was actually landed in Scotland, which last part (says
the Marquis) I can hardly believe to be true. Let-
ters of the same date were written to Lord Milton,
the Justice Clerk, and to the King's Advocate, com-
municating to them the same intelligence, and enjoin-
See the Correspondence, of which this letter (dated July 2d)
K the first. Cope's Trial, p. 105.
t The King was at Hanover, and did not return to England
till the 31st of August.
39 THE HISTORY OF
ing his Majesty's servants to consult and concert to-
gether, what was best to be done, to make the strictest
inquiry into the subject mailer of this intelligence, and
to transmit to the Marquis constant accounts of any
discovery they should make.
Without waiting an answer from Scotland to these
letters (which had been sent by express to Edinburgh,
and arrived there on the 3d of August,) the Lords
Justices published a proclamation in the London Ga-
zette, August 6th, offering a reward of thirty thou-
sand pounds to any person or persons that should
seize and secure the Pretender's eldest son, who, as
their Lordships were informed, had embarked for
Britain. Before the proclamation reached Edinburgh,
it was known there that the Pretender's son had land-
ed in the Highlands. For on the 8th of August, an
express came from the Lord Justice Clerk at Rose-
neath *, to the Commander in Chief at Edinburgh,
with intelligence that the young Pretender was land-
ed in Arasaig ; that part of the Clan Macdonald were
already in arms, and that other Highlanders were
preparing to join them. The papers which contain-
ed this intelligence, Sir John Cope forwarded by ex-
press to the Marquis of Tweedale at London.
On the pth of August, the Lord President called
upon Sir John Cope, and acquainted him with the
contents of a letter which he had received, by express,
from the same gentleman who formerly had given
him information of the young Pretender's design of
coming to the Highlands.
The letter bore, that the young pretender was upon
the coast : and mentioned several persons by name
who were said to be with him.
This account coinciding with the intelligence from
Roseneath, received no small degree of confirmation
from the President's opinion, who told Sir John Cope
that he believed it to be true.
* Roseneath is a seat of the Duke of Argyle in Dumbarton-
shire, where he usually staid some time in his way to Inverary.
The Duke and Lord Milton were there, when they received in
formation that Charles was landed in the Highlands.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 39
Such was the state of intelligence (communicated
only to His Majesty's principal servants, civil and mi-
litary,) when the Gazette with the proclamation ar-
rived. From that moment every body spake of no-
thing but the young Pretender, though very few peo-
ple knew what to believe about him.
One day it was confidently affirmed that he had
landed in one of the Western Islands with ten thou-
sand French : the very next day it was asserted with
equal confidence, that he had landed in the High-
lands without any troops ; but that wherever he came,
the Highlanders to a man had taken arms.
In opposition to both these reports, we were assur-
ed that Charles was still in France, and had not the
least intention of coming to Britain.
This last account was industriously propagated for
some time by the Jacobites, and their friends who
were in the secret, and had early notice that Charles
was really come ; but affecting to believe the contra-
ry, they endeavoured to make the Commander in
Chief and his preparations appear ridiculous, not on-
ly by their talk, but by sending him anonymous let-
ters, containing most absurd articles of intelligence,
which they afterwards circulated, with comments suf-
ficiently scurrilous.
Sir John Cope, Commander in Chief during these
alarms, was one of those ordinary men who are fitter
for any thing than the chief command in war, espe-
cially when opposed, as he was, to a new and un-
common enemy ; and, like every man of that charac-
ter, extremely solicitous that nothing might be laid
to his charge, he resolved to propose the most vigor-
ous measures. Accordingly in his letters to the Se-
cretary of State, (dated the 9th and 10th of August,)
he proposed to march his troops into the Highlands,
to seek out the rebels, and try to check their pro.
gress. The Marquis of Tweedale, in his answer to
these letters, tells Sir John Cope, that the Lords of
the Regency entirely approve of his conduct, and are
particularly pleased with his resolution of marching
into the Highlands, with as many troops as he could
assemble : that their Lordships were of opinion, that
40 THE HISTORY OP
as soon as he should receive intelligence where any
number of the disaffected were in arms, he should im-
mediately attack them. And, indeed, their Lordships
were so much pleased with this vigorous resolution
of marching into the Highlands, that when they un-
derstood the march had been delayed only for a day
or two, they sent down an express with positive or-
ders to Sir John Cope to inarch forthwith, and exe-
cute the plan laid down in his letter of the 10th, not-
withstanding any report of the landing of troops, and
notwithstanding any actual disembarkation of troops.
The King's army in Scotland, to whose commander
these peremptory orders came, consisted of three bat-
talions and a half of infantry, and two regiments of
cavalry, both horse and foot, (one old corps except-
ed *,) the youngest regiments of the British army.
Besides these forces, there were in Scotland nine ad-
ditional companies that had been lately raised there,
for the national regiments serving abroad : there were
also several companies almost complete, of Lord Lou-
don's Highland regiment, for which the levies were
carrying on all over the North. Of the nine addi-
tional companies, two had fallen into the hands of the
rebels, as has been mentioned j most of the other
companies had been draughted, and were so weak as
not to exceed twenty-five men a company. Lord
Loudon's men were scattered about in different parts
of the North Country, and had not received their
arms.
Sir John Cope arriving at Stirling on the ipth of
August, next day began his march to the North, and
proceeded by Crieff and Tay Bridge, along the High-
land road towards Fort Augustus, the place which he
himself had pointed out as the most advantageous
* The old regiment was Guise's, No. 6, raised in the year
] 673, which was dispersed among the forts and barracks in the
north. The three young regiments were, Lee's the 44th, of which
five companies were in Berwick, and five in Scotland, Murray's
the 46th, and Lascelles's the 47th, all of them raised in the year
1741. The two regiments of dragoons were Gardner's and Ha.
milton'e, the 13th and 14th, both raised in the year 1715, but had
ncrer seen any service.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 41
post to be occupied by the King's army, being one of
the forts that formed the chain. The troops with
which the general undertook this expedition, consist-
ed altogether of infantry, for cavalry being judged
unserviceable in so rough a country, where it was not
easy to subsist them, one of the regiments of dragoons
was left at Leith, and the other at Stirling. With
twenty-five companies of foot, whose number did not
exceed 1400 men, with four field pieces, (one and a
half pounders,) as many cohorns, with a great num-
ber of carts and horses, carrying provisions, baggage,
and 300 stand of arms, the General * arrived at Dal-
nacardoch on the 25th of August. At Dalnacardoch
he was informed that the rebels intended to meet him
at Corryarrak, in his way to Fort Augustus. The
person who brought him this intelligence was Cap-
tain Sweetnam of Guise's regiment, who, being at
the barrack of Ruthven with his company, had re-
ceived an order from Sir John Cope before he left
Edinburgh to go to Fort William, and take the com-
mand of three companies of Guise's regiment which
were in garrison there. In his way to the fort he
was taken prisoner by the rebels on the 14th, at a
place called Letter Finlay, half way between Fort
Augustus and Fort William : with the rebels he re-
mained some days ; was carried to Glenfinnin, where
he saw the standard erected on the 19th ; and giving
his parole, was dismissed on the 2 1st. Captain
Sweetnam told the General, that when he left the re-
bels, their number did not exceed 1400 men : that
upon the road he met several parties going towards
them, and had heard at Dalwhinnie that they were
3000 strong.
From Dalnacardoch, Sir John Cope, with his army,
advanced to Dalwhinnie, where he arrived on the
26th, and received a letter by express from the Pre-
* When Sir John Cope left Stirling, he carried with him 1000
stand of spare arms, expecting to be joined in his march by a num-
ber of well-affected Highlanders, but when he came to Crieff, no.
body having joined him ; he sent back 700 stand of arms to Stir,
ling.
42 THE HISTORY OF
sident of the Court of Session, confirming Captain
Sweetnam's account of the intention of the rebels to
meet him upon Corryarrak, and give him battle.
Corryarrak is an immense mountain, that lies di-
rectly in the way from Stirling to Fort Augustus, and
occupies no less than nine miles of eighteen, that
make the whole of the last day's march, from Garva-
more to Fort Augustus. Sir John Cope, and his
army at Dalwhinnie, were thirteen miles from Gar-
vamore, and twenty-two miles from the beginning of
the ascent to Corryarrak, which on the south side is
extremely steep, and, when seen from a distance,
seems to rise almost perpendicular like a wall. The
military road is carried up to the summit of this moun-
tain by seventeen traverses: the long descent to the
level ground on the north side, (where Fort Augus-
tus stands,) is carried on by traverses, somewhat like
those on the south side, and passes through several
glens and valleys with brooks and gullies, over which
bridges are thrown to facilitate the way. Of these
dangerous places General Cope was warned, and ad-
vised by the President to beware.
At Dalwhinnie, surrounded with hills, from which
Corryarrak may be seen, a council of war was call-
ed, to which the General summoned every field offi-
cer, and every commander of a separate corps, in his
little army. He laid before them the Secretary of
State's positive orders, and the different accounts he
had received of the number and intention of the re-
bels. The Council of War having considered the
matter, were unanimously of opinion, that the march
to Fort Augustus by Corryarrak was impracticable;
and being asked by the General what was most pro-
per to be done, gave it as their opinion, that it was
more expedient, and more agreeable to the Secretary
of State's orders, to march to Inverness, (the only
part of the chain which the General and his army
could reach,) than to remain where they were, or to
return to Stirling. When the Council of War came
to this resolution at Dalwhinnie, the rebel army was
at Abercalder, on the north side of Corryarrak. The
distance between Glenfinnin and Corryarrak is about
THE REBELLION, 1745. 43
forty miles : the Highlanders, informed of Sir John
Cope's preparations by their friends in the south, and
of his motions, (whenever he began to move,) by de-
serters* from his army, left Glenfinnin on the 21st of
August, and ordered their marches and halts so as to
be joined in their way to Corryarrak by those clans,
on whose immediate assistance they depended. Ac-
cordingly the Macdonalds of Clanronald, who were
about 300 men, came up with them at the head of
Locheil, (which is about five miles from Glenfinnhr,)
accompanied by 250 Camerons, who had been sent
from. Glenfinnin to Castle Tyrim, in Clanronald's
country, to bring up 500 firelocks and some French
broad- swords, which had been landed from the Dou-
telle, and deposited there.
The Stuarts of Appin, who were about 280, joined
them at Low Bridge ; and the Macdonnels of Glen-
gary, who, with the Grants of Glenmoriston, are said
to have been 400 men, joined them in the evening of
the 26th at Aberchaloder, near the foot of Corryarrak.
Next morning, before break of day, the Highlanders
began to ascend Corryarrak; and marching to the
summit of the mountain, halted there, and waited the
approach of the King's army.
Sir John Cope, acquiescing in the opinion of the
Council of War, (which was delivered to him in writ-
ing, signed by all the members,) marched his army
on the 27th towards Garvamore ; but when the van
reached Blarigg Beg t, and the rear was at Catlaig,
where the road to Inverness turns off from the mili-
tary road to Fort Augustus, the troops were ordered
to halt, to face about, and take the road to Inverness
* Besides the two additional companies of the 42d regiment
who were with Sir John Cope when he marched from Stirling,
forty men of Lord London's regiment had joined him at Tay
Bridge, . many of whom, as well as the men of the 42d, belonged
to the clans in the rebel army ; and some of them, in Sir John
Cope's march to the north, deserted every night with their arms.
f Blarigg Beg is seven miles and a half from Dalwhinnie, and
five miles and a half from Garvamore. Two rowan trees (moun-
tain ash) maik the place where Sir John Cope's army faced about,
and avoided an action with the rebels.
44 THE HISTORY OF
by Ruthvcn. No sooner did the troops turn their
backs to the enemy, than a common soldier (whose
name was Cameron) deserted, and carried the news
to his friends upon the hill. The Highlanders im-
mediately put themselves in motion, and marched
down the traverses with the hasty steps of men who
gave chace. When they came to Garvamore, various
proposals were made for improving their advantage,
by pursuing the enemy, or getting between them and
Inverness, by cutting across the country ; but none
of these proposals were accepted. The counsellors of
Charles agreed to march to the southward, and fall
down into the Low Country, hoping to get possession
of Edinburgh, before the General and his army return-
ed from the North. In this manner did Sir John
Cope execute his plan of marching into the High-
lands ; and thus did he obey the positive orders of
the Secretary of State, to seek out the rebels where-
soever they were, and attack them immediately. The
reason given by Sir John Cope for proposing to march
into the Highlands, was, that he expected to be join-
ed in his march by a number of well-affected High-
landers ; but was disappointed ; for no Highlanders
joined him in his march to Inverness. The reason
given for declining the battle offered him at Corryar-
rak was, that the rebels had assembled a great num-
ber of men in a much shorter time than he expected.
These expectations and disappointments seemed
good reasons, and satisfied the Board of General Offi-
cers appointed to examine into his conduct *; but the
.Jacobites, some of whom are still alive, give a very
different account of the matter, which agrees much
better with what really happened. The Pretender's
friends at Edinburgh, informed of the difficulties un-
* Sir John Cope was not tried by a court-martial, but a
Board of General Officers was appointed to examine into his pro-
ceedings. This Board asked him what questions they thought
proper ; and examined a number of witnesses, who had not only
marched with him to Inverness, but had been at the battle of
Preston ; and, upon the whole, the general officers were of opinion
that Sir John Cope's behaviour was unblameable. Report, page
104.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 45
der which Charles laboured for want of money, were
very apprehensive, that he would not be able to keep
the Highlanders together, if Sir John Cope remained
at Stirling with his army, and confined the rebels to
the north ; but they were persuaded, that if he march-
ed his army into the Highlands, Charles, with his
Highlanders, might find an opportunity of fighting
him with advantage, or might give him the slip, and
fall down into the Low Country. To effectuate this
change of circumstances they had recourse to a piece
of address.
Sir John Cope, they knew, had no opinions of his
own, and was very ready to borrow those of other
people : so they contrived that he should be told by
some of the talking people who had access to him,
that nothing was so favourable to the Pretender as
the inactivity of the Commander in Chief, who kept
his troops at Stirling, and allowed the Highlanders
to assemble without molestation ; whereas, if he
should march his army into the Highlands, the rebels
would be obliged to disperse ; for they were not in a
condition to give him battle. This sort of language,
held often in Sir John Cope's presence, made such an
impression upon him, that he sent an express to Lon-
don, with the proposal of marching into the High-
lands, which the Lord Justices highly approved, and
ordered him to march in terms more positive than the
General desired.
This account of the matter, from its nature, could
not be brought as evidence at the trial of General
Cope, cannot be now authenticated, and is produced
by the writer of this relation as an anecdote he be-
lieves to be true. When Sir John Cope left the di-
rect road to Fort Augustus, he proceeded by forced
marches to Inverness, where he arrived on the 29th
of August. At Inverness he found the President,
who having communicated to him at Edinburgh on
the 9th of August, the intelligence he had received
that the Pretender's son was landed in the Highlands,
set out for the North that very day, and on the 13th
arrived at his house of Culloden. A day or two after
the President came home, he received a letter from
46 THE HISTORY OF
Sir Alexander Macdonald in the Isle of Sky, dated
Talisker, August 1 1 th, acquainting him that Macleod
of Macleod and he had refused to join Charles.
The President, in his answer to Sir Alexander
Macdonald, (which he says is the same thing as if he
had wrote both to Macleod and him,) expresses the
greatest satisfaction with his conduct, and informs him
that Lord Lovat had been at Culloden ; and when he
heard that Macleod and he had refused to join Charles,
clelcared his full purpose to be prudent, and follow
their example. The President had good reason to be
satisfied with the conduct of Sir Alexander Macdon-
ald and Macleod, for they were two of the most pow-
erful chiefs in the Highlands, whose ancestors had
uniformly adhered to the interest of the family of
Stuart; and their refusal to join Charles was likely
to have the same effect upon many other people which
it had upon Lord Lovat ; and it had the same effect,
for none of the persons with who*m the President cor-
responded, joined Charles * till after the battle of
Preston.
Sir John Cope, consulting with the President, ap-
plied to those chiefs in the neighbourhood who were
thought most likely to procure for him a reinforce-
ment of Highlanders, that he might march his army
back to Stirling by land ; but his applications proved
ineffectual, and he was obliged soon after to take
another course.
Meanwhile, that is from the 26th to the 31st of
August, the people of Edinburgh knew nothing about
the movements of the two armies ; and many differ-
ent reports prevailed. But on the evening of Satur-
day the 31st an express from Perthshire came to town,
with an account that the King's army had taken the
road to Inverness ; that the Highlanders were ad-
vancing to the southward : and that the van of their
army had got as far as Blair of Athol. Greatly were
* Amonst those persons with whom, the President corresponded
were the Earls of Sutherland and Cromarty, Lord Fortrose, Lord
Reay, Lord Lovat, Sir Alexander Macdonald, Sir James Grant,
Macleodj Mackintosh, and Chisholm.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 47
the friends of government astonished, when they
heard the King's army was gone to Inverness, and
that the rebels were coming to Edinburgh. Till that
change of position took place, (which has been com-
pared to a figure in a country dance,) the insurrec-
tion of the Highlanders was looked upon as a sort of
riot, which would easily be quelled by the King's
troops, who were thought to be the only men in the
kingdom that knew how to fight; but when this
army of regular troops, that had marched so far to
seek out the enemy, and give them battle, declined
the combat, and left the rebels a free passage to the
capital, then the affair began to be deemed somewhat
serious, which certainly it had never been before.
Previous, however, to the arrival of bad news from
the north, there had been a meeting of the Provost
and Magistrates of Edinburgh, with some of the most
considerable citizens, to consult and advise what was
fit to be done, when the King's army was so far off,
and the city so indifferently provided to defend it-
self.
Edinburgh had never been fortified ; the castle,
and a wall of unequal height, from ten or twelve, to
eighteen or twenty feet high, shut in the city on three
sides, and excluded the smugglers. On the north
side there was no wall : the lake called the North
Loch came up to the foot of the rock, on which the
castle stands, and was the only defence on that side
of the city. The town wall in some places was
strengthened with bastions, and provided with em-
brazures, but there Avere no cannon mounted upon it ;
and for a considerable part of the circuit, it was no
better than a garden wall, or park wall of unusual
height. In several places it had been built upon, so
that dwelling houses made part of the wall, and some
of these houses were commanded by higher houses,
opposite to them, and without the city: of such
houses there was one continued row from the Cow.
gate port to the Nether Bow port *. Such was the
condition of the walls of the city of Edinburgh ; and
* The Scots call the gate of a town a port.
1
48 THE HISTORY OP
tbe condition of the men who might be called upon
to defend them was pretty similar to that of the
walls *.
The Magistrates still retained the name and form
of their ancient militia, called the Trained Bands t,
which consisted of sixteen companies, from sixty to
one hundred men in a company : the men were en-
rolled, and the officers appointed from the burghers
of the town, (merchants and craftsmen,) according to
use and wont; but the trained bands had not appear-
ed in arms since the Revolution, except on the King's
birth-day, when they were furnished with arms for
that day's service, from a magazine which belonged
to the city, and contained about 1200 stand of arms,
most of them without bayonets. Besides the trained
bands, there was a company of foot, called the Town
Guard, (armed with muskets and bayonets,) kept at
the expence of the town, and under the orders of the
Provost of Edinburgh.
Such was the condition of the walls, and the state
of arms at Edinburgh on the 27th of August, when
the meeting was held to consult and advise what
was to be done. The meeting resolved to put
the city in a proper state of defence, by repairing
the walls, and -raising a regiment of 1000 men to
be paid by a voluntary contribution of inhabitants.
The meeting also recommended to the Provost and
* The walls of Edinburgh were begun to be built in the reign
ef James the Second, but were not completed so as to inclose the
town in the manner described, till the battle of Flodden, where
James the Fourth ftll with the flower of the nobility and gentry
f Scotland.
f The Trained Bands of Edinburgh had been in former times
a considerable body of men ; they consisted of eight companies,
each company 200 men or more, according to the number of peo-
ple in that quarter of the town to which the company belonged.
The tallest men were armed with pikes, and provided with de-
fensive armour ; the men of lower stature were armed with fire-
locks ; and had also defensive armour. The captain of each com-
pany was appointed to lead out his men one day in every week to
instruct them in the order of war, and the exercise of arms. Mait-
tond't Hittory of Edinburgh, p. 285.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 49
Magistrates to name a standing committee of the
Town Council, with the addition of some other citi-
zens, to consult the Justice Clerk, the crown lawyers,
and such of the judges as were in town, what other
steps the community might legally take to frustrate
the designs of His Majesty's enemies. The commit-
tee was named, and met with the judges and lawyers,
who informed them that it was necessary to apply for
His Majesty's warrant to raise a regiment * ; and
such an application was immediately prepared and
forwarded to London by the King's advocate. So far
the Committee had proceeded, and were waiting an
answer from London to their application, when the
news arrived that the King's army was gone to In-
verness, and that the rebels were advancing towards
Edinburgh. A few days after the arrival of this
piece of news, Captain Rogers, Sir John Cope's aide-
de-camp, came to town from Inverness with an order
to General Guest to take up a number of transports
at Leith, and send them to Aberdeen. Captain Ro-
gers also brought letters from Sir John Cope to his
Majesty's civil servants at Edinburgh, acquainting
them that he intended to march his troops by land to
Aberdeen, embark them there, and hasten to the re-
lief of the city. This information was very welcome
to the friends of government at Edinburgh, for notice
had come to town the very day Captain Rogers ar-
rived, which was the 4th of September, that on the
3d, a detachment of the rebel army had taken pos-
session of Perth, which, by either of the ferries, is but
forty miles from Edinburgh. On Friday the 6th of
September, a petition to the Town Council, signed
by about 100 citizens, was presented to Provost Stu-
art, praying that they might be authorized to associate
as volunteers for the defence of the city : that they
might be allowed to name their own officers ;
* A statute of the first parliament of Charles the Second de-
clares that the power of raising in arms the subjects of this king-
dom, is the exclusive right of the King alone ; and also declares
that it shall be high treason for the subjects of this kingdom, or
any number of them, less or more, upon any ground or pretext
whatsoever, to rise in arms.
D
50 THE HISTORY OF
and that the Provost would apply to General Guest
to furnish them with arms from the King's magazine
in the castle of Edinburgh.
Provost Stuart ordered a Council to be summoned
to meet on Saturday the 7th. Meanwhile he consult-
ed the King's advocate and the solicitor, whether or
not it was lawful for the council to grant the desire
of the petition : these gentlemen gave their opinion
in the most positive terms, that it was lawful for the
Town Council of Edinburgh to authorize the inhabit-
ants to take arms for the defence of the city. Upon *
which Provost Stuart laid the petition before the Coun-
cil, who immediately granted the prayers of the peti-
tioners in every article, but that of naming their own
officers, which was reserved to the Provost, as the
right and privilege of his office.
After the account which has been given of the
walls, and the trained bands of Edinburgh, it may
appear somewhat extraordinary, that a few of the in-
habitants of such a place should petition for leave to
take arms, and defend their walls against a body of
men from which the King's army had retreated with
precipitation. At this part of the story it seems ne-
cessary to observe, that at the Michaelmas election of
the magistrates and town council, in the year 1740,
Mr. Stuart and his friends had got possession of the
government of the city of Edinburgh, and from the
time of that election they had governed without op-
position ; but the annual election of the council and
magistrates was at hand. A great majority of the
electors were Whigs, extremely zealous for the esta-
blished government, and the defence of the city
against the rebels. Nor is it less necessary to observe,
that amongst those burgesses who framed and pre-
sented the petition for leave to take arms, were a good
many old magistrates, provosts, bailies, and other
* The lawyers who gave this opinion, were the same persons
who had informed the committee that it was necessary to apply
for his Majesty's warrant to raise a regiment. The difference be-
tween raising a regiment of men and a body of volunteers, is not
Tery obvious ; and, by the words of the statute, his Majesty's war-
rant seems alike necessary for both.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 51
office-bearers, whose place in the council, with their
power in the city, Provost Stuart and his friends pos-
sfessed.
CHAP. IV.
Preparations to defend the City Transports sent for Gene-
ral Cope's Army Notice that the Rebels had left Perth
Their MarchConduct of the Volunteers The High-
landers advance towards Edinburgh Retreat of the Dra-
goons Consternation in the City Meeting of the Ma-
gistrates and Citizens Proceedings of the Meeting De-
putation sent to Charles Notice that the Transports are
ojfDunbar Return of the Deputies Another Deputa-
tion sent out The Deputies ordered to be gone The
Rebels get possession of the City.
THE petition having been granted on Saturday the
7th of September, a subscription * paper was lodged
in the Old Church aisle on Monday the pth, and all
good subjects were invited by hand-bills to subscribe.
The same day Provost Stuart produced in council, a
warrant from His Majesty to the Town Council and
Magistrates of Edinburgh, to raise a regiment of 1000
men for the defence of the city. The Council ap-
pointed Provost Stuart colonel, both of the regiment
to be raised, and of the volunteers. Beating orders
* On the day the subscription paper was lodged, the author of
this History came to Edinburgh, and meeting some of his compa-
nions in the streets, they shewed him one of the hand-bills, told
him they had subscribed the association to take arms, and expected
he would do the same, which he did ; and when the companies
were formed, served with his friends in the College company ; was
an eye-witness of every thing that passed during the few days the
volunteers were in arms ; and must acknowledge that he changed
his mind more than once concerning the cause of those things that
happened in his sight.
D*
52 THE HISTORY OF
were issued, and the levy was begun immediately.
The number of subscribers to the association increased
so fast, that the same day the subscription paper was
lodged, a letter was sent to the Provost signed by six
old magistates, (three of whom had been Provosts,
and three of them Bailies,) praying his lordship to
apply to General Guest for 200 stand of arms to the
volunteers.
On the 10th the annual election began*, and the
companies or incorporations of tradesmen were so
much employed about the elections of their deacons,
(which is one of the first steps of the Michaelmas
elections,) that very few tradesmen could be got to
"work upon the walls, and the orders given for
strengthening the defences of the town, according tp
a plan prepared by Mr. M'Laurin, were but ill obey-
ed. The same day a fleet of transports, escorted by
a ship of war, sailed from Leith to Aberdeen, to bring
back General Cope and his army. From the time
that the ships sailed, the people of Edinburgh were
continually looking up to the vanes and the weather-
cocks, to see from what point the wind blew, and
computing how soon they might expect the General
and his army. On the day that the transports sailed,
Provost Stuart desired the volunteers to prepare a list
of twenty or thirty of their own number, whom they
thought proper persons to command the companies,
and that he would name the captains out of that list.
The list was prepared immediately, and carried to the
Provost by a deputation from the volunteers, who,
when they presented it, desired that all of them might
be furnished with arms as soon as possible. On the
llth, Provost Stuart named six captains t, and allow-
* The elections of Edinburgh are called so very properly, for
they consist of many separate elections, carried on by a number of
steps, which in the year 1745 began to be taken on the 10th of
September, and never came to an end.
f The first captain named was George Drummond, formerly
Provost of Edinburgh.
2d, Captain Archibald Macaulay, formerly Provost of Edin-
burgh.
3d, Captain Sir George Preston, Baronet.
THE REBELLION, 174.5. 53
ed each captain to appoint two lieutenants for his own
company.
The same day cannon, to be mounted on the walls,
were brought up from Leith, where, in time of war,
there are always armed vessels.
On the 12th, the volunteers assembled in the Col-
lege-yards, and were distributed into six companies :
the private men choosing what captain they pleased
to serve under.
That evening 200 stand of arms were brought down
from the castle : a musket, bayonet, and cartridge-
box, were delivered to each volunteer that attended.
The volunteers began immediately to toss their fire-
locks, and take a lesson from some Serjeants and cor-
porals (old soldiers) who had been procured to teach
them the manual exercise.
Next day the volunteers were employed, morning
and evening, in learning the most necessary parts of
the exercise of arms.
On the 14th, they were employed in the same
manner ; and they had no time to lose, for before they
received their arms the rebels had left Perth ; and
notice came to town on the 14th, that the Highland
army, in the evening of the 13th, had crossed the river
Forth, at the Ford of the Frew *, and marching, on
to the southward, till they passed the house of Boqu-
han, turned to the eastward, and took the straight
road to Edinburgh.
This piece of intelligence came to town before the
companies were dismissed from their exercise in the
evening of the 14th ; and an order was given that the
Serjeants and corporals should make into cartridges
the powder and ball obtained from the castle, that
ammunition might be ready to be delivered to the
volunteers, who were ordered (all of them that had
4'th, Captain James Nimmo, formerly Dean of Guild.
5th, Captain Alexander Blackwood, formerly a Baillie of Edin-
burgh.
6th, Captain James Ker, one of the Town Council, afterwards
Member of Parliament for Edinburgh. Most of these gentlemen
had signed the petition for leave to take arms.
* The Ford of the Frew is about eight miles to the west of
Stirling.
54 THE HISTORY OP
arms *) to assemble in the College-yards next day, at
nine o'clock in the morning. When this order was
given, nobody knew how far the rebels had advanced
on their way to Edinburgh : to them it is now time
to return.
A detachment of the rebel army having entered the
town of Perth on the 3d of September, as has been
formerly mentioned, Charles, with the rest of his
troops, joined them on the 4th, and remained there
till the 1 1th. During his stay at Perth, (the length of
which is said to have been owing to want of money t,)
he sent parties to the neighbouring counties of Angus
and Fife, who proclaimed the Pretender king in the
most considerable towns, enlisted a few men, and le-
vied the public money J. At Perth James Drum-
mond (commonly called Duke of Perth) and Lord
George Murray, joined the standard, and were ap-
pointed lieutenant-generals of the Highland army.
The Duke of Perth was grandson to the Earl of Perth,
(Chancellor of Scotland, in the reign of James the
Second,) who, adhering to the interests of James after
the Revolution, followed him to France, and was
created Duke of Perth. His grandson coming to
Scotland some years before the Rebellipn, was known
there by no other name. Lord George Murray was
next brother to James Duke of Athol, who by the
death of one elder brother ||, and the attainder of an-
* Four hundred stand of arms had come down from the castle.
The number of those who had signed die association was 418.
-|- Charles, when he came to Perth, had but one guinea, which
he shewed to Kelly, (one of the seven that landed with him in the
Highlands,) and said he would soon get more. Maxwell of Kir-
connel, in his manuscript, says Kelly told him so.
: In the march from Glenfinnin to Perth, Charles gave the
chiefs what money they thought necessary to subsist their men.
During their abode at Perth, besides the public money which they
levied, it is said that several persons, who afterwards joined them
at Edinburgh, came to Perth to visit Charles, and furnished him
with some money, which made his purse hold out till the rebel army
took possession of Edinburgh ; and after their arrival there they
had regular pay.
|| John, Marquis of Tullibardine, eldest son of John, Duke of
Athol, was killed at the battle of Malplaquet. William, Mar-
quis of Tullibardine, succeeded him ; and having joined the rebel
army in the year 1715, was attainted the following year.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 65
other, became Duke of Athol. Lord George Murray
had been engaged in the Rebellion that broke out in
the year 1715, and, with some Highlanders, had join-
ed the Spaniards who were defeated at Glenshiel in
the year 1719- After the action at Glenshiel, he
went abroad, and was several years an officer in the
king of Sardinia's army. Having obtained a pardon,
by the interests of his friends at home, he returned
to Britain, and was presented to the King by his bro-
ther the Duke of Athol. It is said that he offered
his service to government, and solicited a commis-
sion in the army, but his offer was not accepted.
While the rebel army lay at Perth, Robertson of
Struan joined them with one hundred men ; and the
Duke of Perth brought in above two hundred nren,
whom he had raised in the adjacent country.
On the llth of September, Charles left Perth at the
head of a detachment of his army, and inarched that
day to Dumblane *, where he halted till the rest of
his men came up, which they did in the evening of
the 1 2th. On the 13th they moved again, directing
their march towards the fords of the river Forth, for
they could not cross the Firth where several of the
King's ships were stationed, nor was it safe to pass
at the bridge of Stirling, which is commanded by
the cannon at the castle. When they came to the
Ford of the Frew, they found no difficulty in cross-
ing the river, for there had been an extraordinary
drought, nor did they meet with any opposition from
Colonel Gardner, who, with his regiment of dragoons,
retired at their approach, still keeping between them
and the city of Edinburgh.
The rebel army having crossed the Forth on the
evening of the 1 3th, Charles lay that night at Leckie
House, on the south side of the river. Next morning
the army moved to the .eastward, directing their
march towards Edinburgh. As they passed within a
* In their march from Perth to Dumblane, MacdonaW of
Glenco came up with 60 men ; the same number of his men had
joined them in their march to Perth : and at a place called Coua-
gan, not far from Dumblane, Macgregor of Glengyle came up
with 255 Macgregors.
D 4
56 THE HISTORY OF
mile of the castle of Stirling, one or two cannon shot
were fired at the standard, or, as it is said, at Charles,
conspicuous by the crowd that attended him, but
none of the shot took place.
Charles, with his army, proceeded to Falkirk ; his
men were quartered in the town; and he himself
passed the night at Callender, the seat of the Earl of
Kilmarnock. On Sunday the 15th, a detachment of
1000 Highlanders marched about two o'clock in the
morning, under the command of Lord George Murray,
with a design to surprise Colonel Gardner's regiment
of dragoons at Linlithgow, which is but eight miles
from Falkirk. The Highlanders reached Linlithgow
before break of day, but the dragoons were gone,
having decamped the evening before. Lord George
Murray, with his detachment, halted at Linlithgow,
till Charles with the rest of his men came up. Then
the whole army took the road to Edinburgh, which is
only sixteen miles from Linlithgow. A messenger
was dispatched to Edinburgh to give notice of the
approach of the rebels, who, concluding that the
Highlanders were at his heels, reported that the van
of the rebels had got as far as Kirkliston, a village
eight miles from Edinburgh.
When this report came to town, all the volunteers
who had arms were assembled in the College- yards,
according to an order given the night before. Their
number amounted to 400. About ten o'clock Cap-
tain Drummond came to the College-yards: he was
captain of the first company of volunteers, called the
College Company, in which there were about twenty
students of the University, and other young people ;
some of them farther advanced in their different pro-
fessions, class-fellows, companions, and friends, who
had agreed to join the same company, and serve to-
gether. Captain Drummond, after talking for some
time with his brother officers, in the garden hall, came
out to the volunteers, and walking along the front of
his company, without speaking one word, placed
himself directly opposite to the right, (where he saw
some of his most forward volunteers,) then addressing
himself to the company, he informed them of the
THE REBELLION, 1745. 57
approach of the rebels, and acquainted them that it
had been proposed to General Guest to make a stand
with the two regiments of dragoons, and fight the
rebels in their way to the city ; that the general ob-
jected to the measure, as there was not a body of foot
to act with the dragoons, and draw off the enemy's
fire; that he (Mr. Drummond) had asked if 250 vo-
lunteers would be sufficient, as he could answer for
so many, if Provost Stuart would allow fifty of the
town guard to go along with them ; that the Genera
answered, in his opinion, the number would be suf-
ficient. Now, gentlemen, (said Mr. Drummond,)
you have heard the General's opinion, judge for your-
selves : if you are willing to risk your lives for the
defence of the capital of Scotland, and the honour
of your country, I am ready to lead you to the
field.
That instant the volunteers, upon whom he hail
fixed his eyes while he spoke, threw up their hats in
the air, and began a huzza *, in which the company
joined, and embraced the proposal.
Captain Drummond then went from company to
company, and told them, that though his gentlemen
were going out one and all, to conquer or die with
him, yet such a resolution was not proper for every
* Several of those volunteers who began the huzza were not
inhabitants of Edinburgh, and knew nothing about the elections
or the cabals in the city : nor had they any sort of deference to the
opinion of General Guest or Captain Drummond ; but some of
their own number having carefully surveyed the walls on Saturday,
the 14th, reported to a meeting of their companions in the evening,
that the walls they had undertaken to defend were not at all in
good condition. This report made them consider, and forecast, as
well as they could, what was likely to happen in such a place as
Edinburgh, when attempted by storm ; so that when Captain
Drummond made his speech to the company, they stood prepared
by their own reflections, to accept the proposal of marching out
with the dragoons, as the best thing they could possibly do : hop-
ing, and encouraging one another to hope, that the two regiments
of dragoons, (whose prowess nobody doubted,) with what assistance
they could give, might break the force of the rebel army ; and
leave to the Highlanders, if victorious, a bloody and fatal vic-
tory.
D 5-.
58 THE HISTORY OF
person who had taken arms to defend the city : that
it was most suitable to young men not connected with
families, and at liberty to dispose of their own lives.
Most part of the volunteers in every company, (Cap-
tain Drummond's company excepted, ) had no mind
to march out of town, and some of them -murmured
at the proposal ; but the voice of Captain Drum-
mond's company was loudest, and seemed to prevail.
A messenger was dispatched to acquaint General
Guest that the volunteers were ready to march out
.with the dragoons, and engage the rebels. General
Guest sent a gentleman to desh'e Provost Stuart that
he would give orders for fifty men of the town guard
to join the volunteers. Provost Stuart, who had not
heard a word of the matter till he received the ge-
neral's message, was extremely surprised ; but, recol-
lecting himself, and listening to an admonition given
him by Bailie Robert Baillie, who said that he
thought fifty of the town guard could not be better
employed than in supporting the volunteers, the Pro-
vost ordered ninety men of the town guard, and as
many of the men of the Edinburgh regiment as were
fit for service, to march and join the dragoons. Ge-
neral Guest, as soon as he was informed what orders
the Provost had given, sent an order to Hamilton's
dragoons, who were encamped in the Links of Leith,
to march through the city, and join the other regi-
ment at Corstorphine, a village about three miles
from Edinburgh.
The volunteers loaded their pieces for the first
time ; the fire- bell * was rung, as a signal for them
to repair to the Lawnmarket, which they did in a
body. The fire bell ringing in the time of divine
service, emptied the churches in an instant ; and the
people rushing into the streets, were told that the vo-
lunteers, whom they saw under arms, were going out
with the dragoons to fight the rebel army. As soon
as the dragoons appeared, the volunteers huzzaed;
* On Saturday the 14th it had been given out in orders, that
all the volunteers should repair to the Lawnmarket, with their
arms, when they heard the fiie-bell ring, by day or night.
4
THE REBELLION, 1T*S. 59
and the dragoons clashing their swords against one
another, as they marched on, returned the huzza. An
universal consternation seized the minds of the peo-
ple of every rank, age, sex, and party. The rela-
tions of the volunteers crowded about them, and mix-
ed with their ranks. The men reasoned, and endea-
voured to dissuade their friends : the women expos-
tulated, complained, and, weeping, embraced their
sons and brothers. But neither the arguments of the
men, nor the tears of the women, had any effect upon
those volunteers who had agreed to Mr. Drummond's
proposal. No sooner had the dragoons passed than
Captain Drummond, putting himself at the head of
his company, marched them up the High Street, and
down the Bow to the Grassmarket, attended by a pro-
digious crowd of people, lamenting the fate of the
volunteers. When Captain Drummond and his com-
pany came near the West Port, they found them-
selves alone ; for neither officer nor private man of
any other company had followed them. A halt was
ordered, and an officer sent back to learn what had
prevented the march of their associates. The officer
sent back was Lieutenant Lindsay, who had proposed
to Captain Drummond in the College- yards to separate
those that were willing to march out with the dra-
goons, from those that were not willing. Mr. Drum-
mond did not agree to this, saying it could not be
done there, for the fire- bell would ring immediately,
and call them to their posts. The fire-bell was rung ;
and the volunteers marched in a body to the Lawn-
market, where they halted, and waited some time for
the dragoons, as has been mentioned. During this
halt the separation was made in Captain Drummond's
company by Lieutenant Lindsay ; but when he came
back to the Lawnmarket, and inquired what had pre-
vented the march of the other companies, he found
the volunteers in great confusion. The separation
had not been made in any of the companies but Cap-
tain Drummond's ; several of the officers told Lieu-
tenant Lindsay that they were willing to march out
and join the dragoons, but that very few of their men
would consent to follow them. Many of the private
DG
X
60
men complained that they had not one officer to lead
them. Lieutenant Lindsay, with the assistance of Sir
George Preston, and some other officers, collected all
those who were willing to march out of town, and
conducted them to the Grassmarket, where they
joined * Captain Drummond's company.
Soon after this junction was made, Dr. Wishart,
principal of the University of Edinburgh, with his
brother George Wishart, (who was so well beloved,)
and several other clergymen, came to the Grass
Market, and addressing the volunteers with great ear-
nestness, conjured them by whatever they held mostsa-
cred, to stay within the walls, and reserve themselves
for the defence of the city. Principal Wishart, who
was the chief speaker, standing in the front of Captain
Drummond's company, addressed himself to them in
particular : more than one of them replied like young
men, and rejected his counsel with disdain. When
the Principal and his friends went away, Captain
Drummond, after talking with his officers, sent a mes-
sage t to Provost Stuart, by Lieutenant Ormiston, (of
Sir George Preston's company,) to acquaint him, that
unless he agreed to their marching out of town, the
volunteers were determined not to proceed, and that
they waited his answer. Lieutenant Ormiston re-
turned with an answer from the Provost, that as he
was very much against the proposal of marching the
volunteers out of town, he was very glad of their re-
solution not to march out of town. Captain Drum-
mond having received this answer, put himself at the
head of his company, and marched the volunteers
back to the College-yards. When Provost Stuart
* Forty-two private men of Captain Drummond's company
"^parched with him to the Grassmarket. The volunteers Lieuten-
int Lindsey brought down from the Lawnmarket were 141 ; so
that the whole number of volunteers amounted to 183, who, with
the men of the town guard, and the Edinburgh regiment, amount-
ing to 180, formed a body of 363 foot, besides officers.
f The message which Lieutenant Ormiston carried from Cap-
tain Drummond to Provost Stuart, was known to none of the vo.
lunteers, officers excepted, till it appeared in a journal kept by
Lieutenant Lindsay, of what happened at Edinburgh from the
5th of August to the 16th of September.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 01
heard that Captain Drummond had marched the vo-
lunteers back to the College-yards, he sent an order
to the town guard, and the men of the Edinburgh
regiment, to join the dragoons, and obey Colonel Gard-
ner.
The volunteers being dismissed from the College,
yards to take some refreshment, about 20 private men
of Captain Drummond's company, (who first of all
had agreed to their Captain's proposal of joining the
di'agoons, ) went to a tavern together : there they
unbosomed themselves, and resolved, that if the town
was not to be defended, which, from what they had
seen of Captain Drummond's management that day,
and what they had often heard of Provost Stuart's
inclinations, they thought was very likely to happen,
in that case they would separate from the other vo-
lunteers, and march to the eastward, with their arms.
In this resolution the company was unanimous ; and
Professor Cleghorn, one of the most zealous volun-
teers, undertook to stand forth at the proper time, (if
such a time should come,) and call upon his friends *
to execute this resolution.
During these alarms at Edinburgh, the rebels were
lying very quietly upon the banks of a rivulet about
a mile to the eastward of Linlithgow. There they
remained till the evening, and marching on a few
miles, took post for the night upon a rising ground
near the 12th mile- stone from Edinburgh t.
* Most of his friends were very young men; and when Cap-
tain Drummond harangued his company in the College-yards,
they had not the smallest doubt that he was in earnest ; but some
of their relations, who were a little older than they, came to them
when they halted in the Lawn Market to wait for the dragoons,
and said they knew Mr. Drummond perfectly well, and could as-
sure them that he did not intend to fight the rebel army, but that
his real intention was to make himself popular at the eve of an
election, by shewing extraordinary zeal for the defence of the city.
Of this circumstance the author of the history is very certain ; for
he was talked to in this manner by his elder brother, whom at
that time he did not believe.
f There were no mile-stones nor turnpike roads in Scotland till
a good many years after the Rebellion ; but the twelfth mile-stone
stands very near where the Highland army passed the night.
62 THE HISTORY OF
The night between the 15th and 16th of Septem-
ber passed without disturbance. Six or seven hun-
dred men, consisting of the trained bands, the Edin-
burgh volunteers, and some volunteers who came in
from the towns of Musselburgh and Dalkeith, were
upon guard at the different gates of the city.
On Monday the 16th the rebels advanced slowly
towards Edinburgh, giving time for the terror of their
approach to operate upon the minds of unwarlike
citizens in a divided city. Between ten and eleven
o'clock in the forenoon, a message * was delivered
from the young Pretender to the people of Edinburgh,
acquainting them that if they would admit him peace-
ably into the city they should be civilly dealt with, if
not, they must lay their account with military execu-
tion.
This threat was the more terrible, that it was not
perfectly understood, and conveyed a confused idea
of every thing that could happen in a town taken by
storm : the effect of it soon appeared, for about mid-
day a petition, signed by forty-eight citizens, was
presented to Provost Stuart, praying that he would
call a meeting of the inhabitants, and consult with
them what was proper to be done. This petition
Provost Stuart refused to grant ; but an incident hap-
pened very soon which enforced the petition : that
incident was the precipitate retreat of the dragoons.
Colonel Gardner, with his two regiments of dra-
goons, the town guard, and the men of the Edinburgh
regiment, had remained at Corstorphine on the 15th
till the evening. At sun-set the colonel, leaving a
party of dragoons near Corstorphine, retreated with
his two regiments to a field between Leith and Edin-
burgh ; the infantry returned to the city. That night
General Foukes arrived from London ; and early next
* This message was delivered first to the Provost, and then to
the people, at the cross of Edinburgh, as a piece of news, by one
Mr. Alves, who said that he had passed the Highland army on
the road, and that the Duke of Perth (whom he knew) had charged
him with the message, after having asked a young man, whom he
called the Prince, if it was his pleasure ; to which he seemed to
assent.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 63
morning received an order from General Guest, to
take the command of the two regiments of dragoons,
and march them to a field at the east end of the Colt
Bridge *. In the forenoon the men of the town guard,
and the Edinburgh regiment, joined the dragoons.
When the rebels came near Corstorphine, they saw
the party of dragoons, where they had been posted
by Colonel Gardiner ; and some young people, well
mounted, were ordered to go near, take a view of the
dragoons, and bring a report of their number. These
young people, riding up to the dragoons, fired their
pistols at them, who, without returning 6ne shot,
wheeled about, and rode off, carrying their fears into
the main body. General Foukes and the two regi-
ments of dragoons set off immediately, and between
three and four o'clock in the afternoon, passed on the
north side of the town by the Long Dykes, (where
the New Town stands,) in full view of the people of
Edinburgh.
Instantly the clamour rose, and crowds of people
ran about the streets crying out, that it was madness
to think of resistance, since the dragoons were fled ;
and some of them meeting Provost Stuart, as he re-
turned from the West Port, (where he had gone to
give orders after the retreat of the dragoons,) follow-
ed him to the Parliament Square, beseeching him not
to persist in defending the town, for if he did they
should all be murdered. The Provost reprimanded
them ; and went to the Goldsmiths' Hall, where the
Magistrates and Town Council were assembled, with
a good many of the inhabitants. A deputation was
sent to the Justice Clerk t, the Advocate, and the
Solicitor, to entreat that they would come and assist
* The Colt Bridge is about two miles from Edinburgh, on the
way to Corstorphine.
f Lord Milton, the Justice Clerk, had gone to his house at
Brunstane in the forenoon, to put some papers out of the way;
and returning to Edinburgh after dinner, met a crowd of people in
the Canongate, who had rushed out at the Nether- Bow- Port,
when it was opened to let out the baggage of the dragoons, that it
might follow them : these people called out that the rebels were
entering the town at the West Port, upon which Lord Milton
returned to Brunstane.
64 THE HISTORY OF
the Council with their advice. The deputies return-
ed, and reported that all these gentlemen had left the
town. Provost Stuart then sent for the captains of
the volunteers, and the trained bands, and desired to
have their opinion concerning the defence of the town.
The officers said very little, and seemed to be at a loss
what opinion to give ; other people in the meeting
made speeches for and against the defence of the town,
not without reproach and abuse on both sides. The
crowd increased to such a degree, that it became ne-
cessary to adjourn to a larger place, and the meeting
adjourned to the New Church Aisle, which was im-
mediately filled wijjji people, the most part of whom
called to give up the town ; that it was impossible to
defend it. Those who attempted to speak against the
general opinion, were borne down with noise and
clamour.
Meanwhile a letter was handed in from the door,
addressed to the Lord Provost, Magistrates, and Town
Council of Edinburgh : Deacon Orrock (a member
of the Council) opened the letter, and said it was sub-
scribed Charles, P. R. Provost Stuart stopped Dea-
con Orrock, said he would not be witness to reading
such a letter ; and rising from his seat, left the place,
and returned to the Goldsmiths' Hall, followed by
most part of the Council, and a good many of the
town's people, who called out to read the letter, for
it was absolutely necessary (they said) to read the
letter, that the inhabitants might know what threat-
enings it contained against the city. Others main-
tained that it ought not to be read ; that it was trea-
son to read it. During these debates about reading
the letter, four companies of the volunteers marched
up to the castle of Edinburgh, and laid down their
arms, without orders from Provost Stuart, and with-
out his knowlege. These four companies had come
from the College- yards to their alarm post in the
Lawn Market, when the fire-bell was rung, after the
retreat of the dragoons. The captains, leaving their
lieutenants to command the companies, went to that
meeting at the Goldsmiths' Hall, which was adjourn-
ed to the New Church Aisle, where they remained a
THE REBELLION, 1745. 65
long time. The volunteers becoming impatient to
know what was going on at the meeting of the inha-
bitants, two of the lieutenants went from the Lawn
Market, and asked Provost Stuart what orders he
pleased to give them. The lieutenants returned with-
out receiving any orders from the Provost ; and
brought very bad accounts of the disposition that
seemed to prevail among the people at the meeting.
One of the volunteers (not an officer) hearing what
the lieutenants said, proposed to his companions that
they should go to the meeting with their arms, and
give their opinion as inhabitants. Other two private
men, talking together, differed so much that they
quarrelled and attacked one another; one of them
made use of his musket and fixed bayonet ; the other
threw down his musket, and parried the bayonet with
his sword. They were soon separated without any
harm done. Much about the same time a man of a
tolerable appearance, (whom nobody ever pretended
to know,) mounted upon a grey horse, came up from
the Bow to the Lawn Market, and gallopping along
the front of the volunteers, called out that he had seen
the Highland army, that they were sixteen thousand
strong. This lying messenger did not stay to be
questioned ; for he was out of sight in a moment.
By and by Captain Drummond, and the other cap-
tains, came to the Lawn Market, and having talked
with their lieutenants in sight of the men, sent Lieu-
tenant Lindsay to acquaint General Guest, that the
volunteers were coming to the castle to deliver up
their arms, as no good could be done by keeping
them, for the town was to be given up. When Lieu-
tenant Lindsay returned with an answer from Gene-
ral Guest, that he expected them, Captain Drummond
(whose company having the right, was nearest the
castle) gave them orders to march. Then it was that
the volunteer, who stood next to Professor Cleghorn,
reminded him of the agreement they had made with
their companions : and said, Now is your time. No,
said Mr. Cleghorn, I don't think it is ; to separate
from the rest of the volunteers at present, would do
more ill than good. Not a word more was said ; and
66 THE HISTORY OF
the volunteers marched up to the castle. The sun
was setting when they laid down their arms ; many
of them with visible reluctance, and some of them
with tears. The example of the four companies, com-
manded by Captain Drummond, was very soon fol-
lowed by the other two companies of volunteers ; and
by all the different bodies of men who had received
arms from the King's magazine. At the time the
volunteers laid down their arms, the meeting at the
Goldsmiths' Hall was still debating whether or no the
letter, signed Charles P. R. should be read. Provost
Stuart had given orders to send for the town assessors
to have their opinion. None of them could be found
but Mr. Haldane, who came immediately ; and being
asked by Provost Stuart, whether or not a letter
addressed to the magistrates, signed Charles P. R.
should be read, he answered, that was a matter too
high for him to give his opinion upon : having said
so, he rose and went away. Provost Stuart exclaim-
ed, " Good God ! I am deserted by my arras and my
assessors." After this there was a pause. The Pro-
vost still demurred ; but most of the company be-
coming impatient to know the contents of the letter,
it was read at last.
" From our Camp, 16th Sept. 1745.
" Being now in a condition to make our way into
the capital of His Majesty's ancient kingdom of Scot-
land, we hereby summon you to receive us, as you are
in duty bound to do ; and in order to it, we hereby
require you, upon receipt of this, to summon the
Town Council, and take proper measures for securing
the peace and quiet of the city, which we are very
desirous to protect. But, if you suffer any of the
usurper's troops to enter the town, or any of the can-
non, arms, or ammunition now in it (whether belong-
ing to the public, or private persons) to be carried
off, we shall take it as a breach of your duty, and a
heinous offence against the king and us, and shall re-
sent it accordingly. We promise to preserve all the
rights and liberties of the city, and the particular pro-
perty of every one of His Majesty's subjects. But if
any opposition be made to us, we cannot answer for
THE REBELLION, 1745. 67
the consequences, being firmly resolved at any rate to
enter the city ; and in that case if any of the inhabi-
tants are found in arms against us, they must not ex-
pect to be treated as prisoners of war.
< CHARLES, P.R."
When the threatenings which this letter contained
were heard, the cry against resistance became louder
than ever ; and it was proposed to send a deputation
to the person from whom this letter came, to desire
that hostilities might not be commenced, till the citi-
zens had deliberated, and resolved what answer should
be made to the letter. This proposal was agreed to ;
and about eight o'clock at night Bailie Hamilton, and
three other members of the Council, were sent to
Gray's Mill, where the Pretender was, to carry to him.
the request of the Council.
Soon after the deputies were sent out, intelligence
came to the Provost and Magistrates (assembled in
the Council Chamber) that the transports with Gene-
ral Cope's army were off Dunbar ; and as the wind
was unfavourable for bringing them up the Firth,
that the General intended to land his troops at Dun-
bar, and march them to the relief of the city,
This piece of intelligence changed the face of af-
fairs. Messengers were sent off immediately to over-
take the deputies, and prevent them from executing
their commission. Application was made to General
Guest for arms, and he was requested to recal the
dragoons. General Guest answered, that the Magis-
trates might put the arms belonging to the city into
the hands of such of their inhabitants as were well
disposed ; and if the Provost should write to him,
that there was a good spirit appearing among the
people, and desire him to deliver out the volunteers'
arms, that he might probably do it ; but that he judg-
ed it was absolutely necessary for His Majesty's ser-
vice that the two regiments of dragoons should be or-
dered to join General Cope. Various proposals were
then made in the Council to beat to arms, to ring the
alarm-bell, and re-assemble the volunteers. To these
proposals it was objected, that most of the volunteers
had left the town, when they laid down their arms :
68 THE HISTORY OF
that the messengers sent to recal the deputies, not
having overtaken them, the deputies were now in the
power of the rebels, who, when they heard the alarm
bell, would probably hang the deputies.
About ten o'clock at night, the deputies returned,
and brought a letter in answer to the message sent
by them.
" His Royal Highness the Prince Regent thinks his
Manifesto, and the King his father's declaration al-
ready published, a sufficient capitulation for all His
Majesty's subjects to accept of with joy. His pre-
sent demands are to be received into the city as the
son and representative of the King his father, and
obeyed as such when there. His Royal Highness
supposes, that since the receipt of his letter to the
Provost, no arms or ammunition have been suffered
to be carried off or concealed, and will expect a parti-
cular account of all things of that nature. Lastly, he
expects a positive answer before two o'clock in the
morning, otherwise he will think himself obliged to
take measures conform.
" At Gray's Mill, 16th September, 1745. By his
Highness's command.
(Signed) J. MURRAY."
When this letter was read, Provost Stuart said,
there was one condition in it which he would die ra-
ther than submit to, which was receiving the son of
the Pretender as Prince Regent ; for he was bound
by oath to another master. After long deliberation it
was determined to send out deputies once more, to
beg a suspension of hostilities till nine o'clock in the
morning, that the Magistrates might have an oppor-
tunity of conversing with the citizens, most of whom
were gone to bed. The deputies were also instructed
to require an explanation of what was meant by re-
ceiving Charles as Prince Regent.
About two o'clock in the morning the deputies set
out in a hackney coach for Gray's Mill ; when they
arrived there they prevailed upon Lord George Mur-
ray to second their application for a delay ; but Charles
THE REBELLION, 1745. 69
refused to grant it ; and the deputies were ordered
in his name to get them gone.
The coach brought them back to Edinburgh, set
them down in the High Street, and then drove to-
wards the Canongate. When the Nether Bow port
was opened to let out the coach, 800 Highlanders, led
by Cameron of Locheil, rushed in, and took posses-
sion of the city.
It was about five o'clock in the morning when the
rebels entered Edinburgh. They immediately sent
parties to all the other gates, and to the town guard,
who making the soldiers upon duty prisoners, occu-
pied their posts as quietly as one guard relieves ano-
ther. When the inhabitants of Edinburgh awaked in
the morning, they found that the Highlanders were
masters of the city.
If this particular account of what happened at
Edinburgh, from the Qth to the 1 7th of September,
should seem tedious, as is most likely it will, the au-
thor thought it better that the account he gives of the
surrender of Edinburgh should seem tedious, than be
incomplete, as it would most certainly have been, if
he had omitted any of the circumstances which hap-
pened on the 15th and l6th of September. For those
circumstances of which he was an eye-witness, and
took notes at the time, prove beyond d ; spute that the
volunteers, who agreed to Captain Drummond's pro-
posal of joining the dragoons, and persisted in their
resolution to the last, were in earnest to defend the
city. As to the intention of Captain Drummond,
people differed in opinion : the generality of the in-
habitants of Edinburgh were persuaded that he meant
at all hazards to defend the town against the rebels.
Some people, on the contrary, were of opinion that
the chief object Captain Drummond had in view was
to make himself popular, and defeat Provost Stuart's
interest in the city. That his proposal to the volun-
teers of joining the dragoons, and giving battle to the
rebels, was merely a pretence of doing what he never
had the most distant intention to do, as appeared by
his message to Provost Stuart, which Lieutenant Or-
miston carried, and the awkward manner in which he
70 THE HISTORY OF
desisted from his proposal. If this latter opinion be
well founded, and Mr. Drummond meant nothing
more than to defeat Provost Stuart's interest, the elec-
tion job, as it has been called, succeeded perfectly
well ; for when Mr. Stuart (who was member of Par-
liament for the city of Edinburgh) went to London,
he was taken into custody, and sent to the Tower,
where he remained a prisoner fourteen months. At
last, being admitted to bail upon a recognisance to
appear before the Court of Justiciary in Scotland, he
came to Edinburgh, where he was tried for neglect
of duty, and misbehaviour in the execution of his of-
fice. After one of the longest and most solemn trials*
that ever was known, the jury, nemine contradicente,
found him Not Guilty. But long before the trial,
there had been a poll election of Magistrates t, and
Mr. Drummond was chosen Provost by a great ma-
jority.
* When Provost Stuart's Trial was published, it appeared that
the company of burgesses who framed the petition to be authorised
to take arms, had sent deputies to Provost Stuart on the 3d of
September, with several instructions concerning the defence of the
town, which Provost Stuart told them was impracticable and ridi-
culous to attempt The deputies had more than one conversation
with Provost Stuart, before they presented their petition. When
the petition was granted, several of the petitioners became officers
of the volunteers, and presented memorials to Provost Stuart, re-
commending measures necessary to be taken for the defence of the
town, which they who knew his opinion upon that subject were
ceitain he would reject. Trial, p. 36. 132.
h The poll election was finished on the 28th of November, in
the year 1746. Provost Stuart's trial ended on the 27th of March,
1747.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 71
CHAP. V.
Charles comes to Holyrood House His Father proclaimed
The Dragoons join Sir John Cope His march towards
Edinburgh Receives information of the Rebels advancing
to meet him Forms his Army to receive the Enemy
The Rebels come on the right A Morass between the Ar-
mies Various Movements till Night The Rebels pass
the Morass The Battle of Preston.
ABOUT ten o'clock the main body of the rebels
marching by Duddingston (to avoid being fired upon
by the Castle) entered the King's Park, and halted in
the hollow between the hills, under the peak called
Arthur's Seat. By and by Charles came down to the
Duke's Walk, accompanied by the Highland Chiefs,
and other commanders of his army.
The Park was full of people, (amongst whom
was the author of this history, ) all of them impatient
to see this extraordinary person. The figure and
presence of Charles Stuart were not ill suited to his
lofty pretensions. He was in the prime of youth *,
tall and handsome, of a fair complexion ; he had a
light coloured periwig with his own hair combed over
the front : he wore the Highland dress, that is a tar-
tan short coat without the plaid, a blue bonnet on his
head, and on his breast the star of the order of St.
Andrew. Charles stood some time in the park to
shew himself to the people ; and then, though he was
* Born at Rome on the 31st of December, in the year 1720,
he was in the 25th year of his age. While Charles was standing
in the Duke's Walk, one of the spectators endeavoured to measure
shoulders with him ; and said he waa more than 5 feet 10 inches
high.
72 THE HISTORY OP
very near the palace, mounted his horse, either to
render himself more conspicuous, or because he rode
well, and looked graceful on horseback.
The Jacobites were charmed with his appearance :
they compared him to Robert the Bruce, whom he
resembled (they said) in his figure as in his fortune.
The Whigs looked upon him with other eyes. They
acknowledged that he was a goodly person ; but they
observed, that even in that triumphant hour when he
*was about to enter the palace of his fathers, the air
of his countenance was languid and melancholy : that
he looked like a gentleman and a man of fashion, but
not like a hero or a conqueror. Hence they formed
their conclusions that the enterprize was above the
pitch of his mind ; and that his heart was not great
enough for the sphere in which he moved. When
Charles came to the palace, he dismounted, and walk-
ed along the piazza, towards the apartment of the
Duke of Hamilton. When he was near the door,
which stood open to receive him, a gentleman stepped
out of the crowd, drew his sword, and raising his arm
aloft, walked up stairs before Charles. The person
who enlisted himself in this manner, was James Hep-
burn of Keith, whose name will be mentioned again
more than once ; he had been engaged when a very
young man in the rebellion of the year 1715, and
from that time (learned and intelligent as he was)
had continued a Jacobite. But he had compounded
the spirit of Jacobitism with another spirit ; for he
disclaimed the hereditary indefeasible right of kings,
and condemned the government of James the Second ;
but he also condemned the Union between England
-and Scotland, as injurious, and humiliating to his
country; saying, (to use his own words,) that the
Union had made a Scotch gentleman of small fortune
nobody, and that he would die a thousand times rather
than submit to it.
Wrapped up in these notions, he kept himself for
thirty years in constant readiness to take arms, and
was the first person who joined Charles at Edin-
burgh ; idolized by the Jacobites, and beloved by
THE REBELLION, 1745. 73
some of the best Whigs, who regretted * that this
accomplished gentleman, the model of ancient sim-
plicity, manliness, and honour, should sacrifice him-
self to a visionary idea of the independence of Scot-
land.
The Highlanders, when they entered the town in
the morning, had secured the 'Heralds and Pursuiv-
ants : at mid-day they surrounded the Cross with a
body of armed men, and obliged the Heralds to pro-
claim King James, to read the Commission of Re-
gency, and the Declaration, dated at Rome, in De-
cember, 1743, with a Manifesto in the name of
Charles Prince Regent, dated at Paris, 16th of May,
1745. An immense multitude witnessed this cere-
mony, which was performed at noon.
The populace of a great city, who huzza for any
thing that brings them together, huzzaed; and a
number of ladies in the windows strained their voices
with acclamation, and their arms with waving white
handkerchiefs in honour of the day.
These demonstrations of joy, amongst people of
condition, were chiefly confined to one sex ; few gen-
tlemen were to be seen on the streets, or in the win-
dows ; and even amongst the inferior people, many
shewed their dislike by a stubborn silence.
Whilst the Heralds were proclaiming King James
at Edinburgh, Sir John Cope was landing his troops
at Dunbar : the two regiments of dragoons had come
there on the morning of the 1 7th in a condition not
very respectable t.
* The Earl of Stair and Lord Milton.
j- The two regiments of dragoons, having retreated from the
Colt Bridge, halted some time at JLeith, and at Musselburgh,
then they went on to a field between Preston Grange and Dau-
phinston, where they dismounted and prepared to stay all night ;
but a dragoon seeking forage for his horse between ten and eleven
o'clock, fell into an old coal pit which was full of water, and
made such a noise that the dragoons thought the Highlanders had
got amongst them ; and mounting their horses, made the best of
their way to Dunbar. Colonel Gardner had gone to his own
house, which was hard by, and locked the door when he went to
bed, so that he heard nothing of the matter till next morning,
when he rose, and followed his men with a heavy heart ; for the
E
74 THE HISTORY OF
The disembarkation of the troops, artillery, and
stores, was not completed till the 18th; that day a
volunteer from Edinburgh was introduced to Sir John
Cope, who told the General that he had remained in
Edinburgh after the rebels took possession of the
town, not only from curiosity to see the Highlantl
army and their leader, but to make himself sure what
was the number of the rebels, which, during their
march to Edinburgh, nobody seemed to know.
That he had gone to the different posts which they
occupied in the town ; and reckoned them pretty ex-
actly. That he had gone up to the hollow between the
hills, where the main body of their army lay ; that
when he came there, fortune favoured his design ;
for a great quantity of provisions, which had been
ordered from the town, was brought to the High-
landers, just as he arrived amongst them ; and they
were sitting in ranks upon the ground, extremely in-
tent on their food.
That in this situation he found no difficulty in
counting them man by man, and was persuaded that
the whole number of Highlanders, whom he saw,
within and without the town, did not amount to 2000
men ; but he was told that several bodies of men from
the North were on their way, and expected very soon
to join them at Edinburgh.
The General asked what sort of appearance they
made, and how they were armed? The volunteer
answered, that most of them seemed to be strong, ac-
tive, and hardy men ; that many of them were of a
very ordinary size, and, if clothed like Low-country
men, would (in his opinion) appear inferior to the
King's troops ; but the Highland garb favoured them
much, as it shewed their naked limbs, which were
strong and muscular ; that their stern countenances,
and bushy uncombed hair, gave them a fierce, barbar-
ous, and imposing aspect. As to their arms, he said
road to Dunbar was strewed with swords, pistols, and firelocks,
which were gathered together, and carried in covered carts to Dun-
bar ; so that the flight of the two regiments was very little known
in the army.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 75
that they had no cannon nor artillery of any sort, but
pne small iron gun, which he had seen without a car-
riage, lying upon a cart, drawn by a little Highland
horse ; that about 1 400 or 1 500 of them were armed
with firelocks and broad-swords ; that their firelocks
were not similar nor uniform, but of all sorts and sizes,
muskets, fusses, and fowling-pieces ; that some of the
rest had firtu>cks without swords, and some of them
swords without firelocks ; that many of their swords
were not Highland broad-swords, but French ; that
a company or two (about 100 men) had each of them
in his hand the shaft of a pitch- fork, with the blade
of a scythe fastened to it, somewhat like the weapon
called the Lochaber axe, which the town-guard sol-
diers carry : But all of them, he added, would be
soon provided with firelocks, as the arms belonging
to the Trained Bands of Edinburgh had fallen into
their hands. Sir John Cope dismissed the volunteer,
with many compliments for bringing him such cer-
tain and accurate intelligence.
At Dunbar some of the judges and men of the law
came to the camp, resolving to continue with the ar-
my, not as fighting men, but as anxious and inter-
ested spectators of the approaching action. At Dun-
bar the Earl of Home joined Sir John Cope.
He was then an officer in the guards, and thought it
his duty to offer his service, when the King's troops
were in the field. He came to Dunbar attended by one
or two servants. There were not wanting persons upon
this occasion to make their remarks, and observe the
mighty change which little more than a century had
produced in Scotland.
It was known to every body, who knew any thing
of the history of their country, that the ancestors of
this noble Lord (once the most powerful Peers in
the south of Scotland) could, at a short warning, have
raised in their own territories, a body of men whose
approach that Highland army, which had got posses-
sion of the capital of Scotland (and was preparing to
fight the whole military force in that kingdom),
would not have dared to wait. On the Ith of Sep-
tember, Sir John Cope, with his army, left Dunbar,
2
76 THE HISTORY OF
and marched towards Edinburgh. This little army
made a great show, the cavalry, the infantry, the can-
non, with a long train of baggage carts, extended for
several miles along the road. The people of the
countiy, long unaccustomed to war and arms, flocked
from all quarters, to see an army going to fight a bat-
tle in East Lothian ; and, with infinite concern and
anxiety for the event, beheld this uncommon spec-
tacle.
That day the army encamped in a field to the west
of the town of Haddington. In the evening it was
proposed to the General to employ some of those
young people who followed the camp, to ride between
Haddington and Duddingston, during the dark hours,
lest the Highlanders (whose movements were rapid)
should march in the night time, and surprise the ar-
my. The General approved the proposal ; and six-
teen young men, most of whom had been volunteers
at Edinburgh, offered their service. About nine
o'clock at night, eight of them (two together) set out
by four different roads that led to Duddingston ; and
returning at midnight to the camp, made a report to
the officer who commanded the piquet; the other
eight set out when they returned ; and rode till break
of day between the two armies. Two of the last di-
vision never came back to Haddington. Next day
the army moved back again, directing their move-
ment towards Edinburgh, by the post road, till they
came near Huntington ; and turning off there, took
the low road by St. Germain's * and Seaton. In this
march, the officers assured the spectators, of whom
no small number attended them, that there would be
no battle, for as the calvary and infantry were joined,
the Highlanders would not venture to wait the attack
of so complete an army. It is doubtful whether or
not the people who talked in this manner really
thought so ; but such was the tone of the army ; and
* Sir John Cope, in the account which he gave to the Board
of General Officers, says, that he left the post road because there
were defiles and inclosures near that road, where calvary could not
act.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 77
whoever did not hold the same language, was looked
upon as a lukewarm friend.
The van of the army was entering the plain be-
tween Seaton and Preston, when Lord Loudon *, who
had been sent on to reconnoitre the ground, came
back at a good pace, and informed the General that
the rebels were in full march towards the King's ar-
my; that he had seen them, and having viewed
them with good glasses, was certain that it was not
a detachment, but the whole body of the Highland
army.
Sir John Cope, informed of the approach of the
rebels, thought that the plain between Seaton and
Preston, which he saw before him, was a very pro-
per piece of ground to receive them, and continued
his march along the high road to Preston, till he came
to the place since well known by the name of the
field of battle, and there he formed his army, front-
ing the west, from which the enemy was expected.
In a very short time after Sir John Cope had taken
his ground, the Highland army came fn sight, s^
As every body that had a mind might go to Dun-
bar and see what was doing there, the rebels had no-
tice whejrj the troops were disembarked, when they
began their march towards Edinburgh, and how far
they came the first day. On Thursday evening
Charles came to Duddingston, and calling a Council
of War, proposed to march next morning and meet
Sir John Cope half way. The Members of the
Council agreed that there was nothing else to be done.
Charles then asked the Highland Chiefs how they
thought their men would behave when they met Sir
John Cope, who had at last plucked up the spirit to
give them battle ? The chiefs desired Macdonald of
Keppoch to speak for them, as he had served in the
French army, and was thought to know better than
* From the time Sir John Cope left Stirling, Lord Loudon
had been with him acting as Adjutant-General. When the army
took the low road to Edinburgh, Sir John Cope sent on Lord
Loudon and Lord Home, with the Quarter-Master-General, to
mark out a camp for the army near Musselburgh, as the General
j u tended to go no farther that day
E3
78 THE HISTORY OF
any of them what the Highlanders could do against
regular troops. Keppoch said, that as the country
had been long at peace, few or none of the private
men had ever seen a battle, and it was not very easy
to say how they would behave ; but he would ven-
ture to assure his Royal Highness, that the gentle-
men would be in the midst of the enemy, and that
the private men, as they loved the cause, and loved
their Chiefs, would certainly follow them. Charles
declared that he would lead them on himself, and
charge at their head. The chiefs exclaimed, they
were ruined and undone ; for, if any accident befel
him, a defeat or a victory was the same to them : that
if he persisted in his resolution, they would go home,
and make the best terms they could for themselves.
This remonstrance had the desired effect ; and Charles
did not persist.
Next morning the Highland army marched from
Duddingston in a column, whose front was very nar-
row, three men in a rank ; they crossed the river Esk
at the bridge of Musselburgh, and proceeded along
the post road, till they came to Edge Bucklin Brae.
There they left the post road, and going by the west
side of Wallyford, advanced a good way up Fawside
Hill, then turning to the left, bent their course to-
wards Tranent, and coming in upon the post road
again, a little to the west of that town, continued their
march till the King's army saw them appear. The
soldiers shouted with great vehemence ; the High-
landers returned the shout ; and marching on till the
head of the column * was near Tranent, they halted,
faced to the left, and formed the line of battle, about
half a mile from the King's army.
As the Highlanders, in marching from Dudding-
ston, had made a circuit, they did not come from that
quarter whence they were expected; and Sir John
* The Highland regiments, drawn up three men deep, marched
off by the flank, which the regulars call marching by files. When
the head of the column reached the place intended, the men were
ordered to halt, face to the right or left, and the column became
a line. They always marched in this manner, sometimes in one
column, sometimes in two.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 79
Cope, as soon as he saw them appear on his left, put
his troops in motion, and changing the front of his
army from west to south, faced the enemy. On his
right was the village of Preston ; and still nearer his
right, the east wall of Mr. Erskine of Grange's
Park, which, extending a great way from south to
north, had a high road at each end of it. On his
left was the village of Seaton ; in his rear, the village
of Cockenzie, and the sea; in his front the rebels,
and the town of Tranent. Between the two armies
was a morass ; the ground on each side of it was soft,
boggy, and full of springs, that formed a run of wa-
ter> which went down in a ditch to Seaton, where it
ended in a mill-dam. In this boggy ground there
were a great many cuts and drains which had made
some parts of it more firm ; and in these places there
were several small inclosures, with hedges, dry stone
dykes, and willow trees. In the front, and but a few
paces from the front of the King's army, there was a
ditch, with a thick and strong hedge.
The distance between the two armies, that were
separated by this uncouth piece of ground, was little
more than half a mile. In number they were nearly
equal ; the superiority, though but small, was on the
side of the rebels *. Lord George Murray, Lieuten-
ant-General of the Highland army, examined several
people of the neighbourhood about the ground be-
tween the two armies, to learn whether or no the
Highlanders could make their way through the mo-
rass, and close with the King's troops. The accounts
* Sir John Cope's army, when he avoided an engagement with
the rebels posted at Corryarrak, consisted enly of 1400 men. In
marching to Inverness,and from Inverness to Aberdeen, he met with
two companies of Guise's regiment, which he brought with him to
Dunbar. At Dunbar he was joined by the two regiments of dragoons,
amounting to 600 men ; so that his army, at the battle of Preston,
consisted of 2100 men, besides some new raised companies of Lord
Ixmdon's regiment, and the 42d, which were, sent to Cockenzie as
the baggage guard. When the rebels came to Edinburgh, they
were somewhat under 2000 men ; next day 150 M'Lachlans
joined them ; and before they marched from Duddingston to meet
Sir John Cope, they were joined by 250 Athol men ; so that the
rebel army, at the battle of Preston, amounted nearly to 2400.
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THE REBELLION, 1745. 81
which he received were not favourable to his wishes.
To make himself sure, by the report of a military
man, he sent an officer to view the ground : this
officer (known afterwards to be Ker of Gradon)
came down from the Highland army alone; he was
mounted upon a little white poney ; and with the
greatest deliberation rode between the two armies,
looking at the ground on each hand of him. Several
shot were fired at him as he went along; when he
came to a dry stone dyke that was in his way, he dis-
mounted, and pulling down a piece of the dyke, led
his horse over it. He then returned to Lord George
Murray, and assured him that it was impossible to get
through the morass, and attack the enemy in front,
without receiving several fires. Soon after this piece
of information, Charles, with a great part of his army,
moved towards Dauphinston on their left, till they
came opposite to Preston Tower, and seemed to me-
ditate an attack from that quarter. General Cope ob-
serving this movement, resumed his first position,
and formed his army with their front to Preston, and
their right to the Sea.
By and by the Highlanders returned to their former
ground, and the King's army did the same. The af-
ternoon was spent in various movements *, Sir John
Cope always endeavouring to preserve the advantage
of his situation. But when evening came, and night
approached, his situation did not seem so advantageous
as he imagined, ^It appeared too plainly that his
troops were shut up, and confined to a place, from
which it was not thought safe for them to go very
* During these movements, the two gentlemen who had set
out from Haddington as scouts, and never returned, made their
appearance. They were Francis Garden and Robert Cunning,
ham (afterwards Lord Gardenston and General Cunningham ;)
they had gone so near Duddingston that they were taken prisoners
by the rebels, who threatened to hang them as spies ; and when
the rebel army marched to meet Sir John Cope, the prisoners
were carried along with them, to be placed (they said) in the front
of the battle, and exposed to the fire of their friends. When the
armies came in sight of each other, the Highlanders marched them
backward and forwards for some time, and at last allowed them to
slip away.
82 THE HISTORY OF
far, whilst the rebels were at liberty to move about
as they pleased, and were actually in continual mo-
tion, hovering about the King's army to find an op-
portunity, and rush in upon them. The night was
at hand, dark and cold ; for although the weather
was fine, and remarkably warm in the day time, the
nights were cold and frosty, as they usually are in
Scotland at that season (for it was the 20th day of
September, old style.)
Then, and not till then, some people began to fear
that the army, which stood upon the defensive, and
was to pass the night under arms, would be attacked
in the morning with advantage by an enemy, who,
secure from attack, and sheltered from the cold by
their plaids, might lie down, take their rest, and rise
fresh and vigorous for the fight. Such were the
gloomy reflections on one side, when night sat down
upon the field.
Sir John Cope, to secure his army during the night,
advanced picquets and out-guards of horse and foot
along the side of the morass, very near as far east as
the village of Seaton. He ordered fires to be kindled
in the front of his army, and sent down the baggage
and the military chest to Cockenzie, guarded by forty
men from one of the regiments of the line, and all the
Highlanders of his army, who were two companies
of new raised men, belonging to Lord Loudon's re-
giments, and the two additional companies of Lord
John Murray's regiment, that had marched with Sir
John Cope from Stirling to Inverness *, and by de-
sertion were reduced to fifteen men a company.
The line of battle formed along the side of the mo-
rass, consisted of five companies of Lee's regiment on
the right, of Murray's regiment on the left, of eight
companies of Lascelles's and two of Guise's regiment
in the centre. On the right of the line of foot, were
two squadrons of Colonel Gardner's regiment of dra-
goons ; and on the left, two squadrons of General
* When Sir John Cope left Inverness, 200 Highlanders (Mon-
ros) marched with his army to Aberdeen, but refused to embark,
as it was so near the time of harvest.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 6S
Hamilton's, having the third squadron of each regi-
ment placed in the rear of the other two squadrons
without any infantry. The cannon were placed on
the left of the army, (near the waggon road from
Tranent to Cockenzie,) guarded by a company of
Lee's regiment, commanded by Captain Cochrane,
under the orders of Lieutenant- Colonel Whiteford.
As soon as it was dark, the Highlanders moved to
their right, and took up their ground below the
east end of the town of Tranent, where the mo-
rass seemed more practicable. Charles and his of"
fleers held a Council of War, in which it was re-
solved to attack the King's army, from that quarter,
at break of day. The Highlanders wrapt themselves
up in their plaids, and lay down to sleep. There was
in the rebel army a person who had joined them at
Edinburgh : his name was Robert Anderson (the son
of Anderson of Whitbrough in East Lothian, who
had been engaged in the Rebellion of the year 1715.)
He knew the country exceedingly well, and having
been consulted by Lord George Murray about the
ground between the two armies, had given him the
same account which Ker of Gradon did after his sur-
vey. Anderson had been present at the Council of
War, held to determine the manner of attack ; but
did not take the liberty to speak and give his opinion.
After Charles and his officers had separated, Ander-
son told Mr. Hepburn of Keith, that he knew the
ground perfectly, and was certain that there was a
better way to come at the King's army than that
which the counsellors of Charles had resolved to fol-
low ; that he would undertake to shew them a place,
where they might easily pass the morass, without be-
ing seen by the enemy, and form without being ex-
posed to their fire. Mr. Hepburn listened attentive-
ly to this information, and expressed his opinion of it
in such terms, that Anderson desired he would carry
him to Lord George Murray. Mr. Hepburn ad-
vised him to go himself to Lord George Murray,
who knew him, and would like better to receive
information from him alone, than when introduced
by another person. When Anderson came to Lord
EG
S6 THE HISTORY OF
little farther from the line, and in the front of Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Whitney's squadron. The ground be-
tween the two armies was an extensive corn field,
plain and level, without a bush or tree. Harvest was
just got in, and the ground was covered with a
thick stubble, which rustled under the feet of the
Highlanders as they ran on, speaking and mut-
tering in a manner that expressed and heightened
their fierceness and rage. When they set out, the
mist was very thick ; but before they had got half-
way, the sun rose, dispelled the mist, and showed
the armies* to each other. As the left wing of the
rebel army, had moved before the right, their line
was somewhat oblique, and the Camerons, who were
nearest the King's army, came up directly oppo-
site to the cannon, firing at the guard as they ad-
vanced. The people employed to work the cannon,
who were not gunners t or artillerymen, fled instant-
ly. Colonel Whiteford fired five of the six field
pieces with his own hand, which killed one private
man, and wounded an officer in Locheil's regiment.
The line seemed to shake, but the men kept going on
at a great pace; Colonel Whitney was ordered to
advance with his squadron, and attack the rebels be-
* Some of the rebel officers have since acknowledged, that when
they first saw the King's army, which made a most gallant appear-
ance both horse and foot, with the sun shining upon their arms,
and then looked at their own line which was broken into clumps
and clusters, (the bravest and best armed foremost,) they expected
that the Highland army would be defeated in a moment, and swept
from the field.
f When Sir John Cope marched with his army to the North,
there were no gunners nor matrosses to be had in Scotland, but one
old man, who had belonged to the Scots train of artillery before
the Union. This gunner, and three old soldiers belonging to the
company of invalids in the garrison at the castle of Edinburgh,
Sir John Cope carried along with him to Inverness. When the
troops came toDunbar, the King's ship which escorted the transports
furnished Sir John Cope with some sailors to work the cannon ; but
when the Highlanders came on, firing as they advanced, the sail-
ors, the gunner, and the three old invalids, ran away, taking the
powder flasks with them, so that Colonel Whiteford, who fired
five of the old field pieces, could not fire the sixth for want of
priming. Sir John Cope had only four field pieces when he came
to Inverness, but he ordered two field pieces to be taken from, the
castle there, and added to his train.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 87
fore they came up to the cannon : the dragoons moved
on and were very near the cannon, when they received
some fire, which killed several men, and wounded
Lieutenant-Colonel Whitney. The squadron imme-
diately wheeled about, rode over the artillery guard,
and fled. The men of the artillery guard, who had
given one fire, and that a very indifferent one, dis-
persed. The Highlanders going on without stopping
to make prisoners, Colonel Gardner was ordered to
advance with his squadron, and attack them, disor-
dered as they seemed to be, with running over the
cannon and the artillery guard. The Colonel advan-
ced at the head of his men, encouraging them to
charge ; the dragoons followed him a little way, but
as soon as the fire of the Highlanders reached them,
they reeled, fell into confusion, and went off as the
other squadron had done. When the dragoons on the
right of the King's army gave way, the Highlanders,
most of whom had their pieces still loaded, advanced
against the foot, firing as they went on. The sol-
diers, confounded and terrified to see the cannon
taken, and the dragoons put to flight, gave their fire,
it is said, without orders ; the companies of the out.
guard being nearest the enemy, were the first that
fired, and the fire went down the line as far as Mur-
ray's regiment. The Highlanders threw down their
musquets, drew their swords and ran on ; the line of
foot broke as the fire had been given from right to
left; Hamilton's dragoons seeing what had happened
on the right, and receiving some fire at a good dis-
tance from the Highlanders advancing to attack them,
they immediately wheeled about and fled, leaving the
flank of the foot unguarded. The regiment which
was next them (Murray's) gave their fire and follow-
ed the dragoons. In a very few minutes after the
first cannon was fired, the whole army, both horse
and foot, were put to flight ; none of the soldiers at-
tempted to load their pieces again, and not one bayo-
net was stained with blood. In this manner the bat-
tle of Preston was fought and won by the rebels ; the
victory was complete, for all the infantry of the King's
army were either killed or taken prisoners, except
88 THE HISTORY OF
about 170*, who escaped by extraordinary swiftness>
or early flight.
The number of private men of the King's army
who were killed in the battle did not exceed 200 1,
but five officers were killed, and 80 officers (many of
them wounded) were taken prisoners. Four officers
of the rebel army, and 30 private men were killed ;
six officers and 70 private men were wounded. The
cannon, the tents, the baggage, and the military chest
of the King's army, Avith the men that guarded it, fell
into the hands of the enemy. The dragoons, after
their first flight, halted once or twice, but fled again,
whenever any party of the rebels came up and fired
at them. General Cope, with the assistance of the
Earls of Home and Loudon, gathered together about
450 dragoons at the west end of the village of Pres-
ton, and marching them by Soultra Hill and Lauder,
reached Cold stream that night.
In this battle there were not wanting instances of
generous valour on the side of the vanquished. Col-
onel Gardner, a veteran officer, who had served in
the armies of the Duke of Marlborough, encouraging
his men by his voice and example to charge the re-
bels, when he found himself abandoned by the dra-
goons, did not follow them, but endeavouring (wound-
ed as he was) to join the foot, met a glorious death,
which he preferred to flight. Captain Brymer of
Lee's regiment, the only officer in the King's army
who had seen Highlanders attack regular troops, (at
the battle of Sheriffmuir, ) and the only person who-
* On Monday the 23d, 105 soldiers who escaped from the bat-
tle, were mustered in the castle of Edinburgh. Besides those that
got into the castle, about 70 soldiers found their way to Berwick,
where the number increased, for a good many of the men taken
prisoners at Preston, enlisted with the rebels, and during their long
stay at Edinburgh deserted, and joined their comrades at Ber-
wick, so that the number of soldiers who had escaped from the
battle, and met at Berwick, amounted in the end of October to
200 men.
+ Some accounts of the battle of Preston, written by officers in
the rebel army, make the number of men in the King's army who
were killed, to have been 400 or 500.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 80
seemed to think * that there was any thing formida-
ble in their attack, when the rebels broke in upon that
part of the line where he stood, he disdained to turn
his back, and was killed with his face to the enemy.
Charles remained on the field of battle till mid-day,
giving orders for the relief of the wounded of both
armies, for the disposal of his prisoners, and preserv-
ing, from temper or from judgment, every appearance
of moderation and humanity. That night he lay at
Pinkie, and next morning returned to Edinburgh.
CHAP, VI.
Charles at Holyrood House Resolutions of his Council
Contest with General Guest in the Castle The Rebels re-
inforced Some Ships arrive from France Correspon-
dence of Charles with the Chiefs Of the Chiefs with one
another Their Engagements to join the Rebel army
Message by Lord Lovat's Secretary Embarrassment
of Charles and his Council Resolution and Preparations
to march into England Number of the Rebels when they
left Edinburgh.
WHEN Charles with his army returned to Edin-
burgh, after the battle of Preston, the friends of Go-
vernment were extremely apprehensive that the rebels
would march immediately to the southward, and make
a dangerous progress in England, before the arrival
* William Congalton of Congalton, coming to the camp at
Haddington to inquire for Captain Brymer, who was his brother-
in-law, found him in his tent reading, and asked, What made
him so grave, when all the other officers were in such spirits, and
made light of the enemy ? Captain Brymer answered, that he
thought his brother officers would find themselves mistaken, for he
was certain the Highlanders would make a bold attack.
90 THE HISTORY OF
of the British troops from Flanders. But Charles and
his Counsellors did not think it advisable to march
into England with so small an army *, whose appear-
ance might discourage their friends in that part of the
country from declaring themselves. They therefore
resolved to remain some time in Scotland, and wait
for an accession offeree which they expected in con-
sequence of their victory. Messengers were forth-
with dispatched to France, and to the Highlands,
with accounts of the battle of Preston, calculated to
obtain the assistance which they required, to render,
they said, their success certain .and infallible. From
the time that the rebel army returned victorious to
Edinburgh, Charles, as Prince Regent, exercised every
act of sovereignty, ordering regiments to be levied for
his service, and troops of horse-guards to be raised
for the defence of his person. To carry on business
with the appearance of royalty, he appointed a coun-
cil to meet in Holyrood House, every day at ten
o'clock. The members of this council were the two
Lieutenant-generals (the Duke pf Perth, and Lord
George Murray,) Secretary Murray, Sullivan, Quar-
ter-master-General, Lord Pitsligo, Lord Elcho, Col-
onel of the First Troop of Horse Guards, Sir Thomas
Sheridan, and all the Highland Chiefs.
For some days after the battle of Preston, the com-
munication between the castle and the town of Edin-
burgh continued open. The Highlanders kept guard
at the Weigh House, and at some old buildings still
nearer the castle ; but allowed necessaries of every
kind to pass, particularly for the use of the officers.
By and by they began to be more strict ; and on the
29th of September, orders were given to the guards
to allow no person to pass or repass to the castle.
That evening a letter was sent by General Guest to
the Provost of Edinburgh, acquainting him, that un-
less a free communication was allowed between the
castle and the town, the General would be obliged to
* Besides the men killed and wounded in the battle, a good
many of the Highlanders had gone home to their own country
with the booty they had gained.
THE BEBELLION, 1745. 91
make use of his cannon to dislodge the rebels, who
blockaded the castle. The Provost obtained a respite
till next day, when six deputies were sent down to
the Abbey. They presented to Charles General
Guest's letter, which was really intended for him.
Charles gave an answer in writing, expressing his sur-
prise at the barbarity of the officer who threatened
to bring distress upon the inhabitants of Edinburgh
for not doing what was out of their power to do ; and
observing, that if compassion to the inhabitants of
Edinburgh should make him withdraw his guards
from their posts, General Guest might with equal
reason require him to leave the city with his troops,
and abandon all the advantages of his victory.
The citizens transmitted to General Guest the an-
swer which Charles had made to his letter ; and they
obtained from the General a suspension of the threat-
ened cannonade, till the return of an express which
was sent to London. This delay was granted by the
General, upon condition that the rebels, in the mean
time, should attempt nothing against the castle. This
condition, however, seems not to have been well un-
derstood ; for on the 1st of October the Highlanders
having fired at some people whom they saw carrying
provisions to the castle, the garrison next day fired
both cannon and small arms at the houses that cover-
ed the Highland guard. Upon which Charles pub-
lished a proclamation prohibiting all correspondence
with the castle upon pain of death ; and gave orders
to strengthen the blockade by posting additional
guards at several places. When General Guest was
informed of this proclamation, and the orders given
by Charles, be sent a message to the Magistrates of
Edinburgh to acquaint them that he intended to de-
molish with his cannon those houses where the guards
were posted, that prevented provisions being carried
to the castle, but that care should be taken to do as
little damage as possible to the inhabitants of the city.
Accordingly, about two o'clock on the 4th of October
the cannonade began, and continued till the evening.
As soon as it grew dark, the garrison made a sally,
set fire to some of the houses that were next the cas-
90 THE HISTORY OF
of the British troops from Flanders. But Charles and
his Counsellors did not think it advisable to march
into England with so small an army *, whose appear-
ance might discourage their friends in that part of the
country from declaring themselves. They therefore
resolved to remain some time in Scotland, and wait
for an accession of force which they expected in con-
sequence of their victory. Messengers were forth-
with dispatched to France, and to the Highlands,
with accounts of the battle of Preston, calculated to
obtain the assistance which they required, to render,
they said, their success certain .and infallible. From
the time that the rebel army returned victorious to
Edinburgh, Charles, as Prince Regent, exercised every
act of sovereignty, ordering regiments to be levied for
his service, and troops of horse-guards to be raised
for the defence of his person. To carry on business
with the appearance of royalty, he appointed a coun-
cil to meet in Holyrood House, every day at ten
o'clock. The members of this council were the two
Lieutenant-generals (the Duke of Perth, and Lord
George Murray,) Secretary Murray, Sullivan, Quar-
ter-master-General, Lord Pitsligo, Lord Elcho, Col-
onel of the First Troop of Horse Guards, Sir Thomas
Sheridan, and all the Highland Chiefs.
For some days after the battle of Preston, the com-
munication between the castle and the town of Edin-
burgh continued open. The Highlanders kept guard
at the Weigh House, and at some old buildings still
nearer the castle ; but allowed necessaries of every
kind to pass, particularly for the use of the officers.
By and by they began to be more strict ; and on the
29th of September, orders were given to the guards
to allow no person to pass or repass to the castle.
That evening a letter was sent by General Guest to
the Provost of Edinburgh, acquainting him, that un-
less a free communication was allowed between the
castle and the town, the General would be obliged to
* Besides the men killed and wounded in the battle, a good
many of the Highlanders had gone home to their own country
with the booty they had gained.
THE REBELLION, 1T45. 91
make use of his cannon to dislodge the rebels, who
blockaded the castle. The Provost obtained a respite
till next day, when six deputies were sent down to
the Abbey. They presented to Charles General
Guest's letter, which was really intended for him.
Charles gave an answer in writing, expressing his sur-
prise at the barbarity of the officer who threatened
to bring distress upon the inhabitants of Edinburgh
for not doing what was out of their power to do ; and
observing, that if compassion to the inhabitants of
Edinburgh should make him withdraw his guards
from their posts, General Guest might with equal
reason require him to leave the city with his troops,
and abandon all the advantages of his victory.
The citizens transmitted to General Guest the an-
swer which Charles had made to his letter; and they
obtained from the General a suspension of the threat-
ened cannonade, till the return of an express which
was sent to London. This delay was granted by the
General, upon condition that the rebels, in the mean
time, should attempt nothing against the castle. This
condition, however, seems not to have been well un-
derstood ; for on the 1st of October the Highlanders
having fired at some people whom they saw carrying
provisions to the castle, the garrison next day fired
both cannon and small arms at the houses that cover-
ed the Highland guard. Upon which Charles pub-
lished a proclamation prohibiting all correspondence
with the castle upon pain of death ; and gave orders
to strengthen the blockade by posting additional
guards at several places. When General Guest was
informed of this proclamation, and the orders given
by Charles, be sent a message to the Magistrates of
Edinburgh to acquaint them that he intended to de-
molish with his cannon those houses where the guards
were posted, that prevented provisions being carried
to the castle, but that care should be taken to do as
little damage as possible to the inhabitants of the city.
Accordingly, about two o'clock on the 4th of October
the cannonade began, and continued till the evening.
As soon as it grew dark, the garrison made a sally,
set fire to some of the houses that were next the cas-
92 THE HISTORY OF
tie, and made a trench between the castle and the
upper end of the street, where they planted some
field-pieces, and fired down the street with cartouch
shot. Next day the cannonade continued, several of
the rebels, and some of the inhabitants, were killed or
wounded. In the evening Charles published a pro-
clamation, recalling his orders, and allowing a com-
munication between the town and the castle. This
cannonade, or as it was called bombardment of Edin-
burgh, was grievously complained of. The generali-
ty of people concluded that the garrison of the castle
was in want of provisions, and that the General found
himself under the necessity of keeping the communi-
cation open in the manner he did. It was not so ;
the castle was well provided, and General Guest
meant to engage the Highlanders in a siege ; and
prevent them from marching into England. With
this view, in the beginning of the week after the bat-
tle of Preston, he wrote four or five letters addressed to
the Duke of Newcastle, Secretary of State, acquaint-
ing his Grace, that there was but a very small stock
of provisions in the castle of Edinburgh, that he would
be obliged to surrender if he was not relieved im-
mediately : and he gave his advice, that the troops
to relieve him should be sent by sea to Berwick or
Newcastle, as the quickest conveyance. These let-
ters were sent out from the castle, that they might
fall into the hands of the rebels : but lest any of them
should make its way through the Highlanders, and
reach London, General Guest wrote a letter to the
Duke of Newcastle, that contained an account of the
real state of the garrison, and of the deception which
he intended to practise on the rebels. This letter was
sent to Captain Beaver of the Fox man of war, lying
in the Road of Leith, by one Corsar, a writing master
in Edinburgh, who desired Captain Beaver to send
his long-boat to Berwick with the General's letter,
and put it into the post-house there, that it might be
safely conveyed to London. During this contest with
General Guest, which lasted from the 29th of Sep-
tember to the 6th of October, very few people in
Edinburgh or its neighbourhood joined the rebel
THE REBELLION, 1745.
army ; and no man of quality but Lord Kilmarnock,
and Arthur Elphinstone, who soon afterwards, by his
brother's death, became Lord Balmerino. About this
time several bodies of men came up from the Low
Country of the North, raised by some of the nobility
and gentry in that part of Scotland which lies nearest
the Highlands. The first person that came to Edin-
burgh was Lord Ogilvie, (eldest son of the Earl of
Airley,) who arrived in town on the 3d of October,
and brought with him a regiment of 600 men ; a
good many of the officers were of his family or name.
On the 4th of October, Gordon of Glenbucket ar-
rived at Edinburgh with a body of men. Glenbucket,
in the year 1715, had been a Major-general in the
Pretender's army, commanded by the Earl of Marr.
Some time after that he sold his paternal estate, and
with the reversion, which was considerable, wadset-
ted * from the Duke of Gordon a great tract of land
in Strathavon, Strathdon, Glenlivet and Auchindown.
The inhabitants of these lands which lie near the line
of partition that separates the Highlands from the
Lowlands, partaking of the character of their neigh-
bours, were among the first that took arms. Glen-
bucket brought with him a regiment of 400 men, he
himself was Colonel, his eldest son Lieutenant-colonel,
several of his sons were Captains, and most of the offi-
cers were his relations or allies. On the 9th of Oc-
tober, Lord Pitsligo arrived in the camp at Dudding-
ston t : he was attended by a great many gentlemen
* A WADSET is a security or pledge of land for debt. The
borrower of the money who gives the pledge is called the reversor.
The creditor who lends the money and receives the pledge is call-
ed the wadsetter. The terms seem improper, but such was the
language of the country. In the memory of our fathers, the
younger sons of families, even in the south of Scotland, had farms
in wadset for their patrimony ; and if the farms were of such ex-
tent as to have a qualification, the wadsetter voted at every elec-
tion of a member for the county.
t After the battle of Preston, the tents of Sir John Cope's
army were pitched at Duddingston : as it was very fine weather,
the Highlanders could scarcely be prevailed upon to make use of
them. Charles came very often to the camp, dined in his tent,
and sometimes slept there.
94 THE HISTORY OF
from the countries of Aberdeen and Banff, who, with
their servants well armed and mounted, formed a
body of cavalry that served under his command : he
also brought with him a small body of infantry (con-
sisting of six companies,) which was called Lord Pit-
sligo's foot. This peer, who drew after him such a
number of gentlemen, had only a moderate fortune ;
but he was much beloved and greatly esteemed by
his neighbours, who looked upon him as a man of
excellent judgment, and of a wary and cautious tem-
per ; so that when he, who was deemed so wise and
prudent, declared his purpose of joining Charles, most
of the gentlemen in that part of the country where he
lived, who favoured the Pretender's cause, put them-
selves under his command, thinking they could not
follow a better or a safer guide than Lord Pitsligo.
About this time, that is in the beginning of October,
several ships from France arrived at Montrose, Stone-
haven, and other sea-ports in the north of Scotland,
with arms and ammunition. One of these ships, the
first that came, besides arms and ammunition, brought
over a small sum of money, together with Boyer
Marques d'Equillez, who went on to Holyrood House,
where he was called the French Ambassador. Ano
ther vessel, besides the same sort of cargo with the
first, had some French Irish officers on board. A
third ship landed part of a company of artillery men,
with six field pieces. Meanwhile, several gentlemen
from the North, and some petty chiefs from the High-
lands and Islands, came to Edinburgh with compa-
nies of men, and joined the rebels ; but the augmen-
tation of their army by reinforcements from the High-
lands did not proceed as Charles and his adherents
expected it would have done after the battle of Pres-
ton, when the victory they had obtained gave them
(as they said) so fair a prospect of success. At this
part of the story it seems proper to give an account
of the correspondence which Charles had after the
battle of Preston with those Highland chiefs who had
refused to join him when he landed, and also of the
correspondence and engagements which those chiefs
THE REBELLION, 1745. Q5
had with one another while Charles remained at Edin-
burgh.
On the 24th of September, the third day after the
battle of Preston, Charles sent a messenger, whose
name was Alexander Macleod, to the Isle of Sky, to
assure Sir Alexander Macdonald, and Macleod of
Macleod, that he did not impute their not joining
him when he landed, to any failure of loyalty or zeal
for his Majesty's cause, and to acquuaint them, that
notwithstanding the delay they had made, he was
willing to receive them as the most favoured of his
Majesty's loyal subjects.
From Sky, Alexander Macleod went to Castle
Downie, and remained there some time with Lord
Lovat, who, as soon as the news of the battle of Pres-
ton came to the Highlands, said it was a victory not
to be paralleled in history ; and that as sure as God
was in heaven, his right master would prevail. Ela-
ted with the first glimpse of success, Lord Lovat be-
gan to assemble his men, and prepare to act that part
which he had long intended, for he had been engag-
ed in every design and conspiracy against Govern-
ment from the year 1?19 : he had accepted of several
commissions* from the Pretender, and obtained a pa-
tent to be Duke of Fraser.
Engaged so deeply, he applied to those chiefs who,
in his opinion, favoured the Pretender's cause, (though
like him they had refused to join Charles when he
landed,) assuring them, that now the time was come
to shew what the Highlanders could do; and urging
them to raise all the men they could, that they might
join the Erasers, and march together to Edinburgh.
Opposed to Lord Lovat, stood the President of the
Court of Session, who addressed himself to the High-
land chiefs, with most of whom he was intimately
acquainted, exhorting those who he knew were well af-
fected, to exert themselves on this occasion ; and con-
juring those wko he believed favoured the Pretender,
not to ruin themselves and their families, by engaging
* One commission to be a General Officer, dated in Queen
Anne's time ; another to be Lord Lieutenant of all the counties
north of the river Spey, dated in the year 1743.
96 THE HISTORY OF
in so criminal and desperate an enterprise. Solicited
on every side, several of the chiefs were perplexed to
such a degree, that, according to a vulgar but signi-
ficant expression, they knew not what hand to turn
themselves to; and to say the truth, it appears that
some of them turned themselves to both hands, and
changed their mind more than once before the High-
land army left Edinburgh ; for on the 9th of October
Fraser of Foyers, one of the chieftains of the clan Fra-
ser, wrote to the Marquis of Tullibardine, (called
Duke of Athol in the rebel army,) acquainting him
that the Macdonalds, and the Macleods of Sky, the
Macintoshes, and the Mackenzies, were to march and
join the Frasers near Corryarrak. All the certainty
I have of this (says Foyers ) is, that I was present at
Beaufort* on Saturday last, when Macleod of Macleod
was dispatched express to Sky, and is engaged in
honour to be at Corryarrak with his men on Tuesday
next, where the Frasers will join them.
This meeting of the clans at Corryarrak never took
place ; for some time after the date of Foyer's letter,
Lord Lovat sent his secretary, Hugh Fraser, to Holy-
rood House, to acquaint Charles that he had once ex-
pected to have assembled a body of 4 or 5000 men,
at whose head he intended to march to Edinburgh,
but as some people f had not acted up to their en -
gagements, he could not assemble so great a body of
men, and he who was old and infirm had resolved to
stay at home, and send the clan Fraser to join him,
under the command of his eldest son, which was a
stronger proof of his affection and attachment, than if
* Lord Lovat's bouse was sometimes called Beaufort, and
sometimes Castle Downie.
J- Hugh Fraser does not name the people who had not acted
up to their engagements ; but Lord Lovat, in his letter to Locheil
(which was produced and read as evidence at Lovat's trial) says,
that Macleod, before he set out from Castle Downie to Sky, swore
in the most solemn manner that he would bring up his men, arid
join the Frasers near Corryarrak ; but very soon afterwards wrote
him a letter from Sky, that after deliberating with his neighbour
Sir Alexander, and weighing the arguments on both sides, he and
his neighbour had resolved to stay at home, and not to trouble the
Government. Lovat's Trial, p. 138.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 97
he had come himself. When Hugh Fraser delivered
this message from Lord Lovat, Charles said it was
very well, and dismissed him ; but a few days after,
Secretary Murray sent for Hugh Fraser to Holy rood
House, where, in presence of some of the Highland
chiefs, he examined him, and insisted that he should
go back immediately to the North, and carry with
him a lettter to Lord Lovat : the letter bore, that he
(Secretary Murray) was extremely glad of the ac-
counts he had received of his Lordship's intentions :
that he hoped he would persevere in them, and that
he earnestly desired the Frasers would march forth-
with. This desire of Secretary Murray's Lord Lovat
did not comply with ; for, before Hugh Fraser came
back to Castle Downie, Lord Loudon had arrived at
Inverness, and was in such force that Lord Lovat did
not think it safe for him to send his clan to join the
rebel army, but had recourse to his usual arts, and
wrote a letter ta the President *, acquainting him that
his son was so undutiful and obstinate as to raise the
men against his will, and enter into the rebellion.
This letter Hugh Fraser carried to the President, who
told him, that if the Frasers marched, Lord Lovat
would be seized, and his conduct inquired into. The
President also gave him an answer in writing to Lord
Lovat's letter, repeating what he had said by word of
mouth ; and Hugh Fraser returned with an answer
to the same purpose, from Lord Loudon, whom he
had seen at Inverness. To conclude this account of
the transactions in the north of Scotland ; the Frasers
did not march from Castle Downie till some time after
the Highland army had left Edinburgh, and they got
no farther than Perth, where they remained till the
month of January.
* The President was not left to depend entirely upon the force
of his arguments ; for twenty blank commissions of independent
companies (100 men in each company) had been sent down to him
from the War Office, to be filled up as he thought proper ; and
he who knew the Highlands, had disposed of these commissions to
persons who raised the men immediately, and brought them to
1 nverness ; so that the forces under Lord Loudon's command,
which consisted of his own regiment, and the independent com.
pacies, were much superior to the forces Lord Lovat commanded.
98
The message from Lord Lovat by his secretary,
had exceedingly embarrassed Charles and his council.
During their stay at Edinburgh, almost all the Bri-
tish troops had been brought over from Flanders, and
6000 men of the Dutch army (the quota of troops
with which the States of Holland were bound by
treaty to assist Britain in case of an invasion or rebel-
lion) had arrived in England. Besides these veteran
troops, 13 regiments of infantry, and two regiments
of cavalry, raised and commanded by the nobility of
England, were ready to take the field ; so that the
whole English nation seemed to be unanimous and
zealous to support the established Government.
On the side of the rebels, every thing was dark and
gloomy. The army of Lovat, which he called 4 or
5000 men, and sometimes 6000, had burst like a bub-
ble. Some reinforcements were still expected from
the North, and several bodies of men were actually
on their way ; but what was to be done ? what could
they hope to do with the handful of men they had ?
After long and anxious deliberation, Charles and his
Council resolved to march into England, and push the
enterprize to the utmost. Hopes were still entertain-
ed of an invasion from France, of an insurrection in
England, and some, the bravest and most determined,
trusted in themselves : for after the battle of Preston,
the generality of the rebels entertained a wonderful
opinion of the Highlanders, and held the King's
troops in great contempt. Orders were given in the
end of October, to call in all their parties, to collect
their whole force, and prepare for their march to Eng-
land. Lord Strathallan was appointed to command
in Scotland, when the army should leave Edinburgh,
and to remain at Perth with some gentlemen in that
neighbourhood, who had joined the standard, and
with a few French Irish officers, and their men, to
receive the succours that were expected from France,
from the Highlands, and from the Low-country of the
North, where many people were known to be well
inclined to the cause, and were beginning in several
places to take arms. On the last day of October,
Charles, with his guards, and some of the clan regi-
THE REBELLION, 1745. 99
raents, left Edinburgh, and took up his quarters at
Pinkie : next day he went to Dalkeith House, where
he was joined by the clan Macpherson, under the
command of their chief Macpherson * of Cluny, by
Menzies of Shien and his men, with some other High-
landers, amounting in all to 900 or 1000 men. This
was the last reinforcement that arrived before Charles
marched to England.
At this part of the story, it seems proper to men-
tion the number of the rebel army, with some other
particulars in which this Highland army differed from
all other armies. When the rebels began their march
to the southward, they were not 6000 men complete ;
they exceeded 5500, of whom 4 or 500 were cavalry ;
and of the whole number, not quite 4000 were real
Highlanders, who formed the clan regiments, and
were indeed the strength of the rebel army. All the
regiments of foot wore the Highland garb : they were
thirteen in number, many of them very small. Be-
sides the two troops of horse- guards, there were Lord
Pitsligo's and Strathallan's horse, Lord Kilmarnock's
horse grenadiers, and a troop of light horse or bus-
* Cluny, chief of the clan Macpherson, and many other disaf-
fected chiefs, were ready in the year 1744 to take arms, and join
the French army under the command of Marshal Saxe, which was
preparing to embark at Dunkirk, and invade Britain ; but when
that design of invasion was frustrated, as has been mentioned^
Cluny, who had a small estate, and thought there was no likeli-
hood of another invasion from France, accepted a captain's com-
mission in Lord Loudon's Highland regiment. Cluny was raising
his men when Charles landed in the Highlands, and wrote him a
letter, signed by his own hand, dated Borodale, August 6th, ac-
quainting him that the standard was to be erected in Glenfinin on
the 19th, where his appearance would be very useful then, or as
soon as he could thereafter. Notwithstanding this letter, Cluny
waited on Sir John Cope, and went with him to Ruthven, where
he was allowed by Sir John Cope and Lord Loudon to return
home, and ordered as soon as he assembled his men to march them
to Inverness. Cluny went to his own house, and that night about
ten o'clock a party of 100 men from the rebel army seized him,
and carried him prisoner to Dalwhinnie, where he was urged to
join the standard ; which he refused, and persisted in his refusal
till the Duke of Perth, with Lord George Murray, joined Charles
at Perth, and Cluny followed their example.
r 2
100 THE HISTORY OF
sars to scour the country and procure intelligence.
The pay of a captain in this army was half a crown
a day ; the pay of a lieutenant two shillings ; the pay
of an ensign one shilling and sixpence ; and every
private man received sixpence a-day, without deduc-
tion. In the clan regiments, every company had two
captains, two lieutenants, and two ensigns. The
front rank of each regiment consisted of persons who
called themselves gentlemen, and were paid one shil-
ling a day ; these gentlemen were better armed than
the men in the ranks behind them, and had all of
them targets, which many of the others had not.
Every clan regiment was commanded by the chief,
or his son, or his brother, (the nearest of kin, whoever
he was,) according to the custom of clanship. In the
day of battle, each company of a Highland regiment
furnished two of their best men as a guard to the
chief. In the choice of this guard, consanguinity
was considered ; and the chief (whose post was the
centre of the regiment, by the colours) stood between
two brothers, or two cousins-german. The train of
artillery which belonged to this army of invaders con-
sisted of General Cope's field pieces, taken at the bat-
tle of Preston, and of some pieces of a larger calibre,
brought over in the ships from France, amounting
in all to 13 pieces of cannon.
A Charles returned to Edinburgh the day after
the battle of Preston, and lived at Holyrood House
from the 22d of September to the 31st of October,
some persons .who read this history may wish to know
in what manner he lived, what company he saw, and
how he received them. Of these matters nothing has
been said hitherto, nor can the author say any thing
from his own knowledge, for he did not come to
Edinburgh till some time after Charles left it. The
following short account is extracted from the memoirs
of an officer in his army, who saw him every day.
The Prince Regent in the morning before the
council met, had a levee of his officers, and other peo-
ple who favoured his cause. When the council rose,
which often sat very long, for his counsellors fre-
quently differed in opinion with one another, and
THE REBELLION, 1745. 101
sometimes with him, Charles dined in public with his
principal officers. After dinner he rode out with his
life guards, and usually went to Duddingston, where
his army lay. In the evening he returned to Holy-
rood House, and received the ladies who came to his
drawing-room : he then supped in public, and gene*
rally there was music at supper, and a ball afterwards.
GHAP. VII.
March of the Rebels towards Carlisle Carlisle invested-"
General Wade at Newcastle Charles marches to Bramp-
ton The Duke of Perth sent back to besiege Carlisle The
Mayor capitulates The Rebels take possession of the
City Dissension in their Army Cause of Dissension
The Cause removed A Council of War Order sent to
Lord Strathattan March of the Rebels from Carlisle
They arrive at Derby Council held at Derby Resolu-
tion of the Council to march back The Retreat begins
The Duke of Cumberland pursues Skirmish at Clifton-
The Rebels continue their march Cross the Esk and re-
turn to Scotland.
VV H E N Charles left Edinburgh, it was not known by
what road he purposed to enter England. Part of
his army moving in different divisions by Peebles and
Moffat, pointed towards the West ; but one division,
consisting of several Highland regiments and the
horse guards, commanded by Charles himself, march-
ed to Kelso, which is the road either to Newcastle or
Carlisle. At Kelso they halted one day, and nobody
knew what was to be their route, till Charles with
his division took the Jedburgh road, which leads to
102 THE HISTORY OF
Carlisle, and shewed that he intended to advance by
the west of England.
On the 8th of November, the van of the Highland
army crossed the river Esk, and was quartered that
night at a place in Cumberland called Reddings.
Next day all the divisions of the army joined and in-
vested the city of Carlisle, which in former times had
been a place of some strength ; but the fortifications
had been long neglected : there were no regular
troops in the city, and only one company of invalids
in the castle. The garrison consisted of those inha-
bitants who had taken arms, and some country people
whom the gentlemen in the neighbourhood had sent
to help the inhabitants to defend their walls.
Before the rebel army broke ground, intelligence
came that General Wade with his army had marched
from Newcastle to raise the siege.
Charles and his officers immediately resolved to ad-
vance with the best part of their army to Brampton,
and watch General Wade's motions, that if he should
advance towards Carlisle, they might give him battle
upon the hilly ground between Newcastle and Car-
lisle. Charles leaving one or two Low-country regi-
ments before Carlisle, marched his troops to Bramp-
ton, and kept them there for several days ; but being
informed that General Wade had not moved from
Newcastle, he sent the Duke of Perth with several
regiments of foot, and some troops of horse, to be-
siege Carlisle. On the 13th, the Duke of Perth, with
the forces under his command, arrived at Carlisle, and
the trenches were opened that night between the
English and Scotch gate. The besieged kept a con-
stant fire both of cannon and small arms, but at five
o'clock in the evening of the 1 4th, they hung out a
flag, and desired to capitulate for the city ; but the
Duke of Perth, who was in the trenches, refused, un-
less the castle of Carlisle was included in the capitu-
lation. The Mayor then requested a cessation of
arms till next day, which was granted, and the city?
and castle of Carlisle surrendered on the 15th of No-
vember.
THE BEBELLION, 1745. 103
That very day General Wade with his army left
Newcastle, and had got as far as Hexham in his way
to Carlisle on the 17th, when he received information
that the city had surrendered to the rebels, upon
which he marched his troops back to Newcastle.
The rebel army after the surrender of Carlisle re-
mained there several days, and dissension prevailed
amongst them. The Duke of Perth, who was a Ro-
man Catholic, as eldest Lieutenant- General, had com-
manded the army during the siege of Carlisle, and
signed the capitulation The army murmured at
this ; and Lord George Murray resigned his commis-
sion as Lieutenant- General, acquainting Charles that
he would serve as a volunteer.
The Duke of Perth, informed of the state of affairs,
waited upon Charles, and resigned his commission of
Lieutenant-General, assuring him at the same time,
that he would serve at the head of the regiment which
he himself had raised. Lord George Murray resum-
ed his commission, and henceforth, as the only Lieu-
tenant-General, commanded the army. A day or two
after this transaction, a Council of War was called,
in wnich various proposals were made and taken un-
der consideration. It was proposed to march to
Newcastle, and bring General Wade's army to an ac-
tion : it was proposed to march directly to London
by the Lancashire road : it was proposed to do quite
the contrary, and return to Scotland, as there was
not the least appearance of an invasion from France,
or an insurrection in England. Charles declared his
adherence to the resolution taken at Edinburgh, of
marching directly to London at all hazards, and
desired Lord George Murray to give his opinion of
the different proposals.
Lord George Murray spoke at some length, com-
pared the advantages and disadvantages of each of the
proposals, and concluded, that if his Royal Highness
chose to make a trial of what could be done by march-
ing to the southward, he was persuaded that his army,
small as it was, would follow him : Charles said he
would venture it. It was a venture.
F 4
104 THE HISTORY OF
Before Charles set his foot on English ground, all
the infantry of the British troops in Flanders had ar-
rived in England, two battalions * excepted ; and
these troops, with the Dutch auxiliaries, and the new
raised regiments, formed three armies, each of them
superior in number to the rebel army.
One army, commanded by General Wade, covered
Newcastle. Another army advancing towards Lan-
cashire, was commanded at first by General Ligonier,
and afterwards by his Royal Highness the Duke of
Cumberland. Besides these two armies, a number of
old regiments, both horse and foot, that had served
abroad t, were quartered at Finchley, Enfield, and
other villages near London, ready in case of need to
form a third army, which was to have been com-
manded by the King and the Earl of Stair.
According to the resolution of the Council of War,
the rebel army J began their march to the southward,
leaving 150 men of the Low-country regiments to
garrison the castle of Carlisle. The rebels marched
in two divisions. The first division, consisting of six
regiments of foot, and the first troop of horse guards,
was commanded by Lord George Murray, and march-
ed to Penrith on the 2 1st of November. The second
division, which was called the main body, consisting
of the Highland regiments, followed them next day,
under the command of Charles ; and coming to Pen-
rith, occupied the quarters which the van had left.
In the rear of this division were the cannon, guarded
by the Duke of Perth's regiment : the second troop
of horse guards, with the rest of the horse, marched,
* The last embarkation, consisting of seven battalions of foot,
arrived in the river on the 4th of November. The rebel army
entered England on the 8th of November.
j- Some horse and dragoons had landed at the same time with
the foot : the last embarkation of cavalry arrived on the 1st of
December, so that only two battalions of British infantry, and
four regiments of cavalry, remained in Flanders.
: Before they left Carlisle, Mtclauchlan of Maclauchlan was
dispatched to Scotland, with an order to Lord Strathallan, Com-
mander in Chief, to march immediately with all the forces under
his command, and follow the army into England.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 10J
some of them in the front, and some of them in the
rear of the main body. In this manner they advan-
ced by Penrith, Shap, Kendal, Lancaster, and Gar-
stang, to Preston, where the whole army joined on
the 27th. Next day they marched to Wigan, and
quartered there and in the nighbouring villages. On
the 29th, they marched on to Manchester, where
they halted till the 31st. At Manchester several
gentlemen, and about 200 or 300 of the common peo-
ple joined the rebel army * : these were the only
Englishmen (a few individuals excepted) who joined
Charles in his march through the country of Eng-
land : they were not attached to any of the Scots re-
giments, though some of the Low-country regiments
needed recruits t very much, but formed a separate
body, which was called the Manchester regiment,
and commanded by Colonel Francis Townley, a
gentleman of a good family in Lancashire, an d a Ro-
man Catholic.
From Manchester the rebel army marched on to
Macclesfield : from Macclesfield the two divisions ad-
vanced by different roads, the one by Congleton, the
other straight on to Leek, and from Leek by Ash-
burn to Derby J, where both divisions arrived on the
4th of December.
When Charles and his army were at Derby, they
were rather nearer London than the Duke of Cum-
berland's army, divisions of which lay at Litchfield,
Coventry, Stafford, and Newcastle under Line. It
* When the rebels marched from Carlisle to the' southward,
the people of England, in most of the towns through which they
passed, shewed the greatest aversion to their cause. Some me-
moirs written by the rebel officers mention that Charles ordered
his father to be proclaimed King in all the towns through which
they passed ; and that no acclamations or ringing of bells were
heard but at Preston and Manchester.
t A good many men had deserted from the Low-country regi-
ments in the march from Edinburgh to Carlisle.
$ In the march from Carlisle to Derby, notice came to Charles
that Lord John Drummond, the Duke of Perth's brother, had
arrived at Montrose with his own regiment of foot, which he called
the Royal Scots, with Fitzjames's regiment of horse, and the pic-
quets of six Irish regiments in the service of France.
100 THE HISTORY OF
seemed to be the intention of the rebels to avoid an
action with the Duke's army, and push on to Lon-
don ; but they took another course ; for after halting
a day or two at Derby, where it is said that more than
one council of war was held, they resolved, after much
debate and contention, to return to Ashburn and
march northward, till they should meet the other ar-
my coming from Scotland, which was supposed to be
not inferior to the army at Derby. The person who
proposed a retreat was Lord George Murray, who
said they had advanced so far expecting an invasion
from France, or an insurrection in England, neither
of which had happened, and that it would be an ex-
cess of temerity to advance any further against three
armies collected to oppose them, each of which was
greatly superior in number to the Highland army.
When Lord George argued in this manner, he offered
that, in case the retreat was agreed to, he would com-
mand the rear guard. Another account of this matter
has been given ; but both accounts agree in one cir-
cumstance, which is, that Charles was extremely averse
totheretreat, and so much offended when it was resolved
to return to Ashburn, that he behaved for some time as
if he no longer thought himself commander of the
army. In the march forward he had always been first
up in the morning, had the men in motion before
break of day, and usually marched on foot with them:
but in the retreat, though the rest of the army were
on their march, and the rear could not move without
him, he made them wait a long time ; and when he
came out, mounted his horse, rode straight on, and
got to his quarters with the van.
As soon as the Duke of Cumberland was certainly
informed that the rebels had begun their retreat, for
at first the rumours were various and uncertain, he
pursued them on the 8th of December, with all his
calvary and some infantry mounted on horses which
the country furnished. But the Highlanders, having
marched for Ashburn on the 6th, had got two days
march before the King's troops, and were not over-
taken till the evening of the 18th December, when a
THE EEBELLION, 1745. 107
skirmish happened at Clifton, a village near Penrith,
between the rear guard of the rebel army and the
pursuers. The main body of the rebel army Jiad got
to Penrith on the evening of the l?th; but Lord
George Murray, who always commanded the rear-
guard, was left a good way behind, with the Glengary
regiment which guarded the baggage, for the roads
among the hills of Westmoreland were so bad that the
carts and carriages were continually breaking down ;
and Lord George, with his men, was obliged to take
up his quarters at Shap, where he found Colonel
Roy Stuart with his small regiment of 200 men.
Next day Lord George Murray marched with both
regiments very early in the morning. When it was
good day light, some bodies of horse appeared on the
heights behind him, of which Lord George sent no-
tice to the army at Penrith. When he came near
Clifton, he saw 200 or 300 horse drawn up be-
tween him and the village ; these were not regular
troops, but Cumberland people, and other volunteers,
mounted to harass the rebels in their retreat. Lord
George Murray ordered the Glengary regiment to
attack them; the Highlanders threw off then- plaids,
and ran on to attack the horsemen, who immediately
galloped off.
The Highlanders marched on to Clifton, and Lord
George, imagining that the horse he had seen would
probably be about Lowther (the seat of Lord Lons-
dale, who was Lord Lieutenant of the county, ) went
with the Glengary regiment to Lowther. In his way
he made some prisoners, one of whom was a footman
of the Duke of Cumberland.
The prisoners told Lord George, that the Duke of
Cumberland, with 4000 horse, was about a mile behind
him. Lord George immediately returned to Clifton,
where he found two Highland regiments come from
Penrith to support the rear guard ; these were come
from Cluny's regiment, commanded by himself, and
the Appin regiment under the command of Ardsheil.
Lord George Murray, chafed that the dragoons had
come so near him by his own fault, resolved to main-
tain his post, and give a check to the pursuers. Hs
108 THE HISTORY OF
thought of doing something more, and dispatched
Colonel Roy Stuart to the army at Penrith, request-
ing that 1000 men might be sent him. He intended,
if his request had been complied with, to have march-
ed a part of his forces by Lord Lonsdale's inclosures
on his right, and to have gained the flank of the dra-
goons upon the moor, so that they might attack the
main body of the Duke's cavalry, at the same time
that any detachment from them should attack his
men at Clifton. Colonel Roy Stuart returned, and
brought an order from Charles, that the rear guard
should retire to Penrith. Lord George Murray de-
sired Colonel Stuart not to mention this order to any
other person. The sun was set, and it was beginning
to grow dark. The Duke's cavalry was formed in
two lines upon Clifton Moor, half a mile or more
from the village of that name. On one side of the
high road from the moor to the village of Clifton, were
Lord Lonsdale's inclosures of great extent. On the
other side were the Clifton inclosures, which did not
extend very far. In the high road Lord George
Murray placed the Glengary regiment ; and in their
right Colonel John Roy Stuart's regiment, lining the
wall of one of Lord Lonsdale's inclosures. On the
left of the Glengary regiment, and within the Clifton
inclosures, he placed the Appin regiment, and on their
left the Macpherson regiment. Lord George Mur-
ray went backwards and forwards, speaking to every
commanding officer, and giving him particular direc-
tions what to do, for his situation was critical *. He
then placed himself at the head of the Macpherson
regiment with Cluny by his side. Day-light was
gone ; the night being dark and cloudy, the moon
sometimes was overcast, and at other times shone
bright. By her light Lord George Murray saw a
body of men (who were dismounted dragoons) com-
ing from the moor, and advancing towards the Clif-
* At this time Major General Gordon of Glenbucket, came up
and spoke with Lord George, regretting that he was not able to
go on with his Lordship, and begging him to be very cautious, for
if any mischance should happen, he would be blamed.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 109
ton inclosures, where he was standing with his two
regiments, which had a hedge in their front very near
them ; and at some distance another hedge with a deep
ditch, which terminated the Clifton inclosures. Lord
George Murray ordered the two regiments to advance
to the second hedge: in advancing, Cluny's regi-
ment, which was nearer the second hedge than the
other regiment, received a fire * from the dragoons,
which they returned: and Lord George ordering
them to attack sword in hand, before the dragoons
could load again, they drew their swords, ran on,
and attacked the dragoons, whom they drove from
their ground, and forced them to retreat to their
main body upon the moor. As soon as the dragoons
gave way, the Macphersons shouted, to let their
friends know they had repulsed them, and returned
immediately to the post whence they came. During
this conflict, which lasted but a few minutes, another
body of dismounted dragoons advancing upon the
high road, were repulsed by the Glengary regiment,
and Colonel Roy Stuart's t. In this manner the
skirmish ended, and Lord George Murray, without
farther molestation, marched his four regiments to
Penrith, where they joined the army commanded by
Charles, who, soon after their arrival, marched to-
wards Carlisle, leaving the regiments which had been
at Clifton to rest some hours, and refresh themselves,
which they did, and then took the road to Carlisle,
where the whole army arrived on the morning of the
19th.
In the castle of Carlisle 150 men had been left,
vhen the Highland army marched to the southward.
* When the dragoons gave their fire, Cluny said, What the
devil is this ? Lord George told him that they had nothing for it,
but to go down sword in hand, and immediately drew his sword,
and called Claymore.
f Such is the account of the skirmish at Clifton, given by Lord
George Murray, who, in his Memoirs, says that he has been more
particular in his account of this little skirmish, because he observed
that it was differently related in the English newspapers, as if the
Highlanders had been driven from their posts at Clifton, whereas
they remained there half an hour after the dragoons had retreated
to their main body upon the moor.
110 THE HISTOEY OF
It was now thought proper to strengthen the garri-
son : and a good deal of time was spent in finding
people that would stay at Carlisle, for they knew their
fate. The number, however, was made up at last to
about 300 men, consisting partly of Englishmen (the
Manchester regiment,) of Scotsmen belonging to the
Low-country regiments, and a few Frenchmen, and
Irishmen. After halting twenty-four hours at Car-
lisle, the Highland army left that place on the 20th,
crossed the river Esk, and marching in two divisions,
arrived at Annan and Ecclefechan the same day.
As there were no troops in that part of the country
where the rebels entered Scotland, and the Duke of
Cumberland pursued them no farther *, they marched
in two divisions by Dumfries and Moffat, to Glas-
gow, where they arrived on the 25th and 26th of De-
cember.
The people of Glasgow were not a little troubled
at this visit from Charles and his army, who were
likely to help themselves (as they did) with what
they wanted t , in the most opulent commercial city
in Scotland, which had always been remarkably zea-
lous for the government both in church and state, as
it was settled at the Revolution ; and upon the present
occasion had distinguished itself more than ever, as
may be seen in the following chapter.
* On the 21st of December, the Duke of Cumberland march-
ed his army from Fenrith to Carlisle, and immediately invested
the place ; but being under a necessity of sending to Whitehaven
for heavy cannon, the batteries were not erected till the 28th, and
on the 30th the garrison surrenjbre'd at discretion. In this man-
ner ended the winter campaigy^the rebels in England.
f Charles required the ME&trates of Glasgow to furnish his
army with 12,000 shirts, WoF short coats, 6000 pair of shoes,
6000 bonnets, 6000 pair ojURockings ; the value of which, added
to the L. 5,500 paid on 'the 17th of September, amounted to
L.10,000 : and by an extract from the records of the town of Glas-
gow, signed by James Wilson, Town Clerk, it appears that Par-
liament, in the year 1749, granted to his Majesty ten thousand
pounds to be paid to the Magistrates of Glasgow, to reimburse
them for the expence they had incurred by their distinguished
loyalty. ,
4
THE REBELLION, 1745. Ill
CHAP. VIII.
State of Scotland while the Rebel Army was in England-
Preparations for WarHead Quarters of both Armies-*-
Skirmish atlnvernry Number of the Rebels Contention
and Animosity amongst them Charles marches to Stir*
ling The Town surrenders The Rebels besiege the Cas-
tle General Hawley marches to raise the siege The two
Armies meet at Falkirk The King's Army defeated
The Rebels take possession of Falkirk Tumult and Mu-
tiny in their Army The Duke of Cumberland arrives at
Edinburgh Marches to attack the Rebels They retreat
to the Highlands Escape from the Castle of Downe of
the Volunteers taken Prisoners after the Battle of Fal-
kirk.
\VHILST Charles with his army remained at Edin-
burgh, everybody in the south of Scotland submitted
to a force which they could not resist ; and Charles
was truly Prince Regent, governing a country in which
there were no magistrates, no judges, and very few
men in arms, but those who were under his com-
mand.
Soon after the rebel army entered England, Lord
Milton, the Justice Clerk, with several other judges
of the Court of Session, attended by the Sheriffs of
East Lothian and the Merse, with a good number of
the gentlemen of these two counties, entered Edin-
burgh in procession ; they we*e saluted by a general
discharge of the cannon of the castle.
Next day two regiments of foot (Price's and Li-
gonier's) with Hamilton's and Gardner's dragoons, ar-
rived at Edinburgh from Berwick *. It was intend-
" The Highland army crossed the river Esk on the 8th and
9th of November. The Judges entered Edinburgh on fhe 13th,
and the troops from Berwick on the 14th.
THE HISTORY OF
ed that these regiments should march to Stirling, and
guard the passages of the river Forth against the re-
bels at Perth, who were daily increasing in number.
The magistrates of Glasgow, encouraged by the re-
turn of the Judges, and the appearance of troops, of-
fered to raise a body of men, and send them to Stir-
ling to assist the King's troops in confining the rebels
to the north. In their correspondence with Lord
Milton upon this occasion, they required that Go-
vernment should furnish their men with arms, and
allow pay to such of them as were not able to main-
tain themselves.
The number of men in different parts of the coun-
try, that were willing to serve Government upon these
conditions, Lord Milton, in his letter to the Duke of
Newcastle, computes at 3000, of whom (he says) not
above one half required to be paid.
The account of the arms delivered from the Castle
of Edinburgh (with the dates of the delivery) which
is still preserved, mentions the names of the different
parishes, most of which are in the neighbourhood of
Edinburgh * and Glasgow.
The King's troops began their march towards Stir-
ling on the 7th of December, and the Glasgow regi-
ment, of 600 men, commanded by the Earl of Home,
joined them at Stirling on the 12th.
Several more companies were preparing to follow,
but General Blakeney, thinking the body of men he
had sufficient to guard the passages of the Forth, de-
sired Lord Home to let the Magistrates of Glasgow
know, that it was not necessary to send any more
men to Stirling.
* Amongst those who took arms for Government, about this
time, were some young men at Edinburgh, who formed them-
selves into a company, and chose for officers two of their own
number, who hod been privates in the College Company of Edin-
burgh volunteers, raised to defend the city ; and upon that occa-
sion had agreed to join the dragoons, and give battle to the rebels.
When the company had chosen their officers, they applied to Lord
Milton, and obtained an order from him to the store-master of the
castle to deliver them arms : they had also places assigned them
for exercise, under cover or without cover, as the weather served,,
for it was then about the middle of November.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 113
Another small army had been assembling for some
time in the north of Scotland, under the command of
Lord London, who on the 1 4th of October had arriv-
ed at Inverness in the Saltash sloop of war, with some
arms, ammunition, and money. Soon after his ar-
rival, he was joined by the officers and men of his own
regiment, who, with the independent companies for-
merly mentioned, amounted, about the middle of
November, to more than 2000 men. The sum of
money brought by Lord London was not sufficient
to subsist the troops under his command ; but the t
credit and influence of the President supplied what*'
was wanting, and the town of Inverness became the
head-quarters of those who took arms for Govern-
ment in the north of Scotland.
Meanwhile several gentlemen of Aberdeenshire,
Angus, the Mearns, and other places in the low coun-
try of the north, were raising men for the service of
Charles.
Lord Lewis Gordon, brother to the Duke of Gor-
don, raised a regiment of two battalions, one of which
was commanded by Gordon of Abbachie, and the
other by Moir of Stony wood.
Lord John Drummond, brother to the Duke of
Perth, had arrived at Montrose, as has been formerly
mentioned, with a body of troops in the service of
France, consisting of his own regiment, the Royal
Scots, of the piquets of six Irish regiments, with Fitz-
james's regiment of horse, (so called from the Duke of
Berwick, natural son of James the Second, who had
been their Colonel.) But Lord John Drummond's
account of the forces with which he landed, contain-
ed in a letter of his to Lord Fortrose, which has been
preserved, is certainly exaggerated ; for though Fitz-
james's regiment of horse embarked with him, so
many transports of this embarkation were taken by
the English cruizers in their way to Scotland, or
obliged to return to Dunkirk whence they came, that
the regiment of horse landed very incomplete, and
never shewed more than two troops, 50 men each
troop.
Soon after Lord John Drummond landed in Scot-*
114* THE HISTOEY OF
land, he sent General Stapleton with the Irish' piquets
and part of his own regiment, to join Lord Strathal-
lan at Perth ; the other part of his regiment he sent
to join Lord Lewis Gordon, who had fixed his head-
quarters at Aberdeen ; and kept parties moving about
in the adjacent country to raise men and collect mo-
ney, according to a rate or tax which he had imposed
upon the proprietors of land to furnish him with one
able-bodied man, or five pounds sterling for every
100 pound Scots of valued rent.
To protect the funds of Government, and prevent
the levy of this arbitrary imposition, Lord Loudon
sent Macleod of Macleod from Inverness with 450 of
his own men (whom he had brought from the Isle of
Sky,) and 200 of Monros, commanded by Munro of
Culcairn, to Inverury, which is only twelve computed
miles from Aberdeen.
Lord Lewis Gordon, informed that Macleod was so
near him, with a force inferior to his, marched his
own regiment, and all the men he had of Lord John
Dmmmond's regiment, with a battalion of 300 Far-
quharsons, commanded by Farquharson of Monaltry,
to attack Macleod at Inverury.
It was late before Lord Lewis reached the place ;
but Macleod's men, though they did not expect the
attack, and were partly surprized, had time to put
themselves in order to receive the enemy. It was
moon-light when the action began, and the firing con-
tinued for some time on both sides ; but when Lord
John Drummond's soldiers and the Farquharsons ad-
vanced to close with their enemies, Macleod's men did
not stand the charge, but left the field, and escaped
as they could.
In this conflict not many men on either side were
killed, but 41 of Macleod's party were taken prison-
ers, among whom were several Low- country gentle-
men of consideration who had joined Macleod.
Soon after the skirmish at Inverury, which hap-
pened on the 23d of December, Lord Lewis Gordon
marched his men to join the forces at Perth, which
was the place of general rendezvous.
THE REBELLION, 1715.
The number of troops there was continually fluctu-
ating, but at last amounted to 4-000 men.
They consisted of the clans that had come to Perthr
after Charles had left Edinburgh, that is, of the Mac-
intoshes, the Frazers, the Mackenzies, and the Far-
quharsons ; of the recruits sent from the Highlands
to the clan regiments that had marched to England
with Charles ; of the regiments and companies raised
by Lord Lewis Gordon, Sir James Kinloch and others
in the low country of the north ; of the piquets of
the Irish regiments in the service of France, com-
manded by General Stapleton; and of the Royal
Scots, whose Colonel, Lord John Drummond, called
himself Commander in Chief of His Most Christian
Majesty's forces in Scotland.
This heterogeneous army of Highlanders and Low-
landers, of Irish, Scots, and French, had quarreled
about an order sent from Carlisle by Charles to Lord
Strathallan at Perth, to march with all his forces, and
follow the army into England.
This order Lord Strathallan's council of officers
judged it was not expedient to obey.
Maclachlan of Maclachlan, who brought the order,
and all the Highland officers, were provoked at this
act of disobedience : they caballed together, and re-
solved to follow their Prince and their countrymen.
But it was not easy for them to execute this resolu-
tion, as Lord Strathallan was in possession of the mo-
ney, arms, ammunition and stores.
The Highlanders had no money, and some of them
who came last from the Highlands wanted arms.
The Commander in Chief, Lord Strathallan, was
supported by all the Low Country men, and the
French and Irish.
The Highlanders persisted in their resolution, and
formed several projects of getting at the money.
Both parties were sufficiently violent, and had no rea-
son either of them to think the other very scrupu-
lous. They were ready to proceed to the last extre-
mities, and a battle seemed inevitable, when Rollo of
Powhouse arrived at Perth, with an order from
Charles (dated Dumfries) to Lord Strathallan, to hold
116 THE HISTORY OF
himself and his forces in readiness to join the army,
which was now marching to Glasgow, from whence
he should receive further orders.
This order removed the cause of quarrel, and put
an end to the difference.
There was nothing to prevent or obstruct the junc-
tion of the two armies ; for as soon as it was certainly
known that the Highland army had crossed the river
Esk, and was marching towards Glasgow, the King's
troops left Stirling, and marched to Edinburgh, where
they were joined by the Glasgow regiment next day,
which was the 24th of December.
From the time that the Highlanders crossed the
river Esk in their retreat from England, the King's
servants at Edinburgh, both civil and military, not
knowing what course the rebels intended to take,
were extremely perplexed ; and forming hypothetical
resolutions, gave out what was most encouraging.
On the 29th of December a paper was read in the
churches, to acquaint the people of Edinburgh, that
it had been resolved, in a Council of War, to defend
the city against the rebels.
Next day, a great number of able-bodied men were
brought in from the neighbouring parishes, and pa-
raded in arms upon the High Street. Every parish
marched by itself, and a good many of the parishes
had their minister marching along with them.
As the Glasgow and Edinburgh regiments were not
much better trained than the Militia (so they were
called) of the country parishes, notwithstanding the
paper read from the pulpit, the generality of people
believed, that if the Highland army approached Edin-
burgh, the King's troops would leave the town and
retreat to Berwick.
About this time, notice came to the King's servants
at Edinburgh, that all the regiments of British infan-
try in that army commanded by General Wade,
(which had been marching backwards and forwards
by the east road, while the rebels were advancing and
retreating by the west road,) were put under the com-
mand of General Hawley, and ordered to march from
Newcastle to Edinburgh, where they were to be join.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 117
d by part of that army which had been commanded
y the Duke of Cumberland. As the Highlanders
mained seven or eight days at Glasgow, the appre-
ension of a visit from them abated, but did not cease
together till the 2d of January, when the first divi-
on of the Kings's troops, consisting of two regi-
ments of foot, arrived at Edinburgh : this division
as followed, day after day, by several divisions of
le same strength. On the day that the first division
rrived, the rebels left Glasgow, and began their
narch towards Stirling in two divisions : one division,
d by Charles, marched by Kilsyth, where they staid
ic first night : the other division, under the com.
nand of Lord George Murray, went by Cumbernauld.
'Jext day, their army marched on towards Stirling :
rhen they came near the town, Charles took up his
,uarters in the house of Bannockburn, and his men
rere cantoned in the neighbouring villages. Lord
eorge Murray, with the division under his com-
rtand, in which were most of the clan regiments,
rccupied the town of Falkirk, as the advanced post
f their army. In a day or two, the rebels invested
he town of Stirling, and erecting a battery of cannon,
within musket shot, summoned the Magistrates to
.urrender. As the town of Stirling was not fortified,
and had not a garrison of regular troops, the Magis-
rates capitulated, and opened their gates. During
his siege, if it may be called so, Lord Strathallan and
Lord John Drummond marched with all their forces
rom Perth, and joined the army at Stirling, which,
after the junction was made, amounted to somewhat
more than 9000 men, the greatest number that Charles
ever had under his command. Some battering cannon
from France, having arrived at Montrose in the win-
ter, had been sent to Perth, and were now brought
over the Forth, not without great difficulty, part of
them at the Ford of the Frew, and part at Alloa. It
was then resolved to undertake the siege of the Castle
of Stirling, which was defended by General Blackeney
and a good garrison. On the 10th of January, the
rebels broke ground before the Castle of Stirling, and
that day Barrel's and Pultney's regiments arrived at
118 THE HISTORY OF
Edinburgh, which made the number of twelve regi-
ments of foot, most of which had served abroad. Se-
veral other regiments were on their way to Scotland,
but General Hawley * (who had come to Edinburgh
on the 6th) thought the troops he had were sufficient
to beat the rebels. Besides, the twelve old regiments
of foot, Gardner's and Hamilton's regiments of dra-
goons, with the Glasgow regiment of foot, were quar-
tered in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh. On the
13th of January, six regiments of foot, together with
the Glasgow regiment, and Gardner's and Hamilton's
regiments of dragoons, marched towards Stirling by
Linlithgow and Borrowstouness, under the command
of General Huske. Next day the other six regiments
followed ; upon the 1 6th, General Hawley left Edin-
burgh to join the army, and with all his troops col-
lected, 'encamped in a field at the west end of Falkirk,
which is only nine miles from Bannockburn, where
Charles had fixed his head- quarters, having all his
troops about him, except 1000 men of the Low-
Country regiments, which were left at Stirling to
carry on the siege of the castle, under the command
* Soon after General Hawley came to town, the Lieutenant of
the Edinburgh Company of Volunteers (Author of this History)
waited on General Hawley, and asked his permission for the vo-
lunteers to march with the King's army, which the General very
readily granted ; but next morning a message came from General
Hawley, to desire that the same officer would call at the Abbey
next day before twelve o'clock. When that officer came, General
Hawley told him that he designed to employ the company of vo-
lunteers in a piece of service which he thought very essential. The
officer asked, if it was a piece of service where action might be
expected. The General said, that there might be action, or there
might not. The officer begged that the General would allow him
to consult his friends, which he did, and returning to the General,
told him that the volunteers, who had taken arms with a view to
serve in the field, could not possibly undertake any other service,
and hoped that General Hawley would not recal the permission he
had given them to march with the army. Certainly not, said the
General, and you may tell them so.
The piece of service in which General Hawley intended to em-
ploy the company of volunteers, was to send them to Glammis and
other places in the north, that they might bring away the officers
who had been taken prisoners at the battle of Preston, and sent to
several places upon their parole.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 119
of Gordon of Glenbucket. In the morning of the
17th, Cobham's regiment of dragoons, and 1000 Ar-
gyleshire Highlanders, commanded by Lieutenant
Colonel Campbell (now Duke of Argyle) joined the
King's army. When these troops joined General
Hawley, the two armies were but seven miles distant
from one another, for the Highland army was drawn
up on Plean Muir, which is two miles to the east of
Bannockburn. The Torwood, once a great wood,
but now much decayed, lay between the two armies.
The high road from Stirling to Falkirk by Bannock-
burn, passes through what was once the middle of
the Torwood : upon that high road which is to the
north of the greater part of the wood, as it now stands,
a body of the rebels, both horse and foot, made their
appearance about eleven o'clock in the forenoon, and
moved about with standards and colours displayed :
the parade they made was plainly seen from General
Hawley's camp, and every body looked at them, ex-
pecting the enemy from that quarter. A little before
one o'clock, two * officers of the third regiment of
foot climbed a tree near the camp, and fixed a teles-
cope, with which they saw the Highland army march-
ing towards Falkirk, by the south side of the Tor-
wood. They immediately informed Lieutenant Co-
lonel Howard, their commanding officer, of what they
had seen, who went to Callender House where Gene-
ral Hawley was, and told him that the rebels were
marching towards the King's army. The General
said that the men might put on their accoutrements,
but that there was no necessity for them to be under
arms. Between one and two o'clock, some people
who attended the army well mounted, and rode about
to procure intelligence, came in upon the spur, and
reported that the rebel army was advancing by the
south side of the Torwood ; that they had seen them
on the other side of the river Carron, which they were
going to cross at Dunipace t. The Highlanders
coming by Dunipace were evidently pointing towards
* One of the officers is now Colonel Teesdale.
-j- Dunipace is about three miles and a half from Falkirk.
120 THE HISTORY OF
Falkirk Muir, and the high ground on the left of the
King's army. General Hawley, not being come from
Callender, this piece of intelligence alarmed the troops:
one might hear the officers saying to one another,
where is the General ? what shall be done ? we have
no orders. The commanding officers, in the mean-
time, formed their regiments upon the ground in the
front of their camp. When General Hawley came,
he ordered the three regiments of dragoons to march
to the Muir, and take possession of the high ground
between them and the rebels : he ordered the infan-
try to follow. At the very instant the regiments of
foot began to march, the day was overcast, and by
and by a storm of wind and rain beat directly in the
face of the soldiers, who were marching up the hill
with their bayonets fixed, and could not secure their
pieces from the rain. The cavalry was a good way
before the infantry, and for some time it seemed a
sort of race between the Highlanders and the Dra-
goons, which of them should get first to the top of
the hill. The rebel army was marching in two co-
lumns about 200 paces asunder. The column which
was to the south-west, and marched on the right of
the other, consisted of all the Low-Country regiments,
of the Maclachlans, with the Athol brigade, and Lord
John Drummond's regiment. The column to the
north- east consisted of the clan regiments which had
been in England, and of the recruits sent up to them
from the Highlands, with those clans formerly men-
tioned, who had been at Perth great part of the win-
ter. The three Macdonald regiments, who were at
the head of this column to the north, got first to the
top of the hill ; and taking their ground where they
had a morass upon their right flank, turned their back
to the storm. The dragoons, who had not been able
to prevent the Highlanders from gaining the high
ground, halted at some distance from the Macdonalds,
who were standing still to give time to those regiments
that made part of the column with them, to form on
their left; and to the south-west column to form the
second line. In a short time their columns were re-
duced into two lines: the first line consisted altoge-
THE REBELLION, 1745. 121
ther of Highlanders. The three Macdonald regi-
ments, Keppoch, Clanronald, and Glengary, had the
right, standing in the order they are mentioned :
next to the Macdonalds of Glengary, stood a small
battalion of Farquharsons *. On the left of the Far-
quharsoiis were the Mackenzies, the Macintoshes, the
Macphersons, the Frasers, the Camerons, and the Stu-
arts. The second line consisted of the Athol brigade,
which had the right ; of Lord Ogilvie's regiment and
Lord Lewis Gordon's, (each of them two battalions ;)
of the Maclachlans, and Lord John Drummond's re-
giment.
Charles placed himself in the rear of the second line
with the Irish piquets, and some horse t, as a body
of reserve.
The infantry of the King's army was also formed
in two lines, with a body of reserve. The first line
consisted of a battalion of the Royal, of the regiments
of Wolf, Cholmondley, Pultney, Price, and Ligonier.
The Royal had the right of the first line, and Wolfe's
regiment the left. The second line consisted of Bur-
rel's regiment, Blakeney's, Monroe's, Battereau's, and
* The Farquharsons had two regiments in the rebel army ; for,
like the Macdonalds, they had more than one chief. Farquharson
of Invercauld, one of their chiefs, was a Captain of foot in the
King's army, but his clan, commanded by Farquharson of Mo.
naltry, one of the Chieftains, made part of the rebel army. Far-
quharson of Bumarrel, with his men, was in the fiist line at the
battle of Falkhk. Monaltry, with his regiment of Farquharson?,
escorted the cannon of the rebel army, and was not in the aciion.
+ As to the position of their cavalry, the rebel officers gave
different accounts of it. Some of them said, that the two troops
of horse guards, and Pits'.igo's horse, were posted between the first
and second line. Other officers said, that most of the horse were
en the flanks of their second line, or rather behind it. Lord George
Murray, in his account of the battle of Falkirk, says, that Lord
Elcho, with his troop of horse guards, and some other horse, were
drawn up behind the Athol brigade, which having a morass on its
right, there was not room for the horse to form between the bri-
gade and the morass. Lord John Drummond, who commanded
the body of troops that made the feint, remained with them upon,
the high road, till the Highlanders passed the Carron ; he then
crossed over, followed the army, and joined Charles who was with
the reserve.
?
tf
w
m
4
*
THE REBELLION, 1745. 123
Fleming's : Burrel's regiment had the right of this
line, and Blakeney's the left. Howard's regiment
formed a body of reserve. The dragoons that were
advanced before the infantry, and a good way to their
left, having large intervals between their squadrons,
extended so far that they covered a great part of the
first line of the rebel army, for the left of the dra-
goons was opposite to Keppoch's regiment, and their
right to the centre of Lord Lovat's, which was the
third regiment from the left of the rebels. Behind
the greater part of this body of cavalry there was no
infantry but the Glasgow regiment, which, being
newly levied, was not allowed to have a place either
in the first or second line, but stood by itself near
some cottages behind the left of the dragoons. Most
of the regiments of foot in the King's army were
standing on the declivity of the hill. More than one
regiment, both of the first and second line, stood
higher up, and on ground somewhat more plain and
level. The Highlanders towards the left of their first
line saw the foot of the King's army ; the Highland-
ers on the right of the first line saw no foot at all ;
for besides the great inequality of the ground, the
storm of wind and rain continued, and the darkness
increased so much, that nobody could see very far.
To conclude this account of the field of battle, and
the position of the regiments, there was a ravine or
gully which separated the right of the King's army
from the left of the rebels. This ravine began on
the declivity of the hill, directly opposite to the cen-
tre of Lord Lovat's regiment, and went down due
north, still deeper and wider to the plain. The right
of the King's army, standing on the east side of this
ravine, outlined the left of the rebels by two regi-
ments, and the right of the rebels outlined the left of
the King's infantry much more. Neither army had
any cannon with them ; for the Highlanders had
marched so fast, to get to the high ground before the
dragoons, that they had left their field pieces about a
mile behind them : General Hawley's cannon were
stuck fast at the bottom of the hill. The infantry of
the King's army not being completely formed, (for
124 THE HISTORY OF
several companies of Fleming's regiment were only
coming up to take their place in the centre of the se-
cond line,) when General Hawley sent an order to
Colonel Ligonier, who commanded the cavalry, to
attack the rebels : Colonel Ligonier, with the three
regiments of dragoons, advanced against the High-
landers, who at that very instant began to move to-
wards the dragoons. Lord George Murray * was
inarching at the head of the Macdonalds of Keppoch,
with his drawn sword in his hand, and his target on
his arm. He let the dragoons come within ten or
twelve paces of him, and then gave orders to fire.
The Macdonalds of Keppoch began the fire, which
ran down the line from them to Lord Lovat's regi-
ment. This heavy fire repulsed the dragoons. Ha-
milton's and Ligonier's regiments wheeled about, and
fled directly back : Cobham's regiment wheeled to
, the right, and went off between the two armies, re-
ceiving a good deal of fire as they passed the left of
the rebels. When the dragoons were gone, Lord
George Murray ordered the Macdonalds of Keppoch,
to keep their ranks, and stand firm. The same order
was sent to the other two Macdonald regiments, but
a great part of the men in these two regiments, with
all the regiments to their left, (whose fire had re-
pulsed the dragoons,) immediately pursued. When
they came near the foot of the King's army, some re-
giments of the first line gave them a fire : the rebels
returned the fiie, and throwing down their musquets,
drew their swords and attacked the regiments in the
left of the King's army, both in front and flank : all
the regiments in the first line of the King's army gave
way, as did most of the regiments of the second line.
It seemed a total rout ; and for some time General
* Lord George Murray, from the place where he stood on
the right of the first line, saw none of the infantry of the King'i
army ; and he ordered Colonel Roy Stuart and Anderson (the
guide at the battle of Preston) who were both on horseback, to go
as near the dragoons as they could, and see if there was any foot
behind them ; they went very near the dragoons, and returning to
Lord George Murray, told him they had not seen any infantry.
Lord George immediately ordered his men to march and attack
the dragoons.
THE REBELLION, 1745.
Hawley did not know that any one regiment of his
army was standing * ; but Burrel's regiment stood,
and joined by part of two regiments of the first line,
(Price's and Ligonier's,) moved to their left, till they
came directly opposite to the Camerons and Stuarts,
and began to fire upon them across the ravine. The
Highlanders returned the fire, but the fire of the
King's troops was so much superior, that the rebels,
after losing a good many men, fell back a little, still
keeping the high ground on their side of the ravine.
The stand which these regiments made put a stop to
the pursuit, and recalled the pursuers; who, when
they heard so much fire behind them, turned back,
and made what haste they could to the ground where
they stood before the battle began, expecting to find
their second line; but when they came there, the
second line was not to be found. Most of the men in
those regiments which stood behind the clans of the
first line that attacked the foot of the King's army,
seeing the wonderful success of that attack, crowded
in after the pursuers, and followed the chace ; but
many of the men belonging to the regiments that
were thinned in this manner, hearing the repeated
fires given by the King's troops across the ravine,
* General Hawley, when he sent the order to Colonel Ligonier
to attack the rebels, was standing a little behind the three regi-
ments of dragoons. When the dragoons were repulsed by the fire
of the rebels, and most of the regiments of foot, attacked in front
and flank, gave way, General Hawley, involved in a crowd of
horse and foot, came to the Edinburgh company of volunteers,
which, having marched up the hill in the rear of Fleming's regi-
ment, was standing by itself, and had not begun to fly. The com-
pany was commanded by their lieutenant ; for the Captain, Wil-
liam Macghie, when the alarm came that the rebels ware march-
ing towards the King's army, had gone in quest of General Haw-
ley to know if he pleased to assign the company of volunteers any
post which they would do their utmost to maintain. The Lieu-
tenant knew General Hawley very well, having waited on him se-
veral times at Holyrood House, and asked if there were any regi-
ments standing ? where they were ? The General made no an-
swer to his questions, but pointing to a fold for cattle which was
close by, called to him to get in there with his men. The disor-
der and confusion increased, and General Hawley rode down the
hill.
63
THE HISTORY OF
thought it was most likely that the Highland army
would be defeated ; and that the best thing they could
do was to save themselves by leaving the field when
they might ; accordingly they did so, and went off
to the westward. At this moment the field of battle
presented a spectacle seldom seen in war, whose great
events Fortune is said to rule *. Part of the King's
army, much the greater part, was flying to the east-
ward, and part of the rebel army was flying to the
\vestward. Not one regiment of the second line of
the rebels remained in its place ; for the Athol bri-
gade, being left almost alone on the right, marched
up to the first line, and joined Lord George Murray,
where he stood with the Macdonalds of Keppoch.
Between this body of men on the right of the first
line, and the Camerons and Stuarts on the left,
(who had retreated a little from the fire of the troops
across the ravine,) there was a considerable space al-
together void and empty, those men excepted who
had returned from the chace, and were straggling
about in great disorder and confusion, with nothing
in their hands but their swords. By and by Lord
George Murray, with his men, joined them, and
Charles, with the Irish piquets, and some other troops
of the reserve, came up from the rear. The presence
of Charles encouraged the Highlanders: he com-
mended their valour ; made them take up the mus-
quets which lay thick upon the ground ; and ordering
them to follow him, led them to the brow of the hill.
At the approach of so considerable a body of men,
Cobham's regiment of dragoons, which, having al-
ways kept together, was coming up the hill again,
turned back, and went down to the place where the
regiments of foot were standing who had behaved so
well, and retreating with them in good order, joined
the rest of the army who had rallied on the ground
in the front of their camp, where the Argyllshire
Highlanders had been left by General Haw ley, when
he marched with his troopgjtfb meet the enemy. The
storm of wind and rain continued as violent as ever :
* In rebus bellicis maxime dominatur Fortuna. TACITUS,
THE REBELLION, 1T45.
night was coming on, for the battle began a little
before four o'clock *. Before it grew quite dark, Ge-
neral Hawley gave orders to set fire to the tents, and
marching his army through the town of Falkirk, re-
treated to Linlithgow, leaving behind him seven pie-
ces of cannon, with a great quantity of provision,
ammunition, and baggage. While the tents were
burning, two officers of the rebel army, Mr. Drum-
mond, eldest son of Lord Strathallan, and Mr. Oli-
phant, younger of Gask, came down from the hill to
the town of Falkirk (disguised like peasants) to pro-
cure intelligence ; and returning to their friends, as-
sured them that the King's army had left Falkirk,
and was gone towards Linlithgow. A strong body
of Highlanders, commanded by Lord George Mur-
ray, immediately took possession of the town of Fal-
kirk.
Every person who reads this account, or any other
account of the battle of Falkirk, will be apt to think
it very strange that General Hawley should order t
* One of the Edinburgh company of volunteers pulled out his
watch at the first fire, and said it wanted just ten minutes of four
o'clock. The battle of Falkirk did not last very long. Several
officers of the King's army, and some others who were taken pri-
soners, had frequent opportunities of conversing with the rebel offi-
cers, and they agreed in opinion, that the interval between the first
fire and the retreat of Burrel's regiment did not exceed twenty
minutes. Farquharson of Monaltry (who commanded the body
of men that escorted the cannon of the rebels) was about a mile
behind the army ; when he heard the first fire, he left a small
party of his men with the cannon, and with the rest marched on
as fast as he could to join the army. In his way he met 200 or
300 men flying to the westward ; he made them turn back and
return with him to the field. "When he came there, the firing had
ceased ; and he saw Burrel's regiment, with part of the two regi-
ments of foot that had joined them, and Cobham's regiment of
dragoons, retreating to the camp.
f The order sent to Colonel JLigonier, was carried by Mr. Stu-
art Mackenzie, Lord Bute's brother (afterwards Lord Privy Seal,
for Scotland) who acted that day as Aid-de-camp to General Haw-
ley. The Colonel and Mr, Mackenzie were intimate friends ;
and when the Colonel received General Hawley's order, he said it
was the most extraordinary order that ever was given. The au-
thor of this history having frequently conversed with Mr. Macken-
zie concerning the battle of Falkirk, shewed him, many years after
G 4-
128 THE HISTORY OF
700 or 800 dragoons to attack 8000 foot drawn up in
two lines. It is said, and generally believed, that Ge-
neral Hawley, when he heard that the Highlanders
were about to cross the Carron at Dunipace, did not
think they were coming to attack his army, but ima-
gined that they were going to give him the slip, and
march back to England : that in this conceit he or-
dered his dragoons and foot to march up the hill, in-
tercept the rebels, and force them to come to an ac-
tion. Hence the conflict happened upon a piece of
ground which he had never viewed, and was a field
of battle exceedingly disadvantageous to his troops.
As for the order given to the officer who commanded
the dragoons to attack the whole Highland army, it
is proper to inform the reader, that General Hawley
had been Major of Evans's dragoons at the battle of
Sheriffmuir, where that regiment, with the Set ts
Greys, led by the Duke of Argyle and Greenwich,
getting over a morass, (which the intense frost of one
night had rendered passable, ) attacked * the flank or."
the rebel army, rode down, and drove off the field
several regiments of Highlanders.
When the news of the battle of Preston came to the
army in Flanders, General Hawley reprobated the
conduct of Mr. Cope, and said in a company of offi-
cers, " that he knew the Highlanders, they were good
" militia, but he was certain that they could not
" stand against a charge of dragoons who attacked
" them well." Lieutenant-Colonel Hepburne t was
one of the company of officers that heard this speech
of General Hawley 's, and he allows his name to be
the rebellion, the account which is here given of what passed be-
tween the Colonel and him, when he delivered General Hawley's
order. Mr. Mackenzie hesitated a little, and said, he was not
sure whether or no he had told Mr. Home that Colonel Ligonier
said, it was the most extraordinary order that ever was given : but
he was very sure the Colonel looked as if he thought o.
* The battle of Sheriffmuir was fought on the 13th of Novem-
ber, O. S. in the year 1715, and the Highlanders thought the
flank of their army secure.
f- Lieutenant-Colonel of the 6th regiment of dragoons, when
he retired from the service.
THE REBELLION, 1H5. 11'9
mentioned with this anecdote, which accounts for the
order given to Colonel Ligonier.
In this ill-conducted battle, many brave officers of
the King's army fell*.
As Edinburgh is but twenty-four miles from Falkirk,
several spectators who had made haste from the field,
and some dragoons who had fled upon the spur of fear,
reached Edinburgh before nine o'clock at night, and
brought dreadful accounts of what they had seen,
adding many circumstances which they had not seen.
Next day the army came to Edinburgh about four
o'clock in the afternoon : their appearance disproved
the report of those fugitives who had said that the
army was totally routed and dispersed ; but their ap-
pearance proved also, that the affair of Falkirk (as
some people called it) was a bad affair.
At no time, from the beginning to the end of the
Rebellion, were the real friends to the Constitution of
their country mare dejected, or more apprehensive,
than they were when they saw the troops return from
Falkirk, who had marched against the rebels a few
days before, as they thought to certain victory.
These troops, they sadly reflected, were not the raw
soldiers of General Cope's army, who had never seen
an enemy till they met the Highlanders at Preston,
but they were the veteran troops of Britain, who had
fought the battles of Dettingen and Fontenoy.
On the other hand, the rebels were not 0. much
elated as some people thought they had rea^pn to be
with their victory. Their Generals blamed ~bne ano-
ther, that it was not so complete as it might have
been, when so many circumstances concurred in their
* One Colonel (Sir Robert Monro,)- three Lieutenant Colonels,
Lieutenant Colonel Whitney (of the regiment late Gardner's,)
Lieutenant Colonel Bigger of Monro's regiment, Lieutenant Co-
lonel Powell of Cholmondeley's ; five Captains of Wolfe's, and
one Lieutenant ; four Captains of iilakency's and two Lieute-
nants, were killed, with about 300 or 400 private men.
The Highlanders acknowledged that their aimy lost three Cap-
tains and four subalterns, with 40 men killed, and twice as many
wounded.
G 5,
130 THE HISTORY OF
favour. The advantage of ground, the surprise, the
storm, General Hawley's order to the dragoons to
attack a whole army, the acknowledged misbehaviour
of some regiments, were circumstances not likely to
be ever combined again.
Lord George Murray said, that the victory would
have been complete, if Lord John Drummond (who
should have commanded on the left) had been in his
place ; that he might have ordered some regiments
from the second line to face the regiments on the
right of the King's army, who out-lined the left of the
Highlanders. If that had been done, Lord George
Murray maintained that none of the foot could have
escaped, but must all have been killed or taken.
Lord John Drummond and others blamed Lord
George Murray for preventing the Macdonalds of
Keppoch, and a good many men of the other two
Macdonald regiments, from advancing with the rest
of the Highlanders when they attacked the foot.
Sullivan, Adjutant-General, was also blamed for keep-
ing out of harm's way, at the battle of Falkirk : none
of the officers of the first line of the Highland army
saw him till the action was over; or any other Gene-
ral except Lord George Murray.
Altercation, contention, and animosity, prevailed
in this irregular and undisciplined army, which it
was not an easy matter to command.
Charles, with his army, remained at Falkirk the
night after the battle, without attempting to pursue
the King's troops in their retreat to Linlithgow. Next
day he returned to his quarters at Bannockburn, af-
ter having seen a tumult among the Highlanders.
Xord Kilmarnock, in the morning of the 18th, came
to Falkirk, which is within half a mile of his house at
Callender, (where he had passed the night,) bringing
with him a party of his men to guard some prisoners
who had been taken in the retreat, and carried to
Callender. Lord Kilmarnock left the prisoners and
their guard standing in the street, just before the
house where Charles lodged, and going up stairs, pre-
sented to Charles a list of his prisoners, who were the
THE REBELLION, 1745. 131
two officers * and some private men of the company
of volunteers mentioned in the account of the battle.
Charles opened the window to look at the prisoners,
and stood for some time with the list in his hand, ask-
ing questions (as they thought) about them, of Lord
Kilmarnock.
Meanwhile, a soldier in the uniform of one of the
King's regiments, made his appearance in the street
ofFalkirk, which was full of Highlanders: he was
armed with a musket and bayonet, and had a black
cockade in his hat. When the volunteers saw a sol-
dier with his firelock in his hand coming towards
Charles, they were amazed, and fancied a thousand
things ; they expected every moment to hear a shot.
Charles observing that the volunteers (who were with-
in a few yards of him) looked all one way, turned
his head that way too : he seemed surprised ; and
calling Lord Kilmarnock, pointed to the soldier.
Lord Kilmarnock came down stairs immediately:
when he got to the street, the soldier was just oppo-
site to the window where Charles stood. Kilmarnock
came up to the fellow, struck his hat off his head, and
set his foot on the black cockade. At that instant a
Highlander came running from the other side of the
street, laid hands on Lord Kilmarnock, and pushed
* William Macghie, Captain of the Edinburgh company of
Tolunteers, having gone in quest of General Hawley, as has heen
mentioned, could not find the General, and just before the battle
began, he joined Blakeney's regiment, which was one of the regi-
ments that suffered most, and being driven from the field of bat-
tle, rallied with the other regiments on the ground before their
camp. There Mr, Macghie found the Lieutenant and several
private men of his company, with whom he left Falkirk, soon af-
ter the King's troops quitted that town ; and falling still more be-
hind the army in their march to Linlithgow, he with his Lieute-
nant and four private men were made prisoners by the rebels.
The private men were Thomas Harrow, Student of Physic at the
University of Edinburgh ; Robert Douglas, also Student of Phy-
sic; Robert Alexander, son of Mr. Alexander, afterwards Pro-
vest of Edinburgh ; and Neil Macvicar, Student of Law, son to
the Minister of Isla. It seems proper to mention, in this man-
ner, the volunteers who were taken prisoners, as there will be oc-
casion to say more of them hereafter.
G 6
152 THE HISTORY OF
him back. Kilmarnock pulled out a pistol, and pre-
sented it at the Highlander's head ; the Highlander
drew his dirk, and held it close to Kilmarnock'*
breast. In this posture they stood about half a mi-
nute, when a crowd of Highlanders rushed in, and
drove away Lord Kilmarnock. The man with the
dirk in his hand took up the hat, put it upon the sol-
dier's head, and the Highlanders marched off with
him in triumph.
This piece of dumb shew, of which they under-
stood nothing, perplexed the volunteers. They ex-
pressed their astonishment to a Highland officer who
stood near them ; and entreated him to explain the
meaning of what they had seen. He told them that
the soldier in the uniform of the Royal was a Cameron :
" Yesterday," said he, " when your army was defeated,
he joined his clan ; the Camerons received him with
great joy, and told him that he should wear his arms,
his clothes, and every thing else, till he was provided
with other clothes and other arms. The Highlander
who first interposed, and drew his dirk on Lord Kil-
marnock, is the soldier's brother ; the crowd who
rushed in are the Camerons, many of them his near
relations ; and, in my opinion," continued the officer,
" no Colonel nor General in the Prince's army can
take that cockade * out of his hat, except Locheil
himself."
When Charles, with his guards, returned to Ban-
nockburn, Lord George Murray with the Highland
regiments remained at Falkirk ; and the Duke of
Perth with the Lowcountry regiments, Lord John
Drummond's regiment, and the Irish piquets, re-
turned to Stirling to carry on the siege of the castle,
which proceeded very slowly for want of engineers
and regular troops ; and the few men of that descrip?.
tion which the Duke of Perth had with him, found
the service very hard, their works being levelled, and
* This behaviour of the Highlanders to Lord Kilmarnock,
in presence of Charles, occasioned that investigation into Clan-
ship, made by the Author of this history, which enabled him
to write that account of the manners of the Highlanders which is
contained in the Introduction.
THE EEBELLION, 1745. 133
their batteries demolished, by the superior fire of the
castle.
During this siege, the rebels sent most of the pri-
soners from Stirling to the castle of Downe, amongst
whom were the officers and some private men of the
Edinburgh company of volunteers. When General
Hawley came to Edinburgh his army was reinforced
by two regiments of foot*, the 25th and 21st, that
had served abroad, and behaved remarkably well on
every occasion : notwithstanding that reinforcement,
which the quality of the troops rendered considerable,
the army remained at Edinburgh till the arrival of
the Duke of Cumberland t, who came to the palace
of Holyrood House on Thursday the 30th of January,
at three o'clock in the morning.
That day he carefully inspected the condition of
the troops ; and having raised the spirits of the men
by his presence, (for the soldiers wished nothing so
much as to have him for their commander instead of
General Hawley ^,) he marched his army next day
towards the enemy. It was not expected that he
would march so soon ; and the confidence which the
Duke shewed, by marching immediately against the
Highlanders, had no small effect in animating his
troops, and inspiring them with the same confidence
which their General had of victory.
The army with which the Duke marched from
Edinburgh consisted of fourteen battalions of foot,
with two regiments of dragoons, Lord Cobham's and
Lord Mark Ker's. Besides the regular troops there
* The 2oth arrived at Edinburgh on the 17th, before the
news of tlie battle came to town. The 21st (the Scots Fusileers)
arrived at Musselburgh on the 18th.
f- On the 30th of January, the Duke of Cumberland came to
Edinburgh ; on the 31st he marched his L army to Linlithgow :
on the 1st of February, the Duke's army was marching to Fal-
kirk, when intelligence came that the rebels had left Stirling, and
retreated to the Highlands.
* When General Hawley returned to Edinburgh with his
army, he ordered several officers and soldiers to bs tried for bad
behaviour at the battle of Falkirk ; two or three soldiers were
condemned to be shot, and more than one officer was cashiered.
134 THE HISTORY OF
were 1000 Argyleshire Highlanders, commanded by
Lieutenant- Colonel Campbell *. The Duke of Cum-
berland, with his army, marched from Edinburgh in
two columns. One column of eight battalions was
commanded by the Duke himself, and marching to
Linlithgow, quartered there. The other column, con-
sisting of six battalions, was commanded by General
Huske, and marching to Borrowstounness took up
their quarters in that town. The dragoons and.Ar-
gyleshire men were cantoned in the adjacent villages.
When the Duke of Cumberland, with his division,
came to Linlithgow, Charles was at the house of Ban-
nockbum, with a great part of his troops quartered
in the town of Stirling and the neighbouring villages.
Lord George Murray, with the Clan regiments under
his command, was at Falkirk.
A battle seemed inevitable ; and it was expected
that the two armies would meet again near the place
where they had fought before. Early next morning
intelligence came to Linlithgow that Lord George
Murray, with the men under his command, had re-
treated from Falkirk to the Torwood, where it was
thought that, with all his forces united, Charles meant
to make a stand.
As the Duke's army was marching towards Falkirk,
the foremost scouts brought in some stragglers, who
said that the whole army of the rebels was going off
to the westward.
Soon after this information, two great explosions,
like the blowing up of magazines, were heard ; and
the Duke immediately detached the Argyleshire
Highlanders, and all his dragoons, under the com-
mand of General Mordaunt, to pursue the enemy.
But General Mordaunt did not overtake the rebels,
who having raised the siege of Stirling Castle, spiked
their heavy cannon, and blown up their magazines,
went off in great disorder and confusion, crossing the
River Forth at the Ford of the Frew. Such was the
second retreat, or rather flight, of the rebel army be-
* The present Duke of Argyle.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 185
fore the King's troops, commanded by the Duke of
Cumberland.
The resolution to retreat was a sudden resolution.
It had been determined to fight the King's army ;
and all the sick and wounded men, with the women,
were sent to Dunblane. On the 28th, Lord George
Murray came to Bannockburn, and shewed Charles
a plan which he had drawn of the battle to be fought.
Charles was extremely pleased with it ; and made se-
veral corrections with his own hand. That night
Charles was unusually gay; and sat up very late.
Next morning Lord George Murray's aid-de-camp
came to Bannockburn with a packet from Lord
George. Charles was in bed, and John Hay, who
was always about him, and sometimes acted as secre-
tary, would not allow him to be called. When he
got up, Hay went into his room with the packet.
Charles opened it, and found a paper, signed by Lord
George Murray, and all the chiefs who were with him
at Falkirk, advising a retreat to the north, which
they said was absolutely necessary, as the Duke of
Cumberland's army had been reinforced since the
battle, and the number of the Highland army was
much diminished ,- for besides the Joss of men at the
siege of Stirling Castle, a great many Highlanders
(particularly the Macdonalds * of Glengary) had gone
home to the Highlands, and were not returned.
When Charles read this paper, he struck his head
against the wall till he staggered, and exclaimed
against Lord George Murray, to whose management
he imputed the remonstrance of the Chiefs. The day
on which the Highlanders left Stirling, General Mor-
daunt, with his troops, took possession of that town,
and next day the Duke of Cumberland entered Stir-
ling ; where he immediately gave orders for repair-
ing the bridge, one arch of which had been cut down
in the month of December, when General Blakeney
* The Maedonalds of Glengary had lost their Colonel, Angus
Macdonald, (the second son to their chief,) who way killed in the
street of Falkiik, a day or two after the battle, by the accidental
.going off of ;i piece.
L
136 THE HISTORY OF
understood that the rebels were assembling at Perth,
in such numbers as made it convenient for him to
interrupt the communication between Perth and Stir-
ling.
The same day the Duke of Cumberland's army
marched from Edinburgh to attack the rebels ; the
officers and men of the Edinburgh company of volun-
teers, taken prisoners on the 1 7th, made their escape
from the Castle of Downe, to which they, with many
other prisoners, had been sent on the 25th. The
Castle of Downe, built by Murdoch Duke of Albany,
Regent of Scotland, during the captivity of James
the First, was in a most ruinous condition when the
volunteers came there. The place of their abode was
a large ghastly room, the highest part of the castle,
and next the battlements. In one end of this room
there were two small vaults or cells, in one of which
the volunteers * passed the night, with three other
persons, one of whom was Mr. John Witherspoon,
then a clergyman of the church of Scotland, after-
wards President of the College of Jersey in America ;
the other two were citizens of Aberdeen, who had
been taken up in the north country as spies, and
threatened to be hanged by the rebels. In the other
cell were also eight persons,who, like Mr.Witherspoon,
had come to Falkirk from curiosity to see a battle>
and were taken prisoners in the general sweep which
the rebels made after the battle.
Each of the cells had a door which might be made
fast by those on the inside when they went to sleep,
having straw to lie upon, and blankets to cover them,
which they had purchased from some people in the
village of Downe.
From this account of the condition of the prisoners
in the Casle of Downe, it may be taken for granted,
that when the volunteers were brought there, they
thought of nothing but how to get away. Their
* There were only five volunteers, officers included ; for Ilobert
Alexander, one of the volunteers taken prisoners in the retreat,
was kept at Stirling, as the rebels expected that his father, one of
the most opulent citizens in Edinburgh, would pay a ransom o
.5000 to have him set at liberty.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 1ST
first scheme was to establish a communication with
the other prisoners, whose number they knew was
considerable; for there were above 100 soldiers of the
King's army, a good many Argyleshire men, and
some men of the Glasgow regiment ; so that the whole
number of prisoners, who had carried arms, might
amount to 150 men.
To guard the prisoners, there was a party of twenty
or twenty-five Highlanders, relieved every day from
a detachment of the rebel army, quartered at the vil-
lage of Downe.
A centinel, who stood two or three paces from the
door of the room where the volunteers were lodged,
allowed any of them that pleased to go up to the bat-
tlements, which were above seventy feet high. From
the battlements, one of the volunteers, with no small
difficulty, made his way to the place where the sol-
diers and other prisoners were confined ; but as there
was not one officer with them, he returned the way he
went, and told his companions that their scheme of
escaping by force was at an end. Another of the vo-
lunteers instantly proposed that they should make a
rope of the blankets they had, by which they might
descend from the battlements to the ground, on the
west side of the castle, where there was no centinel.
The proposal was agreed to, and being communicated
to the three prisoners who lodged in the cell with
them, the two men from Aberdeen agreed to join
the volunteers in their attempt to escape. Mr. Wi-
therspoon said that he would go to the battlements
and see what happened, that if they succeeded, he
would probably follow their example.
To prevent suspicion of their design, some of the
volunteers always kept company with the other per-
sons in the great room, which was common to all,
whilst the rest of them, barring the door of their cell,
were at work till they finished the rope, of which
they resolved to make use the very night it was com-
pleted. The two officers then claimed it as their
right to be the first that should hazard themselves,
and prove the strength of the rope ; but that claim
was objected to; and all the volunteers, with the two
THE HISTORY OF
men taken up as spies, drew lots for the order in
which they should descend. The captain showed *
No. 1, the lieutenant No. 2.
When every thing was adjusted they went up to
the battlements, fastened the rope, and about one
o'clock in the morning began to descend. The two
officers, with Robert Douglas, and one of the men ta-
ken up as spies, got down very well, but the fifth
man, one of the spies, who was very tall and big,
coming down in a hurry, the rope brake with him
just as his feet touched the ground. The lieutenant
standing by the wall of the castle, called to the vo-
lunteer t, whose turn it was to come down next, not
to attempt it ; for that twenty or thirty feet were
broken off from the rope. Notwithstanding this warn-
ing, which he heard distinctly, he put himself upon
the rope, and coming down as far as it lasted, let go
his hold : his friend Douglas and the lieutenant, who
were both of them above the middle size, as soon as
they saw him upon the rope (for it was moon-light)
put themselves under him, to break his fall, which in
part they did ; but falling from so great a height, he
brought them both to the ground, dislocated one of
his ancles, and broke several of his ribs. In this ex-
tremity the lieutenant raised him from the ground,
and taking him upon his back, for he was slender
and not very tall, carried him towards the road which
led to Alloa. When the lieutenant was not able to
go any farther with his burthen, other two of the
company holding each of them one of Mr. Barrow's
arms, helped him to hop along upon one leg. In this
manner they went on very slowly a mile or so ; but
thinking that, at the rate they proceeded, they would
* Captain Macghie had drawn No. 4, but changed it with one
of the men from Aberdeen, who had drawn No. 1.
} The name of this volunteer was Thomas Barrow, (the only
Englishman in the company,) who, a minute or two before they
began to descend, had told the lieutenant, that if the rope should
break after the officers and his friend Douglas had got down,
(whose numbers were prior to his,) he would rather die than be
left alone among the barbarians ; and was resolved to follow hi*
fiiends at all hazards.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 139
certainly be overtaken, they resolved to call at the
first house they should come to. When they came
to a house, they found a friend, for the landlord, who
rented a small farm, was a whig, and as soon as he
knew who they were, ordered one of his sons to^bring
a horse from the stable, take the lame gentleman be-
hind him, and go as far as his assistance was neces-
sary. Thus equipped, they went on by Alloa to
Tullyallan, a village near the sea, where they hired a
boat to carry them off to the Vulture sloop of war,
which was lying at anchor in the Frith of Forth.
Captain Falconer of the Vulture received them very
kindly, and gave them his barge to carry them to
Queensferry. In their way to that place, they saw
some regiments of General Huske's division march-
ing between Hopetoun House and Borrowstounneas.
When the volunteers made their escape in this man-
ner, Neil Macvicar, one of them, was left in the Cas-
tle of Downe, for he had drawn the last number, and
standing upon the battlements, saw the disaster of
his friends. He concluded that the rope was not
strong enough, and pulled it up, carried it to the
cell, where there were some blankets, with which he
completed the rope, beginning at the place where it
had given way ; and adding a good deal to its thick-
ness, he went up to the battlements, fastened the
rope, and put himself upon it. He came down very
well till he reached that part of the rope where he
had added so much to its thickness that his hand
could not grasp it, and falling from the same height
that Mr. Barrow had done, but having no body to
break his fall, was so grievously hurt, bruised, and
maimed, tkat he never recovered, but languished and
died soon afterwards at the house of his father, who
was a clergyman in the Island of Isla.
140 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. IX.
xi Kb'.ii'j .. , / i. '/ ;
The Duke of Cumberland pursues the Rebels Haiti at
Perth Sends several Detachments of his Army to diffe-
rent Places The Prince of Hesse, with a Body of hi?
Troops, escorted by Ships of War, arrives in the Firth of
forth The Duke of Cumberland comes from Perth to
visit the Prince of Hesse A Council of War at Edin-
burgh The Duke of Cumberland returns to Perth
Sends several Regiments to Dundee Marches himself
with the main Body of -his Army to Aberdeen Halts
there some time Charles with a few Men at Mayo, near
Inverness An attempt made by Lord London to seize
him The attempt defeated Charles assembles his Men
Marches to Inverness Lord London retreats to Ross-
shire Charles Besieges the Castle of Inverness The
Castle surrenders Various Expeditions of the Rebels
while the Duke's Army lay at Aberdeen Account of
these Expeditions An Order from Charles to the Com-
manding Officers to desist from them, and join him at In-
ON the 4th of February, the Duke of Cumberland,
with his army, marched along the bridge of Stirling,
on his way to Dunblane and Crief, following the route
of the Highlanders, who had passed through these
towns. At Crief the rebel army had separated : one
division, consisting of the Western Highlanders, un-
der the command of Charles, marched north by the
Highland road ; the other division, in which there
were several clans, and all the Low-country regi-
ments, under the command of Lord George Murray,
marched by the coast road which leads through Mon-
trose and Aberdeen to Inverness. A few Highland-
ers took a middle road by Braemar, which led to
their own part of the country.
From Crief the Duke of Cumberland proceeded to
Perth, where his army halted for some days, and the
duke having sent a detachment of 500 men to the
THE BEBELLION, 1745. 141
Castle of Blair, and another detachment of 200 men
to Castle Menzies, returned to Edinburgh to visit the
Prince of Hesse, his brother-in-law, who, with about
5000 men in thirty-six transports, escorted by four
ships of war, arrived in the road of Leith on the 8th
of February.
The Duke of Cumberland staid only one night at
Edinburgh, where his Royal Highness and the Prince
>f Hesse held a council of war, to determine their
uture operations. In this council of war, which was
leld at Lord Milton's, all the Generals gave it as
heir opinion that the war was at an end ; and that
lis Royal Highness had nothing to do but to give his
orders to the officers under him to march into the
highlands, as soon as the season would permit, and
erret the rebels out of their strong-holds and fast-
icsses ; for it was evident, they said, that the rebels
ivould never risk a battle against an army command-
>d by the Duke of Cumberland. His Royal High-
icss having heard the General Officers, desired to
icnow what Lord Milton thought of the state of af-
airs ; who excused himself from giving his opinion
n a council of war, as he was not a military man.
?he Duke insisted upon hearing Lord Milton's opi-
u'on, who knew the country of the Highlands, and
he Highlanders, better than any person present.
~,ord Milton then said, that he wished he might be
nistaken in the opinion he was called upon to give ;
or his knowledge of the Highlands and the Highl
anders inclined him to think that the rebellion was
ot at an end ; that as the King's troops could not
ollow the Highlanders through their wild and unac-
ommodated country in the winter season, he wa
ersuaded that the rebels, divided and scattered as
icy were, would unite again, and risk a battle before
ley gave up the cause.
The day after this council of war, the Duke of
umberland returned to Perth, where he remained
yr some days, sent forward three regiments of foot
id a regiment of dragoons to Dundee ; and on the.
Oth of February the main body of the army, com-
tanded by the Duke himself, began their march to
142 THE HISTORY OF
the northward by the coast road, and halting botl
at Dundee and Montrose, arrived at Aberdeen th<
27th.
While the Duke with his army remained at Aber-
deen, the Prince of Hesse marched his troops by Stir-
ling to Perth, and fixed his head quarters there
Thus the country near Perth and Aberdeen was se
cured from the incursions of the Highlanders, ant
several posts to the north of the Castle of Blair wen
occupied by the Argyleshiremen, or small parties o
the regulars.
The Highlanders having retreated to their moun-
tains, in several divisions, which they could unite 01
separate, arid mix their troops as they pleased, founc
themselves masters of that part of the kingdom when
there was no force to oppose them but that body o
men which Lord Loudon and the President had as
eembled in the north, when Charles and his arm)
inarched to England.
Lord Loudon's army (as it was called) consisted o;
his own regiment, and eighteen independent compa-
nies, with some hundred Macdonalds and Macleods,
who had come from the Isle of Skye, with Sir Alex-
ander Macdonald and Macleod. With this small ar-
my Lord Loudon had very near put an end to the
war.
When Charles, with that division of the army which
he led, came near Inverness, the other part of his
army was at no great distance from him, on the roac
to Inverness by the coast ; and as neither of their
were under any apprehensions from the neighbour-
hood of Lord Loudon's army, Charles allowed his
men to straggle about in their own country ; and he
with a very few men about him, took up his quarters
at Moy, the seat of Macintosh, which is but nine 01
ten miles from Inverness.
Lord Loudon, informed that Charles had only 50(
r 600 men with him at Moy, marched from Inver-
ness with 1500 men on the evening of the 16th, at
soon as it was quite dark.
Of this design against her guest, Lady Macintosh
THE REBELLION, 1745. ] 43
" ^ ^^ ^ two ^ters from
thp 1 ^? Lou , don \ tro Ps were within three miles o
the place when the noise which they made in march
mg was heard by the smith and his party who Tm
mediately gave them a fire, and running^hTre a?d
idvnn. 1 I POn - t J e Macdo al <ls anddmeronlto
advance on the right and left, repeating often the
well known names of Locheil and Keppoch
Lord Loudon's. men, who thought the whole High-
land army was coming, turned their backs, and strir
ground, and trod upon f by suJh numLI) thought
they could not possibly escape.
Charles, for whose safety the ladv had nm V ;/i A ^
effectually, knew nothing^ LoTd^^dS^h
ill next morning ; for he was up and dressed^hen
the smith and his party came to Moy, and gave a
account of their victory. Charles immediatefy gave
orders to assemble his men, which was done that day
and next morning he marched them towards Inver-
ness Lord Loudon, at the approach of forces
much superior to his, left the town, and crossing the
, and
144* THE HISTORY OF
ferry of Kessock, retreated to Ross-shire, whither he
could not be immediately pursued, for he took all
the boats with him to his own side of the ferry. It
was on the 18th of February that the Highland army
got possession of Inverness ; and from that day it
may be said that the war assumed another form.
After Lord Loudon's retreat, the rebels laid siege
to the Castle of Inverness (then called Fort-George,)
which did not hold out long, for it surrendered on
the 20th.
Lord Loudon had left there in garrison two inde-
pendent companies, and one company of old soldiers,
who were made prisoners ; a good deal of ammuni-
tion and provisions was found in the castle, with six-
teen pieces of cannon of different calibres.
Fort- George was no sooner surrendered than the
rebels laid siege to Fort- Augustus, which is thirty-
two miles from Inverness. The siege was carried on
by the French- Irish, who, making use of some bat-
tering cannon found at Fort- George, took the place
in a few days. The garrison, which consisted of
three companies of Guise's regiment, were made pri-
soners of war.
The rebels having reduced the forts in the neigh-
bourhood of Inverness, and knowing that they had
nothing to apprehend from the Duke of Cumberland's
army for some time, projected a number of expedi-
tions, attacks, and sieges, all of which they attempted
to carry into execution in the month of March, trust-
ing to their knowledge of the country, and the hardi-
ness of the Highlanders, who were able to endure
the rigour of a season uncommonly severe.
First of all, in the end of February, they sent off a
detachment to besiege Fort-William. General Sta-
pleton was appointed to command the troops, and
conduct the siege. He had with him 300 men of the
Irish piquets ; and the Cr merons, with the Macdonalds
of Keppoch, and the Stuarts of Appin, under the
command of Locheil, were to join him when he came
to Fort- William.
The distance between Inverness and Fort- William
ii sixty- one miles, and the hilly road between these
THE REBELLION, 1745.
two places (which for a great part of the way is a
continuation of steep paths and passes) retarded the
inarch of the French soldiers with their cannon so
much, that they did not get to Fort- William * for
many days, and did not complete their batteries, nor
begin to fire from them, till the 20th of March.
Several other enterprises had been undertaken, and
were carrying on at the same time ; and there is a
coincidence in the date of those events that happened
in the month of March, which makes this part of the
story seem confused and perplexed.
In the beginning of March, Lord Cromarty was
sent into Ross-shire with his own regiment, and the
Mackinnons, the Macgregors, and Barrisdale's men,
to dislodge Lord Loudon and his forces, who, after
their retreat from Inverness, had taken possession of
Ross-shire.
Lord Louden defended himself, and stood his
ground agains.t Lord Cromarty and his detachment ;
but when the Duke of Perth and Lord George Mur-
ray joined Lord Cromarty with a reinforcement of
some of the best men in the Highland army t, Lord
Loudon crossed over the Firth of Tain to Sutherland,
and quartering his troops in the town of Dornoch
and the country about it, lay with the firth between
him and the enemy.
Lord George Murray leaving the Duke of Perth to
prosecute the war against Lord Loudon, returned to
Inverness, to execute a design which he had formed,
in concert with Cluny, of beating up the quarters of
the King's troops in Athol.
From Inverness Lord George took with him one
regiment of his Athol brigade, and proceeded to
Badenoch, where he was joined by Cluny with 300
Macphersons. Cluny informed him, that he had sent
forward several parties of his men to guard the passes,
* The Highlanders appeared before the fortress in the end of
February.
f The Macdonalds of Clanranald, under the command of their
chief, and one battalion of JUochiel's regiment commanded by his
brother.
H
14-6 THE HISTORY OF
and prevent all communication between Badenoch
and Athol.
In the evening of the 16th of March, when day-
light began to fail, they set out from Dalwhinnie with
700 men ; nobody but Lord George and Cluny knew
whither they were going, or what was intended to be
done. At Dalspeddel, which is about the middle of
Drummochter, a halt was ordered, and the 700 men
were divided into a great many parties, in each of
which the Atholmen and the Macphersons were mixed
in proportion to their numbers in the detachment.
Lord George then made them a speech, that de-
clared and explained his design, which was, to attack
all the posts in Athol occupied by regulars or Ar-
gyleshire men, before day-light, and as nearly as pos
sible at the same time ; he concluded his speech, by
promising a reward of one guinea to every man who
should surprise a centinel at his post.
The principal posts to be attacked were Bun-Ran-
noch, the house of Kinnachin, the house of Blairfet-
tie, the house of Lude, the house of Faschillie, and
the public house (the inn) at Blair, where, as Lord
George Murray was informed, a good many officers
of the 2 1 st had taken up their quarters.
Many other small posts, commanded by non-com-
missioned officers, were included in the plan of at-
tack.
The Bridge of Bruar, which is about two miles to
the north of Blair, was appointed the place of ren-
dezvous, to which all the different parties were order-
ed to repair, when they had discharged their duty ;
and there (it was told them) they should find Lord
George Murray and Cluny.
The parties set out immediately, and most of them
reached the places they were sent to attack before
break of day.
At Bun-Rannoch there was a late- wake * that night,
and the Argyleshire men quartered there were en-
* It was formerly a custom in Scotland, at the death of any
person, to assemble a company of the neighbours, who sat up all
THE REBELLION, 1745. 147
gaged as guests in that barbarous and now obsolete
festivity ; their centinel was surprised, the party en-
tered the house without a shot being fired, and made
them all prisoners.
At the house at Kinnachin the centinel was upon
his guard, discharged his piece at the approach of the
enemy and alarmed his friends, who, firing from the
windows, defended themselves till the party broke
into the house, and killing one man, made the rest
prisoners.
At Blairfettie the centinel was surprised, and the
enemy was in the house before the Argyleshire men
knew they were attacked; notwithstanding which,
they resisted and defended themselves for some time,
before they laid down their arms.
The house of Kinnachin was occupied by a party
of the 21st regiment, their centinel was surprised and
killed, and the whole party made prisoners.
At Faschillie, which is not far from Lude, there
was a party of Argyleshire men, who were surprised
and taken.
At Blair, those who attacked the public-house met
with such a resistance that all the officers escaped,
and got to the Castle of Blair.
About break of day, before any of the parties had
joined Lord George at the place of rendezvous, or
any account had been received of their success, a
common fellow from the town of Blair came to the
Bridge of Brnar, and informed Lord George Murray,
that Sir Andrew Agnew had got his men under arms,
and was coming to see who they were that had at-
tacked his posts.
When Lord George and Cluny received this no-
tice, they had with them only twenty-five private
men, and some elderly gentlemen. They consulted
together what should be done. Some advised, that
night in the room where the corpse lay : this company (of which
some of the nearest relations always made a part) played at cards,
told tales, and drank till day-light. Such was the iate-wake, a
custom once universal in Scotland, now almost as universally dis-
used.
H2
148 THE HISTORY OF
without loss of time they should make the best of
their way back to Drumochter. Others were of opi-
nion, that it would be better to mount the hills that
were nearest, and make their retreat by roads where
they could not easily be followed.
Loi'd George differed from every body who had
given his opinion. " If I quit my post," said he,
" all the parties I have sent out, as they come in, will
fall into the hands of the enemy."
It was day-light, but the sun was not up. Lord
George looking earnestly about him, observed a fold-
dike (that is, a wall of sod or turf) which had been
begun as a fence for cattle, and left unfinished ; it
was of considerable length, and cut in two a field
that was near the bridge. He ordered his men to
follow him, and drew them up behind the dike, at
such a distance from one another that they might
make a great shew, having the colours of both regi-
ments flying in their front. He then gave orders to
the pipers (for he had with him all the pipers, both
of the Atholmen and the Macphersons) to keep their
eyes fixed upon the road from Blair, and the moment
they saw the soldiers appear, to strike up with all
their bagpipes at once. It happened that the regi-
ment came in sight just as the sun rose, and that in-
stant the pipers began to play one of their most noisy
pibrochs. Lord George Murray and his Highland-
ers, both officers and men, drew their swords, and
brandished them about their heads. Sir Andrew, af-
ter gazing a while at this spectacle, ordered his men
to the right about, and marched them back to the
Castle of Blair. Lord George Murray kept his post
at the bridge till several of his parties * came in, and
* When all the parties came in and made their report, (some
of them at the bridge of Bruar and some at the village of Blair,)
it appeared that no less than thirty posts, great and small, had
been attacked between three o'clock and five in the morning, and
all of them carried. Though there had been a good deal of firing,
few men were killed in the night attacks, for the rebels did not
lose one man, and the King's troops not above three or four; but
300 men (non-commissioned officers included) were taken pri-
toners.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 149
as soon as he had collected 300 or 400 men, conscious
of victory, and certain that his numbers would be
greater very soon, he marched to Blair and invested
the castle ; but he had no battering cannon, for his
whole train consisted of two small field-pieces, whose
shot made no impression upon walls that were seven
feet thick.
Lord George being informed that the garrison had
no great stock of provisions, resolved to remain before
the place, and cut oft' all communication between the
castle and the neighbouring country, that the troops
might be obliged to surrender for want of subsistence.
Accordingly he placed his guards, and commenced a
blockade, which continued so long, that various move-
ments were made in the meantime by the rebels and
by the King's troops, in different places, and several
exploits performed, of which it is necessary to give
some account.
When Lord George Murray left Ross-shire, the
Duke of Perth remained there to prosecute the war
against Lord London, who had got into Sutherland,
with the Firth of Tain between him and his enemies.
The Duke of Perth having collected a number of
boats, and brought them to the town of Tain, which
is directly opposite to Dornoch, he himself, with a
considerable part of his forces, marched about by the
head of the Firth. The men who were left at Tain
embarking in the boats (at the time agreed upon
with the duke) crossed the firth under cover of a
thick fog, and landed without being discovered.
The Duke of Perth uniting his forces, came up
near Dornoch with 200 men of Lord Loudon's regi-
ment, commanded by the major, who had been in-
formed, by an express from Lord Loudon, of the ap-
proach of the enemy, and was marching to join his
lordship. The major, with four or five officers, and
sixty men, were made prisoners, and the rest dis-
persed.
After this disaster, Lord Loudon separated his ar-
my ; he himself, with the President and Macleod,
marched through Sutherland to the sea-coast, and
embarked with 800 men for the Isle of Skye. Several
HS
150 THE HISTORY OP
of the officers and some of the men belonging to Lord
Loudon's regiment retreated to Lord Rae's country,
where they had an opportunity soon after of doing a
most essential piece of service.
Meanwhile, strong detachments of the King's army
were sent from Aberdeen to take positions that might
favour the march of the Duke of Cumberland, when
he should advance with his forces into the Highlands.
On the 12th of March, a detachment, consisting of
four battalions of infantry and two regiments of ca-
valry, under the command of General Bland, marched
from Aberdeen to Old Meldrum, which is seventeen
miles onward in the road to the river Spey, that runs
between Aberdeen and Inverness, and is seldom ford-
able in spring, except the weather be uncommonly
dry.
General Bland continued to advance with his
troops, and was followed on the 16th by four batta-
lions under the command of General Mordaunt, who
was ordered to sustain General Bland in his attacks
upon those bodies of the rebel army that had crossed
the river Spey, and had taken possession of Strath-
bogie, where Colonel Roy Stewart commanded a body
of horse and 1000 foot.
General Bland, marching early in the morning of
the 17th, had got very near Strathbogie with his
troops before the rebels were informed of his ap-
proach. Colonel Stewart, with his men, immediate-
ly abandoned the town, and retreated to Fochabers.
About the end of March, the Duke of Cumberland's
army was divided into three large bodies, one of
which, commanded by Lord Albemarle and General
Bland, lay at Strathbogie. Another lay at Old Mel-
drum, commanded by General Moi'daunt, and the
third was quartered at Aberdeen, where the Duke
himself commanded.
While the army was cantoned in this manner, a
detachment from the division under General Bland,
consisting of seventy Argyleshire men and thirty
of Kingston's horse, occupied the village of Keith,
which lies between Strathbogie and Fochabers. The
Highlanders, informed of the number of this detach-
THE REBELLION, 1745. 151
ment, marched a much greater number of their men
from Fochabers to Keith ; and arriving there at mid-
night, on the 20th of March, surprised the party so
completely, that almost all of them, both horse and
foot, were killed or made prisoners.
All these affairs happened in the month of March,
and nearly about the same time, that is, in the end of
the month.
The friends of government were grieved and asto-
nished when they heard of so many attacks made by
an enemy, of whose attacks they never expected to
have heard any more.
But while the enterprises of the Higlanders by
land were for the most part successful, the attempts
of France and Spain to send them succours by sea,
generally failed. For the frigates and privateers
(sometimes single ships, and sometimes two or three
together) sent with supplies of men and money to the
rebel army, seldom escaped the English men of war
which cruised in the North seas to intercept them.
There was one vessel belonging to the rebels, which
had formerly been a sloop of war in the navy of Eng-
land, called the Hazard, but being captured by the
.Highlanders in the harbour of Montrose, her name
was changed, and they called her the Prince Charles,
This vessel sailed remarkably well, and had made
several voyages to France.
In the end of March, the Prince Charles made her
appearance in the North Seas, having on board 120
soldiers, and twenty officers (mostly Irish, in the Spa-
nish service,) with a considerable sum of money.
An English cruiser, called the Sheerness, got sight
of the Prince Charles on the 25th of March ; and af-
ter a long chase, and a running fight, drove her on
shore in the Bay of Tongue near Lord Reay's house.
The officers and soldiers landed immediately, taking
with them, it is said, 1 2,000 or JE 13,000 in gold;
but they were soon descried, and attacked by those
officers and men of Lord London's regiment who had
come into Lord Reay's country, as has been men-
tioned, where they were joined by some of the Mac-
kays, raised by Lord Reay's sons. The contest did
H4
152 THE HISTORY OF
not last long ; the foreigners, after a very faint re-
sistance, laid down their arms, and surrendered them-
selves, with the money, of which Charles and his
army were at that time in the greatest want *.
The month of March was now near an end, and as
the cold wind of the spring, that dries the ground
more than the heat of summer, had blown for some
time, and made the rivers fordable, it was concluded
that the Duke of Cumberland would march very
soon, and attack Charles in his head-quarters at In-
verness. In this belief, expresses were sent to all the
officers of the rebel army, who commanded detach-
ments at a distance, to desist from their enterprises,
and hasten to Inverness with all the men under their
command.
Lord George Murray having received orders to
this effect, sent off his two pieces of cannon from
Blair, on the 31st of March. Next day, at two o'clock
in the morning, he marched with all his forces to
Badenoch.
During the blockade of the castle of Blair, nothing
memorable happened. Few men were killed on ei-
ther side ; and the garrison suffered no distress but
from want of provisions, by which they were reduced
to great extremity ; and if the blockade had lasted a
few days longer, it seems probable they would have
been obliged to surrender.
When Lord George Murray came to Badenoch, he
left the Macphersons in their own country t, and
* The rebel army had been in great distress for want of money
ome time before the Prince Charles was taken. Orders were sent
to General Stapleton and Locheil to hasten the siege of Fort- Wil-
liam as much as possible ; and when they had taken the fort, as
there was no prospect of getting any money unless they were in
possession of the Low-country, Charles and his counsellors had
determined that Locheil and Keppoch, with their own regiments,
and the regiments of Clanronald, Glengary, and Appin, should
march into Argyleshire, while Charles, with the rest of the clans
and the Low-country regiments, should march by the Highland
road to Perth, where it was intended the two divisions of his army
should join.
f Badenoch is so near Inverness, that it was thought the Mac-
phersons could be had whenever they were wanted ; and in the
THE REBELLION, 1745. 153
sent down his regiment to Speyside to join the Athol
brigade, which made part of those forces under the
command of the Duke of Perth that guarded the
fords of the river Spey, by which it was expected
the Duke of Cumberland's would come when they
marched northward. Lord George himself went on
to Inverness, where he arrived on the 3d of April.
On that very day the siege * of Fort- William was
raised by General Stapleton, who spiked his heavy
cannon, carried off his field pieces, and marched with
his own men towards Inverness, leaving the High-
landers and their chiefs to follow when they pleased.
mean time might labour their ground, sow their oat seed, and live
upon their own provisions; for the magazines at Inverness were
very ill supplied with ammunition of every sort.
* A journal of the siege of Fort-William, said to be written
by an officer of the garrison, was published in the Scots Magazine
of the month of March, in the year 1746. The author of that
journal states the number of the men in the garrison at 600
takes notice of the strength of the place, which could not be in-
vested, for it was built on the sea-shore, and, when General Sta-
pleton came there, was defended on that side by the fire of two
sloops of war. The siege, though not a very regular one, lasted
about a month, and the garrison, who made several sallies, lost
only six men.
H 5
154 THE HISTORY OF
CHAP. X.
The Duke of Cumberland at Aberdeen His Army leaves
Aberdeen Proceeds towards Inverness Skirmish at the
Bridge of Nairne The Rear-guard of the Rebels re-
treats The Fan-guard of the Duke's Army pursues
Charles comes up ivith a Body of his Troops The Van-
guard of the Duke's Army retreats Joins their main
Body Design of a Night Attack Night march of the
Rebels The Design frustrated The Rebels retreat to
Culloden March of the Duke of Cumberland to attack
them Defeat and Dispersion of the Rebel Army.
\VHILE the Generals of the Highland army were
marching with their men towards Inverness, the Duke
of Cumberland was preparing to march to the same
place with all his forces. His Royal Highness had
provided every thing that was thought necessary to
ensure success.
Intending to march by the coast road, which is no
where far from the sea, he had given orders for a
number of transports, with a convoy of several ships
of war, to attend his army in their march.
The transports were loaded with provisions, am-
munition, artillery, and every thing necessary for an
army.
On the 8th of April, the Duke of Cumberland left
Aberdeen with the last division of his army *, and
advancing to the northward was joined by General
Bland and General Mordaunt, with the troops under
* State of the effective force of the army under the command
of His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, from the re-
turn dated at Aberdeen, March 26, 1 746.
EFFECTIVE RANK AND FILE, 7179
State Paper Office, July 14, 1801.
Extracted by John Bruce, Keeper of State Paper*.
5
THE REBELLION, 1745. 155
their command ; so that the whole army met at Cul-
len, which is twelve miles from the river Spey.
At Aberdeen, the Duke's army had been reinforced
by two regiments from England, the Duke of King-
ston's regiment of light horse, and Blyth's regiment
of foot, with 600 recovered men from the hospitals at
Edinburgh. The weather was cold, but windy and
dry, and the river Spey was known to be fordable.
A considerable part of the rebel army, under the
command of the Duke of Perth, lay on the north-west
side of the river Spey. These troops consisted most-
ly of the Low Country regiments : they had drawn
a trench, and raised some works on their side of the
river, as if they intended to oppose the passage of the
King's troops.
On the 12th of April, the army left Cullen, and
marched on till they came to the Muir of Arroudel,
which is about five or six miles from the river Spey.
The army halted there, and formed in three divisions,
each of them about half a mile distant from each
other. The greatest division of the three was on the
left, and marched along the high-road : the other two
divisions marched nearer the sea and the ships, which
were on their right. In this order the army advanc-
ed till they came to the river, which the greatest di-
vision entered at a ford near Gormach, the next divi-
sion to that at the ford by Gordon Castle, and the di-
vision on the right at a ford near the church of Belly.
In this manner the Duke's army crossed the river
Spey without opposition, though it was generally
expected that the passage of the river would be dis-
puted. But this apprehension was owing to the ig-
norance that prevailed both of the condition of the
rebel army at Inverness, and the number of men un-
der the Duke of Perth's command, for he had not
with him one half* of the forces of Charles, and was
under orders to retreat without coming to an action.
* The Duke of Perth had with him at Speyside his own regi-
ment, the Athol brigade, Lord Lewis Gordon's, and Lord Ogil-
vie's regiments, Colonel John Roy Stewart's regiment, the Far-
quharsons, and all the horse of the rebel army, except the first
troop of guards. If the rest of their forces had been assembled, it
was intended to have marched them all to Spey.
H G
156 THE HISTORY OF
Accordingly, when the King's troops were ap-
proaching the river, the banks of which are very high
on the north-west side, the Duke of Perth drew off
his men, and retreated to Elgin.
The Duke of Cumberland's army encamped on the
north side of the Spey, opposite to Fochabers.
On Sunday the 1 3th, the army marched from Spey-
side to the muir of Alves, (which is a march of four-
teen miles,) and encamped near the parish church of
Alves, four miles from Elgin. On Monday the 14th,
the army moved on to Nairn, which is seventeen
miles from Alves. The van-guard, which consisted
of some companies of grenadiers, with part of the Ar-
gyleshire men, and Kingston's light horse, marched
on briskly. When they came to the bridge of Nairn
they found that the rear- guard of the rebels had not
left the town, and a party of their men (some of the
Irish piquets,) standing at one end of the bridge, fired
upon the grenadiers at the other ; some shots were
exchanged without much loss on either side.
When the rebels quitted the town, their retreat was
covered by some cavalry, consisting of one troop of
Fitzjames's horse, and the second troop of horse-
guards. The troops that dislodged them from Nairn
continued the pursuit for several miles, and were very
near them at a place called the Loch of the clans,
(which is five or six miles from Nairn) when Charles
qame up most unexpectedly, with his first troop of
guards, and the Macintosh regiment. He ordered his
men to halt, and formed them to receive the attack of
the pursuers; who, seeing themselves out-numbered,
retreated in their turn ; and marching back to Nairn,
joined the army which was encamped on the plain
west of that town.
Charles had left Inverness in the morning, and ta-
ken with him all the troops that were there, leaving
orders for those that were coming up to follow him
as fast as they could to Culloden *, which is three
miles onward in the way to Nairn.
Culloden is a little to the southward of the high-road from
Inverness to Nairn. These towns are about seventeen miles dis-
tant.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 157
At this critical time, the rebel army was much dis-
persed. Locheil and Keppoch, with the Highlanders
who had been at the siege of Fort- William, were on
their way to Inverness, and expected every hour.
Lord Cromarty, with about 700 men, was in Suther-
land, as was also Mackinnon, Glengyle, and Baris-
dale, with their men. Cluny and the Macphersons
were still in Badenoch : the Master of Lovat (after-
wards General Fraser) had gone to his father's coun-
try, which is very near Inverness, to bring up all the
men he could to complete the second battalion lately
added to his regiment. The absence of so many men
was perfectly well known in the army, and it seemed
very strange that Charles should make a movement
which brought him nearer his enemies, and carried
him still farther from his own men, of whom he stood
in so much need. It appeared very soon that he
came to Culloden for that very reason, that he might
be nearer the Duke of Cumberland's army than he
was at Inverness.
In the evening of the 14th, Locheil joined the ar-
my with his regiment. That night the Highlanders
(who never pitched a tent) lay upon the ground
among the furze and trees of Culloden- wood. Charles
and his principal officers were lodged in Cullodan-
house.
Next day the army, joined by Keppoch and his re-
giment, was drawn up in order of battle upon Drum-
mossie Muir *, about a mile and a half to the south-
east of Culloden house. When mid-day came, and
the King's army did not appear, it was concluded that
they had not moved from their camp at Nairn, and
would not move that day, which was the Duke of
Cumberland's birth-day. About two o'clock the men
were ordered to their quarters, and Charles calling
together the Generals and Chiefs, made them a speech,
* On the 15th, when the rebel army was formed upon this
muir, Lord George Murray proposed to retire to the other side
of the river Nairn, and occupy a piece of ground which he said
was a much more proper field of battle for Highlanders than the
plain muir where the army was drawn up.
158 THE HISTORY OF
ill which he proposed to march with all his forces in
the evening, and make a night attack upon the Duke
of Cumberland's army in their camp at Nairn.
At first nobody seemed to relish this proposal ; and
the Duke of Perth and Lord John Drummond ex-
pressed their dislike of it. Locheil, who was not a
man of many words, said that the army would be
stronger next day by 1500 men at least; but when
Lord George Murray rose, and seconded the propo-
sal made by Charles, insisting and enlarging upon the
advantage of a night attack, that rendered cannon
and cavalry (in which the superiority of the Duke of
Cumberland's army chiefly consisted, ) of little ser-
vice, it was agreed to make the attempt, as the best
thing that could be done in their present circumstan-
ces, for they were almost entirely destitute both of
money and provisions.
When the officers went to their regiments, they
found that a great number of the soldiers had gone
to Inverness and places adjacent to procure provi-
sions. Officers were sent from every regiment to
bring the men back, but they refused to come, bid-
ding the officers shoot them if they pleased, for they
would not come back till they had got some food.
This happened between six and seven o'clock in the
evening ; and as the army was to march at eight, the
absence of so many men seemed to put an end to the
design of a night attack ; but Charles was bent upon
making the attack. He made the chiefs and colonels
assemble what men they could, and at eight o'clock
gave orders to Lord George Murray to march. Lord
George put himself at the head of the army, and
marched with great alacrity to execute the design of
a night attack, which he himself had formed ; and it
was to have been executed in the following manner :
The river Nairn passes within half a mile of Drum-
mossie Muir, the field of battle, and runs from that
straight east towards the town of Nairn, which stands,
as Culloden does, on the north side of the river.
Lord George Murray intended to march with the
army in a body, till they were past the house of Kil-
THE REBELLION, 1745. 159
raick, or Kilravock *, then to divide his troops, and
cross the river with the van, (making about one third
of the army) which he himself commanded, at a place
about two miles distant from Nairn, and march on,
having two-thirds of the army on the north side, and
one third on the south side of the river, till both
of them came near the Duke's camp, then to cross the
river again with his own division, and attack the King's
army at once from the south and from the west. This
was the plan of the night attack t ; which, if it had
been executed as it was projected, would, in the opi-
nion of some of the bravest officers in the Duke's ar-
my, have proved not a little dangerous.
The Highland army marched from Culloden in a
column, or rather in a long line of march, with an in-
terval in the middle, as if there were two columns,
one following the other.
Lord George Murray marched in the front of the
first column, at the head of the Athol brigade. Lord
John Drummond was in the rear of that division or
column ; Charles and the Duke of Perth were in the
interval between the two columns, that is, in the cen-
tre of the line of march. Two officers, and between
twenty or thirty men of the Macintosh regiment, who
knew the road very well, for they lived in that part
of the country, were distributed along the line as
, guides.
* The house of Kilravock is ten miles from Culloden, on the
direct road to the town of Nairn.
f The plan of a night attack had been formed by Lord George
Murray, who concluded that the Duke of Cumberland, whose
army had not halted from the time they left Aberdeen, would
certainly halt at Nairn. Lord George Murray communicated his
plan to Charles, who promised upon his honour to keep the man-
ner of the attack secret. Accordingly, in his speech to the offi-
cers, Charles did not mention the manner of the attack. There
was another person in the army, Anderson, the guide at the battle
of Preston, to whom Lord George had imparted the whole de-
sign. Anderson entreated him to explain himself to some of the
Chiefs, particularly to Locheil, which Lord George positively re-
fused to do, saying, the Chiefs would be talking of it to some of
their kindred, and his design would take air, and be defeated, for
the success depended absolutely upon its being kept secret.
160 THE HISTORY OF
Soon after the Highlanders left Culloden it grew
very dark, and as they kept no road, that they might
avoid some houses on the high way to Nairn, they
were obliged to march through some very wet and
deep ground, which retarded them much, especially
those that were in the rear : they had not marched
far, when a messenger came up to the front, desiring
that the van should halt, for the other column was a
great way behind. The van did not halt, but an or-
der was given for the men to march slower : notwith-
standing this order the rear still lost ground, and
many messengers were sent, insisting that the van
should halt and wait for them.
While they proceeded in this manner, a great deal
of time was lost, and the night was far spent before
they reached Kilravock.
The Highlanders had passed the house and wood
of Kilravock, and the van of their army was about a
mile from the place where Lord George Murray in-
tended to cross the river, when Lord John Drum-
mond, who had often come up before, and whispered
Lord George Murray to order a halt, came up again,
and said aloud to Lord George, Why will you go on ?
There is a gap in the line half a mile long, the men
won't come up. Lord George Murray ordered a halt*.
Locheil, whose regiment marched next to the Athole
brigade, came up to the front, and joining Lord
George Murray, Lord John Drummond, and General
Sullivan, with some volunteers, who had marched
all night in the front, consulted what was best to be
done : they knew by their repeating watches that it
was two o'clock in the morning ; and as Nairn was
more than three miles off, it was evident, from the
time they had taken in marching hither, that it would
be broad day-light before they could reach Nairn.
Lord George Murray said it was a free parliament,
and desired every body to speak, and give their opi-
nion, for they were all equally concerned.
* The place where the Highland army halted, is called th
Yellow Know (Knoll,) the name of a small farm-house belonging
to Rose of Kihavock, which is above three miles from Nairn.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 161
Most of them did speak, but they differed in opi-
nion. Some advised a retreat, as day-light was so
near, and they could not expect to surprise the enemy.
Others declared themselves for marching on to Nairn.
Lord George Murray, provoked that his favourite
design of a night attack was frustrated *, joined those
who advised a retreat, and answered every person
who spoke for going on, of whom the most deter-
mined was Mr. Hepburn, who urged Lord George
Murray to lose no time, but order the men to march
on to Nairn as fast as they could. While Mr. Hep-
burn was speaking, a drum beat. Don't you hear,
said Lord George, the enemy are alarmed ; we can't
surprise them. I never expected, said Mr. Hepburn,
to find them asleep ; but it is much better to march
on and attack them than to retreat, for they will most
certainly follow, and oblige us to fight when we shall
be in a much worse condition to fight them than we
are now.
During this altercation between Lord George Mur-
ray and Mr. Hepburn, John Hay t came up, and
hearing what they said, immediately rode back to
Charles, who was in the centre of the line of march,
and told him, that unless he came to the front, and
ordered Lord George Murray to go on, nothing would
be done. Charles, who was on horseback, set out in-
stantly, and riding pretty fast, met the Highland
army marching back to Culloden. Charles was ex-
tremely incensed ; and said Lord George Murray had
betrayed him.
Of this night march towards Nairn, the Duke of
Cumberland had certain information ; for several peo-
ple in his pay who spoke the Gaelic language, and
* When it was agreed in council to march to Nairn, and attempt
a night attack, Lord George Murray, who had taken Anderson
to the council, squeezed him by the hand, and carried him home
to dinner, where he expressed himself with great confidence of suc-
cess ; and assured Anderson, that the night attack gave the High-
land army a much better chance than they had either at Preston
or Falkirk.
f About the time of the battle of Culloden, Secretary Murray
was in bad health, and John Hay acted as Secretary.
162
wore the Highland garb, mixed with the rebels as
they merched ; and, taking their opportunity to leave
them at different times, gave notice to the Duke of
the progress of the Highland army ; but none of the
Duke's spies knew any thing of the intended attack,
for Charles had kept his word.
The last person who came with intelligence to
Nairn was one Shaw, (afterwards an officer in the
25th regiment.) From his information the Duke
concluded that the Highlanders were coming on in
the front of his encampment, where he could not be
surprised ; for in the plain to the west of his camp,
between his army and the Highlanders, were the Ar-
gyleshire men, commanded by Colonel Campbell,
(the present Duke of Argyle ; ) and advanced beyond
them, there was a party of dragoons, commanded by
Captain Hall, (afterwards Lieutenant-Colonel,) that
patrolled all night between the river Nairn and the
sea.
It seems probable, that the Duke of Cumberland
thought the rebels intended only to approach his
camp, take their ground in the night, and attack the
army in the morning ; for when Shaw came in, the
soldiers were ordered to lie down with their arms by
them, and take some rest.
At break of day the Duke's army was formed, and
about five o'clock began their march towards Inver-
ness, the infantry in three columns, with the cavalry
in front and rear.
The Highlanders marched 'back to Culloden in
much less time than they had taken in marching to-
wards Nairn ; for, besides the advantage of having
day-light, which they had very soon, there was no
occasion to shun the houses ; and they took the best
and shortest road.
It was between five and six in the morning when
they got back to Culloden, fatigued and famished ;
the men had received no pay for a month ; and on
the 15th they had only one biscuit each man. The
night march backwards and forwards had made mat-
ters worse, which were bad before. Many of the
private men lay down to sleep ; and no small number
THE REBELLION, 1745. 163
of them made the best of their way to Inverness to
ek provisions.
About eight o'clock, Cameron, a Lieutenant in
Locheil's regiment, (who had been left asleep near
the place where the halt was made) came to Cullo-
den house, where Charles with his principal officers
edged, and informed them that he had seen the
Duke's army in full march towards them. Orders
were immediately given to recal the men who had
gone to Inverness ; and to march the regiments to a
>art of Drummossie-muir, about half a mile to the
west of that place where they had been drawn up
he day before.
Sullivan, who was both Adjutant and Quarter-
master General, made the disposition : and formed
;he army in two lines, with a body of reserve. The
Athole brigade had the right of the first line: on
their left stood Locheil's regiment, the Appin regi-
ment, the Fvaser regiment, the Macintosh regiment,
the united regiment of Maclauchlans and Macleans,
John Roy Stewart's regiment, the Farquharson regi-
ment ; and on the left of all, the three Macdonald
regiments, Clanranald, Keppoch, and Glengary. Lord
George Murray commanded on the right, and Lord
John Drummond on the left.
The second line consisted of Lord Ogilvie's regi-
ment of two battalions, which had the right : of Lord
Lewis Gordon's regiment, also of two battalions, Glen-
bucket's regiment, the Duke of Perth's regiment,
Lord John Drummond's regiment, and the Irish pi-
quets.
General Stapleton commanded the second line. On
the right of the first line, and somewhat behind it,
was the first troop of horse- guards *, and on the left
of the second line a troop of Fitz-James's horse.
Lord Kilmarnock's regiment of foot-guards t, with
* In the different retreats which the rebels made, their cavalry
was so much diminished, that, these two troops excepted, none of
the horse made a part either of the first or second line.
+ "When the Highland army left Edinburgh, Lord Kilmar-
nock commanded a small body of cavalry, called the Horse-gre.
nadiers : but his grenadiers were dismounted, and their horses
cq
O e
PH tt
M
THE REBELLION, 1745. 165
ie remains of Lord Pitsligo's and Lord Strathallan's
.orse, which were dwindled almost to nothing, made
lie reserve, which was commanded by Lord Kilmar-
ock.
Charles placed himself on a small eminence behind
he right of the second line, with Lord Balmerino's
roop of horse-guards, and Colonel Shea's troop of
"itz-James's horse.
The rebels were standing in this order *, (having
wall which covered the right flank t of their army)
hen the King's army came in sight of them, about
2 o'clock, at the distance of two miles and a half.
The Duke of Cumberland, seeing that the rebels
ad taken their ground to give him battle, ordered a
alt ; and, breaking his columns into two lines of
oot, flanked with horse, and having a strong body of
eserve, advanced towards the enemy.
The first line of the Duke's army consisted of six
egiments of foot. The Royal had the right. On
heir left stood Cholmondely's, Price's, the Scots Fu-
ileers, Monro's, and Burrel's. The second line con-
isted of the same number of regiments. Howard's
iven to the men of Fitz- James's regiment, who had landed in
Icotland, having saddles and accoutrements with them, but no
orses. The grenadiers made the beginning of a regiment of in-
mtry, which was called the Foot- guards; and commanded by
iprd Kilmarnock.
Notwithstanding the number of regiments mentioned in this
irder of battle, Patullo, muster master of the rebel army, makes
lie number of their men in the field to have been only 5000 : for
says he) although there were 8000 men upon paper, 3000 were ab-
ent. Lord Cromarty was in Sutherland with his own regiment.
le had also with him Glengyle, Mackinnon, Barrisdale, and
heir men. Clunie, with the Macphersons, was on his march to
>ulloden, and at no great distance when the battle was fought.
Jesides these regiments, and considerable bodies of troops, a good
lumber of men from every regiment, when they came back to Cul-
oden after the night march, had gone to Inverness and other places
O quest of food, and were not returned when the King's army
tone in sight of the rebels.
f- The wall which covered the flank of the rebel army, was the
aorth wall of a very large inclosure, whose south wall was near the
river of Nairn ; and the east wall about 1.50 paces from the caval-
ry, on the left of the Duke's army when the battle began.
166 THE HISTORY OF
regiment had the right ; on their left stood Fleming's
Ligonier's, Blyth's, Sempill's, and Wolfe's. The re-
serve consisted of Blakeney's, Battereau's, and Pul-
teney's. The Duke of Kingston's regiment of lighl
horse, and one squadron of Lord Cobham's dragoons
were placed on the right of the first line. Lord Marl
Ker's regiment of dragoons, and two squadrons oi
Lord Cobham's, on the left. When the King's arm)
came within five or six hundred paces of the rebe
army, part of the ground in their front was so sofl
and boggy, that the horses which drew the cannor
sunk ; and were obliged to be taken off': the soldiers
slinging their firelocks, dragged the cannon across
the bog. As soon as the cannon were brought t<
firmer ground, two field pieces, short six pounders
were placed in the intervals between the battalions
and Colonel Belford of the artillery, who directed th<
cannon of the Duke's army, began to fire upon thi
rebels, who, for some time, had been firing upon tin
King's troops from several batteries ; but the cannoi
of the rebels were very ill served, and did little harm*
The Duke's artillery did great execution, making lane:
through the Highland regiments. The Duke of Cum.
berland, observing the wall on the right flank of tin
Highland army, ordered Colonel Belford to continut
the cannonade, with a view to make the Highlanders
leave the ground where they stood, and come dowr
to attack his army. During the cannonade, which
began a little after one o'clock, and lasted till neai
two, the Duke made several changes in the disposi-
tion of his army. Wolfe's regiment, which stood or
the left of the second line, and extended somewhai
beyond the left of the first line, was moved from itt
place (where the men were standing in water up t<
their ankles) and brought to the left of the first line
where they wheeled to the right, (and formed en po-
fence, as it is called,) making a front to the north, sc
as to fire upon the flank of the rebels, if they should
come down to attack the King's army. The Duke.
* One man in Blyth's regiment had his leg carried off by a
cannon ball, Not another shot took effect.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 167
at the same time, ordered two regiments to move up
from the reserve, so that Pulteney's regiment stood
on the right of the Royal, which had the right of the
first line before, and Battereau's regiment stood on
the right of Howard's regiment in the second line.
His Royal Highness, after making these changes in
the disposition of his army, placed himself between
the first and second line, in the front of Howard's re-
giment.
While these changes were making, Colonel Belford
observing the body of horse with Charles, ordered
two pieces of cannon to be pointed at them ; several
discharges were made ; and some balls broke ground
among the horse's legs. Charles had his face bespat-
tered with dirt; and one of his servants who stood
behind the squadron, with a led horse in his hand,
was killed. Meanwhile the cannonade continued,
and the Highlanders in the first line, impatient of
suffering, without doing any harm to their enemies,
grew clamorous to be led on to the attack. A mes-
sage was sent to Locheil, whose regiment stood next
the Athole brigade, desiring that he would represent
to Lord George Murray the necessity of attacking
immediately. While Locheil was speaking with Lord
George, the Macintosh regiment brake* out from
the centre of the first line ; and advanced against the
regiment opposite to them, which was the 21st. But
the fire of the field pieces, and the small arms of the
2 1 st, made the Macintoshes incline to the right, from
whence all the regiments to their right, with one re-
giment to their left, were coming down to the charge.
These regiments, joined together, advanced under a
heavy fire of cannon (loaded with grape shot) t and
* Before the Macintosh regiment moved, Charles had sent an
order to Lord George Murray to attack ; but Lord George never
received the order, for Maclauchlan, who carried it, in his way to
him, was killed by a cannon ball.
* Colonel Belfprd had ordered his men to load the field pieces
with cannon-ball, as long as the Highlanders remained on their
ground ; but when they advanced to attack the King's army, and
came within a proper distance, he ordered his men to load the
field-pieces with grape-shot.
168 THB HISTORY OF
musketry in their front, and a flank fire when they
came near Wolfe's regiment. Notwithstanding which
they still advanced *, and attacking sword in hand,
broke through Burrel's and Monro's in the first line,
and pushed on to the second. In the second line im-
mediately behind Barrel's, stood Sempill's regiment,
which during the attack had advanced fifty or sixty
paces ; and their front rank kneeling and presenting,
waited till Burrel's men got out of their way. For
the soldiers of Burrel's and Monro's did not run di-
rectly back, but went off behind the battalions on their
right. The Highlanders, who had broke through the
first line were got close together, without any inter-
val between one clan and another ; and the greater
part of them came on directly against Sempill's regi-
ment, which allowed them to come very near, and
then gave them a terrible fire, that brought a great
many of them to the ground, and made most of those
who did not fall turn back. A few, and but a few,
still pressed on, desperate and furious, to break into
Sempill's regiment, which not a man of them ever
did, the foremost falling at the end of the soldier's
bayonets.
Blyth's regiment, which was on the right of Sem-
pill's regiment, gave their fire at the same time, and
repulsed those that were advancing against them.
When the Highland regiments on the right of their
first line made this attack, the regiments on the left,
the Farquharsons, and the three Maedonald regi-
ments, did not advance at the same time, nor attack
in the same manner. They came so near the King's
army, as to draw upon themselves some fire from the
regiments that were opposite to them, which they re-
turned by a general discharge, and the Macdonalds
had drawn their swords to attack in the usual man-
ner ; but seeing those regiments, that had attacked
* The Athole brigade, in advancing, lost thirty-two officers,
and was so shattered that it stopt short, and never closed with the
King's troops.
I
THE REBELLION', 1745.
sword in hand, repulsed and put to flight *, they also
went off. When the Highlanders in the first line gave
way, the King's army did not pursue immediately.
The regiments of foot, from right to left, were order-
ed to stand upon the ground where they had fought,
and dress their ranks. The horse on the right of the
King's army were the first that pursued, and they
were very near the Macdonalds, when the Irish pi-
quets came down from their place in the second line,
and fired upon the dragoons, who halted, and the Mac-
donalds fell back to the second line. The two lines
joined formed a considerable body of men ; but their
hearts were broken, and their condition was altoge-
ther hopeless and irretrievable: in their front they
saw the infantry which had defeated them, and redu-
ced their two lines to one, preparing to advance
against them. On their right flank, and somewhat
behind them, they saw a body of the Duke's cavalry t
* The Macdouald officers said, and Macdonald of Morar
(eldest cadet of Clanroriald) has left it in writing, that their men
were affronted at being deprived of the right, (the post of honour,)
which the Macdonalds had at the battles of Preston and "Falkirk,
and have had, they say, from time immemorial. The Duke of
Perth, in the battle of Culloden, stood at the head of the Glen-
gary regiment ; and hearing the men murmur, (for they murmured
aloud,) said to them, that if the Macdonalds behaved with their
usual valour, (hey would make a right of the left, and he would
call himself Macdonald.
t Before the battle began, that is, before the Macintosh regi-
ment advanced against the King's army, General Bland, who
commanded the Duke's cavalry on the left, ordered two companies
of the Argyleshire men, and one company of Lord Loudon's re-
giment, to break down the east wall of the inclosure, whose north
wall covered the flank of the rebel army. The three companies of
foot pulled down the wall, and entering with the dragoons, put.
to the sword about 100 men, who had been posted in the inclosure
to defend the wall. General Bland then ordered the foot to pull
down part of the west wall of the inclosure, which they did, and
the dragoons getting out upon the muir, formed at a little distance
from the rear of the enemy. General Stapleton observing their
position, detached from the second line one of Lord Lewis Gor-
don's regiments, commanded by Gordon of Abbachie, who with
his men occupied a piece of ground where there was a hollow way
170 THE HISTORY OF
ready to fall upon them as soon as the infantry shoulel
advance.
Such was the condition of the rebels when the
Duke of Cumberland, with his infantry, advanced
towards them. At his approach they began to sepa-
rate, and go off in small parties, four or five together.
The rest made two large bodies; one of these, in
which were most of the Western Highlanders, di-
rected their course towards Badenoch, and the hills of
their own country. The other, and much the smaller
body, in which were the Frasers, Lord John Drum-
rnond's regiment, and the Irish piquets, marched
straight to Inverness. The dragoons, both from the
right and left of the Duke's army, pursued, and did
great execution upon the straggling parties. King-
ston's light horse followed the chace, till they came
within a mile from Inverness. At a mill, which is
about that distance from the town, lay the last of the
slain. The Duke of Cumberland, marching on to-
wards Inverness, was met by a drummer with a mes-
sage from General Stapleton, offering to surrender,
and asking quarter. The Duke made Sir Joseph
Yorke alight from his horse, and with his pencil
write a note to General Stapleton, assuring him of
fair quarter and honourable treatment. The drum-
mer went off with his answer. The Duke then sent
forward Captain Campbell* of Sempill's regiment,
with his company of grenadiers, who took possession
of Inverness. The French and Irish laid down their
between the dragoons and them. General Bland then ordered the
Argyleshire men to go close to the north wall, and fire on the
ftank of the rebels. The Argyleshire men obeyed him, but re-
ceived a fire which killed two of their captains and an ensign.
* Afterwards Sir James Campbell of Ardkinlass.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 171
CHAP. XI.
Circumstances and Incidents at the Battle of Culloden
Number of the Slain in both Armies Fate of the Ch~iefs
who commanded the Highland Regiments that attacked
the King's Army Route of Charles when he left the
Field Crosses the River of Nairn Halts there some
time Goes to GorthleekSees Lord Lovat Travels
through the Highlands to Borradale Embarks for the
Long Island His Danger and Distress there Returns
to the Main Land His Distress does not abate Joins
Locheil and Cluny Lives with them in the Great Moun-
tain Renalder Notice comes that two French Frigates
are arrived at Borradale He travels to Borradale
Embarks, and lands in France.
1 HE Duke of Cumberland's army did not lose many
men in the battle of Culloden. A list of the killed
and -wounded, published by authority, makes the
number amount to 310, officers included*. No ge-
neral or field officer was killed. The person of the
greatest distinction who fell that memorable day was
Lord Robert Ker, second son of the Marquis of Lo-
thian, captain of grenadiers in Bun-el's regiment. He
was in the bloom of youth, and extremely handsome.
Standing at the head of his company when the High-
landers broke into Burrel's, he received, it is said, the
foremost man upon his spontoon, and was killed in-
stantly, with many wounds. As to the number of
men in the rebel army killed at Culloden, it seems
impossible t to ascertain what it was. The newspa-
pers and magazines published at that time make the
* Four officers were killed, fourteen were wounded.
f The rebels published accounts of the battles of Preston and
Falkirk, in which they were victorious ; but no account of the
battle of Culloden has been published by the vanquished.
i 2
'THE HISTORY OF
number amount to 2000 or 3000. Other accounts
make the number to be less than 1000.
The Highlanders who attacked sword in hand
were the Maclachlans and Macleans, (making one
regiment,) the Macintoshes, the Erasers, the Stuarts,
and the Camerons.
Most of the chiefs who commanded these five regi-
ments were killed, and almost every man in the front
rank of each regiment. Maclachlan, colonel of the
united regiment, was killed by a cannon ball, and
the lieutenant-colonel, Maclean of Drimnin, who suc-
ceeded to the command, bringing off his shattered
regiment, and missing two of his sons, for he had
three in the field, turned back to look for them, and
was killed by a random shot. Macgillivray of Drum-
naglass, colonel of the Macintosh regiment, was killed
in the attack, with the lieutenant- colonel, the major,
and all the officers of his regiment, three excepted.
Charles Eraser, younger of Inveralachie, who was
lieutenant- colonel, and commanded the.Fraser regi-
ment *, was killed. The Stuart regiment had a num-
ber, both officers and men, killed in the attack ; but
JStuart of Appin, their chief, never having joined the
standard of Charles, the regiment was commanded
by Stuart of Ardshiel, who escaped from the field.
Cameron of Locheil, advancing at the head of his re-
giment, was so near Burrel's that he bad fired his
pistol, and was drawing his sword when he fell,
wounded with grape-shot in both ankles. The two
'"brothers, between whom he was advancing, raised
him up, and carried him off in their arms. When
the Macdonalds regiment retreated, without having
attempted to attack sword in hand, Macdonald of
Keppoch advanced with his drawn sword in one hand
and his .pistol in the other ; he had got but a little
* The Master of I>ovat, (afterwards General Fraser,) colonel
of the Fraser regiment, -was not present at the battle ; but having
gone to hie father's country, which is near Inverness, to bring up
the men wanted to complete his regiment, .(to which a second bat-
talion had been added,) he Avas coming up with 300 men ; and
when half-way between Inverness and Culloden, he vnet the High-,
landers flying from the field.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 178
way from his regiment when he was wounded by a
musket shot, and fell. A friend who had followed,
conjuring him not to throw his life away, said that
the wound was not mortal, that he might easily join
his regiment, and retreat with them. Keppoch de-
sired him to take care of himself, and going on re-
ceived another shot, and fell to rise no more.
When Charles saw the Highlanders repulsed and
flying, which he had never seen before, he advanced,
it is said, to go down andYally them. But the earn-
est entreaties of his tutor, Sir Thomas Sheridan, and
others, who assured him that it was impossible, pre-
vailed on him to leave the field *.
Charles, when he left the field, was attended by a
good many horse, besides the two troops formerly
mentioned ; and crossing the river of Nairn, at a ford
called Falie, which is about three miles from the field
of battle, he halted for some time on the south side
of the river, and there he dismissed the two troops of
horse, with most of his attendants, desiring them to
go to Ruthven t, where they sbould receive further
orders. From Falie, Charles, with several people,
amongst whom were Sir Thomas Sheridan, Sullivan,
O' Neil, and Hay, set out for Gorthleek, where Lord
Lovat was, and arrived there about sun- set. Lord
Lovat, who had never seen Charles before, received
* The persons who attended Charles on the day of battle did
not agree exactly in their accounts of what passed : most of them
(some of whom are still alive) gave the same account that is given
above. But the cornet who carried^the standard of the second
troop of horse guards, has left a paper, signed with his name, in
which he says, that the entreaties of Sir Thomas Sheridan and his
other friends would have been in vain, if General Sullivan had not
laid^hold of the bridle of Charles's horse and turned him about.
** To witness this*" says the cornet, I summon mine eyes."
f Andrew Lumisden, (author of that most excellent treatise,
entitled, Itemarks on the Antiquities of Itome,) had attended
Charles during the whole time of the battle of Culloden, and was
one of those that went to lluthven ; he says, that a messenger
from Charles came to them next day, thanking them for their at-
tachment to him, aud the bravery they had shewn upon every oc-
casion; but at the same time desiring them to do what they thought
was best for their own preservation, till a more favourable oppor-
tunity of acting presented itself.
13
174 THE HISTORY Ob'
him with great respect, kneeling and kissing his
hand. After a good deal of conversation, they had
some supper, and Charles, having changed his dress,
left Gorthleek about ten o'clock ; and travelling all
night, arrived next morning at Invergarie, near Fort-
Augustus.
At Invergarie all the company took leave of Charles,
except Sullivan, O'Neil, and one Burke, (Alexander
Macleod's servant,) who knowing the country, was
kept as their guide. With them Charles went to
Locharkaig in Lochaber, and from that to Glenbeis-
dale, where he staid a day or two ; and John Hay
came to him there, with a message from Lord George
Murray, to entreat that he would not leave Scotland,
as Lord George had heard that he intended. Charles
told Hay that he was resolved to go to France, and
hoped to return very soon with a powerful reinforce-
ment, which he had no doubt of obtaining. Charles
then gave Hay a paper, written and signed by him-
self, containing an account of his design, to be shewn
to his friends, but nqt for a certain number of days
after he had set out for the Long Island *, where he
expected to find a ship that would carry him to
France.
From Glenbeisdale Charles went to Borradale, the
place where he landed when he came first to the
Highlands ; and Macdonald of Borradale having pro-
cured him a boat with eight oars, he embarked at
Lochnanuagh for the Long Island in the evening of
the 26th of April.
The boat was crowded ; for besides Prince Charles,
Sullivan, O'Neil, and Burke, there were other ten peo-
ple, including the pilot and boatmen. They had not
gone a great way when it grew very dark, and a storm
arose, which the sailors said was the greatest they
* The Long Island, which lies due west of Scotland, is a num-
ber of islands extending about 130 miles from south to north ;
and when seen from either of these points they seem to be one
island, which in reality they are not, being separated by the sea
in more than one place. The most southern of these islands is
called Barra, the next South Uist, then Benbecula, North Uist,
Harries, and Lewis, which is the largest and most northern.
TJTE REBELLION, 1745. 175
had ever seen before. The storm of wind and rain
continued all night. When day-light came, they per-
ceived that they were upon the coast of the Long
Island, and about seven o'clock in the morning they
with great difficulty landed at Rossinish, in Benbe-
cula. The storm still continuing, they were kept by
the weather two days in a miserable hut, where
Charles and the people with him had nothing to sub-
sist upon but oat-meal and water *. On the third
day they left Benbecula, intending to proceed to
Stornoway, a sea-port in the island of Lewis, where
Charles was told he might hire a vessel to carry him.
to France; but another storm arising, the boat was
obliged to put in at Glass, a small island near Harries.
At Glass they were received by one Campbell, a
farmer, who lent Donald Macleod t his boat to carry
him to Stornoway ; and Macleod arriving there, hired
a vessel, sending notice to Charles that he had done
so. Charles immediately put to sea in his boat, but
the wind proving contrary, he was obliged to land
upon the Island of Lewis, at a considerable distance
from Stornoway ; and; setting out on foot in a very
dark rainy night, the guide he had lost his way, and
Charles did not get to a house in the neighbourhood
of Stornoway till eleven o'clock next day. Soon af-
ter he arrived, Macleod came to acquaint him that
the master of the vessel, being informed for whom
the ship was hired, refused to stand to his bargain.
Charles, disappointed of a ship, determined to leave
the Long Island ; and, getting into the boat which
brought him from Loehnanuagh, put off; and when
the boat was a little way from the shore, he ordered
the sailors to carry him to Bollein in Kintail, which
they refused to do, saying it was too long a voyage
in an open boat. In the mean time, two large' ves-
sels appearing at a distance, they agreed to go south-
ward, to the nearest land, which was a small island
near Harries, called Issurt There they landed, and
* They had brought with them four pecks of oat-meal from
Borradale.
t Macleod was the pilot who steered the boat from Lochna-
naugh.
i4
176 THE HISTORY OF
looking at the ships, which were still in sight, Charles
thought they were French, but every body * else
thought they were English ; and the boatmen could
not be prevailed on to go off and see what they were.
When the ships were out of sight, Charles deter-
mined to keep along the coast of the Long Island
till he should get to South Uist. Continuing his voy-
age along the coast of Harries, he had like to have
been taken by a sloop of war, which was lying in a
harbour of that coast, and spied his boat ; but before
the sloop could get out of the harbour, the boatmen
rowed off, and got into a small creek on the coast of
North Uist. Charles with his people landed there,
and remained for some days in a fisherman's hut,
where they lived upon dried fish, which they found
in the hut. Leaving North Uist, they proceeded to
South Uist, where they arrived about the middle of
May. Charles was then in want of every thing, and
his health began to be affected. In this extremity he
sent a message to Clan Ronald, proprietor of the
greatest part of the island, acquainting him of his ar-
rival, and of the condition he was in. Clan Ronald
came immediately, bringing with him some Spanish
wines, provisions, shoes, and stockings ; and sent
back to his house for every thing else that was want-
ed, which he had. Charles having remained a few
days in the place where he landed, went to a part of
the island which is sixteen miles from the sea, and
staid there two or three weeks in a house belonging
to Clan Ronald, near the hill called Corodeal, which
is in the centre of South Uist.
When Charles embarked at Lochnanuagh, his de-
parture from that place was not known for some time
at Inverness, the h ead- quarters t of the King's army ;
* These two ships are said to have been two French frigates,
which' came to Lochnanuagh the day after Charles had left it, anil
landed some money, ammunition, and arms.
f The King's army remained in their camp at Inverness till
the 22d May. On the 23d, the Duke of Cumberland marched
from Inverness with Kingston's light horse, and three brigades of
foot, and arrived at Fort-Augustus on the 24th, leaving four re-
giments at Inverness, and sending several other regiments to diffe-
rent parts of the north of Scotland.
THK REBELLION, 1T45. 177
and when it was known, nobody could tell to what
place he had gone. By and by detachments of the
troops were sent to every place where it was thought
likely he himself, or any person of distinction who
had served in his army, might be. Among the of-
ficers who commanded these detachments were Ge-
neral Campbell, (afterwards Duke of Argyle,) and
his son, Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell, the present
Duke. General Campbell having under his command
some sloops of war and transports with troops on
board, landed at the Island of Barra and other places,
where he made a good many prisoners. From Barra
the General sailed to St. Kilda, where he landed a
body of men, and, having searched the island, he
found no strangers there. From St. Kilda he return-
ed to Barra, where he determined to go to South Uict,
and search the Long Island from south to north, as
it was thought that Charles might yet be concealed
in that wild country. When General Campbell came
to South Uist, he found there a strong detachment of
regular troops searching for Charles, and also the in-
dependent companies raised by Sir Alexander Mac-
donald and Macleod of Macleod, which had been sent
from Skye for the same purpose. The condition of
Charles then seemed to be altogether desperate ; a
number of men in arms, said to be 1500 or 2000,
were marching backwards and forwards through the
Long Island in search of him ; and the Long Island
was surrounded on every side by cutters, sloops of
war, frigates, and 40 gun ships ; a guard was posted
at every one of the ferries ; a'nd nobody could get out
of the island without a passport. In this perilous
state Charles remained from the first week of June to
the last; but, informed by the islanders of every
movement of the troops, he often passed and repassed
them in the night, and his hair-breadth escapes were
innumerable. From perils so imminent he was at
last delivered by a young woman, moved with com-
passion, the characteristic of womankind. Her name
was Flora Macdonald, the daughter of Macdonald of
Melton, in the isle of South Uist. Her father had
been dead some years ; and her mother was married
i 5
178 THE HISTORY OF
to a second husband, Macdonald of Armidale, in the
island of Skye, who was the eldest captain of the
Macdonald companies that were in South Uist. Miss
Macdonald, who was related to Clan Ronald, had come
to visit his family at Ormaclade *, and was living with
them when Colonel O'Neil came there ; and talk-
ing of the distress of Charles, whom he had constant-
ly attended t since he came to the Long Island, Miss
Macdonald listened, and expressed the most earnest
desire to see Charles ; saying to the colonel, that if
she could be of the smallest service in preserving him
from his enemies, she would with all her heart. Co-
lonel O'Neil said that she could be of the greatest ser-
vice, if she would take him with her to Skye as her
maid, dressed in woman's clothes. Miss Macdonald
thought the proposal fantastical and dangerous, and
positively refused to agree to it. Soon after this con-
versation, Colonel O'Neil brought Charles to the place
where Miss Macdonald was. Charles seemed to be
in bad health, he was thin and emaciated, but pos-
sessed a degree of cheerfulness incredible to all but
such as saw him then. Miss Macdonald seeing him
in this condition, instantly agreed to conduct him to
the Isle of Skye in the manner Colonel O'Neil had
proposed ; and set out for Clan Ronald's house, to
provide every thing that was necessary for the voyage
to Skye. From her step-father, who commanded the
Macdonald militia in South Uist J, she procured a
passport for herself, a man-servant, and her maid,
who in the passport was called Betty Burke, and re-
commended by Captain Macdonald to his wife as an
excellent spinner of flax, and a most faithful servant.
A boat with six oars was also provided. The even-
ing before they left South Uist, Charles, dressed in
* Clan Ronald's house in the island of South Uist,
4- When Charles went to the house near Corodeal, Sullivan,
not being able to travel so far on foot, was left behind ; and Co-
lonel O'Neal, for some time, was the only person who attended
Charles.
$ At that time, the independent companies, and all other com-
panies of men in aims, (the regular troops excepted,) were called
militia.
3
THE REBELLION, 1745. 179
woman's clothes, and attended by Colonel O'Neil *,
met Miss Macdonald and Lady Clan Ronald at a place
on the sea side, about a mile from Ormaclacle. The
lady had ordered some victuals to be brought ; and
while they were at supper by the sea side, a messen-
ger came to acquaint Lady Clan Ronald, that Gene-
ral Campbell and Captain Ferguson of the navy, Avith
a number of soldiers and marines, were come to her
house in quest of Charles. Lady Clan Ronald imme-
diately left them, and went home. Soon after her de-
parture four armed cutters appeared, sailing along
the coast, at some distance from them. They thought
it better to skulk and conceal themselves among the
rocks than to run away. They did so ; and the cut-
ters kept on without taking any notice of them.
When the vessels were out of sight, they embarked
about eight o'clock in the evening ; and the weather
being fair, and the wind favourable, they were very
near the point of Waternish, in the Isle of Skye,
when a party of the Macleod militia stationed there,
seeing the boat, levelled their pieces, and called to
the boatmen to land or they would fire upon them.
But the boatmen continued their course, and the tide
being out, got away before the Macleods could launch
a boat to pursue them. From Waternish they pro-
ceeded to Kilbride in Skye, and landed near Mugstot,
the seat of Sir Alexander Macdonald. Miss Mac-
donald, leaving Charles at a little distance from the
house, went to Mugstot : Sir Alexander was not at
home, but Miss Flora disclosed the secret to Lady
Margaret Macdonald, and told her where she had left
Charles. Lady Margaret was greatly alarmed, for
several officers of the King's troops were in the house.
Lady Margaret communicated what she had heard
from Miss Macdonald to Macdonald of Kingsburgh,
Sir Alexander's factor ; and telling him where Charles
was, desired that he would conduct him to his house,
and take charge of him. Miss Macdonald having
* Colonel O'Neil was very desirous of going to Skye with
Charles, but Miss Macdonald, who had a passport only for three
persons, would not agree to it.
id
180 THE HISTOEY OP
dined with Lady Margaret, set out on horseback, at-
tended by Macechin, the servantjjwho had come from
Uist to Skye in the boat with them ; and overtaking
Charles and Kingsburgh, who were on foot, rode on
before them to Kingsburgh's house, where they lod-
ged that night. Next morning Charles went with
Kingsburgh to a hill near his house, and Kingsburgh
having a bundle of elothes under his arm, Charles
changed his dress, and put on men's clothes. From
Kingsburgh's they went to Portree, opposite * to the
small island of Rasay, which is but five or six miles
from Skye. Kingsburgh thinking that Rasay, where
there were no troops of any sort, was the safest place
for Charles, intended that he should go there; and
had sent a message to acquaint Macleod of Rasay of
his intention. Rasay was not at home t, but two of
his sons came in their boat and carried Charles to the
island. As there were no troops in Rasay, the place
was safe enough for Charles, but by no means a com-
fortable abode ; for Rasay and his people having
been concerned iu the rebellion, a detachment of the
King's army had been sent to the island, which they
laid waste, carrying off the cattle and burning the
houses ; so that Charles and Rasay's sons were obli-
ged to live in a cow-house, where they were very
badly accommodated in every respect. Charles re-
solved to return to Skye, and Rasay's sons, with a
Captain Macleod, who was their relation, and had
commanded a company in the rebel army, carried him
back to Skye in their boat. Soon after they landed,
* Port-Ree, or Rey, (King's Port,) so called from James V.
who had been there in his navigation round the islands belonging
to his kingdom. At Port-Ree Miss Macdonald left Charles, and
never saw him again.
f- Rasay came to Perth with his men in the month of Novem-
ber, while the rebel army was in England, and remained there
till Charles and his army returned to Scotland. "When the order
(which has been mentioned) was sent from Glasgow to the forces
at Perth, to march immediately and join the army from England
at Stirling, Rasay and his men marched with the rest, and joining
the army commanded by Charles, made apart of the Glengary re-
giment at the battle of Falkirk, and also at the battle of Cullo.
tier..
THE REBELLION, 1745. 181
Charles took leave of Rasay's sons ; and giving young
Rasay a case which contained a silver spoon, knife,
and fork, desired him to keep it till they met again ;
then turning to Captain Macleod, said, follow me *.
They walked on about a mile without speaking one
word. At last the captain said, he hoped His Royal
Highness would forgive him for asking where he in-
tended to go. Charles answered, I rommit myself
entirely to you. Carry me to Mackinnon's bounds
in Skye t. They then changed clothes ; and, that
Charles might appear the servant, he carried, as long
as day-light lasted, a small bundle over his shoulder.
They travelled all night, and in the morning came to
the house of Captain John Mackinnon, who had been
an officer in the rebel army. As they were very near
the Laird of Mackinnon's house, Captain Mackinnon
went there, and informed his chief that the prince
was upon the island, and desired to have a boat to
carry him to the main land. Mackinnon came im-
mediately with his own boat, in which Charles, Mac-
kinnon, and Captain Mackinnon, embarking at a
place called Ellagol, in Skye, sailed to Lochnevis, a
lake in the main land, where Charles was put ashore
on the 5th of July.
As the country on both sides of Lochnevis had been
the cradle of the rebellion, a great many detachments
of the King's troops were sent there after the battle
of Culloden : the officers who commanded these troops
having received notice that Charles had landed at
Lochnevis, formed a line of posts from Lochuren to
.Lochnevis, and from that to Lochshiel, to shut him
in, being certain that he was on one or other of the
-promontories to the west of that line. Charles having
made his way from Lochnevis to Borradale, sent one
* Charles, from the beginning to the end of his wanderings, ne-
ver told the people whom he left whither he was going ; nor those
te whom he came, whence he had come.
f Sir Alexander Macdonald, Macleod of Macleod, and Mac-
kinnon, were then the sole proprietors of the Isle of Skye. The
two former had joined the King's troops ; Mackinnon of Mackin-
non, being old and infirm, staid at home, but his men joined the
rebel army.
Borradale is about twelve miles from Lochnevis.
182 THE HISTORY OF
of Macdonald's sons for Macdonald of Glenaladale, to
desire that he would come to him as soon as he could.
Glenaladale came immediately, and brought with him
another Macdonald, who had been an officer in the
French service, and had come over to Scotland after
the rebellion broke out. The two Macdonalds con-
sulting with Charles, resolved to attempt bringing
him through the line of posts. Along this line cen
tinels were placed so near one another in the day
time, that nobody could pass without being seen ;
and when it began to grow dark, fires were lighted
at every post, and the centinels crossed continually
from one fire to another, -so that there was a time
when both their backs being turned, a person might
pass unseen. Between two of these fires there was a
small brook which had worn a channel among the
rocks. Up the channel of this brook Charles and the
two Macdonalds crept, and, watching their opportu-
nity, passed between the centinels. After having
crossed the line of posts, Glenaladale, thinking the
West Highlands a very unsafe place for Charles, re-
solved to conduct him to the Ross-shire Highlands,
amongst those Mackenzies who had remained loyal,
and therefore were not visited with troops. These
Mackenzies Glenaladale thought would not betray
Charles ; and the person whom he had pitched upon
to confide in was Sir Alexander Mackenzie of Coul.
Charles and his attendants, setting out for Ross-shire
on foot, suffered greatly in their journey from want
of provisions ; and when they came to the Braes of
Kintail, inhabited by the Macraws, a barbarous peo-
ple, among whom there are but few gentlemen, ne-
cessity obliged them to^call at the house of one Christ-
opher Macraw. Glenaladale, leaving Charles and the
French officer at some distance, went to Macraw's
house, and told him that he and two of his friends
were likely to perish for want of food; and desir?d
him to furnish them with some victuals, for which
they would pay. Macraw insisted upon knowing
who his two friends were, which Glenaladale seem-
ed unwilling to tell. Macraw still insisted ; and
Glenaladale told him at last that it was young Clan
THE REBELLION, 1745.
Ronald, and a relation of his. Notwithstanding the
consequence of the persons, Macraw, though rich for
an ordinary Highlander, made Glenaladale pay very
dear for some provisions he gave him. Having re-
ceived the money, he grew better humoured, and
desired Glenaladale and the other two to pass the
night in his house, which they did. In the course
of the conversation they talked of the times, and
Macraw exclaimed against the Highlanders who had
taken arms with Charles ; and said that they and
those who still protected him were fools and mad-
men ; that they ought to deliver themselves and
their country from distress, by giving him up, and
taking the reward which government had offered.
That night, a Macdonald who had been in the rebel
army came to Macraw's house ; at first sight he knew
Charles, and took an opportunity of warning Glena-
ladale to take care that Christopher should not disco-
ver the quality of his guest, Glenaladale desired
this man, who seemed so friendly, and so prudent,
to give him his opinion, (as he had traversed the
country,) what he thought was the safest place for
Charles, mentioning at the same time his scheme of
carrying him to the country of the Mackenzies, which
Macdonald did not approve, saying, there were some
troops got among the Mackenzies, and that he thought
their country was in no respect safe ; but that he had
passed the former night in the great hill Corado,
which lies between Kintail and Glenmoriston. That
in the most remote part of that hill, called Coram-
hian, there lived seven men upon whom the Prince
might absolutely depend, for they were brave and
faithful, and most of them had been in his army. As
Charles wished to get nearer Lochaber and Baden-
och, where Locheil and Cluny were, he resolved to
go to Coramhian. Next morning he and his attend-
ants set out, taking Macdonald for their guide, who
conducted them to the wildest and most craggy part
of the mountain. When they came near the haunt
of the seven men, who had neither house nor hut,
but lived in a cave of the rock, Glenaladale and Mac-
donald the guide, leaving Charles and the French of-
THE HISTORY OF
ficer, went to the cave, where they found six of the
seven together, who had killed a sheep that day, and
were at dinner. Glenaladale said, he was glad to see
them so well provided. They told him he was very
welcome to share with them. Glenaladale said he
had a friend of his, another person with him, for
whom he must beg the same favour : they asked who
his friend was : he answered that it was his Chief,
young Clan Ronald. Nobody could be more wel-
come, they said, than young Clan Ronald ; that they
would purchase food for him at the point of their
swords. Glenaladale went back for Charles and the
French officer. When Charles came near, they knew
him, and fell upon their knees. Charles was then in
great distress. He had a bonnet on his head, and a
wretched yellow wig, a clouted handkerchief about
his neck. He had a coat of coarse dark coloured
cloth, a Stirling tartan waistcoat, much worn, a pret-
ty good belted plaid, tartan hose, and Highland
brogues, tied with thongs, so much worn that they
would scarcely stick upon his feet. His shirt, and
he had not another, was of the colour of saffron *.
With these people Charles staid some time, and they
very soon provided him with clean linen ; for a de-
tachment of the king's army, commanded by Lord
George Sackville, being ordered to march from Fort
Augustus to Strathglass, the attendants of Charles
were informed of it ; and knowing that the detach-
ment must pass at no great distance from their habi-
tation, they resolved to place themselves between two
hills near the road to Strathglass. The detachment
passed, and some officers' servants following at a con-
siderable distance, the Highlanders fired at them, and
* Condition of Charles as described by Hugh Chisholm, (ono
of the six who were in the cave of the rock when Charles came
there.) Chisholm was at Edinburgh a good many years after the
rebellion ; several people had the curiosity to see him, and hear
his stoiy. Some of them gave him money. He shook hands
with his benefactors, and hoped they would excuse him for giving
them his left hand, as, when he parted with the Prince, he had got
a shake of his hand; and was resolved never to give his right
hand to any man till he saw the Prince again.
THE REBELLION, 1745. 185
seized some portmanteau.", in which they found eve-
ry thing that Charles stood in need of.
As Fort Augustus is only eight computed miles
from Coramhian, the attendants of Charles used to go
there frequently in the night-time, and, procuring
what intelligence they could from the inhabitants of
the village, sometimes brought back with them the
newspapers. Meanwhile Charles became anxious to
hear of Locheil and Cluny, and dispatched Peter
Grant (one of the most active of the seven) to Loch-
aber, to find out some of the gentlemen of the name
of Cameron, and let him know that he wished to
come amongst them. Grant went to Lochaber and
found Cameron of Clunes, who agreed to meet Charles
on a certain day at a place near the head of Glen-
coich, where Clunes had a little hut in a secret place
for his own security. Charles having received this
notice, set out with all * his attendants in a very
stormy night, and travelling along the tops of the
mountains, reached Drumnadial, a high mountain on
the side of Lochlochie, which commands an extensive
view of the country. There they rested all day ; and
Grant was dispatched again to see if Clunes had
come to the place appointed. Charles and his at-
tendants remained upon the hill ; but as they had no
provisions, and durst not stir by day, they were in
great distress for want of food. Grant returning,
* Charles staid in the cave with these men five weeks and three
days ; during this long abode, either thinking he would be safer
with gentlemen, than with common fellows of a loose character, or
desirous of better company, he told Glenaladale that he intended
to put himself into the hands of some of the neighbouring gentle,
men ; and desired him to inquire about them, and learn who was
the most proper person for him to apply to. Glenaladale talking
w^th the Highlanders about the gentlemen in their neighbourhood,
and inquiring into their character, they guessed from his questions
what was the intention of Charles ; and conjured him to dissuade
the Prince from it, saying, that no reward could be any tempta-
tion to them ; for if they betrayed the Prince, they must leave
their country, as nobody would speak to them, except to curse
them : whereas 30,000 was a great reward to a poor gentleman,
who could go to Edinburgh or London with his money, where he
would find people enough to live with him, and eat his meat and
drink his wine.
186
said he had been at the hut, but Clones was not
there ; for having come to the place at the appointed
time, and not finding Charles, he had gone away
again : but Grant, in his way back, had met a herd
of deer, one of which he killed, and secured in a con-
cealed place. At night they set out, not for Clunes's
hut, but for the place where the deer was lodged,
which to their great relief they found. In the morn,
ing another messenger was sent to find out Clunes,
who, with his three sons, came immediately. The
Glenmoriston men committing Charles to the care of
the Clunes, left him, all of them except Hugh Chis-
holm and Peter Grant, who remained with him for
some time. Clunes then informed Charles, that all
the ferries of the rivers and lakes were so strictly
guarded that it was impossible for him at present to
get to the countries of Rannoch and Badenoch, where
Locheil and Cluny were : and that it was absolutely
necessary he should remain where he was, till the
vigilance of the guards abated. Clunes had a small
hut in a wood near the place where they were ;
Charles and he, when there was no appearance of
troops in the neighbourhood, and the weather was
cold or wet, used to come down from the mountain,
and pass the night in this hut; but when there seem-
ed to be danger, and the weather was moderate, they
used to remain all night upon the mountain. In this
situation Charles was, when Locheil and Cluny, con-
cluding that he must be to the northward of the
Jakes, and m no small degree of distress and danger
sent Macdonald of Lochgary, and Dr. Cameron
(Locheil's brother,) to learn what they could con-
cerning him. These messengers, well acquainted
with the passes, made their way to the north side of
the lakes, and very soon met with Clunes, who told
them that he would conduct them to Charles, who
was at no great distance. Charles was then on the
mountain with one of Clunes's sons and Peter Grant.
Charles and Cameron were asleep, and Grant had the
watch : but nodding for some time, Clunes, Loch,
gary, and Dr. Cameron, with two servants, were
pretty near before he observed them. He flew to
THE REBELLION, 1745. 187
[ Charles, awaked him and his companion. Cameron
and Grant proposed to make what haste they could
; to the top of the mountain. Charles was of a contra-
i ry opinion. He said that it was in vain to fly, that
their enemies (who he thought were Argyleshire-
men) would overtake them, or come so near as to kill
them with their fire-arms ; that the best thing they
could do, was to get behind the stones, take aim, and
fire upon them when they advanced ; that as Grant
and he were excellent marksmen, they would cer-
tainly do some execution : and that he had in reserve
a pair of pocket pistols, which he produced for the
first time. When the company that had alarmed
them came a little nearer, they distinguished Clunes,
which assured them that the rest were friends. Hold-
ing a council together, to consider what was best to
be done, Lochgary and Dr. Cameron thought it was
still too hazardous for Charles to attempt the ferries ;
and advised him to remain with Clunes as before.
It was then agreed that Dr. Cameron should go
amongst his brother's people in Lochaber, to procure
intelligence; -and that Lochgary should go to the
east end of Lochlochie, and remain upon the isth-
mus, between the lakes, to watch the motions of the
troops. This plan being settled, they separated ;
but notice having been given to the king's troops
that Charles, or some of the absconding chiefs, were
in the neigbourhood, one day Charles, having passed
the night on the mountain, with one of Clunes's sons
and Peter Grant, when they looked down on the vale,
after sun-rise, they saw a number of men in arms
demolishing their hut, and searching the adjacent
woods. Charles and his attendants, to conceal their
flight, availed themselves of the channel of a torrent
which the winter rains had worn in the face of the
hill, and ascending the mountain without being seen,
travelled to another mountain called Malleutegart,
which is prodigiously high, steep, and craggy. There
they remained all day without a morsel of food. In
the evening another son of Clunes came, and told
them that his father would meet them at a certain
place in the hills somewhat distant, with provisions.
1 QO
THE a i STORY
Clunes s son returned to let his father know that he
might expect them. At night, Charles with his at-
tendants set out, and travelled through most dread-
ful ways, passing amongst rocks and stumps of trees,
winch tore their clothes and limbs : at one time the
guides proposed they sh-.uld halt and stay all night:
but Charles* though exhausted to the greatest de.
gree, insisted on going to meet Clunes. At last, worn
out with fatigue and want of food, he was not able
to go on without. help ; and the two guides hold-
ing each of them one of his arms, supported hinr
through the last part of this laborious journey. When
they came to the place appointed, they found Clunes
and his son, who had a cow killed, and part of it
dressed for them. In this remote place Charles re-
mained with Clunes till Lochgary and' Dr. Cameron
came there, who informed him that the passes were
not so strictly guarded now, as formerly ; and that
he might safely cross Locharkaig, and get to the
great fir wood belonging to Locheil,, on the west side
of the lake, where he might stay, and correspond
with Locheil and Cluny, till it was settled when and
where he should meet them.
Charles crossed Locharkaig, and remained in the
fir wood near Achnacarry, till he received a message
from Locheil and Cluny, acquainting him that they
were in Badenoch, and that Cluny would meet him
on a certain day at Achnacarry, and conduct him to
their habitation, which they thought was the safest
place for him.
Charles, impatient to see his Mends, did not wait
for Cluny's coming, but set out with guides for Ba-
denoch ; and arrived at a place called Corineuir, OH
the 29th of August. From that he went to Mella-
nauir, where he met with Locheil, and remained with
him till Cluny, returning from Achnacarry, joined
them. The two chiefs then conducted Charles to a
botlue or hut, called Utah. Chibra, where they lodged
a day or two, and then removed to Letternilik, a re-
mote place in the great mountain Benalder, belong,
ing to Cluny, where a habitation (called the Cage)
THE REBELLION, 1745. 189
Sift-as fitted up by * Cluny, in which Locheil and he
;liad lived some time. Charles staid there with them
jtill the JSth tf September, when a message came
prom Cameron of Clunes, to acquaint him that two
EFrench frigates were arrived at Lochnanuagh near
[Borradale, to carry him to France. Charles set out
[immediately, and travelling only by night, arrived at
iBorradale on the 19th September. Notice of the ar-
rival of two ships from France had been given to
* An account of that extraordinary habitation, dictated by
Cluny, has been preserved The day after Clunie arrived, he
thought it time to remove from Mellanauir, and took the Prince
fibout two miles further into Benalder, to a little sheil called Ujsk-
ithibra, where the hut or bothie was superlatively bad and smoky ;
yet His Royal Highness put up with every thing. Here he re-
mained for two or three nights, and then removed to a very ro-
mantic habitation, made for him by Clunie, two miles farther in-
to Benalder, called the Cage; which was a great curiosity, and
can scarcely be described to perfection. It was situated in the
face of a very rough, high, and- rocky mountain, called Letterni-
lichk, still a part of Benalder, full of great stones and crevices,
and some scattered wood interspersed. The habitation called the
Cage, in the face of that mountain, was within a small thick bush
of wood. There were first some rows of trees laid down, in order
to level a floor for the habitation ; and as the place was steep, this
raised the lower side to an equal height with the other; and these
trees, in the way of joists or planks, were, levelled with earth and
gravel. There were betwixt the trees, growing naturally on their
own roots, some stakes fixed in the earth, which, with the trees,
were interwoven with ropes, made of heath and birch twigs, up to
the top of the Cage, it being of a round or rather oval shape ; and
the whole thatched and covered over with fog. This whole fabric
hung, as it were, by a large tree, which reclined from the one end,
all along the roof to the other, and which gave it the name of the
Cage, and by chance there happened to be two stones at a small
distance from one another, in the side next the precipice, resem-
bling the pillars of a chimney where the fre was placed. The
smoke had its vent out here, all along the face of the rock, which
was so much of the same colour, that one could discover no differ-
ence in the clearest day. The Cage was no larger than to contain
-six or seven persons ; four of whom were frequently employed
playing at cards, one idle looking on, one baking, and another
firing bread and cooking. Here His Royal Highness remained
till the 13th of September, when he was informed that the ves-
sels for receiving and carrying him to France were arrived at
JLochnanuagh.
190 THB HISTORY OF, &C.
most of those people who had been concerned in th
rebellion, and were skulking in the neighbourhood
so that a great many of them came to Borradale, am
about 100 (among whom were Locheil and Colone
Roy Stuart) embarked with Charles on the 20th, am
landed at Roscort near Morlaix, in Brittany, on tin
29th of September.
FIN19.
Printed by Balfour & Clarke,
Edinburgh, 1822.
DA Home, John
814. The history of the
.5 rebellion in Scotland in 1745
H76
1822
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