MEMOIRS

OF

THE REBELLION OF 1745,

&c. &c.

PRINCE Charles Edward Stuart, grandson of James the Second, who was dethroned in 1688, unable to support any longer the endless delays in the embarkation of the troops, destined by the court of France for an invasion of Scotland, at length formed the resolution* of repairing secretly to that country, and throwing himself into the arms of the Scotch. Their fidelity and attachment

* In a letter from the historian Hume, to Sir John Pringle, dated 10th of February, 1773, and published in the Gentleman's Magazine of May, 1788, some cir'cumstances are stated which, if true, give no very high idea of the resolution of Charles, in entering on this expedition. After quoting the opinions of Lord Mareschal, and Helvetius (in whose house he was concealed nearly two years), as to the worthlessness of his character, opinions which so many accounts serve to confirm, Mr. Hume, in relating a conversation which he had with Helvetius at Paris, makes the French philosopher say, "I have been assured, when he went down to Nantes to embark on his expedition to Scotland, he took fright, and refused to go on board; and his attendants, thinking the matter gone too far, and that they would be affronted for his cowardice, carried him in the night-time into the ship, pieds et mains lies.” It does not appear that Helvetius mentioned the authority on which he made this statement; so that we cannot know the degree of credit to which it is entitled.

B

to his family had been amply proved, in the different attempts made by them since the Revolution, to replace the Stuarts on the throne*; and he entertained a hope of succeeding in his enterprise by the efforts of his subjects alone, without the assistance of foreign powers.

He embarked at Belleisle, on the 3d † of July, 1745, on board a small frigate ‡, escorted by the Elizabeth, a ship of sixty guns. These two vessels were armed and fitted out at the expense of Mr. Welsh, a merchant of Nantes, for the conveyance of the Prince to Scotland; but the court of France afterwards reimbursed him for all the expenses of the expedition. ||

The Prince was only accompanied by seven individuals, viz. the Duke of Athol, attainted and an exile since the year 1715;

* The attachment to the House of Stuart was general only in the Highlands, which did not contain one-eighth part of the population of Scotland. - The Presbyterians of the Low Country were, with very few exceptions, among the most decided of the adherents of the Revolution; though many of them were not yet quite reconciled to the union with England.

+ In these memoirs the old style, which was used in England in the period which they embrace, is always observed in the different dates.

Mr. Home states, that Charles left Nantes, on the 20th of June, in a fishingboat: went on board the Doutelle, a frigate of sixteen guns, at St. Nazaire, and was joined by the Elizabeth, near Belleisle.

|| Mr. Home states, that Rutledge and Walch, two merchants of Irish extraction, the sons of refugees who had followed the fortune of James the Second, (the former settled at Dunkirk, and the latter at Nantes,) having become adventurers in privateering, had obtained from the court of France a grant of an old man-of-war, of sixty guns; and purchased a frigate of sixteen guns, which they were equipping for a cruise in the North Seas, when Lord Clare, afterwards Marshal Thomond, introduced them to Charles Stuart; and proposed that they should lend their ships to him for this expedition. This they not only did, but furnished him with all the money and arms they could procure. The sum of money furnished by them to him amounted to 38007.; which was afterwards repaid by the old Pretender, by a bill drawn upon John Haliburton, at Dunkirk, in favour of Rutledge.

Macdonel, an Irishman; Kelly, an Irishman, formerly secretary to the Bishop of Rochester; Sullivan, an Irishman; Sheridan, an Irishman, who had been governor to the Prince; Macdonald, a Scotsman; Strickland, an Irishman *; and Michel, his valet de chambre, an Italian: a most extraordinary band of followers, no doubt, when we consider the daring enterprise on which they were entering, which was no less than that of attempting to wrest the crown of Great Britain from the house of Hanover; which had been so long in possession of it. Mr. Sullivan, who had been aide-de-camp to Marshal de Maillebois, in Italy, was the only individual of the suite who possessed any knowledge of military affairs. The other Irishmen, drawn into Scotland by the allurement which the enterprise held out to them of making their fortune, were extremely injurious to the interests of the Prince, from the bad advice they gave him; for unfortunately they enjoyed his full confidence. †

The Prince, having lost all hopes of landing in Scotland with an army of regular troops, ought, at least, to have been accompanied by officers distinguished for their talents in the art of war, well qualified to combine with judgment, and conduct with pru

* Strickland is called an Englishman by Mr. Home; who includes among the attendants Buchanan, a messenger sent to Rome, by Cardinal de Tencin.

+ If there is any ground for the charge, brought by Dr. King against Sir Thomas Sheridan, the governor of Charles, who, of all the Irish, would naturally have most influence over him, we can have little difficulty in giving credit to the above accusation; in so far, at least, as regards that gentleman. By way of accounting for the great ignorance of Charles, which surprised him much, considering the noble opportunities he must always have had in Rome, "that nursery of all the elegant and liberal arts and sciences," the Doctor tells us: "His Governor was a Protestant, and I am apt to believe purposely neglected his education, of which it is surmised he made a merit to the English Ministry; for he was always supposed to be their pensioner.” Lord George Murray also attributes the ruin of the cause to him.-TRANS.

dence the operations of the field; possessing minds fertile in resources, enlightened by experience, and capable of discerning and of turning to advantage every momentary success which fortune might present. Officers of this description, at the head of his army, and in his councils, would have rendered the disembarkation of regular troops less necessary, and enabled him to avoid. those faults which eventually produced the ruin of his cause in Scotland; for this Prince, though he gained battles, was never able to derive from them any of the advantages to which they ought to have led. It is certain that no general officer in France would have refused to embark with the Prince, in an enterprise so well calculated to procure him instant celebrity throughout all Europe, the attention of which was fixed on this expedition. It was a rare opportunity for developing talents, for the display of which an opportunity might never occur in a more numerous

army.

The Elizabeth was attacked, in the latitude of 47° 57 about 39 leagues to the westward of the Lizard-point, by the Lion, an English man-of-war, of sixty guns. The two vessels were of the same force; and the fight was maintained, with the utmost fury and obstinacy, for the space of six hours, and until they were both so greatly disabled that they could hardly be kept afloat. When the combat ceased, each vessel was obliged to consult its safety by endeavouring to gain some port without delay. The Prince, who in his little frigate beheld this obstinate conflict, was extremely uneasy as to the result, as the Elizabeth had on board a considerable quantity of arms and military stores ; and he ordered his vessel to advance under her stern, for the purpose of ascertaining her real situation; when he was informed that she had lost a great number of men; that the captain and