CHAPTER LXXXI.

State of Affairs in Scotland-Spirit of Resistance to the Jacobites-Fines levied by Prince Charles from Dumfries and Glasgow-Levies for his Service assembled at Perth-Failure of Richelieu's projected Expedition— Junction of the Jacobite Forces, at Stirling-Surrender of Carlisle to the Duke of Cumberland, who is recalled to London-General Hawley appointed to the Command in Scotland-Battle of Falkirk- The Duke of Cumberland appointed to the Chief Command in Scotland.

[1746.]

THE state of Scotland had materially changed during the absence of the Prince and his army upon the expedition to Derby; and the nation was now in the situation of one, who, having received a stunning blow, recovers at last from his stupor, and aims, though feebly and with uncertainty, at retaliating the injury which he has sustained.

Inverness was in the hands of Lord Loudon, commanding an army composed of the MacLeods, MacDonalds of Skye, and other northern clans, who, to the number of two thousand men, had associated against the insurgents. The Earl of Loudon even felt himself strong enough to lay hands on Lord Lovat in his own castle, named Castle Downie, and brought him to Inverness, where he detained him in a sort of honourable

captivity. Fraser of Gortuleg, one of his clansmen, relieved Lovat by a stratagem. The old chief, having made his escape, lurked in the Highlands, keeping up his correspondence with Charles Edward. The house of Gortuleg was Lovat's chief residence. Matters in the North were, therefore, unfavourable to the Chevalier's cause.

The capital of Scotland was again in possession of the constituted authorities, garrisoned by a part of Marshal Wade's army which had been sent down for the purpose, and preparing to redeem, by a more obstinate resistance to the Highlanders upon their return from England, the honour which they might be supposed to have lost by their surrender in the September preceding.1

This spirit of resistance had reached the Western Border, where reports were generally disseminated that the Chevalier and his forces had been defeated in England, and were now flying across the Border in such extreme confusion, that the militia and volunteers of the country would have little trouble in totally destroying them. For this purpose, many of the peasants of Dumfriesshire had assumed arms, but they showed little inclination to use

1 ["The gentlemen of the counties through which they passed contributed a fund for their use; each soldier had a pound of beef, a pound of bread, a glass full of good Scots spirits, and a bottle of ale; besides, the people of the country so liberally supplied them. that their kindness was like pouring water into the ocean. It was dark before they entered Edinburgh (3d January), yet were they received with all possible demonstrations of joy; the city was finely illuminated; the people huzza'd; the militia lined the streets, and warm quarters were immediately assigned them."-HENDERSON, p. 87.]

them, when they saw the Chevalier's army return in complete order, and unbroken in strength or spirit.

The Highland army, after crossing the river Esk, was divided into three bodies. The first, consisting of the clans, moved with the Chevalier to Annan. Lord George Murray was ordered to Ecclefechan with the Athole brigade and Lowland regiments. Lord Elcho, with the cavalry, received. orders to go to Dumfries, and to disarm and punish that refractory town. The Prince himself shortly followed with the infantry, which he commanded in person.

Dumfries's ancient contumacy to the Jacobite cause had been manifested, not only by their conduct in the year 1715, but by a recent attack upon the Chevalier's baggage, as he marched into England in the November preceding. The horse marched thither accordingly, with purposes of vengeance, and were speedily followed by the Prince's own division. He laid a fine of L.2000 upon the town, and demanded, for the use of the army, 1000 pairs of shoes. Some of the money required was instantly paid down, and for the rest hostages were granted. No violence was commit

1 ["About thirty cart-load of baggage belonging to the Highland army was left at Lockerby for want of horses. The party that guarded it, either from an eagerness to assist at the siege of Carlisle, or for fear of being overpowered by about 1000 country people, from about Dumfries, headed by four gentlemen of distinction, that were advancing to attack them, marched off for Carlisle, leaving the baggage, which was thereupon seized on the 14th Nov."-Scots Mog. Nov. 1745.]

ted on the town or inhabitants, for the Highlanders, though they threatened hard,' did not, in fact, commit any violence or pillage.2

The magistrates and community of Glasgow were yet more guilty in the eyes of the Prince than those of the smaller town of Dumfries. That city had raised a body of 600 men, called the Glasgow regiment, many of them serving without pay, under the command of the Earls of Home and Glencairn. This corps had been sent to Stirling to assist General Blakeny, the governor of the castle, to defend the passes of the Forth. From Stirling,

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It is re

"["The Lowlanders," says Mr R. Chambers, were often highly amused by the demands of their Highland guests, or rather by the uncouth broken language in which these demands were preferred. It is still told by the aged people of Dumfries as a good joke, that they would come into houses and ask for a pread, a putter, and a sheese, till something petter pe ready.' membered, in another part of the country, that some of them gave out their orders to the mistress of the house for a morning Imeal, in the following language: 'You'll put down a pread, matam—and a putter, matam-and a sheese, matam—and a tea, matam-shentleman's preckfast, matam—and you'll give her a shilling to carry her to the neisht town, matam!'"-Hist. vol. ii. p. 307.]

* The provost of Dumfries, a gentleman of family named Corsan, who had showed himself a stanch adherent of the Government, was menaced with the destruction of his house and property. It is not very long since the late Mrs MacCulloch of Ardwell, daughter of provost Corsan, told your Grandfather that she remembered well, when a child of six years old, being taken out of her father's house, as if it was to be instantly burnt. Too young

to be sensible of the danger, she asked the Highland officer, who held her in his arms, to show her the Pretender, which the goodnatured Gael did, under condition that little Miss Corsan was in future to call him the Prince. Neither did they carry their threats into execution against the provost or his mansion.

the Glasgow regiment fell back with the other troops which had assembled there, and took post at Edinburgh. This was with a view to the defence of the capital, since the Highlanders, having bent their march to the westward, were likely to pay Edinburgh the next visit.

While the citizens of the capital were suffering from the apprehension of the neighbourhood of the rebels, those of Glasgow were paying the actual penalty attached to their presence. Clothing for the troops, and stores, were demanded from the town to the extent of more than L.10,000 sterling, which they were compelled to pay, under the threat of military execution.1

At Glasgow, the Prince learned, for the first time with some accuracy, the extent of the interest which France had taken in his cause, and the supplies of every kind which she had sent to him; supplies which, in amount, remind us of those administered to a man perishing of famine, by a comrade, who dropt into his mouth, from time to time, a small shell-fish, affording nutriment enough to keep the sufferer from dying, but not sufficient to restore him to the power of active exertion.

The principal part of these succours came under Lord John Drummond, brother to the Duke of

1 ["Charles required the magistrates of Glasgow to furnish his army with 1200 shirts, 6000 short coats, 6000 pair of shoes, 6000 bonnets, 6000 pairs of stockings; the value of which, added to the L.5500 paid on the 27th of September, amounted to L. 10,000. Parliament, in 1749, granted L. 10,000 to the magistrates of Glasgow, to reimburse them."-HOME, chap. vii.]