Sir Andrew Agnew, famous in Scottish tradition, was a soldier of the old military school, severe in discipline, stiff and formal in manners, brave to the last degree, but somewhat of an humourist, upon whom his young officers were occasionally tempted to play tricks, not entirely consistent with the respect due to their commandant. At the siege of Blair, some of the young wags had obtained an old uniform coat of the excellent Sir Andrew, which, having stuffed with straw, they placed in a small window of a turret, with a spyglass in the hand, as if in the act of reconnoitring the besiegers. This apparition did not escape the hawk's eyes of the Highlanders, who continued to pour their fire upon the turret window, without producing any adequate effect. The best deerstalkers of Athole and Badenoch persevered, nevertheless, and wasted, as will easily be believed, their ammunition in vain on this impassible commander. At length Sir Andrew himself became curious to know what could possibly induce so constant a fire upon that particular point of the castle. He made some enquiry, and discovered the trick which had been played. His own head being as insensible to a jest of any kind as his peruke had proved to the balls of the Highlanders, he placed the contumacious wags under arrest, and threatened to proceed against them still more seriously; and would certainly have done so, but by good fortune for them, the blockade was raised after the garrison had suffered the extremity of famine. The raising of the blockade was chiefly owing

to the advance of a body of Hessians from Perth, together with the Earl of Crawford.1 Lord George

1 ["Before coming to the resolution either of a surrender or the desperate effort of a sally, Sir Andrew resolved if possible to send information of his circumstances to the Earl of Crawford, then at Dunkeld with the Hessians, and Wilson, the Duke of Athole's gardener, undertook the perilous journey. The great door being unbarricaded and opened without noise, he slipped out unperceived by the besiegers, and proceeded slowly on horseback to the bottom of the avenue leading to the high-road. When discovered and fired at, the soldiers in the castle directed their muskets to the places whence the firing proceeded and it ceased, which the garrison hoped was indicative that Wilson had escaped, but next day, to their sore grief, they perceived a Highlander mounted on the horse he had rode, then they feared he was either a prisoner or killed. In this state of matters they were looking forward with no very pleasant sensations, when, to their agreeable surprise, Molly of Blair inn brought them the joyful intelligence that the Highlanders had gone off towards Dalnacardach. The Governor, however, dreading a stratagem, would not permit them to relax, till on the 2d of April an officer arrived from the Earl of Crawford with intelligence that his lordship was on the road with some cavalry, and might be expected in an hour, and so it happened. The garrison being drawn out, the Earl was received by Sir Andrew at the head of it, with this compliment My lord, I am very glad to see you, but by all that's good you have been very dilatory. We can give you nothing to eat.' To which his lordship answered, laughingly, with his usual good humour, ‘I assure you, Sir Andrew, I made all the haste I possibly could, and I hope that you and the officers will do me the honour to partake with me of such fare as I can give you.' The invitation was most welcome to the almost starved officers, and they adjourned to the summer house in the garden where a plentiful dinner was provided and excellent wines. They were then informed that their friend Wilson had performed his mission, but his horse, startled by the firing, had thrown him, and while he made his escape on foot the Highlanders made a prize of the animal. There was another cause of delay. Lord Crawford had in vain attempted to bring up the Hessians to their relief, for so great was their terror of being attacked in the pass of Killiecrankie by

Murray on this occasion sent an express to the Prince, that if he could spare him 1200 men, he would undertake to engage the Prince of Hesse and Lord Crawford. Charles returned for answer that he could not spare the men, being in the act of concentrating his army. Lord George Murray was therefore obliged to relinquish the blockade of Blair, and withdraw his forces into Strathspey, and from thence to Speyside. He himself went to the Chevalier's headquarters, where he found that his exploits in the field had not been able to save him from enemies, who had made a bad use of their master's ear.

We have seen that, from the very first meeting at Perth, Mr Murray, the secretary, had filled the Prince's mind with suspicions of Lord George, as a person who, if disposed to serve him, was not inclined to do so upon the pure principles of unlimited monarchy. The self-will and obstinacy of this nobleman, a brave soldier, but an unskilful courtier, gave all the advantage which his enemies could desire; and in despite of his gallant achievements, the Prince was almost made to believe that the best officer in his army was capable of betraying him at least, if not actually engaged in a conspiracy to do so. Thus prepossessed, though usually eager for fighting, the Chevalier, both at Clifton and on the present occasion, declined intrusting Lord George with a separate command of

the swords of the wild mountaineers, that they absolutely refused to march beyond it.-MELVILLE, Scots Mag. 1808, pp. 411,

troops, to avail himself of a favourable opportunity for action.

On the present occasion, Charles entertained the opinion that Lord George might have taken the castle of Blair, had he been so disposed; but that he abstained, least by doing so he might injure the house of his brother, the Duke of Athole. Lord George was altogether undeserving of such a suspicion, there being perhaps no man in the Prince's army who had fewer indirect motives to decide his political creed than this nobleman. If the Prince succeeded in his enterprise, his eldest brother would recover the dukedom, now held by the second. But it does not appear that Lord George Murray could be thus personally benefited. It is no small merit to him, that, faithful while suspected, and honest though calumniated, he adhered to the tenor of his principles, and continued to serve with zeal and fidelity a master by whom he knew he was not beloved, nor fully trusted. It is even said by Lord Elcho, that the Prince told some of the French and Irish officers that he suspected Lord George; and it is added, that being requested to watch whether his conduct in battle authorized such a suspicion, they undertook to put him to death if such should appear to be the case.

CHAPTER LXXXIII.

Dispersion of the Forces under Lord Loudon, and Occupation of Sutherland by the Earl of Cromarty-The Duke of Cumberland's Army crosses the Spey-Dissatisfaction among Prince Charles's Followers-Resolution of the Prince to fight the Duke of Cumberland- Council of War -Night March undertaken with a view to surprise the Duke of Cumberland's Camp at Nairne-its Failure, and Retreat of the Highland army to Culloden-Battle of Culloden.

[April, 1746.]

THE final act of this great domestic tragedy was now about to begin, yet there remain some other incidents to notice ere we approach that catastrophe. The outposts of the principal armies were extended along the river Spey, and the Highlanders appeared disposed for a time to preserve the line of that river, although a defensive war is not that which Highlanders could be expected to wage with most success. It is probable they did not expect the Duke of Cumberland to make a serious advance from his headquarters at Aberdeen, until the summer was fairly commenced, when their own army would be reassembled. Several affairs of posts took place betwixt General Bland, who commanded the advance of the Duke's army, and Lord John