1747]

CAPTAIN O'NEIL'S JOURNAL

365

15th of said year (see page 530 of the foresaid magazine). He is under a reprieve, and continues still to be a prisoner in a messenger's house by the interest of the Prussian ambassador, who did much good in that way. ROBERT FORBES, A.M.

Copy of CAPTAIN O'NEILLE's Journal, taken from fol. 670. a copy attested by his name subscribed with his own hand.1

2

HAVING heard and seen many scandalous libels given out in my name of the conduct and retreat of the Prince since the battle of Culloden, I have thought myself obliged in duty and honour to give an impartial and true account of the same during [the] time that I had the honour to be near his person. This I don't pretend in justification of that great Prince, whose inimitable virtues and qualifications as well render him the darling of his friends as the astonishing surprize of his greatest enemies, and whose valour and calm intrepidity in heretofore unheard of dangers will usher down his fame to the latest posterity; but to convince and assure the world that all accounts as yet given, either under any name or otherwise, have been as spurious as defective and infamously false. I moreover fol. 671. assure this to be the first and only account that I have given or will give, and affirm the contents to be true upon my

3

honour.

1746

April 15th, O.S.-Prince Charles marched his army in three columns from Culloden Muir in hopes to surprize the Duke of 15 April Cumberland in his camp at Nairn, ordering at the same time two thousand men to pass the river Nairn and post themselves between Elgin and the camp of the enemy. To deceive the ships that were in Inverness Road he ordered several fires to be made on the mountain where he drew up in battle. At eight at night he began his march, and about two next morn

1 Printed in Jacobite Memoirs, pp. 348-362.

2 Thus the attested copy had it, without the word 'the.'

3 If this be so, how then came I by the copy in vol. i. p. 181? For I can declare I was master of that copy upon July 14th, 1747, i.e. exactly a month and a half before the date of the Captain's letter, along with the attested copy, to the Countess of Dundonald. [See ff. 692-700 postea.]

1

16 April ing, being the 16th of April, within a mile 1 of the enemy, our van halted. The Prince, who marched in the centre, dispatched an aid-de-camp to know the motive of the halt. Colonel 2 fol. 672. O'Sullivan (who marched in the van) immediately hasted to the Prince and told him Lord George Murray and some other of the chieftains, as they wanted some of their men, did not think themselves sufficiently strong to attack the enemy, and upon a strong belief the Duke of Cumberland was apprized of their design, refused to advance, maugre the instances he (Colonel O'Sullivan) made use of to engage them to the contrary. Upon this the Prince advanced to the head of the column, where, assembling the chiefs, in the most pathetic and strong terms demonstrated to them the visible and real advantages they had of an enemy who thought themselves secure of any such attempt, and descending his horse, drew his sword, and told them he would lead them to an enemy they had as often defeated as seen. But, deaf to his example and intreaties, the fol. 673. major part declin'd, which so sensibly shocked the Prince, that, remounting his horse, he told them with the greatest concern 4 he did not so much regret his own loss as their inevitable ruin. He immediately marched back to the former camp at Culloden, where he arrived at five in the morning. At ten he was informed the Duke of Cumberland was in full march towards him. Whereupon the Prince gave the necessary orders for the attack, riding from rank to rank encouraging his troops and exhorting them [with his usual sprightliness] to behave as they had done at Prestonpans and Falkirk. Between twelve and one the Prince engag'd the enemy, commanding himself in the centre. The right wing immediately broke the left of the enemy, but their flank being exposed to seven squadrons of

1 Three or four miles, say other accounts, and justly too, as must be confessed by those who know anything of the country about Nairn, where the attack was to have been made. See ff. 158, 448, 661.-F.

2 This page contains several particulars not so much as mentioned in any of the accounts given by others, as may be seen by making a comparison.-F.

3 The Prince marched all that night on foot, says Ker of Gradyne, f. 662.—F.

• With tears in his eyes, says the other copy, f. 181.-F.

5 These words are wanting in the foresaid copy. See f. 182. -F.

6 Nine squadrons, says the foresaid copy, f. 182.-F.

1746] THE PRINCE ESCAPES FROM CULLODEN 367

horse, who attack'd them while they were in pursuit of the 16 April enemy's foot, was put into so much confusion that it was dis- fol. 674. pers'd. The Prince gallop'd to the right, and endeavouring to rally them1 had his horse shot under him.2 The left followed the example of the right, which drew on an entire deroute in spite of all the Prince could do to animate or rally them. Notwithstanding which he remained upon the field of battle untill there were no more hopes left, and then could scarce be persuaded to retire, ordering the Irish piquets and FitzJames's horse to make a stand and favour the retreat of the Highlanders, which was as gallantly executed. Previous to the battle the Prince had ordered the chieftains that (in case of a defeat) as the Highlanders could not retreat as regular troops, they should assemble their men near Fort Augustus. In consequence of this, immediately after the battle the Prince dispatched me to Inverness to repeat his orders to such of his troops as were there. That night the Prince retir'd six miles fol. 675. from the field of battle3 and went next day as far, and in three days more arrived at Fort Augustus, where he remained a whole day in expectation his troops would have join'd him. But seeing no appearance of it, he went to the house of Invergary and ordered me to remain there to direct such as pass'd that way the road he took. I remained there two days and announc'd the Prince's orders to such as I met, but to no effect, every one taking his own road.

I then followed the Prince, who was so far from making a precipitate retreat [as has been maliciously reported] that he retired by six and six miles and arrived the 28th of April 5 O.S. 28 April at Knoidart, where I join'd him next day and gave him an account of the little or no appearance there was of assembling fol. 676.

Here in the foresaid copy these following words, 'but to no purpose. See

f. 182.-F.

2 Not true.

See f. 1161.-F.

3 The foresaid copy says here, And next day arrived at Fort Augustus.'— ROBERT FORBES, A. M.

These words are not in the other copy, f. 183.-F.

5 The 26th of April, says the foresaid copy, which day Donald MacLeod fixes upon for their departure from the continent to the Isles. See ff. 273, 281, 316. Ned Burk says much the same. [See p. 329.]-F.

28 April his troops, upon which he wrote circular letters to all the chiftains, enjoining them, by the obedience they owed him, to join him immediately with such of their clans as they could gather; at the same time representing to them the imminent danger they were in if they neglected it. After remaining some days there in hopes his orders would have been obeyed, and seeing not one person repair to him, the extreme danger his person was in, being within seven miles of Lord Loudon, Sir Alexander MacDonald and the MacLeods, it was proposed to evade it by retreating to one of the islands near the continent. After repeated instances of the like nature he reluctantly assented, leaving Mr. John Hay behind to transmit fol. 677. him the answers of his letters, with an account of what should pass, and parted for the Isles in an open fishing boat at eight at night, attended by Colonel O'Sullivan and me only.2 About an hour after we parted a violent hurricane arose, which drove us ninety miles 3 from our designed port; and next day running for shelter into the Island of North Uist, we struck upon a rock and staved to pieces,5 and with great difficulty saved our lives. At our landing we were in the most melancholy situation, knowing nobody and wanting the common necessaries of life. After much search we found a little hut uninhabited, and took shelter there, and with a great deal of pains made a fire to dry our cloaths. Here the Prince remained two days, fol. 678. having no other provisions but a few biskets we had saved out of the boat, which were entirely spoiled with the salt water.

1 Says Donald MacLeod, 'ten or twelve miles by sea, but a much greater distance by land.' See f. 278.-Robert FORBES, A. M.

2 Honest Donald MacLeod, the pilot, and Allan MacDonald, Clanranald's relation might have had a place here, to say nothing of the poor rowers. See f. 281.-F.

3 This must be a mistake, tho' it be so in the other copy too, for none of the lochs has so much bounds as to allow of such a drive from an intended harbour. I remember Donald MacLeod called this nonsense,' for he makes the whole course but only 96 miles. [See f. 284.]—F.

4 This should be Benbecula, but I think not so much of his mistaking names, being a stranger. See f. 284.-F.

5 This is altogether an error, as plainly appears, not only from the words of Donald MacLeod and Ned Burk [see ff. 270, 343], but likewise from a remarkable token given me by Captain Alexander MacDonald, which puts this point beyond all doubt. See f. 581.-F.

1746]

THE PRINCE IN THE ISLES

369

As this island belonged to Sir Alexander MacDonald, and I May. not judging ourselves safe, we determined going elsewhere, and by the greatest good fortune, one of our boatmen discovered a boat 1 stranded on the coast, and, having with great difficulty launched it into the water, we imbarked for the Harris. In our passage we unfortunately met with another storm which obliged us to put into an island near Stornoway. Next day the Prince dispatched me2 for Stornoway to look for a ship, ordering me to imbark on board the first I could get, and to make the most diligent haste after my landing on the Continent to the Court of France, ordering me to give an exact account to his most Christian Majesty of his disasters and of his resolution fol. 679. never to abandon the country untill he knew the final result of France, and if it was not possible once more to assemble his faithful Highlanders. Unluckily the person that the Prince sent with me getting drunk, told the master of the ship somewhat that induced him to refuse taking me on board, and immediately alarmed the country, which obliged me to return and join the Prince, who upon what I told him resolved for the continent by way of Seaforth's country. But the boatmen absolutely refused to comply, which made us take the road we came. And meeting with three ships of war we were constrained to put into a desert island where we remained eight fol. 680 days in the greatest misery, having no sustenance but some

5

1 One error never fails to prove the foundation of another, if not of many.-F. 2 This whole affair is represented in quite a different manner by Donald MacLeod, who caused me remark more than once that O'Neille did not accompany him to Stornoway (See ff. 270, 287), and I have heard Ned Burk affirm the same thing.-F.

3 Here either 'not' should be wanting, or the next word immediately following should be impossible' to make sense of the words which were precisely as above in the attested copy, but in the other copy they happen to be right. See f. 184.-F.

4 One error must be the foundation of another at least. See this whole affair cleared up by Donald MacLeod himself (See f. 289), and that, too, according to the expressions of Captain John Hay upon the head who could have no interest or by-view in what he spoke. See f. 479.-F.

5 Four days and four nights, says Donald MacLeod, and not in so very great misery as Captain O'Neille represents them to have been in, though indeed their case was bad enough (See ff. 291-297). And Ned Burk's account of this matter agrees with that of Donald MacLeod (See f. 331). One day I read this 2 A