1747] LADY BALMERINO 315 gentleman into a separate room and told him that my Lady Balmerino lodged there, and that her ladyship being then in the house he might see her if he pleased. To which the gentleman answered that all he wanted to know was if my Lady Balmerino lodged in that house; and was then making to go off when Mrs. Walkingshaw informed him that Mr. Walkingshaw was at home and begged him to stay a little and talk with him. But the gentleman refused to see Mr. Walkingshaw. However, Mrs. Walkingshaw pressed the gentleman so much that at last he agreed to see Mr. Walkingshaw. In the course of the short conversation (for the gentleman went soon off) the letter happened to be talk'd of, and the gentleman said he was not fol. 565. the author of the letter, but that he was only employed about that matter. Mr. Walkingshaw then told the gentleman how much my Lady Balmerino would be indebted to such private persons as would be pleased to take notice of her in her present distressed condition; for that her ladyship was positively resolved not to accept of the smallest assistance or favour from the Court, if she should starve for want of bread. To this the gentleman made no reply at all, but immediately took leave of Mr. Walkingshaw. When Mr. Walkingshaw returned to the room where he had left some company who had been dining with him he told my Lady Balmerino and others present what had passed betwixt the gentleman and himself, and withal remarked that the gentleman looked very like one that used to be much about Prince Frederick's Court. But he could not affirm any thing positively about the gentleman at all. Neither my Lady Balmerino nor any person concerned in her has ever heard any more of this matter. Although Mr. Walkingshaw has been at pains to make all the enquiry he could, it has never yet been in his power to make any further discovery about this affair. My Lady Balmerino is determined to preserve the letter and the piece of paper that was inclosed, and if anything cast up relative to the contents of the letter, her ladyship has been pleased to promise to inform me about it. ROBERT FORBES, A.M. fol. 566. fol. 567. My father was at the taking of one of three the 3 parties of the Campbells in Athole, namely the party at the Kirkton of Strowan. Mr. James Stewart, late of Urrard, was one of Lord Loudoun's officers who refused to deliver his sword after the rest had surrendered; and the late Mr. Alexander Stewart, minister of Blair-Athole, was along with the Campbells. Mr. James Stewart of Cluns was the Captain of the Prince's Upon Tuesday, December 22d, 1747, I waited upon Dr. Archibald Cameron's Lady at her lodgings in Edinburgh when she was pleased to favour me with two papers, exact copies of which are as follows: COPY of the ORDERS given by COLONEL JOHN CAMPBELL to CAPTAIN CAMPBELL of Knockbowie of the Argyleshire Militia, and which was taken from the original order found amongst Knockbowie's papers and baggage, which were seized when the greatest part of his men were made prisoners at Rannoch by Lord George Murray. Nairn House, the 20th February 1746. You are Orders for Captain Campbell of Knockbowie. to march directly hence with your own company, Carsaig's, Raschelly's, and Ardmenish's to the following parts, where you are to dispose of the men as follows: 1 This paper is not in Mr. Forbes's own hand, and it appears as if the subscriber had been obtained to write it in and sign it. 1746] DONALD CAMERON OF GLENPEAN 317 It is the Duke of Cumberland's orders you take post accord- 20 Feb. ing to the above list. You are to have the command of the several companies above mentioned. Such of the rebels as may be found in arms you are to take prisoners, and if any of them make resistance you are to attack them, provided their numbers do not exceed yours. And it is his royal highness's orders that you give them no quarters. You are to seize upon all kind of provisions that belongs to the rebels or may be designed for their use. You are to make your report three times a week to the commanding officer at Castle Menzies or Blair of Athol. (Signed) JOHN CAMPBELL. There is one material circumstance omitted in the Journal fol. 569. given by Mr. John Cameron, and which ought to come in after these words,1'so close to their tents as to hear every word they spoke.' The material circumstance When the Prince sent for Donald Cameron of Glenpean, the July. said Donald went along with the messenger to the place the Prince had appointed, and according to the Prince's orders took along with him all the provisions he had, which was no more than two or three handfulls of oatmeal and about a pound of butter. And when the messenger had conducted the said Donald Cameron to the place appointed for meeting the Prince, by some accident or other the Prince had left that place and they missed him. Upon which they were very uneasy and resolved to go different ways to see to find him out. And there fol. 570. happening a great fog or mist to come on at that time they wandered a considerable while in the hill. At last the said Donald Cameron by mere accident met the Prince, who being in great want of provisions, the said Donald gave him the oatmeal and butter he had, of which he ate very heartily, and which subsisted the Prince and other three persons who were with him for four days. As the lines of the regular troops were 1 See f. 172. July. then all formed with a design to surround the Prince, he advised with the said Donald Cameron if there was any possibility of getting through the lines and in what manner. Upon this the said Donald replied that it was a most hazardous attempt and next to an impossibility, as the sentries were all placed so close that they were each of them within speech of the other. But the Prince being determined to penetrate through the fol. 571. lines at all hazards, having nothing else left for his escape, the said Donald told him that there was one pass with a hollow to go down over a very high rock, which was exceedingly hazardous, but was the only place he could advise the Prince to attempt. Upon this they went to the said precipice, being then dark night, and Donald Cameron went first over the pass and the Prince followed. But as he was coming down the hill to the top of the rock where the pass was, his foot slipped, and the hill being so steep he tumbled to the very top of the rock and would certainly have fallen one hundred fathoms perpendicular over the rock had not he catched hold of a tree on the very top of the rock with one of his legs, after his body passed the same and which he kept hold of betwixt his leg and his thigh till the next person that was following catched hold of fol. 572. him by the breast and held him till the said Donald Cameron returned back and came to them and recovered both. At last they got over this so dangerous pass, by which they pass'd the first line of the troops, and different nights after this they passed the other four lines of the troops creeping on their hands and feet betwixt the sentries. The above account was taken from the said Donald Cameron his own mouth, so it can be depended upon. After this follows the rest of Mr. John Cameron's journal, the next words being these, 'When they came to Glenmoriston they got six stout,' etc.1 N.B.-The preceeding narrative appears to be the same with that account which Dr. Cameron's lady gave to Dr. Burton from the best of her remembrance.2 1 See f. 172. 2 See f. 550. 1747] GEORGE, LORD RUTHERFORD 319 At the same time (December 22nd) I received from Dr. 22 Dec. Cameron's lady a copy of Mr. John Cameron's journal,1 and as the copy I had made my transcript from happened to be very unexact and confused, so I was not a little desirous to compare fol. 573. my transcript with that copy which I received from Mrs. Cameron; and upon comparing them together I found them to be one and the same, there being no other difference betwixt them than what ordinarily proceeds from the carelessness and inaccuracy of transcribers. Even the copy I had from Mrs. Cameron was none of the correctest as to orthography. In the course of our conversation Mrs. Cameron said it was a very remarkable thing that the Prince landed (in his course from the island Eriska) in Lochnannua, at Boradale in the country of Arisaig2 and in the parish of Ardnamurchin, and that at the very same spot he went on board the eight-oar'd boat after the battle of Culloden, to sail for the isles, that he was thereafter coming from the Isle of Sky, and likewise that at the very same spot he imbarked for France upon September 20th, 1746, when he was forced to leave Scotland and to seek for safety in foreign parts.3 ROBERT FORBES, A.M. Copy of the Petition of George, Lord Rutherford, etc.4 To the King's Most Excellent Majesty the Humble Petition of George, Lord Rutherford. SHEWETH, That your petitioner has always been firmly attached to your Majesty's royal person and government, and in testimony thereof was the first man in Britain (for what he knows) that discovered to the ministry in the end of April last that the horrid and wicked rebellion was intended. 1 See f. 155. And 2 Or rather Moidart, Lochnannua being the boundary betwixt Arisaig and Moidart. See f. 640. 3 See ff. 180, 281, 352, 355, 522. 4 This was George Durie of Grange, who claimed the title of Lord Rutherford as grand-nephew of the first Lord. His claim was disputed by a gentleman of the Rutherford family, and to determine the dispute the Lords' Committee of Privileges ordered both to lodge their proofs, and in end disallowed both claims. fol. 574. |