|
Amelia Volume 2 chapter 28 |
The Rising of 1745-46 |
|
[page 364] THE battle of Fontenoy in which the French obtained a victory over the Allies, having taken place on the 11th May 1745, Prince Charles considered the moment favourable for the prosecution of his designs, and resolved to carry out an expedition to Scotland, though he concealed the knowledge of it from his father's agents in Paris. On the 21st of June 1745, Prince Charles embarked with a few trusty followers on board the Doutelle at St Nazaire, and on July 4th at Belleisle was joined by another ship, the ELizabeth, with Marines and arms. This last ship was disabled by an encounter with a British man¬ of-war and obliged to return to France while the Doutelle safely con¬tinued her voyage to the West Highlands. On the 23 July the Prince landed at the island of Eriska off South Uist returning the next day on board the Doutelle he eventually landed at Borodale in Arisaig on the 25th July. August 19th. The Royal Standard was raised at Glenfinnan in Loch Shiel by the Marquis of Tullibardine, i.e. Duke William of Atholl. The Prince marching by Invergarry Castle, the Pass of Corrayaick, and Dalna¬cardoch took possession of Blair Castle on August 31. General Cope, the Hanoverian General, having avoided any engagement retired to Inverness. On Sep 3rd the Highland army marched to Dunkeld and on Sep. 4th took possession of Perth where the Prince was joined by Lord George Murray. He and the Duke of Perth were appointed generals of the Prince's Army, whilst Duke William remained at Blair raising the Athollmen. On Wednesday, August 10, the Prince left Perth for Edinburgh, slept that night at Dunblane, and marched the following day to the Park at Keir. [page 365] The sketch of the Prince's progress up to this period, brings us to the time, when we have got a distinct and reliable account of the part taken by the Clan Gregor in this campaign. The narrative was written by Duncan MacPharrie, himself a combatant on the occasion, and as we are informed a subordinate officer with the regiment under Robert Murray or MacGregor of Glencarnock. The original MS. is amongst the Edinchip papers and was written to the late Sir John MacGregor Murray, eldest son of Major Evan MacGregor whose gallant conduct is particularly noticed. Journal of the Clan of MacGregor and Transactions of the year 1745, from the Braes of Balquhidder, till they returned, by Mr Duncan MacGregor. "The Duke of Perth, Glencarnock, Glengyle, Glenbuckie and Arnprior, [1] had a meeting in the Kirkton of Balquhidder upon the 30th August, and the resolution of this Council of War was to raise their men with all expedition against that day eight days and join in one column at the foresaid place, and to march in a body to Callander. "According to promise Glencarnock, Duncan and Evan, his two oldest brothers and eight of our good men came to the place appointed at 2 o’clock. Glencarnock raised the MacGregor Standard, and none of the rest of the gentlemen appeared yet, about 3 o'clock came Steuart of Glenbuckie and forty men, and as Arnprior was before them, MacGregor of Glencarnock and Steuart of Glenbuckie and Ronald [2] MacGregor from Kirktown with forty men marched straight for Callander so that they would get Arnprior to join them at Callander. Arnprior met us at Kilmahog, no more with him but a single man. He invited Glencarnock and Glenbuckie up to Leny House that night; Glencarnock said that he and his men would be together at Callandcr, Glenbuckie went with him (Arnprior) to Leny that night, and shot himself before the morning. This made a confusion amongst us, such a thing happening so early. The Stewarts got him coffined, set off with him on their shoulders and got him tombed that night, and they never joined us more. "James Mor MacGregor, [3] as Captain, joined Glencarnock at Callander with forty men from Glengyle, and fortyfive Soldiers that Glengyle apprehended at the roads on Loch Lomond side, and he took the garrison of Inversnaid and demolished it. [page 366] Glencarnock and James Mor marched up the hill above Callander by Glenartna and by Comrie and by Crieff. The Duke of Perth joined us there with three hundred more; then Ronald joined the Duke. Then we marched on to Glen Almond where we met the Prince, the MacDonalds and Camerons &c. There we were benighted and encamped that night at Dunblane. The Prince, Lochiel and Glencarnock took their quarters with MacGregor of Balhaldie there; the next morning we marched straight to Doun: the Bridge of Stirling was cut, then we rushed to Thornhill and the Ford of Frew. Our enemies created a scheme to sow many thousands of Crowtoes in the Ford in thoughts to stop us from going through. But all in vain. We came, that night to Seaton of Touch. He left the house personally: he ordered his lady to invite Glencarnock and Lochiel to her house that night and she gave the Camerons and MacGregors three great oxen and so many hundreds of oat loaves, pots and cauldrons to boil our beef in, and we were greatly envied by the rest of the Clans. When Glencarnock and Lochiel were at breakfast in the morning, they heard shooting on the brow of the hill, Lochiel said to Glen 'What shooting can be in the hill?' Glencarnock answered 'I shall tell you that the Camerons are shooting sheep on the hill.' 'God forbid' said Lochiel 'it is the MacGregors.' Says Glen 'I shall lay forfeit one hundred guineas that it is not the MacGregors.' With this the two left breakfast, and drew their pistols and vowed if they were Camerons that Lochiel would shoot them and if MacGregors that Glen would shoot them; and by great fortune, passing the head of the avenue, there was a Cameron with a sheep upon his back; Lochiel fired at the fellow, and shot him thro' the shoulder, there he fell, the two went on a good way further but they got not a MacGregor yet. "Then we marched by the back of Stirling by Cambusbaron, James Mor Campbell [4] was at Stirling Castle and knew the MacGregor colours and made them fire their canons at us, and he never tried one shot at any other but ours; the villain lost his shot in vain. Straight to Bannockburn we went, and were informed that two regiments of the Black Horse were there, viz. Gardiner's, if I remember, and Hawke's, and they fled for Falkirk; we took that night's rest at Bannockburn. Sir Hugh Paterson invited the Prince and his nobles to his house yt night, and ordered the Glencarnock men to guard him. That was the first night of the MacGregors upon Guard. We found out that Gardiner and his Horse were flying before us, and we pursued as fast as we could, thro' Falkirk and a little east from that. Captain Evan MacGregor was informed by a butcher of the name of MacGregor that there was a store of arms in the House of Callendar; the Captain drew out forty men and goes in search of arms, and he got twenty guns and fifteen swords and all very good, and thought ourselves very happie. Off we go thro' Linlithgow, the MacDonalds received information that there was a store of arms there, that were gathered two days before, for a militia; [page 367] one hundred stand both guns and swords; we got information that a great store of powder and ball was at Borrowstoneness, waiting the enemy; we took as much as we could make use of; and we came to Winchburgh that night and formed a camp there and believed that we would fight tomorrow, the citizens and City Guard got to arms and were rendezvousing, thinking to make collops of the Highland army. We came that night to the brow of Borroughmuir south from Edinburgh; Glencarnock and Ardsheil, them two, joined the MacGregors and Stewarts of Appin in one camp under the MacGregor colours. The MacGregors were increasing, we had two hundred, and Stewart of Ardsheil had only seventy good men. About one o'clock we got orders to march, being the 17th September, we came in at the Netherbow port, the MacGregors had the route, and Glencarnock, Ardsheil, Captain Evan and Captain William Stewart, they did this and all the Highland army followed; this happened about the dawning of the day, straight to the City Guard, and apprehended the Guard and took all their arms; then we planted a Guard upon the West Port and the Weigh house. Captain Evan MacGregor was not two hours in town, when he got private information of a great store of no less than seven hundred stand of arms which the Highland army rejoiced at. That night Captain Evan was promoted and made Aide-de-camp by the Prince's desire. This com¬mission was not agreeable to the Clan MacGregor because by this promotion he was as often from us as we had him. The next morning came sore word that Colonel Gardiner, Hawke's Dragoons, Loudon and John Cope had joined ten miles east from Edinburgh, and were advancing like heroes. The Prince and his Clans got to the Field and left Edinburgh, the King's army camped on a flat near the sea below Gardiner's house, when our army appeared upon the head of the hill; they played with field pieces on us but none were hurt or wounded; we took a long gun of eight feet in length from the house of Callendar, she was so heavy that no man could carry her above a mile at once. Captain Evan came to me, got the long gun, and we got Gregor MacGregor and we goes down as far as we could. The Captain fired the first shot, I fired the second, and Gregor fired the third; so we killed one man and broke another man’s arm; the English removed. The Prince thought much of this, that we got the first blood of them. The night came on and we lay bewest Seaton town. The Prince, Perth, Glencarnock Ardsheil lay at the foot of a beanstack, Your Father and I slept none at all; but going the rounds about the middle of the night, we sent Donald Dow, Glen's servant for thirty bottles of rum, Donald and the bottles came and Your Father and I gave and ordered three Goes Down to every man, and gave our leavings to Ardsheil's men. At break of day, we got to arms, without pipe or drum, as privately as we could, some jumped the ditch below and some waded it and we were set in battle order, three men deep. The MacDonalds got the right hand, the Duke of Perth got next, [page 368] the MacGregors next, the Stewarts next, the Camerons next, we marched on in this form upon our trot all the way. The enemy observed us, and began to play upon us with their cannons, nothing stopped us, till we came within forty or fifty yards to them; then we fired and gave a loud huzza, we left our guns, drew our swords and targe like lions, yet we were obliged to draw our pistols and break the first rank; then they broke and we hashed them and slaughtered at them like fury. I must turn and inform you of our righthand neighbours Perth's men, [5] when they came within one hundred yards to the Enemy they stood like as many oxes, but forty MacGregors viz Captain Malcolm MacGregor and all the MacGregors that he commanded, left Perth and joined Glencarnock in the very heat of the battle. The whole Regiment stood stock still, till one Major Steuart called out "We are affronted, go and we shall secure Cope's bagage, so they secured the bagage; you will observe that the MacGregors were greatly hurt by this stoppage for we had to fight for Perth's Regiment till James Mor MacGregor gave a great call to the MacDonalds to close in to the left, so they observed and closed up the slap that was betwixt Perth's men and the MacGregors. So Captain Duncan MacGregor was wounded through the thigh, Captain James Mor MacGregor was wounded thro' the thigh, Captain Malcolm [6] MacGregor got his two legs broken, twenty one private men were wounded and one shot dead upon the spot. We pursued the retreating army a mile and a halt, killed and wounded the foot and took a few prisoners but none escaped," referring probably to the prisoners, "there was a good many horse killed, the rest fled. The Prince came and took Glencarnock in his arms, and Captain Evan, and told them to gather the whole Clan MacGregor upon the middle of the Field of Battle. There was a table covered and the MacGregors guarding him at dinner, every man got a glass of wine and a little bread. Your Father and Uncle sat down with him, the rest of the Chieftains took it amiss that the MacGregors got this honour, but it was dear bought by the mishap that had occurred. If the MacDonalds had kept their distance, every soul of us would have been killed on the spot …. Glencarnock, your Father and a few of the men went and carried your uncle, Captain Duncan up to Tranent. I and the rest of the men, interred the man that was killed, and carried in carts the wounded. We stayed that night at Tranent, early the next morning we prepared for Edinburgh. We got a litter for Captain Duncan, and your Father and Uncle kept close by him and I waited upon the men, and went to Edinburgh. We lay at Edinburgh six weeks. Glengile and sixty men had been placed upon Castle of Doune as Commander in Chief in Scotland, being an old man. Ludovich Cameron was also left, he had seventy men yet under the command of Glen. Glengile went to Edinburgh, got your Father and half a dozen [page 369] more that is too tedious to mention, with the hurry that they were in, going to meet Cope, and Glengile did not get all his men gathered. We gathered in David Murray in Cougate." "The officers were not named till that day, and Glenguile in my presence offered to Glencarnock Lieutenant Colonel and his brother Evan to be Major, the rest of the officers to be divided equally; when I left them, they were talking of casting lots, whether it happened or not I cannot say. I know Glencarnock was a very sensible man and did not choose to rise Glengile's corruption as be was sometimes stark mad. I observed that Glencarnock yielded his point to Glenguile for fear of the consequence. Glencarnock had thirteen men more than Glenguile, the Colours belonged to Glencarnock, so he had a better title one way, and all ways, yet be did not choose to rise a dispute with a mad man, and a good man when himself. Glenguill goes to Doun. "Glencarnock and Major Evan MacGregor went with the army to England in the beginning of November, straight to Kelso and by Jedburgh and straight to Car¬lisle. This fortress yielded at the very first, I shall drop the English road for I have forgot their names, only we went to Derby and returned, but we killed about 120 dragoons and Light Horse. We came to Dumfries, Sir William Gregorson came and took the Colonel and Major to his house and was very kind for that night. We marched to Glasgow, and from thence to Kilsyth; I was sent by the Colonel to Inverlochlarig to his lady and I received 500 guineas and I raised 57 men and I met with the Colonel at Cambusbaron south from Stirling, Glengile and Mac Kinnon joined our Corps that night and we made a grand appearance. We got orders to march next evening to Falkirk, that General Hawley was approaching with his troops. With pipers playing and colours flying the MacGregors moved, on the advance Guard, but the Light Horse was before us, the MacDonalds next. We marched on till we came to the Water of Lairburn, there we spied at the west end of Falkirk, the English troops advancing up the hill, we crossed the water and up the hill, and we got orders to have the right hand of the Prince's army and the MacDorialds upon the left. When we came to the top of the hill, we halted, Munro's dragoons were upon the King's left opposite to the MacGregors, we advanced from both sides, the King's army fired first, we fired next, and we brought down 135 with the first fire we gave them, then gave a loud huzza and put them to flight. 500 of the Glasgow Militia were hacked down. The MacGregors and the MacDonalds pursued with all their might, and we did not lose a single man. What saved us, was the Dragoons came upon us over the head of a hill and we were low, and they fired over our heads, we were sure to level our guns better at them. We were benighted and we pursued them to Falkirk. They left their Cannons and Tents, and Camp Kettles boiling. The next lay we pursued them with a picquet and found both men and horse dead of their wounds. Colonel MacGregor and Colonel MacDonald and MacKinnon were invited next day to breakfast and thanked them for [page 370] their behaviour. We returned the following Monday to Stirling and began against the Castle. The MacGregors, and MacDonalds, Camerons, Frasers &c were not troubled with that seige, it was continued 15 days, when accounts were received of the approach of Cumberland with a great army, 6000 Hessians 17 Regiments of Foot and Three of Horse. Then we marched for the North by the ford of Frew, by Doun, and Dunblane. I was sent from Doun to Balquhidder. The Colonel and Major and the rest of our officers went off with the Prince. Ronald MacGregor and I went off to rise a few men that went off with the plunder and trash that they gathered at Falkirk and we went off by Glenbeich, Ardonach, by Taymouth and joined the Regiment at Cosheville, we marched on by Dalnacardoch and Garavamore and straight to Inverness. Lord Loudoun was there and 1600 men: He had boats in readiness as we appeared upon the head of the hill above Inverness, he and all his men were ferried to the other side. We halted at Inverness till the Prince came round the Seashore, by Montrose, Inverurie &c. Against that day eight days they arrived with a very good army. The Prince and Colonel Sullivan voted to send the MacGregors with Coll: Ban Barrisdale his Regiment and the Earl of Cromartie his Regiment, in pursuit of Lord Loudoun which was a task as Lord Loudoun had taken all the boats within ten miles of him. We had to gather boats, twenty miles down the Sea Side but got them at last. Then were ferried and we pursued Lord Loudoun, we came to the next ferry, Major Evan MacGregor got private information that there was a company of Lord Loudon's men under Major MacKenzie at a village called Dornoch; the Major made the Regiment halt, and he picked 100 good men, and marched before us to that village, and by the time the Regiment came up to that place, Major Mac¬Gregor had Major MacKenzie prisoner and 70 men. We had the Major and his men to be sent to Inverness and a strong party with them. We advanced on till we came to another ferry it happened to be in that Bay there were four small ships going with provisions to supply the Forts, one with clothes, arms and ammunition, another with beef, pork, &c, and the other two with coals. The wind was against them and they could not move to the eastward; we began to fire on them with our small arms and we cut a good deal of their cords and as they forsaw that they could not make it better, and hoisted a white flag and ordered their small boats to carry us into the ship. There was 100 men ordered, 25 upon each ship. The Colonel got on board the ship that the clothes and arms was on, the Major on the ship that had the beef and pork, we continued there one month. The MacDonalds and MacKenzies were on the other side of the Bay. Then we removed, we got notice that the Earl of Sutherland's factor had a thousand men of Militia raised. Lady Munro of Foulis petitioned the Prince if he would be so kind as to order the MacGregors to guard the Castle of Foulis and her lands, as she knew the MacDonalds and MacKenzies would plunder and pillage her house and lands: these two parties was at enemity [page 371] with the Munros for some time before. So her petition was granted and we were ordered to guard the Castle of Foulis. Our Colonels were so very discreet that they ordered but one company to quarter day about, and although we were there, they (the two other Clans) made several attempts but all in vain. We continued there 15 days, then marched towards Sutherland and we were informed that the Sutherland factor was increasing strongly; we were willing to meet him. There came an express to the MacGregors and MacDonalds to burn the factor's house and barn and put them to ashes; we were not pleased with this work we would fight rather than burn his house, his Lady and children were in the fever at the time. We were ordered to carry out all the plenishing and furniture and set them in the close, the beds and bedclothes in the middle of the plenishing, we moved the Lady and children and laid them in their beds and kept a guard that nothing should be stolen or carried away. Then we came to the barn, there was in it 200 bolls of bear, we carried every grain out of the barn before we put it aflame. This factor lay on the hill, himself and his men looking on all the time. Then we marched on till we came within ten miles of Johnnie Groat still in pursuit of Lord Loudoun. He went to Lord Rae's Country. Then came an express to turn back to Inverness to meet Cumberland, we turned, the MacDonalds got the route, we crossed the first ferry safe, and we came and passed the next ferry safe, the Earl of Cromartie went to pay his respects to Lady Sutherland at the Castle of Dunrobin, there he was made prisoner. His men marched on to the ferry where one half of them were boated, there was a Kirk hard by the ferry full of Sutherland Militia, they poured out on Cromartie's men, and killed, drowned or wounded between 3 and 400 of them, so see what comes of cruel wretches, they but a sill (i.e. seol) tribe of men given to thieving and robbing. Our men were billetted in threes and fours among the tenants and never touched; we were rather watching the country than hunting any person or persons; as the Cromartie men were so hashed and slashed at this ferry they never joined us more. The MacDonalds still had the route and we came that night to Dornoch, where your Father had apprehend Loudoun's men. The next day we got the melancholy news that the Battle of Culluden was fought and that we lost. We came that night to the ferry and with difficulty we could make Inverness, but were informed that all was wrong before us. Cumberland knew that we were in the North and sent four Regiments of Horse up the water of Ness to attack us. They marched up the water side on the South side and we marched up the North side and they durst not venture the fords, and we did not venture for fear the Horse should attack us in the water tho' we would fain have at them. We and they marched seven complete miles opposite to one another and they returned. We came that night to the Castle of Dunie, Lovat's apartment; next night to Cullichie Lochgarry's house. There we parted with our good friends the MacDonalds and the fine fellow Dr Cameron. The next morning [page 372] met the Duke of Perth at Ruven of Badenoch, He and our Colonel parted there with tears. We marched to Garviemor and straight to Rannoch, still with flying colours thro' Glenlyon Into Breadalbane and took refreshment at Killin. The Argyle Militia was in the Castle of Finlarig and they durst not move more than pussies. We came straight to the Kirk of Balquhidder. Then every man to his own house and did not know well where it was. [7] It is needless to enlarge further upon this subject, there is no more but James Mor Campbell's [8] intrigues about the burning of Glencarnock's Estate, his deceitful letters and his cruelty afterwards." This account is signed by Duncan McGregor, and dated Cuill 12" Febr. 1788, nearly forty-three years after the campaign. In other papers the writer is styled "Duncan McPharie, showing that his father's name was Patrick, and he is mentioned as a person of undoubted respectability. A marginal note in family copy of the "Baronage" in Sir Evan Murray MacGregor's handwriting calls the writer "the Standard Bearer of the Clan." This narrative has not been published hitherto in full, extracts from it were sent to Mr Home, author of the " History of the Rebellion," but were not adopted. The Rev. Wm MacGregor Stirling quoted largely from Mcpharie's MS. in the notes to the 2d Edition of Nimmo's "History of Stirlingshire." . The following memorandum gives additional details in explication of Duncan McPharie’s MS account of the Battle of Preston. "On the 21. Sep. 1745, the MacGregor Corps under Glencarnock, the Clan Gregor not having been of those who had lost their arms by the disarming acts of 1716 and 1725, had its station on the Field of Prestonpans, third from the left of the Prince's army and on the right of the Appin Stewarts and the Camerons, the latter of whom formed the extreme of the left wing. In the Drummond Corps which stood fourth from the left of the army and immediately on the right of the MacGregor Corps was the company already mentioned of the MacGregors on the Perth Estate, armed with scythes fixed on the end of poles and commanded as formerly stated by Captain Malcolm Drummond. When within a hundred yards of the enemy the Drummond Regiment, instead of advancing to the charge as the other Regiments did, had, owing to what cause does not appear, halted; when Malcolm with his company advancing obliquely and quitting the Regiment, effected under a heavy fire a junction with Glencarnock's men, in which desperate attempt, which but for his company's having been next to the latter had been impossible, he had both legs broken and two balls [page 373] through the body. He died soon after the Battle, in consequence of his severe wounds. "The MacDonalds advancing in the same diagonal direction filled up the wide interval and whilst they supported the left flank of the MacGregors had their own supported by the latter. The charge indeed had in less than ten minutes decided the conflict. “On the 26. Glengyle with a considerable body of MacGregors met a party of horse attached to the Prince's cause and led by James Hay, Writer to the Signet at Glasgow." This account among the Edinchip Papers is entitled "MS. by an actor and eyewitness." In an Itinerary of Prince Charles Edward Stewart from his landing in Scotland, July 1745, to his departure in September 1746, compiled by Walter Biggar Blaikie, Esq., published by the Scottish History Society, 1897, amongst the notes with which it is enriched, an estimate of the strength of the Prince's army at Prestonpans is given, with the following remarks:- "James More MacGregor or Drummond, not a very reliable authority, in a Letter to the Prince from Paris in 1753 states that he commanded a corps of his own at Preston Pans and that 'he joined no Corp with his men.' The official Jacobite report of the Battle mentions 'One body of the MacGregors with Glencairneg, and the rest of the MacGregors with the Duke of Perth's men under Major James Drummond.' Only one body of MacGregors is figured in Home's plan of the Battle that in Perth's battalion, but it is evident there must have been two. MacPharie states that in the night march to the Nether Bow of Edinburgh, the MacGregors joined Ardshiel's Stewarts who only turned out 70 men for this service while there were 200 MacGregors but in the face of other Records this must be received with reserve." Regarding the above, the following considerations may throw additional light. MacPharie states in regard to James Mor MacGregor that he "as Captain joined Glencarnock at Callander with forty men from Glengyle and forty-five soldiers that Glengyle apprehended at the roads of Loch Lomondside," and Glencarnock and James More marched over the hill "to Crieff, James's brother Ronald with his forty men there joined the Duke of Perth." Later, an incidental mention shows that at the Battle of Prestonpans James Mor was fighting in the same corps as Glencarnock's men because it was he who gave a great shout which warned the MacDonalds to close up to protect the MacGregor flank. [page 374] From "Memoirs of the Rebellion of 1745," by the Chevalier Johnstone. "Captain MacGregor of the Duke of Perth's Regiment for want of Arms, procured scythes which he sharpened and fixed to poles of from 7 to 8 feet long; with these he armed his company and they proved destructive weapons." "At Prestonpans MacGregor's company did great execution with their scythes, they Cut the legs of the horses in two and their riders through the middle of their bodies. MacGregor was brave and intrepid but at the same time whimsical and singular. When advancing to the charge with his company he received five wounds, two of them from balls that pierced his body through and through. Stretched on the ground with his head resting on his hand, he called out to the Highlanders of his company 'My lads I am not dead and by God I shall see if any of you does not do his duty."' This anecdote has been very frequently quoted in histories of the Campaign, in sermons even, and always erroneously attributed to James Mor, in consequence of a footnote added by the Chevalier Johnstone, "James Drummond alias MacGregor was son of the famous Rob Roy MacGregor." This, however, was a mistake as has been already stated, the Captain Drummond who commanded a body of MacGregor's from the Perth Estates was misnamed James by a clerical error in the Returns at the time. He was Malcolm Drummond or MacGregor, eldest son of Donald Murray or MacGregor of Craigruidhe in Balquhidder, another branch of the Dougal Ciar family, of which Glengyle was the head. In the Edinchip papers it is positively stated that it was this Malcolm. Hamish Mor only claims to have had his thigh broken at Prestonpans, where this other MacGregor had five wounds of which he died. [9] The following account of the entry of the Jacobite troops into Edinburgh is given in Browne's "Highlands." "The Highlanders stationed at the Gate, stood prepared to enter, and as soon as it was opened to let out the Coach (an accidental circumstance) the whole party headed by Captain Evan MacGregor a younger son of MacGregor of Glencairnaig, rushed in, made themselves masters of the gate, and disarmed the Guard in an instant." The frontispiece to the present volume represents several relics preserved at Edinchip. The Dirk was given by Prince Charles to Major Evan MacGregor on this occasion. On the silver mounting of the heather¬wood scabbard is engraved:- [page 375] EVAN MACGREGOR
The flag represented was borne by the MacGregor Regiment through¬out the Campaign of 1745 and Duncan Mcpharie frequently alludes to the "MacGregor Colours." It is a good deal worn and the arms have become very faint. The powder horn is of an older date than the Dirk; on the one side is incised the date 1668 - in the next division a tree upright with a sword across it, to the left of the same two crowns, and below them is written "Jhon McGregor.” In the end division this --- Aid de Camp to H.R.H. PRINCE CHARLES Holyrood House September 1745 [Omitted sketch] The inner curve of the horn has bevelled edges on one of which is engraved:- "To sike my Horne it is a shame . Where this wroght." Beyond the silver band which serves for hanging the horn is the word "And" partially covered by the modern silver setting. On the upper edge of the curve, reading the opposite way to the other sentence is "Never despair, rely on God and He will send the help thogh it seem chance to thee." In addition to these is a Broad Sword; on the old steel hilt this inscription is engraved, one line on each division of the hilt:- "Two handed in the Battle of Glenfruin April 1602. Cut down in 1745 by Evan MacGregor Esqr Major in the Highland Army and Aid de Camp to His Royal Highness Prince Charles Edward." |
|
[1] Francis Buchanan afterwards attainted and executed 11th Oct. 1746. [2] Rob Roy's 2d son. [3] Rob Roy's 3d son. [4] No clue as to his identity, but he is also mentioned later in this chapter in regard to the burning of Glencarnaig's farm. (Or how Duncan Macpharie knew who was firing the cannon from the battlements of the Castle! – PJL) [5] It has been thought best to give this passage as written, such misadventures may sometimes occur-and other circumstances not narrated may have been the best cause. Pique and jealousy often affected Highlanders.-Ed. [6] See page 372 volume 2 Chapter 28 [7] Alluding to the condition in which the country was in consequence of the conflagration. [8] Apparently the same man that fired on the MacGregors from Stirling. [9] Appendix Q. volume 2 Appendix |