which he had made in the streets. They likewise found a few broadswords hid in the church, and a small quantity of gunpowder.*

By this time, general Carpenter, who had been sent down to pursue them, had broken up from Newcastle, was advanced to Wooler, and it was reported would attack them next day. A council of war was in consequence called on the twenty-seventh of October, to determine in what manner their future proceedings were to be conducted. As is usual in all hopeless cases, the council was greatly divided in opinion. The gentlemen from Northumberland were urgent to have the scene of their operations transferred to England, which they had but just left. This was violently opposed by the Scots, particularly by the earl of Winton, and brigadier M'Intosh. The advice of these gentlemen, was to return and join the western clans, taking Dumfries and Glasgow in their way, both towns of considerable note, and able to afford abundant supplies of every thing in which they stood in need, as well as being both valuable stations for forwarding the ulterior object they had in view. The wisdom of this advice has been, we think, far too generally admitted; yet there was so much plausibility in it, and they were, by circumstances, so much shut up to its adoption, that one can hardly help wondering at its being rejected. Rejected, however, it was, as well as another proposal, which had in it something much more enchanting to young soldiers of fortune, and bade fair to have given to their cause a temporary triumph, if it had not paved the way for more splendid as well as more profitable achievements. This was to cross the Tweed, and cut off general Carpenter before he could receive further supplies, which, in all probability, they would have found no great difficulty in doing, for his army was not above nine hundred effective men, and these, a great number of them at least, quite raw, and the whole at this time excessively fatigued.† M'Intosh, though he seconded the earl of Winton very strongly for returning through the western counties, had no objection to this latter proposal, shrewdly remarking, that the longer

* Patten's History of the Rebellion, pp. 50, 51. Rae's History of the Rebellion, p. 269.

they deferred an engagement, the stronger would be the opposition they would have to encounter; and when we look at their number, and their equipment, which was greater and better at this than at any after period, their conduct in declining this advice can hardly be accounted for upon any rational principle. The Highlanders under M'Intosh, who, allowing for deserters in the course of the march, could not be much below fourteen hundred men, were themselves probably more than a match for general Carpenter with all the force that he could immediately muster; and there were besides, of Scotish noblemen and gentlemen, five troops of horse, and, of English noblemen and gentlemen, at least an equal number.

The first troop of Scotish horse, was commanded by lord Kenmure, who had under him the honourable Bazil Hamilton of Baldoon, nephew to the late duke of Hamilton, a promising youth, who displayed great courage and capacity afterward at the unfortunate affair of Preston, though he was but very young. The second was the Merse troop, consisting chiefly of the followers and dependants of the earl of Hume, which, as the earl was a prisoner in the castle of Edinburgh, was commanded by his brother, the honourable James Hume, a gentleman much respected, and of a most amiable disposition, but for such an important situation far too young. The third was commanded by the earl of Winton, and consisted entirely of his lordship's followers. The command under himself, he gave to captain James Dalzell, brother to the earl of Carnwath, who had formerly been in the service of his majesty, but, on engaging in this affair, threw up his commission, which saved him afterwards from being shot as a deserter at Preston. The fourth belonged to Robert, earl of Carnwath, but he gave the command to his uncle, John Dalzell, Esq. a gentleman remarkable only for his attachment to the fallen dynasty of the Stuarts. The fifth had been raised principally through the influence of George Lockhart of Carnwath, but having the good fortune to be himself a prisoner in the castle of Edinburgh, it was commanded by his brother, captain Lockhart, a gentleman of fine parts, improved by a liberal education. He had been previously in the service of the government, and was at this time on half pay, in consequence of which, he was

shot as a deserter at Preston. He displayed throughout, both courage and capacity, and met his fate with a constant magnanimity worthy of a better cause. These were all completely furnished and well armed, though their horses were rather small, and but in a mean condition.

The English consisted likewise of five troops of horse, all under the command of Thomas Forster, junior, of Etherston, member of parliament for the county of Northumberland. He was a man well esteemed in the country, of good parts, and personally brave, but utterly unacquainted with military affairs. He was pitched upon by the earl of Marr, under whose commission he acted, only because there was no other protestant of note in these parts in the pretender's interest, and he was afraid to give the chief command to a papist, for alarming his protestant friends. Forster's first troop belonged to the earl of Derwentwater, and was commanded by his brother, Charles Radcliff, Esq. and captain John Shaftoe. Derwentwater had the misfortune to be educated a papist, but had a highly estimable character. He was very little fitted for overturning thrones, and seems to have been engaged in this rebellion from a little personal acquaintance with the chevalier, rather than any vehemence of political feeling, and of all the unhappy men whose ruin was accomplished by means thereof, none was more deeply lamented. The se cond troop was the lord Widdrington's, and commanded by Thomas Errington of Beaufort. Lord Widdrington reflected no credit upon the cause, though he was come of a family that had produced many great men, behaving afterwards with great pusillanimity when opposed to his majesty's forces at Preston. Errington had been in the French service, was a man of good parts, and an excellent officer, but had no great enthusiasm in the cause, being led to embark in it, merely from some obligations he lay under to lord Derwentwater. The third troop was commanded by captain John Hunter, a desperate character. He had obtained a commission in the latter end of queen Anne's reign, to raise an independent company, but never received any pay upon it, nor enlisted any men. He was a noted runner of uncustomed goods, and possessed in a high degree that energy of character peculiar to such a profession. In the

defence of Preston he behaved with the greatest bravery, and after being taken, made his escape in a few days out of Chester castle, got over to Ireland, and thence safely into France. The fourth troop was commanded by Robert Douglas, a Scotishman, and likewise of a desperate character. He signalized himself on several occasions, by going between England and the earl of Marr, with the utmost secrecy and expedition, bringing along with him on one of these occasions, Mr. Forster's commission, and the manifestoes and declarations which that nobleman emitted in name of the pretender. "He was indefatigable," says Patten, " in searching for horses and arms, a trade, some were pleased to say, he had followed out of the rebellion as well as in it." He also acquitted himself at Preston with desperate bravery, and made his escape after being made prisoner, either from Liverpool or Chester. The fifth troop was commanded by captain Nicholas Wogan, an Irish gentleman, descended from an ancient family of that name in Wales. He was generous and humane, highly brave, and an enthusiast in the cause in which he was engaged. Besides these ten troops, there were a great many gentlemen volunteers not formed into any regular troop, and, as we have already stated, they were all double officered.*

Such was the amount, and such the leaders of an army, that, on the twenty-seventh of October, having learned that general Carpenter intended to attack them next day with a force, nominally of one thousand men, but certainly not above nine hundred, many of them men that had never seen any service, and all of them worn out with long marches, retreated, or rather decamped, apparently not aware whether they were retreating or advancing, to Jedburgh, on their march to which, they were thrown into the greatest confusion, by mistaking a body of their own men for the army of general Carpenter. At Jedburgh, they found that they were three days' march ahead of general Carpenter, and it was resolved, upon the earnest entreaty of the English gentlemen, to march into England. To this project, however, the Highlanders were obstinately averse; and, although captain Hunter, who was intimately acquainted with the country,

* Patten's History of the Rebellion, pp. 51–64.

had been sent with his troop to Tyndale, to provide quarters for the whole army, they moved on to Hawick on the twenty-ninth, and orders were sent after captain Hunter to countermand hini. In Jedburgh, the magistrates were ordered to furnish the Highlanders with a quantity of oat meal, which they did, by compelling every householder to give a quantity according to his ability. At this place too, they were joined by a Mr. Ainsley of Cowhill, and several others.*

On the march to Hawick, the Highlanders, still supposing they were on the road for England, separated themselves upon a rising ground on Hawick muir, and rested their arms, declaring, that though they were willing to fight if brought to the enemy, they would upon no account go into England; but, following the suggestion of the earl of Winton, they would return by the west of Scotland, join the clans there, and, crossing the Forth above Stirling, join the earl of Marr; or, sending him notice, fall upon Argyle in the rear, while he fell upon him in front. Eager to have his plan followed, Winton had probably tutored the Highlanders to adhere to it, for they would speak with or be spoken to by none but himself, and he now told them, that by going to England they would be overpowered by numbers, and either cut to pieces or taken and sold for slaves-a prediction that had a more full accomplishment than was probably either expected or desired by him who uttered it. During this dispute, which lasted upwards of two hours, the cavalry, seven hundred strong, assisted by two hundred foot, were drawn around the Highlanders to compel them to submission; but they cocked their muskets, and faced about, saying, "that if they were to be made a sacrifice of, they would choose to have it done in their own country;" and all that could be made of them was, that they would abide by the army while it continued in Scotland, but would by no means enter England.†

After this dispute, which lasted upwards of two hours, was made up, they continued their march for Hawick, where Mr.

*Patten's History of the Rebellion, p. 67.

↑ Rae's History of the Rebellion, pp. 272, 273.