mation, such objections may be put in writing, weh is certainly the best method & shortest to come at the knowledge of the truth. Since the delivery of this Mem. it has been resolved to send over for ten Battall. of the Brit. Troops of the Army commanded by the Duke of Cumberland, wch has been done accordingly. August 1745. My Lord, No. CCLXV. The Marquis of Tweeddale to the Lord President. Whitehall, 4 September 1745. I WROTE to your Lordship on the 24th of August, which I hope you received. Last night I had an Express from Edinburgh, which brought us intelligence, that the Rebells had passed Sir John Cope, and were to be on the 30th at Dalnacairdick. This account, you will easily judge, has not a little surprised us; since, it is to be feared, the Rebells may make a considerable progress in the low Countries before Sir John Cope can overtake them. The Earl of Stair has proposed, that a number of blank Commissions be sent down to be distributed among the well-affected Clans, as your Lordship shall think proper. This I heartily seconded; as I know your Lordship will make a right use of this mark of his Majesty's confidence. Such a number of Highlanders being joined into regular Companies will not only prevent more men from rising for the Pretender's Service, but a part of them may go and live at discretion in the Country which the Rebells leave; or, if it shall be thought more necessary, either the whole or any part of them may march into the South Country with Sir John Cope, according to the orders they shall receive. This proposal His Majesty has agreed to, and accordingly a number of blank commissions are sent down by this Express, which will be forwarded to your Lordship without loss of time. In my Letter of the 17 Aug' I acquainted you, that M' Pelham had assured me, that whatever Sums of Money you should advance at this juncture, for the Service of the Government, should be punctually repaid. I am likewise to inform you, that Sir John Cope has a credit to answer the exigencies of the Government. Í shall long much till I hear good Accounts from you. In the mean time, be assured that I am, with great truth and esteem, My Lord, Your Lordship's most Obed' No. CCLXVI. TWEEDDALE. My Lord, Sir Andrew Mitchell to the Lord President. Whitehall, 5th Sept 1745. 2 o'clock afternoon. IT is with most sincere Joy that I write you this; as this Letter will be accompanied with the most honourable mark of trust and confidence that His Majesty can bestow. It has been thought proper, at this juncture, to raise twenty independent Companies in the Highlands; and your Lop is the person pitched upon to choose the Officers. Your Zeal for his Majesty's Service, at a time when Zeal is no epidemick, and FF 2 and your integrity and justice, are so well known, that every body thinks the choice is not the effect of favour, but of judgment. I can easily conceive what use would have been made of such powers, had they been granted to some people; private interest wou'd have been strengthened & extended; private resentment glutted with insolent revenge; and both at the expence of his Majestie's Service; but your Lop can never act from such motives; and the noble opportunity that is now put into your hands will make your impartiality and forgetfulness of injuries as conspicuous to your Country, as your love of Justice has been. Your Lordsp will forgive me if I mention one thing more; which is, that, as this trust is very great, your enemies, for such you have, will if possible endeavour to find fault; and tho' I am convinced that no Commission will be given by you, but to such Persons as are well affected, and capable of being of immediate service to the Government, I think you should pay Sir John Cope the Compliment to acquaint him that you have received such Commissions; and even to seem to advise with him; for as he can know nothing of the state of the Highlands, he will certainly yield to you in every thing. Your Lordship's judgment, and the State of Affairs in Scotland, will be the best guide to direct how far the Commissions are to be made use of at all, or what part of them may be proper to give out. There are twenty blank Commissions for Captains, Lieu", & Ensigns, of Independent Companies, which the Lord Advocate has directions to forward to you as speedily and safely as possible. We have not heard from Sir John Cope since the 22 Aug; and a letter from the D. of Athol, of the 30th Aug', has greatly alarmed People here; more indeed, I think, than there was reason for; but it is the fashion to fear, or at least to seem to be affraid. I long to hear from your Lop. Your behaviour on this occasion, and the part you are now acting, meets with the universal applause of every Whig Subject his Majesty has, a very few excepted. I write this in great hurry, and you'll excuse blunders. It is the language of my heart. I am most affectionately, No. CCLXVII. AND" MITCHELL. Sir John Cope to the Lord President. Aberdeen, 12th Sep 1745. THE Information given by the two Gentlemen arrived this Day from Angus is in Substance as follows, viz. That they were informed in that Country, that the Young Chevalier had at most not above 4000 Men at Perth last week; the greatest part Highlanders; that many of them had no fire-arms, & were otherwise very ill armed. That the Duke of Perth had join'd him with his people, most of whom he had forced to follow him; that the (D: of P:) had killed one Man, & wounded one or two more, who had refused to go. That Lord George Murray had likewise join'd the Chevalier with about 1000 Athol Men, & that he had left about 500 at Blair of Athol, and Dunkeld; at which last place the Marquis of Tellibarden lay sick. That the Highlanders, on their coming down, had demanded payment of the Excise at Cowpar of Angus; & that they had taken a small sum from some of the Officers of the Revenue in that place. That about 200 of them entered Dundee on Saturday last, & left it again on Monday, carrying off with them some Ships Guns, some pewter & Lead for Musquet Balls, Balls, & some small quantity of Powder. But that the Magistrates had shipp'd off some small Arms on Board the Custom house Yacht, who had got out of the River a few hours before the Highlanders came to Town. That it was confidently reported, that Lord Ogilvie had been in the Chevalier's Camp, & that he intended to have join'd him with his Father's people, having provided some Ammunition, as supposed, for that purpose; but that he seems now to have laid aside that Intention, & even denies he ever had it. The Copys of two letters, said to have been wrote by the Spanish Ambassador & the Duke de Bouillone, to the young Chevalier *, were deliver'd to the General. That the Highland Army were in Perth on Tuesday last at 10 of the Clock; that it was talk'd there, that they were to move; and there was a Rumour of their demanding £500. A letter, dated the 9th Curr', Montrose, says, a Perth Man informed the Author that the Louis D'ors pass'd at 17sh; but that soon after it was ordered by the young Chevalier, that they should pass at 21sh; and that some persons were obliged to take Bills, instead of cash, for payment of work done for them. Another Information says, they were making Targets at Perth, & that they got about 2 dozen Lochaber Axes out of the Town of Perth. The Duke of Perth Sick at Crief. The Pretender's Son is in a fine Highland Dress laced with Gold; wears a Bonnet laced; wears a Broad Sword; had a Green Ribband, but did not see the Star; a well made Man, taller than any in his Company. Collected 22 at Cowpar in Angus. The talk was, they wanted to take the Army before join'd with the Dragoons. They intended to attack us upon the Corryarick. They talk'd of the Landing of Earl Marshall. Had 15 or 16 Boats on the South Side of the Tay; on which they keep constant Guards. It was said in Perth, the Duke of Perth had killed two people that refused to rise. This Informer left Perth Tuesday, the 10th, at four in the Afternoon. My Lord, No. CCLXVIII. &c. The Lord President to Lord Lovat. 19 Sept 1745. THE moment I received Authority to dispose of the Commissions for some Independent Comp, you may be sure your Lop came into my eye; & tho I had been forgetfull, the care of your good freind my Lord Stair would not have permitted it to have been long so; for a Note from his Lop, which came just after to me, made kind mention of your Lop, & pointed at your 2a Son; as your Eldest was destined to another course of Life. I should have wrote to your Lop then on the subject, but that Mac Leod was going to you, & I charged him with mentioning it; but finding that he has not brought me, as I expected, your Lop's resolutions, & being under a necessity of reporting soon what I have done, or am a doing, I am obliged to give your Lop the trouble of this, to beg to know how you like the proposall; & if you do, to have a List from you of the persons names to whom you would have the Commissions for Cap, Lieu', and Ensign given. My labour for the best part of 30 Years is lost, if I need to employ many words to convince you that I wish your family heartily well. I have heard no news but from Ab", that Sir J. Cope, who weigh'd Sunday night, had a fair wind all Monday, which was supposed there to have brought him safe into Leith road. As to the reports that are coin'd & spread to animate either party, they make no impres sion on me, no more than they ought to make on any wise man. One of them, however, I will mention, from a Letter of the Lyon's, who came home last night from his expedition to Abd; which will shew your Lop how senseless & impertinent their tales, with which they attempt to keep up spirits, are: He says, that in his way home he was assured by Ladies, who had it from J. Hamilton in Strath Bogie, that your Lop's Strathherick Men were immediately to join Glenbucket; & that, as your own health was bad, & the Master of Lovat but Young, you had sent for your cousin Inveralachie to command these, & to raise your other Men. If such silly storys pass upon any body, it must be upon those who do not know what you have done for the present Govt, & the value you have for your honour, & for the Estate of Lovat. As to Inveralachie's part of it, tho' I am not personally well known to that Gentleman, yet the Character of prudence & discretion which I have had of him from Sir Arthur Forbes, Lord Strechin, & severall others of his freinds, satisfy me that he is not giddy enough to enter into the views which Mr. Hamilton might present him with; so that, from this ridiculous instance, one may easyly see what stress is to be laid now-a-days on private history, & on reports. I am, my Lord, No. CCLXIX. The Duke of Newcastle to Matthew Ridley, Esq. Mayor of Newcastle. Whitehall, Sept 25th, 1745. Sir, I DISPATCHED an Express to you on Monday night with an answer to your letter of the 20th Inst. I received yesterday morning the melancholy account of the defeat of His Majesty's forces by the Rebels in Scotland*; and some hours after, I was favoured with your letter of the 22d inst. and laid it immediately before the King. His Majesty saw with the greatest satisfaction the spirit of Loyalty and Zeal which animates his faithful subjects in Newcastle and in the County of Northumberland to exert themselves in the support of His Majesty's Government, and for the preservation of our happy Constitution; and I am commanded by His Majesty to desire that you would return his thanks to the Gentlemen who have thus distinguished themselves on this Occasion. I have already answered that part of your letter in which you desire to have an officer of Note sent down to you. Major General Huske, whom his Majesty has appointed for that Service, and whose Character I am persuaded you are not unacquainted with, set out last night for Newcastle; and as he proposed to make great expedition, he will probably be with you soon after you have received this letter. As the two Dutch Regiments, which I acquainted you in my last were ordered to proceed by sea to Newcastle, were detained in the River by contrary winds, it has been thought proper, upon the news of the action in Scotland, in order not to divide the force which is immediately to march against the Rebels, that they should be disembarked and be added to that Corps. Marshall Wade has received his Majesty's Orders to take upon him the Command of those troops; part of them are already marched, and the whole will make up a very considerable army, and will be provided with a large Train of Artillery of all sorts, and march immediately to whatever place Marshall Wade In the Battle of Preston Pans. shall shall have notice the Rebels army is: His Majesty being determined, by the Blessing of God, to do his utmost immediately and effectually to suppress this Rebellion, to protect his Majesty's faithful Subjects, and to relieve and defend the several Counties which lie most exposed to the insults and attacks of this lawless and rebellious multitude, which his Majesty had before hoped that his Army in Scotland might have been able to have done. Two Regiments of 1000 men each will be immediately transported from Dublin to Chester, in order to preserve the peace of those parts, and to join his Majesty's Army when it shall be advanced northwards. As we have an account that the greatest part of the two Regiments of Dragoons, of Hamilton and Gardiner, that were in the Action, are now at Berwick, orders will be immediately sent for them, and any other part of Sir John Cope's troops that may have been got thither, to march immediately for Newcastle, and to be under the Command of Major General Huske. I have the satisfaction to acquaint you, that besides the Army marching immediately under the Command of Marshall Wade, Ten Regiments of His Majesty's forces, and all the Dutch Auxiliary troops, being now arrived from Williamstadt, there will remain a very considerable force in the Neighbourhood of London for the defence and security of the Capital, and for the preservation of the peace in these parts. Give me leave, Sir, to assure you (and I desire you will do the same to the rest of the Gentlemen), that I shall with the greatest pleasure do every thing in my power to forward any assistance and support that you may want in this critical conjuncture; being glad of all occasions to shew myself yours & their Most obedient humble Servant, (Sic Subscribitur) HOLLES NEWCASTLE. P.S. I should be obliged to you if, as you shall have occasion, you will acquaint the neighbouring Gentlemen with the Steps His Majesty is taking for the Suppression of this Rebellion. No. CCLXX. The Mayor of Newcastle to the Lord President. My Lord, Newcastle, Sept' 26th, 1745° BELIEVING it may be for his Majesty's service, and also acceptable to your Lordship, to be informed of the true state of matters here at present, I take hold of the opportunity of a vessel ready to sail for Aberdeen to acquaint you, that I received an Express last night from the Duke of Newcastle, dated the 23d Instant, which brought his Majesty's sign Manual, authorising me to form Companies of His Majesty's well-affected Subjects in this place, and to grant Commissions to Officers for the Command of the same. Also, that store of Arms and Ammunition are ordered hither forthwith, that the place may be put into the best posture of defence against the Enemies of his Majesty, in case they make an Attempt upon it. The Gentlemen of Northumberland and Durham met yesterday, and made a noble appearance, and have entered into Associations to raise a body of Men for his Majesty's service. The Dukes of Bedford, Rutland, Kingston, Bolton, Lord Halifax, Malton, Irwin, Herbert, & several other Ld Lieut" have Commissions, & are raising Regiments of Horse, at their own Expence, to be employed as occasion shall require. 2,200 Swiss, five Companies of Maj' Gen' Blakeney's, Duke of Montagu's Horse, St George's Dragoons, are on full march into the North, commanded by Gen' Wentworth. Two Regiments |