Lord Albemarle to Duke of Cumberland
‘July 26th.
‘The Complaint is universal against Barisdale, therefore I shall not renew his protection, but drive and burn his country to punish him for having made such a bad use of your goodness. Glengarry is much commended for his behaviour.’
Finally, Barisdale had already induced several Macdonnells to lay a written information against Old Glengarry, their chief.
How did Barisdale, who had played a part so conspicuous, manage to obtain a protection from Sir Everard Faulkner? That is the point which we shall later find him explaining with singular candour. Protected he was, and, in pursuit of information, he had the singular impudence to venture, with his son, in September 1746, on board the ship which was to carry the Prince, Lochiel, Lochgarry, and other gentlemen to France. They could not but be aware that Barisdale had made his submission, and was come on no good errand. Lochgarry was his bitter enemy. They therefore put Barisdale and his son in irons, shut them down under hatches, carried them to France, and there imprisoned these gentlemen of Knoydart on a charge of treason. Mr. Fraser Mackintosh, a very innocent writer, thus describes the high-handed outrage: ‘Barisdale was so unpopular with the Camerons, that, without the slightest warrant, they took it on themselves to deport Coll Macdonnell, and his son Alexander [Archibald?] to France.’ Mr. Fraser Mackintosh attributes this unwarrantable action to ‘the Camerons,’ with whom Barisdale was generally ‘unpopular.’ But, of course, the seizure was warranted by Charles, Prince Regent, who is said to have knighted Barisdale on a stricken field. The seizure was more than justified, and was not due to poor Col’s ‘unpopularity.’
Col languished in a French prison till 1749. In March he ventured back to Scotland, finding himself, after his release, very ‘unpopular’ in Flanders. He was promptly culled like a flower by his old captor, Ensign Small, and was brought before Erskine for examination. Erskine writes that he found the tall bully ‘under visible terror.’ France had imprisoned him. England was likely to give him what ‘he wad be nane the waur o’’—a hanging. His house was left unto him desolate; he would flirt no more with fair captive Countesses: no one trembled at his frowning brows: it was Barisdale’s turn to tremble, as he did. He was locked up in Edinburgh Castle, where, at least, he was safe from avenging dirks. He there penned the following explicit confession, in hopes of a pardon, and pay as a spy. Perhaps Cumberland refers to Barisdale’s earlier services in this capacity, in a letter of August 2, 1749. Cumberland speaks of ‘the goodness of the intelligence’ now offered to Government. ‘On my part I bear it witness, for I never knew it fail me in the least trifle, and have had very material and early notices from it.’[64]
Here, then, follows Barisdale’s confession to the Justice Clerk in Edinburgh. It entirely disposes of Mr. Fraser Mackintosh’s suggestion that the Camerons seized Barisdale because he was ‘unpopular.’
Narrative given in by Barrisdale to the Justice Clerk
(H. O. Scotland. Bundle 41. No. 13. State Papers. Domestic)
April 10th, 1749.