24 July
Kinlochmoidart was made a colonel and aid-de-camp to the Prince, and was to have been made a baronet and peer of [fol. 509.] Scotland. He was an exceeding cool-headed man, fit for either cabinet or field. He was frequently employed in going from one friend of the cause to another. Upon one of these expeditions he was either going or had been when both he and his servant were taken by some country people, and sent to the Castle of Edinburgh, whence he was removed to Carlisle, and was there put to death upon Saturday, October 18th, the festival of St. Luke the Evangelist, 1746. The place where he was made prisoner is called Lesmahagoe, and he was committed to Edinburgh Castle on the 12th of November 1745.
26 July
Having dismissed several messengers to their respective friends on the continent of Scotland, they set sail about the 26th of July 1745, and coasting about the isles between Sky and Mull, and landing some of their passengers, proceeded to Lochshiel in [fol. 510.] Lochabar.[226] Of this the government was informed, as we find by a paragraph in the Gazette of Saturday, August 17th, 1745, from Edinburgh, dated on the 11th of the same month.
Here it will not be amiss to give a short account of the vile and dishonourable method used for seizing the Duke of Perth, who was actually in the hands of the Highland officers, Sir Patrick Murray of Ochtertyre and Mr. Campbell of Inveraa, at his own house of Drummond Castle, but he had the good fortune to make his escape from them. The manner of both was as follows:—
A warrant being out to take the Duke of Perth, it was given to the above officers to put it in execution. They, not daring to attempt it openly without a large force, the sight of which would give a sufficient alarm for him to escape, they therefore thought of the following scandalous method. As they were often hospitably entertained at his table, they sent him word [fol. 511.] that they were to dine with him at such a time. He sent them word back that he should be proud to see them. The time appointed being come (July 26th, 1745), they went as usual, and according to the Duke's generous temper were entertained at dinner. One of his footmen having spied some men in arms coming towards the house, called the Duke to the door of the room and told him what he had seen, begging his Grace in the meantime to take care of himself. This the servant did more than once; but the Duke always smiled and would not suspect any gentlemen to be guilty of any such dirty action. After dinner, the officers having drunk a little while, and the time being come when they had appointed the soldiers to surround the house at a little distance, were pleased to inform his Grace of their errand, pulling out their orders for that [fol. 512.] purpose. The Duke commanded his temper very well, and seeming not to be much displeased, told them he would step into the closet, which was in the room where they were sitting, and get himself ready. To this they agreed, as they thought he could not go out of the room. He went into the closet and (gently locking the door) slipt down a pair of backstairs, which came to the closet, and got into the wood joining his gardens with much difficulty. In making his way through the wood (which was surrounded), he got all his legs much scratched and wounded with the briars and thorns; and he behoved sometimes to crawl on his hands and feet to keep himself from being seen by the sentinels at their different posts. The officers waited some time, and the Duke not returning, they went to the closet door, which, being locked, they called some of the servants, who told them their master was gone away on horseback in a great hurry. After the Duke got out of the wood [fol. 513.] he lay squat for some time in a dry ditch till the party should be gone. The officers and their command, on their return to Crieff, the place where they quartered, passed so near the ditch that the Duke heard all that they spoke. When the party were all out of sight the Duke rose up to look about him, and spying a countryman with a little horse, he desired to have the use of the horse, which the countryman readily complied with. The horse had neither saddle nor bridle, but only a branks (or halter) about its head. However, in this pickle did the Duke ride to the house of Mr. Murray of Abercairny. From that he went to the house of Mr. Drummond of Logie. At night, when all were in bed, Logie Drummond, entertaining fears he could not really account for, got out of bed, and going to the Duke's bed chamber, awaked him and begged him to be gone speedily to some other place; for that he was afraid of his not [fol. 514.] being safe to stay all night. Logie would not leave him till he saw him out of the house, and the Duke was not well gone when a party came (in dead of night), and searched the house very narrowly for the Duke. It is worth remarking here that when Sir Patrick Murray of Ochtertyre was made a prisoner on Gladesmuirfield, the Duke of Perth came up to him, and asking how he did, spoke these words to him very pleasantly, 'Sir Petie, I am to dine with you to-day.'
But to return. At Lochshiel in Lochabar they unloaded their ship, the chief of whose cargo consisted of brandy (a liquor absolutely necessary in the Highlands), a thousand stand of arms, a proportionable quantity of ammunition, and some provisions.[227]
3 Aug.
About the 3d or 4th of August they had cleared the ship. The next day it was known that the Prince was arrived, and young Clanranald sent a guard to attend him.
[fol. 515.] During this time all the messengers were very successful, and several of the Prince's friends began to be in motion, and gathered their respective vassals in order to be ready to attend at the setting up of the standard.