A TRUE ACCOUNT OF MR. JOHN DANIEL’S PROGRESS WITH PRINCE CHARLES (continued 2)

In this perplexity I resolved to steer my course through the mountainous country, notwithstanding the advice of many to the contrary, who told me, it would be impossible for me to escape, and begged I would go and surrender, assuring me, that if I attempted the mountains, I should inevitably perish in them. But reflecting, how nigh suffering my Father had been in the year 1715, taking Courage and Patience for my guides, I resolved to enterprize a journey through a Country that few of my Nation had ever passed before. So, folding up my Standard, whose Motto was Britons! strike home! I put it in my Riding-coat pocket, in hopes it might be of use another day, and began my journey, in company with three others, for the Highlands. Having discharged our horses, after a long day’s journey, we came to a house situated on Garvie-more, twelve miles from any other, where we met with many of our party, who had arrived there before us. However, putting up in the best manner with what little we could obtain, we set forward for Fort Augustus: but on the road, a misfortune happened, that disconcerted all our plans; for a man who carried our provisions of Oatmeal, fallen a little behind, by accident met with some of the Brigade Picquets, who robbed him of our meal and two riding-coats. This unexpected loss obliged us to separate soon afterwards, being too many to subsist in this wild tract of country, if we had kept together. However, having got betwixt Fort Augustus and Fort William, we struck up into the country to the right, and passed several large mountains in Lochiel’s Country, where we staid three days, because we heard, that the brave Prince was nigh us, and to take leave of one another, the necessaries of life being exceedingly scarce, from the great number of people wandering over the hills as well as we. I here went to wait upon the Duke of Perth, who was at the house of Doctor Cameron, Lochiel’s Brother: but being told by two sentinels at the door, that His Grace was indisposed, I returned without seeing him. It was now reported, that an English spy had been at Doctor Cameron’s house which obliged me in all haste to quit that place; for certain it is, had I staid there any longer, and the Highlanders supposed me to be the spy, they would have made away with me. I therefore left my companions and set forward to Lochaber, the wildest country I ever was in. And now it was that I began to be truly miserable, and to endure hardships which I had thought it impossible for human nature to support, for in that most hideous place I was deprived of every thing that could give me comfort: true it is, I found some few inhabitants; but in language food and customs quite different from what I had ever seen before. In this place I was forced to stay several days, on account of the prodigious quantity of snow that fell upon the mountains, and hindered me from discerning or making any road. During my stay, I by good fortune got a pound of black bread to live upon. The snow somewhat melting I set forward again from Lochaber towards the sea-shore. On the road I was overtaken by about forty women, half-starved to death who were wandering up and down for safety. Some of them, who spoke English, told me, they had been driven out of their houses by the soldiers who were sent out from Fort William to ravage burn and plunder all before them and now it was that the most heart-rending scenes of misery began to present themselves; for many of these poor creatures with children in their arms, lay extended in the clefts of the rocks half covered with snow, dead, and a-dying in the most piteous manner. With these companions of misery, and daily meeting with more I passed some days. I now learned, that many of the unfortunate adherents of the Prince had been famished to death on the hills and I expected it would soon be my turn, for I began to be almost unable to proceed, my shoes being worn out, and the sharp rocks wounding my feet. However, I encouraged myself with the thought that my pursuers would have the same difficulty to climb the rocks as I had; and on the twentieth day[444] after our defeat at Culloden I came to the sea, in Clan-Ronald’s Country; the view of which was most agreeable to me, though even then I saw no prospect of escaping. Getting a little refreshment from the people who dwelt on the sea-shore, I began as it were to revive again, having been almost starved to death with hunger and cold; for I had been obliged to lie down for whole nights under the shelves of rocks, and was for two or three days together without eating at all, as nothing could be obtained either for love or money. Though I was fat and strong at the battle of Culloden, I was now quite emaciated and reduced to so miserable a state, that, if I had had another day to walk, I am sure I must have died; for I was not only starved with hunger and cold, but frightfully covered with vermin, which bit me all over my body so that there remained not one whole place in my skin. This, joined with the pain in my torn feet, made me often think that Job could not be in a more piteous condition. Yet as he had God for his comforter, so had I; for the justness of the cause I was suffering for, gave me great courage, and supported me much: and though I saw daily enmities exercised against me, it was a great satisfaction to me, to think, that, during the time I had the honour of being a soldier under the banner of our dear Prince, I could not accuse myself of one act that a Christian might blush at.

Being somewhat recovered by the particular care of a worthy Gentleman (whose kindness I had the satisfaction in a little time to return by an agreeable meeting with him at Paris), I began to inquire, if it were possible from island to island to make my escape out of the country; for could I have sold myself at that time as a slave into Turkey, I would have done it. My host told me, that it was impossible, as all the boats had been destroyed by Cumberland’s order. However, one morning, being in that perplexity of thought how to get off, and fearing every moment the landing of soldiers to destroy the country—news was brought us that two French ships had come into the Lough just by—which mightily raised our hopes, that either a restoration of the Prince’s affairs were at hand, or that we should escape to France. So, running down to see and hear what we could we found them to be ships destined for the Prince’s service, having on board a great quantity of arms and ammunition, with five barrels of gold, pretty large and nearly one-yard long—which before our late fatal disasters might have been of great use.[445]

Notice being sent all about the Mountains, as far as time would permit; several, who lay despairing, came down to the sea-shore, and among the rest, my old patron the Duke of Perth, Lord John his brother; Sir Thomas Sheridan, Secretary Murray, Mr. John Hay, and Doctor Cameron. These being assembled together, judged it proper though no one knew where the Prince was (many thinking he was gone off for France) to have the money and arms brought on shore; which was done on the evening after. Going securely to sleep that night expecting to sail for France the next day, we were surprised by the noise of cannon, which awakened us about three o’Clock in the morning; and getting up to see what the matter was, we had for our comfort the disagreeable news and sight of three English ships, that were come from Fort William to attack the French, whose appearance on the coast they had noticed, it seems. This sight displeased us very much: however, fighting was the resolution of us all. The two French Frigates (viz., the Mars and the Bellona), being pretty strong, and having a sufficient quantity of men, cannon, and ball, resolved to make head against the three English vessels, of which one was the Baltimore,[446] that name being written upon her rudder, which was carried off by a cannon-ball. The place they fought in, was a creek of rocks, which held the French (the English coming down upon them) as it were penn’d up, having the land on their back and both sides. However it was easy for them to hold communications with us on shore, who were four hundred armed men or more; so that had they been obliged to abandon their Ships, they might have saved themselves on shore. The Crews of the two ships amounting to nearly eleven hundred men, might, with the assistance of the Highlanders, have made an effectual resistance to the English, if they had attempted to invade us. The battle furiously beginning at three o’Clock in the morning, it remained doubtful till four in the afternoon, who would be victors. Nor was it a small pleasure to us to see those combatants engaged, and the skill of the French, whose fire seldom missed the English; for many of us being upon the rock as it were hung over these ships, in such a manner that they could not hurt us with either cannon or musketry; we could discern how matters went, and few balls were fired but we might see whether they hit or missed, which latter the English frequently did. During the engagement, the Highlanders were busied in carrying the arms, money, and powder off from the sea-shore; which service they performed with amazing resolution, many a cannon ball being fired, in order to hinder them, by the largest of the English ships. Few Highlanders there were but what had a cask of brandy hid privately in the hills, with which some of them got merry before night. At last we had the satisfaction to see the English hoist their sails, leave the French, and sail to the main ocean. The French repaired their ships as fast as possible, and endeavoured to make what haste out they could, lest the English should return with a greater force.

All being over and hopes reviving again; one who had been in the Guards with me, came and told me, he had found a barrel of money, and that he would get me as much of it as I pleased. To this proposal I replied, That I had no manner of use for it, for, if I should be so fortunate as to escape into France, I had friends enough there, who would take care of me; and that if I died or were taken, it would be of no service to me. Moreover if the Prince should rally again, how shocking it would be to have to reproach ourselves with being a hindrance to our dear Prince’s designs. On hearing this reply, he, being of a temper exceedingly rude, began to repent of informing me of it; and seemed resolved to take some, and let the rest be embezzled away; for as far as I could learn he had hidden it in a place unknown to any one but whether in the confusion when everything was carried off, he had stopped it, or carried it away, elsewhere, I know not, for he would not tell me. But strange, you will say, must have been the confusion when a barrel of gold fell into his hands, and no one the wiser. However, I determined to quitt my hands and conscience of it; and much search being made for it at this time, I went and told one Mr. Harrison, a Priest,[447] about it, and what such a man intended to do, and beg that he would keep an eye on him: but he, being a little before me, overheard me, and turning back knocked me down with a stick, and swore, that he would kill me the first opportunity. But the Priest, taking my part endeavoured to pacify him, desiring him to desist from thoughts of the money, and shew him where it was. The man, however, remained obstinate, and said he was resolved to have some of it, since the Prince’s affairs seemed now desperate; alleging that his Father and himself had been ruined for loyalty. They then both agreed to go together; but what afterward passed, I know not.

Recovering myself from the fall he gave, I went towards the ships, in order to get on board that night, and in going I was so happy as to meet with the Duke of Perth, who, seeing me in a most piteous condition, called me to him, and, after embracing me, and giving me most agreeable consolations, said: ‘Dear Mr. Daniel, I am truly sorry for you; but I assure you that you shall go along with me, and if we are so fortunate as to get to France, depend upon it, that I shall always be your friend.’ In reply I begged His Grace not to be in pain about me; for the loss of me was only the loss of my life, not having one dependant upon me; and assured him that I was truly resigned to God’s holy will; and thanking His Grace for his kindness and concern for me, wished we might be so happy as to reach France. And now, after we had staid some time upon the sea-shore, waiting for the boats, three were sent to fetch us; but we were obliged to wade breast-deep into the sea, before we could get on board of them. While we were lying on the shore—the Duke, poor man! wrapped up in a blanket!—a Highlander by accident let the snuff of his tobacco-pipe fall into a barrel of gun powder; which blowing up, with a great number of stones about it, one of them flew so near my ear, that I could not hear at all for three hours after. This explosion alarmed us at first, as we supposed the English had returned to attack the French ships again: but happily no other mischief was done, except that the Highlander lost his life.

The boat the Duke was in, put off immediately; and another coming took me in, with many more, and carried us to the Bellona, where we remained at anchor till two o’Clock the next morning, when we sailed for France.[448] The chief of those in our ship were Sir Thomas Sheridan;[449] Mr. Sheridan, his nephew;[450] and Mr. Hay.[451] We were twenty-five days in sailing to France, and met with no opposition during our voyage. I was exceedingly seasick, and having no pockets, and every one thinking I should die, I gave a purse of money to Mr. John Hay’s servant, telling him, if I died, to keep it; and if I survived to carry it for me to France; which he carefully did for me. In the ship I was in, there raged a contagious distemper, which carried off sixty-seven in twenty-five days: and about the tenth day of our voyage, I saw the body of my friend and patron the Duke of Perth, thrown over-board; which afflicting sight, joined with my violent sickness, I expected would have put an end to my life. But what I thought would have killed me, perhaps contributed to save my life in that pestiferous ship; as my continual vomiting may have hindered any thing noxious from taking any effect upon me. But what is very surprising, for twenty-two days I had not one call of nature, which I affirm upon honour. And now after all my adventures dangers and fatigues, I at the end of twenty-five landed in France, where, to my satisfaction, I have lived since, in the expectation daily of seeing what I have ever wished to see.

Postscript

Having now finished my Narrative, I hope the truth of what I have written will make up for the faults that may be found in it, and that the candid Reader will find matter of admiration and esteem in the behaviour and actions of one so dear, whom I had once the honour to serve. I shall conclude with

Fuimus Troies, et erimus iterum.

Trojans we have been, and will again

to the satisfaction of all good men!