Copy of several remarkable Narratives taken from the mouth of Dr. Archibald Cameron's lady,[273] by Dr. John Burton, when in Edinburgh.
Reading edition
Copy of several remarkable Narratives taken from the mouth of Dr. Archibald Cameron's lady,[273] by Dr. John Burton, when in Edinburgh.
1746. July.
The Prince in going into the hut where the thieves[274] were (being forced to do it), having been eight and forty hours without any sustenance, was discovered by one of them who knew him well.[275] This trusty fellow, knowing the Prince's condition, [fol. 548.] and at the same time, not daring to tell his companions who their new guest was, had the presence of mind to call out, 'Ha, Dougal MacCullony, I am glad to see thee.' By this the Prince found that he was known to this man, and that the man behoved to be a friend by the expression he had now used. The Prince took the hint and humoured the joke so well that he owned the name given him, and accordingly sat down and ate very heartily of some boyled beef and pottage. The man who knew the Prince found (after talking privately with the Prince) that it was necessary to inform his companions who their new guest was. Upon knowing of this they rejoiced greatly and made it their study how to serve him in the best manner they could, two of them being always employed by turns to keep sentry or a good look-out, and to bring in provisions, which they did in plenty. In short they behaved with the utmost fidelity and respect to him while amongst them.
When the Prince and, I think, Cameron of Glenbean or Glenpain [fol. 549.] were travelling together, one day the latter after going about three miles,[276] missed his purse,[277] wherein he had forty guineas and would needs go back for it. But the Prince was not at all for his returning upon any account. However, Glenbean was positive not to want the purse, and therefore he desired the Prince to wait behind a hill near the place where they then were till he should come to him again. The Prince was obliged to comply, and Glenpean had not gone far before a party of soldiers appeared and marched the very road they should have gone had not Glenbean left his purse; by which means the Prince must inevitably have been taken. The Prince lay snug and watched the road the soldiers went, waiting Glenpane's return. Glenbean found his purse and returned with joy, the Prince at that time having no money, which was the chief reason that made Glenpean so positive on returning [fol. 550.] to seek for the purse. The Prince told him what he had seen, on which they took a different route, heartily thanking Providence for so lucky and so seasonable an accident.
The Prince, not many days after his return from Sky to the continent, sent one to Glenbean[278] (I think) desiring Glenbean to meet him at such a place. But before the messenger and Glenbean came to him he was obliged to remove from the place appointed upon seeing some soldiers approaching towards it. Glenpane and the guide coming to the place and not finding the Prince, parted and went different roads in order (if possible) to find him out. After the Prince had left the place appointed for the meeting, it became so very misty or foggy that a person could not see a yard before him. During the continuance of this fog Glenbean walking up a vale accidentally met with the Prince, being so near as to rub upon one another before the one could discern the other. The Prince in a bold manner asked the other who he was, the Prince being ready for a defence provided it had been an enemy. [fol. 551.] The answer being given, the Prince said, You are the man I sent for, and I am such an one. Soon after this, another guide being got (for they never heard any more of the former guide, who parted from Glenbean when both of them were endeavouring to find out the Prince), they set out for the place whither the Prince was a-going; and the fog still remaining as thick as before, the Prince happened to fall, and was going headlong down a precipice of above twenty fathoms deep, when the guide most happily catched hold of his foot. But the Prince's weight brought him down also, and both of them must inevitably have had their brains knock'd out had it not been for Glenbean's seizing fast hold of the guide who still kept fast hold of the Prince though in so much danger himself. By the help of Glenbean and some shrubs growing on the side of the precipice they recovered themselves and were both preserved.
[fol. 552.] As soon as the besiegers of Fortwilliam left the place, a party of Caroline Scott's men from within the fort went to the house of Cameron of Gleneavis and plundered it, and stript his lady of all her cloaths, one petticoat only excepted, taking the very shirt off her and looking upon it as a favour to allow her to untie her own petticoats. They stript one of Dr. Cameron's daughters, a girl that was staying with her aunt at Gleneavis. They stript Gleneavis's only son, a boy about seven years of age, who having gold loops and gold buttons on his cloaths, the soldiers were so greedy of them though half worn that one of them took out his knife and cut them all off. In his hurry cutting off the button upon the child's shoulder, he cut with so great force that he wounded the side of the boy's neck. The mother seeing the blood immediately swooned away, imagining the villain had cut the boy's throat. But [fol. 553.] when she came to herself she examined the wound and found it of no great consequence.
This lady with her own and two of her brother's children was forced to go and live in a cave of a rock, where she stayed six months, making the best shift she could for provisions to herself and the poor helpless children. Captain Scott sent her a message, pretending that what was done was without his knowledge or consent, and that if she would go to Fort William she should have such things as belonged to her. She consulted her brother Lochiel, who advised her to go. She went accordingly. The captain gave her her shoe-buckles, her buttons for her shirt-sleeves, which in the hurry of taking the soldiers had broke, and a cloak that had been taken from Dr. Cameron's little daughter.
[N.B.—Gleneavis was never out, and only during the siege of Fort William, some of the besiegers took up their quarters at his house].
[fol. 554.] Notwithstanding, Scott pretended he knew nothing of the soldiers' actions, yet he never punished any one of them for what had been done. He wrote to the Duke of Cumberland an account of what he or his men had done, who sent for answer that he greatly approved of what had been done. This letter from the Duke of Cumberland (amongst many others) was taken when the post-boy was seized by some of the Highlanders, and I believe it may be got.
The soldiers, or rather some of the independent companies, being out upon the plundering affair, met with a poor old woman, who instead of a cap had a piece of linen cloath about her head. One of the soldiers rather than have no prey at all, took off the piece of cloath; and one of the officers (a Campbell) seeing a head of gray hairs likely to make a good wig, had it instantly cut off. Upon this the poor woman begged to have her piece of linen cloth again to prevent her catching [fol. 555.] cold, but in lieu of that the officer gave her a kick in the breech and bad her begone for an old bitch. She went to General Campbell to make her complaint; but he said as the officer was not under his command he could not relieve her, but that had it been any of his officers or men he would have made them restore what was taken. In the present situation he said he could not assist her. This the old woman told to Dr. Cameron's lady verbatim.
After plundering every place and destroying all the meal, etc., and driving away all the cattle, etc., they destroyed all ferry boats or removed them, and would neither suffer the people to go out for provisions nor suffer any provisions to be brought to them.
The Prince kept a regular journal.
The Duke of Cumberland gave orders in writing sealed up [fol. 556.] and not to be opened till they should happen to catch the Pretender, and if they should miss him, to return the orders unopened.
A captain asked Kingsburgh at Fort Augustus about knowing the young Pretender's head.[279] The person so killed cried out as he fell, 'You have murdered your Prince,' which so far deceived them that the Duke of Cumberland went up directly for London in full persuasion the thing was done.
The two gentlemen who came over with letters in cyphers to the French ambassador sent to find out Lochiel.[280] A third was taken and hanged immediately by the military, they pretending that he had once been a spy in Flanders, but he was really an officer in the French army. There were about forty volunteers on board the same ship with the said gentlemen. They knew nothing of the battle of Culloden till their arrival in Scotland. The Prince in disguise took a letter to them (as [fol. 557.] from the Prince) desiring they would deliver up their letters to the bearer, whom they might trust, for the Prince was afraid they might be spies, and as he could talk French well he chose rather to go himself under a borrowed name than to send any person to them. When he came to them they delivered to him all the letters, which, being in cyphers, he could not make anything of. They were left by their own vessel, and so Lochiel took care of them till the vessel came for the Prince. When again they saw the Prince and knew him to be such they were greatly ashamed that they had used him like a common man, in which shape he had formerly appeared to them.[281]
Colonel Warren went over to France on purpose to fetch a vessel for carrying off the Prince and such as should be with him.
[fol. 558.] The Prince and Lochiel were obliged to remove their quarters when Monroe of Culcairn[282] was killed, because they apprehended there would be a much narrower scrutiny upon that account.
As the military had destroyed all the provisions in the country, the poor old women used to follow where they had seen the soldiers marched in order to get the bowels and the green hides of the cattle which had been killed. These they used to cut and to boil them upon a fire. The soldiers finding this out used frequently to leave a party concealed, who, when the poor women were regaling themselves about the fire, as above, used to shoot them for diversion and for wagers, etc.
[fol. 559.] Captain Ferguson, having one of Lochiel's brothers as a prisoner, would not allow him a bed to lie on, nor anything else but ropes and cables. He fell ill and was so bad that in his then situation it was thought he could not recover. Complaint was made to Lord Albemarle, who sent a physician to see him and make his report of him. He returned and said if Mr. Cameron was not brought ashore or was better assisted he must die soon by neglect and ill-usage. Accordingly, Lord Albemarle sent a party for him with an order to Ferguson to deliver up Mr. Cameron. But Ferguson said he was his prisoner and he would not deliver him up to any person without an express order from the Duke of Newcastle, or the Lords of the [fol. 560.] Admiralty. On this refusal Mr. Cameron's friends sent a bed and bed cloaths with some other necessaries, with intent to put them on board. But Ferguson swore if they offered to put them on board he would sink them and their boat directly. The captain soon afterwards sailed, and, when in the Thames, poor Mr. Cameron died.
N.B.—The preceding Remarkable Narratives, etc., I transcribed from Dr. Burton's own hand writ.
Robert Forbes, A.M.