Preston Fight Part 19

"I have given you my decision, and I shall adhere to it."

Lord Derwent.w.a.ter could not repress an exclamation of rage.

Mackintosh looked equally angry, but felt it was useless to interfere.

"We shall be better prepared on some future day," observed Forster.

"Never!" exclaimed the brigadier, contemptuously. "Never shall we be better prepared than now! Never shall we have the enemy at greater advantage!"

"At all events, let us stay where we are," said Lord Derwent.w.a.ter. "General Carpenter will think we are retreating, if we march to Hawick."

"Nor will he be far wide of the truth, if he does think so," said Mackintosh.

But these expressions of disapproval were entirely unheeded, and the march to Hawick took place, greatly to the annoyance of Lord Derwent.w.a.ter.

Determined to reconnoitre the enemy, his lordship requested Captain Gordon to accompany him, and set off with a small party of horse towards the Yetholms.

Nothing occurred to indicate that the enemy were on the move till he came within a couple of miles of Kirk-Yetholm, when, from the brow of a hill, he distinguished their vanguard, and at once comprehended that a part of the force, if not the whole, must be marching to Kelso.

Satisfied with what he had seen, and beginning to be of opinion that General Carpenter would not have been so easily surprised as he imagined, he turned back, and riding quickly, overtook the insurgent army before it reached Hawick.

It afterwards appeared that the earl had narrowly escaped capture, and that he and his companions were indebted for their escape to the swiftness of their horses. Had he descended the hill whence he descried the enemy, he must have been taken prisoner.

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VI.

The Highlanders refuse to cross the Border

NEXT day, symptoms of revolt began to appear among the Highlanders, who had been told by Lord Wintoun that if they went to England they would infallibly be defeated by the superior force brought against them, and would either be cut to pieces, taken prisoners and hanged, or sold as slaves to the plantations.

a.s.sembling on the Moot Hill, at the head of the town, they refused to come down, even at the orders of their chief, and told him if they were led against the enemy they would fight, but that they would not cross the Border.

"Wherefore not?" he cried. "Why the devil are you afraid to fight the Southrons on their ain ground? You are ready to meet them here, but not south of the Solway Firth. Your pay is a.s.sured you, and it will be your ain faut if ye dinna double it."

"But they tell us we shall never come back," rejoined the sergeant, who acted as spokesman.

"Who tells you so?" demanded the brigadier.

"One who knows what he says, and wouldn't deceive us," replied the sergeant.

"Zounds, man! do you think I would deceive you?" cried the brigadier. "I tell you that in England you will get plenty to eat and drink-plenty of plunder-whereas in Scotland you have nothing but starvation to expect. Now choose! Will you follow me, who have led you on thus far triumphantly, and will lead you on to further conquest-or desert me, when I most need your services, for one who has neither the will, nor the power to reward you?"

"We will follow you, brigadier," shouted the majority of the men. "Take us where you will."

"I will first take you where each of you can get a mutchkin of whisky to drink the king's health. You will then prepare to march to Langholm, on the road to Longtown!"

After resting for the night at Langholm, where they had some difficulty in finding quarters, the insurgents continued their march next day, uncertain whether they should proceed to Langholm or Ecclefechan, when a decision was unexpectedly brought about.

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VII.

Lord Widdrington returns from Lancashire

WHILE crossing a wide moor, they perceived a party of hors.e.m.e.n coming towards them, and understood from the shouts of these persons that they must be friends.

On a nearer approach the insurgents discovered that the leader of the party was Lord Widdrington. He had just returned from his visit to Lancashire, and had brought with him a very important doc.u.ment, which he was extremely anxious to show to the leaders of the expedition, as it could not fail to govern their future plans.

Upon this, a general halt was called, and the commanders and officers having a.s.sembled, Lord Widdrington read his paper to them.

It was to the effect, that if the combined forces of the Scottish Lowlanders and Highlanders, who had risen for King James the Third, would direct their march to Lancashire, the High Church Tories of Manchester and the neighbourhood, and the whole of the Roman Catholic gentry of Lancashire and Cheshire, would rise in a ma.s.s, and join them with an army of twenty thousand men.

"Twenty thousand men!" exclaimed Lord Kenmure. "Are you certain of this, my lord?"

"I am certain that our appearance in Lancashire will be the signal of a general rising," replied Lord Widdrington. "There is a very strong Jacobite feeling throughout the county. But the inhabitants will not rise till we appear."

"Then we must go to Lancashire," said Lord Kenmure.

"In three days we shall be in the heart of the county," said General Forster.

"And surrounded by a host of friends," cried Lord Widdrington. "I have had promises from all quarters. And you will see that this doc.u.ment bears a number of important names. The first signature is that of my brother-in-law, Mr. Townley, of Townley. The second is that of Mr. Ralph Standish, of Standish. Next follows Sir Francis Anderton, of Lostock. Then come Mr. Shuttleworth, of Shuttleworth, Mr. Richard Chorley, of Chorley, Mr. Gabriel Hesketh, of Whitehall, near St. Michael's-le-Wyre, and Mr. John Leyburne, of Natesby-all men of good family."

"But all Roman Catholics, I suppose?" said Lord Kenmure.

"True, my lord-but they are none the worse for their religion. But there are many other names on the list. Pray look at the doc.u.ment."

"It is not needful," replied Lord Kenmure. Then turning to the others, he added, "I am of opinion that we ought forthwith to quit Scotland and march to Lancashire. How say you, my lords and gentlemen? Shall it be so?"

A hearty response was given in the affirmative, with but one dissentient voice-that of Lord Wintoun.

"I am still as much opposed to the plan as ever," said his lordship. "I have entire faith in Lord Widdrington's representations. I know he is incapable of deceiving us; but I place no reliance on the promises of support he has received. If the Lancashire Jacobites meant to rise, they would not wait for our coming."

"You do not know them as well as I do, my lord," said Lord Widdrington. "I can a.s.sure you they are in earnest."

"If you despair of the expedition, my lord, leave it," said Lord Derwent.w.a.ter. "But do not throw cold water upon it."

"No, it shall never be said that the Earl of Wintoun deserted King James's cause," rejoined the other. "But the day will come when you will bitterly regret that you did not follow my counsel."

"Meantime, we are well content to march to Lancashire," said Lord Derwent.w.a.ter.

"Ay, to Lancashire! to Lancashire!" cried several voices.

The matter being now settled, orders were given to march to Langholm.

Brigadier Mackintosh, however, had a difficult task to get his men to move. When they understood it was decided that the force should march into England, a portion of the Highlanders again rebelled, and refused to proceed further.

Once more the brigadier tried the effect of persuasion, and partly by promises-partly by threats -induced the men to follow him.

They went on very reluctantly for three or four miles, till they drew near the Esk, when the mutineers separating themselves from their comrades, ran towards the river, with the intention of crossing it and flying towards Ecclefechan.

But the brigadier was beforehand with them, and plunging into the stream, drew his sword, and swore he would cut down the first who entered the water.

His aspect was so grim and terrible that he held them in check for a few minutes, during which he was able to rea.s.sert his authority, and eventually he succeeded in driving a great number of them back to the ranks.

The confederate forces halted at Langholm, but did not rest there for the night, as it was deemed advisable by the Scottish leaders to enter England without delay. Accordingly, they marched on to Longtown, in c.u.mberland.

On that very day, Brigadier Stanwix, Governor of Carlisle, with sixty militiamen, had ridden over to Longtown, but could obtain no precise information respecting the movements of the rebels. They had been heard of at Hawick, but it was thought they would turn to the west, and crossing the mountains join the Earl of Mar. No suspicion was entertained that they were marching into England. In fact, as we have shown, their own plans were undecided, until they met Lord Widdrington.

General Carpenter likewise was misled by the intelligence he received, and followed the insurgents no further than Jedburgh. Receiving no further tidings, and being in great want of forage for his troops, he then returned to Newcastle.

Thus owing to a variety of circ.u.mstances, the rebels gained two days on their enemies. They took every possible precaution to prevent their arrival at Longtown from becoming known, and were marching joyously to Brampton, in Gilsland-a small place near Naworth Castle-before it was even suspected they were in England.

END OF BOOK THE FIFTH.

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BOOK THE SIXTH.

THE MARCH FROM PENRITH TO PRESTON.

I.

The Rout on Penrith Fell

HAVING achieved a great point, as they thought, the insurgents were now in very good spirits.

Even the Highlanders had quite recovered from their superst.i.tious dread of crossing the Border, and gazed with curiosity at the country as they marched along-thinking it very like Scotland. But they abstained from any acts of pillage. The inhabitants regarded them with terror, and fancied they were the first part of a large invading army.

Brampton offered them very poor quarters and a scanty supply of provisions, and they thought of seizing Naworth Castle, which was only a mile and a half distant, but some prudential considerations deterred them.

James the Third having been proclaimed, Mr. Forster opened his commission to act as General of the Confederate Forces in England, and Lord Kenmure resigned the post in his favour.

Next day, the insurgents quitted Brampton betimes, and continued their march along the banks of the Eden. At Kirkoswald they halted in expectation of being joined by Mr. Dacre, a Roman Catholic gentleman, with forty men.

While at Kirkoswald, they received information from Captain Gordon, who had gone on to reconnoitre, that Lord Lonsdale, commander of the militia of Westmoreland, c.u.mberland, and Northumberland, with five or six hundred horse militia, and accompanied by the Bishop of Carlisle, and Sir Christopher Musgrave, high sheriff of the county, with an immense posse-comitatus, consisting probably of eight or ten thousand men, armed with bills and pitchforks and such implements as they could procure, were a.s.sembled on Penrith Fell, to dispute their further advance.

Little danger was to be apprehended from this vast but disorderly host, in Captain Gordon's opinion, as, except the militia, which formed only a small proportion of it, the men were entirely undisciplined, and scarcely under control.

Since it was clear from this statement that the hostile force would be as easily dispersed as a mob, strict orders were given that no injury should be done to the common men, except in case of resistance.

All eagerness for the fight-if fight there was to be-the insurgents set forward, Lord Derwent.w.a.ter commanding the advanced guard, and having with him-besides his brother-Colonel Oxburgh and Captain Gordon.

General Forster commanded the main force, and rode with Lord Widdrington and Lord Kenmure. Neither commanders nor officers had the slightest anxiety as to the result of the engagement, and felt as if they were going to a race, while the Highlanders were in very good spirits, fancying they should obtain some booty.

After pa.s.sing through a woody district, they came to a common, when they perceived the immense host described by Capain Gordon, drawn up on the side of Penrith Fell-the horse militia being stationed in front.

As soon as the rebels came in sight, the Royalists set up a great shout, and a charge being ordered by Lord Lonsdale, the militia dashed forward, sword in hand, as if meaning to cut down the invaders.

But when they beheld Lord Derwent.w.a.ter at the head of his troop, galloping to meet them, they suddenly stopped, and despite Lord Lonsdale's remonstrances, fairly turned round, and fled.

Their cowardice saved the rebels the trouble of dispersing the mult.i.tude behind them, for no sooner did the militia fly, than the others took to their heels, and throwing down their weapons, hurried off in every direction.

Ere many minutes the whole common was covered with fugitives, crying out piteously for quarter if a Highlander pursued them, and offering all they had-which was not much-if their lives were spared. A great number of prisoners were taken.