Preston Fight Part 33

We have said that General Forster was absent. He excused himself on the plea that his life was in danger from the Highlanders.

On this very spot, only a few days ago, all these troops had been a.s.sembled to proclaim King James. At that time they were confident of success. They felt certain of receiving large reinforcements, and believed they should be able to reach London without interruption. And, perhaps, they might. But the delay at Preston proved fatal. Caught in a snare, they had allowed their enemies to check them-to overtake them.

The most painful reflection that forced itself upon all the insurgent officers and gentlemen was that they were destroyed by their own folly. Oh! that they had not yielded to the allurements of the fair s.e.x, but had marched on resolutely!

As the ladies gazed at their lovers from the windows overlooking the place, they thought them woefully changed. Their gay galliard air was quite gone. Some appeared indifferent, but it was easy to be seen that their levity was a.s.sumed.

As soon as the two victorious generals arrived in the market-place, and had satisfied themselves that the whole of the rebel force was a.s.sembled, all the men were ordered to pile their arms, and this done the officers and gentlemen volunteers belonging to the Northumbrian force were secured, and removed to commodious houses, where they were strictly guarded, but allowed to see their fair friends, who quickly paid them a visit.

The n.o.blemen and superior officers were taken to the inns and various private houses; but the common soldiers and Highlanders were marched off to the church, which served as their prison during their stay in Preston.

Here they were allowed no better fare than bread and water, supplied to them at the expense of the town, and as they suffered frightfully from the cold, they tore the linings from the pews to afford themselves a scanty covering.

XV.

The Town is plundered by the Soldiery

Having seen the prisoners disposed of, and given all necessary orders respecting them, the two generals, accompanied by the Earl of Carlisle, Lord Lumley, Sir Henry Hoghton, Brigadier Honeywood, Colonel Stanhope, and several others, entered the town-hall, where a cold collation was laid out for them.

To this repast Parson Woods, who had been presented to General Carpenter, was invited, and received many compliments on, his bravery.

The generals were still at table, when they were informed that a deputation of the inhabitants of the town was without, and prayed for an immediate audience.

Wills guessed their errand, and if left to himself, would have refused to see them. But General Carpenter caused half a dozen of the applicants to be admitted, and then found that their object was to prevent the town from being plundered by the soldiery.

"The pillage has already commenced," said one of the persons, who acted as spokesman, "and unless the men are restrained, all our goods will be carried off. As faithful subjects of his Majesty King George we ought to be protected. We could not prevent the occupation of the town by the rebels, and it will be a great hardship if we suffer for their misdeeds."

"You must address yourselves to General Wills-not to me, gentlemen," said Carpenter. "He has had the conduct of the siege."

"I cannot listen to the appeal," remarked Wills, sternly. "By the rules of war the men are ent.i.tled to the plunder of a captured town, and I shall not restrain them. You profess fidelity to the king, but you have afforded every a.s.sistance to the rebels, and if you have not actually taken part with them, you have furnished them with provisions and supplies."

"We were forced to do so, general," said the others. "And we earnestly beseech you to spare our property."

Wills, however, refused to listen to them, and they departed.

Thus was the ill-fated town delivered over to pillage.

Fortunately no excesses were committed by the soldiers, all license being forbidden on pain of death.

The plunderers commenced with the shops of the goldsmiths, silversmiths, and jewellers, where they expected to find the greatest quant.i.ty of valuables.

These shops were all shut up, but were quickly broken open, and stripped of their contents-plate, watches, rings, and chains being carried off.

From this booty alone the soldiers obtained several hundred pounds.

They next entered all the best private houses in Church-street and Fishergate, breaking open closets and chests, and abstracting all the plate and valuables they could find.

While one set of plunderers were thus engaged, others were similarly employed in different parts of the town.

Everywhere the houses were ransacked, and no portable article was left behind.

Not till a late hour in the day, when they had carried off all they could, did the soldiers desist from the work.

Great was the indignation of the inhabitants at this treatment, but they did not dare to resist.

However, there were no cases of intoxication, for the men were prevented by the sergeants and corporals from breaking open the cellars.

But it was a woeful day for Preston, and such as its inhabitants never thought to experience. Wills's severity caused him to be held in universal detestation.

General Carpenter did not remain long in the town. Finding it inconveniently crowded, he set out for Wigan, immediately after the surrender, with the regiments under his command.

None of his men, therefore, shared in the plunder-nor would he have allowed them to share in it.

XVI.

Captain Shaftoe is shot

Preston might well be full. Without counting the Government troops, fifteen hundred and fifty prisoners of all ranks were detained within the town.

Some few escapes took place, and amongst those who got off was Tom Syddall. Unfortunately, he was afterwards captured.

After a few days' detention, General Forster, Lord Derwent.w.a.ter, Lord Widdrington, Brigadier Mackintosh, the Scottish lords and chiefs, with the leading Northumbrian officers, were sent under a strong guard to Wigan on the way to London.

Other less important prisoners were sent to Lancaster, Chester, and Liverpool, and confined in the jails of those towns.

Six insurgent officers were detained at Preston, and subsequently tried by court-martial for desertion and taking up arms against the king.

These were Lord Charles Murray, Captain Dalziel, Major Nairn, Captain Philip Lockhart, Ensign Erskine, and Captain Shaftoe. The lives of the two first were spared, but the others were condemned to be shot next day.

As Captain Shaftoe was a great favourite in Preston, his sentence caused profound grief, and application was made for a reprieve, but General Wills refused to grant it unless Shaftoe would acknowledge that he had been guilty of rebellion, and sue for mercy from King George.

Captain Shaftoe, however, absolutely refused, declaring he had simply done his duty, and would not renounce King James, even if a pardon were offered him.

Next morning, at an early hour, the rebel officers were taken by a party of foot soldiers to a field below the church. Among the spectators, were some young women, whose distressed condition touched the hearts of all who beheld them.

A few moments were spent by the rebel officers in preparation. After they had embraced, and bade each other farewell, Major Nairn came forward, and begged of the officer in command that his eyes might not be bandaged, and that he himself might give the order to the men to fire.

Neither request was accorded.

Not till he had laid Major Nairn in his coffin, with his own hands, would Captain Lockhart submit to his fate, and when all was over, he was cared for as anxiously as his friend.

Only one was left.

As the spectators beheld the tall handsome figure standing erect before them an irrepressible murmur arose.

Looking around, Shaftoe at once discovered the young women, and as his eye settled upon one of them he called out: "Do not forget."

A white kerchief was waved in reply.

A proud smile lighted up his handsome countenance when his eyes were bound, and his last words, distinctly heard by all were: "Long live King James the Third."

Half a dozen bullets were instantly lodged in his breast. For a moment he stood erect, and then fell.

Thereupon a very beautiful young woman, whose features were as white as her attire, stepped quickly forward, followed by two others, and motioning back the soldiers, took up Shaftoe's body and placed it in his coffin.

This done, she who had first come forward, and who was no other than Dryope, knelt down, and fixing a look of unalterable affection upon her dead lover, kissed his brow.

Placing a few flowers beside him, she then arose and disappeared with her companions.

Thus died, and thus was mourned, one of the most gallant gentlemen of the rebel army.

END OF BOOK THE NINTH.

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BOOK OF THE TENTH.

THE DUNGEON.

I.

The Chief Insurgent Prisoners are taken to London

SORROWFUL was the ride of the Earl of Derwent.w.a.ter from Preston to Wigan; and his favourite dapple-grey steed that had borne him throughout the campaign, seemed to share his despondency.

Moreover, the weather was gloomy, and in accordance with the earl's sombre thoughts.

And, truly, there was enough to make him sad. All was lost. All his great estates would be confiscated, and the journey he had just commenced would inevitably end in the scaffold.

To add poignancy to his affliction, he could not help reflecting how different the result might have been, but for Forster's deplorable ignorance and obstinacy, and though he acquitted the general of absolute treachery, he could not help feeling that the insurgent army was entirely sacrificed by him.

These thoughts forced themselves upon the earl as he crossed the Ribble Bridge, and did not leave him till he reached Wigan.

Here Lord Derwent.w.a.ter learnt that Forster had been allowed a carriage, and a seat was offered to him in the same conveyance, but he declined it-preferring to ride.

None of the Scottish lords would travel with Forster, but he found companions in his chaplain, Mr. Patten, Lord Widdrington, and Colonel Oxburgh.

The Earl of Derwent.w.a.ter performed the whole journey on horseback.

From Wigan the rebel prisoners were conducted to Warrington, where a division took place, and upwards of a hundred were sent on to London, guarded by several detachments of horse. Amongst these prisoners were Sir Francis Anderton, Mr. Townley, Mr. Standish, Mr. Tyldesley, and other Lancashire gentlemen who had joined at Preston.

After a short halt at Warrington, they proceeded by slow stages to Coventry, and Lord Derwent.w.a.ter in some degree recovered his spirits, being cheered by the society of Sir Francis Anderton and Mr. Townley.

At Coventry, the escort was relieved by another detachment of a hundred troopers commanded by Brigadier Ponton, by whom General Forster was deprived of his carriage.

As an excuse for the indignity thus offered to the late general, it was said that on his arrival at London an attempt would be made to rescue him by a High Church Tory mob.

But Forster fell ill and could not sit his horse, and the carriage became indispensable.

At Highgate Major General Tatton was waiting with two battalions of foot-guards to take charge of the prisoners who were consigned to him, and without consideration to rank, pinioned.

Each prisoner's horse had a halter placed round his neck, and was led by a grenadier.

In this ignominious manner the prisoners were conducted in four separate divisions to the Tower, Newgate, the Fleet, and the Marshalsea. Lord Derwent.w.a.ter, Lord Widdrington, and the Scottish n.o.bles were taken to the state prison, while Forster, to his great mortification, was lodged with the others in Newgate.