"When a considerable portion of the Drummond estates were restored to
the heir (no poor boon, though dilapidated, lopped, and impoverished,)
he found upon them four settlements of cottages, in which the soldiery
had been located after the battle of Culloden, to keep down the
_rebels_. There were thirty near Drummond Castle, another division at
Cullander, a third at Balibeg, and a fourth at Stobhall. Demolition
might satisfy the abhorrence of the latter three, but what could
reconcile him to the outrage under his very eyes, as he looked from his
chamber or castle terrace? It was intolerable, and that every trace
might be obliterated, he caused an embankment to be made, and carried a
lake-like sheet of water over the very chimney tops of the military
dwellings. There is now the beautiful lake, gleaming with fish, and
haunted by the wild birds of the Highlands; and we believe the deepest
diver of them all, could not observe one stone upon another of the
cabins which held the ruthless military oppressors left by the Duke of
Cumberland a century ago."
The usual accounts of the Duke's movements after the battle of Culloden,
state, however, that about a month subsequent to that event, when the
fugitive Charles Stuart, in the commencement of his wanderings, landed
by accident upon the little isle of Errifort, on the east side of Lewis,
he saw, from the summit of a hill which he had climbed, two frigates
sailing northwards. The Chevalier in vain endeavoured to persuade the
boatmen who had brought him from Lewis, to go out and reconnoitre these
ships. His companions judged these vessels to be English; the Prince
alone guessed them to be French. He was right. They were two frigates
from Nantes, which had been sent with money, arms, and ammunition to
succour Charles, and were now returning to France. On board one of them
was the Duke of Perth, Lord Elcho, Lord John Drummond, old Lochiel, Sir
Thomas Sheridan and his nephew Mr. Hay, Maxwell of Kirkconnel, and Mr.
Lockhart of Carnwath, and several Low-country gentlemen, who had been
wandering about in these remote parts when the frigates were setting out
on their return,[273] and finding that the Prince was gone, and that
nothing was to be done for his service, had determined to escape. On the
tenth of June these frigates reached Nantes: Lord Elcho affirms that
"all arrived safe at Nantes;" one only is said never to have gained that
shore. Worn out by fatigues too severe, and, perhaps, the progress of
disease being aided by sorrow, the Duke of Perth is generally stated to
have died on ship-board on his passage. His malady is understood to have
been consumption.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account