"Haroby, 15th Nov. 1745."
* * * * *
Not only were the seeds of disunion thus sown between the Prince and the
Generals, but also between the Marquis of Tullibardine and Lord George
Murray.
"I did expect," writes Lord George to the Marquis, "that you would have
upon occasion stood my friend; but I find you are too apt to hearken to
designing people, by your being so ready to blame me before I was heard;
and, except you show some regard for me, how can I expect it of others?
I told his Royal Highness that you had acquainted me that he desired to
see me. He said, No, he had nothing particular to say to me. I told him
I should be as ready to serve in a private station, and as a volunteer,
in the first rank of your men, as ever I could be in any other. He said
I might do so. Nothing else passed. I spoke a good time to Sir Thomas
Sheridan, and told him in particular, that if anything was taken amiss
in my letter, as having expressed my attachment to the King, without
having mentioned his Royal Highness, it was very injurious to me; for
having mentioned the King and royal family, (and designing my letter to
be short,) I thought it needless to be more particular; for surely, next
to the King, I would serve none on earth before his Royal Highness:
which, after what I have shown, and all my actions since I joined the
standard, could not be called in question. I mentioned several
particulars, wherein I showed that I had no authority in the station I
was in, and that others acted as General who had not any call, but used
his Royal Highness's name. That in the drudgery, I was employed, but
anything of moment was done without my participation. That, in short, I
had ventured my all--life, fortune, family--every thing, my honour;
which last I had some to lose, but none to gain, in the way things were
managed, and therefore resolved upon a private station."[85]
The concluding paragraph of this painful letter is written with a force
and bitterness which show how deeply this ardent servant of a failing
cause was wounded by what he justly deemed unmerited caprice and
disrespect. "I wish you would be careful of the Atholl men, that they be
not slighted; which never should have happened as long as I had any
command. I find scarce any of them have got even thanks for venturing
life and fortune, and even the gallows; and, which is worse, (I don't
know how it is come about,) they are not thought equally good with other
men. If you would send me the notes, that were made out, of the way of
modelling them into two different regiments, I would do, now that I have
time to do it, as much as possible for the good of the service and
general comfort. I always am, dear brother, your most faithful and
humble servant and affectionate brother,
"GEORGE MURRAY."[86]
"Haroby, 16th Nov. 1745."
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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