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 Cumberland. 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 circumstances, 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. _BOOK THE SIXTH_--THE MARCH FROM PENRITH TO PRESTON. [Illustration: 0170] 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 superstitious 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.