‘Sir,—I take this opportunity of my worthy friend an officer of the Royals of informing you how I have had severall letters on the following Subject from Mr. Macdonell Junior of Glengary who desires me to charge you with this letter. He has frequently and seriously reflected on the many good Advices given him by you and Maj. White when he was Prisoner at the Tower, to abandon that party and the service of France. I am thorrowly convinced that he is determined so to do if it is agreeable to the Ministry, and that he will give the Duke of Argyle and them all the assurances that a man of honour can give of his behaving as a peaceable Subject, if they will allow him to wait upon them in London. Let me beg of you for God’s sake to persuade these great men to accept of this young Gentleman’s offer, by which at once you’ll detach him from that party that has given birth to all the Calamitys that both his Clan and Country has suffered this age past: as I shall be some months here before my affair is Negociated you’ll have time to send me answer, which I pray God may be favourable. Please write me as soon as you can. I am with my Compliments to your family, ‘Sir, your most obedt. oblidged humble Sert. ‘WILL: BAILLIE. ‘P.S.—The young man depends very much on the Duke of Argyle’s interest. ‘To Major Macdonald at London.’ On September 20, 1748, Glengarry wrote from Amiens, telling James that he ‘waited an opportunity of going safely to Britain,’ on his private affairs. In December he asked James to procure for him the colonelcy vacant by the death of Lochiel. Young Lochiel, a boy, had been appointed. James could do nothing, and was too poor to send money. But, on Glengarry’s request, he dispatched ‘a duplicate of your grandfather’s warrant to be a peer’—Lord Macdonnell and Aros. Glengarry often signs ‘Mackdonell,’ without Christian name.[128]