The companions of Pickle: Being a sequel to 'Pickle the spy'Lang, Andrew
History
The companions of Pickle: Being a sequel to 'Pickle the spy'
Lang, Andrew
Jacobites
How did Barisdale, who had played a part so conspicuous, manage to obtain
a protection from Sir Everard Faulkner? That is the point which we shall
later find him explaining with singular candour. Protected he was, and,
in pursuit of information, he had the singular impudence to venture, with
his son, in September 1746, on board the ship which was to carry the
Prince, Lochiel, Lochgarry, and other gentlemen to France. They could
not but be aware that Barisdale had made his submission, and was come
on no good errand. Lochgarry was his bitter enemy. They therefore put
Barisdale and his son in irons, shut them down under hatches, carried
them to France, and there imprisoned these gentlemen of Knoydart on a
charge of treason. Mr. Fraser Mackintosh, a very innocent writer, thus
describes the high-handed outrage: ‘Barisdale was so unpopular with
the Camerons, that, without the slightest warrant, they took it on
themselves to deport Coll Macdonnell, and his son Alexander [Archibald?]
to France.’ Mr. Fraser Mackintosh attributes this unwarrantable action to
‘the Camerons,’ with whom Barisdale was generally ‘unpopular.’ But, of
course, the seizure was warranted by Charles, Prince Regent, who is said
to have knighted Barisdale on a stricken field. The seizure was more than
justified, and was not due to poor Col’s ‘unpopularity.’
Col languished in a French prison till 1749. In March he ventured back
to Scotland, finding himself, after his release, very ‘unpopular’ in
Flanders. He was promptly culled like a flower by his old captor,
Ensign Small, and was brought before Erskine for examination. Erskine
writes that he found the tall bully ‘under visible terror.’ France had
imprisoned him. England was likely to give him what ‘he wad be nane the
waur o’’—a hanging. His house was left unto him desolate; he would flirt
no more with fair captive Countesses: no one trembled at his frowning
brows: it was Barisdale’s turn to tremble, as he did. He was locked up in
Edinburgh Castle, where, at least, he was safe from avenging dirks. He
there penned the following explicit confession, in hopes of a pardon, and
pay as a spy. Perhaps Cumberland refers to Barisdale’s earlier services
in this capacity, in a letter of August 2, 1749. Cumberland speaks of
‘the goodness of the intelligence’ now offered to Government. ‘On my part
I bear it witness, for I never knew it fail me in the least trifle, and
have had very material and early notices from it.’[64]
Here, then, follows Barisdale’s confession to the Justice Clerk in
Edinburgh. It entirely disposes of Mr. Fraser Mackintosh’s suggestion
that the Camerons seized Barisdale because he was ‘unpopular.’
_Narrative given in by Barrisdale to the Justice Clerk_
(_H. O. Scotland. Bundle 41. No. 13. State Papers. Domestic_)
April 10th, 1749.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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