368 THE HIGHLAND FORTS July Atholl to this country, and if they march in a body and bring any artillery, we in our present condition, without arms, shall not be able to withstand them, and they will be able to make themselves masters of the three Forts in a trifle of time, as the regular troops cannot possibly follow them north- wards through the mountains at this season of the year for lack of forage and provisions ; which will give them time sufficient, not only to possess themselves of these Forts, but to distress those in this part of the world who have opposed them and to gather to their assistance all those who wish well to their cause but who have by our neighbourhood been kept at home. 1 When the coming of the duke of Cumberland to take the command in Scotland was followed quickly by the raising of the siege of Stirling, the rebels retreated northwards, somewhat discouraged and in several bands. Their spirits were, however, soon revived by the sort of success that Forbes had foreseen. Early in February a party of the rebels, said to be 600 strong, and accompanied by Prince Charles Edward in person, was in the neighbourhood of Ruthven. Though reported to be starving with cold and hunger, on 9 February they captured and burnt the barrack. Then they continued their march northwards till on 16 February the Young Pretender was lodged at the House of Moy, within seven miles of Inverness. 2 Too late a sloop with arms and supplies had reached Inverness on the very day that the barrack of Ruthven was captured. There was no time to summon those who were at a distance, and the people near Inverness were so terrified at the closeness of the danger that they would not stir. Loudoun had nominally a force of 2,000 men, which to those in England might have seemed sufficient. But it was composed of hastily raised levies with little training, and in part was of doubtful loyalty or at least half-hearted. 3 It was only by a ruse that on the evening of 16 February Loudoun, concealing his intention to beat up the rebels in their quarters, got the main body of his men out of the town. For three miles they marched in great order and silence. Then at a point where another road branched off Loudoun de- tached a small party to stop all people going that way. The main body had nearly reached their destination, when to Loudoun's mortification he heard the detachment, which was about a mile on his left, open a running fire. His own force was at once seized with panic ; and when after much trouble he got the men re-formed, he found that he had lost his five rear companies 1 State Papers, Scotland, ii. 26. Duncan Forbes on 22 December. Culloden Papers, 463.
- State Papers, Scotland, ii. 28, no. 33 (Cumberland to Newcastle on 20 February)
and ii. 29, no. 10. 8 Cf. ibid. ii. 31, no. 9. Cumberland to Newcastle on 8 May 1746 : ' Lord Loudoun did all in his power ; he was at the head of a set of raw militia, the greater part of which he dared not trust.'
