Religion & morality > Cloud of witnesses, for the royal prerogatives of Jesus Christ, or, The last speeches and testimonies of those who suffered for the truth in Scotland, in the years 1681-1688, with an appendix, containing the Queensferry paper, Torwood excommunications, &c

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both bed-clothes and body-clothes—not leaving so much as a spoon, or the
worth of it; driving the cows and horses over the dead man betwixt the
doors, and emptying the chaff beds above him. James Paton, being a wright
to his employment, they took all his working tools—among which was a
big aixe for felling timber, which they took, and with it cut off the head of
the above James White, who was shot betwixt the doors, and took it to
Newmills, and next day played with it as a foot-ball, on the green thereof.
There was nothing left in or about all the houses belonging to the above
James Paton, but a big coat, which had some how or other escaped them.
Some person took it up, and threw it into the barn of the very next neigh¬
bour, not above a gun shot from the house, but as soon as the man to whom
the barn belonged, knew it was there, he threw it, or caused it to be thrown
out, for fear of coming to danger, in case it should be found there, though he
was a very near relative of the above James Paton’s. When this party had
gathered all together, they went off with their booty, with eight men-prison-
ers, to Newmills. On the way, James Findlay, who was wounded, com¬
plained that he was not able to walk, whereupon Patrick Inglis gave orders,
when he could walk no farther, to shoot him, and let him lye, which made
him do the best he could, till he got to Newmills, and there they put all the
eight men in prison, in [the] porter lodge. The next day, Captain Inglis
caused bring them all out to the back close, and caused them all sit down
upon their knees, and tyed a napkin on each of their faces, and placed two
firelocks to each of their breasts, in order to shoot them, but some man who
was present with Captain Inglis, said to him, no doubt but he was secure
enough in what he was doing, as [while] the present Government stood
upon the same footing, but if there came any change, he might be called in
question for giving men quarters, and executing them without any shadow
of law, adding he might be in no difficulty, for if be sent a letter to the
Counsel at Edinburgh, there was no doubt of an order to shoot them. Upon
considering of which, he caused them all be raised and put in prison, where
they had been, and immediately sent his son to Edinburgh, to the Counsel,
for an order, which he readily obtained. But in the interval, the friends of
the prisoners made a concert to come and relieve them upon a certain night,
but they mete a night sooner than the concert was made, for which none
of them ever could account, but that in the providence of God it had been
ordered so. For it was remarkable, that the very night in which they were
relieved, Patrick Inglis was lying under a dyke in the precincts of the
town, in the time of the action, with the order in his pocket to shoot them
to-morrow. The friends who relieved them, came into the town in a very
couragious manner, and placed two ambushments, one behind a dyke, be¬
twixt the fore and back castle, the other opposite to the fore castle. Upon
their coming in, they shot the centinal, and then went into a smith’s shop,
and took his forehammers, and brock open the gates. One of the soldiers
who was in the fore castle, put his firelock through the iron staunchers, and
levelled it along the side of the house, thinking to shoot him who was break¬
ing open the gate, but the ambushment which was placed opposite to it,
shot him, and his gun fell down to them. As soon as the gates were opened,
they carried off the prisoners with themselves, who went all in a body to¬
gether, till they came to a muir about two miles east from the town, where
they parted in twos. As soon as they were out of the town a little, the
bailie caused beat the town drum, and ring the bell, and. came with the
townsmen to the gate of the castle, and called upon Captain Inglis to follow
the prisoners, or yield up the arms to him that he might do it; but he refused,
having crept in below a bed in the time of the action. As soon as it was
day, he commanded his men to seareh all the town, if they could find any of