Blair Collection > Celtic magazine > Volume 12

The Celtic Magazine.
men, and Tuesday night Captain Macleod, with his company
complete arrived at Inverness," and in the same letter the Lord
President continues — " I have great assistance at present from
Macleod, who at my desire came from the Isle of Skye, alongst
with his son " (who commanded the Macleod company), " and is
now my fellow labourer." It would appear that the son and his
men were not altogether to be depended upon ; for six weeks after
the date of this letter we find Macleod on the 23rd of October,
during a visit home to Dunvegan, writing the letter in which he
said — " The behaviour of my son's men vexes me to the soul.
They were entering an outhouse of Lovat's, and sent to the
master's rendezvous." The master, it will be remembered, was
at this time on his way to Corryarrick, at the head of the Frasers
to join Prince Charles. Young Macleod seems, however, to have
reconsidered his position, and to have followed the advice of his
father by adhering to the Government.
The Lord President and the Earl of Loudon, writing to
General Wade, at this time commanding in the North, on the
1 6th of November, 1745, says that 160 Mackenzies, seduced by
the Earl of Cromarty, marched in the beginning of the week up
the north side of Loch-Ness, depending upon being followed by
five or six hundred Frasers under the Master of Lovat. The
Mackenzies had not then, however, passed the mountains, and
the Frasers had not yet left their own country, and their Lord-
ships had hopes they would not, for they had seven hundred
Highlanders then in pay at Inverness, and looked hourly for
more, with whom they were to endeavour to persuade the
Frasers to stay at home. " Last Friday," the writer of this
letter continues, " Macleod, with 400 of his kindred, joined us ;
which gives us hopes that we shall prevent the march of the
Frasers who are not yet gone." This was on the 15th of
November, when the four Macleod Companies mustered at
Inverness, and their officers received their commissions. The
Captains who commanded the respective companies were — John
Macleod, younger of Macleod ; Norman Macleod, of Waterstein ;
Norman Macleod, of Berneray ; and Donald Macdonald. The
Lieutenants were — Alexander Macleod, Donald Macleod, John
Campbell, and William Macleod; and the Ensigns John Mac-