Earls of Cromartie > [NSLBLANK]

GEORGE THIRD EARL OF CROMARTIE.
[1702-
hacl been sent over from the coast of Moray to Tain to transport the troops
over the Firth, for the enemy had carried off all the boats there. The army got
safely over, aided by a thick fog. Upon their landing, Lord Loudoun's army
retired ; the county militia went home ; the Earl of Sutherland crossed the Firth
of Moray to join the Duke of Cumberland's army that was advancing ; the Earl
of Loudoun, President Forbes, Sir Alexander Macdonald, and the Laird of Mac-
leod, retired to the isle of Skye ; most of Lord Loudoun's own regiment were
made prisoners of war. The news of this success was very cheering to Prince
Charles. Sir Thomas Sheridan, writing to Lord Cromartie, states that he is
ordered by his Royal Highness to wish him joy of his late success, and hopes he
will continue to make the most of it, and particularly by raising what money
he could in Sutherland. 1 The Earl of Perth returned to Inverness, and Lord
Cromartie was left to command in Sutherland.
The following letter from a Royalist to the Earl of Sutherland gives a graphic
account of the proceedings of the Duke of Perth's force at Dunrobin Castle : —
Invergordonness, aboard the "Hound" Sloop of Wan-,
27th March 1746.
My Lord, — In less as half an houre after your Lordship took boat, the rebells, 300 of
them, came to Dunrobine that night ; some of them came to the place in less as half an
houre where your Lordship took boat, commanded by M 'Donald of Clanronald. They were
that night in your Lordship's castle and the tennents' houses thereabouts ; I had 40 of them
under command of two officers. My wife intertained them; but my brother and I went to
the hills. Nixt morning the rebells went back to Dornoch, they being alarm'd that Lord
Loudon were to attaet them. They took away all your Lordship's ryding horses, and Sir
Harry Innesses, only my Lady Sutherland's Irish Galloway, and, at there commander's sight,
put into the house of Dunrobine to prevent these rabbles takeing him away. They entered
all the rooms in the castle, took away all the arms and amonition there, and the arms your
Lordship gote from the Gouernment, tho' put under ground. They instantly upon their
arrivall went to the very place, as if themselves had put the arms, etc., there. The rabble
took out of Dunrobine only small things from the servants there, which nixt day the Duke
of Pearth ordered to be left at Ferrgoon's till his furder orders. One of their officers had a
durk to my Lady Sutherland's brest, to get account where your Lordship was, and arms, to
which he gote noe satisfactory answer. Some other officer, seeing the durk drawen as above,
with his hand pushed it by my Lady's brest ; the edge toutched her skin, as if done by a small
pin : not in the least the worst of it, and tho' her Ladyship prepared all good intertainment for
them, they made a stable of your dyning room, stole one of the silver snuffers, but took none
1 Letter, vol. ii. p. 211.