New Spalding Club > Records of Invercauld MDXLVII - MDCCCXXVIII [1547- 1828]

FAMILY PAPERS : JOHN. 305
scaffold Colonel Oxburgh founded on an addition to these indications, in
some remarks by General Wills on the royal clemency, followed by the
words, ' You cannot better entitle yourselves to that clemency than by
surrendering yourselves at discretion. ' "
A proposal was afterwards made to Wills to extend the time for
surrender to ten o'clock next morning, to which he assented on condition
of receiving hostages that no new defences would be erected, and no
efforts to escape would be attempted ; and the Earl of Derwentwater and
Brigadier Macintosh were selected as the hostages and sent to the
royalist headquarters.
As soon as the Highlanders perceived that a capitulation was
resolved on, their fury knew no bounds. During the night they paraded
the streets threatening destruction to every person who should allude to
a surrender, and several persons were killed during these disturbances.
Forster was denounced as the grand traitor, and would certainly
have been cut to pieces had he not kept himself close shut up. As it
was a Highlander of the name of Murray fired a pistol at him, which
would have taken effect but for the timely intervention of his chaplain.
" At seven o'clock in the morning of the 14th November, Forster
notified to General Wills that the insurgents were willing to surrender at
discretion. Old Borlam, being present as one of the hostages when this
message was delivered, observed that he would not be answerable for the
Scots surrendering without terms as they were people of desperate
fortunes ; and that he, who had been a soldier himself, knew what it was
to be a prisoner at discretion. ' Go back to your people again,' answered
Wills, ' and I will attack the town and the consequence will be that I
will not spare one man of you.' After this challenge Mackintosh could
not with a good grace remain, and returned to his friends ; but he came
back immediately and informed Wills that Lord Kenmure and the rest
of the Scots noblemen as well as his brother would surrender on the
same conditions as the English." History of the Highlands.
The trials and executions which followed are matters of common
history, and need not be adverted to here except as they concern Inver-
cauld and his friends.
"The most distinguished of the prisoners taken at Preston, among
whom were Brigadier Macintosh and Mr. Farquharson, were conveyed to
London in a large body ; and their reception in public procession called
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