Series 2 > Origins of the 'Forty-five

IN ABERDEEN AND BANFF
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Master would not assign Quarters to the volunteers as
Officers, and none of the Officers would give orders for
it, which and some other things of this kind effectually
disgusted them, so that they immediately left the army
and returned home. His Royal Highness in order to
preserve the town of Aberdeen from any surprise after
he should leave it caused fortify Gordon’s Hospital and
placed a garrison in it under Captain Crosby, and in
honour of the Duke it was called Fort Cumberland.
Duke marches from Aberdeen on Foot
When the Duke marched from Aberdeen1 he endeared
himself exceedingly to the soldiers (if it was possible to
increase their affection for him) by walking most of the
way with them on foot, generally using one of the soldiers
Tenttrees for a staff and never going a yard out of the
way for a bridge or any bum they met with, but wading
through at the nearest.
On a long march of near 20 miles from Old Meldrum
to Banff the following little accident much delighted the
spectators. A soldiers wife carrying a young child, grew
quite faint and entreated her husband, who was near with
the Duke, to carry the child for a little way; the fellow
said he could not as he was burdened with his arms.
The Duke overheard, took the soldier’s gun and carried
it himself for some way and ordered him to ease the poor
woman of the child for a while.
Rebels not expecting his March
The Duke being stopped so long at Aberdeen, made his
march at length as great a surprise on the Rebels as if
he had not halted a day, for by this time they were grown
very secure. The Duke of Perth, Lord John Drummond,
Roy Stuart, etc., were all lodged in the minister’s house
of Speymouth, and had more than 2000 men along with
them. They were sitting very securely after breakfast,
when a country man came over the River in great haste
1 Cumberland left Aberdeen on April 8th.