Manuscripts and Special Collections
Ne C 1839 : Letter from Morpheus Landlowper, Edinburgh [Scotland], to Henry Pelham; 10 Dec. 1746.
Aspertion propogated against the innocent Soldiers, after the Battle
of Pre-t-n [Preston], that they had shot at that Battle with poison'd
Bullets. The Bullets in reality, as I thought, being cut, bruis'd and
bit to make them enter their peices, made such horrid Wounds
that the H-l-d-rs who knew not the real Cause, could attribute it
to nothing but Poison or the Devil.
As we were now in an Enemy's Countrey and knew no
Disunction among H-l-d-rs, we took it to be our Duty to our
King and Countrey to do as much Mischeif as we could, and for
that reason we squeas'd and tyranniz'd, we press'd Men and Horses
and we laid it down as a Rule to pay for nothing we had. If
there was a feild of Corn better than another in View tho out of our Road
and that we had to go thro' other feilds of Corn before we could come at
it, we were sure to pitch our Camp on such and pay nothing for the
Damage, and if the Proprietor happened to complain we beat him
heartily and cursed him for a Rebel Rascall.
In this manner did I Dream we proceeded and in this Manner
conquer our Enemys till a Pannick seiz'd which made us fly as it
were over a ten Days wonted March in the space of two for in
one Day we marched 24 long Highland Miles and in the next
20. In this last day it was that I fancyd to myself th[a]t I was no
longer able to undergoe the Fatigue of marching and was left
behind and seiz'd as a Prisoner by the Rebells.
As I was now a Prisoner of War, I thought I was carry'd
South along with them the said Road as I had come; But I was so
kindly dealt with th[a]t I used often to enter into familiar Chat with them,
sometimes endeavouring to point out to them the Improbability of Success
and to shew them the Mischeifs they were going to bring upon
themselves and their Countrey by introducing Popery and arbitrary
Power which would infallibly be the Consequence of their success
and sometimes exhorting them to be peaceable, to lay down their
Arms and return home as the only method to appease the Presentment
of their much injured and angry Sovereign. "Sir" sayd they in
answer for I remember their Words as well as if I had been awake, "
We are neither so ignorant nor so mischeivous as you apprehend
us and tho' our Estates are not so great as many of you Whigs,
Yet we have more Virtue and such as they are they are sufficient
not to mantain us comfortably at home but to give all of
us that are Gentlemen a liberal Education in France, We know
