Broadsword by R. W. Hughes

Author:R. W. Hughes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Troubador Publishing Ltd
Published: 2018-04-19T00:00:00+00:00

Sixteen

It was while he was with Riavach and Douglas Poulson at their weekly meeting with his uncle, that the Reverend disclosed his latest information of the events that were taking place in the Lowlands.

‘Over the border in England, the Garrison left by Charles at Carlisle castle on the 30th December, has been retaken by English troops. Following Cumberland’s orders, the officers of the Jacobite’s garrison were publicly hanged in the city’s main square and this given rise to the nickname attached to King George’s son of “Cumberland the Butcher”.’

‘This Cumberland has set out his stall; he does not intend to give any quarter,’ commented Douglas, the others in the room nodded and murmured in agreement.

‘That is not all,’ continued the Reverend. ‘Several days later, on the eighth of January to be exact, the city of Sterling fell to the Prince’s forces.’

‘That will be taken as a good victory by the Jacobites,’ said George. ‘When the news spreads we can expect his supporters from the west and north of us to be more inclined than ever to attempt joining his main army, I think we should increase the scouts at the passes.’

‘And I also suggest you consider having a larger armed force based here at Tongue, ready to respond quickly to any such attempt,’ replied his uncle. ‘It is a most logical step, and I suggest you and Douglas make a list of men that will not be missed too much from their farms. This force could be billeted here for quite a while.’

‘The spare available men are getting fewer,’ volunteered Douglas. ‘We already have eighty of our force supporting the garrison and township of Inverness, which is surrounded by clans that are suspecting to lean in favor of the Prince.

‘It has also come to my knowledge by a very reliable source that the English Navy has increased its patrols of frigates in the Moray Firth and the approaches to Inverness,’ disclosed the Reverend.

‘Mmm,’ replied George, thoughtfully scratching his chin. ‘Do you think it’s possible the English are aware of the French supply ship and its destination?’

‘Yes, it is a distinct possibility; I can also confirm from another reliable source that Magnus the translator has recently been spending rather freely in the alehouses accompanied by Nicolas Duncan.’

The mention of Nicolas Duncan, the assassin of his father and brother, caused George to stiffen in his chair and his face muscles to harden.

‘If we put two and two together,’ continued Reverend Monroe. ‘Your penniless friend has been rewarded by the earl, but knowing the earl from passed experience I doubt if he would have passed this knowledge on to the English authorities. He will keep it to himself at the present and attempt to benefit and gain personally from this information. No, I think the increase in the navy patrols are just the English tightening the blockade on the Scottish coast, now that Charles’ army has returned to Scotland. And even though at present the town and fort of Inverness are in loyalist

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