|Next day, the two insurgent chiefs, who were lodged with all their
followers in Warkworth Castle, were joined by Lord Widdrington with
thirty horsemen.
His lordship would have brought double that number of men, but horses
and equipments for them were wanting. Plenty of raw undisciplined
infantry could be found, but cavalry were required.
On the whole, however, the prospects of the insurgents were very
encouraging. They had plenty of friends at Alnwick and Morpeth, and an
insurrection would undoubtedly have taken place in Newcastle, had it not
been checked by the sudden arrival of Sir Charles Hotham's regiment of
foot from Yorkshire.
From accounts received from every quarter, it was certain that the whole
country was in a most disturbed state, and reinforcements, though on a
somewhat small scale, were constantly arriving. The insurgents had not
been many hours in Warkworth when their numbers were augmented by a
hundred horse.
Immediately on the arrival of Lord Widdrington at Warkworth, the first
business of the insurgent leaders was to collect all their forces in the
court-yard of the castle, and proclaim King James.
A large concourse likewise assembled, and great enthusiasm prevailed.
No locality could have been better chosen for the ceremonial, which
produced a very striking effect, and no ill omen attended it. On the
contrary, everything appeared auspicious. The day was fine, and the
proud old castle looked its best, and seemed to smile upon the scene.
After the proclamation had been made--amid loud flourishes of trumpets
and beating of drums, accompanied by the shouts of the assemblage--the
royal banner was placed on the Lion Tower.
Later on in the day, a banquet was given in the great baronial hall in
the keep, at which all the insurgent officers assisted.
The entertainment was intended to celebrate the appointment of Mr.
Forster as General of the Northumbrian forces, which had taken place
that day at the recommendation of the Earl of Derwentwater and Lord
Widdrington, the only persons who could have opposed him.
But they both felt that the commander of the English army must not be a
Roman Catholic, and therefore withdrew their own claims, and supported
the High Tory squire, who was generally very popular in the county, and
to whom objections on the score of religion could not be raised. However
deficient Mr. Forster might be in military knowledge and skill, it was
thought he would be saved from any grave error by Colonel Oxburgh, whom
he proposed to have constantly near him.
The banquet passed off very well, and the best feeling towards the new
commander was manifested on all hands.
Some little disturbance was made by the Laird of Otterburn, but it was
quickly set right, and General Forster put more constraint upon himself
than he had been accustomed to do in former days at Bamborough.
Next day the castle began to assume the appearance of a garrison.
The court-yard was filled with recruits, who were continually arriving,
and Colonel Oxburgh and Captain Wogan were entirely occupied in
examining them.
As much discipline as possible was observed, but in the present state of
things it was very difficult to maintain it.
General Forster rode to Alnwick, accompanied by Lord Derwentwater and
Lord Widdrington, and attended by a strong guard, and brought back with
him some necessary supplies.
On his return he was welcomed by the arrival of a troop of Scottish
cavalry (known as the Merse Troop), under the command of the Honourable
James Hume, brother to the earl of Hume.
This was one of the five troops composing the division of South Country
Scots now marching into England, from Moffat in Annandale, and commanded
by Lord Kenmure.
The Merse troop, it appeared, had marched from Jedburgh, over a
mountainous and marshy country to Roth-bury, where Captain Hume heard
of Forster and Lord Derwentwater, and finding they were now posted at
Warkworth, came on thither. Behind, but following the same route, were
the four other troops, respectively commanded by the Honourable Basil
Hamilton of Beldoun, the Earl of Wintoun, Captain James Dalziel, brother
of the Earl of Carnwath, and Captain Lockhart.
The chief command of the South Country Scots, as we have said, belonged
to Lord Kenmure.
The Merse troop did not remain long at Warkworth, but after conferring
with General Forster, Captain Hume moved off with his men to Felton,
there to await instructions from his commander.
It was, however, agreed that an early meeting should take place at
Rothbury between the Northumbrian insurgents and the battalion of the
South Country Scots.
By noon next day so many reinforcements had arrived that General Forster
found himself at the head of nearly five hundred men.
Unfavourable news, however, from Newcastle, caused Forster to postpone
his meditated attack on the town.
Extraordinary exertions had been made by Sir William Lorraine and the
other magistrates, who had raised trainbands, seized and imprisoned all
the Papists, and shut the gates. Furthermore, it was stated that seven
hundred of the inhabitants had formed themselves into a company of
volunteers, and that the keelmen, most of whom were Presbyterians, and
strongly opposed to the Stuarts, had offered an additional body of seven
hundred men.
But by far the most alarming piece of intelligence was, that General
Carpenter had been sent by Government in pursuit of the rebels, with
three regiments of dragoons and Sir Charles Hotham's regiment of foot,
and was now within a day's march of Newcastle.
After consultation with his advisers, General Forster did not think
it prudent to give battle to Carpenter till he could be certain of
the support of Lord Kenmure and Brigadier Mackintosh, and he therefore
determined to move to Hexham.
Accordingly, on the following day, he marched with his whole force to
Morpeth, and on the common near the town was joined by the Merse troop.
Learning that General Carpenter had reached Newcastle, he continued his
march to Hexham.
Not without great reluctance was the proposed attack on Newcastle
abandoned by the insurgents, for had they gained that important town,
they would have been masters of the county.