[Sidenote: Jan. 1745-6]
Lord Justice Clarke having received certain
Intelligence,[609] that the Rebells were
erecting considerable Magazines at Alloa and
that they proposed bringing their Cannon to
that Place, as the most convenient for getting
them across the River Forth, in order to their
laying siege to Sterling Castle; His Lordship
acquainted Generals Hawley and Husk thereof
and Scheme was thereupon formed for getting
Possession of their Cannon or at least retarding
their getting them across the River, till the
General should be ready to march with the Army
to the Relief of Sterling; In Order thereto
two Sloops of War were sent up the River, and
Transports got ready by Mr. Grosett, to take on
Board Troops at Leith, [where a Regiment lay
ready to be embarked upon an hours warning].
Matters having been thus prepared, and Lord
Justice Clarke having saved no expence in
procuring Intelligence had twice a day at least
certain Accounts from Alloa and other Places in
that Neighbourhood giving the whole Proceedings
of the Rebells and having early in the
Morning upon the 8th of Janry. ‘received sure
Information that Lord John Drummond and Lord
George Murray with the whole of the Cannon, with
which the Rebells proposed to attack Sterling
Castle were to be that Night at Alloa escorted
only by about 200[610] of the Rebells they
being under no apprehensions of meeting with
any Disturbance on that side of the River, the
Bridge of Sterling being Cut and the Rebell Army
betwixt them and the Kings Troops; His Lordship
and General Husk came thereupon to Leith and got
300 of the Troops that lay there immediately
embarked on this Expedition to be commanded by
Colonel Leighton,[611] and conducted by Mr.
Grosett. As the Rebells at Alloa could have
no Intelligence of their Designs, the Passage
across the Forth, being for some time before
this stopt everywhere, and as the Wind when they
sailed proved favourable they thought themselves
sure of surprizing the Rebells that Night at
Alloa. But as by the time they had got one third
of the way thither, the Wind turned flat against
them it was one o’clock next Day before they
got to Hegins Nook three Miles below Alloa and
where they were stopt from proceeding farther
by the Ebbing of the Tide. Upon their Arrival
there Mr. Grosett having received Intelligence
from Alloa that the Rebells were shipping their
cannon on Board of a Vessell, with a Design to
proceed in the Night, and to land them on the
opposite side of the River about two Miles above
that Place so soon as the Tide would admitt of
the Vessell’s floating and Sailing from that
Harbour; and as Mr. Grosett was perfectly well
acquainted with the River and every Corner of
the Country, to prevent this, Fifty Soldiers
and as many armed Sailors were put on board
one large and two smaller Boats with orders
to pass privately in the Night to the Rebells
Batteries at Elphinstone and Alloa and lye at a
Place appointed about a mile above Alloa, where
the Vessell with the Cannon was to pass, and
where they could not be observed, either from
Alloa, or even from the Vessells on Board of
which they had shipped their Cannon ’till they
were just upon them, by reason of the windings
and Turnings of that River and as Mr. Grosett
had procured proper Pilots for that purpose,
they got to the Place appointed, without being
observed either from Elphingstone or from Alloa;
and as the same Flood Tide and Depth of Water,
that would have carry’d the Vessell with the
Cannon from Alloa could have carried the Sloops
of War there, they could not in this situation
have failed, in securing the Vessell and Cannon:
But the Commander of the largest Boat, being
seized with an unreasonable Pannick, could
not be prevailed with to stay at the place
appointed tho’ there was much less Danger in
remaining there than in returning: For as in
their Return they alarmed the Rebells at Alloa
by one of the Boats taking the Ground near that
Place, they had a continued Fire to get thro’
as they past Alloa and Elphingstone Batteries;
But Mr. Grosett having by order of Lord Justice
Clarke taken 200 Matts of Flax from on Board
a Dutch ship in the Road of Leith,[612] and
placed these along the sides of the Boats there
was only one man killed and another wounded on
this Expedition, and which answered the end so
far as to keep the Vessell from Sailing, and
the Rebells from getting their Cannon at this
time across the River, as they had projected;
Mr. Grosett receiving at this Juncture
Information from Alloa that the Rebells there
were not even at this time above 200 strong:
they upon the Return of the Boats landed the
Troops at Kincairdin about three miles below
Alloa, with a Design to attack them by Land.
But Mr. Grosett being soon after acquainted
by different Expresses from Alloa that the
Rebells had just received a Reinforcement of
300 men they returned and reimbarked the Troops
without any Loss. That Day the Vessell with
the Cannon sailed from Alloa; But Mr. Grosett
having fallen upon a method to get one of the
Sailors who knew the River, and whom they had
forced out to assist in the conducting of this
Vessell persuaded to run her on Ground on
some of the Banks in her Passage up the River;
Upon receiving Information that the Vessell was
accordingly grounded, and that the Rebells had
thereupon dismounted their Battery at Alloa,
and were transporting all the Cannon they had
there by Land two miles above Alloa in order to
cross them there. It was thereupon resolved to
attack their Battery at Elphingstone, and after
silencing the Cannon there to proceed with small
Vessells and Boats, and set Fire to the Vessell
that lay a Ground, with the Cannon and other
Military Stores: The Battery at Elphingstone was
accordingly attacked with great Resolution and
Bravery by the Captains of the _Vulture_ and
_Pearl_ Sloops of War, assisted by the _Pretty
Janet_ armed Vessell and _Jean_ armed sloop:
And after about three hours close cannonading
within less than Musquet Shot of the Battery,
all their Cannon but one were silenced: But the
_Pearl_ having her cable cut asunder by a Cannon
ball, she was forced from her Station by the
strength of the Ebb-Tide, and the Two Pilots
of the _Vulture_ (one of them a Shipmaster at
Elphinstone who at Mr Grosett’s Request came
to his assistance in this Expedition) having
each of them at this Time Lost a leg by another
Cannon ball, and by which Accident they both
Dyed; They were obliged to quit the Battery;
This attack however so far answered the End
as to prevent the Rebells from crossing with
their Cannon; For upon making this Attack
they brought back their Cannon to Alloa, and
placed them upon the Battery, there to prevent
the Kings Ships and Troops from procedeing
farther up the River, and getting Possession of
the Vessell that lay aground above that Place
with the Cannon and Ammunition. In this whole
affair Two men were killed, Two lost a leg each
by which they died and one an Arm by the Cannon
from the Batteries, Ten others were wounded, but
not disabled; the Chief Engineer and several
others of the Rebells were killed and many
wounded. Mr. Grosett having on the 11th January
received a letter from Lord Justice Clarke with
an Order inclosed from General Hawley to Colonel
Layton to return with the Troops to join the
Army who were then ready to march to the Relief
of Sterling Castle, they thereupon returned
accordingly; But Mr. Grosett having before he
left that country concerted Measures for getting
the Vessell burnt that was grounded as above in
which the Cannon had been transported from Alloa
it was done accordingly without the Rebells
knowing how it came about.
Lord Justice Clarke in his letter, dated the
10th Janry. 1745/6,[613] having sent Mr.
Grosett a Letter from General Hawley to General
Blackeney[614] who at that time commanded
in the Castle of Sterling with Directions to
use all methods possible to get it delivered
and answered, as on it depended Matters of the
greatest Consequence; Mr. Grosett not only got
the Letter safely delivered, but an answer
thereto, tho’ the Rebells were at that time in
Possession of Sterling and suffered none they
could observe to go near the Castle and upon
which they kept the strictest Guard.
[Sidenote: No. 18]
Expended in all these Services, for Provisions,
Intelligence, Boats, Pilots, etc. 39 4 0
Upon the 12th January 1745/6 Mr. Grosett
returned to Edinburgh from this Expedition, and
upon the 13th was sent early next morning by
Lord Justice Clarke to procure Intelligence of
the motions of the Rebells for General Husk, who
was that Day to march with the First Division
of the Army from Edinburgh for Linlithgow;[615]
Upon Mr. Grosett’s coming near that place,
being informed by some Country People he had
sent into the Town, for Intelligence that
about Twelve hundred of the Rebells had that
Morning taken Possession thereof and given
out that they were resolved to dispute their
Quarters with the Kings Troops. Mr. Grosett
returned and acquainted the General thereof who
thereupon made the proper Dispositions. The
Town of Linlithgow lying in a Hollow upon the
South side of a large Lake which cuts off all
Communication with or access to the Town from
the North and Mr. Grosett having acquainted the
General of this and of the situation of the
country The General in order to surprize and
cut off the retreat of the Rebells to Falkirk
where the Main body of their Army lay sent a
strong advance Party forward with orders to
halt, and remain upon a rising Ground upon the
Road about a mile from the East Gate of the
Town, and within Sight thereof, and marched the
Main Body round another way; which Mr. Grosett
conducted them by the South side of the Town
where they could not be observed by the Rebells,
till they came near the West Gate thereof; and
the Rebells having no suspicion of the Main
Body’s advancing upon them, while the Advance
Guard stood still in sight, their communication
with the Main Body of their Army, would by these
means have been cut off, if one of their Friends
upon accidentally seeing the King’s Troops
marching under cover of a Rising Ground by the
South side of the Town, had not rode into the
Place and given the Alarm to the Rebells who
thereupon fled with such Precipitation that the
Troops could not come up with them.[616] Lord
[George Murray, Lord Elcho, and others of their
Chiefs left their Dinner just as it was going
to be set upon the Table. The Dragoons pursued,
but not being able to come up with them they
took Possession of the Bridge of Linlithgow,
over the water Avon, about a mile to the West
of that Place, left a sufficient Guard there,
and then went into the Town, and eat the Dinner
the Rebells had provided, and got ready for
themselves.] The Person who gave the alarm was
apprehended together with one of the Rebells,
and sent Prisoners to Edinburgh, and Mr. Grosett
after General Husk appointed proper Places for
Out Guards returned to Lord Justice Clarke
and General Hawley with an Account of these
proceedings.
[Sidenote: No. 19]