A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE REBELLION AT PRESTON, IN NOVEMBER, 1715.

WE are much indebted to a work published in London, enti

tled, "The History of the Rebellion in 1715," by the Rev. Robert Patten, and dedicated to the "Lieutenant Generals Carpenter and Wills, and the rest of the commanding Officers of his Majesty's forces at the attack at Preston." As they had the honour to command his Majesty's troops against the rebels, at Preston, Mr. Patten thought proper, in honour to their courage and conduct, to dedicate his work. We shall proceed to give a fair and impartial account of what happened during those unhappy days; and we further refer our readers for some important matter relative to the attack at Preston, in pages 18 and 185, also to a small note, touching the rebellion in 1745, inserted in page 145 of this work.

The rebels having received what addition of force they could gather in the vicinity of Lancaster, and having discharged the famous Thomas Sydall, a mob captain (who was executed afterwards at Manchester, as mentioned in page 20 of this work, and who was in the gaol of Lancaster, for rioting at Manchester, where they pulled down a large and extensive Presbyterian meeting-house, in that town ;) now thought proper to make a further advance into the heart of Lancashire, for they had news daily brought to them of troops gathering in all directions to oppose them, therefore it was time for them to be upon the alert, in order that they might join all those who had anyways promised them their assistance. They moved from Lancaster, taking the road for Preston, and designing among themselves to take immediate possession of Warrington bridge, and of the town of Manchester also, where they had received assurances of great numbers to join their party, and by this means they anticipated that they could possess and secure

to themselves the town of Liverpool, which could not possibly receive any succour from his Majesty's troops, if they could only once secure the pass at Warrington bridge.

Accordingly, the horse regiment reached Preston on the night of the 9th of November. The day was very sombre, and rain pouring in torrents from the heavens, made the high roads very bad, in consequence of which they left the foot soldiers at Garstang, with orders to advance the next morning towards Preston, which was accomplished. The horse, as we have stated, entered Preston that night; and they found that two troops of Stanhope's dragoons, formerly quartered there, had removed upon their approach. This gave them great encouragement, and caused them to imagine that the King's troops would not meet them in open combat. The foot soldiers came up the next day, being Thursday the 10th of Novem➡ ber. On their arrival in the town, they marched up to the marketcross, in the Market-place, and were drawn up in regular order, whilst the Pretender was proclaimed, according to the following words:" Whereas, by the decease of the late King James the 7th, the imperial crown of these realms did lineally descend to his lawful heir and son our sovereign James the 8th: We the Lords, &c. do declare him our lawful King, by the Grace of God, of Scotland, England, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. and for relieving this his ancient kingdom from the oppressions and grievances it lies under." This was read by Seaton Barnes, who assumed the title of Earl of Dumferling.

Here they were joined by a great many gentlemen, together with their tenantry, servants, and others, who were chiefly of the Papistical religion. They resolved among themselves, to march out of Preston on the Friday; but that order being countermanded, they thought proper to continue till the next day, Saturday.

During this time, they were not aware that forces were busily preparing, in order to give them battle, much less of the near approach of the King's army; and as it is a question often asked, and which very few, perhaps, could answer, viz.-How they came to be so utterly ignorant of this intelligence, and to have no kind of knowledge of the march of the King's troops, being within sight of Preston, and ready almost to give them battle? It may be very judicious here to give a plain and direct answer to this query, which is, in short, this, viz.-That in all their marches from town

to town, Mr. Forster spared neither pains nor cost to be acquainted with all General Carpenter's motions, of which he had constant and particular accounts of every day, and sometimes twice a-day; but the Lancashire gentlemen gave him such assurances that no force could approach them within forty miles, but they could give them immediate information thereof. This made him, and the

rest of them, perfectly easy on that account, relying entirely on the intelligence brought them; and therefore, when he (Forster) had given orders on the Saturday morning, for his army to march from Preston towards Manchester, he was taken by extraordinary surprise; although he could scarcely credit the reports in circulation, that General Wills was advancing from the town of Wigan, to attack them. But however he was soon convinced of the truth of this rumour, by messengers from all parts.

That very morning, Mr. Paul, the clergyman, had set off with letters to a noble lord in Staffordshire, and others in Leicestershire. He met Gen. Wills and his troops, on the road, who stopped him, and asked soine questions; but they not suspecting him to be one of the rebels, and he putting on a face contrary to the business, they let him proceed. The alarm being given, spread a general bustle through the town, and caused the peaceable inhabitants to be put in bodily fear. But a body of the rebels marched straight out of the town, as far as Ribble bridge, and posted themselves there, and Gen. Forster went still farther, with a party of horsemen, in order to gain what accounts he could, relative to Gen. Carpenter's approach to attack them; but he returned another

way.

Gen. Forster had ordered Mr. Patten, (who read prayers for the rebels in the Parish church of Appleby, in Westmorland,) to ride back with all haste, and give intelligence of the approach of the King's army, and to give orders for them to prepare for a brisk engagement, whilst he went to view a ford in the river Ribble, in order for a passage to come behind them.

The foot soldiers that were advanced to the bridge, were in number about 100, consisting of choice, stout, and well armed men, commanded by Col. John Farquharson, of Innercale, (or Innerdale,) belonging to Laird Mackintosh's battalion. quharson was a superior officer, and a very intrepid man, would have defended that important pass of Ribble bridge, to the

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last drop of blood, and till the residue had advanced out of Preston, to render him every assistance; but he was ordered to retreat to Preston. This retreat was prejudicial and ill-timed, and was highly condemned by all, as a great anomaly in the present dilemma they were placed in, for the river was only fordable above and below the bridge, which they might have made impassable, by several methods, which might have been suggested in such like cases; as for the bridge, they might have barricadoed it so well, that it would have been utterly impossible for the King's troops to have passed, or to have driven them from their posts; they had cannon also, which Gen. Wills had not, and according to this, they were well equipped to make a sufficient resistance; for the King's troops would have been perpetually exposed to their firing, having no cover; whereas the rebels could have perfectly secured themselves against the firing of Gen. Wills' troops, by the bridge and the rising ground on that side next Preston.

General Wills did not hesitate in declaring, that he expected some great opposition and difficulty at Ribble bridge, conceiving that the rebels would have made a stout and vigorous resistance there; but being told by his advance guard, that the rebels had abandoned their post, he was surprised, and rather suspected that they had some stratagem in view; and might perhaps have lined the hedges, and so made the highway impassable for his troops. The road was very deep, and so narrow, in those days, in many places two men could not ride abreast.* Gen. Wills, on these suppositions, proceeded with caution, and ordered the hedges and fields to be viewed, and the roads to be laid cpen for his cavalry to pass; but on finding the hedges all clear, he formed the conclusion that the rebels had fled, and expected that they had gone from Preston, and were endeavouring, by long marches, to make their return towards Scotland; though he thought it impossible for them to do it. But he soon obtained news, that they had retreated and secured themselves in Preston only; and that they were there

This is that ancient lane or highway between Preston and Walton-le-dale, at the end of which, Oliver Cromwell, on the 17th day of August, 1648, (vide page 17 of this work,) met so stout a resistance from the troops commanded in the King's name by Sir Marm. Langdale, who, from the heights above, rolled down large mill-stones, and other matter, upon him and his men, when they had entered the lane; and more over, if Oliver Cromwell himself, had not forced the horse he rode upon, to have jumped immediately into a quick sand, he had luckily ended his days in this very lane.

anxiously waiting for an attack to be made on them. Therefore, Gen. Wills had nothing to do but to prepare forthwith; and having advanced near the town, he ordered his troops to pass on the left hand gateways, which led into some fields which lie behind the town, and by this means immediately spread the enclosures with his men, with all expedition and diligence, disposing of his troops so as to accomplish, to the best of his judgment, a regular attack upon them, in the town, and to prevent them from sallying or making a retreat.

During this time the rebels were busily employed in the town, neither did they seem in the least afraid of the King's troops, for they applied themselves resolutely to the business they had in view, by barricading the various streets, bye lanes, and houses, to the best of their power and judgment, particularly in Church-gate, Midsprit-wiend end, Fishergate, and Friargate, opposite the White Horse inn, and the summit of Friargate-brow. The gentlemen volunteers were drawn up in the Church-yard, under the command of James Earl of Derwentwater, who signally conducted himself, for he stripped himself even to his waistcoat, and encouraged his men, by giving them money and fair words, to cast up trenches, and animated them to make a vigorous defence. These volunteers were also conducted by Viscount Kenmure, and the Earls of Wintoun and Nithsdale.

When Lord Derwentwater, had prepared all things in a certain posture of defence, he ordered Mr. Patten to bring him, regularly, news from the various quarters of the town, relative to the attack, and to let him know in what part men were wanted to keep up the siege, which Mr. Patten fully complied with, and in the course of his perambulations he had his horse shot from under him. The rebels formed four main barriers within the town; one a little below the church, near Clarke-yard, commanded by Brigadier Mackintosh; the Gentlemen volunteers, in the Church-yard, were fixed there to support that barrier entirely, and Lord Charles Murray supported that barrier which was fixed at the end of a lane leading into the fields near Cockerhole-end, now called Water-street; the third barrier was titled the Windmill. barrier, and was commanded by Colonel Mackintosh; and the fourth was situate in the street leading towards Liverpool, called Fishergate, and commanded by Major Miller, and Mr. Douglas.