The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware register., 1824-08-12


her own the only truly unfortunate case i'll
the country and, believe, went as they
came fully impressed with this sentiment.
ANECDOTE OF ALEXANDER STEWART.
When the Highlandcrs upon the morning
of the battle of Preston made their rlcmora-
bic attack, IA battery of four field pieces was
stoi.ned and carried by the Camcrons and
the Stewards Of Appine. The late Alcxan.
dcrStuart of lnvernahyle was one of the fore
most in the charge, and observed an officer
of the Kings forces, who, scorning to join
the flight Of all around. remained with his
sword in his hand, as if determined to the
very last to defend the post assigned to him.
The Highland gentleman commanded him to
| surrender, and received for reply thrust
which he caught in his target. The officer
was now defcnccless, and the battle-a.;e OF
gigantic Highlander (the miller of lnver-
nahvlc's mil) was upliftcd to dash his brains
out, when Mr.. Stuart with difficulty pre-
vailed on him to surrender. He took charge
of his cncmy's property, protected his per-
son, and finally obtained him liberty On his
parole. The officer proved to be Colonel
Allen Whitctord, of Ballochmyle, in Ayr
shire, a man of high character and Influence,
and warmly attached to the house OF Hano-
vcr; vet such was the confidence existing
between these two honorable men, though
of different political principles, that while
the civil war was raging, and struggling ofti-
GERS from the Highland army were execu-
ted without mercy, 1nvcrnahyle hesitatcd
not to pay his late captive visit as he went
back to the Highlands to raise frcslrccruits,
when he spent a few days among Colonel
/ 1,;o Al ot,fl
good lnmorcdlv as if all had been at peace
around. After the battle of Cullodcn it was
Colonel Whitcford's turn to strain every
nerve to obtain mr. Stuart's pardon. He
went to the Lord Justice Clerk, to the Lord
Advocate, and to Ill the officers of state, and
each application was answered by the pro-
duction of list in which lnverahyle Gas
the good old gentleman was won't to express
ltd appeared marked with the sign Of the
bcast' At length Colonel Whtctorl wc,it
to the Duke of Cumberland. From him al
so he received IL positive refusal. He then
limited his request FOR the present, TO a pro
lection for Stualt's house, wife, children, and
property This was also refused by the
Duke: on which Colonel Whitetord, taking
his commission from his bosom, laid it cn the
table before his Royal I1ighncss, and asked
permission to retire from the service Of Il
sovereign who did not know how to spare Il
vanquished enemy. The Duke was struck,
and even affected. He babe the Colonel
take up his commission, and granted the
protection he required with so much earnest
ness. 1t was issued just in time to save the
house, corn, and cattle, 1T lnvernahyle, from
the troops whoWere engaged IN laying waste
what it was the fashion to call the country
of the cnemy.' A small encampment OF sol
diers was formed on lnvcrnahylc's property,
which they spared while plunderinS the
country around, and searching in every dl-
recton for the leaders of the insurrccton,
and for Stuart in particular. He was much
nearer them than they suspected: for hid
den in a cave, Nike the Baron of Bradwar-
dine,) he lay for many days within hearing
of the sentnels, as they called their watch
word. His food was brought to him by one
OF his daughters, a child of eight years old,
whom Mrs. Stuart was under the necessity
of entrusting with this commission, for her
own motions and those OF all her inmates
were closely watched. With ingenuity be-
yond her years the child used to stray about
among the soldiers, who were rather KIND to
her, and watch the moment when she was
unobscrved to steal into the thicket, when
she deposited whatever small store OF pro-
visions she had in charge, at some marked
spot, where her father might find it. In
vernahylc supported life f,r several weeks,
by means of these precar;ous supplies, and
as he had been wounded i'll the battle of Cul-
loden, the hardships which he endured were
aggravated by great bodily pain. After the
soldiers had removed their quarters he had
anothcr1remarkable escape. Ashenow ven
tured TO the house at night and left it in the
morning, he was espicd during the dawn by
a party of the enemy who fired at and pur-
sued him. The fugitive being fortunate e.
nouyh to escape thier search, they returned
to the house and charged the family with
harboring one of the prescribed traitors. An
old woman had presence of mind enough to
maintain that the man they had seen was
the shepherd. 'Why did he not stop when
we called to him p said the soldiers. lie is
as deaf, poor man, as peat-stack, answer
ed the ready-witted domestic Let him be
sent for directly'-1'he real shepherd ac-
cordingly was brought from the hill, and as
there was time to tutor him by the way, he
was as deaf when he made his appearance
as was necessary to sustain his character.
Stuart of Invsrnahyle was afterwards par