h, altho' honourable, was attended with great
danger, many difficulties, and no small fatigue; for the Prince being
apprehensive that his retreat to Scotland might be cut off by Marischall
Wade, who lay to the northward of him with an armie much superior to
what H. R. H. had, while the Duke of Comberland with his whole cavalrie
followed hard in the rear, was obliged to hasten his marches. It was
not, therefore, possible for the artilirie to march so fast as the
Prince's armie, in the depth of winter, extremely bad weather, and
the worst roads in England; so Lord George Murray was obliged often to
continue his marches long after it was dark almost every night, while at
the same time, he had frequent allarms and disturbances from the Duke of
Comberland's advanc'd parties. Towards the evening of the twentie-eight
December 1745, the Prince entered the town of Penrith, in the Province
of Comberland. But as Lord George Murray could not bring up the
artilirie so fast as he wou'd have wish'd, he was obliged to pass
the night six miles short of that town, together with the regiment of
Mac-Donel of Glengarrie, which that day happened to have the arrear
guard. The Prince, in order to refresh his armie, and to give my Lord
George and the artilirie time to come up, resolved to sejour the 29th at
Penrith; so ordered his little army to appear in the morning under arms,
in order to be reviewed, and to know in what manner the numbers stood
from his haveing entered England. It did not at that time amount to
5000 foot in all, with about 400 cavalrie, composed of the noblesse who
serv'd as volunteers, part of whom form'd a first troop of guards for
the Prince, under the command of My Lord Elchoe, now Comte de Weems,
who, being proscribed, is presently in France. Another part formed a
second troup of guards under the command of My Lord Balmirino, who was
beheaded at the Tower of London. A third part serv'd under My Lord le
Comte de Kilmarnock, who was likewise beheaded at the Tower. A fourth
part serv'd under My Lord Pitsligow, who is also proscribed; which
cavalrie, tho' very few in numbers, being all Noblesse, were very brave,
and of infinite advantage to the foot, not only in the day of battle,
but in serving as advanced guards on the several marches, and in
patroling dureing the night on the different roads which led towards the
towns where the army happened to quarter.

'While this small army was out in a body on the 29th December, upon