m different quarters, the Earl of Mar resolved to make
the town of Perth his head-quarters.

This was a wise resolution: the situation of that fine city presented
the most important advantages to the General of the Jacobite forces.
Seated on the river Tay, and near the sea-coast, it gave the Earl the
control of the East Lowlands, of the rich counties of Angus, the Carse
of Gowrie, Mearns, Murray, Aberdeen, and Banff, and also of the Shire of
Fife. It also cut off the communication between the north and the south
of Scotland, so that the friends of Government could neither act nor fly
from the enemy. Thus all the usual posts were stopped. The revenues of
the public fell into the hands of the insurgents who gave receipts for
them in the name of James the Eighth, and the landowners in the counties
subject to the Earl were taxed at whatever rate he chose to impose.
Perth continued to be the head-quarters of the Lieutenant General until
a few days before this disastrous contest was finally closed.

At the first general review at Perth, the forces of Lord Mar amounted
only to five thousand men; but a few weeks afterwards, by the accession
of his friends in the north, they were increased to the number of twelve
thousand, both horse and foot, of well appointed men. That Lord Mar's
hopes were high, and, at this period, not without reason of, at any
rate, a partial success, the following letter addressed by him to
Captain Henry Straiton,[97] at Edinburgh, is a proof. It relates, in the
first instance, to the insurrection in Northumberland, under the
guidance of Mr. Forster, a gentleman of suspected zeal and little
discretion, to whom Lord Mar unwisely trusted the conduct of the gallant
but ill-fated bands who fell at Preston:--

"From the Camp of Perth, October 12th, 1715."[98]

"Sir,

"It was yesterday afternoon as I got yours of the ninth, which you
may be sure was very acceptable, and also the others you sent me.
Tom Forster tells me in his of the sixth, that they had taken the
field that day with a hundred and sixty horse; that he had sent to
the gentelmen of Lancaster who he expected to join him, and also the
gentilmen from the scots side, that he expected two thousand foot
from my camp and five hundred horse, that the town of Newcastle had
promist to open their gates to them, and that they intended to take
possession of Tinmouth.

"They have been better