The Jacobite Papers - 14th August 1745

Current Situation
The Earl of Cromerty was defeated by Cope at Elgin on the 10th August, he retires to Grantown overnight and pulls back further to Ballater on the 11th. There he is joined on the 14th August by a force lead by the Duke of Athol and Lord Strathalan. This force has orders issued directly by the Prince to pursue and destroy Cope before he can burn the highlands to the ground. It is anticipated that Athol will take command of this whole force.

In the north the McDonalds under Sir Alexander McDonald, have finally been able to move onto the mainland, helped by poor weather in the Isles, he is now at Gairlock with McLeods and McKinnons.

In Edinburgh the Prince continues to rally his forces and to recruit locally.

Recruiting & Spies etc
You have no firm intelligence on Cope’s current location other than he moved north from Inverness, he is likely to try and sack other clan homelands. Reports from Fort Augustus indicate that it will not be possible to recruit any men from the Chisholm clan from that area for several months due to the ravages laid upon the area.

The noises coming from the French are promising, there is word that they will make more regulars available to you in the next few weeks, these are likely to be Irish and Scots regiments in French service, foot and horse, some 1000 men.

Colonel Loudon has now been paroled and he has given his word not to raise his sword against the Prince or his forces in Britain