Page:English Historical Review Volume 37.djvu/387

 1922 IN THE ' FORTY -FIVE ' 379 should pay us another visit ; though I believe they will find it hard to get other guns without they can catch another set at Fort George and Augustus, as I hope those here are out of their reach. The defence of Fort William was worthily described at the time as ' noble ' ; even after allowance is made for the lack of engineering skill shown by Miribel (the French officer who took Grant's place), and the bright nights which had aided the defenders. If the fort was better provided and had better defences than Fort George or Fort Augustus, that was in great measure due to the forethought, energy, and resource shown by Captain Scott. One cannot believe that if Scott had been in command at the other forts he would have lost them so tamely. Moreover, if Scott had advantages on his side, he had also to contend with an enemy who, thanks to the munitions and stores captured at the other forts, was better equipped. The duke of Newcastle, writing to Cumberland, informed him that : ' His Majesty looks upon the raising of the siege of Fort William to have been greatly owing* to the courage and good conduct of Captain Scott, whose behaviour has given him great satisfaction.' 1 The raising of the siege was followed within a fortnight by the decisive battle of Culloden. One of Cumberland's first cares was the relief of the garrison at Fort William. It was at first intended to send the remains of Guise's regiment to be recruited in England. But Caroline Scott was too trusty a soldier for his services to be spared whilst there was still work to be done. It was June before the little garrison at Fort William was actually relieved, and then the men of Guise's regiment were divided into two parties, the one under Captain Scott, the other under Captain Miller, and were employed in hunting down the Jacobite fugitives. The greater fortune fell to the latter. Lord Lovat had taken refuge in an island on Loch Moran, where he thought himself safe, since he had secured all the boats on the loch. But three man-of-war boats were brought overland, and by this means Captain Miller and his party landed on the island. Lovat fled precipitately, and it took three days' search with intolerable fatigue to ferret him out ; but at last they found him hiding in a hollow tree. 2 Captain Scott had less good fortune, though early in June he made some unimportant captures in Moidart. Then he was sent to search for the Young Pretender in the Western Isles, where he narrowly missed capturing Charles Edward on the eve of his flight with Flora Macdonald. 3 After- wards Scott scoured Morar and Knoidart without success, and on 23 July got back to Fort William ' vastly fatigued and almost 1 Ibid. ii. 30, no. 20. Newcastle to Cumberland on 17 April. 3 Lyon in Mourning, i. 71, 106.
 * Ibid. ii. 32, no. 24. Cumberland to Newcastle on 28 June.