Page:English Historical Review Volume 37.djvu/380

372 THE HIGHLAND FORTS July a young and active officer of experience in charge, and the result proved that he had made a good choice. In spite of the weakness of the garrison something had been done at Fort William during the winter to keep disaffection in check by means of frequent raids, in which the houses of rebels were burnt and their cattle carried off. Lochiel realized in consequence that so long as the fort was -unsubdued he could not keep either the Camerons or Macdonalds firm on his side. At the beginning of February the numbers of the rebel forces in the neighbourhood much increased, and on the 15th one of the officers of the garrison was treacherously shot whilst out walking within a quarter of a mile of the fort. To Governor Campbell it was clear that he must expect an early attack, and he wrote to General John Campbell, who was in command at Inverary, begging in particular that the Serpent sloop, which was then off Fort William, might be allowed to stay for his sup- port. General Campbell at once replied by ordering both the Serpent and another sloop, the Baltimore, to remain and assist in the defence. He also made arrangement for the supply of provisions and stores and sent another company of militia to reinforce the garrison. By Cumberland's orders a detachment of Guise's, which had been collected at Edinburgh, and two companies of Johnson's regiment were also to be sent : with these additions the strength of the garrison would be ample. General Campbell on his own authority sent ' a very clever indefatigable young fellow (one Russell whom I brought with me from England) bred an engineer ' to examine and improve the defences. 1 It was not by this time an easy matter to get to Fort William, even by sea. The rebels had taken up a position on the Narrows of Corran, where they intercepted the post, and on 1 March actually cut off one of the Baltimore's boats. The danger was so serious, that it was determined to dislodge them by sending down a strong force in the ships' boats from Fort William. Captain Askew of the Serpent reported that at three o'clock on the morning of 4 March his people reached the Narrows, and getting first on shore were attacked by a small party of rebels who fired immediately upon 'em without doing 'em the least damage, our people immediately pursued 'em and put 'em to flight and burned the Ferry- houses on both sides of the water. 2 It chanced by good fortune that Russell on the previous evening had reached Eilean Stalker, where he fell in with a man- of-war's boat on its way to Fort William. 1 State Papers, Scotland, ii. 28, nos. 29, 36, 39, 41 ; and ii. 29, no. 14. General J. Campbell to Cumberland on 5 March. 2 Ibid. ii. 29, no. 14. Askew's Report on 4 March.