as by no means so ignorant of the force which he
was now destined to attack, as were most of the other "good people of
England, who knew as little of their neighbours of the Scottish
mountains, as they did of the inhabitants of the most remote quarter of
the globe."[114] In the battle of Fontenoy, the Duke of Cumberland had
become acquainted with the peculiar mode of fighting practised by the
Highlanders, in the manoeuvre of the "Black Watch," or 42nd; and had
shown his judgment in allowing them to fight in their own way. This
gallant regiment, in which many of the privates were gentlemen, were
exempted at this time from the service of crushing the rebellion, only
to have a duty, perhaps more cruel and more unwarrantable, forced upon
them, after the battle of Culloden. By a singular circumstance, the
Black Watch was commanded by Lord John Murray, a brother of Lord George
Murray's, Sir Robert Munro officiating as acting colonel.[115]

At Macclesfield, Prince Charles gained the intelligence that the Duke of
Cumberland had taken the command of Ligonier's army, and that he was
quartered at Lichfield, Coventry, Stafford, and Newcastle-under-Line.
The Prince then resolved to go direct to Derby; and it was to conceal
his design, and to induce the Duke to collect his whole army at
Lichfield, that Lord George Murray marched with a division of the army
to Congleton, which was the road to Lichfield. Congleton, being on the
borders of Staffordshire, was sufficiently near Newcastle-under-Line for
Lord George to send General Ker to that place to gain intelligence of
the enemy. General Ker advanced to a village about three miles from
Newcastle, and very nearly surprised a body of dragoons, who had only
time to make off. He took one prisoner, a man named Weir, who was a
noted spy, and who had been at Edinburgh during the whole of the
Prince's stay there, and had since always kept within one day's march of
the army. It was proposed to hang him; but Charles could not be brought
to consent to the measure, and insisted that Weir was not, strictly
speaking, a spy, since he wore no disguise. "I cannot tell," observes
Mr. Maxwell, "whether the Prince on this occasion was guided by his
opinion or by his inclination: I suspect the latter, because it was his
constant practice to spare his enemies when they were in his power. I
don't believe there was an instance to the contrary to be found in this
expedition."[116]

Upon the third of December,