tried to cross country, failed,
and went back to Newcastle. On November 10, with some 4500 men (there
had been many desertions), the march through Lancashire was decreed. Save
for Mr Townley and two Vaughans, the Catholics did not stir. Charles
marched on foot in the van; he was a trained pedestrian; the townspeople
stared at him and his Highlanders, but only at Manchester (November 29-
30) had he a welcome, enlisting about 150 doomed men. On November 27
Cumberland took over command at Lichfield; his foot were distributed
between Tamworth and Stafford; his cavalry was at Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Lord George was moving on Derby, but learning Cumberland's dispositions
he led a column to Congleton, inducing Cumberland to concentrate at
Lichfield, while he himself, by way of Leek and Ashburn, joined the
Prince at Derby.

The army was in the highest spirits. The Duke of Richmond on the other
side wrote from Lichfield (December 5), "If the enemy please to cut us
off from the main army, they may; and also, if they please to give us the
slip and march to London, I fear they may, before even this _avant garde_
can come up with them; . . . there is no pass to defend, . . . the camp
at Finchley is confined to paper plans"--and Wales was ready to join the
Prince! Lord George did not know what Richmond knew. Despite the
entreaties of the Prince, his Council decided to retreat. On December 6
the clans, uttering cries of rage, were set with their faces to the
north.

The Prince was now an altered man. Full of distrust, he marched not with
Lord George in the rear, he rode in the van.

Meanwhile Lord John Drummond, who, on November 22, had landed at Montrose
with 800 French soldiers, was ordered by Charles to advance with large
Highland levies now collected and meet him as he moved north. Lord John
disobeyed orders (received about December 18). Expecting his advance,
Charles most unhappily left the Manchester men and others to hold
Carlisle, to which he would return. Cumberland took them all,--many were
hanged.

In the north, Lord Lewis Gordon routed Macleod at Inverurie (December
23), and defeated his effort to secure Aberdeen. Admirably commanded by
Lord George, and behaving admirably for an irregular retreating force,
the army reached Penrith on December 18, and at Clifton, Lord George and
Cluny defeated Cumberland's dragoons in a rearguard action.

On December 19 Carlisle was reached, and, as we saw, a force was left