diately began his march, and reached it on
the twenty-second day of October, though a good number of his men had
deserted on the route.

The lord Kenmuir, with the earls of Winton, Nithsdale, and Carnwath,
the earl of Derwentwater, and Mr. Forster with the English insurgents,
arriving at the same time, a council of war was immediately called.
Winton proposed that they should march immediately into the western
parts of Scotland and join general Gordon, who commanded a strong body
of Highlanders in Argyleshire. The English insisted upon crossing the
Tweed and attacking general Carpenter, whose troops did not exceed nine
hundred dragoons. Neither scheme was executed. They took the route
to Jedburgh, where they resolved to leave Carpenter on one side and
penetrate into England by the western border. The Highlanders declared
they would not quit their own country, but were ready to execute the
scheme proposed by the earl of Winton. Means however were found to
prevail upon one half of them to advance, while the rest returned to the
Highlands. At Brampton, Forster opened his commission of general, which
had been sent to him by the earl of Mar, and proclaimed the pretender.
They continued their march to Penrith, where the sheriff, assisted
by lord Lonsdale and the bishop of Carlisle, had assembled the whole
posse-comitatus of Cumberland, amounting to twelve thousand men, who
dispersed with the utmost precipitation at the approach of the rebels.
From Penrith, Forster proceeded by way of Kendal and Lancaster to
Preston, from whence Stanhope's regiment of dragoons and another of
militia immediately retired, so that he took possession of the place
without resistance. General Willis marched against the enemy with six
regiments of horse and dragoons, and one battalion of foot commanded
by colonel Preston. They had advanced to the bridge of Ribble before
Forster received intelligence of their approach. He forthwith began to
raise barricadoes, and put the place in a posture of defence. On the
twelfth day of November the town was briskly attacked in two different
places; but the king's troops met with a very warm reception, and were
repulsed with considerable loss. Next day general Carpenter arrived
with a reinforcement of three regiments of dragoons, and the rebels were
invested on all sides. The Highlanders declared they would make a sally
sword in hand, and either cut their way through the king's troops or
perish in the attempt, but t