The Virginia Gazette

Extract of a private Letter from Aberdeen, April 3.

There are without Doubt, abundance of strange Pieces of News sent to London from Edinburgh and other Places, in these Times of Confusion, and therefore, I dare say, any Letter from hence, where it must be allowed we know Things with a greater Certainty, must be welcome.

The Troops here are in perfect Health, and we expect every Day to be in Motion, which will be followed by a decisive Action, if the Rebels should think fit to wait for us; of which I believe you will not think there is any great Probability, when I tell you the Conditions they are In. As to their Chief, the Pretender's Son, he is and has been indisposed at Inverness, and as to the Heads of the Clans that are about him, they differ with each other and with him. Last Week Glenbucket's Men mutinied for Want of Pay; and for some Time past they have been working at a Place called Findhorn, in fitting up a little Sloop or two, which are to be sent to France, and in all Probability, their Prince and some of his Associates will take their Passage in them. It is believed that the French will quickly grow weary of sending them Supplies in the Manner they have hitherto done, from the bad Luck they have had in it; for not long ago the Sheerness Man of War ran one of their Privateers on Shore, out of which 30 Officers and about 100 Men, with much Difficulty, got to Land, which only prolonged their Ruin for a few Hours, for the News reaching Lord Rea's Country, his Son, Capt. Mackay, with a good Number of his Father's Tenants, fell upon them, killed near Half of them, and made the rest Prisoners. The Highlanders never attack any Places that are capable of making a Defence, of which their besieging Fort William is an Instance. Capt. Scott who commands there, hearing they had a Parcel of black Cattle drove into their Quarters for their Subsistence, made a lucky Sally with his Garrison, and carried them all off. They have been throwing some Hundred Shells into the Fort, in Hopes of such a favourable Accident as they had at Fort Augustus, but have done no more Mischief than killing one Man, and wounding another, so that we are no longer in any Pain about that Fortress. Their Siege of Blair Castle is like to turn to the same Account, tho' that is more properly a Blockade, since even their advanced Parties were never within a Mile of the Place. This is all the News I have to write to you at present, and when I set Pen to Paper again, I hope to send you something of greater Importance.

April 10. We are inform'd, that on Lord Crawford's advancing with a Party of 250 Dragoons, the Rebels rais'd the Siege of Blair, and retir'd 12 Miles, to Dalnacardoch, leaving the Place in Possession of Lord Crawford, and the Duke of Athol.