Account of the signal Escape of John Fraser, taken from the printed Copy.
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Account of ye signal Escape of John Fraser,
taken from the printed Copy.
Forbes
Account of the signal escape of John Fraser taken from the printed Copy
Paton
Account of the signal escape of John (Alexander) Fraser
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Forbes
Vol. 6, 1239—1242Paton
Vol. 2, 260—261Credits
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Active:
Long & particular narrative of cruelties & barbarities et cetera from said Mr. James Hay (v06.1315.01): Mentions in footnote
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Passive:
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Transcription
An Account of the signal
Escape of John Fraser.
Taken from the Copy printed
at Edinburgh.
John Fraser, Ensign in the Ma-
ster of Lovat’s Regiment, was shot
through the Thigh by a Musket-Bullet,
at the Battle of Culloden, &and was
taken Prisoner, after the Battle, at
a little Distance from the Field, &and
carried to the House of Culloden,
where a Multitude of other wound-
ed Prisoners lay under strong Guards.
There he, &and the other miserable
Gentlemen (for most of them were
Gentlemen) lay with their Wounds
undressed, for two Days, in great
Torture. Upon the third Day he
was carried out of Culloden House,
&and with other eighteen of his Fellow-
Prisoners flung into Carts, which
they imagined were to carry them
to Inverness to be dressed of their
Wounds: They were soon unde-
ceived; the Carts stoptstopped at a Park-
Dyke at some Distance from the
House, there they were dragged out
of the Carts: The Soldiers who guard-
ed them, under Command of three Officers, 1240 (1240)
Officers, carries the Prisoners close to
the Wall or Park-Dyke, along which
they ranged them upon their Knees,
&and bid them prepare for Death.
ster of Lovat’s Regiment, was shot
through the Thigh by a Musket-Bullet,
at the Battle of Culloden, &and was
taken Prisoner, after the Battle, at
a little Distance from the Field, &and
carried to the House of Culloden,
where a Multitude of other wound-
ed Prisoners lay under strong Guards.
There he, &and the other miserable
Gentlemen (for most of them were
Gentlemen) lay with their Wounds
undressed, for two Days, in great
Torture. Upon the third Day he
was carried out of Culloden House,
&and with other eighteen of his Fellow-
Prisoners flung into Carts, which
they imagined were to carry them
to Inverness to be dressed of their
Wounds: They were soon unde-
ceived; the Carts stoptstopped at a Park-
Dyke at some Distance from the
House, there they were dragged out
of the Carts: The Soldiers who guard-
ed them, under Command of three Officers, 1240 (1240)
Officers, carries the Prisoners close to
the Wall or Park-Dyke, along which
they ranged them upon their Knees,
&and bid them prepare for Death.
The Soldiers immediately dress up
opposite to them ______ It is dreadful
to proceed! They levelled
their Guns! They fired among them!
Mr Fraser fell with the rest,
and did not doubt but he was
shot. But as those Gentlemen,
who proceeded thus deliberately in
cold Blood, had their Orders to do
Nothing by Halves, a Party of them
went along &and examined the Slaugh-
ter, &and knocked out the Brains of
such as were not quite dead; and,
observing Signs of Life in Mr Fraser,
one of them, with the Butt of his
Gun, struck him on the Face, dash-
ed out of one of his Eyes, &and beat
down his Nose flat &and shattered to
his Cheek, &and left him for dead.
The Slaughter thus finished, the
Soldiers left the Field. In this
miserable Situation, Lord Boyd,
riding out that Way with his Ser-
vant, espied some Life in Mr Fraser, who 1241 (1241)
who by that Time had crawled to
a little Distance from his dead
Friends, &and calling out to him
asked what he was. Fraser told
him he was an Officer in the
Master of Lovat's Corps. Lord Boyd
offered him Money, saying he had
been acquainted with the Master
of Lovat, his Colonel. Mr Fraser
said, he had no Use for Money,
but begged him for God’s sake
to cause his Servant carry him
to a certain Mill &and Cott-House,1
where he said he would be con-
cealed &and taken Care of. This
young Lord had the Humanity
to do so, &and in this Place Mr
Fraser lay concealed, &and by God’s
Providence recovered of his
Wounds, &and is now a living Wit-
ness of as unparallel’dunparalleled a Story,
in all it’sits Circumstances, as can
be met with in the History of
any Age.
opposite to them ______ It is dreadful
to proceed! They levelled
their Guns! They fired among them!
Mr Fraser fell with the rest,
and did not doubt but he was
shot. But as those Gentlemen,
who proceeded thus deliberately in
cold Blood, had their Orders to do
Nothing by Halves, a Party of them
went along &and examined the Slaugh-
ter, &and knocked out the Brains of
such as were not quite dead; and,
observing Signs of Life in Mr Fraser,
one of them, with the Butt of his
Gun, struck him on the Face, dash-
ed out of one of his Eyes, &and beat
down his Nose flat &and shattered to
his Cheek, &and left him for dead.
The Slaughter thus finished, the
Soldiers left the Field. In this
miserable Situation, Lord Boyd,
riding out that Way with his Ser-
vant, espied some Life in Mr Fraser, who 1241 (1241)
who by that Time had crawled to
a little Distance from his dead
Friends, &and calling out to him
asked what he was. Fraser told
him he was an Officer in the
Master of Lovat's Corps. Lord Boyd
offered him Money, saying he had
been acquainted with the Master
of Lovat, his Colonel. Mr Fraser
said, he had no Use for Money,
but begged him for God’s sake
to cause his Servant carry him
to a certain Mill &and Cott-House,1
where he said he would be con-
cealed &and taken Care of. This
young Lord had the Humanity
to do so, &and in this Place Mr
Fraser lay concealed, &and by God’s
Providence recovered of his
Wounds, &and is now a living Wit-
ness of as unparallel’dunparalleled a Story,
in all it’sits Circumstances, as can
be met with in the History of
any Age.
N. B. Mr David Chisholm, Presbyterian
MinrMinister at Kilmorack, in the Shire
of Inverness, when in EdrEdinburgh at the
General Assembly in May, 1758.
told, that said Fraser, or MacIver,
still lives at a place called
Wellhouse in said Parish of
Kilmorack; that his Name is
Alexander &and not John; &and that
he himself [Mr Chisholm] is
a Blood-Relation to said A-
lexander Fraser’s Wife.
MinrMinister at Kilmorack, in the Shire
of Inverness, when in EdrEdinburgh at the
General Assembly in May, 1758.
told, that said Fraser, or MacIver,
still lives at a place called
Wellhouse in said Parish of
Kilmorack; that his Name is
Alexander &and not John; &and that
he himself [Mr Chisholm] is
a Blood-Relation to said A-
lexander Fraser’s Wife.
See Vol. 8. p. 1619.
Robert Forbes, A:M:
Friday,
Citation
Forbes, Robert. “Account of the signal escape of John Fraser taken from the printed Copy.” The Lyon in Mourning,
vol. 6,
Adv.MS.32.6.21, fol. 67r–68v. The Lyon in Mourning Project,
edited by Leith Davis, https://lyoninmourning.dhil.lib.sfu.ca/ v06.1239.01.html.
Appendix
I.e., a cottage.