On Thursday, the []Day of NovrNovember, 1745,
the Hazard-Sloop (in the Government’s
Service) carrying 16 Guns, 24 Swivels,
&and about 80 Men, CapnCaptain Hill Comman-
der, came into the Harbour of Mont-
rose, &and anchored at Ferriden, &and fired
upon the Town for three Days and
were there. []On Monday thereafter
CapnCaptain Hill carried the Town’s Guns
from the Fort, vizvidelicet, 4 six Pounders, &and
2 four Pounders; he unrigged the Ship-
ping &and put Guns &and Rigging aboard
a Vessel of Tons, Robert Arbuth-
not Master, and, by a Gross Oversight,
left the Vessel at the Key, which
afterwards afforded the Enemy as Op-
portunity of taking and the Cannon &and 1511 (1511)
&and with them to take his Ship.
[]On Tuesday CapnCaptain Hill burnt
two Barks, one of 50 Tons, James
Henderson Master, the other of thirty
Tons, John Orkney Master. He had
also entered into an Association
with some of the Townsmen to go in
the Night-time &and surprizesurprise about 100
of Lord Ogilvie’s Men; who were in
Brichen at five Miles Distance, with
their Officers, Captains Erskine &and
Ferrier; but had not the Resolution
to execute it.

On Wednesday Evening a Party of
Lord Ogilvie’s Men, under the Com-
mand of Walter Young, Serjeant
to Captain Erskine, came to Montrose
&and carried off Cummin, a Supervisor,
&and two Gadgers, Prisoners, to Brechin:
And next Night Captains Erskine
&and Ferrier came to Montrose with
their Men. Erskine possessed the
Island on the South-Side opposite
to the Town &and where the Hazard-Sloop
lay. Ferrier lay with his Men on
the North-side next the Town. While
they were there, on Friday Morning, at 1512 (1512)
at Sun-rising, the Hazard sent her
Boat up to the Pier, where the Coxon
&and his Men landed; but being fired
upon, run back to their Boat. One Man
was killed &and another wounded in the
Back. They rowed off to the Isle, and
were taken Prisoners by Captain Ers-
kine, who saved the Coxon from being
shot by one of Erskine’s Men. The
Hazard fired on all Sides of the
Town &and Isle; but none were hurt.
Saturday, Captain Erskine went to
the Fort at the South Point of the
Water-Mouth, &and at 4 Afternoon saw
a Ship at Sea with French Colours.
He then hoisedhoist a Waif, directing
her into the Harbour, &and She accord-
ingly came in without a Pilot, hav-
six Guns 3 Pounders, a good many
French Officers, &and about 150 of Lord
John Drummond’s Regiment &and the 1
Irish Picquets. She also brought in
her Held two Brass Cannon 16 Poun-
ders, two of us, &and two of 9, which be-
ing landed, the last two were carried
to the Batter. The Hazard, upon see-
ing the French Ship, fired a Gun to the
Leeward a Signal to decoy; but, upon
a Signal from Captain Erskine, her Of-ficers1513(1513)
ficers landed on the South Side, &and
he directed the Frigate to run a
Ground out of Reach of the Haz-
ard. They then landed her six Guns,
three on the South Side, &and three on
the North, &and got them ready to fire
on the Hazard next Morning; but
did her no Damage save cutting
some of her Rigging. Mean time,
Captain Ferrier carried Arbuthnot’s
Ship, which had the Town’s Cannon,
from the Pier to the Fish-Shore,
&and on Sunday at 4 Afternoon got
out the Cannon, the Hazard firing
on the Town &and that Ship all the
While, &and one of the Shot pierced
the Ship through while they were
working, but no Bodynobody was hurt.

They carried 4 of the six Pounders
to the Dial—Hill, on which the
Hazard also fired some few Shot.
Against 12 at Night they got their
Cannon on the Hill ready, &and fired
on the Hazard, &and continued so to do
untilluntil Morning. On 1514 (1514)
On this Sunday Afternoon Captain Ersk-
ine sent a Serjeant with some French
&and some of his own Men to Ferryden-
Town, very near to which the Hazard
lay, who fired Musket- shots upon her,
but did no Execution. And, if Captain
Hill had had Foresight &and Resolution,
he might have easily got out to Sea
with the Hazard on the Sunday Night,
the Wind being fair &and Nothing to hin-
der him; &and as the small French Frigate
wanted her Guns, which had been tak-
en ashore, &and was just in his Way, he
might have carried her along with
him or burnt her, most of her Men
being on Shore.

On Monday Morning the Hazard hois-
ted a Flag of Truce; then his Lieuten-
ant &and his Brother came ashore in his
Boat, &and asked Liberty to go off with
the King’s Ship, which was refused.
The Lieutenant &and the Captain’s Bro-
ther were carried up to the Town to
Mr Carnegie of Balnamon GovernourGovernor
of the Country for P. C. and the Lieu-
tenant wrote to the Captain with the
Boat; upon which the Captain came
immediately ashore, &and surrend’redsurrendered
himself &and his Ship. The Officers were lodged 1515 (1515)
lodged in public Houses, and the
common Men, being about 75, were
put in Prison.

The Day before (being Sunday) Cap-
tain Erskine (having been informed,
that a Boat, sent by the Hazard-
Sloop to Admiral Bing in the Firth
of Edinburgh, was returned, and had
put in to Usan-Harbour a Mile
off, &and had Dispatches to Captain
Hill from that Admiral) sent a
Party, &and seized the Boat &and Men;
but the Midshipman, who command-
ed, had gone to Dunenald, where
he was taken; but he had thrown
his Dispatches &and all the Arms in-
to the Sea.

Monday Night (the Day Captain Hill
surrendered) a French Frigate, called
Le fine of 32 Guns, came to the
Back of the Ness, &and landed Lord
John Drummond &and about 300 Men,
&and next Day (being Tuesday) about
Mid-day appeared the Milford
Man of War of 40 Guns. This made
the French Ship cut her Cable, and
make for the Shore; but the Wind being right 1516 (1516)
right down against her, she was oblig-
ed to run ashore within the Water-
Mouth. The Milford came after Her,
&and droptdropped Anchor at the Water Mouth,
&and fired on the French Ship &and on a
Boat crossing the River, in which
Boat a young French Officer was kill-
ed. The Milford, finding her selfherself
aground, cut her Cable, &and fired to
Windward &and Leeward to get off, but in
vain, until She sent her Boat to the
South-side, &and fixed a Rope to a Rock,
by which she haledhauled off, &and had not the
French Captain &and most of his Men
deserted their Ship, they could with
their Guns have prevented this Boat’s
passing or fixing the Rope; or, had
the Milford been kept 10 or 15 Mi-
nutes longer, She had never got off,
but would have been fixed in the
Bank till next Tide, as the Water
was then ebbing. The French had
carried down 2 twelve Pounders (which
came by the first small Frigate) and
made a Battery on the North-Side
to attack the Milford; but She got
off before it was ready.