1 20 Transactions. 



Apparently from Mr Fergusson's letter there was an informal 

 conversation at the county meeting on 2nd September, and we 

 otherwise learn that a committee was appointed to confer with 

 the Presbytery on the crisis. This does not appear in the county 

 minute ; but in a minute of meeting of the Presbytery o^ 

 Dumfries held on 4th September, it is stated that a committee of 

 county gentlemen were present to confer with them, after which 

 " the Presbytery agreed, and recommended to each minister of 

 the bounds to take the most prudent method in their several 

 parishes to get an account of the number of arms and fencible 

 men in their respective parishes, and to bring in a report there- 

 anent." These reports were made to a meeting of Presbytery 

 held on 16th September, and a committee was appointed to wait 

 upon the committee of the gentlemen of the county to declare 

 that it was the desire of the ministers that the gentlemen should 

 encourage the pi'esent spirit prevailing in the county, and take 

 all proper measures for putting the county speedily in a state of 

 defence with what arms belong to it at present, and to use their 

 endeavours to get the country better supplied, and to take pi'oper 

 steps for bringing fit persons into the country for training the 

 people in the use of arms, and forming them into proper bodies ; 

 and the ministers hereby authorise their committee to let the 

 gentlemen know that they for their part are willing to give all 

 assistance in their power in prosecution of the ends aforesaid, and 

 shall be ready when desired to enter into joint measures with the 

 gentlemen of the county for that purpose, and as occasion shall 

 require in the present juncture. Well done the ministers, say I ; 

 and they deserved a better response than they got from the 

 County Committee, who stated that " they did not find it 

 expedient to put the county in arms at present in regard they 

 did not see how it could be done with any good effect." This 

 apathy practically prevented anything satisfactory being done, 

 with the result, as you shall see later on, that the rebels met 

 with no opposition when they marched through this county on 

 their retreat from England. 



By the 22nd of September the Prince was in possession of 

 Edinburgh, and for fully a month he held Court in the Palace of 

 Holyrood. While there he received many accessions to his 

 supporters, but the only one of importance from the south of 

 Scotland was Mr James Maxwell of Kirkconnell. He left a manu- 

 script account of the Rising, which is .still preserved at Kirkconnell, 



