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from Scotland, headed by their leaders, the Lords Kenmuir, Niths- 
dale, Carnwarth, and Wintoun,—and were advanced as far as 
Rothbury. Here the English and the Scotch rebels joined their 
forces and marched directly from thence to Wooller, in Northum- 
berland. They now adopted the fatal policy of marching for 
Scotland, where they were assured their friends were numerous. 
Accordingly they passed the Tweed, and went to Kelso. Here 
they mustered their forces, and found them to amount to about 
fourteen hundred. They stayed there about five days; but hearing 
that General Carpenter was come with his forces as far as Wooller, 
and intended immediately to go to Kelso, a council of war was 
called, in order seriously to consider what course they should take. 
Lord Wintoun was for marching away into the west of Scotland, 
and gave several substantial reasons for it; but the English, 
imagining that half the people in the country would rise as soon as 
ever they should see a standard erected for James III., rejected 
this advice, and the majority of votes being on their side, it was 
resolved to march back into England. 
Mr. Charles Radcliffe then proposed to re-pass the Tweed, 
and attack King George’s forces, since at that juncture they had a 
manifest advantage, from the weakness and weariness of General 
Carpenter’s men, who were extremely fatigued, and their whole 
complement did not consist of above five hundred men, of which 
two regiments of dragoons were newly raised, and had never seen 
service. This advice was bold, and agreeable to Mr. Radcliffe’s 
fiery and spirited temper; and it is probable that if it had been 
followed the king’s troops would have been worsted, con- 
sidering how much they were fatigued, and that they were 
not half the number of the insurgents. But this advice was 
not followed, although it seemed the best that could be given at 
that time. There seems to have been a fatality that attended all 
their counsels, for they could never agree to any one thing that 
tended to their advantage. However, it was thought desirable to 
decamp from Kelso, which they did, and marched to Jedburgh. 
While they lay at Jedburgh, they perceived that an oppor- 
tunity offered of getting the start of General Carpenter, by three 
