120 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 of 
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 present 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 proper 
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, 
