transportation for life. Baird, one of the men executed, and who was the commander of the party, had been a corporal in the Rifle Brigade. Hardie, his fellow-sufferer, had been a serjeant in the militia.

Mr. Peter M'Kenzie of Glasgow has published a very circumstantial account of the enterprize led by Baird and Hardie; and he argues with great force, that these men and their followers were the victims of foul treachery.

The zeal shewn by Baird and Hardie to the last, for the cause of reform, leaves no room to doubt their feelings on that subject; and their superior intelligence and determination of character accounts for their having been selected to take a lead in the revolutionary proceedings in which they engaged; but it is evident from Mr. McKenzie's book, that neither of them planned the expedition to seize the Carron works, which seems to have been the object of the party who assembled at Bonnymuir. The active agents in promoting the enterprize are named in Mr. M'Kenzie's book, and the conclusion to be drawn from what is therein stated is, that the promoters of the scheme were base traitors, and enticed Baird and Hardie and their followers to take a part in it, solely with a view to betraying them into the hands of Government.

In consequence of the state of the country at this period, a call was made upon all discharged soldiers in

VETERAN BATTALIONS.

285

the receipt of pension, and capable of serving, and veteran battalions were formed of the men who came forward to enrol themselves.

Stirling Castle was selected as the rendezvous for one of these battalions, and a number of men were speedily obtained; but there was a want of officers to command them. In this emergency General Graham accepted the temporary services of some retired half-pay officers who had made Stirling their residence, and came forward in the most patriotic way and expressed their readiness to do duty if required.

By means of the assistance thus obtained, an officer's guard was mounted for some time while the popular excitement was at its height.*

* General Graham always expressed himself greatly indebted to Major Peddie, acting fort-major, for his zeal and activity at this critical period.

No proper places of confinement existed in the Castle at the time these prisoners arrived, yet during the time they remained no accident of any kind occurred, nor was any complaint of any description ever brought to the notice of the governor. (See Appendix). Major Peddie had previously greatly distinguished himself at the siege of Bergen-op-Zoom, where he would certainly have gained the Victoria Cross, had that institution been in existence, having rescued his commanding officer, Colonel Henry, as well as another wounded officer, under a very heavy fire.

CHAPTER THE TWENTY-FIRST.

Artists at Stirling-Letters from Sir D. Wilkie, Dr. Gregory, Mr. Williams, and Mr. Herman Ryland-Visits to Sir Robert Abercromby-Death of General Graham.

STIRLING has long been a favourite place of resort for artists, and any gentlemen of that profession who visited the castle while General Graham resided there, were always welcome to the governor's house. Amongst those who thus became more than transient acquaintances may be numbered the celebrated Wilkie.

During one of Wilkie's visits to Stirling he greatly admired a piece of oriental carpet of the texture of tapestry, which he found in one of the churches-an edifice which had been for some time shut up. The General, on hearing of the circumstance, undertook to procure the carpet for him, and succeeded in doing so through his butcher, a very worthy member of the Town-Council. For this little service Wilkie always expressed himself much indebted, as he found it serviceable in some of his pictures, from the rarity of the

pattern, and also owing to some peculiar arrangement

The following is a letter from the great

of the colour.

painter himself on the subject:—

"Phillimore Place, Kensington,

"London, Nov. 2, 1817.

"Dear Sir-I have but now returned to this place, and was much gratified at finding a letter from you waiting for me. It gives me great pleasure to hear of you and Mrs. Graham again, and to find myself remembered in so friendly a way, as I find I have been, by your kindness in obtaining for me the grant from the corporation of the carpet I wished so much to have. I have now to request that you will be so kind as send it by the coach to Edinburgh, to Mr. Brown, bookseller, North Bridge Street, who has got directions from me to pack it properly, to be sent by sea to London. You will also oblige me much by mentioning whether you were put to any incidental expenses in the way of obtaining the carpet, such as fees or so to people connected with the corporation, that I may have the pleasure of defraying them.

"Your supposition of its having belonged to the royal palace, is the most probable way of accounting for its coming there. Perhaps some authentic knowledge about this might be got from a book that has been published by a Mr. Thomson, giving an inventory of the jewels and wardrobe of the Kings of Scotland.

"It might be curious to know whether carpets are mentioned, and what sort of them. I am still persuaded that it can only be of Persian manufacture. That of there being wild beasts and dragons upon it, which I think there is, I am told is an objection to this, as Mahometans are not allowed to represent natural objects; but I suppose this would apply more to the Turkish than to the Persian manufactures. It would be curious, indeed, if it had really belonged to that interesting apartment now a part of your drawing-room. It is evidently an ancient relic, and as such I shall consider it a great curiosity.

“I beg, sir, to thank you for the friendly interest you have taken in this affair. I beg to be most kindly remembered to Mrs. Graham; and with sincere esteem and regard, I have the honour to be, dear sir, your very faithful servant, DAVID WILKIE,"

The celebrated Dr. Gregory of Edinburgh, proposing to pay a visit to Stirling, thus announced his intention to the General :—

Edinburgh, 19th April 1818.

"The first time that the wheel of fortune shall whirl me to Stirling I shall not fail to storm your castle and put your whole garrison to the pill—a much surer weapon than either sword or gun. Yourself I shall carry in