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Editor's
Notes:
This interesting letter, with its original spelling left intact,
was taken from vol. XXI of the Transactions of the Gaelic Society
of Inverness. That publication in turn took it from Brown's
"History of the Highlands" (vol. II, p. 438) which found
the original in Cluny Macpherson's (of 1745 fame) Charter Chest.
This letter was
sent to the young man whom would one day be called the
"Gentle Lochiel," but at the time was still technically
"Younger of Lochiel" (for his father, John Cameron,
XVIII Chief was in exile, in France.) It is of particular
note to observe that this letter was addressed to "Mr
Johnstone, Junior," which was the code name for the Gentle
Lochiel.
It appears that
this letter survived only in Cluny's Charter Chest, for most of
Lochiel's papers were destroyed in 1746. The Allen which the
Chevalier mentions was the Gentle Lochiel's uncle, Allen Cameron,
whom was instrumental in Jacobite activities. As for the
mission, of delivering "the enclosed," that remains a
mystery. What is does demonstrate is that the Gentle Lochiel
was actively involved in the Jacobite cause as early as 1727,
nearly twenty years prior to the 1745 Rebellion. |
