He produced a commission from
James appointing him Lieutenant-General and Commander of all the
Jacobite forces in Scotland, and at the same time informed the
meeting that he was supplied with money, and that an arrangement
had been made by which he would be able to pay regularly any forces
that might be raised, so that no gentleman who with his followers
should join his standard would be put to any expense, and that
the country would be entirely relieved of the cost of conducting
the war; after which the meeting unanimously resolved to take up
arms for the purpose of establishing the Chevalier on the Scottish
throne. They then took the oath of fidelity to Mar as the
representative of James VIII. and to each other, and separated,
each going home after promising to raise his vassals and to be in
readiness to join the Earl whenever summoned to do so. They had
scarcely arrived at their respective destinations when they were
called upon to meet him at Aboyne on the 3d of September following,
where, with only sixty followers, Mar proclaimed the Chevalier at
Castletown in Braemar, after which he proceeded to Kirkmichael,
and on the 6th of September, raised his standard in presence of
a force of 2000, mostly consisting of cavalry.
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