Letter from James Craggs, Preston, to Charles Townshend, 1715 November 22 : autograph manuscript signed.

Acknowledging receipt of a letter from Lord Townshend and saying that though he wishes he had greater powers, he will do what he can; referring to the recent Battle of Preston and the defeated leader of the Jacobite Rising, Thomas Forster: "by w[ha]t I understand of Mr Forster's behaviour he seems to think himself that this will be ye only means to preserve his life & family, thô in his professions he has said he was ready to doe any thing becoming a man of honour so [tha]t I cannot judge how he will understand that to be affected by my propositions till I come to talk w[i]th him. He is certainly the man [tha]t can speak to some purpose if he pleases;" adding that he may try Lords Derwentwater and Widdrington as well; saying that he hears that the former is eager to do whatever he can to save his life, and the latter appears to have been more misguided than guilty: "he had no other encouragem[en]t to take arms, but that he thought he should make a bad figure w[i]th his religion & his opinion to sit still in this cause when his neighbours & so many others had;" describing Widdrington's surrender and how it may influence his case; adding "These are the only men one can hope any good from;" telling Townshend that Charles Wills sent the lords to Wigan two days ago, and that they were followed this morning by the rest of the prisoners; promising to send Townshend "punctuall accounts" of all the proceedings and saying that he may deliver them himself; writing that, because General Carpenter alone has the power to hold court martials, Wills "does not think himself authorized to execute the half pay officers & other deserters;" saying that Wills is therefore sending, via Major Brown, the lists of the prisoners and the intercepted letters of Derwentwater, Widdrington, and Forster; commenting on the Battle of Preston and saying that he believes it was an effective deterrent: "ye rebells in two or three days would certainly have been joyned by as many thousand well armed & mounted, but now one would wonder where all these disaffected people are gone, for you meet thrô all these countys w[i]th none that are not ready to live & dye by K. George & ye Government;" saying that he will do his best and hopes he is successful in his negotiations, "for besides many better motives, I shall not be very proud of bringing nothing to London but a sore backside."