The Mary Hamilton Papers : Letter from Francis Napier, 8th Lord Napier, to Mary Hamilton

Napier, Francis Scott, 8th Lord

The Mary Hamilton Papers

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Letter from Francis Napier, 8th Lord Napier, to Mary Hamilton, relating to the Selkirk Militia and the possibility of war. Napier writes that he has received a packet from the Secretary of State containing ‘His Majesty's Warrant [...] for calling out & embodying the Militia of the County of Selkirk’. The ‘formidable force consists of twenty five men’. At the enrolment, some months ago, fourteen of these men paid a penalty of £10 each for refusing to serve. He is unsure as to whether his deputies have been able to find substitutes yet. He believes that war is inevitable. He assumes that the First Consul will attempt to invade England or Ireland. ‘Men, he has [Napoleon] in plenty and as he does not seem to attach much value to their lives, nor very much care what means he tries, providing he is able to do us mischief’. He would destroy thousands of his own subjects in order to cause alarm and confusion. The letter continues on Napoleon and war.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Dated at St James's Street, [London].</p>