P/m Crease follow up

[Bruce Scott]

Peter you would know better than I where to look to verify this but, the story I was told was that only one piper was captured at the '45 uprising. His name I believe was Robert Reid. He was sent back to England to be tried. At his "trial" his defense was he was playing his pipes at the request of the clan chief; to which it was either an attorney or a judge stated since his clan took part in the battle and was led by his playing the pipes are a weapon of war. Poor piper Reid was swinging from the gallows by sunset. If in fact this is what happened the judiciary being part of the government - hence the government declared the pipes a weapon of war.

From:https://bagpipe.news/2020/04/08/jame...ero-of-the-45/

"James Reid was then tried, whom the witneffes for the Crown plainly proved to have engaged with the Rebels, and to have acted as a Piper to a Rebel Regiment, tho’ it did not appear that he had ever carried any Arms; upon which he was recommended to Mercy by the Jury. The Court obferved upon this, that every Perfon who joined any Set of People engaged in an open Rebellion, tho’ they did not bear Arms, they were guilty of High Treafon; that no Regiments ever marched without Mufical Inftruments, as Drums, Trumpets, or the like; and that in an Highland Regiment there was no Moving without a Piper, and therefore his Bagpipe, in the Eye of the Law, was an Inftrument of War. The Jury upon this would have retracted their Recommendation, but the Court told them, it muft not now be permitted — Guilty. Then the Court adjourned to Saturday."

"It would appear that the decision to hang Reid was made by the court at York in isolation and not under any official directive."