ABSTRACT
It has already been noted that the militia and posse were not seen by many in authority as being adequate, or even legal, during 1745. These few units of horse militia and mounted volunteers formed only a small proportion of the volunteer forces raised at this time, however. The principal method of evading the legal obstacles was not to call out the militia, but to form voluntary associations of like-minded men and so organize volunteer companies and troops, led by the lieutenancy in the counties or by the mayor in a borough which was outside the county administrative jurisdiction, who would be given blank officers' commissions from the Secretary of State. Jacobite forces in the Highlands were raised by men either being forced out or being liable to serve because of the terms of their land tenure and Whig forces in the Highlands were raised by similar methods.
