Ossian Collection > History of the Highlands and of the Highland clans > Volume 3

PREl'AnATIONS FOU BATTLE. 241
where the army was to be drawn up, and he committed a "fatal error"
by omitting to throw down some park walls upon the left of the English
army, wliich were afterwards talcen possession of by the diil-,c of Cum-
berland, it being found afterwards impossible to break (lie English lines,
from the dostnictive flank-fire which was opened from these walls upon
the right of the Highland army, as it advanced to the attack.* While
the duke of Cumberland was forming his line of battle, Lord George
Murray was ver^' desirous to have advanced and thrown down these
walls ; but as such a movement would have broken the line, the officers
about him considered that the attempt would be dangerous, and he
therefore did not make it.f
The Highland army was drawn up in three lines. The first, or front
line, consisted of the Athole brigade, which had the right, the Camerons,
Stewartsof Appin, John Roy Stewart's regiment, Erasers, Mackintoshes,
Farquharsons, Maclachlans, and Macleans, united into one regiment ;
the Macleods, Chisholms, Macdonalds of Clanranald, Keppoch, and Glen-
gary. The three Macdonald regiments formed the left. Lord George
Murray commanded on the right, Lord John Drumniond in the centre, and
the duke of Perth on the left, of the first line. There had been, a day or
two before, a violent contention among the chiefs about precedency of rank.
The iMacdonalds claimed the right as their due, in support of which claim
they stated, that as a reward for the fidelity of Angus Macdonald, lord
of the Isles, in protecting Robert the Bruce for upwards of nine months,
in his dominions, that prince, at the battle of Bannockburn, conferred
the post of honour, the right, upon the Macdonalds, — that this post
had ever since been enjoyed by them, unless when yielded from cour-
tesy upon particular occasions, as was done to the chief of the Mac
leans at the battle of Harlaw.f Lord George Murray, however, main-
tained that, under the marquis of Montrose, the right had been as-
signed to the Athole men, and he insisted that that post should be
now conferred upon them, in the contest with the duke of Cum
berland's army. § In this unseasonable demand. Lord George is
said to have been supported by Lochiel and his friends. || Charles
refused to decide a question with the merits of which he was im-
perfectly acquainted; but, as it was necessary to adjust the difference
immediately, he prevailed upon the conmianders of the Macdonald regi-
ments to waive their pretensions in the present instance.** The Mac
donalds in general were far from being satisfied with the complaisance
of their commanders, and, as they had occupied the post of honour at
Gladsmuir and Falkirk, they considered their deprivation of it, on the
• Vide llie curious .ind iiitereoting letter in llie Appendix fiom Lord George Murray
to the prince, written from Rulliven the day after the battle, from tlie Stuart Papei8
in tlie possession of his Majesty.
t Particul.-u- Account, p. 15. t I.ockhan I'aiiers, vol. ii. p. 510.
§ Kirkconnil MS. || I.ockhart Papers, vol. ii. p. 510. •• Kirkconnel MS.
'H. 2 H