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

BATTLE OF CULLODEN. 245
and discharged it at his lordship. Fortuiiatelj- he missed his aim, and a
soldier who was standing by immediately shot him dead upon the spot.*
In expectation of a battle the previous day, Charles had animated his
troops by an appeal to their feelings, and on tlie present occasion he
rode from rank to rank encouraging his men, and exhorting tlicni to
act as they had done at Pristonpans and at Falkirk. f
The advance of Lord Bury, wlio went forward within a hundred yards
of the insurgents to reconnoitre, appears to have been considered by the
Highlanders as the proper occasion for beginning the battle. Taking
oti' their bonnets, the Highlanders set up a loud sliout, which being
answered by the royal troops with an huzza, tlie Highlanders about
one o'clock commenced a cannonade on the right, wliicli was followed
by the cannon on the left ; but the fire from the last, owing to the
want of cannoneers, was after the first round discontinued. The first
volley from the right seemed to create some confusion on the left of the
royal army, but so badly were the cannon served and pointed,
that though the cannonade was continued upwards of half an hour,
only one man in Bligli's regiment, who had a leg carried off by a
cannon-ball, received any injury. After the Highlanders had continued
filing for a short time, Colonel Belfbrd, who directed the cannon of the
duke's army, opened a fire from the cannon in the front line, which was
at first chiefly aimed at the horse, probably either because they, from
their conspicuous situation, were a better mark than the infantry, or be-
cause it was supposed that Charles was among them. Such was the ac-
curacy of the aim taken by the royal artillery, that several balls entered
the ground among the horses legs, and bespattered the prince with the
mud which they raised; and one of them struck the horse on which he
rode two inches above the knee. The animal became so unmanageable,
that Charles was obliged to change him for another.}; One of his ser-
vants, who stood behind with a led horse in his hand, was killed on the
spot. Observing that the wall on the right flank of the Highland
army prevented him from attacking it on that point, the duke ordered
Colonel Belford to continue the cannonade, with the view of provok-
ing the Highlanders and inducing them to advance to the attack.
These, on the other hand, endeavoured to draw the royal army forward
by sending down several parties by way of defiance. Some of these
approached three several times within a hundred yards of the right of
the royal army, firing their pistols and brandishing their swords ; but
with the exception of the small squadron of horse on the right, which
ailvanced a little, the line remained immoveable.
Meanwhile, Lord George Murray, observing that a squadron of the
English dragoons and a party of foot, consisting of two companies of the
Argyleshiremen, and one of Lord Loudon's Highlanders, had detached
, p. Ion. t CHplaiii O'Ncil's Jo
I Bn=«Tll's Ti.iir 111 lliH IldiriiUf, p. 22H.