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

COMMUNICATION TO THE PRINCE FROM I.OKD MURRAY. 261
put together, so, to be sure, I cannot but be very deeply affected with
our late loss and present situation ; but I declare, that were j'our royal
liighness's person in safety, the loss of the cause, and tlie misfortunate and
unhappy situation of my countrymen, is tlio only thing that grieves me,
for I tliank God I have resolution to bear my own family's ruin with-
out a grudge. Sir, you will, I hope, upon this occasion, pardon me, if
I mention a few truths, which all the gentlemen of our army seem con-
vinced of.
" It was highly wrong to have set up the royal standard without hav-
ing positive assurances from his Most Christian Majesty, that he would
assist you with all his force ; and as your royal family lost the crown of
these realms upon the account of France, the world did and had reason
to expect that France would seize the first favourable opportunity to
restore your august family.
" I must also acquaint your royal highness, that we were all fully
convinced that Mr OSulivan, whom 3'our royal highness trusted with
the most essential things with regard to your operations, was exceedingly
unfit for it, and committed gross blunders on every occasion of moment.
He whose business it was, did not so much as visit the ground where
we were to be drawn up in line of battle, and it was a fatal error to al-
low the enemy these walls upon their left, which made it impossible foi
us to break them, and they, with their front fire, and flanking us when
we went upon the attack, destroyed us without any possibility of our
breaking them, and our Athole men have lost a full half of their offi-
cers and men. I wish Mr O'-Sulivan had never got any other charge
in the army than the care of the baggage, wliich, I am told, he had
been brought up to and understood. I never saw him in time of action,
neither at Gladsniuir, Falkirk, nor in the last, and his orders were vastly
confused.
" The want of provisions was another misfortune which had the most
fatal consequence. Mr Hay, whom your royal highness trusted with
the principal direction of ordering provisions of late, and without whose
orders a boll of meal or farthing of money was not to be delivered, has
served your royal highness egregiously ill. When I spoke to him, he
told me the thing is ordered, it will be got, iS:c. ; but he neglected his
duty to sucli a degree, that our ruin might probably have been pre-
vented had he done his duty. In short, the three last days which were
so critical, our army was starved. This was the reason our night march
was rendered abortive, when we possibly might have surprised and de-
feat the enemy at Nairn ; but for want of provisions a third of the army
scattered to Inverness, iSrc. and the other who marched had not spirits
to make it so quick as was necessary, being really faint for want of
provisions.
" The next day, which was the fatal day, if we had got plenty of
provisions we might have crossed the water of Nairn, and drawn up so
advantageously, that we would have obliged the enemy to come to us.