Topographical, statistical, and historical gazetteer of Scotland > Volume 2

PRESTONPANS.
569
jor of the regiment of Clanranald, whose appointed
duty it was to seize the enemy's baggage. The army
proceeded in an easterly direction till near the farm
of Ringan-head, when, turning to the left, they
marched in a northerly direction through a small
valley which intersects the farm. During the march
the utmost silence was observed, not even a whis-
per being heard ; and lest the trampling of horses
might discover their advance, the few that were in
the army were left behind. The ford or path across
the morass was so narrow that the column — which
marched three men abreast — had scarcely sufficient
standing room ; and the ground along it was so soft
that many of the men were almost at every step up
to the knees in mud. The path in question — which
was about 200 paces to the west of the stone-bridge
afterwards built across Seaton mill-dam — led to a
small wooden-bridge thrown over the large ditch
which ran through the morass from east to west.
This bridge, and the continuation of the path on
the north of it, were a little to the east of Cope's
left. From ignorance of the existence of this bridge,
— from oversight, or from a supposition that the
marsh was not passable in that quarter, — Cope had
placed no guards in that direction, and the conse-
quence was, that the Highland army, whose march
across could here have been effectually stopped by
a handful of men, passed the bridge and cleared the
marsh without interruption. The Prince's army was
divided into two columns or lines, with an interval
between them. After the first line had got out of
the marsh, Lord George Murray sent the Chevalier
Johnstone to hasten the march of the second, which
was conducted by the Prince in person. At the re-
mote end of the marsh there was a deep ditch, three
or four feet broad, over which the men had to leap.
In jumping across this ditch, Charles fell upon his
knees on the other side, and was immediately raised
by the Chevalier Johnstone, who says, that Charles
looked as if he considered the accident a bad omen.
As the column cleared the marsh, it continued its
course towards the sea ; but after the whole army
had passed, it was ascertained that the Duke of
Perth had inadvertently — not being able, from the
darkness, to see the whole line — advanced too far
with the front, and that a considerable gap had, in
consequence, been left in the centre. The Duke
being informed of this error, halted his men till
joined by the rear. Hitherto the darkness had con-
cealed the march of the Highlanders ; but the morn-
ing was now about to dawn, and at the time the
order to halt was given, some of Cope's piquets sta-
tioned on his left, for the first time heard the tramp
of the Highlanders. The Highlanders heard dis-
tinctly these advanced guards repeatedly call out,
" Who is there?" No answer having been returned,
the piquets gave the alarm, and the cry of " Can-
nons, cannons ! Get ready the cannons, cannoniers!"
resounded on Cope's left wing. Charles instantly
gave directions for attacking Cope before he should
have time to change his position by opposing his
front to that of the Highland army. It was not in
compliance with any rule in military science that the
order of march of the Highland army had been re-
versed ; but in accordance with an established punc-
tilio among the clans, which, for upwards of seven
centuries had assigned the right wing, regarded as
the post of honour, to the Macdonalds. As arranged
at the couneil-of-war on the preceding evening, the
army was drawn up in two lines. The first consisted
ot the regiments of Clanranald, Keppoch, Glengary,
and Glencoe, under their respective chiefs. These
regiments formed the right wing, which was com-
manded by the Duke of Perth. The Duke of Perth's
men and the Macgregors composed the centre; while
the left wing, commanded by Lord George Murray,
was formed of the Camerons under Lochiel, their
chief, and the Stewarts of Appin commanded by
Stewart of Ardshiel. The second line, which was
to serve as a reserve, consisted of the Athole-men,
the Robertsons of Strowan, and the Maclauchlans.
This body was placed under the command of Lord
Nairne. As soon as Cope received intelligence of
the advance of the Highlanders, he gave orders to
change his front to the east. Some confusion took
place in carrying these orders into execution, from
the advanced guards belonging to the foot not being
able to find out the regiments to which they be-
longed, and who, in consequence, stationed them-
selves on the right of Lee's five companies, and
thereby prevented the two squadrons of Gardiner's
dragoons, which had been posted on the right of the
line, from forming properly. For want of room, the
squadron under Colonel Gardiner drew up behind
that commanded by Lieutenant-colonel Whitney.
In all other respects the disposition of each regiment
was the same ; but the artillery, which before the
change had been on the left, and close to that wing,
was now on the right somewhat farther from the
line, and in front of Whitney's squadron.
There was now no longer any impediment to pre-
vent the armies from coming into collision ; and if
Cope had had the choice, he could not have selected
ground more favourable for the operations of cavalry
than that which lay between the two armies. It
was a level cultivated field of considerable extent
without bush or tree, and had just been cleared of
its crop of grain. But unfortunately for the English
general, the celerity with which the Highlanders
commenced the attack prevented him from availing
himself of this local advantage. The beams of the
rising sun were just beginning to illuminate the
horizon ; but the mist which still hovered over the
corn-fields prevented the two armies from seeing
each other. Every thing being in readiness for ad-
vancing, the Highlanders took off their bonnets,
and, placing themselves in an attitude of devotion,
with upraised eyes uttered a short prayer. As the
Highlanders had advanced considerably beyond the
main ditch, Lord George Murray was apprehensive
that Cope might turn the left flank, and to guard
against such a contingency, he desired Lochiel, who
was on the extreme left, to order his men in ad-
vancing to incline to the left. Lord George then
ordered the left wing to advance, and sent an aid-
de-camp to the Duke of Perth to request him to put
the right in motion. The Highlanders moved with
such rapidity that their ranks broke; to recover
which, they halted once or twice before closing with
the enemy. When Cope, at day-break, observed
the first line of the Highland army formed in order
of battle, at the distance of 200 paces from his posi-
tion, he mistook it for bushes ; but before it had
advanced half-way, the rays of the rising sun burst-
ing through the retiring mist showed the armies to
each other.
" Day opened in the orient sky
With wintry aspect, dull and drear ;
On every leaf, while trlitteriniily
The rimy hoar-frost did appear.
The ocean was unseen, though near ;
And hazy shadows seem'd to draw,
lu azure, with their mimic floods,
A line above the Seaton woods,
And round North Berwick Law."
The army of Cope at this time made a formi-
dable appearance ; and some of Charles's officers
were heard afterwards to declare, that when they
first saw it, and compared the gallant appearance
of the horse and foot, with their well-polished arms
glittering in the sunbeams, with their own line
broken into irregular clusters ; they expected that