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The Highland army was quartered that night at Dounce, Dunblane, and adjacent villages, and
continued to retire next day, the 2d of February, in a very disorderly manner. The prince
halted at Crieff, where he reviewed his army, and,
according to the statement of one of his officers, his army was found not to have lost
above 1,000 men by desertion. Charles, who had consented to a retreat on the supposition
that his army had lost a third of its numbers from this cause, is said to have been deeply
affected on this occasion. Lord George Murray's enemies did not let slip the opportunity
of reproaching him, and, indeed, all the chiefs who had signed the representation, with
deception; but the author above referred to observes, that their mistake, if there really
was a mistake, can be easily accounted for, if people will divest themselves of prejudice,
and examine the circumstances impartially. He observes, that, from the battle of Falkirk
up to the time of the Duke of Cumberland's march from Edinburgh, the country being
absolutely secure, the Highlanders had indulged their restless disposition by roaming
about all the villages in the neighbourhood of their quarters, and that numbers of them
were absent several days from their colours - that their principal officers knowing for
certain that some had gone home, imagined that such was also the case with all who were
not found in their respective quarters, but that all the stragglers had got to Crieff and
appeared at the review. Without questioning such a respectable authority as Mr Maxwell,
who may be right in the main fact, as to the number of the army at Crieff, it seems more
likely that the army had recruited its ranks on the retreat to Crieff, by overtaking the
deserters on their homeward route, than that 2,000 or 3,000 men should have been absent on
a sojourn in the neighbourhood of their camp.
After the review, the prince held a council of war, to deliberate upon the course to be
pursued. At no former meeting did heats and party animosities break out to such an extent
as at this council. Lord Greorge Murray complained greatly of the flight, and requested to
know the names of the persons who had advised it; but the prince took the whole blame on
himself. After a great deal of wrangling and altercation, it was determined that the army
should march north to Inverness in two divisions, - that the horse and low country
regiments should proceed along the coast road, and that the prince, at the head of the
clans, should take the Highland road. Lord George, after other officers had refused,
agreed to take the command of the coast division, which arrived at Perth late that night. The prince
remained at Crieff, and passed the night at Fairnton, a seat of Lord John Drummond, in the
neighbourhood. Next day, being the 4th, Charles marched from Crieff to Dunkeld, and thence to Blaire Athole,
where he remained several days, till he heard of the arrival of the other division at Aberdeen.
It would have been quite impossible, under almost any circumstances, for the Duke of
Cumberland's army to have overtaken the Highlanders; but slow as the movements of such an
army necessarily were, it met with an obstruction which retarded its progress nearly three
days. This was the impassable state of Stirling bridge, one arch broken down by General
Blakeney to embarrass the intercourse between the Highland army when in the south, and its
auxiliaries in the north. It was not till the morning of the 4th of February that the
bridge was repaired, on which day the English army passed over. The advanced guard,
consisting of the Argyleshire Highlanders and the dragoons, went on to Crieff, and the
foot was quartered in and about Dunblane, where the duke passed the night. Next day he
proceeded to Crieff, and on the 6th arrived at Perth, of which his advanced guard had
taken possession the previous day.
Lord George Murray marched from Perth for Aberdeen with his division on the 4th. He left
behind thirteen pieces of cannon, which were spiked and thrown into the Tay, a great
quantity of cannon balls, and fourteen swivel guns, that formerly belonged to the Hazard
sloop-of-war, which had been surprised and taken at Montrose by the Highlanders. These
pieces were taken out of the river next day by the royal troops.
Having learned at Perth the different routes taken by the Highland army, and that it had
gained two or three day's march in advance, the Duke of Cumberland resolved to halt a few
days to refresh his men. From Perth parties were sent out to perambulate the neighbouring
country, who plundered the lands and carried off the effects of the prince's adherents.
The Duchess Dowager of Perth and the Vicountess of Strathallan were apprehended, carried
to Edinburgh, and committed to the castle.
Shortly after his arrival at Perth, the Duke of Cumberland received an express announcing
the arrival in the Frith of Forth of a force of about 5,000 Hessians, under the command of
the Prince of Hesse, son-in-law of George II. These auxiliaries had been brought over from
the continent to supply the place of the Dutch troops, who had been recalled by the
states-general in consequence of the interference of the French government, which
considered the treaty entered into between the King of Great Britain and Holland, by which
the latter agreed to furnish these troops to suppress the rebellion, as a violation of the
capitulation's of Tournay and Dendermonde.
The fleet which conveyed the Hessian troops anchored in Leith roads on the 8th of
February, having been only four days from Williamstadt. The troops were disembarked at
Leith on the 9th and the following day, and were cantoned in and about Edinburgh. On the
15th of February the Duke of Cumberland paid a visit to the Prince of Hesse, his
brother-in-law, at Edinburgh. On that evening they held a council of war in Milton-house,
the residence of the lord-justice-clerk. In consequence of the sudden and disorderly
retreat of the Highlanders, an opinion had begun to prevail among the friends of the
government at Edinburgh, that it was the intention of the insurgents to disperse
themselves, and that Charles would follow the example set by his father in 1716, by
leaving the kingdom. Impressed with this idea, the generals who attended the council gave
it as the unanimous opinion that the war was at an end, and that the duke had nothing now
to do but to give orders to his officers to march into the Highlands, as soon as the
season would permit, and ferret the insurgents out of their strongholds, as it appeared
evident to them that they would never risk a battle with an army commanded by the Duke of
Cumberland. After the officers had delivered their sentiments, the duke requested Lord
Milton to give his opinion, as he knew the Highlands and Highlanders better than any
person present. His lordship at first declined doing so, as he was not a military man, but
being pressed by the duke, he began by expressing a hope that he might be mistaken in the
opinion he was about to give, but he felt himself bound to declare, from all he knew of
the Highlands and Highlanders, that the war was not an an end, and that as the king's
troops could not follow the Highlanders among their fastness in the winter season, they
would, though now divided and scattered, unite again, and venture another battle before
giving up the war. Acquiescing in the views of Lord Milton, whose opinion turned out
correct, the duke returned to Perth next day to put his army in motion towards the north. |
