| An accident occurred about the same time,
which had a most prejudicial effect in thinning the ranks of the Highland army. The Highlanders, pleased with the fire-arms they had picked up upon
the field of battle, were frequently handling and discharging them. Afraid of accidents,
the officers had issued orders prohibiting this abuse, but to no purpose. One of Keppoch's
men had secured a musket which had been twice loaded. Not aware of this circumstance, he
fired off the piece, after extracting one of the balls, in the direction of some officers
who were standing together on the street of Falkirk. The other ball unfortunately entered
the body of ’neas Macdonell, second son of Glengary, who commanded the Glengary
regiment. He survived only a short time, and, satisfied of the innocence of the man that
shot him, begged with his last breath that he might not suffer.
To soothe the Glengary men under their loss, the prince
evinced by external acts that he participated in their feelings, and, to show his respect
for the memory of this brave and estimable youth, attended his funeral as chief mourner;
but nothing the prince was able to do could prevent some of the men, who felt more acutely
than others the loss of the representative of their chief, from returning to their homes. |
