1715. SURRENDER AT PRESTON. 171 As he ap Preston, and were returning to Scotland. proached the town, however, and found the enemy ready to maintain it, he prepared for an immediate onset. Under his direction two of the barricades were gallantly charged by separate divisions, but their intrepid attack was met with equal courage. A destructive fire was poured upon them, not only from the barricades, but from the neighbouring houses, and they had few opportunities to retaliate upon their invisible assailants. When the night came on they withdrew, having suffered considerable loss, and made little impression. Early next morning General Carpenter arrived with some of his cavalry; but even after this junction the King's troops, according to Marshal Berwick's statement, did not exceed 1000 men.* But whether or not able to overpower Mr. Forster, they were enough to terrify him. Quite disheartened, he, without consulting several of his principal officers, sent Colonel Oxburgh to propose a capitulation. Oxburgh found Wills by no means inclined to treat; the General saying that he would not enter into terms with rebels; that they had already killed many of his Majesty's subjects, and must expect to undergo a similar fate. After many entreaties he at last relented, so far as to say, "that "if the rebels would lay down their arms, and surrender "at discretion, he would protect them from being cut to pieces by the soldiers until further orders from the "Government."+ The news of this proposal filled many of the insurgents with the highest indignation. "Had Mr. Forster," says an eye-witness, "appeared in the streets, he would have "been slain, though he had had a hundred lives." The Highlanders, especially, almost rose in mutiny; wishing to rush upon the King's troops sword in hand, and cut their way through them to their native country; but the chiefs, divided amongst themselves, perceived that it was too late for an enterprise which could only have been accomplished by a hearty and combined determination. * Mém. de Berwick, vol. ii. p. 162. His short sketch of this rebellion, and his account of numbers on other occasions, are remarkably accurate. He had, of course, the best sources of information. † See Wills's evidence at Lord Wintoun's trial. Howell's State Trials, vol. xv. p. 854. They resolved to yield to their fate, gave up Lord Derwentwater and Colonel MacIntosh* as hostages, and induced their followers to lay down their arms. Amongst the captives were Lords Derwentwater, Widdrington, Nithisdale, Wintoun, Carnwath, Kenmure, Nairn, and Charles Murray; and members of the ancient northern families of Ord, Beaumont, Thornton, Clavering, Patten, Gascoigne, Standish, Swinburne, and Shafto. The total number taken was only 1400; a number so unequal to the previous computation as to show that many-above all, no doubt, the Lancashire peasants-had either escaped from the town, or disguised their persons in it. Seventeen of their men had been killed in the defence; of the King's troops seventy, and as many wounded. Thus ingloriously ended the English insurrection! Thus helpless are even the bravest men when without an able one! Another illustration of this truth was given in Scotland on the very day of the surrender of Preston. Mar had continued to linger at Perth even beyond the commencement of November, whereas a true general might have been master of Scotland six weeks before. It is well observed by Sir Walter Scott, that, "with a far less "force than Mar had at his disposal, Montrose gained eight victories and overran Scotland; with fewer num"bers of Highlanders, Dundee gained the battle of Kil"liecrankie; and with about half the troops assembled "at Perth, Charles Edward, in 1745, marched as far as Derby, and gained two victories over regular troops. "But in 1715, by one of those misfortunes which dogged "the House of Stuart since the days of Robert the Second, they wanted a man of military talent just at the time "when they possessed an unusual quantity of military "means." During this senseless delay, the force of Argyle at Stirling had been more than doubled by reinforcements from Ireland; for one amongst the many errors of the Jacobites, both in 1715 and 1745, appears to have been their neglect of the sister island; probably because they considered it too remote to bear very power * This person is confounded by Mr. Chambers (Hist. p. 281.) with the Brigadier. See the evidence at Lord Wintoun's trial. † Note to Sinclair's MS. ad fin. : 1715. BATTLE OF SHERIFFMUIR. 173 fully on a conflict for the Crown of England; but their inactivity in a country where they had so many partisans enabled its government to dispose of the troops which must otherwise have been left for its defence. Several regiments landing from Ireland hastened to the standards of Argyle, and raised his army to 3300 men, of whom 1200 were cavalry, so that it seemed probable this occasion would again confirm the old proverb-" Forth bri"dles the wild Highlandman." On the 10th of November, Mar, at length starting from his lethargy, marched from Perth with all his baggage, and provisions for twelve days. Next morning he was joined at Auchterarder by General Gordon and some of the western clans*, and the combined body amounted to upwards of 10,000 men, but presented a very motley appearance; gentlemen and their servants on good horses, equipped with swords and pistols; volunteers from the towns on foot; Lowland peasants with arms slung over their plain grey clothes; Highland chiefs and DUNNIE WASSAILS in their own romantic garb; and a train of half-naked mountaineers; "and upon the whole," says Sinclair, "though we had more men, the Duke's army "had more firearms in a condition to fire."† On the 12th, the troops came to Ardoch, within eleven miles of Stirling; and Argyle, learning their approach, did not hesitate to give them battle, but marched forward and occupied the town of Dumblane. Early next morning, Sunday the 13th, both armies. advanced against each other. The ground which now lay between them had been the former place of meeting for the Militia of the sheriffdom of Menteith, and thence called the Sheriffmuir; it was swelling and uneven, but well suited to evolutions of cavalry. Even before quitting Stirling, Argyle, anxious to avail himself of his superiority in horse, had resolved to meet the enemy, if possible, at that very spot. He now ranged his troops in battle-order, taking to himself the command of the *Gordon had not been very successful in his expedition to Argyleshire. Lord Isla, brother to the Duke, had thrown himself into Inverary, and held out the place with great bravery. Sir W. Scott's note to Sinclair, p. 699. † Memoirs, p. 795. right, giving the left to General Whitham, and the centre to General Wightman. On the other side, the insurgents displayed equal alacrity; and the brave spirit of the Highlanders, so long curbed by the timid counsels of Mar, now burst forth free and unrestrained, like a mountain eagle from its cage. When the Earl summoned his principal officers around him, and proposed to them the alternative of a battle or a retreat, his voice was drowned by impatient cries of Fight! Fight!" and we were no sooner got to our posts," says one of them, " than a “huzza began, with tossing up of hats and bonnets, and ran through our whole army on the hearing we had "resolved to fight. No man who had a drop of Scots' "blood in him, but must have been elevated to see the "cheerfulness of his countrymen on that occasion."* 66 66 Mar himself took post at the head of the clans opposite the left wing of the Royal troops, and endeavoured to outflank them by his superiority of numbers. It was, however, on the other wing that the battle began. The insurgents in that quarter opened against Argyle a fire so simultaneous and so well sustained as to extort the praises of even their practised opponents; it was such as few regular forces could have surpassed, and still fewer have stood. But the Duke was not inactive. His experienced eye turned to a morass on his right: it was usually impassable; but he calculated the effects of the last night's frost, and commanded Major Cathcart to lead a squadron over the hardened level, and strike upon the enemy in flank. Meanwhile he put himself at the head of his remaining horse, and, watching the favourable moment, charged the rebels at once both in front and side. Discipline carried the day; the rebels were beaten back at the point of the sword. They made, however, a most resolute resistance, and, in their retreat upon the river Allan, less than three miles distant, they made above ten attempts to stop and rally. Argyle, on his part, behaved with no less humanity than courage: he offered *Sinclair's MS. p. 805. General Wightman says in his official despatch, "I must do the enemy the justice to say, I never saw "regular troops more exactly drawn up in line of battle, and that in a moment, and their officers behaved with all the gallantry ima'ginable." 1715. BATTLE OF SHERIFFMUIR. 175 quarter to all those he recognised; and, on one occasion, was seen to parry three strokes which one of his dragoons had aimed at a wounded gentleman. At length, after an obstinate fight of two or three hours, the Duke succeeded in forcing the enemy over the Allan, a great number being drowned in the stream; but meanwhile he had altogether lost sight of the rest of his army, where affairs had assumed a very different appearance. The clans commanded by Lord Mar had opened their fire upon the Royalists left wing. The first fire of the English in return mortally wounded the Chief of Clanranald, a gallant veteran who had served abroad under Marshal Berwick, and who is remembered in the Highlands to this day for his feudal state and splendour. For a moment the fall of this revered leader damped the courage of the clans. But Glengarry*, starting from the ranks, and throwing his bonnet into the air, "Revenge! Revenge!" he cried in Gaelic; "to-day for revenge, and to-morrow for "mourning!" Fired at these quickening words, the Highlanders rushed forward; in another moment they were upon-amongst the enemy, thrusting aside the bayonets with their targets, and by their broadswords spreading destruction and-what with Englishmen is still more difficult-terror through the hostile ranks. In a few minutes the whole of Argyle's left wing was completely routed. General Whitham fled headlong from the field, and never stopped till he found himself in the streets of Stirling. Nor do terrified generals ever want followers. A part of the Royal centre gave way with their left wing, and had these been vigorously charged, the whole might have been scattered; but this opportunity being neglected, chiefly from the obstinacy and waywardness of the Master of Sinclair, General Wightman drew off three regiments of foot to the right, and then marched forward to rejoin Argyle. The two armies were now in a very strange situation, each having defeated the left wing of the other. Argyle had had no communication with the main body of his forces; an aide-de-camp whom he sent for that purpose *This was the same chief who had carried the Royal Standard at the battle of Killiecrankie. He died in 1724. Scott's note to Sinclair, p. 292. |