+Source.+--_The Lockhart Papers: containing ... also Journals and
Memoirs of the Young Pretender's Expedition in 1745, by Highland
Officers in his Army_, vol. ii., p. 499. (London: 1817.)
On the sixth of January we marched from Glasgow to Cumbernauld and from
thence to Falkirk. Next day orders were sent to the army at Perth to
join us and with the artillery to invest Stirling Castle. After staying
about a week, four of our six Highland regiments which were in England
were ordered to march to Linlithgow under night, both to levy the
publick money and carry off the provisions which had been ordered to be
provided for the English army now convened about Edinburgh under the
command of General Hawley who was advancing towards us.... The Duke of
Perth commanded the siege of Stirling Castle, the Prince's headquarters
being at Bannockburn near Falkirk....
General Hawley (who had been joined by the Argyleshire Highlanders to
the number of about twelve hundred under General Campbell) with the
Government's troops encamped a little northwest from the toun of
Falkirk. The P. finding General Hawley did not move from his camp at
Falkirk to attack him, held a council of war, January the seventeenth,
about midday, wherein it was resolved to march and attack Hawley.
Accordingly we set out in two columns, and under the cover of the Tor
wood passed the water of Carron at Dunipace; moving on very quickly to
gain the hill above and lying on the south west of Falkirk our two
columns kept at an equal distance of about two hundred paces till we
came in sight of the enemy about a mile and a half distant from us. At
the same time that we began our march Lord John Drummond with most of
the horse had gone to reconnoitre the enemy, and made a movement as if
he intended to march by the high way through the Tor wood close up to
them, and this might occasion what some accounts tell us of General
Hawley's perceiving a body of the Highlanders in the Tor wood, took this
appearance to be our whole army, and finding they did not advance,
allowed his troops to dine in their camp.
But to return to our main body; whilst we were making up towards the
hill above Falkirk (as was said) the enemy at last perceived us and
immediately their three regiments of dragoons were ordered up to gain
the ground upon us and hinder our forming till their foot should form
and their cannon be brought up the hill to support them. The P. seeing
the intention of the enemy, ordered 1500 or 2000 of his Highlanders,
led on by Lord George Murray and Lochiel, to advance and drive the
dragoons from the eminence they had possessed, till the main body of our
men should come up, and to form the right of our army. This attack upon
the dragoons was very quick and regular; as we came within pistolshot
the dragoons made up to us at a full trot, thinking to bear us down by
their weight, and break us at once, and indeed being well mounted and
accoutred they made a glorious show, sufficient to have struck other
hearts than ours with a pannick. We received them, however, with a very
smart fire, upon which they reeled and broke into several divisions,
some falling back upon their own foot on the left, others flying out of
the field, whilst one body of them fled off to the right betwixt the
front lines of both armies, which by this time were formed.... As the
enemy's dragoons rode off to their right betwixt the lines, our men ran
eagerly in pursuit of them, but were much surprised to find themselves
stopped by our generals and officers, who with difficulty restrained
them with their drawn swords and cocked pistols, conjuring them to
return to their ground or they would be undone. As the dragoons in their
flight betwixt the lines passed by our left wing they could not forbear
giving them part of their fire likewise. Our left had not been fully
formed when the attack begun on the right; a considerable body of the
enemy's horse came up also to attack them, but receiving part of the
fire of our left they broke and run off; their infantry coming in upon
that side were opposed by some of our battalions, who receiving the
enemy's fire went in amongst them sword in hand and drove them down the
hill with great impetuosity and slaughter, but not being in sight of our
right (by reason of the unevenness of the ground) they made a halt till
such time as the two wings should join in the centre and the second line
come up. His R. H., whose attention was turned to all quarters observing
that our left wing was outlined by the enemy, sent Brigadier Stapleton
with the pickets of the Irish Brigade and some other battalions from the
second line, which extended our first line and recovered the disorder
we were like to be put into. Then our whole army marched down towards
the enemy, who were retreating on all sides in great disorder, but by
reason of the unevenness of the ground and night coming on with a storm
of wind and rain they could not overtake them, as they were positively
ordered to keep their ranks. The enemy, finding they could neither
possess nor save their camp, set fire to their tents and retreated with
great precipitation towards Linlithgow, and were just got to the east
end of the toun of Falkirk when Lord John Drummond entered it on that
side, Lord George Murray in the middle, and Lochiel in the west end of
the toun. We took most of their cannon, ammunition, and baggage which
they had not themselves destroyed. We reckoned about seven hundred of
the enemy taken prisoners and about six hundred men and between thirty
or forty officers killed. We had not above forty men killed on our side,
amongst whom were two or three captains and some subaltern officers.