A.--A Coppy of a LETTER from a Soldier in Cobham's Dragoons sent
to his Brother at Cirencester.[424]
[424] See footnote, p. 50, _ante_.
_May 11th, 1746: Stonehive,
80 miles this side Inverness._
To which we marched since that glorious 16th of April which gave
liberty to three kingdom. These rapacious villains thought to have
destroyed their prisoners, and by their orderly books, had they got
the better, we were to have been every soul of us cut off, and not
have had one prisoner, and for the Duke he was to have been cut
as small as herbs for the pot, thus they and their books declare.
But, God be praised, he wou'd not suffer such inhumanity and such
barbarous villains to thrive, and I pray God our young hero is
preserved to be a second deliverer to church and state; he beeing
the darling of mankind, for we had certainly been starved had it not
been his care to bring ovens and bakers with him. I say, Down on
your knees all England and, after praise to God who gives victory,
pray for the young British hero, for had he been at Falkirk these
brave Englishmen that are now in their graves had not been lost, his
presence doing more than five thousand men; and every man stands an
equal chance for his life without partiality; which has not been
the case for these six months last past. Your news papers give you
a tolerable account, so I shall not, nor can I, give you a better
within the compass of a letter. Since the last I sent you we find
kill'd amongst the rebels no less than ten colonels, seven majors,
fifteen captains, and as to lieutenants and ensigns, a volume of
them. I leave you to guess at the number of rank and file that must
fall. In short, 'tis mine and every bodie's opinion no history can
brag of so singular a victory and so few of our men lost, that we
lost but one man; 'tho I fear I shall lose my horse, he having at
this moment of writing a ball in his left buttock. 'Twas pritty near
Enoch that time, but, thank God, a miss is as good as a mile, as
we say in Gloustershire. And now we have the pleasure of a bed and
not hard duty; but for six weeks before the battle few of Cobham's
heroes (thank God, that is our caracter from the Duke and the general
officers, except General Hawley, who does not love us because our
regiment spoke truth about Falkirk job), I say for six weeks before I
had not my cloaths off once, and had it not been for our dear Bill,
we had all been starved, only for the good loaves he order'd for the
army, and some provisions that came by shipping. But thank God, I am
well and in good quarters for this country, and I hope I shall live
to see you once more. I have the vanity to believe Cobham's will be
welcome to England now; for the regiment has always been in front
upon all occasions where hard and dangerous duty was to be done: from
our first setting off to Stonefild where the sneaking dogs stole
away in the night, at Clifton-Moor where we dismounted and fought on
foot and the Duke thanked us at the head of the regiment and so he
has done several times. I shou'd be glad to hear what the caracter
of Cobham's is in England. Direct for me at Stonehive or elce-where.
'Tis impossible for me to tell you what hard duty we have done since
we have been in the north, but had we done ten times more, 'tis what
I shou'd think of with pleasure so as we serve our King and country.
We are all hearty that is left of us, and we thank and praise God for
our deliverance. We have not lost above one troop and one hundred
horses, which I think a miracle. As to what you say about agents, you
must think I tried long ago. But, in short, the officers dont care
how little cash they have about them in these parts, especialy in
war; for every time we thought of a battle the officers' servants had
all the regiment's cash, rings, and watches. I sold my watch a little
before Falkirk's battle, and the dear lad that bought it was kill'd
the first fire, so that he and all he had fell to these inhumane
dogs. He was my particular friend. I hope all is now over. We are
guarding the coast that Charles may not get off. I pray God I had
him in this room, and he the last of the Stuart race; it wou'd be my
glory to stab the villain to the heart. Beside it wou'd look well in
history for him to fall by the hand of a Bradshaw. I dare say did the
rankest Jacobite in England know the misery he has brought on the
north of England, he wou'd be sick of the name of Stuart; for I have
a shocking story of their villainy, which wou'd make even a papist
tremble at the reading of it. My humble service to all friends in
general. I pray God I had a flicth of your bacon, but am well, and we
have bread and brandy in plenty.--Yours,