|WITH the exception of the loss sustained by the capture of these two
important houses, and which had been entirely caused by Forster's gross
mismanagement, the insurgents had not only held their own, but obtained
decided advantages over the enemy.
Not one of the three batteries on the south side of the town, though
all had been repeatedly and vigorously attacked, had been taken. On the
contrary, in every instance, the assailants had been repulsed, and with
great loss. Neither by stratagem, nor direct assault, had any portion of
the king's forces been able to penetrate into the town. All the damage
they had done was at the outskirts.
The church, which constituted the most important position on the south,
was entirely in the hands of the insurgents, and so trifling had been
the loss sustained by them, that it had not been necessary, as yet, to
call upon the reserves stationed in the market-place.
Of course, the brunt of the fight had been borne by Brigadier
Mackintosh, who had planned the able defence of the town, and had
stood as firm as a rock beside the barrier he had reared, but a most
courageous defence of the Fishergate barrier was made by Captain Douglas
and Captain Hunter, and their moss-troopers and Borderers.
Individual acts of valour were performed by these hardy fellows worthy
of another age. Not content with firing upon the assailants from
roof and window, they occasionally sallied forth, and then some
most desperate encounters took place between them and Colonel Pitt's
dismounted dragoons. Captain Douglas, who was a very powerful man,
killed three dragoons with his own hand. In another sally Captain Hunter
and half a dozen men with him advanced too far, and, being completely
surrounded, must have been captured, or slain, had they not been rescued
at great personal risk by Captain Douglas.
Some barns and small habitations, at the end of the Fishergate Avenue,
occupied by the moss-troopers, were set fire to and burnt by Pitt's men,
but no real damage was done.
At the same time several much larger houses were set on fire at the end
of Church Street by order of Brigadier Honeywood, so as to drive out
the Highlanders who occupied them, and compel them to take refuge in the
churchyard. Fortunately, the wind being in the north at the time,
the conflagration did not spread far. Had it blown from the opposite
quarter, and the wind been strong, the whole town would probably have
been destroyed. No efforts being made to extinguish the fires, the
houses continued burning for several hours, and long after it became
dark.