The Jacobite Rebellions (1689-1746) Part 11

+Source.+--_The Jacobite Songs and Ballads of Scotland from 1688 to 1746_, p. 181. Edited by Charles Mackay, LL.D. [London and Glasgow: 1861.]

SIR JOHN COPE trode the north right far, Yet ne'er a rebel he cam naur, Until he landed at Dunbar, Right early in the morning.

Hey, Johnnie Cope, are ye wauking yet?

Or are ye sleeping, I would wit?

O haste ye, get up, for the drums do beat: O fye, Cope, rise in the morning!

He wrote a challenge from Dunbar, "Come fight me, Charlie, an ye daur; If it be not by the chance of war, I'll give you a merry morning."

Hey, Johnnie Cope, etc.

When Charlie look'd the letter upon, He drew his sword the scabbard from, "So heaven restore me to my own, I'll meet you, Cope, in the morning."

Hey, Johnnie Cope, etc.

Cope swore with many a b.l.o.o.d.y word, That he would fight them gun and sword; But he fled frae his nest like a weel-scar'd bird, And Johnnie he took wing in the morning.

Hey, Johnnie Cope, etc.

It was upon an afternoon, Sir John march'd into Preston town, He says, "My lads, come lean you down, And we'll fight the boys in the morning."

Hey, Johnnie Cope, etc.

But when he saw the Highland lads Wi' tartan trews and white c.o.c.kades, Wi' swords and guns, and rungs[93] and gauds,[94]

O Johnnie took wing in the morning.

Hey, Johnnie Cope, etc.

On the morrow when he did rise, He look'd between him and the skies; He saw them wi' their naked thighs, Which fear'd him in the morning.

Hey, Johnnie Cope, etc.

O then he fled into Dunbar, Crying for a man of war; He thought to have pa.s.s'd for a rustic tar, And gotten awa in the morning.

Hey, Johnnie Cope, etc.

Sir John then into Berwick rade, Just as the deil had been his guide; Gi'en him the world, he wadna staid T' have foughten the boys in the morning.

Hey, Johnnie Cope, etc.

Said the Berwickers unto Sir John, "O what's become of all your men?"

"In faith," says he, "I dinna ken; I left them a' this morning."

Hey, Johnnie Cope, etc.

Says Lord Mark Kerr, "Ye are na blate,[95]

To bring us the news o your ain[96] defeat, I think you deserve the back o' the gate; Get out o' my sight this morning."

Hey, Johnnie Cope, etc.

FOOTNOTES:

[92] Written after the Battle of Prestonpans.

[93] Cudgels.

[94] Rods.

[95] Bashful.

[96] Own.

G. INVASION OF ENGLAND (NOVEMBER-DECEMBER).

+Source.+--_Memorial: Lochgary to Glengary_, printed as a postscript to W. B. Blaikie's _Itinerary of Prince Charles Edward Stuart from his Landing in Scotland, July, 1745, to his Departure in September, 1746_, p. 116. (Edinburgh: Scottish Historical Society, 1897.)

About the beginning of Nov^r the Prince called a council o' war, wherein H.R.H. determined to march into England with the forces he then had, and not to wait those who were coming up, but ordered them to follow.

We marched on without halt till we came to Brampton, near Carlile, where the Prince rested with part o' the army, and order'd the siege of Carlile, which surrender'd after four days' siege. The next day after the surrender, the Prince enter'd the town with his whole army, where H.R.H. remain'd some days. From thence he march'd straight with his whole army till he arrived at Darby, where he rested two days; and H.R.H. called a council o' war, and finding most of the private people of the army's opinion to be rather to retreat than goe forward (tho' at the same time H.R.H.'s opinion and inclination was to goe forward), he agreed to a retreat. Consequently, we began our retreat next day.[97]

Lord George Murray, who always had the rear, chose our regiment for the rearguard, tho' it was not our turn. When we came to Kendal, we had accounts of the enemy's being close in our rear; and our regiment's having the rearguard, and likewise the charge of the artillery. The Prince marched on with the army till they arrived at Penrith, and the weather very terrible, the rear could not reach Chap[98] that night, which is halfway twixt Penrith and Kendal. Lord George took up our quarters in a little villiage, where we rested that night on our arms, without thro'ing a st.i.tch of cloaths,[99] as we were sure the enemy was very near us. Next day we marched by daylight, and for want of proper horses the artillery was very fashious,[100] and a last load with cannon shot happening to break on the road, upon Lord George's giving a hearty dram to the men, they carried, some one, some two, some three of the shot, with all their arms and acuterments. All this day some of the enemy's horse were in our rear, but made no attack. This night we came to Chap, and after placing our guards and sentinelles, Lord George, the other gentlemen, and I, took up our quarters about 8 o'clock at night.... By the break o' day Lord George order'd to beat to arms, and order'd the artillery on before. We marched on, expecting every minut the enemy wou'd be up with us, having none with us but your regiment and about one hundred and twenty of Roy Stuart's regiment. About halfway to Penrith, we saw at some distance, to the number of about 5 or 600 horse, whom we took to be part of our own army; but upon coming near us they made a form to attack us. These were militia sent to intercept our march; but by a detachment we sent to attack them giving them a smart fire, which kill'd two or three of them, they were routed, and fled, so we march'd on untill we came to Clifton, within two short miles of Penrith, where the Prince and his army lay. Here Lord George got account that some of the enemy were come to the house of Lowtherhall, about a mile's distance on our left. He desired me to ask the men (as he knew they were fatigued) if they were willing to attack that house. They answer'd me that they were most willing. Upon which we marched and surrounded the house, and only found in it one officer, with a footman of the Duke of c.u.mberland's, whom he had sent before to take up quarters for him. Upon our return to Clifton, we perceived the enemy to the number of about 3000 horse, advanced by this time within 1/4 of a mile of Clifton. Cluny and his M^cPhersons, to about the number of three hundred men, happened to be at this village. Lord George ordered them on one post on the side of the road, and our regiment on another on the other side. It was then about nightset, when the enemy, being all horse, dismounted--I can't condescend on their number, being then dark--and attack'd the M^cPhersons, who received them, and after a close fire for some time on both sides, the enemy were repulsed. Upon this they sent a stronger body to attack us both, which came directly up to us, and it being then quite dark, they coming very close to us, we only heard the noise of their boots, and could plainly discern their yellow belts. We first received their full fire, which did us little damage. We immediately gave them ours, and then attacked them sword in hand, and oblidged them to retreat with a considerable loss.

Lord George then marched with us and the M^cPhersons into the town, where we found the whole army ready to march for Carlisle, so that we had neither time to refresh ourselves, or men. So you may judge our condition, having marched t[w]o days without resting from Kendal to Penrith, which is long 20 miles, and, without halt, 16 more on to Carlisle, all without any sleep and very little provision; yet we brot all the artillery safe, and lost very few men at the attack at Clifton.

I received a small wound there myself in the knee, and no other gentleman touched. We stay'd two days at Carlisle. The third day in the morning by break o' day we marched, expecting surely to meet c.u.mberland that day to give him battle; but perceiving no enemy, march'd forward, and that night crossed the Esk. H.R.H. continued on his march without any remarkable occurencies till he arrived safe with his army at Glasgow.

FOOTNOTES:

[97] December 6, "Black Friday."

[98] Shap.

[99] _I.e._, without undressing.

[100] Troublesome.

H. THE BATTLE OF FALKIRK (JANUARY, 1746).

+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 c.u.mbernauld 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 pa.s.sed 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 c.o.c.ked pistols, conjuring them to return to their ground or they would be undone. As the dragoons in their flight betwixt the lines pa.s.sed 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.