Manuscripts and Special Collections
Ne C 1720 : Letter from George Jonestone, Musselburgh [Midlothian, Scotland], to Henry Pelham; 21 Jan. 1745/6, endorsed 'Account of Action in Scotland, 1745/6'
Lieutenant Col[one]l and many of the officers being kill'd.
When the Dragoons fled they disordered and trod down
the line that was behind, and in the Confusion the
Militia fired upon the Argyleshire Men taking
them by their Dress for the rebels. It is confessed th[a]t the
left Wing the full half of the Army was drove down
to the Bottom of the Hill full faster than they came
up at least a part of the Way. It is here said that the
Highlanders made themselves Masters of the Canon
which were but half Way as yet up the Hill. But
that Hush [i.e. Huske] rally'd the foot, but back the rebels and
regained the Canon and that the two Armys stood very
near one another for a compleat hour without moving
till night came on and th[a]t our Army retired to Linlithgow
and next Day to Edinburgh with the Loss of 300 Men only,
7 pieces of Canon out of 10 & all their Bagage save w[ha]t
the Men could Carry on their Backs. It is agreed th[a]t our
right did not engage as no Enemy appeared on that
Quarter. Hush & Hawley are both safe, Ligonier is kill'd
and Whitney. I think it is allowed they have lost about
8 Captains. Sir Rob[er]t Monrow and his Brother are said
to be both killed. This is the acc[oun]t th[a]t our freinds give of
the Matter.
And next you shall have the Story the Jacobites tell
me they pretend to have from undoubted Authority viz.
They acknowledge the Decay of their Colours on the
formentioned Hill. They give out that they had not near
3,000 Men engaged th[a]t the party engaged was but an
advanced Party sent out to take Possession of the above
mentioned Advantageous Post. That they dreamt so
little of having any Encounter th[a]t Day th[a]t above
one half of their Army was at Stirling 60 Miles off
and th[a]t they had some Thousands within two Miles who
knew nothing of the Matter and by reason of the Wind
being contrary did not so much as hear the fireing, th[a]t they
were determined at all hazards to maintain the Ground they
had occupy'd and finding the Weather favoured them
