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his Shoulder; red Velvet Breeches, a green
Velvet Bonnet, with a white Cockade, and a Gold Lace
about it. He had a Silver-hilted broad Sword, and was
shewn great Respect by his Forces.' |
Later that morning, at the city Cross, the Heralds - under
duress - proclaimed his Majesty King James the Eighth, but
some who heard them must have been struck by a sense of unreality
as they listened to the words, 'King of Scotland, England,
France, and Ireland .. .', for high overhead the Union Flag
still floated defiantly above the Castle ramparts. Deeds,
not words, could alone make good that claim.
The news that Cope was disembarking his army at Dunbar was
greeted by the Prince with, 'Is he, by God?', a remark of
Welling- tonian brevity, and hurried steps were taken to remedy
some of the Highland army's more obvious deficiencies. Arms
and ammunition were its most urgent requirements, and a proclamation
demanding their surrender succeeded in bringing in about 1,200
muskets, either 'good or indifferent', and some powder and
ball. Apart from small- arms there was little military equipment
of value, for the cannon brought up from Leith to defend the
city were useless for field work, being mounted on heavy,
small-wheeled carriages; in any case there were as yet no
artillerymen in the Jacobite army.
On the 19th the Highland main body, which had been bivouacking
in the King's Park, moved off to a new camp near Duddingston.
The Prince and his principal officers took up quarters in
the village, and at a council of war that evening it was decided
that instead of awaiting the royal army's approach the Highland
army should march boldly forward to meet it.
Almost as important a decision to be made was which regiment
should have the honour of being posted on the right of the
front line in the forthcoming action, a matter that was to
prove a bone of contention to the very end of the campaign.
For although, as already mentioned, a scheme of drawing lots
had apparently been agreed upon a month before, the MacDonalds
again brought up the contro- versial subject, and the Prince
becoming 'difficulted' sent for Lord George Murray to try
to settle the dispute. This he proceeded to do in his usual
practical way. He said:
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'In an army such as theirs he did not
see how any Regiment or name [the Macdonalds were those
who made the greatest demure] could |
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