entering the village a hare got up in front of the regiment,
and was immediately shot at and killed, much to the terror
of a countryman, who thought that he was the target. Later
on, while passing through Tranent, a large sow rashly attempted
to cross the line of march, and 'in a moment there were twenty
dirks in the beast, who fell down dead making such squeaks
as may be imagined'.
To O'Sullivan, not probably, in the best of tempers. Lord
George's march appeared to be equally ill-advised and ill-executed.
While returning from the left for the third time, after giving
Lord Nairne the Prince's final instructions with regard to
the Athollmen, he had been surprised to see the Highland right
in motion. Telling Nairne to do nothing until he had discovered
what was happening, O'Sulli- van eventually overtook Lord
George on his way through Tranent, having been shaken to find
that not only had he withdrawn the 50 Camerons and the rest
of the out-guards, but was cheerfully com- mitting the military
crime of marching in broad daylight with his flank exposed
to the enemy. After trying unsuccessfully to persuade him
to halt until it became dark and the fields to the east of
the village had been reconnoitred, O'Sullivan returned to
the left to assist Nairne in posting the Athollmen. He was
met on the way by Sir John MacDonald, who found him 'in great
distress, because Lord George would do nothing that he advised',
and after pro- fessional head-shakings over the methods of
amateur soldiers, Sir John parted from him, having ' begged
him as fervently as I could to work for the service of the
Prince and the general cause'.
The movement of the Athollmen on the Jacobite left did not
escape notice for long. About 4 o'clock, Carlyle, who had
volun- teered to keep watch on the enemy from his father's
church-tower at Prestonpans, observed a detachment of Highlanders
moving westwards down the side of Birsley Brae, a spur of
Falside Hill. A little later a larger body, consisting of
300 or 400 men, came into view between Preston and Dolphingstone,
and hurriedly descending from the tower, Carlyle rode off
to report these movements to the General. Not only had Cope
and his staff already seen them, but they had also noticed
Lord George's movement on the Highland right, and as it now
seemed possible that a simultaneous attack was about to be
launched on both flanks of the royal army. Cope changed front
from south to south-west, taking up a position slightly to
the west of that he had originally occupied. Still keeping
his artillery on |
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