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their fire produced some effect, for the enemy line was
seen to give 'a great Shake*, at which the royal troops
'huzza'd'. They were still in good heart, and had the artillery
been manned by regular gunners its effect might have been
decisive.
Recovering almost at once, the Highlanders returned the
cheer, and broke up into several separate bodies, of which
three on their left wing advanced 'with a swiftness not
to be conceived', firing as they came. The largest of them,
which consisted ofLochiel's men, 'at least 20 in Front,
and 30 in Depth', made straight for the artillery, and Whitefoord,
seeing them to be in some confusion, called out to Whitney
that now was his time to attack. At almost the same moment
Whitney received orders from Lord Loudon to charge the Highlanders
in the flank, and leading his squadron out of the line 'very
gallantly', he managed to get within pistol-shot of them.
His example was of no avail, for after receiving four or
five musket- shots his men refused to follow him,' and immediately
the Rear Rank began to run away, and the rest followed in
Tens and Twenties'. Whitney himself was shot through the
sword-arm.
Meanwhile the infantry had begun to show signs of unsteadiness.
Not only had the artillery-guard left its ground and crowded
in a confused mass behind the guns and mortars, but when
instructed by Colonel Lascelles to wheel in support of Whitney's
squadron, some of the platoons on the right of the line
were seen to be 'crouch- ing and creeping gently backwards,
with their Arms recovered', and the order had to be countermanded.
Gardiner's squadron, too, had not been slow to take alarm.
His men 'began to be a little shy' when they saw the artillery-guard
fall back in disorder, whereupon Fowke shouted angrily to
them: 'What do you mean. Gentlemen, by reining back your
Horses ? Advance up to your Ground; have you anything to
fear? We shall cut them to Pieces in a Moment.' He ordered
Gardiner to incline his squadron to the left so as to give
it more room to advance, and then, with his Brigade-Major,
Captain Singleton, tried to reorganise the artillery- guard.
An irregular front rank was formed with the help of some
of the sergeants, but it gave way as soon as it had delivered
'a straggling fire', and both artillery and artillery-guard
were over-run by the oncoming Highlanders. Seeing that they
had lost all semblance of formation, and were in a state
of confusion, Loudon ordered Gardiner to charge, but having
received a few shots which killed or
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