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quarter given with more humanity than by the Highlanders',
is difficult to reconcile with the fact that immediately
the rout began. the Duke of Perth and the other Jacobite
leaders mounted and rode about the field, calling on their
men to spare the officers. Among them were Lieut.-Colonel
Peter Halkett of Lee's, and a small party of officers and
men, who were firing on the Camerons from the far side of
the ditch. Seeing a hundred Highlanders about to retaliate,
Lord George persuaded the party to surrender, 'and nothing',
he afterwards wrote, 'gave me more pleasure that day. than
having it so immediately in my power to save these men,
as well as several others!. Halkett, with equal honour,
was afterwards one of the few officers who refused to break
his parole.
Soon after this incident Lord Eicho, who with some of the
better-mounted of Lord Strathallan's men, had pressed on
behind the Highland infantry, reported to Lord George and
Lochiel that a small body of what appeared to be the enemy
was gathering on the ridge beside Tranent. Ordering the
pipes to be played, Lochiel quickly called in his men and
with Lord George marched up the slope towards the village,
only to find when half-way there that the 'enemy' were country
people and servants belonging to the High- land army. Almost
simultaneously a message arrived from the Prince to say
that Cope's baggage-guard was still holding out at Cockenzie,
and turning about, the Camerons marched off to attack it.
On arriving at the village Lord George, again seeking to
avoid bloodshed, sent Halkett with a summons to surrender,
and seeing that further resistance was useless, the Highland
companies laid down their arms. Apart from the baggage,
another valuable capture was Cope's papers and his military
chest, containing between two and three thousand pounds,
which were found hidden under a stair in Cockenzie House.
Even before the action was over the Highlanders had begun
plundering the dead. Arms, ammunition, musket-locks, clothing,
money, valuables of all kinds, were eagerly seized upon,
and there is the well-known story of the Highlander who
parted with a watch for next to nothing, remarking that
'he was glad to be rid of the creature, for she lived no
time after he caught her' the works having run down.
A lifelike though partisan portrait of the Prince on the
morning of victory is drawn by Andrew Henderson, the Whig
historian:
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