Page:History of the Scottish rebellion, 1745.pdf/21

 The loss of the English amounted to 4 or 500 killed; besides seven pieces of cannon, three mortars, a pair of colours, three standards, 600 muskets, 4000 pounds weight of powder, a large quantity of grenades, 25 waggons loaded with all kinds of military stores, tents for 470 men and all their baggage.

When the news of this battle reached London, the government found it necessary to take me active measures now than ever for defeating the designs of the so powerful an enemy. The Hessian troops, in British pay, were ordered from Antwerp to Scotland, and shortly after joined the troops at Edinburgh. On the 30th; the Duke of Cumberland arrived, and was received by the army as its guardian angel, whose presence they thought was a sure oinen of victory. Next day he reviewed the troops, and immediately marched towards Stirling.

About ten days after the battle, the Prince, who had again laid siege to Stirling castle, was informed of the Duke of Cumberland's advancing with it strong reinforcement against him ; when he called a council of war, and therein his officers represented the desertion to be so great, partly with plunder, longing to go home, and with disgust at Glengarry's son being accidentally killed at Falkirk, that they concluded it safest to retreat to the north. Accordingly, the cannons that could not be carried off, were ordered to be spiked, and the poster they did not stand in need of, to be the way into water. But a rash young fellow, without any orders, fired a pistol at the powder, and thereby, blow up the church where it lay, with a dreadful shock: he killed himself, and wounded others; which mad prank the Prince regretted very much, for he could lave no particular grudge against that church more than all the others he passed by without doing any of them harm.