Page:History of the Scottish rebellion, 1745.pdf/8

 observe the strictest silence, he turned the rear forward, making the men wheel round his own person till they were all on the march. Mr Anderson led the way. Next to him was McDonald of Glenaladale, Major of the Clanranald Regiment, with a chosen body of sixty men, appointed to secure Cope's baggage whenever they saw the armies engaged. Close behind came the army, marching as usual in a column of three men abreast. They came down by a sort of valley, or hollow, that winds through the farm of Ringanhead. Not a whisper was heard amongst them. When they were near the morass, some dragoons who stood upon the other side as an advanced guard called out, "Who's there?" The Highlanders made no answer, but marched on. The dragoons, soon perceiving who they were, fired their pieces, and rode off to give the alarm.

At break of day, general Cope took the first line of the rebel army, which was formed in order of battle, at the distance of two hundred paces from his army, for bushes. It consisted of twelve hundred men; and the second line, of six hundred men, was composed of those who were badly armed; many of them, as we have already observed, having only staves or bludgeons in their hands. Captain Macgregor, of the Duke of Perth's regiment, for want of other arms, procured scythes, which he sharpened and fixed to poles of from seven to eight feet long. With these he armed his company, which proved very destructive weapons - Five or six cannon were discharged against their left, with such effect as to make that part of the army hover for a moment upon the advance: and one volley of musketry went along the Royal lines from right to left, as the clans