| The English army continued steadily to
advance in the order already described, and, after a march of eight miles, formed in order
of battle, in consequence of the advanced guard reporting that they perceived the Highland
army at some distance making a motion towards them on the left. Finding, however, that the
Highlanders were still at a considerable distance, and that the whole body did not move
forward, the Duke of Cumberland resumed his march as before, and continued to advance till
within a mile of the position occupied by the Highland army, when he ordered a halt, and,
after reconnoitring the position of the Highlanders, again formed his army for battle in
three lines, and in the following order. The first
line consisted of six regiments, viz. the Royals, (the 1st,) Cholmondeley's, (the 34th,)
Price's, (the 14th,) the Scots Fusileers, (the 21st,) Monro's (the 37th,) and Barrels's,
(4th). The Earl of Albemarle had the command of this line. In the intermediate spaces
between each of these regiments were placed two pieces of cannon, making ten in all. The
second line consisted of five regiments, viz. those of Pulteney, (the 13th,) Bligh, (the
20th,) Sempil, (the 25th,) Ligonier, (the 48th,) and Wolfe's, (the 8th,) and was under the
command of General Huske. Three pieces of cannon were placed between the exterior
regiments of this line and those next them. The third line or corps de reserve , under
Brigadier Mordaunt, consisted of four regiments, viz. Battereau's (the 62d,) Howard's,
(the 3d,) Fleming's, (the 36th,) and Blakeney's, (the 27th,) flanked by Kingston's
dragoons, (the 3d). The order in which the regiments of the different lines are
enumerated, is that in which they stood from right to left. The flanks of the front line
were protected on the left by Kerr's dragoons, (the 11th,) consisting of three squadrons,
commanded by Lord Ancrum, and on the right by Cobham's dragoons, (the 10th,) consisting
also of three squadrons, under General Bland, with the additional security of a morass,
extending towards the sea; but thinking himself quite safe on the right, the duke
afterwards ordered these last to the left, to aid in the intended attack upon the right
flank of the Highlanders. The Argyle men, with the exception of 140, who were upon the
left of the reserve, were left in charge of the baggage.
The dispositions of both armies are considered to have been
well arranged; but both were better calculated for defence than for attack. The
arrangement of the English army is generally considered to have been superior to that of
the Highlanders; as, from the regiments in the second and third lines being placed
directly behind the vacant spaces between the regiments in the lines respectively before
them, the Duke of Cumberland, in the event of one regiment in the front line being broken,
could immediately bring up two to supply its place. But this opinion is questionable, as
the Highlanders had a column on the flanks of the second line, which might have been used
either for extension or echelon movement towards any point to the centre, to support
either the first or second line. |
