o battalions from Fife; but finding these did not
come up so soon as we expected, the twelfth we continued our march, the
advanced guard lay near Dumblain, and the rest of the troops were
quarter'd about a mile behind them, the want of tents and the coldness
of the weather rendering it impossible for us to encamp. We had as yet
no perfect account of the motions of the enemy, and concluded from the
inferiority of their number (they being not above 3000 foot and twelve
hundred horse), that they would fight us at the passage of the river,
but we had hardly got the troops marched to their different quarters,
when we received orders to join with all haste our advanced guard, the
Duke of Argile having passed the Forth, and encamped about the toun of
Dumblain, within cannon shot of them. Both armies lay all night on their
arms, and next morning by day break we discover'd a body of the enemies
on a rising ground near our left. Before eight in the morning, our army
was formed in order of battle, in two lines, without any body of
reserve. The Earl of Mar call'd all the general officers and heads of
clans to a council of war, which was held at the head of the line, and
there asked their advice whither we should attack the enemy, or return
to Perth and wait the arrival of King James, who was every day
expected, as also for accounts what success our friends in England might
have; but it was carried almost unanimously to attack, none daring
openly to oppose the current; the Marquis of Huntly only made some
insinuations that it would not be fit to remain in unaction till the
King's arrival.

The resolution being now taken to attack the enemy, the Earl of Mar
commanded the Earl Marischal, with Sir Donald M'Donald's regiment of
foot, and his own squadron of horse, to take possession of the rising
ground on which a body of the enemies horse still remain'd, and to cover
the march of the army on the left (our right being cover'd by a river)
to the toun of Dumblain, where we imagined the enemy still to be. On our
approach, the enemies horse retired; and we had no sooner gained the top
of the hill than we discover'd their whole body, marching without beat
of drum, about two musket shot from us. It was now too late to retreat;
we therfor form'd on the top of the hill, and the Earl Marischal sent an
aid-de-camp to advertise the Earl of Mar that he was fallen in with the
enemies army, that it was impossible for him to bring off the foot, and
th