Count Mercy at the battle of Parma--"I will either lie in the town, or
in Paradise."

Prince Charles coming up at the instant, approved of the resolution. A
singular difficulty now occurred; there were no bag-pipes to inspirit
the men with a warlike air; the pipers, as soon as a battle began, were
in the practice of giving their pipes into the keeping of boys, who had
to take care of themselves, and often disappeared with the instruments.
"The pipers, who," as Lord George remarks, "were commonly as good men as
any," then charged with the rest. This circumstance, which might appear
trifling, was in fact the cause why the Macdonalds and other Clans had
not rallied from the first.[163] Such was the importance of the
national music at this critical moment. In ancient days the bards shared
the office of encouragement to the Clans. It was their part to stimulate
valour, and, before the battle began they passed from tribe to tribe,
giving exhortations, and expatiating on the dishonour of retreat. They
familiarized the people with a notion of death, and took from it, in one
sense, its sting. When their voices could no longer be heard, they were
succeeded by the pipes, whose wailing and powerful strains kept alive
the enthusiasm which languished when those notes ceased to be
heard.[164]

Lochiel, Lord Ogilvy, Colonel Roy Stewart, and several other chiefs,
followed Lord George Murray into the town. On the ensuing day Charles
and most of the army entered it. All were disappointed not to overtake
the enemy; and Lord George Murray has left on record proofs of his
bitter disappointment at the fruitless issue of this gallant encounter,
much of which he attributes to want of decision and arrangement. Early
on the morning of the battle, he had given the Prince a scroll of the
line of battle, which was approved; he had requested that it might be
filled in with the names of officers appointed to command. "I never," he
observes, "heard that there was any appointment made that day." When it
was agreed to march towards the enemy between twelve and one, he asked
the Prince whether, since there was no other Lieutenant-General there,
he should march at the head of the army? He was answered in the
affirmative, after which he never received any other instructions until
the action was over. The difficulties which Lord George had, therefore,
to encounter, without knowing who were to command in the different
stations; with only two aides-de-camp,