wrote
General Wightman to Duncan Forbes, "is much in the same situation as
General Cope, and was never seen in the field during the battle; and
everything would have gone to wreck in a worse manner than at Preston,
if General Huske had not acted with judgment and courage, and appeared
everywhere."

Lord George Murray remained at Falkirk with the Clans until apprised,
through the secretary Murray, that the Duke of Cumberland was expected
at Edinburgh on the twenty-eighth of the month; and that it was
Charles's intention to attack him as soon as he arrived at Falkirk. At
the first news of the project, Lord George seemed to approve of it; he
drew up a plan of the battle, which he submitted to the ardent young
Chevalier, who was delighted to think that he was to have to oppose the
Duke of Cumberland in person. But this hope was transient; for on the
very same evening, a representation, signed at Falkirk, by Lord George
Murray and all the commanders of Clans, begging him to retreat, was
presented to the disappointed and indignant Charles Edward. The great
desertions which were daily taking place since the battle, was made the
chief plea of this unexpected address; two thousand men, it was alleged,
had gone off since that action, whilst the army of the enemy was
reinforced. Some of the battalions were said to be one-third weaker than
before the engagement at Falkirk.

The Prince received this address with a dissatisfaction even more
apparent than that which he had shown at Derby, when persuaded to
retreat. He dashed his head against the wall with violence, exclaiming,
"Good God! have I lived to see this?" As the event showed, it had
perhaps been wiser to have risked the event of an action at that time,
than to have awaited the mournful catastrophe of Culloden. At length,
although he never could be brought to approve of the step, Charles gave
a reluctant and sorrowful consent to that which all his chieftains
called upon him to adopt. The burden of the censure which was afterwards
cast upon this decision, was thrown upon the Lieutenant-General. "I was
told," writes Lord George, "that I was much blamed for it. I really
cannot tell who was the first that spoke of it, but this I am sure,
every one of us were unanimously of the same opinion." The siege of
Stirling had proved, indeed, wholly unsuccessful; that very morning the
battery, although it had been long in preparation, was silenced in a few
hours after it began to play. I