er axe, (for my informant could not
exactly distinguish,) on the hinder part of his head, which was the
mortal blow. All that his faithful attendant saw further at this time
was, that as his hat had fallen off, he took it in his left hand, and
waved it as a signal to him to retreat; and added, (the last words he
ever heard him speak,) "Take care of yourself;" upon which the servant
retired.

[*Note: The colonel, who was well acquainted with military history, might
possibly remember that in the battle at Blenheim, the illustrious Prince
Eugene, when the horse of the wing which he commanded had run away
thrice, charged at the head of the foot, and thereby greatly contributed
to the glorious success of the day. At least such an example may conduce
to vindicate that noble ardour which, amidst all the applauses of his
country, some have been so cool and so critical as to blame. For my part,
I thank God that I am not called to apologize for his following his
troops in their flight, which I fear would have been a much harder task;
and which, dear as he was to me, would have grieved me much more than his
death, with these heroic circumstances attending it.]

It was reported at Edinburgh, on the day of the battle, by what seemed a
considerable authority, that as the colonel lay in his wounds, he said to
a chief of the opposite side, "You are fighting for an earthly crown, I
am going to receive a heavenly one,"--or something to that purpose. When
I preached the sermon, long since printed, on occasion of his death, I
had great reason to believe this report was true, though, before the
publication of it, I began to be in doubt; and, on the whole, after the
most accurate inquiry I could possibly make at this distance, I cannot
get any convincing evidence of it. Yet I must here observe that it does
not appear impossible that something of this kind might indeed be uttered
by him, as his servant testifies that he spoke to him after receiving
that fatal blow, which would seem most likely to have taken away the
power of speech, and as it is certain he lived several hours after he
fell. If, therefore, any thing of this kind did happen, it must have been
just before this instant. But as to the story of his being taken prisoner
and carried to the pretended Prince, (who, by the way, afterwards
rode his horse, and entered into Derby upon it,) with several other
circumstances which were grafted upon that interview, there is the most
undoubted