main body.

As soon as the army had passed the river, the Prince formed it into two
columns, which separated; the one, conducted by Charles Edward, took the
road to Ecclefechan; the other, under the command of Lord George Murray,
marched to Annan. In the disposition of these routes, the principal
object was to keep the English in a state of uncertainty as to the
direction in which the Jacobite army intended to go, and the towns which
they purposed to occupy: and the end was answered; for no just notion
was given of the movements of the Highlanders until after the subsequent
junction of the two columns; and time was thus gained.

There being no town within eight or ten miles from the river Esk, the
army were obliged to march nearly all night. The column conducted by the
Prince had to cross mossy ground, under a pouring rain, which had
continued ever since the skirmish at Clifton Wall. The guides who
conducted Lord George's division led them off the road; this was,
however, a necessary precaution in order to shun houses, the lights from
which might have tempted the drenched and hungry soldiers to stray, and
take shelter. Then the hardy and energetic general of his matchless
forces first felt the effects of this laborious march in unusual
debility, and fever.

At Moffat, this column halted; and divine service was performed in
different parts of the town, all the men attending. "Our people,"
remarks Lord George, "were very regular that way; and I remember, at
Derby, the day we halted, as a battle was soon expected, many of our
officers and people took the sacrament."[159]

On the twenty-fifth of December, Lord George arrived at Glasgow, having
passed through the towns of Hamilton and Douglas, and here, on the
following day, Charles Edward also arrived, with the other column. Lord
Elcho, who had conducted the cavalry through Dumfries, preceded the two
great divisions. It was resolved to give the army some days' rest after
the excessive fatigue which the men had uncomplainingly sustained. The
spirits of Charles Edward were now recruited, and his example
contributed not a little to the alacrity and energy of his force. Small,
indeed, did it appear, when he reviewed it on Glasgow-green, and found
how little he had suffered during his expedition into England. Hitherto
Charles had carefully concealed his weakness; but now, hoping in a few
days to double his army, he was not unwilling to show with what a
handful of men he had