ge Murray and that of Maxwell of
Kirkconnel, written without any mutual compact, and at different times,
and even in different countries, disprove the following gross and
improbable statement of Henderson's of that which occurred after the day
at Preston was fought and won.

According to his account, professedly that of an eye-witness, the
conduct of the young Chevalier (who, he acknowledges, had, by the advice
of the Duke of Perth, sent to Edinburgh for surgeons,) was, in the
highest degree, unfeeling and indecent. He stood by the road-side, his
horse near him, "with his armour of tin, which resembled a woman's
stays, affixed to the saddle; he was on foot, clad as an ordinary
captain, in a coarse plaid, and large blue bonnet, a scarlet waistcoat
with a narrow plain lace about it; his boots and knees were much dirtied
(the effect of his having fallen into a ditch, as I afterwards
understood); he was exceeding merry, and twice said, 'My Highlanders
have lost their plaids,' at which he laughed very heartily, being in no
way affected when speaking of the dead or wounded. Nor would his jollity
have been interrupted, if he had not looked upon seven standards that
had been taken from the dragoons; on which he said, in French, (a
language he frequently spoke in,) 'We have missed some of them.' After
this, he refreshed himself upon the field, and, with the utmost
composure, ate a piece of cold beef and drank a glass of wine, amidst
the deep and piercing groans of the poor men who had fallen victims to
his ambition."[46]

After this flippant and hard-hearted conduct, as it is described, the
Prince is said to have ridden off to Pinkie House, leaving the bulk of
the wounded on the field that day, to be brought in carts to Edinburgh.
"Few," he says, "recovered; and those who did, went begging through the
streets, their heads tied about with bandages, but obtaining no relief
from their conquerors. The property of the prisoners, the fine linen of
the officers, their gold and silver hilted swords, their watches and
rings, were worn by the lowest among the soldiery almost before their
eyes."[47]

The battle of Preston, which was magnified by Lord Lovat as a "glorious
victory not to be paralleled in history," although not meriting such
extravagant remarks, produced the most important consequences to the
Jacobite cause. Among not the least important was the acquisition of all
the arms of the whole body of foot, and even of the volunte