came down to attack him, the regular army
would retrieve the honour which had been lost at Killiecrankie. His
chief difficulties arose from the unwise interference of the ministers
of the Crown at Edinburgh with matters which ought to have been left
to his direction. The truth seems to be that they, after the ordinary
fashion of men who, having no military experience, sit in judgment on
military operations, considered success as the only test of the ability
of a commander. Whoever wins a battle is, in the estimation of such
persons, a great general: whoever is beaten is a lead general; and no
general had ever been more completely beaten than Mackay. William, on
the other hand, continued to place entire confidence in his unfortunate
lieutenant. To the disparaging remarks of critics who had never seen
a skirmish, Portland replied, by his master's orders, that Mackay was
perfectly trustworthy, that he was brave, that he understood war better
than any other officer in Scotland, and that it was much to be regretted
that any prejudice should exist against so good a man and so good a
soldier, [377]

The unjust contempt with which the Scotch Privy Councillors regarded
Mackay led them into a great error which might well have caused a great
disaster. The Cameronian regiment was sent to garrison Dunkeld. Of this
arrangement Mackay altogether disapproved. He knew that at Dunkeld
these troops would be near the enemy; that they would be far from all
assistance; that they would be in an open town; that they would be
surrounded by a hostile population; that they were very imperfectly
disciplined, though doubtless brave and zealous; that they were
regarded by the whole Jacobite party throughout Scotland with peculiar
malevolence; and that in all probability some great effort would be made
to disgrace and destroy them, [378]

The General's opinion was disregarded; and the Cameronians occupied the
post assigned to them. It soon appeared that his forebodings were just.
The inhabitants of the country round Dunkeld furnished Cannon with
intelligence, and urged him to make a bold push. The peasantry of
Athol, impatient for spoil, came in great numbers to swell his army.
The regiment hourly expected to be attacked, and became discontented and
turbulent. The men, intrepid, indeed, both from constitution and
from enthusiasm, but not yet broken to habits of military submission,
expostulated with Cleland, who commanded them. They had, they imagin