[918] Idem, p. 38.—Lockhart Papers, vol. ii. p. 449. The accounts given by Home and the Chevalier Johnstone differ in some respects from that of Lord George Murray. Home says, that Mr. Robert Anderson (son of Anderson of Whitbrough in East Lothian, who had been engaged in the rebellion of 1715) had confirmed Ker of Gradon’s account of the ground after his survey, on being consulted by Lord George Murray,—that he was present at the council of war, but did not give any opinion; but that after Charles and his officers had separated, Anderson told Hepburn of Keith that he knew the ground perfectly, and was certain there was a better way to come at the king’s army than that which the council had resolved to follow,—that he would undertake to show them a place where they might easily pass the morass without being seen by the enemy, and without being exposed to their fire,—that Hepburn listened attentively to this information, and expressed his opinion of it in such terms that Anderson desired he would carry him to Lord George Murray,—that Hepburn advised him to go himself to Lord George, who knew him, and would like better to receive information from him alone than when introduced by another person,—that when Anderson came to Lord George Murray he found him asleep in a field of cut pease with several of the chiefs near him,—that on awakening his Lordship, he repeated what he had said to Mr. Hepburn, and offered to lead the men through the morass,—that Lord George considering this information important, awoke Charles, who was lying near him with a sheaf of pease for his pillow, and who, pleased with Anderson’s information, ordered Lochiel and the other chiefs to be called, all of whom approved of the plan of attack. The Chevalier Johnstone says that the officers of the army were perplexed how to act, from the apparent impossibility of making a successful attack, but that Anderson came to the prince in the evening very a propos, and relieved them from their embarrassment by informing them that there was a place in the marsh which could be crossed with safety, and that upon examining it Anderson’s information was found to be correct. Lord George’s own account appears, however, to give the real res gestæ. From it he appears to have communicated with Anderson and Hepburn before the council of war had assembled. As his Lordship says that “at midnight the principal officers were called again,” it is probable he alludes to the scene described by Home, when the prince himself and the chiefs were awakened by Anderson; but as Anderson was present in the council, and as Lord George says, that, after this midnight call “all was ordered as was at first proposed,” it is very likely that Anderson was anxious to afford some additional information which he had formerly omitted to give.
[919] Home, p. 112.
[920] A party of 200 Munroes followed Cope to Aberdeen, but refused to embark as harvest-time was at hand.
[921] Lockhart Papers, vol. ii. p. 489.
[922] Home, p. 113.
[923] Jacobite Memoirs, p. 39.—Lockhart Papers, vol. ii. p. 449.—Home, p. 89.
[924] Idem.
[925] Memoirs, 3d edition, p. 35.
[926] Lockhart, vol. ii. p. 491.
[927] Home puts the Macdonalds of Glencoe on the left of the second line; but the author of the Journal and Memoirs, (Lockhart Papers, vol. ii. p. 491,) an officer in the Highland army who was in the battle, says that the Macdonalds of Glencoe were on the right of the first line. The official account published in the Caledonian Mercury by Charles, also places the Glencoe men in the same situation.