?745.1 THE CASTLE BLOCKADE WITHDRAWN. 331
Livingstone?s Yard, where a Highlander was
assassinated by a soldier, who crept towards him
with a pistol. The same night a party of the 47th
made a sally against the same post, and captured
Captain Robert Taylor and thirty privates.
On the morning of the 4th Preston commenced
a wanton and destructive bombardment, chiefly in
the direction of James?s Court, and continued it till
dusk, when, ?led by Major Robertson, a strong
party, with slung muskets, sallied with spades and
axes to the Castle Hill, where they formed a trench
fourteen feet broad and sixteen deep, midway
between the gate and the reservoir. From the
breastwork formed by the de?bris that night zoo
muskets, besides field pieces, continued to blaze
upon the city, in unison with the heavy 32-pounders,
which from the lofty batteries above swept the
entire length of the High Street with round shot,
grape, and canister. Many persons were killed
and wounded; but the following night the Same
operations were renewed with greater vigour.
Under this tremendous fire the 47th (then numbered
as the 48th) made another sally, pillaged all the
houses in their vicinity, and, after obtaining a
supply of bread and ale, and several barrels of
water from the reservoir, set on fire several houses,
and a deserted foundry, after which they retired
behind their trench. Many of the poor citizens
who attempted to extinguish the flames were killed,
for once more the batteries opened with greater
fury than ever. The glare of the burning houses,
the boom of so many field and battery guns, the
hallooing of the soldiers, the crash of masonry and
timber as chimneys and outshots came thundering
down on all sides, together with the incessant roar
of zoo muskets, struck the inhabitants with such
consternation, that, abandoning their houses, goods,
and chattels, they thought only of saving themselves
by flight. A miserable band of half-clad
and terrified . fugitives, bearing their children, their
aged parents, their sick and infirm friends, to the
number of many hundreds, issued from the Nether
Bow Gate, and fled towards Leith, but were met
midway by the inhabitants of that place, flying
from similar destruction, for at that time the Fox,
and LudZow CastZe, two frigates (whose captains,
from the Roads, had heard the cannonading, and
seen the blaze of the conflagration) were hauled
close in-shore, and lay broadside towards Leith,
and with a villainous cruelty-for which English
hostility towards Scotland was no apology-were
raking and bombarding the streets with the most
fatal effects. . When the fugitives met ?all was
perplexity and dismay ; the unhappy citizens stood
still, wringing their hmds, and exe,crating the cruel
necessities of war.? Fodteen days after, the Pox
was wrecked on the rocks of Dunbar, when Captain
Edmond Beavor and all his crew perished.?
The Highlanders maintained their posts without
Bmching amid all this peril and consternation, and
at five o?clock next evening, in defiance of field
and battery guns, led by their officers, and inspired
by their pipers, they stormed the breastwork by one
wild rush,.sword in hand, driving in the garrison,
which retired firing by platoons; but the capture
was made with such rapidity that the Prince lost.
only one officer and twenty privates. As the
trench was too exposed, it was abandoned. Several
balls went through the Luckenbooths, and many
lodged in the walls of the Weigh-house, where they
were found on its demolition in 1822 j and Charles
Edward, seeing the misery to which Preston ex-.
posed the people, generously withdrew the blockade;
and thus ended the last investment of the
Castle of Edinburgh ; and it was said to be about
this time that he made the narrow escape from,
capture in the Provost?s house in the West Bow.
An act of hostility was committed by General,
Preston on the z 1st September, when, overhearing
some altercation in the dark at the West Port,
where the Highland guard made some delay about.
admitting a lady in a coach drawn by six horses,
he ordered three guns to be loaded with grape,.
depressed, and fired. Though aimed at random,
the coach was pierced by several balls, and its fair
occupant, Mrs. Cockburn, authoress of the modern
version of the ?:Flower$ of the Forest,? had a
narrow escape, while Willkm Earl of Dundonald,.
captain in Forbes?s Foot, who rode by her side,
had his horse shot under him. At that moment,
hlrs. Cockburn, who was returning from Ravelston,
and who was a keen Whig, had in her pocket a
burlesque parody on one cif Prince Charles?s proclamations,
to the air of ?? Clout the Cauldron.?
Another hostile act was committed when the
Highland army, now increased to double its first
strength, was reviewed on the Lipks of Leith prior
to the march for England, when the guns from the
Argyle Battery compelled Charles to change the
scene of his operations to the Links of Musselburgh,
at a time when the Forth was completely
blocked up by ships of war. On the 30th the
Prince slept at Pinkie House, and ?on the 31st
he commenced his memorable invasion of England,
with an army only six thousand in number, but onein
rivalry and valour. They departed in three
columns ; at the head of the third Charles marched
on foot, clad in the Highland garb, with his clay--
more in his hand, and a target slung over his left
s!ioulder.?