Surely
a man who had been carried bound on board the vessel which brought him
to so desperate an enterprise, would have taken the opportunity afforded
by the reluctance of his partisans, to return to France in safety.
It is averred in Johnstone's Memoirs, that Charles Edward left the field
of Culloden without doing the utmost to dispute the victory; and,
to give the evidence on both sides, there is in existence the more
trustworthy testimony of Lord Elcho, who states, that he himself
earnestly exhorted the Prince to charge at the head of the left wing,
which was entire, and retrieve the day, or die with honour. And on
his counsel being declined, Lord Elcho took leave of him with a bitter
execration, swearing he would never look on his face again, and kept his
word.
On the other hand, it seems to have been the opinion of almost all the
other officers, that the day was irretrievably lost, one wing of the
Highlanders being entirely routed, the rest of the army out-numbered,
out-flanked, and in a condition totally hopeless. In this situation of
things, the Irish officers who surrounded Charles's person interfered
to force him off the field. A cornet who was close to the Prince, left
a strong attestation, that he had seen Sir Thomas Sheridan seize the
bridle of his horse, and turn him round.
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