11/04/2026
In mid-December 2025, a scarce pamphlet surfaced in Italy. It is a printed copy of a letter written by an Irishman who was an officer in the Royal Ecosse Regiment and who fought at the battle of Falkirk Muir. Unfortunately, the authorโs name is not given but his initials were AIJ. The letter was written in French and a translation is shown below.
Although the pamphlet is dated 1746 it seems that due to the confusion of the dates between the โold styleโ Julian and โnew styleโ Gregorian calendars, it was likely printed in the early 1750s.
The writer was witness to some of the events before and during the battle. In particular, the letter mentions the following incidents:
1. He claims Prince Charles spent the night before the battle sleeping alongside his army in their camp likely at Torwood or Plean.
2.That the tactics adopted by the Jacobite army were decided upon by Prince Charles and Lord John Drummond, the Jacobite Duke of Perthโs younger brother, and that both of them showed their bravery during the battle.
3.Prince Charles made a short speech to rally his troops before the fighting started.
4.The British army suffered 800 to 900 killed and over 1,000 captured.
5.The Jacobite casualties were 120 killed or wounded.
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HEADER - LETTER FROM AN OFFICER OF THE ROYAL SCOTTISH REGIMENT
A M. D.
FORMER IRISH CAPTAIN.
ON the Victory won by Prince Edward, Regent of Scotland, over the English Army commanded by General Hawley near Falkirk, on January 28, 1746,
At STIRLING
1746
P3 - LETTER FROM AN OFFICER OF THE ROYAL SCOTTISH REGIMENT,
BY A FORMER IRISH CAPTAIN.
A M.D.
On the Victory won by Prince Edward Regent of Scotland over the English army commanded by General Hawley near Falkirk on January 28, 1746.
I promised you, Sir, upon leaving France, that I would not give you any news until we had thoroughly defeated the English; the matter having been settled, I must fulfil my promise, and I do so with all the more satisfaction, as I was not disappointed by the events of the 28th, which I consider a smaller version of the Battle of Fontenoy, in comparison to its impact. The enemy was thwarted in their plans as at Fontenoy, and the siege of Sterling continued like that of Tournay. Having been present at both, here are roughly the circumstances of the latter as I was able to ascertain them. The Prince, whom we had not yet seen since our arrival, having returned to Scotland to meet with us and consult with Lord Drummont, our Commander of useful operations, joined us on the 17th before Sterling.
Aij
P4 - The Garrison having withdrawn to the Castle, the City opened itโs gates to him two days later, and the Magistrates pledged their loyalty; from that time until the 27th we were occupied in preparing our attack on the Castle; the difficulty we had in bringing our siege cannon was the cause of this delay; on the 26th it was erected in battery and began firing on the morning of the 27th, that day the Prince reviewed the Highlanders, he slept in their camp under (in a) tent, he was guarded during the night by a detachment of 50 who formed two enclosures around his tent of 25 men each, those of the first had the musket on their shoulder, and those of the second the sword in their hand covering themselves with their shield; They were getting up every two hours due to the severity of the weather.
The next day, the 28th, the Commander of the Highlanders brought the Prince back to Stirling with an es**rt of 50 men. He had scarcely arrived when Lord Kilmarnock, who was in the lead with 2,500 men to cover the siege, sent word that General Hawley, who had left Edinburgh with 8,000 to 9,000 men, was a mile away and would arrive at Falkirk that very day. The Council of War having been immediately strengthened, on the advice of Lord Drummond, the order was given to the Commander of the Highlanders to march this corps to join Lord Kilmarnock. Detachments from all the corps that were...
P5 - occupied at the siege, which could make a corps of a thousand men to go and attack the enemy: we left in dreadful weather with rain, hail and wind, without paying much attention to it, the wind was not against us, our only worry was the fear that the enemy would not wait for us: the bad weather was the cause of his surprise, he was in a state of security, both in relation to his superiority and in relation to the circumstance of the day which was ending with the discord of all the elements; We arrived at four o'clock in the afternoon, within rifle range of Falkirk. General Hawley, who had been warned of our march, only had time to mount his horse and arrange his army in battle formation. It was not possible to change his situation, which was not advantageous to his cavalry; the intrepidity of our brave Highland men did not give him the time. Our deployment was made with as much promptness as zeal. The Prince, who was in the centre, drew his sword first and said loudly enough to be heard by a large part of the army: "My friends, here are your enemies and mine. I rely on your valour and on the justice of my cause. Avenge your violated laws and your oppressed kings. I will be with you all." After this short harangue, our right wing attacked the enemy's left wing with such valour, bayonet at the end of the rifle, that it was driven back in less than 25 minutes with a considerable loss on the part of the enemy; as we did not have enough cavalry to attack that of the
P6 - The English, the Highlanders, fulfilled this duty by undertaking this expedition which does them honour; they attacked this Cavalry, shield in hand, covering themselves with their shields with such boldness and intrepidity, that in less than half an hour they routed and completely rout it, they routed nearly three hundred without any quarter, and made two hundred prisoners. I saw one of these brave Highlanders, like another Horace, fight three Cavalrymen in a secluded spot, indeed after having withstood their fire, kill two of them and demonstrate their strength and take them prisoner; Finally, if the day had lasted an hour longer, this entire Anglo-Hanoverian army would have been completely destroyed. Despite the night and the dreadful weather, the Highlanders persisted in pursuing their enemies, and it took the Prince's authority to prevent them, by promising that at the first opportunity, this permission would be granted. I believe them capable of the boldest actions, because, apart from the love they have for the Prince, whom they call Caesar, they are furious against the English, in whose blood they say they wish to wash away the crime of their fathers. "Never was an action conducted with more secrecy and diligence, everyone acting in good faith; the force was assembled to strike blows against King George's party; the Prince behaved like the Roman Caesar, with all imaginable valour, exposing himself despite all the Army's warnings, like the most
P7 - brave Highlander, he saw several officers killed at his side without showing any concern, carrying out his orders with as much composure as if he had been in his tent. Lord Drummond, who was wounded in the arm and had a horse killed under him, deserves the highest praise. Through his counsel and his valour in the council, it was his opinion that we fled marching towards the enemy, and in the battle, it was the arrangements and the good maneuver that he made our Infantry execute that completely disconcerted the English. The Prince complimented him, as did the entire army, after the battle; We estimate the enemy's losses at two thousand men, namely, eight to nine hundred killed on the battlefield, and about twelve hundred prisoners, not counting those we may take in flight, their army being scattered. We also captured eight cannons, twelve flags and standards, many wagons of ammunition, food, and other supplies, along with General Hawley's carriage and his fully prepared fortress (camp), which the Prince used for his share of the spoils. The Highlanders gathered many guineas and gold watches that they took from the English; I saw one in the hands of a Highlander, made by Julien Leroi of Paris. Our losses, both killed and wounded, do not amount to one hundred and twenty. Among the wounded are three officers of our regiment. As soon as I have opened our correspondence, I will inform you of the outcome of this affair, as well as the capture of Carlise Castle, which should not hold out for more than eight days.
I am, & c.
