THE MOST

REMARKABLE PASSAGES

-.IN THE

LIFE

OF THE HONOURABLE

Colonel JAMES GARDINER,

WHO WAS SLAIN AT

TEE BATTLE OF PRESTONPA2T$i

IN THE

REBELLION,

1745*

By P. DODDRIDGE, JD.V.

FALKIRK:

PRINTED T. JOHNSTON.

1805.

REMARKABLE PASSAGES

IN THE

LIFE

O F S

^Colonel JAMES GARDINER.

The reader here is to furvey a chara&er of fuch eminent and various goodnefs, as might de- mand veneration, and infpire him with a defire to imitate it too, had it appeared in the obfcurei: rank ; but it will furely command fome peculiar regard, when'viewed info elevated and important a ftation, efpecially as it {hone, not in eccleliallical, but mili- tary life, where the temptations are fo many, and the prevalency of the contrary chara&er fo great, that it may feem no inconfiderable praife and felicity to be free from diflblute vice,.and to retain what in molt other prcfeffions might be elleemed only a me- diocrity of virtue. It may furely, with the higheft juftice, be expected, that the title and bravery of Colonel Gardiner Will invite many ot our officers and foldiers, to whom his name has been long hon- ourable and dear, to perufe this account of him with fome peculiar attention: In coniequence of which, it may be a means of eacreafmg the number and brightening the charaAer of thofe who are already adorning their cffict, their countyy, and their religi- on ; and of reclaiming thofe who will fee rather what they ought to be, than what they are. On the whole, to the gentlemen of the fword, 1 w-ouid par- ticularly offer thefe memoirs, as theirs by io dif- tinguiilied a title ■, yet, I am firmly perfuaded,

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there are none whofe office, is fo facred, or whofe proficiency in the religious life is fo advanced, but they may find fomething to demand their thankfiil- nefs, and to awaken their emulation.

Colonel James Gardiner was the fonof Captain Patrick Gardiner, of the family of Torwoodhead, by Mrs. Mary Hocige, of the family of Gladfmuir. The Captain, who was proprietor of a handfome eftate, ferved many years in the army of K. William and Anne, and died abroad with the Britifli forces in Germany, foon after the battle of Hochltedt. through the fatigues of that celebrated campaign.— He had a company in the regiment of foot once commanded by Col. Hodge, his valiant brother-in law, who was flain at the head of that regiment (my me- morial from Scotland fays) at the battle of Steenkirk, which was fought in the year 1692.

Mrs. Gardiner, the Colonel’s mother, was a lady of a very valuable charafter ; but it pleafcd God to exercil’e Iter with very unaommon trials: for Ihe not only loft her hufband and her brother in the fervice of their country, as before related, but alfo her elded fob, Mr. Rd)er#Gardiner, on the dav which completed th 16th year of his age, at the fiege of-Namur in 169.5. ^uc there is great reafon to believe God bltfl’e thefe various and heavy af- lliftions as the means of forming her to that eminent degree of piety which will render her memory honourable as long as it cuminues.

Her fecond fon, the \. or thy per ion of whom I am now to give a more particular account, was bom at Camden, in Linlithgowihire, on the 10th of January, 16S7-8, the memorable year of the Revo- lution, which he highly e;teemed among the happiefl events of his time; fo that when he \\a> flain in the defence of thole liberties which God then, by fo gracious a providence, refeued from utter deftruc-

C 4 )

tion, (viz. on the 21 ft of Sept. 1745,) he was aged 57 years, 8 months, and 11 days.

The annual return of his birth-day was obferved by him in the latter and better years of his life, in a manner very different from what is commonly pra

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rents and other pious friends, to do their dufy, and to hope for thofe good cpnfequehces of it, which may not immediately appear.

Could his mother, or a very religious aunt (of whofe good inftruftions and exhortations I have often heard him fpeak with pleafure) have prevailed, he would not have thought of a military Ihe ; from which it is no wonder thefe ladies endeavoured to difluade him, considering the mournful experience they had of the da- gcrs attending it, and the dear relatives they had loft already by iti But it fulted his tafte ; and the ardour of his fpirit, animated by the perfuafions of a friend, who greatly urged it, was not to be reftrained. Nor will the reader wonder, that, thus excited and 1’upported, it eafily overbore their tender remoftftrances, uN n he known that this dvtly youth fought t'nree duels before he attained to the ftalure of a man; in one of which, when he was about eight years old, he received from a boy much older than himfelf, a wound in the right cheek, the fear of which was always very apparent. The falfe fenfe of honour which inlti- gated him to it, might feem indeed fomething excuf- able, in thefe unripened years, and confidering the the profeflion of his father, brother, and unde ; but I have often heard him mention this raflanefs with that regret which the refle&ion would naturally give to fo wife and good a man in the maturity of life. And I have been informed, that after his re- markable converfion, he declined accepting a chal- lenge, with this calm and truly great reply, which, in a man of his experienced bravery, was exceeding graceful: “ I fear linning, though, you know, I do “ not fear fighting.”

He ferved firft as a Cadet, which muft have been very early; and then, at 14 years old, he bore an ICnfign’s commifiion in a Scotch Regiment in the Dutch Service; in which he continued till ti e ys"

I^rz. when (if my mforrr.aliot. \tC rit;'1 t) 1-.e fej- an Enlign’s commiffioo from Que^h. Anne, v-hiti. i-. j bore in the battle of Ratnillies, being then in the 19th year of bis age. In this ei’er-memorable aftion he received a wound in Ids mouth by a mufket bail, which hath often been reported 'to be the ocer-lion of his converfion. That report was a miilaken one; but as fome very remarkable circumhances attended this affair, which 1 have had the pleafure of hearirg more than oitce from his own mouth, I hope my reader will excufe me, if I give him fo uncommon a Rory at large.

Our young officer was of a party in the Forlorn Hope, and was commanded on what feemed almofh a dei'perate f'erviee, to difpoffefs the French of the church-yard at Rainiilies, where a confiderable num- ber of them were polled to remarkable advantage. They fucceeded much better than was expefted ; and it may well be fuppofed, that Mr. Gardiner, who had before been in leveral encounters, and had the view of making his fortune to animate the na- 4»ural intrepidity of his fpirit, was glad of fuch an opportunity of fignalizing.bimfelf. Accordingly he had planted his colours on an advanced ground; and ■while he was calling to his men (probably in that horrid language which is fo peculiar a difgrace to our foldierv, and fo abfurdly common in inch ar- ticles of extreme danger) he received a {hot into his mouth, which, without beating out any of his teeth, or touching the fore part of his tongue, went thto’ his neck, and came out. about an inch and an half on the left fide of the vertebrae. Not feeling at firll the pain of the broke, he wondered what was be- come of the ball; and in the wildnefs of his furprife began to fufpefl he had fwallowed it; but dropping foon after, he traced the paffage of it by his finger, vhen he could difcover it no other way: which I mention as one circumftance among many which

occur to make it probable that the greater part of thote wh« fall in battle by thofe ;oftruments of deat h, feel very little anguiflifrom the molt mortal wounds.

This accident happened'about five or fix in the evening,, on the 23d day of May, in the year J700 and the army purfuing its advantages again!! the French, without ever regarding the wounded (which urns, it fe-ems, the Duke of Marlborough’s conitant method) our young officer lay all night in the field, agitated, as may well be fuppofed, with a great va- riety ot thoughts. He afi’ured ms, that when lie refle&ed upon the c.ircumflanees of his wound, that a ball fiiould, as he then conceived it, go through bis head without killing him, he thought God had preferred him by miracle; and therefore afluredfy concluded that lie (houM live, abandoned and defpe- rate as his date then fecmed to be. Yet (which : > nte appeared very altonifiung) he had little thoughts of humbling hi ml.elf before God, and returning to 1iiq; after the wanderings of a life fo liceniioully begun. Hut expeiting to recover, his mind was taken up with contrivances to fecure his gold, of which he had a good deal about Him ; and he had recoune to a very odd expedient, which proved iuccefsful. ^ Expecting to be gripped, lie ftrtt took out a handiul ol that clotted goi'e, of which he was frequently obliged to clear his mouth, or fie would have been choaked ; and putting it in hjs left hand, he took out his money, (which I think was ah.ut 19 pilloles) and limiting his hand, and bdineanra the back part of it with blood, he kept in this poll tion till the blood dried in fuch a manner that his hand could not eafily fall open, though any fudden furpnfe fliould happen, in which he might lole the prelence of mind which that concealment oiherwife would have required.

In the morning the B rench, who were matters of the fpot, uiough their forces were defeated at feme

( 2 ) chfbince, came to plunder the flair ; *r :l •*:!.••• g >• n to appearance alinoll expiring, one of them v> as j'iit applying a fword to his bread, to deftroy the little remainder of life, when, in the critical moment upon which all the extraordinary events of fuch a life as his aiterwards proved, were fufpended, a Cordelier attending the plunderers, iaterpoled, taking him, by his drefs, for a Frenchman, laid, “ Do not kill u that poor cliild.” Our young foldier heard all that palled, though he was not able to Ipeak one word ; and, opening his eyes, made a fign for fome- thing to drink. They gave him a fup of force fpiri- tuous liquor which happened to be at hand; by which, he faid, he found a move f«.nfible refrefhment than he could remember from any thing he had tailed either before or lince. Then fignifying to the Friar tf> leufi down his ear to his mouth, he employed the firft efforts of his feeble breath in telling (what, alas ! was a contrived falfehood) that he was nephew to the governor of Huy, a neutral town in the neigh- bourhood ; and that, if he could take any method of conveying him thither, he did not doubt but his uncle would liberally reward him. He had indeed a friend at Huy (who, I think, was governor, and, if I mif- take not, had been acquainted with the Captain his father) from whom he expelled a kind reception ; but the relation was only pretended. On hearing this, they laid him on a fort of hand-barrow, and lent him by a file of mufqueteers toward the place ; but the men loll their way, and got into a wood to-

'wards the’evening, in which they were obliged to continue all night. The poor patient’s w;ound being Pill undreiTed, it is not to be wondered by this time

jt raged violently. The anguilh of it engaged him eavneftly’ to beg that they would kill him outright,

i or leave him there to die without the torture of any • farther motion ; and indeed they were obliged to reit }u ccrtlderuble t’tr.e, on account of their own

( 9 ) W'eartnefs. Thus he fpent the feeond uight in the open air, without any thing more than ,a common bandage to haunch die blooa. He hath often men- tioned it as a moll ailonilhing providence, that he did not bleed to death; which, under God, he a- ioribed to the extreme co.ldnefs of thefe 2 nights.

Judging it quite unfafe to attempt carrying him to Huy, from whence they were now ieveral miles diftant, his convoy took him early in the morning to a convent in die neighbourhood, where be was hofpitably received, and treated with great kindnefs and tendcrnefs. But the cure of Ins wound was committed to an .ignorant barber furgeon, w ho lived near the ivoufe; the belt mi4. tlvat could then he made, at a time when, .it majHae cafily furpoied, perfons of ability in their profefiion had the-ir hant's toll of employment. The tent which this arttft ap- plied, was almod like a ])eg driven into the wound; and gentlemen cf.fkill and experience, when they camo to hear of the manner in which he was treated, wondered how he could polhbly furvive Inch manage- ment, But, by the blefling of God, on tiiele applica- tions, rough as they were, he recovered in a few months, i he Lady Abbels,who tailed lam her for, treated him w ith the affedson and care of a mother ; and he. always declared, that every thing which he law within thefe walls, was conduftcd with the Iti id- ell decency and decorum. He received a great many devout admonitions from the ladies there; and they would fain have perfuaded him to acknowledge what they thought fo miraculous ^deliverance, by embracing the Catholic faith, as they were pleafed to call it, but they could not fucceed ; for, though no religion lay near his heart, yet he had too much the ipirit of a gentleman, indantly to change that form oi. religion which he wore, as it were, loofe about him, as well as too much good fenfe to fwallow thefe mcmltrous ubUirdities of Popery which imme-

C 10 ) dr&tely prefeoted themfelves to him, unacquainted as he was with the niceties of the controveri'y.

When his liberty was regained by an exchange of prH’ohers, and his health thoroughly etlablilhed, he was far from rendering unto the Lcrd aec: rdirg to tliat wonderful difplay of divine mercy which he h; i experienced. I know very little of the particu- lars of thole wild; thcughtlefs, and wretched years, which lay between the 19th and the 30th of his life; except it be, that he frequently experienced the di- vine gocdnels in renewed tnftances, particularly in preferving him in feveral hot military adlions, in all which he never received fo much as « wound aftef this, forward as he was in tempting danger ; and yet, that all thefe years were fpent in an entire aliena- tion from God, and an eager purfuit of animal plta- fure, as his fupreme good. The feries of criminal amours in which he was almoft incefiantly engaged during this time, mull probably have afforded iome remarkable adventures and occurrences; but the memory of them is periflied. Nor do I think it un- worthy notice here, that amidll all the intimacy of his friendlhip, and the many years of cheerful as well as ferious conVerfe which we fpent together, I never remember to have heard him fptak of any of thefe intrigues, otherw ife than in the general, with deep and ioltmn abhorrence. This I the rather mention, as it feeirted a molt genuine proof of Ins unfeigned repentance; which, I think there is great reafon to fufpeft, when people idem to take a pleafure in relat ing fccnes of \*icious indulg nee, which yet they profefs to have disapproved and forfaken.

Amidft all thefe pernicious wanderings from the paths of religion, virtue,and happinets, hempproved him tell1 fo well in his military eharaclty, li.ai he was made a lieutenant in that year, viz. 1706 : and I am told, he was very quickly promoted to a Cornet’s coihmiffton in Lord Stair’s regiment of Scotch Greys;

( 11 ) and on the jtO: of January, 1714-15, was snaJe cap- tain-lieutenant, in Col. Ker’s regiment of dragoons. He hed the honour of being known to the Earl of Stair fome time before, and was made his aid du- camp\ and when, upon his Lordthip’s being appointed ambaffador from his late Majefty to the Court of France, he made fo fplendid an entrance into Paris, Captain Gardiner was his mailer of the horfe ; and I have been told, that a great deal of the care of that admirably well adjufted ceremony fell upon him, fo that he gained great creit by the manner in which he conducted it. Under the benign influence of hi.s Lordihip’s favou r (whi eh to the laft of his life he retained) a captain’s comniidion was procured for him (dated July lid, in the year J715) in the regi- ment of dragoons, commanded by Colonel S' anhope, (now Earl of Harrington) ; and in the year 1717, lie was advanced to the majority of that regiment; in which office he continued till it was reduced, in Nov. 10th, 1718, when he was put out of commiflion. But his Majefty King George I. was fo thoroughly apprifed of his faithful and important fervice, that he gave his figu manuel, entitling him to the firit majority that would become vacant in any regiment of horfe or dragoons, which happened about five years after to be in Croft’s regiment of dragoons, in which he received a commilfion, dated ill. June, 1724; and on the 20th July, the fame year, he was made Major qf an older regiment, commanded by the Earl of Stair.

As I am now fpeaking of fo many of his military preferments, I will difpatch the account of them, by obferving, that on the 24th. January, 1729-30, he was advanced to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the fame regiment, long under the command of Lord Cardogan ; with v hofe friendfhip this brave and vigilant officer was alfo honcured for many years. And he continued in this rank and regiment till the

( ** ) 19th of April, 1743, when he received a Colonel's commiffion over a regiment of dragoons, lately com- manded by Brigadier Bland; at the head of which ho- valiantly fell, in the defence of his Sovereign and his country, about two years and a half after he received it.

We will now return to that period of his life which palled at Paris, the feene of fuch remarkable and important events. He continued (if I remember right) fevei'al years under the roof of the brave and generous Earl of Stair, to whom he endeavoured 1.0 approve himfelf by every inflance of diligent and faithtul fervice : And his Lordfhip gave no mcorfi- derable proof or the dependence which he had upon him, when, in the beginning of the year 1715, he in- truded him with the important difpatches relating to a difeovery which, by aferies of admirable policy, he had made of a delign .which the French king was then forming for invading Great-Britain, in favour ot the Pretender; in which the French apprehended they were fo fure of fucccls. that it feemed a point of friendfliip in one of the chief counftllors of that court, to difiuade a dependent of his from accepting fome employment under bis Britannic Majefty, when propofed by his envoy there, becaui'e it w as faid, that in lefs than fix weeks there would be a revolu- tion in favour of what they called the family of the Stuarts. The Captain difpatched his journey with the utmofl fpeed ; a variety of circumftances happily occurred to accelerate it; and they who remember how loon the regiments which that emergency re- quired were railed and armed, will, I doubt not, eileem it a memorable inftance both of the moll cor- dial zeal in the friends of the government, and of the gracious care ©f divine providence over the lioufe of Hanover ami ti t Britilh liberties, fo incomparably conncded-v. iih .is- nut 1 eft.

( J3 ) And now I am come to that aftonifhing part of

his ftory, the account of his cenverfion ; which I cannot enter upon without affuring the reader, that I have fometimes been tempted to fupprefs many circumflances of it, not only as they may feem in- credible to fame, and enthufiaftical to. others, but as 1 am very fenliblc they are liable to great abufes ; which was the reafon that he gave me for concealing the moft extraordinary from many perfons to whom he mentioned fome of the reft. And I believe it was this, together with the defire of avoiding every thing that might look like oftentation on tins head, that prevented his leaving a written account of it, though I have often intreated him to do it, as I particularly remember I did in the very laft letter I ever wrote him ; and pleaded the pofiibility of his falling amidft thofe dangers to which I knew his valour migft in fuch circumftances naturally expofe him. I va- . ot fo happy as to receive any anfwer to this le' .r, which reached him but a few days before his death; nor can I certainly fay, whether he had or had not complied with my requeft, as it is very poflible a paper of that kind, if it were written, might be loft amidft the ravages which the rebels made whew they plundered Bankton.

The ftory, however, was fo remarkable, that I had little reaton to apprehend I Ihould ever forget it ; and yet, to guard againft all contingencies of that kind, I wrote it down that very evening, as 1 heard it from his'own mouth: And 1 have now before me the memoirs of that converfation, dated Auguft 14th

17395 wiuch conclude with thefe words, (which I added, that, if we ihould both have died that night, the world might not have loft this edifying and af- fefling hiftory, or have wanted any atteilau-n cf it 1 was capable of giving.) “ N. B. I have written down *l this account with all the exaftnefs I am capable of, *• and could fafely take an oath of it, as to the truth

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“ of every circufnflatice, to the befl of my remem- “ brance, as the Colonel related it to me a few hour* “ ago.” I do nd$ know that I had reviewed this paper fince I wrote it, till I fet rrtyfelf thus publicly to re- cord this extraordinary faft; but I find it pun^lually to agree with what I have often related from my memory, which I charged carefully with fo wonder- ful and important a fa£f. One thing more_I will only premife, that I hope none who have heard the Colonel himfelf fpeak fomething of this wonderful fcene, will be furprifed if they find iome new cir- cumf'ances here ; becauleu he afiured me, at the time he firft gave me the whole narration, (which was in the very room in which I new write), that he had never imparted it fo fully to any man living before* Yet, at the fame time, he gave me full liberty to communicate it tp whomfoever I fhould in my con- icience judge it might be ufeful to do it, whether before or after his death. Accoi'dingly I did, while he was alive, recount almoft ea?ery circumflance I am now going to write, to feveral pious friends; referring them, at the fame time to the Colonel Inm-

| felf, whenever they might have an opportunity of feeing or writing to him, for a farther confirmation of what I told them, if they judged it requifue. They glorified God in him ; and, I, humbly hope, many of my readers will alfo do it. I bey will loon perceive the reafon of fo much caution in my intro- ducticn to this (lory, for which therefore 1 lhall make

& no further apology. This memorable event happened towards the mid-

dle of July, 17 19; but 1 cannot be exa& as to the- day. The Major had fpent the evening (and, if I millake pot, it was the Sabbath) in feme gay company, and had an unhappy affignation with a married woman,

\, of what rank or quality I did not particularly en- quire, whom he was to attend exaftly at twelve. The company broke up about eleven ; and not juc.g-

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ing it convenient to anticipate the time appointed, he went into his chamber to kill the tedious hour, perhaps with tome amufing book, or tome other way. But it very accidentally happened, that he took up a religious book, which his good mother or aunt had, without his knowledge, Hipped into his portmantua: It was called, if I remember the title exaftly, The Cbrif’ian Soldier, or. Heaven taken by Storm; and was written by Mr. Thomas Watfon.' Gudiing by the title of it that he thouid find fome phrafes of his own profetlion fpiritualized in a manner which he thought might afford him tome diverfion, he re- folved to dip into it ; but he took no ferious notice of any thing he read in it: and yet, while this book was in his hand, an impreflion was made upon his mind (perhaps God only knows how) which drew after it a train of the moft important and happy con'equences. There is indeed a poilibility, that while he was fitting in this attitude, and reading in this carelefs and profane manner, he might fuddenly fall afleep, and only dream of what he apprehended he faw: But nothing can be more certain, than that, when he gave me this relation, he judged himfelf to be as broad awake, during the whole time, as he ever was in any part of his life ; and he mentioned it to me feveral times afterwards, as what undoubtedly palled, not only in his imagination, but before his eyes.

He thought he faw an unufual blaze of light fall upon the hook while he w as reading, which he at firid imagined might happen by fome accident in the candle; but lifting upTds eyes, he apprehended, to his ex- treme amazement, that there was before him, as it were fufpended in the air, a vifible reprefentation of the Lotd Je4‘us Chrift upon the crofs, im rounded on all fdes with a glory ; and was iirpreUtd, as if a voice, or fomething iquivalent to a Voice, had come to him, to this effeft (for he was not confident as to

( *6 )

the very words) “ Oh tinner! did I fuffer this far thee, “ and are thefe thy returns ?” But whether this were an audible voice, or only a ftrong imprefhon on his mind equally ftriking,he did not teem very confident; though, to the bed of my remembrance, he rather judged it to be the former. Struck with fo amazing a phenomenon as this, there remained hardly any life in him, fo that he funk down in the arm-chair in which he fat, and continued, he knew not very exactly how long, infenfible : (which was one circumftance that made me feveral times take the liberty to fugged that he might poflibly be all this while afleep). But how- ever this were, he quickly after opened his eyes, and favv nothing more than ulual.

It may eafily be fuppofed he was in no condition to make arts-' obl’erva ion upon the time in which he had remained in an infeniibte Hate; nor did he, throughout all the remainder of the night, once re- coiled; that criminal and deteftable affignation which had before engrolfed all his thoughts. He rofe in a tumult of paliions not to be conceived, and walked to and fro in his chamber, till he was ready to drop down, in unutterable atlonilhm'ent and agony of heart, appearing to himfelf the viletl monller in the crea< tioli of God, who had all his lifetime been crucifying Chrid afrefti by his fins, and now faw, as he affuredly believed, by a miraculous vifion, the horror of what he had done. With this was conneded i’uch a view both of the majefty and goodnefs of God, as caufed him to lotlie and abhor himfelf, and to repent as in dull and allies. He immediately gave judgement againft himfelf, that he was moft juftly worthy of eternal damnation. He was allonifhed that he had not been immediately itruok dead in the niidlt of his wickedneis ; and (which I think deferves parti- cular remark) though he affuredly believed that he fhould ere long be in hell, and iettled it as a point with hirnfelf for ftveral months, that the wiidoin

p.nri of God did almoft T)er.-:;Ta.Hy require tlcat Juch an enormous finiier fiioil!J he made an example of everi.'rfting vengeance and a fpeftacle, as fucb, both to angels and men; fo that he hardly durft prefume to pray for pardon: yet what he then fuf- fered, was not Co much from the fear of hell, though he concluded it would foon be his portion, ns from a fear of that horrible ingratitude he had fliewn to the Gad of his life, and to that/ bklbd Redeemer, who had been in fo affe&ing a manner fet forth as crucified beforc him. To this he refers in a letter, dated from Douglas, April i, 1725, communicated to me by his Lady ; but I know not to whom it was addrefled. His words are thefe: u One thing relat- “ ing to my converfion, and a remarkable inftarce of “ the goodnefs of God to me the chief of finners, I “ do not remember that I ever told to any other “ perfon ; it was this : That after the aftonifliing “ fight I had of my bleffed Lord, the terrible con- “ dition in which I -was, proceeded not fo much from “ the terrors of the law, as from a fenfe of having “ been fo ungrateful a monfter to him whom I thought “ I faw piercedfor my tranfgreflions.” I the rather infert thefe words, a» they evidently auelt the civ- cumfiance which may feem moll amazing in this affair, and contain fo exprefs a declaration of his own ap- prehenfion concerning it.

The July before his death, he w as perfuaded to take a journey to Scarborough for the recovery of his health ; from which he was at leail encouraged to expedl feme little revival. After this, he had thoughts of going to London, and detigned to have fpent part of September at Northampton. The ex- pe&ation of this was mutually agreeable.; but Pro- vidence faw fit to difconcert the i’cheme. His love for his friends in thefe parts occafioned him to ex- prefs lome regret on his being commanded back: And I am pretty confident, from the manner in

( >S ) v-v'h'ch he exprefled himfetf in one of his lah letters to me, that he had home more important reafons for ivifhirtg an opportunity of making a London journey ju!t at that crifis, which, the reader will remember, Was before the rebellion broke out.—■ But, as providence determined it otherwife, he ac- quiefeed; and l am well fatisfied, that could he. have diftincUy forfeen the approaching event, lb far as it concerned his own perion, he would have eiteemed it the hap pi eft fummens he ever received.

While he was at Scarborough, I find bv a letter dated from thence, July r6, 1745, that he had been informed of the gaiety which fo unfeafonably pre- vailed at Edinburgh, where great multitudes were then fpeuding their time in balls, aflemblies, and other gay amufements, little mindful of the rod of “God which was then hanging over them; on which occafion he hath this expreffion: “ I am greatly fur- “ prifed that the people of Edinburgh fhould be em- “ ployed in fuch fooliih divevfions, when our fitua- “ tion is at prefent more melancholy than ever I faw “ it in my life. But there is one thing which I am “ very lure of, that comforts me, viz. ti nt it fliall “ go well with the righteous, come what will.”

Quickly after his return home, the flame burft out, and his regiment was ordered to Stirling. It was in the caftle there that his lady and eldeft daughter en- joye4 the laft happy hours of his company; and I think it was about eight or ten days before his death that he departed from them there. A remarkable circumftance attended that parting, which hath been touched upon by lurviving friends in more than one of their letters to me. His lady was fo afledlei when ihe took her laft leave of him, that flie could not forbear burfting emt into a flood of tears, with other marks of unufual emotion. And when he aiked her the reafon, (he urged the apprehenfcon (lie had of lofing 1'ueh an invaluable friend, amidft the

C T9 ) cWi'gj-rs to which he was then called out, as a very iuflktent apology. Upon which fhe took particular notice, that whereas he had generally comforted her cm fuch occafions, by pleading with her that remark able hand of providence'which had fo frequently, in former inilances, been exerted for his prelervatlor, and that in the greateft extremity, he faid nothit g of it now; but only replied, in his featentious man- ner, “ We have an eternity to.fpend together.”

I have heard fuch a multitude of inconfiftent re- ports of the circumftances of Colonel Gardiktr’s death, that I had almoft defpaired of being able to give my reader any particular fatisfaflion concern- ing fo interehing a fc-ene: but, by a happy acctdent, I have very lately had an opportunity of being ex- aflly informed of the whole, by that brave man, Mr. John Foster, his faithful fervant, (and worthy of the-honour of ferving fuch a mailer) whom I had feen with him at my houfe fome years before, fie attended him in his lad hours, and gave me the nar- ration at large ; which he would be ready’, if it were requifite, to atteft upon oath.

On Friday, September 20th (the day before the battle which tranfmitted him to his immortal crown) when the whole army was drawn up, I think about noon, the Colonel rode through all the ranks of his own regiment, addreffing them at once in the molt/

refpe&ful and animating manner, both as foldiers and as Chridians, to engage them to exert themfelves couragioufly in the fervice of their country, and to negledl nothing that might have a tendency to pre- pare them for whatever event might happen. They leemed much affected with the addrefs, and expreffed a very ardent defire of attacking the enemy imme- diately: a defire in which he and another very gal- lant officer of dilVinguiflied rank, dignity, and charac- ter, both for bravery and conduft, would gladly have gratified them, if it had been in the power of either.

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Hi earned!)’ prefled it on the commanding efScer, both as the ioldiers were then in better fpirits than it could be fuppofed they would be after having pafled the night under arms ; and alfo as the cir- cumflances of making an attack would be fome en- CouragemetU to them, and probably fome terror to the enemy, who would have had the difadvantage of (landing on the defence : a difadvantage with which thofe wild barbarians (for fuch moll of them were) perhaps would have been more llruck than better difeiplined troops, efpecially when they fought a- gainll the laws of their country too. He alio ap- prehended, that by marching to meet them, fome advantage might have been feeured with regard ta the ground ; with which, it is natural to imagine, he mult have been perfedly acquainted, as it lay juft at his own door, and he had rode over it fo many hundred times. When I do mention ^thefe things, I do not pretend to be capable of judging l ew far this advice was on the whole right. A variety of circumftances, to me unknown, might make it other- wife. It is certain, however, that it was brave. But it was over-ruled in this refpeft, as it alfo was iu the difpofition of the cannon, which he would have had planted in the centre of our fmall army, rather than jull before his regiment, which was in the right wing ; where he was apprehenflve that the horfes, which had not been in any engagement before, might be thrown into fome diforder by the difeharge fo very near them. He urged this the more, as he thought the attack of the rebels might probably be made on the centra of the foot, where he knew there were fome brave men, on whole (landing he thought, under God, the fuccefs of the day depended. When he found that he could not carry any of thefe points, nor fome others, which, out of regard to the common fafety, he infilled upon with fome unufual earneftnefs, he dropped fome iu-

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timations of the confequences which he apprehended, [ and which did in fail follow; and, fubmitting to Pro- i vidence, fpent the remainder of the day in making

as good a difpofition as circumftances would allow. He continued all night under arms, wrapped up

ij in his cloak, and generally Iheltered under a rick of ; barley which happened to be in the field. About

three in the morning he called his domeftic fervants to him, of which there were four in waiting. He difmifled three of them with a moft affe&ionate

| Chriftian advice, and fuch folemn charges relating ! to the performance of their duty and the care of i their fouls, as feemed plainly to intimate that he 1 was taking his laft farewel of them. There is great : reafon to believe that he fpent the little remainder [ of the time, w'hich could not he much above an hour, r in thofe devout exerciles of foul, which had fo long i been habitual to him, and to which fo manv circum- ; nances did then concur to call him. The army 1 was alarmed by break of day, by the noife of the : rebels approach, and the attack was made before : fun-rife, yet when it was light enough to difcern 1 what paffed. As loon as the enemy came within j| gun-(hut, they made a furious lire ; and i£ is faid ill that the dragoons, which conllituted the left wing, I immediately fled. The Colonel, at the beginning i of the onfet, which, in the whole, lalied but a few

minutes, received a wound by a bullet in his left bread, which made him give a fudoen fpring in his faddle; upon which his fervant, who hao led the horfe, would have perfuaded him to retreat: but he faid it was only a wound in the flefh, and fought

i on, though he prefently after received a fliot in his 5 right thigh. In the mean time it \- as difcerned j that feme of the enemies fell by him, and particu- ! larly one man who had made him a treacherous vifit f but a few days before, with great profefliens of zeal | for the prefent elUblilhment.

( « )

Kvents of this kind pafs in lefs time than the de- fer! ption of them can be written, or than it can be read. The Colonel was, for a few moments fup. ported by his men, and particularly by the brave Lieutenant Colonel Whitney, who was fhot through the arm here, and a few months after, fell nobly in the battle of Falkirk, and by Lieutenant Weft, a man of diftinguifhed bravery, as alfo by about fifteen dragoons, who flood by him to the laft. But after a faint fire, the regiment in general was feized with a panic: and thoughAheir Colonel and fome other gallant officers did what they could to rally them once or twice, they at laft took a precipitate flight: And, juft in the moment when Colonel Gar- diner feemed to be making a paufc, to deliberate what duty required him to dp in inch a eircumftance, an accident happened, which mult, I think, in the judgement of every worthy and generous man, be allowed a fufficient apology for expoiing his life to fo great hazard, when his regiment had left him. He faw a party of the foot,, who were then bravely fighting near him, and whom he was ordered to fup- port, had jio officer to head them; upon which he i'aid eagerly, in the hearing of the perlbn from whom I had this account, “ .Thole brave fellows would be “ cut to pieces for want of a commander;” or words to that effcfl, which, while he was fpeaking, he rode up to them and cried out aloud, “ Fire on, my lads, “ and fear nothing.” But juft as the words were out of his mouth, an Highlander advanced towards him with a icy the faftened to a long pole, witlq which he gave him fuch a deep wound on his right arm, that his fword dropped out of his hand; and at the fame time feveral others coming about him, while he was thus dreadfully entangled with that cruel weapon, he was dragged off from his hcrie. The moment he fell, another Highlander, who, if the king’s evidence at Caiiif’e may be credited,

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(as I know not why they fhould not, though the unhappy creature died denying it) was one M‘Naught who was executed about a year after, gave him a ftroke, either with a broad fword or a Lochaber axe, (for my informant could not exactly diflinguifh) on the hinder part of his head, which was the mortal blow. All that his faithful attendant faw farther at this time was, that as his hat was fallen off, he took it in his left hand, and waved it as a fignal to him to retreat; and added, what were the lalt words he ever heard him fpeak, u Take care of yourfelf:” Upon which the fervant retired to a mill, at the diftance of two miles from the fpot of ground on which the Colonel fell, where he changed his drefs, and, difguifed like a miller’s fervant, returned with a cart as foon as poffible ; which yet was not till near two hours after the engagement. The hurry of the a&ion was then pretty '.veil over, and he found his much honoured mailer not^ply plundered of his watch, and other things of vallie, but alfo dripped of his upper garments and boots, yet ftill breathing i and adds, that though he was not capable of fpeech, yet on taking him up he opened his eyes ; which

| makes it fomething quettionable whether he was al- together ini'enfible. In this condition, and in this

il manner, he conveyed him to the church of Tranent, I from whence he was immediately taken into the

minifter’s houfe, and laid in bed, where he continued breathing, and frequently groaning, till about eleven in the forenoon, when he took his final leave of pain and forrow, and undoubtedly rofe to thofe didinguifh- ed glories which are refervedfor thofe w ho have been fo eminently and remarkably faithful unto death.

from the moment in which he fell, it was no longer a battle, but a rout and carnage. The cruel- ties which the‘ rebels (as it is generally faid, under the command of Lord Elcho) inflicted on feme of the king’s troops, afttr they had allied quarter,

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were dreadfully legible on the countenance of many who furvived it. They entered Colonel Gardiner's houfe before he was carried off from the field, and, notwithUanding the ftrift orders which the unhappy Duke of Perth (whofe conduct is laid to have been very humane in many inllances) gave to the contrary, every thing of value was plundered, to ihe very curtains of the beds, and hangings of the rooms.— His papers were all thrown into the wildeft diforder, and his houfe made an hofpital for the reception of thofe who were wounded in the attion.

* * AN i

ACROSTIC

TO THE MEMORY OF

COLONEL JAMES GARDINER,

tVlio fell in the Battle of Pkestonpans, Sept. 21ft. 174A

Joy ceafe to flow, while I relate, A mournful tale of Gardiner’s fate, Moll {hocking to the human mind : Envy and cruelty combin’d, Sure did poffefs that rebel blind,

’Gainfl reafon could a butcher be. And murder one who could not flee. Rare Champion in his country’s caufe! Dar’d to maintain Britannia’s Laws, In fac ; of danger boldly ftood. Nor flinch’d tho’ he had loft much blood. Even envy can’t his valour ftain, Renovvn’d muft Gardiner’s fame remain.

FINIS.

7. Johnstm, Printer, Faikirk.