View from the Jacobite Left

After absorbing artillery fire for between twenty to thirty minutes, Lord George Murray asked the Prince to order a charge. After wavering, the Prince finally agreed and the order was given. Though the decision had been made, the order to charge was delayed in reaching the troops as the messenger, young Lachlan MacLachlan, was killed by a cannonball. Finally, the charge began, possibly without orders, and it is believed that the MacKintoshes of the Chattan Confederation were the first to move forward, quickly followed by the Atholl Highlanders on the right. The last group to charge was the MacDonalds on the Jacobite left. As they had the farthest to go, they should have been the first to receive the order to advance. Anticipating a charge, Cumberland had lengthened his line to avoid being flanked and had swung troops out and forward on his left. These soldiers formed a right angle to his line and were in a position to fire into the flank of the attackers.