After leaving Glasgow on 3rd January 1746, the Highland division reached Falkirk, ten miles to the south of Stirling, on the 4th and took up positions to guard against threats from south of the Forth. They would remain in that vicinity until the 31st. In the interim the Jacobite army would gain another victory against a Hanoverian army but the seeds of ultimate defeat would begin to sprout.

      On 6th January Lord George Murray wrote a letter to the 25-year-old Prince urging him to reinstate the practice of holding councils of war with the regimental commanders. He pointed out that such a council had prevented a disaster at Derby when the decision to withdraw was made and that these leaders were not mercenaries but volunteers who had a great deal to lose if the rebellion was to fail. The Prince replied to this blunt proposal in a heated and almost hysterical manner. He stated that his father, the King, had been given him full authority and that he wasn't about to delegate it to lesser persons who knew very well what the risk were when they joined him. He concluded with ". . . my Authority may be taken from me by violence, but I shall never resign it like an idiot." There the matter rested but Cluny and Keppoch would bear the full brunt of the Prince's temper before the month was over.

      On the 12th the Highland division made a raid on Linlithgow seven miles to the east to seize supplies that might otherwise fall into enemy hands. While there they learned of the approach of a Hanoverian army under General Hawley. Lord George considered mounting a stand there but chose to withdraw back to Falkirk. There they remained until the 15th when they were ordered to Stirling to participate in a battle for the Castle. Hawley's army reached Falkirk and appeared to be moving north to relieve the siege. In response, the Jacobites marched five miles south to Bannockburn where Bruce had defeated 'proud Edward's army' in 1314 to await Hawley's approach. When Hawley didn't come the Prince called a council and Lord George proposed that the Jacobite army move back to the south side of Falkirk and force Hawley to fight. His proposal was adopted and on the 17th the whole army marched south in three columns abreast -- the Highland division (now ten regiments strong) on the left, the Lowland division in the centre and the cavalry on the right.

      Meanwhile the alarm had been sounded in the enemy camp and the race was on to be first to the high ground. The Highland division marched swiftly to the top of the hill and wheeled left to face Hanoverians. When the Lowland division attempted the same manoeuver they overshot their assigned position to the rear so that they only covered the Highlander's right flank. Cluny's men on the right flank of the left wing faced Hawley's centre as well as lacking any support to the rear. Furthermore, the right wing of Hawley's army was unopposed. Interestingly, the unit on Cluny's right was the Mackintosh regiment which had been formed by Lady Ann Mackintosh because the Mackintosh chief, like Cluny, held a commission in Loudoun's regiment and he chose to honour that commitment. On his left were the Frasers and to their left, the Camerons. Thus, the 1742 Bond of Friendship was fulfilled.

Dark Victory continued to the right below the map