P. Doddridge

“ There is great reason to believe that he spent the little remainder of the time, which could not be much above an hour, in those devout exercises of soul, which had so long been habitual to him, and to which so many circumstances did then concur to call him. The army was alarmed by break of day, by the noise of the rebels approach, and the attack was made before sun-rise, yet when it was light enough to discern what passed. As soon as the enemy came within gun-shut, they made a furious fire; and it is said that the dragoons, which constituted the left wing, immediately fled. ”

“ They seemed much affected with the address, and expressed a very ardent desire of attacking the enemy immediately: a desire in which he and another very gallant officer of distinguished rank, dignity, and character, both for bravery and conduct, would gladly have gratified them, if it had been in the power of either. He earnestly pressed it on the commanding officer, both as the soldiers were then in better spirits than it could be supposed they would be after having passed the night under arms ”

“ Nor will the reader wonder, that, thus excited and supported, it easily overbore their tender remonstrances, when he knows that this lively youth fought three duels before he attained to the stature of a man; in one of which, when he was about eight years old, he received from a boy much older than himself, a wound in the right cheek, the fear of which was always very apparent. The false sense of honour which instigated him to it, might seem indeed something excusable, in these unripened years, and considering the the profession of his father, brother, and uncle ”

“ Our young officer was of a party in the Forlorn Hope, and was commanded on what seemed almost a desperate service, to dispossess the French of the church-yard at Ramillies, where a considerable number of them were posted to remarkable advantage. They succeeded much better than was expected; and it may well be supposed, that Mr. Gardiner, who had before been in several encounters, and had the view of making his fortune to animate the natural intrepidity of his spirit, was glad of such an opportunity of signalizing himself. ”

“ And, just in the moment when Colonel Gardiner seemed to be making a pause, to deliberate what duty required him to do in such a circumstance, an accident happened, which must, I think, in the judgement of every worthy and generous man, be allowed a sufficient apology for exposing his life to so great hazard, when his regiment had left him. He saw a party of the foot, who were then bravely fighting near him, and whom he was ordered to support, had no officer to lead them ”

“ We have an eternity to spend together."
I have heard such a multitude of inconsistent reports of the circumstances of Colonel GARDINER's death, that I had almovt despaired of being able to give my reader any particular satisfaction concerning so interesting a scene: but, by a happy accident, I have very lately had an opportunity of being exactly informed of the whole, by that brave man, Mr. JOHN FOSTER, his faithful servant, (and worthy of the honour of serving such a master) whom I had seen with him at my house some years before. ”

“ But the care of his wound was committed to an ignorant barber surgeon, who lived near the house; the best shift that could then be made, at a time when, it may be easily fupposed, persons of ability in their profession had their hands full of employment. ”

“ This accident happened about five or six in the evening, on the 23d day of May, in the year 1700 and the army pursuing its advantages against the French, without ever regarding the wounded (which was, it seems, the Duke of Marlborough's constant method) our young officer lay all night in the field, agitated, as may well be supposed, with a great variety of thoughts. He assured me, that when he reflected upon the circumstances of his wound, that a ball should, as he then conceived it, go through his head without killing him, he thought God had preserved him by miracle ”

“ While he was at Scarborough, I find by a letter dated from thence, July 26, 1745, that he had been informed of the gaiety which so unseasonably prevailed at Edinburgh, where great multitudes were then spending their time in balls, assemblies, and other gay amusements, little mindful of the rod of God which was then hanging over them; on which occasion he hath this expression: “I am greatly surprised that the people of Edinburgh should be employed in such foolish diversions, when our situation is at present more melancholy than ever I saw it in my life. ”

“ But it was over-ruled in this respect, as it also was in the disposition of the cannon, which he would have bad planted in the centre of our small army, rather than just before his regiment, which was in the right wing; where he was apprehensive that the horses, which had not been in any engagement before, might be thrown into some disorder by the discharge so very near them. He urged this the more, as he thought the attack of the rebels might probably be made on the centre of the foot, where he knew there were some brave men, whose standing he thought, under God ”

“ And I have been informed, that after his remarkable conversion, he declined accepting a challenge, with this calm and truly great reply, which, in a man of his experienced bravery, was exceeding graceful: "I fear sinning, though, you know, I do is not fear fighting."
He served first as a Cadet, which must have been very early, and then, at 14 years old, the bore an Ensign's commission in a Scotch Regiment in the Dutch Service ”

“ Amidst all these pernicious wanderings from the paths of religion, virtue, and happiness, he approved himself so well in his military character, that he was made a lieutenant in that year, viz. 1706: and I am told, he was very quickly promoted to a Cornet's commission in Lord Stair's regiment of Scotch Greys; and on the 31st of January, 1714-15, was made captain-lieutenant, in Col. Ker's regiment of dragoons. He had the honour of being known to the Earl of Stair some time before, and was made his aid decamp ”

“ He was also trained up in human literature at the school in Linlithgow, where he made a very considerable progress in the languages. I remember to have heard him quote some passages in the Latin classics very pertinently, though his employment in life, and the various turns which his mind took under different impulses in succeeding years, prevented him from cultivating such studies. ”

“ The cruelties which the rebels (as it is generally said, under the command of Lord Elcho) inflicted on some of the king's troops, after they had asked quarter, were dreadfully legible on the countenance of many who survived it. ”

“ On the whole, to the gentlemen of the sword, I would particularly offer these memoirs, as theirs by so distinguished a title, yet, I am firmly persuaded, there are none whole office is so sacred, or whose proficiency in the religious life is so advanced, but they may find something to demand their thankfulness, and to awaken their emulation.
Colonel JAMES GARDINER was the son of Captain PATRICK GARDINER, of the family of Torwoodhead, by Mrs. ”