The Duke was successful at the outset of the action, but the Russians under his command falling into disorder, the enemy rallied upon them, repulsed them, and took a great number of them prisoners, which compelled the Duke to retreat. We heard the firing of the cannon while we lay on our arms, waiting for orders to move, but, when word was brought that the Duke of York had been driven back, we retired the same way that we came, and were not engaged in this action. We began now to say that we were a lucky regiment; various expressions were used by the soldiers, when speaking of our good luck, (as it was called) some of them very foolish, which I do not mention. Some said, that there were too many old women in Scotland, praying for their children and friends, to allow us to be exposed to great danger. I began to reflect seriously upon our past preservation, and the bad improvement that we were making of it; and the thought made me tremble: I thought, "It _may be_, that God has been more favourable to us than to others, on account of the prayers of godly relatives at home; but his kindness has a claim upon _our gratitude_, and if it does not produce gratitude from _us to him_, he may be provoked to punish us severely, and make his punishment in proportion to his past kindness; and the longer that he bears with us, the stroke may be the heavier when it comes; and although we have as yet escaped more than other regiments, in the next battle it may be, that for hardening ourselves in sin, and flattering ourselves with security, on account of the prayers of godly relatives, we may suffer more severely than any others:"--and my fears were not groundless.