Heartened by their success at Prestonpans, the Jacobite army found themselves at a crossroads of purposes. The Scots only wanted what they already had achieved, independence from England. However they saw that to be truly free the Act of Union would have to be repealed. The Irish wanted the English out of Ireland and the freedom to be Catholic once again. Finally the English wanted the monarchy of England to be overthrown and the absolutist regime to be restored. Charles decided to foray into England despite urgings to stay in Scotland for the winter.
The British, upon learning of the defeat of Cope at Prestonpans prepared countermeasures. Whig supportive clans, mostly Lowlanders, were given to ability and opportunity to attack their highland neighbors. This gave way to the aforementioned grudges most famously that of the turncoat Campbells. When they learned of Charles� thrust into England they were caught unawares, most of the troops having been deployed in the south for the ongoing war with France. The troops were hurriedly recalled under the direction of Charles� cousin, the Duke of Cumberland. Yet they arrived too late to halt the Highlanders insurrection into the heart of England.
Driving southward, the Scots made their way toward Wales, a traditional center of Jacobite resistance. Carlisle, Manchester, and Derby all fell in succession to Charles� army. They were soon in within a two-days march to London. Here they delayed while waiting for the Welsh support, and French reinforcements led by Charles� brother Henry. While they waited, the English countermeasures took effect. An army four times larger than that of the Scots blocked their route back to Scotland, while another smaller army blocked their way to London. It was necessary for the Scots to return to their seat of power and as they retreated the support of the Welsh/English and French disappeared as quickly as it was mustered.
As they withdrew the Scots were forced to give up many of the cities that they had taken on their way in. In fact the withdrawn support of the Jacobites in England quickly turned to enmity. They found themselves the object of scorn and derision, and it became increasingly difficult to get supplies from the locals. They continued north until they reached Falkirk. There a contingent of the Governmental army was bivouacked. Utilizing the favored tactic of speed that made the Highlanders so effective, they charged the troops stationed there under Commander Hawley. The attack was brief and in many ways mirrored that of the attack on Prestonpans. Both were quickly executed and against a foe completely unprepared for a fight.
Over the next few months Lieutenant General Murray took to the warpath in Scotland, smashing garrisons of Englishmen and Whig clans alike. Despite these victories, the Scottish still had no way to hold these lands. And while still more clan chiefs joined under the Stuart banner, the support was limited to Scotland with little or no support from France. With Cumberland blocking the way into England, they would have to deal with him before they could truly free Scotland and raise the Stuart banner in London.