Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Cope, John
COPE, Sir JOHN (d. 1760), commander-in-chief of the forces in Scotland during the rebellion of 1745, was early indebted to the favour of Thomas Wentworth, third earl of Strafford [q. v.], with whom, as appears from letters in the British Museum, he was on terms of intimate friendship. He entered the army as a cavalry officer, and in 1707 held the rank of cornet. He was colonel of 39th foot 1730–32, 5th foot 1732–7, 9th dragoons 1737–41, and 7th dragoons 1741 till death. He obtained the dignity of a knight of the Bath. He was M.P. for Queenborough 1722–7, for Liskeard 1727–34, and for Orford 1738–41. In 1742 he was one of the generals appointed to the command of troops sent to assist the queen of Hungary. Promoted brigadier-general in 1735 and major-general in 1739, he became lieutenant-general in 1743. In 1745, when Prince Charles landed in the highlands, he was commander-in-chief in Scotland, and on rumours reaching him of the prince's arrival he resolved to march to the highlands to check the prince's progress. The feverish eagerness with which at the urgent request of the lords of the regency he set out on this expedition was gradually spent on the march northwards. When he left Stirling on 19 Aug. the number of men under his command did not exceed fourteen hundred, and the auxiliaries on which he relied to join him on the march, not having time for preparation, failed to appear. The difficulties of the mountain passes also began to overawe his resolution, and when he came in sight of the rebels posted at Corryarak, barring the way to Fort Augustus, he became alarmed, and at the junction of the roads at Catlaig turned southwards towards Inverness. The highlanders on learning the news uttered cries of exultation, and advanced to Garvamore. At first they had the intention of cutting off his retreat, but on second thoughts it was resolved to march southward into the low country in the hope of seizing Edinburgh before Cope should return. Cope now recognised the necessity of occupying his former position at Stirling, but without reinforcements of highlanders, which he found it impossible to procure, could not dare to retreat by land. He accordingly sent news of his predicament to the authorities in Edinburgh, and transports were sent to bring his troops back by sea from Aberdeen, but while they were landing at Dunbar the rebels had taken possession of Edinburgh. On news reaching the rebels that Cope was marching to its relief, they boldly resolved to meet him in the open. On 20 Sept. both armies, nearly equal in strength, came in sight of one another at Prestonpans, upon which Cope resolved to take up a strong but cramped position, with his front to Prestonpans and his right to the sea, a boggy morass about half a mile in breadth stretching between the two armies. As night was approaching the troops on both sides resolved to defer the conflict till the morrow, but one of the rebels from Edinburgh, who was thoroughly acquainted with the ground, having undertaken to point out a ford where the morass could be easily crossed, Charles and his officers resolved to cross over in the darkness, and make their attack just as day began to break. The ruse was completely successful, for such was the impetuous rush of the highlanders that the troops of Cope, half awake and utterly bewildered, could make no effective resistance, and in a few minutes were in headlong flight. Only one round of ammunition was fired, and not one bayonet was stained with blood. Few except the cavalry made good their escape, the whole of the infantry being either killed or taken prisoners. The ludicrous part played by Cope is ridiculed in the well-known song ‘Hey, Johnnie Cope! are ye waukin yet?’ A council of officers was appointed to inquire into his conduct, but they unanimously absolved him from all blame, their decision being that he ‘did his duty as an officer, both before and after the action; and his personal behaviour was without reproach; and that the misfortune on the day of action was owing to the shameful behaviour of the private men, and not to any misconduct or misbehaviour of Sir John Cope or any of the officers under his command.’ In 1751 he was placed on the staff in Ireland. He died 28 July 1760 (Scots Mag. xxii. 387).
[Report of the Proceedings and Opinions of the Board of General Officers on their Examination into the conduct, behaviour, and proceedings of Sir John Cope, knight of the Bath, 1749; Culloden Papers; Lockhart's Memoirs; Gent. Mag. xv. 443, xvi. 593, xix. 51–60; Georgian Era, ii. 48; Chambers's History of the Rebellion; Hill Burton's History of Scotland; Ewald's Life and Times of Prince Charles Stuart (1876); Cope's Letters to Lord Strafford, 1707–11, Add. MS. 22231; Letters to Lord Strafford, 1707–24, Add. MSS. 31134, 31135, 31141; Cope's opinion in favour of a march into Germany, Add. MS. 22537.]