In early January, the Jacobites besieged Stirling Castle and on 13th, Henry Hawley, government commander in Scotland, marched north from Edinburgh to its relief. The two forces made contact outside Falkirk on 17 January but Hawley assumed there would be no action that day. About 1:00 pm, the Jacobites began to advance; this initiated the Battle of Falkirk Muir, which took place in failing light and heavy snow and was marked by confusion on both sides. The Perthshire Horse was not engaged and although a Jacobite victory, the failure to follow up allowed Hawley's troops to retreat in good order.