10 M Bane's Life. 11 General Stewart's Highland Regiments, vol. i. 12 Macpherson's Original Papers, 1, 369. 13 An epithet of contempt. 14 Mackay's Memoirs, MS. CHAP. VI.-ANECDOTES OF THE BATTLE of p. 66. 1 "SIR: It has pleased God to give your forces a great victory over the rebels, in which three-fourths of them are fallen under the weight of our swords. I might say much of the action, if I had not the honour to command in it; but of 5000 men, which was the best computation I could make of the rebels, it is certain there have not escaped above 1200. We have not lost full out 900. This absolute victory made us masters of the field and enemy's baggage; which I gave to the soldiers; who, to do them all right, both officers and common men, Highlands, Lowlands, and Irish, behaved themselves with equal gallantry to what ever I saw in the hottest battles fought abroad by disciplined armies; and this M'Kay's old soldiers felt on this occasion. I cannot now, Sir, be more particular; but take leave to assure your Majesty, the kingdom is generally disposed to your service, and impatiently wait for your coming; and this success will bring in the rest of the nobility and gentry, having had all their assurances for it, except the notorious rebels. Therefore, Sir, for God's sake, assist us, though it be with such another detachment as you sent us before, especially of horse and dragoons; and you will crown our beginnings with a complete success, and yourself with an entire possession of your ancient hereditary kingdom of Scotland. My wounds forbid me to enlarge to your Majesty at this time, though they tell me they are not mortal. However, 1 beseech your Majesty to believe, whether I live or die, I am entirely yours-Dundee. 2 Balcarres's Memoirs. Life of Dundee in Supplement to Collier's Dictionary. Highland tradition gives a somewhat different account of Dundee's death, which may be presented here in the unpretending form of a note. Clavers, says the venerable authority I am quoting, had been told by his nurse of some water or river, taking its name from the word goose or geese, that would chance to prove fatal to him. He had also, when a child, got hold of a toad, which he ate half up before he was discovered. When his nurse heard what he had done, and that the nauseous creature had been taken from him and thrown away, she remarked, "Then you have marred my child in the midst of his glory." On his coming into Athole to fight with Mackay, he inquired, very particularly, if there were any river or stream of any kind, which bore the name of the Goose; and, on being assured that there was not, he is said to have appeared pleased. Mark, however, the unerring certainty of fate. The house of Rinrory or Urrard, stood exactly in the centre of the field of battle. There was a considerable stand made, under favour of its enclosures, by Mackay's soldiers; but as the battle swept away into the vale, many of these thought it advisable to take refuge in the house. In a little while, every recess, throughout its various apartments, was filled with frightened and wounded soldiers; some beneath beds, some behind chests, and others in presses and closets. Many died where they lay of fright or wounds, and were not discovered till their bodies began to putrify. One unfortunate soldier was found, some years afterwards, in a deserted garret. Among the rest, was Captain Alexander Campbell of Finab, (a gentlemen of the district, who had joined the Revolution party). Dundee had occasion, in directing the evolutions of his men, to ride past Urrard House. As he passed it, he saw his friend and ally, the gallant Laird of Pitcur, lying severely wounded on the ground. He stopped a moment, to inquire regarding the Laird's condition; and in speaking to the unfortunate gentleman, he leant over the shoulder of his horse. Captain Campbell spied him in that attitude from his place of refuge in the house; and taking aim over the sill of a window which is still shown by the natives, shot him with a bullet in the small of the back, exactly below the edge of his mail. Strange to say, the spot where he was standing at the time, was called the Goose-Dub, being simply the puddle in which the Laird of Urrard's geese were wont to recreate themselves! The wound at first was not thought mortal, nor did it occasion him much inconvenience. He continued, for some time afterwards, to give directions, and to receive his officers, on a little knoll near the place; which, for that reason, has been called Tomn Cleabhrs, the hillock of Cla. verhouse. There are various other traditionary theories regarding Dundee's death. One represents him as having been slain by a West-country Whig, whose family he had ruined --who had consequently entered into his service as a valet, to lie in wait for an opportunity of assassinating him-and who, finally, found that opportunity in the confusion of the battle, when he shot him with a silver button; it being a superstition of this sect that lead had no power to penetrate his body. It is commonly affirmed, that the shot took effect at the moment he was pointing the pursuit with his sword; in support of which theory, Sir Walter Scott informs us, in the notes to his Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, that the buff-coat he wore at the battle, (which is now preserved at Pennycuik House), is penetrated at the armpit. But I am rather inclined to think, after a careful consultation of the best authorities, that he was wounded in the lower part of the body. A Lowland Cavalier story, which has never hitherto been noticed in print, ascribes the fate of the hero to a passion which William, third Viscount of Kilsyth, (not then come to the peerage), entertained for his lady; and Lady Dundee herself, is said to have been so thoroughly convinced of this, that, on the New-Year's morning which succeeded, she sent the supposed assassin a white nightcap, a pair of white gloves, and a rope, being a sort of suit of canonicals for the gallows, either to signify that she esteemed him worthy of that fate, or that she thought the state of his mind might be such as to make him fit to hang himself. After all, as the story proceeds to say, Lady Dundee, like Queen Mary, consented to marry the suspected murderer of her husband. The old Lady Claverhouse, mother to Lord Dundee, was much shocked at the match, which offended her moral sense in much the same way as the union of Hamlet's mother and uncle disgusted that most philosophical of princes. It is said, that when she received an account of the nuptials, she knelt down and fervently prayed to God, that, should he see fit to permit the unworthy couple to go out of the world without some visible token of his indignation, he would be pleased to make her some especial revelation, to prevent her from utterly disbelieving in his providence and justice; one of the most emphatic prayers, perhaps, ever uttered. Her daring request was strangely fulfilled. The Viscount Kilsyth, eventually engaging in the insurrection of 1715, was obliged to seek refuge in Holland. Thither he also took his lady. On landing at the Hague, it was found impossible to procure a lodging, on account of the town being accidentally crowded by some public festival. They found a lodging in the country. They were there residing, when, one night, the house fell above them, killing the faithless relict of Claverhouse, her child, and a servant, while Lord Kilsyth himself was caught by the leg between some falling joists, and was compelled to hear the dying agonies of his wife and child, without being able to attempt their relief. Lady Kilsyth and her child were embalmed, brought home to Scotland, and both laid in the sepulchral vault of the Kilsyth family at Kilsyth, where they were discovered in a state of perfect preservation, so lately as the year 1792. 3 It would be doing injustice to Dundee's memory to omit the beautifully classical elegy which Dr Pitcairn inscribed to his memory. Ultime Scotorum, potuit, quo sospite solo, Translation by DRYDEN. Oh, last and best of Scots! who didst maintain Nor would'st thou her, nor could she thee survive. 4 Mr Alexander Stewart, residing at Pitclochrie. the action. Dundee, in his own letter, says 900; but that is probably a misprint for ninety. 7 Many anecdotes are told in Athole of the great strength and determined character of Robert Stewart, the priest. Being once present at a meeting, where some of the parties quarrelled, he seized two men, and thrusting their heads under his hams, forcibly held them in that awkward situation; then, taking hold of other two with his hands, he cried to his friends, "Come, Sirs, exert yourselves: I cannot fight for you, but I will at least keep some of your enemies from engaging." CHAP. VII.-SKIRMISHES OF DUNKELD AND CROMDALE. 1 The following candid character of Mackay is given in a work entitled, "A Short Account of Scotland," [London, 1702,] which appears to have been drawn up by one of the officers of his army: "He was certainly an honest gentleman, a zealous Presbyterian, and brave enough, as appeared at Gilli-cranky, where, though his conduct was blamed, his courage was not, though the flight of his men forced him to give way. He was a good soldier, with sufficient qualifications to be a Colonel; but for a General officer, it seemed to be a preferment above his capacity. His ill conduct showed itself divers ways: First, His neglect of ammunition, when he marched into the Blair of Athol, the soldiers having a very slender provision of powder and ball. Then his going with so weak a force against a formidable enemy, who had many advantages in that place, and not only the mountains, but the people to favour 'em. His often marching the horse till it was dark night, when they were to encamp and forage, appeared very strange, when no reason could be offered for it; but, on the contrary, 'turns extremely dangerous, as well as inconvenient, to be moving at such an hour. His travelling up and down the country with great bodies of horse, without doing anything, and, for ought we could discover, without design to do: This looked as if he affected a Cavalcade, or Progress, more than a War, and had a mind to ruine the troops instead of subduing the country. Which, and the like instances, though frequently remonstrated against by the English officers, yet made no impression; but he went on |
