Page:A biographical dictionary of eminent Scotsmen, vol 7.djvu/276

412 there is equally little known, ns of the other particulars alluded ta He ap- pears, however, to have adopted the military profession at a very early period of life, and having distinguished himself in the parliamentary army, was raised to the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He went to Ireland in the marquis of Argyle's regiment in the year 1642, and in 1645, was recalled to oppose the progress of the marquis of Montrose. At what period of the struggle colonel Wallace joined the army of the covenanters, under general Baillie, unknown, but he was at the battle of Kilsyth, where he was taken prisoner.

In 1650, when Charles II. came from the continent, at the entreaty of the Scottish parliament, two regiments being ordered to be embodied of "the choicest of the army, and fittest for that trust," one of horse and another of foot, as his body guards, Wallace was appointed lieutenant-colonel of the foot regiment, under lord Lorn, who was colonel. Sir James Balfour, lord Lyon King at Arms, by his majesty's command, set down the devices upon the ensigns and colours of these regiments. Those of the lieutenant colonel [Wallace] were azure, a unicorn argent, and on the other side in "grate gold leters," these words, "Covenant for religion, king, and kingdoms." At the battle of Dunbar Wallace was again made prisoner; and in the end of that year, lord Loin, in a petition to the parliament, says, "In respect my lieutenant-colonel has, in God's good providence, returned to his charge, whose fidelity in this cause is well known both in Ireland and in this kingdom, and that his losses are very many and great, I do humbly desire that your majesty and this high court of parliament may be pleased in a particular manner to take notice of him, that he may not only have a company appointed him, but likewise something may be done, for the satisfaction of his former losses." Upon this petition the Committee of Bills reported, "that lieutenant-colonel Wallace may be referred to the Committee of Estates, that he may be assigned to some part of the excise or maintenance forth of the shire of Ayr, or any other of the shires in the south."

Colonel Wallace seems to have lived in retirement from the Restoration till the month of November, 1666, when Maclellan of Barscob, and some other gentlemen who had been driven into hiding, happening to fall in with some soldiers whom they found maltreating a poor old countryman, immediately disarmed the latter, and thus gave occasion to that rising, which, from the place where it was suppressed, has always been called the rising of Pentland. Having fairly committed themselves by their humane interference, these gentlemen conceived the design of anticipating the vengeance of Sir James Turner, by surprising him with his whole party where he lay in the town of Dumfries, about sixteen miles distant Accordingly, having assembled their friends, to the number of about fifty horse, with a few foot, they marched into that town upon Thursday, the 15th of November, and made Sir James prisoner with his whole party, wounding only one man. The insurgents on this occasion, were led by a Mr Andrew Gray, a merchant in Edinburgh, who happened by chance to be in that part of the country at the time. Neilson of Corsack, however, was the leader, before whom Sir James Turner, upon being made prisoner, was brought. From this gentleman he obtained quarter and protection; but when Gray, the chief of the party, came up, he insisted upon having him shot upon the spot. They finally, however, set him upon a sorry beast, and carried him about with them in his dishabille, and in this manner proceeded to the market cross, where they drank the king's health, and prosperity to his government. Sir James, however, for some days could not believe but that they intended to hang him when they should find time and place suitable.

While these things were transacting in Dumfries, the friends of religion and