Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 4.djvu/25

] pledge that he should not be molested. But, unfortunately for him, an emissary from James in Ireland, bearing letters to Dundee and Balcarras, was intercepted, and immediately Balcarras was arrested, and Dundee made his escape into the highlands. There, though he could not move any of the clans by any motives of loyalty to declare for James, he contrived to effect this object through their own internal enmities. Most of them had an old and violent feud with the clan Campbell. The Argyll family had, through a long succession of years, extended its territories and its influence over the western highlands at the expense of the other clans, some of which it had nearly extirpated; and now the head of the family came back from exile in the favour of the new monarch, and all these clans, the Stuarts, the Macnaghtens, the Camerons, the Macdonalds, the Macleans, were all in alarm and expectation of a severe visitation for past offences, and for unpaid feudal dues. They were, therefore, moved from this cause to unite against William, because it was to unite against MacCallum More, the chieftain of Argyll. If William was put down Argyll was put down. Whilst Dundee was busy mustering these clans, and endeavouring to reconcile all their petty jealousies and bring them to act together, he sent earnestly to James in Ireland to dispatch to him a tolerable body of regular troops, for without them he despaired of keeping long together his half savage and unmanageable highlanders. Till then he avoided a conflict with the troops sent by the convention under Mackay against him. It was in vain that Mackay marched from one wild district to another; the enemy still eluded him amongst the intricate fastneses and forests of the highlands, till his troops were wearied out with climbing crags, and threading rugged defiles and morasses; and he returned to quarters in Stirling, Aberdeen, and other towns at the foot of the mountain district.

It was the opinion of lord Tarbet, who understood the statistics of the highlands well, that if William would send about five thousand pounds to enable the clans to discharge their debts to the earl of Argyll, and obtain from that chieftain an assurance that he would abstain from hostilities against them, that they would all submit at once, and leave Dundee to find support where he could. But his advice was attempted to be carried out in so absurd a manner, by choosing an agent from the clan Campbell as the mediator on the occasion, that the clans refused to treat with him, and became all the more devoted to the interests of James.

Things were in this position when in June a civil contention broke out in Athol. The marquis, unwilling to declare for either side, had retired to England, and his eldest son, lord Murray, who had married a daughter of the duke of Hamilton, and declared for king William, was opposed by the marquis's steward, who declared for king James. The steward held Blair castle, and lord Murray besieged him in it. This called out Dundee to repel Murray and support the steward, the adherent of James; and Mackay, hoping now to meet with him, put his forces in march for the place of strife. The two armies, in fact, at length came into contact in the stern pass of Killiecrankie, near Dunkeld. This was then one of the wildest and most terrible defiles in the highlands; the mountain torrent of the Garry roaring through its deep and rocky strait.

The forces of Dundee consisted of about three thousand highlanders, and a body of Irish, under an officer of the name of Cannon, amounting to about three hundred, an ill-armed and ragged rabble whom James had sent over instead of the efficient regiments for which Dundee had so earnestly prayed. On the other hand, Mackay commanded about the same number of regular troops; these were the three Scotch regiments which he had brought from Holland, a regiment of English infantry—now the thirteenth of the line—and two regiments of lowland Scots, newly raised, commanded by the lords Kenmore and Leven. He had, besides, two troops of horse, one of which was commanded by lord Belhaven. On the morning of Saturday, the 27th of July, Mackay had just struggled through the pass of Killiecrankie, his twelve hundred baggage-horses—for no wheel-carriages could approach such a place—scarcely through, when the enemy was upon them. The men had thrown themselves down to recover from their fatigue, on an open space on the banks of the Garry, when they were called to resume their arms by the appearance of Dundee leading on his troops of wild highlanders. Cameron of Lochiel, a man of distinguished bravery and ability, was second in command, and urged Dundee to come to an engagement without the least delay. The two armies drew up, that of Mackay with the Garry on its left, that of Dundee with the stream on its right. Lord Murray and the few forces with him united with the forces of Mackay.

It was early in the afternoon when the hostile parties began to fire on each other, and the regular troops of Mackay did considerable execution on the highlanders; yet it was seven o'clock in the evening before Dundee gave the order to charge. Then the highlanders raised a wild shout, which was returned by the enemy with a cry so much less lively and determined, that Lochiel exclaimed, "We shall do it now; that is not the cry of men who are going to win." The highlanders dropped their plaids and rushed forward. They were received by a steady fire of the lowlanders; but, as these prepared to charge with the bayonet, they were so much delayed by the nature of the operation—having, according to the practice of the time, to stick the bayonets into the muzzles of their guns, instead of, as now, having them already screwed on to them—that the highlanders were down upon them before they were prepared, and cut through and through their lines. Having discharged their firearms, the Celts threw them away, and assailed the lowland troops with dirk and claymore. The whole of the Scotch regiments broke, and were scattered like leaves before a whirlwind. Balfour was killed at the head of his regiment; Mackay's brother fell whilst gallantly endeavouring to keep together his men; and Mackay himself was compelled to give way. The English horse were yet on the ground, and Mackay spurred towards them, and called on them to charge and break the onslaught of the furious highlanders on the foot; but he called in vain; spite of the brave example of Belhaven, the horse fled as fast as their steeds could carry them. There was nothing for it but for Mackay to endeavour to save himself; and, followed by only one servant, he managed to cut his way through the enemy and reach a neighbouring height.