Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 4.djvu/26

12 There the scene that presented itself was astounding. His whole army had vanished except the English regiment, which kept together in perfect order, and a few of the troops of lord Leven. These had poured a murderous fire into the ranks of the highlanders, and still shot numbers of them down as in fiery rage they pursued the flying lowlanders down the ravine, where the confused mass of enemies were plunged in chaotic strife—one violent, horrid effort to escape or to kill. In this strange melée were involved the twelve hundred pack-horses, which alone effected a diversion for the fugitives, the highlanders stopping to make themselves masters of so rich a booty.

Great Seal of William and Mary.

Mackay lost no time in getting the English regiment, with lord Leven and his remnant of men, and such few others as he could collect, across the Garry. That being effected he halted, and again looked back, expecting that he should be hotly pursued, but no such thing; the highlanders were, in fact, too agreeably detained by the plunder. But that supposition did not account to him for the easy manner in which such a general as Dundee allowed of his retreat, and he declared to his guards that he was sure Dundee must have fallen.

And in this opinion he was quite right. Dundee had fallen in the very commencement of the general charge. He had led it on, contrary to the advice of Lochiel, who had urged on him the necessity of not exposing himself too much. Waving his hat, and calling his soldiers to follow him, he dashed forward, when a bullet struck him below the cuirass, which was raised by his action of rising in his stirrups and waving his arm, and he fell to the ground. The tradition of the highlands is, that Dundee was believed to have made a compact with the devil, and bore a charmed life, which no ball of lead or iron could touch; that a soldier of Mackay's army, seeing him galloping unharmed amid showers of flying balls, plucked a silver button from his own coat, and fired at him with instant effect. The fall of the general was only observed by a few of his own soldiers who were near him, and one of them caught him in his arms, when he asked, "How goes the day?" "Well for king James," said the man, "but I am sorry for your lordship." "If it be well for the king," replied Dundee, "it matters the less for me," and expired. Spite of the ferocious cruelty of this awful persecutor of the covenanters, whose name will remain an execration to the end of time, he had of late shown so much ability in mustering and keeping together his army of most unmanageable materials, and on all occasions displayed such reckless courage, that a certain romance has always hung about his name, and for a time his crimes and diabolical cruelties were almost forgotten in admiration of his gallantry and the brilliant termination of his career.

Mackay made his way over the mountains by Weem castle and castle Drummond to Stirling. On the way he overtook the fugitives from Ramsay's regiment, who had fled at the first onset. They were completely cowed and demoralised, and it was only by threatening to shoot any man that left the track that he could prevent them dispersing amongst the hills and rocks. Many of them, after all, managed to elude his vigilance, and were killed by the highlanders for their clothes. It was reported that Mackay lost two thousand men in the battle, and that five hundred were made prisoners; but, on the other hand, a great number of the highlanders fell on the field. The rest, before retreating with the booty, piled a great heap of stones on the spot where Claverhouse fell. That is still shown, and is the only monument of John Graham, viscount Dundee, for the church of Blair Athol in which he was buried has long since disappeared, and his tomb with it.

The news of the defeat of Mackay caused consternation through the lowlands, and even to London, whither it was carried by couriers charged with earnest appeals to the king to hasten forces on to Scotland, to protect the people from the torrents of victorious barbarians from the mountains, who were with terror expected to devastate the whole country. The Scottish convention urged Hamilton to dismiss them, that they might provide for their safety; but