The exact narrative of the conflict at Dunkeld betwixt the Earl of Angus's regiment and the rebels, collected from several officers of that regiment, who were actors in, or eye-witnesses to, all that's here narrated, in reference to these actions.

THE EXACT NARRATIVE OF THE CONFLICT AT DUNKELD, Betwixt the Earl of Angus's Regiment and the Rebels, Collected from ſeveral Officers of that Regiment, who were Actors in, or Eye-witneſses to, all that's here Narrated, in reference to theſe Actions.

THe ſaid Regiment being then betwixt ſeven and eight hundred men, arrived at Dunkeld Saturndays night, the 17 of Auguſt, 1689. under the Command of Lieutenant-Collonel William Cleland, a brave and ſingularly well accompliſhed Gentleman, within 28 years of age. Immediatly they found themſelves obliged to ly at their Arms, as being in the midſt of their Enemies. Sunday at nine in the morning, they began ſome Retrenchments within the Marqueſs of Athol's Yard-dykes, the old breaches whereof they made up with looſe Stones, and Scaffolded the Dykes about. In the afternoon, about three hundred men appear'd upon the Hills on the North ſide of the Town, who ſent one with a white Cloth upon the top of a Halbert, with an open unſubſcribed Paper, in the faſhion of a Letter, directed to the Commanding Officer, wherein was Written, We the Gentlemen aſſembled, being informed that ye intend to burn the Town, deſire to know whether ye come for Peace or War, and do certifie you, that if ye burn any one Houſe, we will deſtroy you.

The Lieutenant-Collonel returned Anſwer in Writ, to this purpoſe, We are faithful Subjects to King William and Queen Mary, and enemies to their enemies; and if you who ſend thoſe threats, ſhall make any hostile appearance, we will burn all that belongs to you, and otherwiſe chaſtiſe you as you deſerve. But in the mean time he cauſed ſolemnly Proclaim in the Mercat-place His Majesties Indemnity, in the hearing of him who brought the foreſaid Paper.

Munday morning two Troops of Horſe, and three of Dragoons, arrived at Dunkeld, under the Command of the Land Cardroſs, who viewed the Fields all round, and took ſix Priſoners, but ſaw no Body of Men, they being retired to the Woods.

Munday night they had intelligence of a great gathering by the Firey Croſs; and Tueſday morning many people appeared upon the tops of the Hills, and they were ſaid to be in the Woods and Hills about Dunkeld more than 1000 men. About eight of the Clock, the Horſe, Foot, and Dragoons made ready to March out, but a Detatch'd Party was ſent before of fourty Fuſiliers, and fifteen Halbertiers, under the Command of Captain George Monro, and thirty Horſe with Sir James Agnew, and twenty Dragoons with the Lord Cardoſs his own Cornet; after them followed Enſign Lockhart with thirty Halbertiers; the Halberts were excellent Weapons againſt the Highlanders Swords and Targets, in caſe they ſhould ruſh upon the Shot, with their accuſtomed fury: They Marched alſo at a competent diſtance before the Body; one hundred Fuſiliers more under the Command of Captain John Campbel, and Captain Robert Hum • , two brave young Gentlemen; and upon the firſt fire with the Enemy, Captain Borthwick, Captain Haries, with 200 Musquetiers and Pikes were likewiſe commanded to advance towards them; The Lieutenant-Collonel having propoſed by that method to get advantage of the Enemy in their way of looſe and furious fighting. The Body followed, having left only an Hundred and Fify Foot within the Dykes. The firſt Detatched Party, after they had Marched about two Miles, found before them in a Glen, betwixt two and three hundred of the Rebels, who fired at a great diſtance, and ſhot Cornet Livingston in the Leg: The Horſe retired, and Captain Monro took up their Ground, and advanced, fireing upon the Rebels to ſo good purpoſe, that they began to reel and break, but Rallied on the face of the next Hill, from whence they were again beat. About that time the Lieutenant-Collonel came up, and ordered Captain Monro to ſend a Serjeant with ſix Men to a Houſe on the ſide of a Wood, where he eſpyed ſome of the Enemies; upon the Serjeants approach to the place, about twenty of the Rebels appeared againſt him, but he was quickly ſeconded by the Captain, who beat them over the Hill, and cleared the Ground of as many as appeared without the Woods; and upon a Command ſent to him, brought off his Men in order. Thereafter all the Horſe, Foot and Dragoons retired to the Town: And that night the Horſe and Dragoons Marched to Perth; the Lord Cardroſs who Commanded them, having received two peremptory Orders for that effect. The ſecond was ſent to him upon his anſwer to the firſt, by which anſwer he told they were Engaged with the Enemy, and it was neceſſary he ſhould ſtay.

In that Action three of Captain Monro's Party were wounded, one of which died of his Wounds. William Sandilands a Cadee, Nephew to the Lord Torphichen, and a very young Youth, being of that Party, Diſcharged his Fuſie upon the Enemy eleven times. The Priſoners taken the next day, told that the Rebels loſt about thirty Men in that Action.

After the Horſe and Dragoons were Marched, ſome of the Officers and Souldiers of the Earl of Angus's Regiment propoſed, that they might alſo March, ſeing they were in an open uſeleſs place, ill provided of all things, and in the midſt of Enemies, growing ſtill to greater numbers (the Vanguard of Canons Army having appeared before they came off the Field) The brave Lieutenant-Collonel, and the reſt of the Gentlemen Officers amongſt them, uſed all Arguments of Honour to perſwade them to keep their Poſt: And for their encouragement, and to aſſure them they would never leave them, they ordered to draw out all their Horſes, to be ſhot dead. The Souldiers then told them, they needed not that Pledge for their Honour, which they never doubted: And ſeing they found their ſtay neceſſar, they would run all hazards with them.

Wedneſday with the mornings light, the Rebels appeared, ſtanding in order, covering all the Hills about (for Canons Army joyned the Athole men in the night before, and they were repute in all above 5000 Men). Their Baggage Marched alongſt the Hills towards the Weſt, and the way that leads into Athole, conſiſting of a Train of many more than 1000 Horſes. Before ſeven in the morning, their Cannon advanced down to the face of a little Hill, cloſs upon the Town, and 100 Men all Armed with Back, Breaſt, and Head-piece, Marched ſtraight to enter the Town, and a Battalion of other Foot cloſs with them; two Troops of Horſe Marched about the Town, and Poſted on the South-weſt part of it, betwixt the Foord of the River and the Church; and other two Troops Poſted in the North-eaſt ſide of the Town, near the Croſs, who in the time of the Conflict ſhewed much eagerneſs to encourage and puſh on the Foot.

The Lieutenant-Collonel had before poſſeſt ſome Out-poſts with ſmall Parties, to whom he pointed out every ſtep for their Retreat. Captain William Hay and Enſign Lockhart were Poſted on a little Hill, and the Enſign was ordered with 28 Men to advance to a Stone Dyke at the foot of it, they were Attack'd by the Rebels, who were in Armour, and the foreſaid other Battallion: And after they had entertained them briskly with their fire, for a pretty ſpace, the Rebels forc'd the Dyke, and oblig'd them to retire, firing from one little Dyke to another, and at length to betake themſelves to the Houſe and Yard-dykes: In which Retreat Captain Hay had his Leg broken, and the whole Party came off without any more hurt.

A Lieutenant was Poſted at the Eaſt end of the Town with 18 Men, who had three advanced Sentinels ordered, upon the Rebels cloſs approach, to fire and Retire, which accordingly they did; And the Lieutenant, after burning of ſome Houſes, brought in his Party.

Lieutenant Stuart was plac'd in a Baricado at the Croſs, with 20 Men, who ſeeing the other Lieutenant retire, brought his Men from that Ground, and was killed in the Retreat, there being a multitude of the Rebels upon them.

Lieutenant Forreſter and Enſign Campbell were at the Weſt end of the Town, within ſome little Dykes, with 24 Men, who fired ſharply upon the Enemies Horſe, until great numbers of Foot Attack'd their Dykes, and forc'd them to the Church, where were two Lieutenants, and about one hundred Men.

All the Out-poſts being forc'd, the Rebels advanced moſt boldly upon the Yard-dykes all round, even upon thoſe Parts which ſtood within leſs than fourty paces from the River; where they crowded in Multitudes, without regard to the ſhot liberally pour'd in their Faces; and ſtruck with their Swords at the Souldiers upon the Dyk, who with their Pikes and Halberts returned their Blows with Intereſt: Others in great numbers poſſeſt the Town-houſes: out of which they fired within the Dyks, as they did from the Hills about. And by two ſhots at once, one through the Head, and another through the Liver, the brave Lieutenant Collonel was killed; While he was Viſiting and Exhorting the Officers and Souldiers at their ſeveral Poſts, He attempted to get into the Houſe, that the Souldiers might not be diſcouraged at the ſight of his Dead body; but fell by the way. And immediatly thereafter, Major Henderſon received ſeveral Wounds, which altogether diſabled him, and whereof he died four days after. Captain Caldwal was ſhot in the Breaſt, and is not like to recover. Captain Borthwick was ſhot through the Arm, going with ſuccours to the Church: And Captain Steil got a Wound in the Shoulder, which he cauſed Pance, and returned again to his Poſt.

The Lieutenent Collonel being dead, and the Major diſabled about an hour after the Action began (which was before ſeven in the morning) The Command fell to Captain Monro, who left his own Poſt to Lieutenent Stuart of Livingſtoun. And finding the Souldiers galled in ſeveral places by the Enemies Shot from the Houſes; He ſent out ſmall Parties of Pike-men with burning Faggots upon the points of their Pikes, who fired the Houſes: And where they found Keys in the Doors, lock't them and burnt all within: which raiſed a hideous noiſe from theſe Wretches in the fire. There were ſixteen of them burnt in one Houſe, and the whole Houſes were burnt down, except three; wherein ſome of the Regiment were advantageouſly poſted. But all the Inhabitants of the Town, who were not with the Enemy, or fled to the Fields, were received by the Souldiers into the Church, and ſheltered there.

Notwithſtanding all the gallant Reſiſtance which theſe furious Rebels met with, they continued their Aſſaults unceſſantly until paſt eleven of the Clock. In all which time, there was continual thundering of Shot from both ſides, with Flames and Smoak, and hideous cryes filling the Air. And which was very Remarkable, though the Houſes were burnt all round, yet the Smoak of them, and all the Shot from both ſides, was carryed every where outward from the Dyks upon the Aſſailants, as if a wind had blown every way from the Center within.

At length, the Rebels wearied with ſo many fruitleſs and expenſive Aſſaults; and finding no abatement of the Courage or Diligence of their Adverſaries, who treated them with continual Shot from all their Poſts, they gave over, and fell back, and run to the Hills in great Confuſion. Whereupon they within beat their Drums, and flouriſhed their Colours, and Hollowed after them with all Expreſſions of Contempt, and Provocations to return. Their Commanders aſſay'd to bring them back to a freſh Aſſault, as ſome Priſoners related, but could not prevail; for they Anſwered them, they could fight againſt Men, but it was not fit to fight any more againſt Devils.

The Rebels being quite gone, they within began to conſider, where their greateſt Danger appeared in time of the Conflict, and ſurrendring theſe places more ſecure, they brought out the Seats of the Church, with which they made pretty good Defences, eſpecially they fortified theſe Places of the Dyk which were made up with looſe-ſtones, a poor Defence againſt ſuch Deſperate Aſſailiants. They alſo cut down ſome Trees on a little Hill where the Enemy gall'd them under covert. Their Powder was almoſt ſpent, and their Bullets had been ſpent long before, which they ſupplyed by the diligence of a good number of Men, who were imployed all the time of the Action, in cutting Lead off the Houſe, and melting the ſame in little Furrows in the Ground, and cutting the Pieces into Sluggs to ſerve for Bullets. They agreed that in caſe the Enemy got over their Dyks, they ſhould retire to the Houſe; and if they ſhould find themſelves overpower'd there, to burn it, and bury themſelves in the Aſhes.

In this Action, fifteen Men were killed, beſides the Officers named, and 30 wounded.

The account of the Enemies loſs is uncertain, but they are ſaid to be above three hundred ſlain, amongſt whom were ſome Perſons of Note.

That handful of unexperienced Men, was wonderfully animated to a ſtedfaſt Reſiſtance againſt a Multitude of obſtinat Furies. But they gave the Glory to God, and Praiſed Him, and ſung Pſalms, after they had fitted themſelves for a new Aſſault.

Amongſt many who ſhewed extraordinary Courage, ſome young Gentlemen Cadees deſerve a ſpecial Teſtimony and Remembrance, As William Sandilands above named, James Pringle of Hultrie, William Stirling of Mallachen, James Johnstoun a reformed Lieutenent, and others,

Diverſe Officers beſides thoſe above ſpecified, viz. Another Captain John Campbel, Captain Haries, Lieutenent Henry Stuart, Lieutenent Charles Dalyel, Lieutenent Oliphant, Lieutenant Thomas Haddo, Enſign William Hamilton, and moſt of all the Officers behaved very worthily at their ſeveral Poſts throughout the whole Action, and deſerve well to be Recorded as Men of Worth and Valour. And the whole Souldiers did every thing with ſuch undaunted Courage, and ſo little concern in all the Dangers and Deaths, which ſurrounded them and ſtared the in their Faces, that they deſerve to be recommended as Examples of Valour to this and after Ages, and to have ſome Marks of Honour fixt upon them. And it is expected His Majeſty will be graciouſly pleaſed to take Notice both of Officers and Souldiers.

Upon the Saturday immediatly after thoſe Actions, the young Laird of Bellachan came in to Dunkeld, to treat for the benefit of His Majeſties Indemnitie for all thoſe of Athole. And he Declared that Lord James Murray was willing to accept thereof.

But Major General Mckay (Who by his gallant and wiſe Conduct, prevented the conjunction of Ill-affected People, with the Rebels, and baffled all their Deſigns upon the Low-Countries) is now in the High-lands, with a brave Army. And with the Bleſſing of GOD, will ſhortly give a good Account of them all, and put an end to the Troubles of this Kingdom.