THere being a Party of loose and broken People gathered together in the Highlands, who having no other way to protect themselves from the due course of Law, or to gain a liveli­hood, but by engaging others, as idle and des­perate as themselves, under the pretence of espousing the Quarrel of the late King, to joyn with them; and amongst others, Sir Arthur Forbes being imbarqued in that Design (a­gainst which many Testimonies have been given from on High for divers years past) came from the Hills with a party of about Fourty [Page 4] eight Horse (most of them Officers) into the Southern parts of Scotland, where having (b [...] the plundering of Horses, and addition of di­vers Moss-Troopers, and other loose persons) increased his number to about an Hundred in a body: VVith these on VVednesday last, about twelve hours, he had a Randezvouz on Borthwick Brayes, of which Capt. Hart (who was with a party of about sixty Horse of Co [...] Twisletons Regiment in those parts) having knowledge, he marcht towards the Randez­vouz, which was broken up before his coming whereupon, pursuing them by the Track in the Snow, at last he got sight of them at Phi [...], near Borthwick-water. They drew up into two Bodies and faced our Men: Ours made what hast they could to charge them; After a short Conflict, it pleased the LORD to give us the Victory over them. Our men pursued them several miles, as long as their Horses would go they having the advantage of ours, their Hor­ses [Page 5] being fresh, and ours extream wearied-out. There were not above Twenty five Horses of them which escaped in a body. VVe took Six­ty five Horses, many of them good ones, and Sixteen Prisoners, In the Pursuit many were cut down and put off their horses and so left, concluding those that came after would glean them; but most of them which escaped away on foot will be known where ever they are met, having the States Mark; and amongst the rest, Sir Arthur Forbes and Maj. Irwin (who should have been his Major) (we took both their Horses:) Sir Arthur Forbes being beat off his horse, shot in the thiegh, and dangerously cut in the head, lay upon the ground as if he had been dead whilst our Men were gone on the Pursuit, and then crept away. There were Se­ven of the Tories found dead, amongst whom these are known, Capt. David Moore, and John Moore his brother, Capt. Robert Stewart, son to the late Earl of Bothwell (who about [Page 4] [...] [Page 5] [...] [Page 6] fourteen days since surprized the Post-Letters that were going from Leith for London) and Lieut. Boyde. The rest not known. It is be­lieved several other were mortally wounded, who crept into holes and barnes, and are not yet found. Quartermaster Warde, with fifteen or sixteen of ours wounded, and one slain. Senlis, the High-Sheriff of Roxburgh-shire, (whom they had taken out of his house) re­deemed, but one of our Troopers ran him through the thigh (not knowing him) but not dangerous. There were about Eighteen Captains of Sir Arthur's party before the En­gagement; they brag'd much what they would do to our men; but wherein they spoke proud­ly God was above them, and I hope hath given this as an Earnest of what he will do for us in future Engagements: The consideration of which will undoubtedly teach the remnant of these barbarous and perfideous wretches (by Gods continued blessing upon us) that the [Page 7] visible Finger of His in this late Transaction, will be meanly valuable to that stretched out Hand and Arm, which is and will be daily more prosecuting of them through all their in­accessible and idolized lurking strengths and corners; this being already half made a cer­tainty by the fire of dissention, already begun in their own bowels, which now daily bring­ing them to the detection, conviction, & impri­sonment one of another (even to a numerous filling of our Prisons) they cannot but foresee it (without any resentment of our power and vigilance) as a succeeding Consequence of their inevitable ruin and destruction.