The Gordons

Kenn Gordon

History of The Gordon Clan

Battles and Regiments

Notable Gordons

Compiled & Edited

by

Kenn Gordon

This book will take an academic look at those who are of the Gordon name and clan. There are already quite a few books about the Gordons but they either skip over the lineage or romanticise battles and positions held. There are defining traits within the Gordon DNA that much is true, however that does not always make us ‘good people’. We strive to be the absolute best, in our chosen fields. That could be taking the fore in battles or being the best musician, you can be. There are amazing acts of bravery that have been carried out by the Gordons along with substantial acts of cowardice. If that sounds like an oxymoron then you would be right, as we occupy both ends of the moral and social scales. The Gordons have fought for and against the Papacy. We fought on both sides of the Jacobite rebellion. We stood for and against England. The Gordons even as individuals have fought on both sides in World War 1 and 2. There were Gordons on either side of communism. We have been great scientists and doctors. I have one son who is a great Chef, and the other is a Quantum Physicalist, whilst I am a Musician and Writer. So, we all do have a personal choice, but it is what and how you act upon us that will mark our places in the history of the Gordon name. I wrote this book in the year 2020 when the world was facing a global pandemic. Not only were our doctors and nurses fighting an invisible enemy (Covid 19) but worse was happening on the streets around the world. Racism seems to raise its ugly head when mankind is at its lowest ebb. ‘Black Lives Matter’ was a new movement. To an old problem. I feel that ‘ALL’ Lives matter. There are Gordons who are African, Indian, European, Australian, Asian, North American and South American. Those Gordons have every shade of skin colour that comes within the human range. We also follow every faith and no faith at all. If you go back far enough in any clan or race you will find some element of slavery. We Gordons have also been on both sides of that evil. We have been Slaves, Slave Owners and even Slave Traders. Slaves would normally keep their own first name but would also adopt the surname of the slave owner, hence not all Gordons are Celtic. Being involved in slavery is not a matter of pride to most Gordons, it is just a matter of historical fact. Tearing down statues or defacing buildings that bear the name of historical people, to me is pointless. It would be like tearing down the Auschwitz Museum. There was a holocaust and Auschwitz is testament to that horror and by it being there, it tells us not to forget. When people tried to tear down the statue of William Wallace saying that he was a racist. His statue is there because he fought for Scotland and its people. There were 12 presidents of the USA that owned slaves., Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, James K. Polk, Zachary Taylor, Andrew Johnson, and Ulysses S Grant. You would have to tear down America and start building all over again, starting with Washington DC and the White House. We remember our history, the good along with the bad in order to learn from our mistakes.

Consequently, in this book you will find all the great moments in the Gordon history since 66BC all the way up to 2020. You will also find the truth and the facts that point to unspeakable acts carried out sometimes in the name of the Gordon families, other times just out of coincidence to them bearing the name of Gordon. One such example would be the Highland clearances carried out by the Duke of Sutherland whose wife was Countess Elizabeth Gordon. He committed an act of ethnic cleansing in the north of Scotland. This is not something that gives me pride, it is though part of my history and if you are a Gordon then it is part of your history, especially if you can trace your roots back, to that period in America, Canada, Newfoundland and Australia. These were the predominant areas that the crofters from the north of Scotland were forced to flee too. Gordons fought on both sides of the American Civil War. The Gordons fought during the crusades, it is even said that it was a Gordon that was responsible for the death of Richard The Lionheart.

This book is not a romanticised novel where facts are cherry picked. I have written this as a non-fiction, work and as a starting point for any genealogical work you wish to embark upon. I have taken information for many sources in order to complete this and I give thanks to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, Wikipedia, Ancestry online, The Gordon Highlanders, UK Census, as well as reading many books on Scottish History and land ownership. Long and Short of this book is that it is written by a Gordon, for all, Gordons. I have no doubt that with many families around the world there will be Gordons who have died because of Covid 19. We must remember, not only our own immediate families but also those around us. Our family motto is BYDAND (Stand Fast) I hope if you are reading this that in some way it will answer questions that you may have about yourself. In the words of the great Irish Comedian Dave Allen. May your God go with you.

I was always taught when you want to know about something, you must go all the way back to the beginning and work your way forward. There are many books written on clan history and most will gloss over things that they really should look at in historical depth. So to that end after having paid for and read four differing books on my clan, I have decided to set the record straight and hopefully fill in the gaps.

The first of our clan to be officially recorded was Richard Of Gordon and that was recounted as far back as 1200, but if you look back just a little further to around the year 1150 we find Richard De Gordon. Richard de Gordon was granted lands in ‘The Merse’ by King Malcolm III, this was after he had slain ‘a great monster’.

History is a bit vague on what kind of monster it was, however looking at the time it was probably a large wild boar which he is said to have gored down, again this can be seen on the Gordon coat of arms with its three boar heads.

King Malcolm III (1031-1093) reigned over the Scots from 1058-1093. King Malcolm III was also known as ‘The Great Chief’

Richard Of Gordon was previously of Swinton, which was Anglo Saxon in origin. They were most likely to have been part and parcel of The Kingdom of Northumbria. This is probably where the Three boars heads were added on to the Gordon coat of arms. The Northumbrian coat of arms, came from clearing the area of the many wild boars that covered the region. Most people living in the UK have a fairly good idea as to the whereabouts of Northumbria, but not many will have heard of ‘The Merse’ which is located around Berwickshire. Richard de Gordon was Lord of The Barony Gordon in the Merse region. Even though it seems that Richard de Gordon was not the first Gordon on record as I have managed to track back to his father Adam Gordon, which is strangely befitting for the first of his kind, although it is not known who his mother was. Clan chiefs and leaders if they were unmarried, would quite often take a concubine just to keep the lineage going. The bastard sons would still take precedence over a full blood female child. Adam Gordon was the 1st Laird of the Gordon Clan, he was born approximately in the year 1100. It was said that he was a great warrior, even though he died in 1138 at The Battle of the Standard, quite often referred to as The Battle of Northallerton. The battle took place on the 22nd of August 1138 between the forces of King Steven of England. His forces were led by William of Aumale and the Scottish Army, which was led by King David of Scotland.

Adam Gordon was mortally wounded during the battle, which the unfortunately the Scots lost. Adam was carried back to Scotland by fellow Knights. He was to die shortly afterwards from his wounds. Richard de Gordon was then to become his natural heir, over his younger brother Adam. The provable history of the clan starts with Richard, it is only right though that we should investigate the derivatives of the Gordon name and where they came from.

It is possible and even probable that the name came from the Gorduni Tribe who came from Flanders. The name Gorduni is mentioned in Roman Conquests as far back as 66BC. So unfortunately a lot of lost history. Back to provable facts.

In the year of 1113, David 1st invited the Benedictine monks from Tiron Abbey in northern France to establish a house at Selkirk. By 1128 the monks had relocated to Kelso, close to David’s new castle at Roxburgh across the River Tweed. In about 1150 Richard de Gordon, gave lands at Kelso to the Monks, which again would support the link to Flanders along with the Roman Catholic faith that was followed by Richard de Gordon and the Clan. Richard’s brother, Sir Adam of Gordon was a supporter of Robert the Bruce and travelled to Rome to ask the Pope to reverse Bruce’s excommunication from the Holy Roman Catholic Church, served after Bruce rebelled against the English king. Some say Bruce was killed at Comyn in a church. Others though said it was suicide caused by shame, or perhaps the black death.

There were the notable Gordon’s from this time include Bertram de Gordon who wounded King Richard of England with a crossbow arrow at Châlons Chabrol. The Bertram’s bolt hitting the king in the left shoulder near the neck. The wounded Richard went to his tent, where he tried, but failed, to pull the bolt out. A butchering surgeon eventually managed to remove it, but “carelessly mangled” the king’s arm in the process. The wound quickly became gangrenous. When the castle they were trying to take, fell, the stricken Richard had the crossbowman brought before him. He turned out to be little more than a boy. (Probably Bertram De Gordon’s squire) The boy claimed that Richard had killed his father and two brothers, so he had sworn to kill Richard in revenge. The boy expected to be swiftly executed, but Richard, as a last act of mercy, forgave him, saying, “Live on, and by my bounty behold the light of day,” before ordering the boy to be freed and sent away with 100 shillings. The 42 year-old king lingered on until the 6th of April 1199, then died in his mother’s arms. The boy was rearrested, flayed alive and hanged.

Richard de Gordon is thought to have died in around 1200. He was surpassed by his son Thomas.

Alicia Gordon, 4th of the Gordon family was the heiress who married her cousin, Adam Gordon. Adam Gordon was a soldier who King Alexander III of Scotland, sent with King Louis of France to Palestine, this was known as the 7th Crusade.  led by Louis IX of France from 1248 to 1254.

In 1244, the Khwarezmians, recently displaced by the advance of the Mongols, took Jerusalem on their way to ally with the Egyptian Mamluks. This returned Jerusalem to Muslim control, but the fall of Jerusalem was no longer a crucial event to European Christians, who had seen the city pass from Christian to Muslim control numerous times in the past two centuries. This time, despite calls from the Pope, there was no popular enthusiasm for a new crusade. There were also many conflicts within Europe that kept its leaders from embarking on the Crusade.

Pope Innocent IV and Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor continued the papal-imperial struggle. Frederick had captured and imprisoned clerics on their way to the First Council of Lyon, and in 1245 he was formally deposed by Innocent IV. Pope Gregory IX had also earlier offered King Louis' brother, count Robert of Artois, the German throne, but Louis had refused. Thus, the Holy Roman Emperor was in no position to crusade. Béla IV of Hungary was rebuilding his kingdom from the ashes after the devastating Mongol invasion of 1241. Henry III of England was still struggling with Simon de Montfort and other problems in England. Henry and Louis were not on the best of terms, being engaged in the Capetian-Plantagenet struggle, and while Louis was away on crusade the English king signed a truce promising not to attack French lands. Louis IX had also invited King Haakon IV of Norway to crusade, sending the English chronicler Matthew Paris as an ambassador, but again was unsuccessful. The only king interested in beginning another crusade therefore was Louis IX, who declared his intent to go east in 1245. A much smaller force of Englishmen, led by William Longespée, also took the Cross. France was one of the strongest states in Europe at the time, as the Albigensian Crusade had brought Provence into Parisian control. Poitou was ruled by Louis IX's brother Alphonse of Poitiers, who joined him on his crusade in 1245. Another brother, Charles 1st of Anjou, also joined Louis. For the next three years Louis collected an ecclesiastical tenth (mostly from church tithes), and in 1248 he and his approximately 15,000-strong army that included 3,000 knights, and 5,000 crossbowmen sailed on 36 ships from the ports of Aigues-Mortes, which had been specifically built to prepare for the crusade, and Marseille. Louis IX's financial preparations for this expedition were comparatively well organized, and he was able to raise approximately 1,500,000 livres tournois. However, many nobles (including many Gordons) who joined Louis on the expedition had to borrow money from the royal treasury, and the crusade turned out to be awfully expensive. Whilst not many of the Gordons were names in these continuing battles to spread the word of Christ, albeit at the point of sword or spear. The Gordon the Roman Catholic faith. As such their noblemen would have joined the crusades. They sailed first to Cyprus and spent the winter on the island, negotiating with various other powers in the east. The Latin Empire, set up after the Fourth Crusade, asked for his help against the Byzantine, Empire of Nicaea, and the Principality of Antioch, and the Knights Templar wanted his help in Syria where the Muslims had recently captured Sidon Nonetheless, Egypt was the object of his crusade, and he landed in 1249 at Damietta on the Nile. Egypt would, Louis thought, provide a base from which to attack Jerusalem, and its wealth and supply of grain would keep the crusaders fed and equipped. On the 6th of June Damietta was taken with little resistance from the Egyptians, who withdrew further up the Nile. The flooding, of the Nile, had not been considered, however, and it soon grounded Louis and his army at Damietta for six months, where the knights sat back and enjoyed the spoils of war. Louis ignored the agreement made during the Fifth Crusade that Damietta should be given to the Kingdom of Jerusalem, now a rump state in Acre, but he did set up an archbishopric there (under the authority of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem) and used the city as a base to direct military operations against the Muslims of Syria. In November, Louis marched towards Cairo, and almost at the same time, the Ayyubid sultan of Egypt, as-Salih Ayyub, died. A force led by Robert of Artois, alongside the Templars and the English contingent led by William Longespée, attacked the Egyptian camp at Gideila and advanced to Al Mansurah where they were defeated at the Battle of Al Mansurah. Robert and William were killed, and only a small handful survived. Meanwhile, Louis' main force was attacked by the Mameluk Baibars, the commander of the army and a future sultan himself. Louis was defeated as well, but he did not withdraw to Damietta for months, preferring to besiege Mansourah, which ended not in the capitulation of those besieged but in the starvation and death of his own army. An agonized Templar knight lamented. “Rage and sorrow are seated in my heart….so firmly that I scarce dare to stay alive. It seems that God wishes to support the Turks to our loss... ah, lord God... alas, the realm of the East has lost so much that it will never be able to rise again. They will make a Mosque of Holy Mary's convent, and since the theft pleases her Son, who should weep at this, we are forced to comply as well... Anyone who wishes to fight the Turks is mad, for Jesus Christ does not fight them anymore. They have conquered, they will conquer. For every day they drive us down, knowing that God, who was awake, sleeps now, and Muhammad waxes powerful.” In March 1250 Louis finally tried to return to Damietta, but he was taken captive at the Battle of Fariskur, where his army was annihilated. Louis fell ill with dysentery and was cured by an Arab physician. In May he was ransomed for 800,000 bezants, half of which was to be paid before the King left Egypt, with Damietta also being surrendered as a term in the agreement. Upon this, he immediately left Egypt for Acre, one of few remaining crusader possessions in Syria. Tradition dictated that from Adam's grandson, Sir Adam Gordon. All the Gordon’s in Scotland are descended in a direct line. This, Adam Gordon supported Sir William Wallace in 1297, to recapture the Castle of Wigtown, from the English. After which, Adam Gordon was installed as the Governor of Wigtown. However, things took a distinct turn during the Wars of Scottish Independence, Clan Gordon had initially backed William Wallace but subsequently switched sides to become steadfast supporters of King Robert the Bruce, along with his attempt to free Scotland from English rule. Sir Adam of Gordon’s commitment to Bruce’s campaign, earned Clan Gordon land at Strathbogie this being an area of lane in North West of Aberdeenshire, this included Huntly Castle along with the surrounding lands, which would become the clan’s ancestral home. There will be more on the lands and castles later in this book. Also during the Wars of Scottish Independence Sir Adam Gordon, who had supported William Wallace, renounced his subsequent acceptance of the claims of Edward 1st of England. Adam was killed leading the Clan Gordon at the Battle of Halidon Hill. The Battle of Halidon Hill was fought on the 19th of July 1333. This battle took place during the Second War of Scottish Independence. Scottish forces under Sir Archibald Douglas were heavily outnumbered and were defeated by the English forces of King Edward III of England. The battle also took place on what can only be classed as an unfavourable terrain, while the Scottish forces were at that time also trying to relieve Berwick-upon-Tweed. Sir Alexander Gordon escaped, and was the first Gordon to be designated "Gordon of Huntly". Later, the now Chief of the clan, Sir John Gordon was killed leading the Gordons at the Battle of Otterburn where the English were defeated in 1388. The Battle of Otterburn took place according to Scottish sources, on the 5th of August 1388, or the 19th of August according English, if they are to believed, as a portion of the continuing border fighting between the Scots and the English forces. Perhaps the best remaining record of the battle, is from Jean Froissart's account in which he claims to have had an audience with veterans from both the Scots and the English, just after the battle. His account though is regarded with some scepticism as information, such as the distance between Newcastle upon Tyne and Otterburn, which are wide of the mark and fallacious. The Scottish noble James 2nd Earl of Douglas, chose to lead an incursion, which was one of a continuing program on both sides of the border sometimes deep into English territory. The battle was timed to take advantage of disagreement on the English side, between Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland and Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland the man who had recently taken over defence of the border. The ballad of Otterburn is below

“It fell aboot the Lammas tide when the muir-men win their hay
The doughty Douglas bound him ride into England to drive a prey
He chose the Gordons and the Graemes, the Lindsays light and gay
The Jardines wad not wi' him ride, they rue it to this day

And he has burned the dales of Tyne and part o' Bambrough-shire
Three tall towers on Reidsware fells, he left them all on fire
He marched up to Newcastle and rade it round about
Saying, Wha's the lord o' this castle, and wha's the lady o't

Then up and spake proud Percy there, and Oh but he spake hie
I am the lord o' this castle, my wife's the lady gay
If thou art the lord o' this castle, sae weel it pleases me
For ere I cross the Border fells the ane o' us shall dee

He took a lang spear in his hand shod wi' the metal free
For to meet the Douglas there he rade right furiouslie
But Oh how pale his lady looked frae aff the castle wa'
When doon before the Scottish spear she saw proud Percy fa'”

Chief Sir Adam Gordon, was killed leading the clan a the Battle of Homildon Hill, which was also known as the Battle of Humbleton Hill took place on the 14th of September 1402. The battle was recounted in Shakespeare's Henry IV, part 1. Although Humbleton Hill is the modern name of the site, over the centuries it has been variously named Homildon, Hameldun, Olmedo, and Homilheugh. The chief left his only child, a daughter named Elizabeth Gordon who married Alexander Seton. He was the son of Sir William Seton, Chief of Clan Seton. The Battle of Arbroath was fought on the 24th of January 1445 where Patrick Gordon of Methlic, a cousin of the Earl of Huntly, was killed fighting the Clan Lindsay. From this Patrick Gordon the Earls of Aberdeen descend. Below is the declaration of Arbroath whilst it is written in Scots Gaelic it reads "As long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule. It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours, that we are fighting, but for freedom for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself". Many would consider this a declaration of independence There is another version of the battle that dates to 1446 at Arbroath in Scotland. It was between rivals claimants to the post of Baillie of the Regality (Sheriff) On the 24th of January 1445, the Master of Crawford arrived at the gates of the abbey with over one thousand men, mostly of whom came from clan Lindsay, but also a group of clan Hamilton from Clydesdale. Alexander Ogilvy of Inverquharity, was fortunate that he was entertaining guests on the day of the attack Alexander Gordon, 1st Earl of Huntly, Sir John Oliphant of Aberdagie, Maxwell of Tealing, Brucklay of Gartley, Forbes of Pitsligo, and Gordon of Borrowfield, were all in the Baron's company. Though outnumbered, Ogilvy and his allies drew up the lines of battle. Alexander Ogilvy's force was supported by men from Clan Oliphant, Clan Seton, Clan Gordon and Clan Forbes. Meanwhile, the Earl of Crawford rode with great haste from Dundee in order to avert further hostilities. The Earl rode across the centre of the battlefield, between the two armies, so he could confer with Ogilvy. However, one of Ogilvy's infantry, mistook the Earl's approach for an attack, and threw a spear, striking the Earl in the mouth, and piercing his neck, killing him instantly. Although an accident, this ended any chance for a peaceful resolution. The battle began, both lines with spears at the ready. It is said in an account of the battle by Buchanan, that the Lindsay’s cried out "Why do you bring those goads with you, as if you had to do with oxen? Pray, throw them away, and let us fight it out with out swords, hand to hand, by true valour, as becomes men." As a result, both sides abandoned their spears, except for a hundred of the Clydesdale men, who held the points of their spears in their hands behind them. When they entered combat, the Clydesdale men held the spears out, creating a spear wall, which broke the ranks of the Ogilvy line. The Ogilvy army left the Abbey, making a last desperate stand about three miles away, at the village of Leysmill, where they rallied and turned to face the pursuers. This second battle raged into the night, and Ogilvy and Pitsligo fell. The Lindsay’s, though victorious, suffered heavy casualties at Leysmill, and were unable to pursue the Ogilvys further when they fell back to Kinnell. The men carrying the bodies of Ogilvy and Pitsligo with them. It was determined that the body of Ogilvy should be interred in the aisle of the church in Kinnell. This couplet was engraved on the aisle where he was buried “While the girss grows green and the water rins clear, Let nane but Ogilvys lie here.” In 1449 Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Huntly who was the eldest son of Elizabeth Gordon and Alexander Seton, it was Lord Gordon, who changed the family his name from Seton to Gordon around 1457. His male heirs through his third wife Elizabeth Crichton continued to bear the name of Gordon and were chiefs of Clan Gordon. The Chief of Clan Lindsay, Alexander Lindsay, who was the 4th Earl of Crawford, was badly defeated by the Clan Gordon and Clan Ogilvy under Alexander Gordon, 1st Earl of Huntly (previously Alexander Seton) at the Battle of Brechin which took place on the 18th May 1452. The Battle of Brechin Muir was a feud between Clan Ogilvy and Clan Lindsay which had been ongoing for some time, and yet another confrontation took place at Brechin where the 4th Earl of Crawford, the Lindsay Chief, was defeated by the Ogilvys in an alliance with Clan Gordon, led by Alexander Gordon, 1st Earl of Huntly. The Gordon's became involved in the deadly feud between the King and the Clan Douglas for power. The Gordon's supported the king but when Gordon moved his forces South, the Earl of Moray who was an ally of the Douglases devastated the Gordon lands and burned Huntly Castle. However, the Gordon’s returned and soon defeated their enemies. Huntly Castle was rebuilt and when the Douglases were finally defeated the power of the Gordon's grew unchallenged. In 1454 the Douglasses broke out in rebellion again and when confronted with the king in the South and Huntly in the north were soundly defeated, effectively ending the confederacy of the Douglasses, Rosses and Crawfords. For his notable contributions Alexander Gordon, 1st Earl of Huntly was styled Cock o' the North, a designation which has ever since been accorded to the heads of clan Gordon. In 1513, during the Anglo-Scottish Wars, the Clan Gordon led by Alexander Gordon, 3rd Earl of Huntly fought at the Battle of Flodden. The Battle of Flodden, Flodden Field, or occasionally Branxton, (Brainston Moor) was a battle fought on the 9th of September 1513, this was during the War of the League of Cambrai, between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland, resulting in an English victory. The battle was fought in Branxton in the county of Northumberland in northern England, between an invading Scots army under King James IV and an English army commanded by the Earl of Surrey. In terms of troop numbers, it was the largest battle fought between the two kingdoms. King James IV was killed in the battle, becoming the last monarch from the British Isles to die in battle. In 1526 the title of Earl of Sutherland and chieftainship of the Clan Sutherland passed by right of marriage to Adam Gordon who was a younger son of George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly. Later during the Anglo-Scottish Wars, George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly defeated an English army at the Battle of Haddon Rig in 1542. The Battle of Hadden Rig was a battle fought about 3 miles east of Kelso, in the Scottish Borders, between Scotland and England on the 24th of August 1542, during the reign of King James V of Scotland. The English army was led by Robert Bowes, Deputy Warden of the English East March. It was a significant Scottish victory, but it was overshadowed by the disastrous Scottish defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss in November of the same year. On the 24th of November 1542, an army of 15,000–18,000 Scots advanced into England. Lord Maxwell, though never officially designated commander of the force, declared he would lead the attack in person. A report of George Douglas of Pittendreich, who was not present, and some later chronicle accounts, say that in the absence of Maxwell, Oliver Sinclair, James V's favourite, declared himself to be James's chosen commander. According to this account of the battle, the other commanders refused to accept his command and the command structure disintegrated. The English commanders Lord Wharton and Sir William Musgrave made reports of the battle. William Musgrave reported that Maxwell was still in charge and fought with the rest of the Scottish nobles, who were forced to dismount on the bank of the River Esk. The Scots’ advance into England was met near Solway Moss by Lord Wharton and his 3,000 men. The battle was uncoordinated and may be described as a rout. Sir Thomas Wharton described the battle as the overthrow of the Scots between the rivers Esk and Lyne. The Scots, after the first encounter of a cavalry chase at "Akeshawsill", now Oakshawhill, moved "down" towards Arthuret Howes. They found themselves penned in south of the Esk, on English territory between the river and the Moss (a peat bog), and after intense fighting surrendered themselves and their 10 field guns to the English cavalry. Wharton said the Scots were halted at the Sandy Ford by Arthuret mill dam. The Scots were 'beguiled by their own guiding', according to one Scottish writer. Several hundred of the Scots may have drowned in the marshes and river. James, who was not present at the battle (he had remained at Lochmaben), withdrew to Falkland Palace humiliated and ill with fever. The news that his wife had given birth to a daughter instead of a son further crushed his will to live, and he is reported to have stated that the House of Stewart "came with a lass and will go with a lass". He died at Falkland two weeks later at the age of thirty. According to George Douglas, in his delirium he lamented the capture of his banner and Oliver Sinclair at Solway Moss more than his other loss. Chief George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly was General of the forces on the Borders who opposed the forces of Henry VIII of England and Gordon had many victorious encounters. He was however later killed at the Battle of Corrichie in 1562 fighting against the forces of James Stuart, Earl of Moray (half-brother to Mary Queen of Scots). Gordon was killed and his son, Sir John, and other members of his family were later executed at Aberdeen. The Battle of Corrichie, also known as the Battle of Corrichy was a battle fought near Meikle Tap, near Aberdeen, Scotland, on the 28th of October 1562. It was fought between the forces of George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly, chief of Clan Gordon, against the forces of Mary, Queen of Scots under James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray. Huntly had defeated the English twenty years earlier at the Battle of Haddon Rig, however at Corrichie he was defeated by Queen Mary's forces, and apparently he died of apoplexy (unconsciousness or incapacity resulting from a cerebral haemorrhage or stroke) after his capture. Mary had come in person to the north of Scotland intent on confronting the power of the Gordons at Corrichie, the Gordon's tactic of charging with swords was defeated by Moray's pike drill. Throughout the 16th century the Clan Gordon were involved in a long and bitter struggle against the Clan Forbes. In the 1520’s there were murders by both sides, and one of the most prominent killed by the Forbeses was Seton of Meldrum, who had a close connection of the Earl of Huntly, chief of Clan Gordon. The Earl of Huntly then became involved in a plot against the Master of Forbes, who was the son of the 6th Lord Forbes. The 6th Lord Forbes had been heavily implicated of the murder of Seton of Meldrum. The Master of Forbes was accused by the Earl of Huntly of conspiring to assassinate James V of Scotland in 1536 by shooting at him with a cannon. The Master of Forbes was tried and executed, however just days later his conviction was reversed and the Forbes family was restored to favour. The Protestant Reformation added to the feud between the Clan Forbes and Clan Gordon in that the Gordons remained Catholic and the Forbeses became Protestant. The traditional enemies of the Forbeses such as the Clan Leslie, Clan Irvine and Clan Seton sided with the Gordons while Protestant families such as the Clan Keith, Clan Fraser and Clan Crichton sided with the Clan Forbes. Twenty Gordons were killed at a banquet held at the Forbes's Druminnor Castle in 1571. Later in 1571 the feud climaxed with the Battle of Tillieangus. The Battle of Tillieangus was fought on the 10th of October 1571 between the Clan Gordon and the Clan Forbes near White Hill of Tillyangus, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It was part of the Marian civil war in which the Gordons supported Mary, Queen of Scots and the Forbeses supported her son, James VI of Scotland. A force of Catholic Gordons, under the command of Sir Adam Gordon, was on its way to gain the Suie Road to Edinburgh, to join George Gordon, the Earl of Huntly. They were opposed by a force of Protestant Forbes under the command of "Black Arthur" Forbes, the 6th Lord Forbes's youngest son. The forces met near the White Hill of Tillyangus, where the Gordons were victorious. Black Arthur Forbes was killed. Legend has it that "he stooped down to quench his thirst and one of the Gordons gave him his death blow through an open joint in his armour". On the Gordon side, John Gordon of Buckie was killed. The battle was mentioned in a letter of the Bishop of Galloway to the Earl of Shrewsbury of 16th of November 1571. He mentions the death of 36 gentlemen of the name of Forbes with Lord Forbes's brother, and 100 prisoners taken including a younger son of Lord Forbes and the Battle of Craibstone. The Battle of Craibstone was fought on the 20th of November 1571 between Clan Gordon and the Clan Forbes on an area that has now been constructed over, found in central Aberdeen, Scotland. It was part of the Marian civil war in which the Clan Forbes supported the King James VI and the Clan Gordon supported Mary, Queen of Scots. So called due to its proximity to Craibstone Croft, the battle was won by the Gordons who forced the Forbes into retreat in approximately one hour with the loss of sixty men. According to news of the battle sent to John Lesley, the secretary of Mary, Queen of Scots, the number of casualties was three-score, 60 men, on each side, and the son of Lord Forbes, Alexander Master of Forbes, was imprisoned at Huntly Castle. According to the chronicle Diurnal of Occurrents, the Master of Forbes accompanied by Captains Chisholm and Wedderburn marched from Cowie to Aberdeen on the 20th of November 1571. Chisholm and Wedderburn, the Regent's men, commanded two bands of musketeers called "hagbutters." Their whole strength was about 800 men. Adam Gordon of Auchindoun and Captain Kerr had 900 men in the town. The Forbes came over the bridge of Aberdeen, and fought with Adam's men for an hour at Craibstone. The Forbes retreated, Chisholm and 300 men were killed, and the Master of Forbes and 200 men were captured. Two hundred Gordons were killed. Richard Bannatyne mentions that some cavalry commanded by Alexander Campbell, fought with the Forbes. Bannatyne says that the Forbes and the Regent's troops came to Aberdeen because they were short of food. Adam Gordon was reluctant to fight because he was outgunned, but saw his chance after the troops "foolishly" wasted their ammunition. The Forbes bowmen or archers fled, Bannatyne wrote they "gave backis, and did no guid." The History of King James VI, says there were 600 cavalrymen. The pursuit of the fleeing Forbes covered four miles. The History of James VI (which is biased against the Regents of Scotland), also says that the Gordons had only 30 casualties and the Forbes 300, although all the other sources make the number more evenly matched. and Druminnor, then the seat of the chief of Clan Forbes was plundered. The Gordons followed this up with the massacre of twenty seven Forbeses of Towie at Corgarff Castle. It took two Acts of Parliament for the clans to put down their arms. In 1594 the forces of George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly defeated the forces of Archibald Campbell, 7th Earl of Argyll at the Battle of Glenlivet. The Battle of Glenlivet is significant as an example of the ongoing struggles within Scotland between Presbyterians and Catholics, which colours much of Scotland's history after the Reformation, and the relentless efforts of the kirk to eliminate the Catholic faith from the country. It also highlights in microcosm the complex nature of the relationships between Catholic and Protestant powers across Europe at this time, and the labyrinthine political manoeuvrings which occurred as a result. It is also significant as the first battle in the Highlands of Scotland where artillery appears to have played a part in the action, and archaeological evidence of this may well survive on the battlefield. The Battle of Glenlivet was a Scottish clan battle fought on the 3rd of October 1594 near Glenlivet, Moray, Scotland. It was fought between Protestant forces loyal to King James VI of Scotland who were commanded by Archibald Campbell, 7th Earl of Argyll, against Catholic forces who were commanded by George Gordon, 6th Earl of Huntly, and Francis Hay, 9th Earl of Erroll. The Catholics won a decisive victory in the battle, but in the aftermath were subdued by King James. The register of the Privy Seal records, that in 1615 a complaint was made from Alexander Leask of the Clan Leask that Adam Gordon, brother of the Laird of Gight, put violent hands upon him at the Yet of Leask, wounding him grievously. Later that year the Gordons again attacked the Leasks, setting upon a son of the chief for which George Gordon was outlawed.  In 1616, William Leask of that ilk was accosted by John Gordon of Ardlogy and a party of men with pistols and hagbuts. In the early 17th century Clan Gordon had several alliances by marriage or friendship. Among these was a strong bond to the Clan Burnett of Leys. The Gordon crest is emblazoned in plasterwork on the ceiling of the early 17th century great hall of Muchalls Castle built by Alexander Burnett. In 1644 Alexander Bannerman of Pitmedden fought a duel with his cousin, Sir George Gordon of Haddo, and wounded him. Also in 1644 during the Civil War at the Battle of Aberdeen there were Gordons on both sides. Lord Lewis Gordon led his forces on the side of the Covenanters while Sir Nathaniel Gordon led his forces in support of the Royalists. During the Civil War, the second Marquess of Huntly was a fierce royalist and his followers have passed into history as the Gordon Horse and they figured very prominently in the campaigns of the great James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose. Cavalry from the Clan Gordon fought in support of the royalists at the Battle of Auldearn in 1645 where they helped to defeat the Covenanters of Lord Seaforth. As the area about Elgin was Covenanter in sympathy, Urry had plenty of information about Montrose's approach. He withdrew westwards, hoping to lure Montrose into a position where he could launch a surprise counter-attack. His army consisted of four regiments of foot commanded by Colonels Loudoun, Lothian, Buchanan and Sir Mungo Campbell of Lawers, the Mackenzies under the Earl of Seaforth, the levies of the Earl of Sutherland, 800 other local levies and 400 cavalry. Hearing late on the 8th of May that Montrose had encamped at Auldearn, which was then a small hamlet, Urry advanced, hoping to catch the Royalists unawares at dawn. In his attempt to achieve surprise, he left his artillery some distance behind. Unfortunately for Urry, some of his men discharged their muskets to clear damp powder charges, thereby alerting the Royalists. Thus warned, Montrose hastily deployed his forces to counter-attack Urry. On Montrose's right flank, Alastair MacColla commanded one Irish regiment and some Gordon infantry totalling about 500 men. They were deployed in some enclosures in front of Auldearn, and the Royal Standard was prominently displayed among them to convince Urry that the entire Royalist force was in this position. Montrose's main force was concealed in a hollow on MacColla's left flank. There were two Irish regiments and some Gordons fighting on foot (totalling about 800 musketeers and clansmen), and 200 Gordon horsemen led by Lord Aboyne and his younger brother, Lord Lewis Gordon. Urry's four regular regiments of infantry advanced against the obvious position defended by Alasdair MacColla, while a small body of 50 cavalry attempted to outflank what they believed to be the Royalist left. The various levies and Urry's remaining cavalry remained in reserve. The impatient MacColla led an advance against the Covenanters but was forced back. Montrose rode up to the Gordon cavalry, who could hear the noise of battle but could not see what was going on, and claimed that the Macdonalds were driving all before them and were likely to claim all the glory. The Gordon horsemen charged out of the hollow. The small body of Covenanter cavalry trying to outflank MacColla was taken by surprise while trying to negotiate a bog and fled. Montrose's infantry followed his cavalry and advanced against the right flank of Urry's four infantry regiments, which broke under attack from all sides. Urry's three bodies of levies and his remaining cavalry fled the field. The only part of Urry's army to make a stand was Clan MacLennan, styled the "Bannermen of Kintail", who, as standard bearers to Seaforth, chief of Clan Mackenzie, remained isolated during the Covenanters' flight. They refused to retreat and stood their ground in the face of the Royalist onslaught, refusing to give up the standard of the Mackenzies, the "Cabar Feidh." Offered no quarter by the Gordon cavalry, Ruairidh Mac Gille Fhinnein, chief of his name, and his clansmen, together with some MacRaes and Mathesons, were all cut down. As with most of Montrose's victories, many of the casualties were inflicted after the Covenanter army broke and fled, in a merciless pursuit which was continued for 14 miles The Clan Gordon fought at the Battle of Alford in 1645 where they were victorious, led by George Gordon, 2nd Marquess of Huntly. The Marquess of Huntly's eldest son George Gordon fell at this battle. Also in 1645, Lewis Gordon, clan chief and 3rd Marquess of Huntly, burned Brodie Castle of the Clan Brodie. Following the Scottish Parliament's decision to intervene in the First English Civil War on the Parliamentarian side, King Charles 1st had appointed Montrose as his Captain-General in Scotland and charged him with conducting the Royalist resistance. It was hoped that by carrying out a disruptive campaign in Scotland, Montrose would tie down government troops that would otherwise be used in the war in England. Aided by 2,000 men sent by Confederate Ireland, Montrose won surprise victories at Tipperary and Aberdeen in September 1644. His troops plundered large parts of the west Highlands that winter, before routing and destroying the forces of key government supporter the Marquess of Argyll at Inverlochy on the 2nd of February. Finally, Montrose defeated a larger government army under Sir John Urry at Auldearn on the 9th of May. Following Auldearn, the commander of the Irish contingent, Alasdair Mac Colla, departed for the western Highlands to raise more men. Montrose himself tried to engage the remaining Covenanter army under Major-General Baillie. Baillie, a veteran soldier, had seen his forces reduced in size by the controlling body of the Scottish Parliament, the Committee of Estates, which had the power to overrule his orders. The Committee, which comprised the Earl of Argyll, the Earls of Crawford and Tullibardine, and the Lords of Elcho, Burleigh, and Balcarres, together with a few Calvinist clergy, had ordered the detachment of around 1,200 of Baillie's most experienced foot to create a second army, intended to be commanded by the Earl of Lindsay. Some of the resulting gaps were filled by inexperienced militia. Conscious of the weakened state of his army, Baillie spent the early summer months trying to evade contact with Montrose, and both forces manoeuvred through Moray and Aberdeenshire for several weeks to secure an advantage. Montrose caught Baillie on the 24th of June near Keith, but the latter formed up for battle in a strong defensive position. Montrose refused to attack and, after several days of waiting, moved his force on and across the River Don. Baillie was now compelled to follow, otherwise Montrose would have had a clear route of march into central Scotland. By the 1st of July, Montrose occupied the high ground near the village of Alford, probably at Gallows Hill. Early on the morning of the 2nd of July, he received word that the Covenanters were rapidly approaching the ford of the Don and made a decision to attack, mainly as he knew that Lindsay was finally en route to reinforce Baillie In 1682 William Gordon of Cardoness Castle, was killed in a fight with Sir Godfrey McCulloch. McCulloch fled Scotland for a time, but returned, only to be apprehended and executed in 1697. The Gordons fought on both sides during both the Jacobite rising of 1715 and the Jacobite rising of 1745. The second Duke of Gordon followed the Jacobites in 1715 and fought at the Battle of Sheriffmuir. General Wade's report on the Highlands in 1724, estimated the clan strength at 1,000 men. The Battle of Sheriffmuir (Scottish Gaelic: Blàr Sliabh an t-Siorraim,) was an engagement in 1715 at the height of the Jacobite rising in England and Scotland. Sheriffmuir was and is a remote elevated plateau of heathland lying between Stirling and Auchterarder on the north fringe of the Ochil Hills. John Erskine, 6th Earl of Mar, standard bearer for the Jacobite cause in Scotland mustered Highland chiefs, and on the 6th of September declared James Francis Edward Stuart (the "Old Pretender") as King of Scots. With an army of about 12,000 men Mar proceeded to take Perth, and commanded much of the northern Highlands. Following unsuccessful skirmishes against John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll (based at Stirling), Mar was eventually persuaded to lead his full army south, on the 10th of November. Spies informed Argyll of Mar's actions, and he moved his army of about 4,000 to Sheriffmuir, near Dunblane. The two armies met on the battlefield on the 13th of November 1715. Argyll was seriously outnumbered by the Jacobite army (which was somewhat diminished from its previous numbers), and his left wing, commanded by General Thomas Whetham, was far shorter than the Jacobites' opposing right. Argyll's right wing attacked, and managed to drive the Highlanders back, but Whetham's soldiers were overpowered by a much larger force. Argyll came to the aid of Whetham's men. By evening, both armies were seriously reduced, and although Mar had a great advantage in numbers, he refused to risk the entirety of his army, allowing Argyll to withdraw. The battle was inconclusive, with both sides claiming victory. However, in strategic terms Argyll had halted the Jacobite advance. Those government regiments present that were titled 'King's' were awarded the White Horse of Hanover as a badge of battle honour. The engagement only served to demoralize the Jacobite army who, with their superior numbers, felt they should have decisively won. Mar's French and Spanish supporters withdrew their forces. On the 23rd of December, the Old Pretender, who had been exiled in France, landed at Peterhead, his cause largely lost. He met with Mar at Perth, but was unable to rouse the disheartened army. Argyll, reinforced and invigorated, soon advanced north, while the Jacobite army fled to Montrose, and the Pretender returned to France. The Army moved to Ruthven, and dispersed. The period was fatal in the extreme to the Jacobite Pretender. The whole body of his adherents in the south had fallen into the hands of generals Willis and Carpenter at Preston, and Inverness, with all the adjacent country, had been recovered to the government, through the exertions of pro-government clans including the Earl of Sutherland, Fraser Lord Lovat, the Rosses, the Munros, and the Forbeses. Cosmo (yes that really was his name!) Gordon, 3rd Duke of Gordon supported the British Government during the rising of 1745. However, his brother, Lord Lewis Gordon, raised two Jacobite regiments against the Hanoverians. The Gordon Jacobites fought at the Battle of Inverurie. The Battle of Inverurie was fought on the 23rd of December 1745 at Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, during the Jacobite rising of 1745. Following the Jacobite capture of Edinburgh in autumn 1745, Lord Lewis Gordon had been designated as the Jacobite Lord Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire and was given responsibility for raising men in the North-East. With a mix of volunteers and men 'pressed' into service, he mustered a relatively large regiment including three battalions. The 'Aberdeen' battalion, mainly volunteers from Aberdeen itself led by James Moir of Stonywood. The 'Strathbogie' battalion, unwilling feudal levies under John Gordon of Avochie. Along with the 'Mar' battalion, mostly Highlanders raised by Francis Farquharson of Monaltrie in Braemar and upper Deeside.  Gordon also set up a parallel civil administration, levying the cess to gain the Jacobites additional funds. In December, the government commander-in-chief in the North, John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun, sent Norman MacLeod of MacLeod from Inverness with 500 men of the Independent Highland Companies to confront Gordon. MacLeod was to pick up reinforcement en route from George Munro, 1st of Culcairn with 200 men and the Laird of Grant with a further 500. Gordon ordered his men to fall back to Aberdeen, where he was reinforced by part of Lord Ogilvy's Regiment from Forfarshire and Kincardineshire. He was also joined by a small detachment of Franco-Irish and Scottish regulars sent by Lord John Drummond, having landed at Montrose a few weeks previously. Grant decided to return home, while Culcairn initially held post at Oldmeldrum. MacLeod however continued and occupied the town of Inverurie, 16 miles north-west of Aberdeen. On hearing of MacLeod's advance, Gordon determined to make a pre-emptive attack. Gordon eventually left Aberdeen on the 23rd of December with 1,100 men and 5 pieces of cannon which had been taken off a ship in the harbour. He nominally led one column of Jacobite troops and Avochie another, though in reality it appears that active command was delegated to Major Lancelot Cuthbert, brother of the laird of Castlehill and a regular in the French Royal-Ecossais, who "did all the business". The Jacobites crossed the Bridge of Don and took the route by Fintray up the left bank of the river, while Gordon sent a detachment of 300 men, including the French regulars, by the Tyrebagger road, this being the main road to Inverurie, to deceive MacLeod as to his real intentions. At about four o'clock in the afternoon the Irish picquets, who had marched by the right bank of the River Don, waded across the river at the ford south of Inverurie and attacked MacLeod's troops on the south-west side of the town. About 60 of MacLeod's men engaged them at the ford and it was here that the rebels lost most of their casualties, including eleven dead among the French regulars. Gordon then crossed the River Ury and attacked the town in the area of the church, taking the defenders by surprise, although they were able to fire several volleys as the main body of rebels crossed the river. The MacLeods then retreated down the main street of Inverurie, firing a few additional volleys before retiring northwards. Unable to hold their positions, they were pushed back to Elgin during the evening. According to Ruaridh MacLeod the Government troops lost seven dead, with five killed in battle; fifteen wounded with the enemy, seven wounded brought back to Elgin and fifty-nine taken prisoner. Other sources claim a larger number of Government casualties. A Jacobite present at the battle admitted fourteen dead, while a Government officer estimated that the rebels had lost between 30 and 40 dead. McKlaudes Resolute Behaviour in running to the Enemy with so few of his men about him and the stand they made with not one half of their little army against 900 till they were overpowered by numbers is much to his honour. About fifty of MacLeod's men were taken prisoner, several of whom were officers including the younger son of Gordon of Ardoch and Forbes of Echt. Also taken prisoner was John Chalmers, formerly Principal and Professor of King's College, Aberdeen, and Donald Ban MacCrimmon, a member of the distinguished family of pipers. The remainder including MacLeod himself retreated to their own country. The Battle of Falkirk Muir, also known as the Battle of Falkirk took place on the 17th of January 1746 during the Jacobite rising of 1745. While considered a tactical Jacobite victory, it had little impact on the campaign. In early January, the Jacobite army besieged Stirling Castle and on the 13th of January, government forces under Henry Hawley advanced north from Edinburgh to relieve it. He arrived at Falkirk on the 15th of January and the Jacobites attacked late in the afternoon of the 17th of January. They fought in failing light and heavy snow, Hawley's left wing was routed but his right held firm. In the confusion, the Jacobites failed to follow up, allowing the government troops to withdraw and regroup in Edinburgh. When they resumed their advance on the 30th of January, the Jacobites abandoned the siege and withdrew to Inverness before the rebellion ended at the Battle of Culloden in April. Although the invasion of England had few tangible benefits, reaching Derby and returning to Scotland was a considerable military achievement. This brought in new recruits, while in late November, John Drummond arrived from France with weapons, money and 150 Irish and Scots regulars. In early January, Jacobite morale and numbers were at their peak, with 8,000 to 9,000. Success at Inverurie on the 23rd of December gave the Jacobites temporary control of the North-East, which they now attempted to extend to the Central Lowlands. Their objective was Stirling Castle, one of the strongest fortifications in Scotland and a position of major strategic importance that controlled access between the Highlands and the Lowlands. Split into two columns, the main army left Glasgow on the 4th of January for Stirling, where they would rendezvous with Drummond's troops. Lord George Murray and the first column marched on Falkirk, then turned north towards Stirling, leaving a cavalry detachment under Lord Elcho at Linlithgow to patrol the Edinburgh road. The second passed through Kilsyth, en route to Bannockburn, where Prince Charles established his headquarters at Bannockburn House, owned by the Jacobite Sir Hugh Paterson. The town of Stirling quickly surrendered but the castle was a far greater challenge, with strong defences and a garrison of 600 to 700 troops, under William Blakeney, an experienced and determined Irish veteran. Siege operations began on the 8th of January but for several reasons, progress was slow. On the 13th of January, Henry Hawley, government commander in Scotland, ordered his deputy Major General John Huske and 4,000 men to advance on Stirling, while he followed with another 3,000. They reached Falkirk on the 15th of January and made camp just outside the town, Murray withdrew to Plean Muir, Southeast of Bannockburn, where he was joined by Charles and O' Sullivan, with all the troops that could be spared from the siege. Deficiencies in leadership on both sides would have a significant impact on the battle. Hawley had commanded dragoons at Sheriffmuir in 1715 and overestimated the vulnerability of Highlanders to cavalry, while seriously underestimating their fighting qualities and numbers. The Jacobite senior command was divided between Charles and his exile advisors on the one hand and the Scots on the other, with several of Charles' aides openly stating Murray was a traitor. When Hawley failed to attack on the 16th of January, Murray, Charles and O'Sullivan agreed to take the offensive on the morning of the 17th. Some of Drummond's regulars marched towards Stirling to distract the government scouts, while Murray's Highlanders took up position on the high ground to the south, above the camp. They were helped by Hawley's assumption they would not dare attack him and his location a mile away at Callendar House. According to an aide, they 'beat to Arms' at 12:00, then stood down and it was not until 14:30 Hawley realised the seriousness of the situation. The weather suddenly changed and it began raining and snowing heavily, with a strong wind blowing directly into the faces of Hawley's troops. British Army dragoon, circa 1742, as on previous occasions, they proved poorly suited to fighting Jacobite forces. The government army moved south on Maggie Wood's Loan past the Bantaskin House and up the slope of the Falkirk ridge. Despite their failure at Prestonpans, the dragoons led the way, an order their commander Francis Ligonier allegedly viewed as 'the most extraordinary ever given. ‘Their horses churned the track into a morass, slowing the infantry, while the guns in the rear became stuck and could not be freed in time to take part in the battle. The rain also affected the infantry's black powder cartridges, it was later estimated one out of every four muskets misfired. The dragoons halted on the far side of the rise, with a bog to their left while the infantry deployed to their right. The front line consisted of the dragoons, then six battalions of veteran infantry, a second line with five more infantry battalions, then Howard's regiment and 1,000 men of the Argyll Militia behind. The inexperienced Glasgow militia were not considered front-line troops and deployed several hundred yards behind the dragoons on the left. Opposing them was a first line composed of the Highland regiments, Lowland units behind, then a small number of cavalry and 150 regulars from the French Irish Brigade in the rear. Murray dismounted and marched with the MacDonalds on the extreme right, opposite the dragoons. Crucially, he ensured they remained in line and ordered his front rank not to fire until he gave the word. Murray later declared the position selected meant 'the Highland army had all the advantages nature or art could give them.' However, it was undermined by poor co-ordination and Drummond, who was appointed to command the Jacobite left, was absent when the battle began. He arrived soon after but this meant it lacked a senior commander at the start of action and while Murray urged Charles to name an alternative, he failed to do so. Sir Robert Munro (1684-1746) was killed in the pursuit with his younger brother Duncan, buried in St Modan's, Falkirk. Just after 16:00, Ligonier and his three regiments of dragoons attacked the MacDonalds, who waited until they came within pistol range, then fired a single volley. As at Prestonpans, they fled in disorder, restricted by the bog to their left, Cobham's regiment went North, while the other two rode over the infantry forming to their rear. In a few minutes, the entire left-wing was swept away. All that remained for the Jacobites to achieve an overwhelming victory was to envelop Hawley's right. However, the MacDonalds and entire front line charged down the hill and began sacking the government camp, while the sloping terrain and lack of visibility left Murray unable to ascertain who was where. Three battalions under Huske and Cholmondeley held their positions, shielded by the ravine to their front and repulsed attacks by the Jacobite left. These fled in their turn and according to O'Sullivan, many did not stop until they reached Stirling 'where they gave out we lost the day'. The darkness, continuing storm and general confusion on both sides ended the battle; Hawley initially withdrew to Falkirk but most of his army was spread out on the road to Linlithgow and they eventually returned to Edinburgh where they reformed. The artillery commander, Captain Archibald Cunningham, abandoned his guns and used the transport horses to escape. When Huske's men retreated, they dragged some of the guns with them but most were left behind, Cunningham later committed suicide 'by opening the arteries of his arms.' Ligonier, who left his sickbed in Edinburgh to take command, died shortly afterwards. While the severity of the weather is demonstrated by the fact Cholmondeley suffered from severe exposure. As in most battles of the period, many casualties occurred in the pursuit, a pattern repeated at Culloden in April but with the roles reversed. It is generally accepted the Jacobites lost 50 dead and 80 wounded, mostly on their left, while the government forces lost around 70 dead, plus another 200-300 wounded or missing. Twenty of the dead were officers, including Sir Robert Munro and his younger brother Duncan, who were killed in the pursuit and later buried in St Modan's, Falkirk. While a Jacobite success, Falkirk is often described as a 'hollow' victory, since poor command and co-ordination deprived them of the last opportunity to decisively defeat their opponents One factor was confusion over the result, from their position on the left, Charles and O'Sullivan initially thought they had been defeated. Murray publicly blamed Drummond for arriving late and not supporting his success on the right, while Drummond blamed Murray for the failure of the three MacDonald regiments to press home their attack. Murray also accused O'Sullivan of cowardice, although Sheridan's official Jacobite account credited him with rallying "part of the left wing". Amid these recriminations, Charles returned to Bannockburn, where he fell ill, leaving Murray and the Highlanders at Falkirk. On the 29th of January, Cumberland arrived in Edinburgh and assumed command. Several soldiers were later executed for desertion; Hawley's poor leadership materially assisted the Jacobites but unlike Sir John Cope, he never faced a court-martial. The writer Horace Walpole (1717-1792) argued he was 'fifty times more culpable, since Cope miscarried by incapacity, Hawley by insolence and carelessness.' The exiles failed to appreciate that while the military obligations of clan society allowed the chiefs to provide large numbers of men at short notice, the obligation assumed warfare was short-term and rarely took place in the winter. After a successful battle like Prestonpans, many went home to secure their loot and the clan chiefs could not prevent a similar flood of 'desertions' after Falkirk. When Cumberland resumed his advance on the 30th of January, Charles asked Murray to prepare a battle plan but was told the army was in no state to fight. This destroyed the last remnants of trust between the two parties. On the 1st of February 1746, the siege of Stirling was abandoned and the Jacobites withdrew to Inverness. The Battle of Culloden (April 16th, 1746), which I shall go into in depth as it was probably one of Scotland’s most defining battles. It was to be the last military clash ever to be fought on British soil, a battle where the Gordons distinguished themselves, there was much more of a lead up to this. The battle was between the forces of the Jacobites, who supported the claim of Charles Edward Stuart (also known as "Bonnie Prince Charlie") to the throne and the Royal Army, which supported the Hanoverian sovereign, George II of Great Britain. Culloden brought the 1745 Jacobite Rising to a close. It was a decisive defeat for the Jacobite cause, and Prince Charles left Britain and went to Rome, never to attempt to take the throne again. In fact, the rebellion was small, but it had enormous psychological impact upon the Highland Scots, and severe civil penalties thereafter (for example, it became a criminal offence to wear tartan plaid). What followed can be described as cultural vandalism, with the destruction of a way of life that many had found meaningful, giving them a sense of identity and kinship. Prince Charles Edward Stuart (1720-88), known to his supporters as "Bonnie Prince Charlie" and to his opponents as the "Young Pretender," successfully raised forces, mainly of Scottish Highland clansmen, which took Edinburgh and defeated the Royal Army stationed in Scotland at the Battle of Prestonpans. The British government began bringing forces back from the war with France in Flanders to deal with the Jacobite rebellion. After a lengthy wait, Charles persuaded his generals that English Jacobites would stage a rising and the French would invade to assist them. His army of around 5000 invaded England on November the 8th 1745, and advanced through Carlisle and Manchester to Derby, a position where they appeared to threaten London, leading King George II to make plans to decamp to Hanover. The Jacobites met only token resistance in England, however, there was also extraordinarily little active support from English Jacobites, and the French invasion fleet was still being assembled, the armies of General George Wade (later Field Marshall, 1673-1748) and of William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland (1721-1765) were approaching, a militia was forming in London and they had (fictitious) reports which said that, of a third army closing on them. The Jacobite general Lord George Murray and the Council of War insisted on returning to join their growing force in Scotland and on December the 6th 1745, they withdrew, with the Prince petulantly leaving the command to Murray. The Jacobite forces reached Glasgow by December the 25th, re-provisioned, and were joined by a few thousand extra men. They then clashed with the forces of General Henry Hawley (1679-1759), near Falkirk, and were victorious. The Duke of Cumberland arrived in Edinburgh on January the 30th, to take over command of the government army from General Hawley, then marched north along the coast with the army being supplied by sea. They assembled at Aberdeen and spent six weeks in careful training. The King's forces continued to pressure Charles, and he retired northwards, losing men and failing to take Stirling Castle or Fort William, but investing Fort Augustus and Fort George in Inverness by early April. Charles now took charge again, insisting on fighting a defensive action. Nearly three quarters of the Jacobite army was formed of Scottish Highland clansmen, most of them being Roman Catholic but more than a third being Scottish Episcopalians. Only 20-25 percent of the highlanders were armed with swords, some having spears or axes and the remainder makeshift or captured weapons. Around a quarter of the total force were Episcopalians from the north-east Scottish Lowlands north of the River Tay so that more than half the total was Episcopalian, but the lowland contribution was obscured by their tendency to wear Highland dress as a kind of Jacobite uniform. During the invasion of England, about 300 English Catholics from Manchester formed a regiment, but were left behind for a rear-guard action at Carlisle. At the end of November, French ships arrived in Scotland with 800 men from the Écossais Royeaux (Royal Scots) and Irish Regiments of the French army. Many of

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Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG

Texte: Kenn Gordon
Bildmaterialien: Kenn Gordon
Cover: Kenn Gordon
Lektorat: Kenn Gordon
Satz: Kenn Gordon
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 22.12.2020
ISBN: 978-3-7487-6925-5

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Widmung:
As with all my books I dedicate it first to my long suffering wife and then to my sons who have always made me proud. To my father who really was the genius in our family. A true academical man who loved the written word. I am sure he would have made a much better job than I have done but he is no longer with us. My mother who like my father is long gone from the land of the living. Between her and my father they made this old fool.