FRIGHTFUL SLAUGHTER OUTSIDE GLASGOW.
It was a sad misfortune, a national calamity; yet our troops did not
lose heart. Commanded as they were by Britons, astute, loyal, and
fearless, they, after fighting hard, fell back from Edinburgh in order,
and husbanded their force for the morrow.
Indeed, soon after dawn the Russians found themselves severely attacked.
Exultant over their success, they had, while sacking Edinburgh, left
their base at Leith very inadequately protected, with the result that
the defenders, swooping suddenly down upon the town, succeeded, with the
assistance of four coast-defence ships and a number of torpedo boats, in
blowing up most of the Russian transports, and seizing their ammunition
and provisions.
Such an attack was, of course, very vigorously defended, but it was a
smart manoeuvre on the part of the British General, and enabled him,
after cutting off the enemy's line of retreat, to turn suddenly and
attack the Russians who were continuing their destructive campaign
through the streets of Edinburgh. This bold move on the part of the
defenders was totally unexpected by the foe, which accounted for the
frightful loss of life that was sustained on the Russian side, and the
subsequent clever tactics which resulted in the driving out of the
invaders from Edinburgh, and British troops reoccupying that city.
[Illustration: MAP OF THE BATTLEFIELD OUTSIDE GLASGOW.]
Meanwhile the 1st Russian Army Corps, which on landing had at once set
out towards Glasgow, had marched on in a great extended line, sacking
the various towns through which they passed. As they advanced from
Linlithgow, Airdrie, and Coatbridge were looted and burned, while
further south, Motherwell, Hamilton, and Bothwell shared the same fate.
About 20,000 men, together with 11,000 who had been forced to evacuate
Edinburgh, had at length advanced a little beyond Coatbridge, and, in
preparation for a vigorous siege of Glasgow, halted within seven miles
of the city, with flanks extended away south to Motherwell and on to
Wishaw, and north as far as Chryston and Kirkintilloch.
In Glasgow the excitement was intense, and surging crowds filled the
streets night and day. The fall of Edinburgh had produced the greatest
sensation, and the meagre news of the disaster telegraphed had scarcely
been supplemented when the report of the retaking of "Auld Reekie" came
to hand, causing great rejoicing. Nevertheless, it was known that over
thirty thousand trained soldiers were on their way to the banks of the
Clyde, and Glasgow was fevered and turbulent. The scanty business that
had lately been done was now at a standstill, and the meagre supplies
that reached there from America not being half sufficient for the
enormous population, the city was already starving. But, as in other
towns, great barricades had been thrown up, and those in Gallowgate and
Duke Street, thoroughfares by which Glasgow might be entered by way of
Parkhead and Dennistoun, were soon manned by loyal and patriotic bands
of civilians. Other barriers were constructed at St. Rollox Station, in
Canning Street, in Monteith Row, and in Great Western, Dumbarton, and
Govan Roads.
South of the river, Eglinton Street and the roads at Crosshill were
barricaded, and in New City and Garscube Roads in the north there were
also strong defences. All were held by enthusiastic bodies of men who
had hastily armed themselves, confident in the belief that our
Volunteers and the small body of Regulars would not allow the invader to
march in force upon their city without a most determined resistance.
Now, however, the alarming news reached Glasgow that the enemy had
actually sacked and burned Coatbridge. In an hour they could commence
looting the shops in Gallowgate, and their heavy tramp would be heard on
the granite of Trongate and Argyle Street! Throughout the city the
feeling of insecurity increased, and hourly the panic assumed greater
proportions.
The sun that day was obscured by dark thunder-clouds, the swirling
Clyde flowed on black beneath its many bridges, and the outlook was
everywhere gloomy and ominous.
Still, away on the hills to southward, our small force of soldiers and
Volunteers had narrowly watched the onward tide of destroyers, and
carefully laid their plans. The manner in which the defensive operations
were conducted is perhaps best related in a letter written by Captain
Boyd Drummond of the 1st Battalion Princess Louise's (Argyll and
Sutherland) Highlanders, to a friend in London, and which was published
with the accompanying sketch in the _Daily Graphic_.
He wrote as follows:--"On the second day after the Russians had landed,
Colonel Cumberland of 'Ours' received orders to move us from Lanark, and
reconnoitre as far as possible along the Carluke road, with a view to
taking up a position to cover the advance of the division, which had
during the morning been considerably reinforced by nearly half the
centre division from Peebles. In addition to our battalion with two
machine guns, Colonel Cumberland was in command of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd,
and 4th Volunteer Battalions from Greenock, Paisley, Pollokshaws, and
Stirling respectively, the 1st Dumbarton from Helensburgh, the Highland
Borderers, and the Renfrew Militia, together with a section of field
artillery, a field company of Royal Engineers, and about forty cavalry
and cyclists. Arriving at Carluke early in the afternoon, we awaited the
return of scouts, who had been pushed on in advance to beyond Wishaw, in
the direction of the enemy. They having reported that the Russians had
withdrawn from Wishaw, we at once moved on to Law Junction, about a mile
from that town, and finally took up a position for the night near
Waterloo, commanding Wishaw and Overtown.
"Beyond the junction, towards Glasgow, the railway, which the enemy
evidently did not intend to use, had been destroyed, but scouts from
Morningside reported that the line to Edinburgh had not been cut, and
that the permanent way remained uninjured. Colonel Cumberland therefore
told off the right half battalion, with a machine gun, a section of
Engineers, and six cyclists, to take up a position near the road between
Newmains and Morningside, with instructions to form piquets and patrol
the roads north and east. I was with No. 1 Company, but, being senior
captain present, the chief gave me command of this detachment. It was
the first time such a responsibility had been conferred upon me;
therefore I was determined not to be caught napping.
"As soon as we arrived at our ground, I sent two cyclists out to
Newmains and two to Morningside, with orders to glean what information
they could, and to wait in the villages until further orders, unless
they sighted the enemy's outposts, or discovered anything important. As
soon as I had sent out my piquets, I took my own company and six of the
Engineers down to Morningside. Some of the villagers, who had escaped
when a portion of the invaders passed through on the previous night, had
returned, and the cyclists gathered from them that we were close upon
the heels of the Russian rearguard.
"As the railway had not been destroyed, I thought that possibly the
invaders intended to use the line _via_ Mid-Calder, and therefore
examined the station closely. While engaged in this, one of the
Engineers suddenly discovered a wire very carefully concealed along the
line, and as we followed it up 500 yards each way, and could find no
connection with the instrument at the station office, I at once
concluded that it was the enemy's field telegraph, forming means of
communication between their headquarters at Airdrie and the division
that still remained in the Pentlands.
"Cutting the wire, and attaching the ends to the instrument in the
station, I left three Engineers, all expert telegraphists, to tap the
wire, and they, with the right half company, under Lieutenant Compton,
formed a detached post at this point. I also left the cyclists to convey
to me any messages which might be received on the instrument, and then
proceeded to Newmains. The place was now a mere heap of smouldering
ruins; but, as at Morningside, some of the terrified villagers had
returned, and they stated that early in the morning they had seen small
detachments of Russian cavalry pass through from Bankle, and proceed
north along the Cleland road.
"Leaving the left half company here with the other Engineers and the two
cyclists, under Lieutenant Planck, with orders to block the road and
railway bridge, I returned to my piquet line. A few minutes later,
however, a cyclist rode up with a copy of a message which had been sent
from the Russian headquarters on the Pentlands to the Glasgow investing
force. The message was in cipher, but, thanks to the information
furnished by the spy who was captured near Manchester, we were now aware
of some of the codes used by the invaders, and I sent the messenger on
to the Colonel at once. One of his staff was able to transcribe it
sufficiently to show that some disaster had occurred to the enemy on the
Pentlands, for it concluded with an order withdrawing the troops from
Glasgow, in order to reinforce the 3rd Army Corps in the fierce battle
that was now proceeding. It was also stated in the message that
despatches followed, so at once we were all on the alert.
"Almost immediately afterwards news was received over our own telegraph
from Carstairs, stating that a terrific battle had been fought along the
valleys between Leadburn, Linton, and Dolphinton, in which we had
suffered very severely, but we had nevertheless gained a decisive
victory, for from dawn until the time of telegraphing it was estimated
that no fewer than 12,000 Russians had been killed or wounded.
"It appeared that our forces on the Lammermuirs had moved quickly, and,
extending along the ridges, through Tynehead, and thence to Heriot, and
on to Peebles, joined hands with the division at that place before dawn,
and, when it grew light, had made a sudden and desperate attack. The
enemy, who had imagined himself in a safe position, was unprepared, and
from the first moment of the attack the slaughter was awful. As noon
wore on the battle had increased, until now the invaders had been
outflanked, and mowed down in such a frightful manner, that the
survivors, numbering nearly six thousand of all ranks, had, finding
their urgent appeal to their forces at Airdrie met with no response, and
imagining that they too had been defeated, at last surrendered, and were
taken prisoners.
"On receipt of this intelligence, Colonel Cumberland executed a
manoeuvre that was a marvel of forethought and smartness. The appeal to
Airdrie for help had, of course, not been received, but in its place he
ordered a message in Russian to be sent along the enemy's field
telegraph to the force advancing on Glasgow in the following words:
'Remain at Airdrie. Do not advance on Glasgow before we join you. The
defenders are defeated with heavy losses everywhere. Our advance guard
will be with you in twenty-four hours. Signed--Drukovitch.'
"This having been despatched, he reported by telegraph to the
headquarters at Carstairs what he had done, and then our whole force
immediately moved as far as Bellshill, in the direction of Glasgow. Here
we came across the Russian outposts, and a sharp fight ensued. After
half an hour, however, we succeeded in cutting them off and totally
annihilating them, afterwards establishing ourselves in Bellshill until
reinforcements could arrive. We were now only six miles from the Russian
headquarters at Airdrie, and they, on receipt of our fictitious message,
had withdrawn from the Clyde bank, and extended farther north over the
hills as far as Milngavie.
"We were thus enabled to watch and wait in Bellshill undisturbed
throughout the night; and while the enemy were eagerly expecting their
legions of infantry who were to swoop down and conquer Glasgow, we
remained content in the knowledge that the hour of conquest was close at
hand.
"A short, hasty rest, and we were astir again long before the dawn. Just
at daybreak, however, the advance guard of our force from Carstairs,
which had been on the march during the night, came into touch with us,
and in an hour the combined right and centre divisions of the British
had opened the battle.
"Our fighting front extended from Wishaw right across to Condorrat, with
batteries on Torrance and the hill at New Monkland, while another strong
line was pushed across from Cambuslang to Parkhead, and thence to
Millerston, for the protection of Glasgow.
"Thus, almost before our guns uttered their voice of defiance, we had
surrounded the enemy, and throughout the morning the fighting was most
sanguinary and desperate. Our batteries did excellent service; still, it
must be remembered we had attacked a well-trained force of over thirty
thousand men, and they had many more guns than we possessed. No doubt
the fictitious despatch we had sent had prevented the Russian commander
from advancing on Glasgow during the night, as he had intended; and now,
finding himself so vigorously attacked by two divisions which he
believed had been cut up and annihilated, all his calculations were
completely upset.
"It was well for us that this was so, otherwise we might have fared much
worse than we did. As it was, Cossacks and Dragoons wrought frightful
havoc among our infantry; while, on the other hand, the fire discipline
of the latter was magnificent. Every bit of cover on the hills seem to
bristle with hidden rifles, that emptied their magazines without smoke
and with fatal effect. Many a gallant dash was made by our men, the
Volunteers especially displaying conspicuous courage. The 1st
Dumbartonshire Volunteers, under Col. Thomson, V.D., the 1st
Renfrewshire, under Col. Lamont, V.D., and the 4th Battalion Argyll and
Sutherland Highlanders, under Col. D. M'Fayden, V.D., operated together
with magnificent success, for they completely cut up a strong Russian
detachment on the Glasgow road beyond Uddingston, driving them out of
the wood near Daldowie, and there annihilating them, and afterwards
holding their own on the banks of the North Calder without suffering
very much loss. They handled their Maxims as smartly as any body of
Regulars; and indeed, throughout the day their performances everywhere
were marked by steady discipline and cool courage that was in the
highest degree commendable.
"About two o'clock in the afternoon the battle was at its height. Under
the blazing sun that beat down upon us mercilessly, my battalion fought
on, feeling confident that the enemy were gradually being defeated. The
slaughter everywhere was frightful, and the green hillsides and fields
were covered with dead and dying soldiers of the Tsar. The grey coats
were soaked with blood, and dark, ugly stains dyed the grass of the
fertile meadows beside the winding Clyde. Since their sudden landing in
Scotland, the enemy's early successes had been followed by defeat after
defeat. Their transports had been destroyed, their ammunition and stores
seized, both their 2nd and 3rd Army Corps had been totally annihilated,
leaving nearly twelve thousand men in our hands as prisoners, and now
the defeat of this force of picked regiments, who had, on landing,
immediately marched straight across Scotland, would effect a crushing
and decisive blow.
"But the struggle was terrific, the din deafening, the wholesale
butchery appalling. Our men knew they were fighting for Caledonia and
their Queen, and their conduct, from the first moment of hostilities,
until stray bullets laid them low one after another, was magnificent;
they were splendid examples of the true, loyal, and fearless Briton, who
will fight on even while his life-blood ebbs.
"Evening fell, but the continuous firing did not cease. The sun sank red
and angry into dark storm-clouds behind the long range of purple hills
beyond the Clyde, but the clash of arms continued over hill and dale on
the east of Glasgow, and we, exerting every effort in our successful
attempt to hold the five converging roads near Broomhouse, knew not
which side were victors.
"Suddenly I received orders to send over a small detachment to block the
two roads at Baillieston, the one a main road leading up from
Coatbridge, and the other from the hilly country around Old Monkland,
where the struggle was fiercest. Sending Lieutenant Planck over
immediately with a detachment and several cyclists, I followed as soon
as possible, and found he had blocked both roads in the centre of the
little Scotch village, and had occupied the inn situated between the two
roads, leaving just sufficient space for his cyclists to pass. Looking
towards the city we could see that the hills on our left were occupied
by British redcoats. In the village the quaint little low-built
cottages, with their stairs outside, were all closed and deserted, and
the place seemed strangely quiet after the exciting scenes and ceaseless
deafening din.
"Taking six of Planck's men and the cyclists about a mile towards
Coatbridge, I posted them at the cross-roads beyond Rhind House, sending
the cyclists out along the valley to Dikehead. All was quiet in our
immediate vicinity for some time, until suddenly we discerned the
cyclists coming back. They reported that they had seen cavalry. This,
then, must be a detachment of the enemy, who in all probability were
retreating. I at once sent the cyclists back to inform Planck, and to
tell him we should not take a hand in the game until we had allowed them
to pass and they had discovered his barricade. In a few minutes we could
distinctly hear them approaching. We were all well under cover, but I
was surprised to find that it was only an escort.
"They were galloping, and had evidently come a long distance by some
circuitous route, and had not taken part in the fighting. I counted
five--two Cossacks in advance, then about forty yards behind a
shabbily-dressed civilian on horseback, and about forty yards behind him
two more Cossacks. They appeared to expect no interruption, and it
occurred to me that the Cossacks were escorting the civilian over to the
Russian position away beyond Hogganfield Loch. As soon as they were
clear, I formed my men up on each side of the road to await events.
"We had no occasion to remain long in expectation, for soon afterwards
the stillness was broken by shouts and a few rapid shots, and then we
could hear two horses galloping back. One was riderless, and a corporal
who attempted to stop it was knocked down and seriously injured; but the
other had a rider, and as he neared us I could see he was the civilian.
I knew I must stop him at all costs.
"So, ordering the men on the opposite side of the road to lie down, we
gave him a section volley from one side as he rushed past. The horse was
badly hit, and stumbled, throwing its rider, who was at once secured. To
prevent him from disposing of anything, we bound him securely. Two of
the Cossacks had been shot and the other two captured. Upon the
civilian, and in his saddle-bags, we found a number of cipher
despatches, elaborate plans showing how Glasgow was defended, and an
autograph letter from the Russian General Drukovitch, giving him
instructions to enter Glasgow alone by way of Partick, and to await him
there until the city fell.
"But the city was never invested. An hour after we had sent this
mysterious civilian--who spoke English with a foreign accent--over to
the Colonel, our onslaught became doubly desperate. In the dusk,
regiment after regiment of Russians were simply swept away by the cool
and deliberate fire of the British, who, being reinforced by my
battalion and others, wrought splendid execution in the enemy's main
body, forced back upon us at Baillieston.
"Then, as night fell, a report was spread that General Drukovitch had
surrendered. This proved true. With his 2nd and 3rd Army Corps
annihilated, and his transports and base in our hands, he was compelled
to acknowledge himself vanquished; therefore, by nine o'clock
hostilities had ceased, and during that night nearly six thousand
survivors of the 1st Russian Army Corps were taken prisoners, and
marched in triumph into Glasgow amid the wildest excitement of the
populace. This desperate attempt to invest Glasgow had cost the Russians
no fewer than 25,000 men in killed and wounded.
"The capture we effected near Baillieston turned out to be of a most
important character. When searched at headquarters, a visiting-card was
found concealed upon the man, and this gave our Colonel a clue. The man
has since been identified by one of his intimate friends as a person
well known in London society, who poses as a wealthy German, the
Count von Beilstein! It is alleged that he has for several years been
living in the metropolis and acting as an expert spy in the Secret
Service of the Tsar. He was sent handcuffed, under a strong escort, to
London a few days after the battle, and if all I hear be true, some
highly sensational disclosures will be made regarding his adventurous
career.
[Illustration: DEFEAT OF THE RUSSIANS AT BAILLIESTON, NEAR GLASGOW.]
"But throughout Caledonia there is now unbounded joy. Our beloved
country is safe; for, thanks to the gallant heroism of our Volunteers,
the Muscovite invaders have been completely wiped out, and Scotland
again proudly rears her head."