‘The Battle of Loudoun Hill,’ Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border,
III, 188, 1803; II, 206, 1833.
The “gospel-lads,” otherwise self-styled the true Presbyterian party,
had in 1679, May 29 (observed both as the king’s birthday and the
anniversary of the Restoration), begun their testimony against the
iniquity of the times by publishing a Declaration, putting out loyal
bonfires, and burning all acts of Parliament obnoxious to Covenanters,
in retaliation for the burning of the Covenant at London seventeen years
before. They had intended to do this at Glasgow, but as Claverhouse had
established himself there, the demonstration was made at Rutherglen, a
little place two miles off. On the 31st Claverhouse laid hands on three
of the rioters and an outlawed minister. The Covenanters had appointed a
great meeting, an armed conventicle, for the next day, Sunday, June 1,
at Loudon Hill, on the borders of the shires of Ayr and Lanark. Not so
many came as were expected, for Claverhouse had been heard of, but there
were at least two hundred and fifty armed men; and these numbers were
subsequently increased.[78] It was resolved to rescue the prisoners
taken the day before, if the Lord should enable them, and in prosecution
of this object they moved on to Drumclog, a swampy farm two miles east
of Loudon Hill. The chief of command was Robert Hamilton, and with him
were associated John Balfour of Kinloch, called Burly, Hackston of
Rathillet, and others. What ensued is told in a frank letter of
Claverhouse, written the night of the same Sunday.
The prisoners were to be conveyed to Glasgow. “I thought,” says
Claverhouse, “that we might make a little tour, to see if we could fall
upon a conventicle; which we did, little to our advantage. For, when we
came in sight of them, we found them drawn up in battle, upon a most
advantageous ground, to which there was no coming but through mosses and
lakes. They were not preaching, and had got away all their women and
children. They consisted of four battalions of foot, and all well armed
with fusils and pitchforks, and three squadrons of horse. We sent, both,
parties to skirmish, they of foot and we of dragoons; they run for it,
and sent down a battalion of foot against them (the dragoons). We sent
threescore of dragoons, who made them run again shamefully. But in the
end (they perceiving that we had the better of them in skirmish), they
resolved a general engagement, and immediately advanced with their foot,
the horse following. They came through the loch, and the greatest body
of all made up against my troop. We kept our fire till they were within
ten pace of us. They received our fire and advanced to shock. The first
they gave us brought down the cornet, Mr Crafford, and Captain Bleith.
Besides that, with a pitchfork, they made such an opening in my sorrel
horse’s belly that his guts hung out half an ell, and yet he carried me
off a mile; which so discouraged our men that they sustained not the
shock, but fell into disorder. Their horse took the occasion of this,
and pursued us so hotly that we got no time to rally. I saved the
standards, but lost on the place about eight or ten men, besides
wounded. But the dragoons lost many more. They are not come easily off
on the other side, for I saw several of them fall before we came to the
shock. I made the best retreat the confusion of our people would
suffer.”[79]
The cornet killed was Robert Graham, the “nephew” of Claverhouse, of
whom so much is made in “Old Mortality.” There is no evidence beyond the
name to show that he was a near kinsman of his captain. The Covenanters
thought they had killed Claverhouse himself, because of the name Graham
being wrought into the cornet’s shirt, and treated the body with much
brutality. In ‘Bothwell Bridge,’ st. 12, Claverhouse is represented as
refusing quarter to the Covenanters in revenge for ‘his cornet’s
death.’[80]
* * * * *
1
You’l marvel when I tell ye o
Our noble Burly and his train,
When last he marchd up through the land,
Wi sax-and-twenty westland men.
2
Than they I neer o braver heard,
For they had a’ baith wit and skill;
They proved right well, as I heard tell,
As they cam up oer Loudoun Hill.
3
Weel prosper a’ the gospel-lads
That are into the west countrie
Ay wicked Claverse to demean,
And ay an ill dead may he die!
4
For he’s drawn up i battle rank,
An that baith soon an hastilie;
But they wha live till simmer come.
Some bludie days for this will see.
5
But up spak cruel Claverse then,
Wi hastie wit an wicked skill,
‘Gae fire on you westlau men;
I think it is my sovreign’s will.’
6
But up bespake his cornet then,
‘It’s be wi nae consent o me;
I ken I’ll neer come back again,
An mony mae as weel as me.
7
‘There is not ane of a’ yon men
But wha is worthy other three;
There is na ane amang them a’
That in his cause will stap to die.
8
‘An as for Burly, him I knaw;
He’s a man of honour, birth, an fame;
Gie him a sword into his hand,
He’ll fight thysel an other ten.’
9
But up spake wicked Claverse then—
I wat his heart it raise fu hie—
And he has cry’d, that a’ might hear,
‘Man, ye hae sair deceived me.
10
‘I never kend the like afore,
Na, never since I came frae hame,
That you sae cowardly here suld prove,
An yet come of a noble Græme.’
11
But up bespake his cornet then,
‘Since that it is your honour’s will,
Mysel shall be the foremost man
That shall gie fire on Loudoun Hill.
12
‘At your command I’ll lead them on,
But yet wi nae consent o me;
For weel I ken I’ll neer return,
And mony mae as weel as me.’
13
Then up he drew in battle rank—
I wat he had a bonny train—
But the first time that bullets flew
Ay he lost twenty o his men.
14
Then back he came the way he gaed,
I wat right soon an suddenly;
He gave command amang his men,
And sent them back, and bade them flee.
15
Then up came Burly, bauld an stout,
Wi ‘s little train o westland men,
Wha mair than either aince or twice
In Edinburgh confind had been.
16
They hae been up to London sent,
An yet they’re a’ come safely down;
Sax troop o horsemen they hae beat,
And chased them into Glasgow town.
206