History of Scotland by Patrick Tytler 2

He passes over to Carrick and attacks Lord Percy

There was a romantic interest about Brace's fortunes, which had a powerful effect upon the female mind, and the hero himself seems to have been willing to avail himself of this influence. He had already received assistance from the Countess of Buchan and Christina of the Isles; and now, on hearing of his success in Carrick, he was joined by a lady, nearly related to him, but whose name has been lost. She brought him, however, a seasonable supply of money and provisions, and a reinforcement of forty men. From her, too, he first learnt the miserable fate of Seton, Athole, apd the garrison of Kildrummie; and, during the recital, is said to have vowed deeply that their deaths should not go unrevenged.

Meanwhile his success spread a panic among the English; for although Ayr castle was in the hands of Edward, neither its garrison nor that of Turnberry, under Percy, dared to make head against him. At length, Sir Roger St John marched from Northumberland with a body of a thousand men; covered by this force, Henry Percy, with the remains of his garrison, evacuated Turnberry, and hurried into England; whilst Bruce, unable to oppose St John, retired into the mountainous parts of Carrick.

Sir James Douglas storm Douglas Castle

Edward had bestowed his hereditary domain, held his castle of Douglas with a strong garrison; and having obtained the king's permission, he travelled in disguise into Douglasdale, and, after carefully observing the strength and position of the enemy, discovered himself to Dickson, a faithful servant, in whose house he lay conCealedi Here, night after night, did his principal vassals assemble, rejoiced again to find the son of their old lord; and thus unknown to the English, a little band of determined foes was nursed amongst them, who watched every step they took, and were ready to fall upon them the first moment that promised an advantage. This soon presented itself. The garrison, on Palm Sunday, marched out to the neighbouring church of St Bride, leaving the castle undefended.

Some of Douglas's followers, with concealed arms, entered the church along with them, and in a moment when they least suspected, the English heard the cry of "Douglas!" and found themselves attacked both from without and within. After a stout resistance, and much bloodshed, the church was won and many prisoners taken. Having thus cut off the garrison, Douglas first plundered the castle of the arms and valuables which could be carried off. This done, he raised a huge pile of the malt and corn which he found in the stores, staved the casks of wine and other liquors, and threw them on the heap, after which he slew his prisoners, and cast their dead bodies on the pile. He then set fire to this savage hecatomb, and consumed it and the halls of his fathers in the blaze.

Execution of Thomas and Alexander Bruce

This cruel transaction, which is said to have been intended as a sacrifice to the manes of his faithful servant Dickson, who was slain in the church, is still remembered in the tradition of the country by the name of the Douglas' Larder.

This success, however, was more than balanced by a grievous disaster which about this time befell Bruce. He had despatched his brothers, Thomas and Alexander, into Ireland, where they had the good fortune to collect a force of seven hundred men, with which they crossed over to Loch Ryan in Galloway. But their approach to the coast had been watched by Macdowall, a chieftain of that country, who was in the English interest, and as they attempted to make good a landing, he attacked, and completely routed their little army. Many perished in the sea, and the rest were either slain or taken prisoners. Of the prisoners, those of note were Bruce's brothers, Thomas and Alexander, with Sir Reginald Crawford, who were all grievously wounded. Malcolm Mackail lord of Kentire, along with two Irish reguli or chiefs, were found amongst the slain. Macdowall, with savage exultation, cut off their heads, and presented them, and his illustrious prisoners, bleeding and almost dead, to the king at Carlisle. Edward commanded the two Bruces and Crawford to be instantly executed. Thus, within a few short months, had the king to lament the cruel death of three brothers, that of his dear friends, Seton, Athole, and Fraser; besides the imprisonment of his queen and his daughter.

Bruce defeats Pembrouke at Loudon Hill

Early in the morning, the king, who was on the watch, descried the advance of
Pembroke, whose force he knew amounted to three thousand cavalry. Their appearance, with the sun gleaming upon the coat armour of the knights, the steel harness of the horses, and the pennons and banners, of various colours, waving above the wood of spears, was splendid and imposing, contrasted with Bruce's small force. Yet, confident in the strength of his position, he calmly awaited their attack. The result entirely justified his expectations, and proved how dreadful a weapon the long Scottish spear might be made, when skilfully directed and used against cavalry. Pembroke had divided his force into two lines; and, by his orders, the first line put their spears in rest, and charged the battalion of the Scots at full gallop. But they made no impression.

The Scottish soldiers stood perfectly firm; many of the English were unhorsed and slain; and, in a short time, the first division, thrown into disorder, fell back upon the second, which in its turn, as the Scots steadily advanced with their extended spears, began to waver, to break, and at last to fly. Bruce was not slow to follow up his advantage, and completely dispersed the enemy, but without much slaughter or many prisoners, the Scots having no force in cavalry. The victory, however, had the best effect. Pembroke retired to the castle of Ayr. The Scottish army acquired additional confidence: its ranks were every day recruited; and, awaking from their foolish dreams of confidence and superiority, the English began to feel and to dread the great military talents which the king had acquired during the constant perils to which he had been exposed.

He defeats the Earl of Gloucester

Only three days after the retreat of Pembroke, he attacked, and with great slaughter defeated, Ralph Monthermer earl of Gloucester, another of Edward's captains, whom he so hotly pursued, that he compelled him to shut himself up in the castle of Ayr, to which he immediately laid siege.

Death of Edward I

These repeated successes greatly incensed Edward; and, although much debilitated by illness, he summoned his whole military vassals to meet him at Carlisle, three weeks after the Feast of John the Baptist, and determined to march in person against his enemies. Persuading himself that the virulence of his disease was abated, he offered up the litter, in which hitherto he had been carried, in the cathedral at Carlisle, and mounting on horseback, proceeded with his army towards Scotland. But his strength rapidly sunk. In four days he proceeded only six miles; and, after reaching the small village of Burgh-upon-Sands, he expired on the 7th of July, 1307, leaving the mighty projects of his ambition, and the uneasy task of opposing Bruce, to a successor whose character was in every way the opposite of his father's. The last request of the dying monarch was characteristic. He commanded that his heart should be conveyed to Jerusalem, and that his body, after having been reducetl to a skeleton, by a process which, if we may credit Froissart, the king himself described, should be carried along with the army into Scotland, there to remain unburied till that devoted country was entirely subdued.

Bruce and Edward Bruce invade Galloway

Edward the Second, who succeeded to the crown of England in his twenty-fourth year, was little calculated to carry into effect the mighty designs of his predecessor. His character was weak, irresolute and headstrong; and the first steps which he took evinced a total want of respect for the dying injunctions of his father. He committed his body to the royal sepulchre at Westminster—he recalled from banishment Piers Gaveston, his profligate favourite; and after receiving at Roxburgh the homage of some of the Scottish barons in the interest of England, he pushed forward as far as Cumnock, on the borders of Ayrshire—appointed the Earl of Pembroke Guardian of Scotland— and, without striking a blow, speedily returned into his own dominions.

Upon the retreat of the English, the king, and his brother Sir Edward Bruce, at the head of a powerful army, broke in upon Galloway, and commanded the inhabitants to rise and join his banner. Where this order was disobeyed, the lands were given up to military execution; and Bruce, who had not forgotten the defeat and death of his two brothers by the men of this wild district, laid waste the country with fire and sword, and permitted every species of plunder, in a spirit of cruel, but, according to the sentiments of that age, not unnatural retaliation.

Edward 2 appoints the Earl of Richmond, governor of scotland

Governed by caprice, and perpetually changing his councils, the King of England removed Pembroke from the guardianship of Scotland, and in his place appointed John de Bretagne earl of Richmond, and nephew of the late king. Full power was intrusted to him over all ranks of persons; the sheriffs of Northumberland, Cumberland, Westmoreland, and Lancashire, were commanded to assemble the whole military force of their respective counties, under the orders of the guardian; the Earl of Dunbar, Robert de Keith, Alexander de Abernethy, and several other powerful barons, as well English as Scottish, were enjoined to march along with the English army, and to rescue Galloway from the ravages of Bruce; while orders were issued to the sheriffs of London, for the transporting to Berwick the provisions, military stores, and arms requisite for the troops, with certain large cross-bows, called balistw de turno, employed in the attack and defence of fortified places.

He attacks Bruce who retreats to the North of Scotland

At the head of this army, the Earl of Richmond attacked Bruce, and compelled him to retreat to the north of Scotland.J His brother, Edward Bruce, the Earl of Lennox, Sir Gilbert de la Haye, and Sir Robert Boyd, accompanied the king, but Sir James Douglas remained in the south, for the purpose of reducing the forest of Selkirk, and Jedburgh.

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History of Scotland by Patrick Tytler 2

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