History of Scotland by Patrick Tytler 2

Bruce's dangerous sickness

On reaching the Mounth, the name anciently given to that part of the Grampian chain which extends from the borders of the district called the Mearns to Loch Rannach, Bruce was joined by Sir Alexander Fraser, along with his brother, with all their power; and from them he learnt, that Comyn, the Earl of Buchan, with his own nephew, Sir David de Brechin, and Sir John Mowbray, were assembling their vassals, and had determined to attack him. This news was the more unwelcome, as a grievous distemper began at this time to prey upon the king, depriving him of his strength and appetite, and for a time leaving little hopes of his recovery. As the soldiers of Bruce were greatly dispirited at the sickness of the king, Edward, his brother, deemed it prudent to avoid a battle, and entrenched himself in a strong position near Slaines, on the north coast of Aberdeenshire.

After some slight skirmishes between the archers of both armies, which ended in nothing decisive, provisions began to fail; and as the troops of Buchan daily increased, the Scots retired to Strabogy, carrying their king, who was still too weak to mount his horse, in a litter.

He defeats the Earl of Buchan at Inverury

From this last station, as their royal charge began slowly to recover his strength, the Scots returned to Inverury; while the Earl of Buchan, with a body of about a thousand men, advanced to Old Meldrum, and Sir David de Brechin pushed on with a small party, and suddenly attacked and put to flight, some of Robert's soldiers, carelessly cantoned in the outskirts of the town. Bruce took this as a military affront, and instantly rising from his litter, called for his horse and arms. His friends remonstrated, but the king mounted on horseback, and although so weak as to be supported by two men on each side, he led on his soldiers in person, and instantly attacking the Earl of Buchan with great fury, routed and dispersed his army, pursuing them as far as Fivy, on the borders of Buchan. Brechin fled to Angus, and shut himself up in his own castle of Brechin, which was soon after besieged and taken by the Earl of Athole, whose father had been executed in England. Into Buchan, the territory of Comyn, his mortal enemy, Bruce now marched, and took ample revenge for all the injuries he had sustained, wasting it with fire, and delivering i it over to unbridled military execution, Barbour informs us, that for fifty years after, men spoke with terror of the harrying of Buchan; and it is singular that, at this day, the oaks which are turned up in the mosses, bear upon their trunks the blackened marks of being scathed with fire.

The army of the king now rapidly increased, as his character for success and military talent became daily more conspicuous. His nephew, Sir David de Brechin, having been pardoned and admitted to favour, joined him about this time with his whole force, and pursuing his advantage, he laid siege to the castle of Aberdeen. Edward was now at Windsor, and, alarmed at such progress, he despatched an expedition to raise the siege of Aberdeen, and commanded the different seaports to fit out a fleet, which should co-operate with his landforces. But these preparations were too late; for the citizens of Aberdeen, who had early distinguished themselves in the war of liberty, and were warmly attached to the cause, encouraged by the presence of the royal army, and assisted by some of its best leaders, assaulted and carried the castle by storm, expelled the English, and levelled the fortifications with the ground.

Continued Success of Bruce

From Aberdeen the king held his victorious progress into Angus; and here new success awaited him, in the capture of the castle of Forfar, at this time strongly garrisoned by the English. It was taken by escalade during the night, by a soldier named Philip the forester of Platane, who put all the English to the sword; and the king, according to his usual policy, instantly commanded the fortifications to be destroyed.

Indecision of Edward II

The vicinity of Bruce's army now threatened the important station of Perth, and the English king, in undissembled alarm, wrote to the citizens, extolling their steady attachment to his interest, and commanding them to fortify their town against his enemies.-fEver varying in his councils, Edward soon after this dismissed the Earl of Richmond from his office of Governor of Scotland, and appointed in his place, as joint guardians, Robert de Umfraville earl of Angus, William de Ross of Hamlake, and Henry de Beaumont. John Comyn earl of Buchan, and various other Scottish barons, still attached to the English interest, were commanded to retain the charge of the various districts already intrusted to their care, and in order to encourage them in their attachment, the king intimated his intention of leading an army into Scotland in the month of August, and directed his chamberlain Cotesbache to lay in provisions for the troops; but the intended expedition never proceeded farther. The orders to Cotesbache, which are contained in the Fcedera, acquaint us with an early source of Scottish wealth. Three thousand salted salmon were to be furnished to the army.

Edward Bruce reduces Galloway

Satisfied for the present with his northern successes, Bruce despatched his brother Edward into Galloway. This district continued obstinately to resist his authority, and was at present occupied by the English troops under the command of Sir Ingram de Umfraville, a Scottish baron, who, in 1305, had embraced the English interest, and Sir John de St John. Umfraville and St John, assisted by Donegal, or Dougal,J probably the same powerful chieftain, who, in a former year, had defeated Bruce's brothers, collected a force of twelve hundred men, and encountered Edward Bruce at the Water of Crie. The English and the Galwegians, however, were unable to withstand the attack of the Scots. Their ranks were immediately thrown into confusion, two hundred were left dead on the field,and the rest dispersed amongst the mountains, while Umfraville,with his companion St John, with difficulty escaped to Butel, a castle on the sea-coast of Galloway.

After this successful commencement, Edward Bruce overran the country, compelled the inhabitants to swear allegiance to his brother, levied heavy contributions, and had already taken and destroyed many of the castles of that wild district, when he received intelligence that John de St John was again in Galloway, at the head of fifteen hundred men. Upon his near approach, Bruce discovered, by his scouts, that it was the design of the English to make a forced march, and attack him by surprise. The courage of this brave soldier, bordering on temerity, now impelled him to an attempt, which many would have pronounced desperate. He stationed his foot soldiers in a straight valley, strongly fortified by nature, and, early in the morning, under the cover of a thick mist, with fifty knights and gentlemen, well armed and mounted, he made a retrograde movement, and gained the rear of the English, without being perceived by them. Following their line of march about a bow-shot off, his intention seems to have been, to have allowed St John to attack his infantry, and then to have charged them in the rear; but before this could be effected, the mist suddenly cleared away, and Bruce's little party were discovered when retreat was impossible. In this desperate situation, Edward hesitated not to charge the English, which he did with so much fury, that their ranks were shaken, and many of their cavalry unhorsed. Before they could recover so far as to discern the insignificant numbers of their enemy, he made a second, and soon after a third charge, so sharp and well sustained, that the confusion became general and irretrievable; and believing, probably, that the Scottish troop was only the advance of a greater force, the English broke away in a panic, and were entirely routed. Sir Alan de Cathcart, one of Edward Bruce's companions in this spirited enterprise, recounted the particulars to Barbour, the affectionate biographer of Bruce, who characterizes it in simple but energetic language as a right fair point of chivalry.This, however, was not the only success. Donald of the Isles collecting a large force of his Galwegian infantry, and, assisted by Sir Roland, of Galloway,and other fierce chiefs of that district, made head against the royalists; but Edward Bruce, flushed with his recent victories, encountered them on the banks of the Dee, dispersed their army, with the slaughter of Roland and many of the chiefs, and in the pursuit took prisoner the Prince of the Isles.This defeat, which happened on the 29th of June 1308, led to the entire expulsion of the English. It is said, that in a single year, this ardent and indefatigable captain besieged and took thirteen castles and inferior strengths in Galloway, and completely reduced the country under the domnion of the king.

Success of Sir James Douglas

During these repeated victories of his brother, Bruce received intelligence, that his indefatigable partisan, Sir James Douglas, having cut off the garrison of Douglas castle, which he had decoyed into an ambuscade, had slain the governor, Sir John de Webeton, polled the castle to surrender, and entirely destroyed the fortifications.

Randolph Taken Prisoner by Douglas

Douglas soon after reduced to obedience the forests of Selkirk and Jedburgh; and, during his warfare in those parts, had the good fortune to surprise and take prisoners, Thomas Randolph the king's nephew, and Alexander Stewart of Bonkill, both of whom were still attached to the English interest. Douglas, to whom Stewart was nearly related, treated his noble prisoners with kindness, and soon after conducted Randolph to the king.

Interview Between Randolph and Bruce

"Nephew," said Bruce, "you have for a while forgotten your allegiance, but now you must be reconciled."— "I have been guilty of nothing whereof I need be ashamed," answered Randolph. "You arraign my conduct; it is yourself who ought to be arraigned. Since you have chosen to defy the King of England, why is it that you debate not the matter like a true knight in a pitched field " That," said Bruce, with great calmness. " may come hereafter, and it may be ere long. Meantime, since thou art so rude of speech, it is fitting thy proud words meet their due punishment, till thou knowest better my right and thine own duty." Having thus spoken, he ordered Randolph into close confinement.

It is pleasing to know that this lesson had its effect; for, after a short imprisonment, the young baron joined the party of the king, who created him Earl of Moray. Nor had he any reason to repent his forgiveness or generosity. Randolph soon displayed high talents for war; he became one of the most illustrious of Bruce's assistants in the liberation of his country, and ever after served his royal master with unshaken fidelity.

Bruce defeats the Lord of Lorn at Loch Awe

The king had never forgotten the attack made upon him by the Lord of Lorn, soon after the defeat at Methven, and he was now able to requite that fierce chief for the extremities to which he had then reduced him. Accordingly, after the junction of Douglas with his veteran soldiers, he invaded the territory of Lorn, and arrived at a narrow and dangerous pass, which runs along the bottom of Cruachin Ben, a high and rugged mountain, between Loch Awe and Loch Etive. The common people of Scotland were now, without much exception, on the side of Bruce; and although, in many districts, when kept down by their lords, they dared not join him openly, yet in conveying intelligence of the motions and intentions of his enemies, they were of essential service to the cause. In this manner he seems to have been informed, that an ambuscade had been laid for him by the men of Lorn, in the Pass of Cruachin Ben, through which he intended to march. The Lord of Lorn himself remained with his galleys, in Loch Etive, and waited the result. The nature of the ground was highly favourable for this design of Lorn; but it was entirely defeated by the dispositions of Bruce.

Having divided his army into two parts, he ordered Douglas, along with one division, consisting entirely of archers, who wero lightly armed, to make a circuit round the mountain, and to take possession of the rugged high ground above the Highlanders. Along with Douglas, were Sir Andrew Gray, Sir Alexander Fraser, and Sir William Wiseman. This manoeuvre was executed with complete success; and the king, having entered the pass, was, in its narrow gorge, immediately attacked by the men of Lorn, who, with loud shouts, hurled down stones upon him, and after discharging their missiles, rushed on to a nearer attack. But their opponent, whose soldiers were light^armed, and prepared for what oocurred, met his enemies more than half-way; and, not content with receiving their charge, assaulted them with great fury. Meanwhile Douglas had gained the high ground, and discharging a shower of arrows, attacked the Highlanders in the rear, and threw them into complete disorder. After a stout resistance, the men of Lorn were defeated with great slaughter; and their chief, the Lord of Lorn, had the mortification, from his galleys, to be an eye-witness of the utter rout of his army.

He immediately fled to his castle of Dunstaffnage; and Bruce, after having ravaged the territory of Lorn, and delivered it to indiscriminate plunder, laid close siege to this palace of the Island Prince, which was strongly situated upon the sea-coast. In a short time the Lord of Lorn surrendered his castle, and swore homage to the king; but his son, John of Lorn, fled to his ships, and continued in the service of England.

Whilst everything went thus successfully in the field, the Scottish king derived great advantage from the fluctuating and capricious line of policy which was pursued by his opponent.

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Timeline of Scottish History

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Timeline of Scottish History

History of Scotland by Patrick Tytler 2

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