On the return of these regiments to Holland, the perfidy and ingratitude of James gradually oused out and revealed his truer character. Rightly esteeming the value of such soldiers to the Prince of Orange, and ever jealous of that Prince’s increasing power, he vainly attempted to seduce the brigade and persuade it to exchange into the service of the King of France. He was further extremely mortified to find that, apart from the influence of the Prince, the men declined to serve under the Roman Catholic officer he proposed to appoint. When dangers thickened around himself, he earnestly desired its return; alas, too late! already sickened with his unworthy conduct, the brigade refused to obey.
In the subsequent Revolution the English and Scots brigades were of essential service to the Prince of Orange—“commanded by General Mackay, a Scotsman of noble family, sailed under the red flag.”
At the battle of Killiecrankie the Scots Brigade was present, but unable to withstand the furious onset of the Highlanders, betrayed a weakness altogether inconsistent with its previous reputation, being utterly routed and dispersed. It is very remarkable that Viscount Dundee and General Cannon, who commanded the rebels, had both previously served in the Scots Brigade. Afterwards, employed with the Royal army in Ireland, it somewhat redeemed its character by good conduct at the siege of Athlone and the battle of Aghrim, at both which it held the post of peril and of honour with great credit. Peace having been restored to unhappy Ireland, the brigade was sent to join the British army in Flanders, and at the battle of Steenkirk suffered severely, especially in the death of General Mackay, who finished a career of honour on that bloody field. The retreat of the allied army in 1695 was successfully covered by the Scots under Brigadier Colyear, afterwards Earl of Portmore. On the death of Brigadier Æneas Mackay, at the siege of Namur, the command of the Scots regiments was conferred on Robert Murray of Melgum, afterwards General Count Murray, Commander-in-Chief of the Emperor Joseph’s forces in the Netherlands, and acting Governor-General of these provinces. On the Peace of Ryswick in 1697, the Scots Brigade returned with the army to Britain, and was stationed in Scotland until 1698, when it was restored to the service of Holland.
During the Wars of the Succession the Brigade was increased by the addition of three new Scots regiments, and the command conferred on John, Duke of Argyll—the “Great Argyll”—of whom it is well said—
“Argyll, the State’s whole thunder born to wield,
And shake alike the Council and the Field.”
It was hotly engaged in all the great actions of the war, and amongst the fearful carnage of Malplaquet mourned the loss of a brave officer, John, Marquis of Tullibardine, eldest son of the Duke of Athole. On the conclusion of hostilities, in 1713, the three new regiments of the brigade were disbanded. The peace was not again seriously disturbed until 1745, when the outbreak of war occasioned the increase of the brigade by the addition of second battalions, and a new regiment under command of Henry Douglas, Earl of Drumlanrig. The total strength of the brigade at this time rose to about 6000 men. At the battle of Roucoux five battalions of the Scots, forming the extremity of the left infantry wing, covered the retreat of the troops from the villages abandoned in front. “An officer who was present relates that General Colyear’s regiment, in which he then served as an Ensign, was drawn up on the ridge of a rising ground, the slope of which was to the rear, so that by retiring a few paces the cannon-balls must have passed over their heads; but it was thought requisite that they should appear in full view of the French, who kept up an incessant fire of their artillery upon them for more than two hours, without ever advancing near enough to engage with small arms. The ardour of British soldiers to charge an enemy by whose fire they saw their comrades fall on every side, may easily be conceived, but was so much restrained by the authority of their officers, that the whole brigade seemed immoveable, except when the frequent breaches which the cannon made in the ranks required to be closed up. The intrepidity and perfect order which those battalions then showed, were greatly extolled ever after by the Prince of Waldeck, and likewise by Baron d’Aylva, a Dutch General of distinguished reputation, who happened to have the command of that part of the army. He had before shown a violent prejudice against the Scots,” but their gallantry on that memorable occasion so impressed him, that ever after he regarded the Scots with peculiar favour, and on one occasion in his presence, a certain Prince having observed that the Scottish soldiers were not of such a size as those of some German regiments, the General replied, “I saw the day that they looked taller than any of your grenadiers.”
OFFICER OF PIKEMEN, 1650.
In the defence of Bergen-op-Zoom, two of the Scotch battalions, supported by a Dutch battalion of infantry, made a most determined stand, refusing for a long time to yield ground to the enemy, until superior numbers compelled them to retire. Some idea of the severity of the struggle may be formed from the fact that Colyear’s battalion, which had gone into action 660 strong, could only muster 156 men afterwards. It is thus described by an old writer:—“Overpowered by numbers, deserted, and alone, the Scotch assembled in the market-place and attacked the French with such vigour that they drove them from street to street, till fresh reinforcements pouring in compelled them to retreat in their turn, disputing every inch as they retired, and fighting till two-thirds of their number fell on the spot, valiantly bringing their colours with them, which the grenadiers twice recovered from the midst of the French at the point of the bayonet. ‘Gentlemen,’ said the conquering General to two officers who had been taken prisoners—Lieutenants Travers and Allan Maclean—‘had all conducted themselves as you and your brave corps have done, I should not now be master of Bergen-op-Zoom.’”