In 1688 a part of the regiment was called upon to interfere on behalf of the Government—unfortunately on the wrong side—in one of those unhappy broils which, as the dregs of feudalism, still so sorely distressed the Highlands. The Macintoshes having despoiled the Macdonald of Keppoch of his estate, during his temporary absence in the Highlands, the Macdonald, on his return, taking the law—as was usual in those days, specially amongst the clans—into his own hand, and taking an ample vengeance, redeemed his own. The Royal Scots Dragoons were sent to the assistance and for the release of the Mackintosh, who had been taken prisoner. In retaliation they were inhumanly ordered to destroy all that pertained to the Macdonald—man, woman, and child. Although such instructions were quite in keeping with the character of the Court, happily it was about the last exercise of a power ever rioting in such acts of merciless cruelty.
The close of the same year brought the Prince of Orange to our shores, to deliver the land from the bondage of the Stuarts who had so grievously oppressed it. To meet this emergency, King James had drawn together to London and its neighbourhood the whole reliable forces of his kingdom. Amongst these were the troops of Scottish Life Guards; Claverhouse’s regiment of horse; Dunmore’s regiment of Royal Scots Dragoons; the regiment of Scottish Foot Guards; and two regiments of Scottish Foot—in all, 3,765 men from Scotland. After a seeming show of resistance, and much manœuvring in the vicinity of Salisbury, the monarch, dreading the wrath of an outraged people, fled to France.
“Conscience makes cowards of us all.”
When the Prince of Orange, as William III., ascended the vacant throne, he found many of the troops inclined to dispute his authority, especially the regiments of Royal Scots Horse and Royal Scots Dragoons; which still remained together under the command of Viscount Dundee, and with the characteristic loyalty of Scotsmen, would still have maintained the cause of an unworthy and exiled prince, the degenerate representative of the Bruce of Bannockburn. The tact of the new monarch succeeded in winning the submission of the Royal Scots Dragoons; but the Royal Scots Horse, deserting, followed Dundee into Scotland, took part with him in his subsequent rebellion, and so, sharing his fate, have been lost to the British army. The Earl of Dunmore, declining to serve under the new king, was superseded in the colonelcy of the Royal Scots Dragoons by Sir Thomas Livingstone, afterwards Viscount Teviot—a Scottish soldier of distinction, who came over from the continent with the prince.
To stem the torrent of rebellion which the return of Dundee to Scotland had excited—especially among the Highland clans, nearly all of whom were devotedly attached to the Stuarts—the Royal Scots Dragoons were ordered to return to Scotland. Throughout the succeeding campaigns the regiment behaved with signal fidelity and gallantry, with the exception of some few of its officers who were found guilty of treasonable intercourse with the rebels—having a sympathy with their old comrade in arms, Viscount Dundee. Amongst the arrested were Lieut.-Colonel Livingstone, Captains Murray, Crichton, and Livingstone. The royal forces under the command of Major-General Mackay, included, besides the Royal Scots Dragoons, many regiments since known to fame—Lord Colchester’s Horse, or the Third (Prince of Wales’) Dragoon Guards; Berkeley’s, or the Fourth (Queen’s Own Hussars) Dragoons; Sir James Leslie’s, or the Fifteenth (York, East Riding) Foot; besides a considerable body of Dutch troops under Colonel Ramsay. Dundee was joined at Inverness by Macdonald of Keppoch and his clan, thirsting for revenge because of the atrocities committed upon them and theirs by the soldiers in the previous year. After much time spent in marching and counter-marching in search of, and pursuit of, each other, the two armies met at the Pass of Killiecrankie, when the death of Dundee, in the moment of victory, virtually ruined the Jacobite cause. The Royal Scots Dragoons, although not present at that disastrous battle, had previously distinguished themselves in a skirmish with a body of about 500 Highlanders, chiefly Macleans, who, defeating with great loss, they dispersed, and, dismounting, pursued among the rocks and crags of the mountains. In the following year, the rebels still continuing in arms, under General Canon—who on the death of Dundee assumed the command—and being recruited by a body of men from Ireland under General Buchan, took up a strong post and awaited the attack of the royal forces at Cromdale. Here, on the morning of the 31st April, they were suddenly attacked by Sir Thomas Livingstone, at the head of the Royal Scots Dragoons and other troops, and, amid the darkness and confusion, totally defeated and dispersed with great slaughter. The scene was one of consternation and horror, and had it not been for the merciful intervention of a mountain mist, as if to befriend her own children in their day of calamity, would have proved even more fatal to the flying enemy. In this action the Royal Scots Dragoons took a gallant part. This victory was quickly followed by the relief of the castle of Abergeldie, then besieged by the Highlanders, where two troops of the Royal Scots Dragoons utterly routed the rebels with great carnage. Unable longer to sustain such a hopeless struggle, the clans tendered their submission to King William, which was accepted.
But the triumph of the Government was stained by a deed of barbarous cruelty and sin, which remains a blot on the page of British history, known as “the Massacre of Glencoe.” The Macdonalds of Glencoe having failed to tender their allegiance within the prescribed time, although they had done so a few days afterwards, the whole were treacherously murdered in cold blood, whilst peaceably sleeping, by a party of soldiers from Argyle’s regiment, who had been received and hospitably quartered among them as friends. This inhuman action has been vainly attempted to be excused, and all authorities have alike endeavoured to escape the responsibility. We gladly record that the Royal Scots Dragoons were not called to take any part in the matter; and their colonel, Sir Thomas Livingstone, although then Commander-in-Chief in Scotland, has been fully exonerated from blame by Parliament.
CHAPTER II.
“Loudon’s bonnie woods and braes,
I maun lea’ them a’, lassie;