"To Earl Rothes...."
Folio 168 contains the Commission.
All the foregoing are from documents in the Record Office.
The next extracts are picked from the British Museum copy of a rare autobiography, "The Memoirs of Captain John Crichton, written by Himself." Printed in the year 1731. The peculiar interest of the words that follow is that they were written wholly as the experiences of one of the first officers of the Greys.
Whereupon Mr. Francis Stuart, grandson to the Earl of Bothwell, a private gentleman in the Horse-Guards, like myself, and my intimate acquaintance, was sent for, in haste, by the General; because the Council of Scotland was then writing to the King that his Majesty would be pleased to grant commissions to those persons whose names were to be sent up to London that very night. Mr. Stuart gave me notice of this: whereupon, although I was not sent for, I resolved to go up with him to Edenborough, and solicit for myself.
The General: "Wha' the Deel sent for you up?" I answered that I hoped his Excellency would now make good his promise of preferring me ... the General stood my firm friend, and although the sons and brothers of Lords and Baronets and other persons of quality solicited to be made Lieutenants and Cornets, in these new raised Troops, yet the General in regard to my services, prevailed with the Council that I might be appointed Lieutenant to Mr. Stuart, who was then made Captain of Dragoons.
Soon after this, the Archbishop of St. Andrews was murdered by the Laird of Hackston and Balfour, assisted by four poor weavers.
Charles the Second's Commission dated 19th June, 1679.
Appointing "Generall Thomas Dalzell 'Lieutenant Generall' over all the Forces within our ancient Kingdome of Scotland."