"A little recovering my senses, I strove to lift up my head, which one of the rogues happening to see at some distance, immediately returned, and said in my hearing: 'God, the dog is no deed yet.' Then coming up to me, took his sword, and putting its hilt to his breast and guiding it with both his hands, made a thrust at my belly; but my senses were now so far recovered that I parried the thrust with the piece of the sword which remained still in my hand. The fellow, when he missed his aim, almost fell on his face, for the sword ran up to the hilt in the moss; and as he was recovering himself I gave him a dab in the mouth with my broken sword which very much hurt him, but he aiming a second thrust, which I had likewise the good fortune to put by, and having as before given him another dab in the mouth, he immediately went off for fear of the pursuers, whereof many were now returning. In this distress I made a shift, with much difficulty and pain, to get upon my feet, but my right leg being disabled by the wound I received from the broad-sword, I was forced to limp by the help of the carbine, which I made use of as a staff. I had lost my horse, for one of the rogues, when I had quitted him in the hole, led him away through the Moss. I recovered him about a year after from the man to whom the rebel had sold him."
This next letter, from the King, taken from the Record Office, refers to the three Independent Troops of Dragoons, and orders three more Troops to be levied, and the whole six to be then regimented, thus establishing the Royal Scots Greys:—
"CHARLES R.
"My dear and most entirely beloved Brother. Wee greet you well. Wee have thought fit for the good of our Service to retrench all the Companyes of ffoote of our Regiment of Guard commanded by the Earle of Linlithgow, and likewise all the companies of the Regiment of ffoote commanded by the Earle of Mar, as also to retrench every one of the three Companies of Dragoons now standing. Therefore you are to give order to Generall Thomas Dalyell, our Lieutenant Generall, to reduce and disband six men out of every Company of the above mentioned two Regiments of ffoote (and this ouer and aboue any former Retrenchment made by us as to the ffoote) and forty-five Dragoones of every one of the three Companies of Dragoones aboue mentioned, together with one Corporall of Dragoones out of every one of the said three Companies, and that this Retrenchment be made upon the last day of November instant, and that these Souldiers ffoote and Dragoones so disbanded receive pay till that day inclusive. Wee have likewise thought it necessary for our Service that three Companies of Dragoones be presently leavied, each Company consisting of fifty souldiers, centinell Standers (besides the officers' servants allowed by our Establishment), and wee appoint each Company to haue two Sergeants, two Corporalls and two Drummers, besides the officers commissioned by us. Wee haue likewise resolved that the three Companies of Dragoones already standing so reduced with those three to be Leavied shalbe Regimented; and to that affect wee have commissioned our said Lieutenant Generall to be Colonel thereof, Lord Charles Murray to be Lieutenant Colonell and Sir James Turner to be Major; and that each of them have one Company in that Regiment. You are therefore to give order to our Lieutenant Generall to cause these Companies to be leauied accordingly, and to bring them as soon as can be to a Muster; at and after which Muster they are to enter into Pay conforme to our establishment. For doing of all which this shalbe your Warrant, and so Wee bid you heartily farewell. Given at our Court at Whitehall the 25 day of November 1681, and of our Reigne ye 33d year.
"By his Majesty's command,
"Murray.
"To our most dear and most entirely beloved Brother James Duke of Albany and York, our high Commissioner in our ancient kingdome of Scotland."
[Folio 515.]
"CHARLES R.