In April, 1690, Brigadier-General Sir Thomas Livingstone, who commanded at Inverness, ascertained that a general rendezvous of the clans was appointed to take place at Strathspey, from whence they purposed descending in a body into the Lowlands; and that two thousand men, under Major-Generals Cannon and Buchan, would arrive at Cromdale on the 30th of April; he therefore advanced with the royal Scots dragoons (Greys), Fifteenth foot, and some detachments, to attack the Highlanders. At dusk, on the evening of the 30th of April, the troops arrived within two miles of Balloch Castle; they traversed the difficult defile in the dark, and arriving at the castle, had the camp-lights of the enemy, on a plain beyond the Spey, pointed out to them; when, notwithstanding the fatigue they had undergone, the soldiers expressed a wish to be led forward. After a halt of half an hour for refreshment, the troops crossed the Spey at a ford, and advanced towards the camp, when several small parties of Highlanders were seen attempting to escape towards the hills, and a squadron of the Greys galloped forward to intercept the fugitives. The soldiers rushed into the camp and commenced the work of destruction; at the same time a party of the Fifteenth attacked the enemy's guard at Cromdale-church. The Highlanders, suddenly aroused from sleep, endeavoured to escape without clothes, and through the misty dawn numbers were seen running in every direction, some attempting to escape on any terms, and others defending themselves stoutly with sword and target, against the dragoons, and soldiers of the Fifteenth foot, who made great slaughter. Major-Generals Cannon and Buchan were taken by surprise as much as their men, and the one escaped with his shirt and night-cap only, and the other without coat, hat, or sword. 'We pursued them till they got up Cromdale-hill, where we lost them in a fog; and to me, at that instant of time, they seemed rather to be people received up into the clouds, than flying from an enemy.'[8]
The enemy had placed a small garrison in Lethindy Castle, which was summoned to surrender; but the Highlanders fired upon the party, and wounded three grenadiers of the Fifteenth foot. Lieut. Carleton, of the regiment, proceeded to an old house near the castle, from whence he threw two or three hand-grenades into the works, which so alarmed the enemy, that they instantly surrendered. About three hundred Highlanders were killed on this occasion, and one hundred taken prisoners: a standard, which had been unfurled a few days previously for King James, was captured. The loss of the King's troops was limited to a few horses killed and wounded and five men wounded.[9] 'This happened on May-day, in the morning; for which reason we returned to Inverness with our prisoners and boughs in our hats; and the Highlanders never held up their heads so high after this defeat.'
'General Mackay having received orders to build a fort at Inverlochy, our regiment was commanded to that service. The two regiments appointed to the same duty, with some dragoons, having joined (in June), we marched together through Lochaber. This surely is the wildest country in the Highlands, if not in the world; I did not see one house in all our march; and the economy of the people, if I may call it such, is much the same with that of the Arabs or Tartars. In this march, or rather, if you please, most dismal peregrination, we could rarely go two abreast; so that our very little army had sometimes an extent of many miles; our enemy, the Highlanders, firing down upon us, from the summits of the mountains, all the way. Nor was it possible for our men, or very rarely at least, to return their favours with any prospect of success; for, as they popped upon us always on a sudden, they never staid long enough to allow any of our soldiers a mark, or even time enough to fire: and, for our men to march or climb up those mountains, which to them were natural champaign, would have been as dangerous as it appeared to us impracticable. Nevertheless, under all these disadvantages, we arrived at Inverlochy, and there performed the task appointed, building a fort on the same spot where Cromwell had raised one before: and, which was not a little remarkable, we had with us one Hill, a colonel, who had been governor in Oliver's time, and who was now again appointed governor by General Mackay. Thus the work on which we were sent being effected, we marched back again by the way of Killicrankie, where that memorable battle had been fought, under Dundee, the year before.'[10]
1691
After its return from Inverlochy, the regiment was stationed some time at Inverness; where Lieutenant Carleton was rewarded with a commission of captain in Brigadier-General Tiffin's regiment (now twenty-seventh foot) for his distinguished conduct at the action at Cromdale. Defeated on every occasion, and overawed by numerous garrisons, the Highlanders lost all hope of success, and in 1691 they tendered their submission to King William. A proclamation was afterwards published, offering indemnity and pardon to all who should cease opposition to the government and take the oath of allegiance, before the 1st of January, 1692.
1692
Tranquillity being thus restored in Scotland, the regiment became disposable for other service; it, however, remained in the northern districts of the kingdom during the year 1693.
1693
In the meantime, the British Monarch was engaged in war to arrest the progress of the French aggressions on the continent. The King of France brought an army of superior numbers into the field, and gained several advantages.