Scottish Songs, i. 91, and Caw's Museum, p. 235, is that of the Evergreen.
"The skirmish of the Reidswire happened upon the 7th of June, 1575, at one of the meetings held by the Wardens of the Marches, for arrangements necessary upon the Border. Sir John Carmichael was the Scottish Warden, and Sir John Forster held that office on the English Middle March. In the course of the day, which was employed as usual in redressing wrongs, a bill, or indictment, at the instance of a Scottish complainer, was fouled (i. e. found a true bill) against one Farnstein, a notorious English freebooter. Forster alleged that he had fled from justice. Carmichael, considering this as a pretext to avoid making compensation for the felony, bade him "play fair!" to which the haughty English warden retorted, by some injurious expressions respecting Carmichael's family, and gave other open signs of resentment. His retinue, chiefly men of Redesdale and Tynedale, the most ferocious of the English Borderers, glad of any pretext for a quarrel, discharged a flight of arrows among the Scots. A warm conflict ensued, in which, Carmichael being beat down and made prisoner, success seemed at first to incline to the English side, till the Tynedale men, throwing themselves too greedily upon the plunder, fell into disorder; and a body of Jedburgh citizens arriving at that instant, the skirmish terminated in a complete victory on the part of the Scots, who took prisoners, the English warden, James Ogle, Cuthbert Collingwood, Francis Russell, son to the Earl of Bedford, and son-in-law to Forster, some of the Fenwicks, and several other Border chiefs. They were sent to the Earl of Morton, then Regent, who detained them at Dalkeith for some days, till the
heat of their resentment was abated; which prudent precaution prevented a war betwixt the two kingdoms. He then dismissed them with great expressions of regard; and, to satisfy Queen Elizabeth, sent Carmichael to York, whence he was soon after honourably dismissed. The field of battle, called the Reidswire, is a part of the Carter Mountain, about ten miles from Jedburgh."—Scott.
The seventh of July, the suith to say,
At the [Reidswire] the tryst was set;
Our wardens they affixed the day,
And, as they promised, so they met.
Alas! that day I'll ne'er forgett!5
Was sure sae feard, and then sae faine—
They came theare justice for to gett,
Will never green to come again.
Carmichael was our warden then,
He caused the country to conveen;10
And the [Laird's Wat], that worthie man,
Brought in that sirname weil beseen:
The Armestranges, that aye hae been
[A hardy house, but not a hail,]
The Elliots' honours to maintaine,15
Brought down the lave o' Liddesdale.
Then Tividale came to wi' spied;
[The Sheriffe brought the Douglas down,]
Wi' Cranstane, Gladstain, good at need,
Baith Rewle water, and Hawick town.20
Beanjeddart bauldly made him boun,
Wi' a' the Trumbills, stronge and stout;
The Rutherfoords, with grit renown,
[Convoy'd the town of Jedbrugh out.]
Of other clans I cannot tell,25
Because our warning was not wide—
Be this our folks hae ta'en the fell,
And planted down palliones, there to bide,
We looked down the other side,
And saw come breasting ower the brae,30
Wi' [Sir John Forster] for their guyde,
Full fifteen hundred men and mae.
It grieved him sair that day, I trow,
Wi' [Sir George Hearoune of Schipsydehouse];
Because we were not men enow,35
They counted us not worth a louse.
Sir George was gentle, meek, and douse,
But he was hail and het as fire;
And yet, for all his cracking crouse,
He rewd the raid o' the Reidswire.40