The Earl of Ancrum came to Aberdeen soon after the defeat of the Rebels as Commander in chief between Tey and Spey. Mark Kerr’s Dragoons were along the coast, Fleeming’s Regiment at Aberdeen, and garrisons detached from it to several places on Deeside, and Loudon’s under Major McKenzie at Strathboggy, with garrisons at Glenbucket, etc.
Houses burnt and plundered
Parties were immediately sent out through the country in search of Rebels, with orders also to plunder and burn their houses.[385] This severe order was not at all agreeable to Friends of the Government, who could in no shape relish Military execution, especially after the enemy was so effectually subdued. But it was not universally executed; most of the Rebel Gentlemen’s houses on Deeside were plundered, and some burnt, but these last were houses of little value and really no considerable loss to the proprietors. There was very little plundered in Buchan, some things only picked up by the soldiers in their searches unknown to the Officers. No Gentlemen’s houses were burnt, and only one or two farmers’ by a worthless fellow not concerned with the army, who by mighty pretences of zeal, had been employed by Ancrum to go with five or six of Loudon’s Regiment, in quest of Rebels. There were no houses burnt or plundered in or about the towns of Aberdeen; but a Tenant’s house in the land of Stonnywood, who had been very insolent. Glenbucket’s house was burnt in Strathdawn, as were also a tenant’s house or two about Strathboggy.
Order for Arms
Lord Ancrum’s orders for bringing in of arms were very extraordinary, and indeed cannot be better exposed than by giving them and Lord Loudon’s in the same place, vid. Scots Mag. for July, p. 339.[386]
Ill Conduct of the Soldiers
Most of the Officers of Fleeming’s Regiment were but young men, and did not at all behave in an agreeable manner. They seemed too much to look on the Army as a community of separate interests from that of the Nation, and it was the common axiom of those even in highest command in Aberdeen, that no laws but the Military were to be regarded. They took it in their heads to despise all in civil capacity, and especially as much as possible to thwart the Governors of the town in every thing. They had no manner of confidence either in the gentlemen of town or country, not even in those who had merited so well for their zeal for the Establishment; such as Mr. Middleton of Seaton, Mr. Burnet of Kemnay, etc., nay, some of them were on many occasions ill used by them. The Clergy of the Church of Scotland, for as much as they courted and applauded them in time of danger, were now their common subject for ridicule; and a deal of spleen was shown against them, that it should be thought they had in the least merited well of their country, and thus should have a title to some regard as well as the Military, and not the least pendicle of the Army, a Commissary of foraging Clerks, etc., but would have more regard paid to their representative than any Clergyman.
People Disgusted
Such was the injudicious conduct of the Lord Ancrum and most of the officers of this Corps, which soon raised great disgust and heartburning. The Officers only, associated with one another, were seldom troubled with any advice from anybody of consequence acquainted with the country; or if they were, were sure to slight it. This gave infinite satisfaction to the Jacobites who rejoiced in these dissensions. It was this mutual disgust which on the one hand provoked the soldiers in so riotous a manner to break almost the whole windows in the town for not being illuminated on the first of August,[387] when the towns people had no reason to think Illuminations would be expected of them; and on the other hand provoked the townsfolks to resent it so highly, for had there been a good understanding betwixt the Corps and them, such an outrage would probably not have been committed, or if some illegal things had been done they’d as probably have been overlooked, or at least easily atoned for.
Immediately after this, Ancrum was removed and Lord Sempile[388] succeeded him.