If the importance of a victory is to be reckoned by the comparative numbers of the slain, and the brilliant achievements of the victors, the battle of Killiecrankie may well stand high in the list of military exploits. Considering the shortness of the combat, the loss on the part of Mackay was prodigious. Not less than 2,000 of his men were either killed or captured. Among the slain were Lieutenant-colonel Mackay, brother of the General, Brigadier Balfour, and several other officers. Highland tradition reports that Balfour was cut down by the Reverend Robert Stewart, a Catholic clergyman, nephew to Stewart of Ballochin, for having contemptuously refused to receive quarter when offered him by the priest. The same tradition relates that Stewart, who was a powerful muscular man, followed the enemy in their flight down to the river, and towards the pass, wielding a tremendous broad-sword, with which he cut down numbers of the fugitives, and so much did he exert himself in the use of his fatal weapon, that, at the conclusion of the carnage, his hand had swollen to such an extent, that it could only be extricated from the basket-hilt of his sword, by cutting away the net-work.
But as the importance of a victory, however splendid in itself, or distinguished by acts of individual prowess, can only be appreciated by its results, the battle of Killiecrankie, instead of being advantageous to the cause of King James, was, by the death of the brave Dundee, the precursor of its ruin. After he had charged at the head of his horse, and driven the enemy from their cannon, he was about to proceed up the hill to bring down Sir Donald Macdonald’s regiment, which appeared rather tardy in its motions, when he received a musket shot in his side, through an opening of his armour, the ball probably passing out in front through the centre of his breastplate (See [Plate of Dundee’s Armour]).[602] He attempted to ride a little, but was unable, and fell from his horse mortally wounded, and almost immediately expired.[603] The loss on the side of Dundee was never properly ascertained, but is supposed to have been about 900.
ARMOUR WORN BY VISCOUNT DUNDEE AT KILLIECRANKIE
1. Breast Plate, in possession of his Grace the Duke of Athole. See [Page 376]. Vol I.
2. Remains of Helmet in possession of J P McInroy Esq. of Lude, taken out of Dundee’s grave in the church of Blair Athole in 1794.
3. Sword in possession of A Æ. Mackintosh Esq. of Mackintosh, given to Lachlan 21st Laird of Mackintosh by Dundee’s Relations.—The hilt is silver and bears the Graham Arms—The date on the blade is A.D. 1504.
4. Pistol, in possession of Miss Stirling Graham of Duntrune—representative of the Claverhouse family.—In the plate both sides of the Pistol are shown; the stock is of iron and is richly inlaid with silver.