History and traditions of the land of the Lindsays in Angus and Mearns

CARESTON — RETREAT OF MONTROSE. 237
to perambulate the district when the woods were dense. But
these need not be dwelt upon, since so much space has been taken
up in the notice of similar incidents belonging to other quarters 5
and, of prehistoric traces and historical peculiarities, the district,
unfortunately, is extremely meagre.* The first of these, so far
as known to us, have already been noticed ; and, perhaps, the
greatest historical event connected with the district of Careston,
was the lodgement of the Marquis of Montrose and his followers
in front of the castle, on the 5th of April 1645, after the storming
of the town of Dundee. As this was the only rest which the
Royalists enjoyed after their long and celebrated retreat from
General Baillie and the covenanting army, a brief retrospect of
that dexterous achievement may not be inaptly classed under the
present head.
As the cause of the wars of Montrose, and his many won-
derful exploits, are familiar to all readers, we shall confine
our notice to an epitome of this " retreat," which is charac-
terised on all hands as the most dexterous specimen of general-
ship which the warlike annals of almost any country can pro-
duce. — After the total defeat of the Earl of Argyle at Inver-
lochy, on the 2nd of February 1645, Montrose had his forces
strengthened by a vast number of the highland chiefs and
their followers, whose inclination to support the royal cause was
hitherto thwarted by the power of Argyle. Thus reinforced,
he marched southward in triumph, and after firing several
towns, villages, and estates, whose proprietors, or inhabitants,
refused compliance with his demands (among which were
those of Dunottar, Cowie, Ury, and Drumlithie), he pitched his
camp at the village of Fettercairn, where he stopt a few days to
refresh his army, during which his soldiers laid waste the neigh-
bouring lands, and killed the father of the future Earl of A
Middleton and Clermont, while sitting in his chair in the castle
of Caldhame.
While here, Montrose's soldiers met with their first repulse
from the time they left Inverlochy, — a detachment of Hurry's
troops, who were sent as scouts from the main camp of the
Covenanters, which was then stationed at Brechin, falling upon
* Some writers say that (ad Esioam) the pass of the Romans in a.d. 81, was at the junction
of the Nuran and Southesk. in the parish of Careston ; but it is generally supposed to have been
at Montrose, or some place thereabout.