Blair Collection > Celtic monthly > Volume 4, 1896

THE CELTIC MONTHLY.
139
less than 1000 of the name, besides over 500 of
their allies, are said to have been left dead on
the field, a number equal to the whole of the
Highland army.
In 164(5 Donald Glas and the Captain of the
Clan Ranald had 1300 men ready to assist the
King, in conjunction with the Manjuis of
Antrim.* Douald Glas joined the KoyaUst
forces soon afterwards, and shared all their
perils. Charles II. was crowued at Scone on
the 1st January, 1651, but on the 23rd of the
preceding month Parliament approved of a
list of Colonels for the different regiments of
horse and foot about to be raised. Those
approved of for the Highlands and Isles were
" ^MacDonald, the tutor of MacLeod, Clan
Eanald ; the tutor of Keppoch, the laird of
Lochaber; the tutor of SlacLean, Lochiel,
MacNeil of Barra, Lachlan Mackintosh, and
the laird of Jui'a."t
It will be seen that Douald Glas is here
styled " the tutor of Keppoch," probably in
acknowledgment of the fact that he had an
elder brother, or nephew. But the fact
remains that he was then the acknowledged
Chief, and that he retained possession of it, he
and his descendants. He and his clan were
among the body of Highlanders who " particu-
lai-ly distinguished themselves:j; during the
engagement between Charles' troops and those
of Cromwell, fought between the North Ferry
and Inveikeithing on the 20th July, 1651.
The Scots, however, had to give way, the Chief
of the MacLeans and about a hundred of his
clan being left dead on the field.
Donald Glas was also present at the Battle
of Worcester, fought on the 3rd September of
the same year. At this battle Charles' forces
numbered only 14,000, of whom 2,000 were
Englishmen who have been accused of being
only lukewarm in his cause. Opposed to them
were over 30,000 of CromweU's trained and
disciplined " Ironsides." " The King himself,
at the head of the Highlanders, fought wth
great bravery : his example animated the
troops, and had he been supported by Leslie's
cavalry, as was expected, the issue of the
struggle might have been different. As it
was, the Royal army was completely defeated,
and the King had to provide for his personal
safety by dight.§ CromweU himself admits
this battle to have been " as stiff a contest for
fom' or five hours as ever he had seen."
Donald Glas returned to Lochaber un-
scaithed, and along with Clan Ranald, Glen-
garry, and Lochiel, refused to come to terms
with Cromwell's Lieutenant in Scotland. The
rest of the kingdom was by this time wholly
subdued, when, in the summer of 1652,
General Monk directed three distinct parties
to cross the mountains with the view of forcing
the Highlanders to lay down their arms.
Colonel Lillnirn advanced from Inverness
towards Lochaber on the one side, and (Jeneral
Dean led his troops from Perth in the same
direction on the other, and Colonel Overton
landed in Kintyre with a force from Ayr."||
" But they were all obliged speedily to retrace
their steps, amid the jeers and laughter of the
Highlanders."*^
Tradition assigns to Donald Glas a part in
the insurrection under the Earl of Glencairn
in 1653 : and indeed, as history records the
fact that his neighbouring Chiefs, his colleagues
through all the campaigns imder Charles II.,
Glengarry and Lochiel, were two of the
(Jlencairn's favourite Lieutenants, it is difficult
to imagine him being absent. But there are
no records of what part (if any) he played in
that rising.
He died about the year 1656. His wife was
a daughter of Forrester of Kilbeggie, and by
her he had issue: — 1 — Alexander, his heir;
2 — Ranald, murdered along with his brother
in 1663 ; 3 — A daughter who died unmarried.
* Letter from Charles 11., then Prince, at St. Ger-
mains, to Marquis of Antrim, ajiproving the
project. — Hill's History, Note, page 274.
t Bal., Vol. IV., pp. 210-212.
+ Keltie.
§ Keltie's History, page 289.
II Keltie's History, page 281.
% Balfour, Vol. IV., page 349.
JOY GO WITH MY LOVE.
Oh, joy go with my love
In his marching to the war,
With the ribbon blue above.
And the slogan sounding far,
With the white rose at his brow
Making sweet the misty way,
Oh, joy go with my love now,
Go with him night and day I
Oh, joy go with my love,
Like the princely bridle's ring
Leading through the bLrken grove,
Many a claymore following,
With the white rose at his brow
Making light the darkening way,
Oh, joy go with my love now,
Go with liim night and day !
Sakah Robertson Matheson.
GovAN Highland Association. — A grand concert
and ball are to be held in the Masonic Hall, on
Tuesday, 7th April, at 7.30 p. m. , Mr. John Mackay,
Celtic Monthly, chief of the association, in the chair.