New Spalding Club > House of Gordon > Gordons under arms

xlii HOUSE OF GORDON.
An Old Scots Brigade, being the history of Mackay's Regiment now incorporated with
the Royal Scots, with an appendix containing copies of many original documents connected
with the history of the regiment. By John Mackay (late) of Herriesdale. Edinburgh, William
Blackwood, 1885.
Russia. — Tagebtich des Generals Patrick Gordon, wahrend seiner Kriegsdienste unter
den Schweden und Polen vom Jahre 1655 bis 1661, und seines Aufenthaltes in Ruszland vom
Jahre 1661 bis i6gg, zum ersten Male voUstandig verbffentlicht ; dutch Fiirst M. A. Obolenski
und Dr.phil. M. C. Posselt. [3 vols.] Moskau, Gedruckt in der Universitats-Buchdruckerei,
1849: St. Petersburg, in Commission bei K. F. Kohler in Leipzig, 1851, 1852.
Pcmsages from the Diary of Patrick Gordon of Auchleuchries, a.d. 1635-A.D. i6gg
[edited by Joseph Robertson] ; Aberdeen, Spalding Club, 1859. [This is an abridgment, in
the original text, of the Tagebuch, which contains a great deal of supplementary information
about other Gordons in Russia not reproduced in the Diary.]
The History of Peter the Great, Emperor of Russia, to which is prefixed a short history
of the country from the rise of that monarchy, and an account of the author's life. By
Alexander Gordon, of Achintoul, Esq., several years a Major-general in the Czar's service;
Aberdeen, printed by and for F. Douglass and \V. Murray. 1755 : 2 vols., Svo.
General. — Scottish Soldiers of Fortune, their adventures and achievements in the Armies
of Europe. By James Grant ; illustrated by F. A. Eraser. London, Routledge, 1889, pp. 331.
[An interesting, but badly arranged and indexless, book, in which few authorities are cited.]
The type of officer serving; under a foreign flag has always fascin-
ated Scotsmen themselves. Thus Sir Thomas Urquhart in his Jewel
of 1652 is proud to recount (Maitland Club ed., p. 214) : —
Several [Scots] have for their fidelity, valor and gallantry been exceedingly renovi'ned all
over France, Spain, the Venetian Territories, Pole, Muscovy, the Low-countreyes, Swedland,
Hungary, Germany, Denmark, and the other States and Kingdoms.
He acquired immortality in the person of Dugald Dalgetty, who
had been educated at Marischal College, while Stevenson in Prince Otto
sketches the type in Herr Oberst Gordon — " well grounded at Aber-
deen " — of the Grunewald Army.
Despite the popularity of this type of adventurous Scot, his genesis
and the genius of the corps which he entered have not been explained
by Burton or Grant as they deserve. The class from which the men
came was in most cases the better-to-do, and Town as well as Country
contributed its quota. That merchandise and militarism should run
hand in hand is easily understood, for it was the Town which did the
trade with the Continent and which owned the ships available for all
passenger traffic. When the laird wanted to go abroad he had to go
to the merchant and be content with a cargo boat. For both classes
England long remained a closed door ; even if her portals had been
flung wide open, it was much more easy to sail across the sea than to