by small bodies of Highlanders, and the men of Athol seemed ready to rise almost to a man. When Montrose presented himself to them, though he exhibited his majesty's commission to act as lieutenant-general, the Irish, from
the meanness of his appearance, could scarcely believe that he was the man he
gave himself out to be. But the Highlanders, who received him with the
warmest demonstrations of respect and affection, put the matter beyond doubt,
and he was hailed with the highest enthusiasm. He was joined the same day by
the whole of the Athol Highlanders, including the Stuarts, the Robertsons, and
other smaller clans, to the number of eight hundred, so that his army was above
two thousand men. Aware that Argyle was in pursuit of the Irish, he led his
army the next day across the hills towards Strathearn, where he expected
reinforcements. Passing the castle of Wiem, the seat of the clan Menzies, he
commenced his career by burning and ravaging all the neighbouring lands, in
revenge for the harsh treatment of one of his messengers by the family, to
strike a salutary terror into all who might be disposed to offer him violence,
and to gratify his followers, whose principal object he well knew was plunder.
Passing through glen Almond next day, an advanced party of his men were
surprised with the appearance of a large body of men drawn up on the hill of
Buckenty. These were men of Menteith, raised by order of the committee of
estates at Edinburgh, marching to the general rendezvous at Perth, under the command of lord Kilpont, eldest son of the earl of Menteith. Being mostly Highlanders and officered by gentlemen of the family of Montrose, or of the kindred clan Drummond, they were easily persuaded to place themselves under the royal standard, which increased his force to three thousand men.
Resolving to attack Perth, where some raw levies were assembled under the command of lord Elcho, Montrose continued his march all night, intending to take the place by surprise. Lord Elcho, however, had been warned of his approach, and had drawn his men to the outside of the town, intending to hazard a battle for its defence. In crossing the Tippermuir, a wild field about five miles from Perth, Montrose came in sight of the enemy, upwards of six thousand in number drawn up in one long line, with horse at either end. Lord Elcho himself led the right wing, Sir James Scott of Rossie, the only man in the army who had ever seen service, the left; and the earl of Tullibardine, the main body. Montrose drew out his little army also in one long line, three men deep. The Irish who were veteran troops, he placed in the centre; the Highlanders he placed on the wings to oppose the horse, being armed with swords, Lochaber axes, and long clubs. He himself led the right wing, that he might be opposed to Sir James Scott, who was an officer of good reputation, having served in the wars abroad from the lords Elcho and Tullibardine, he apprehended little danger. The covenanters' horse fled at the first onset, being overpowered, according to Wishart, by a shower of stones, but more probably induced by the treachery of lord Drummond, and his friend Gask. The flight of the horse threw the ill-disciplined foot into irremediable confusion, and they followed in such breathless haste, that many expired through fatigue and fear, without even the mark of a wound. Few were slain in the engagement, but there were upwards of three hundred killed in the pursuit. Montrose had not a single man killed, and only two wounded. The whole of the artillery and baggage of the vanquished fell into the hands of the victors; and Lord Drummond, whose treachery had chiefly occasioned the rout, joined Montrose as soon as the affair was over. Montrose entered Perth the same night, where he levied a subsidy of nine thousand merks, and stipulated for free quarters to his army for four days. They remained only three, but in these three they supplied themselves with whatever they wanted, whether it were
