Battle of Glenlivet

‘The battle of Glenlivet, chiefly remarkable as being fought between the two races which divided Scotland, took place upon the third day of October, 1594. Sir Patrick Gordon of Auchindoun, an uncle of Huntley, was slain, with only twelve others, on the side of the victors. Huntley had his own horse killed under him, and many of his followers were wounded and dismounted. Argyle lost some chiefs and men of note, and about seven hundred common soldiers. The issue of the battle was fortunate for the country, which would have been pitifully plundered had the victory remained with the barbarous Highlanders.

The Lord Forbes, with an army hastily assembled of such clans as were hostile to the Gordons, put himself in motion to form a junction with Argyle, and persuade him to resume his enterprise. But a gentleman of the name of Irvine being, in the darkness of the night, slain by the shot of a pistol, the accident spread such general distrust in an army composed of various clans, among whom there lurked reasons of feud, that the host dispersed itself, and could not be again assembled.

James VI. was disturbed, in the hour of midnight, at Dundee, to which he had then advanced, by news of the defeat of Argyle, and the victory of Huntley and Errol. He showed that he felt the force of the emergency, by the energy with which he prepared to meet it. Animated with an unusual spirit of promptitude, he hastened, by pawning the crown jewels, to raise a sum of money sufficient to support a small army, with which he marched into Aberdeenshire against the Catholic lords. The king was there joined by various clans, the feudal enemies of Huntley and Errol. But either weakened by the effects of their own victory, or faithful to the principles of loyalty expressed by Huntley on the eve of the battle of Glenlivet, the Catholic earls offered no opposition. The king marched through the country, casting down and dismantling the fortresses of Strathbogie and Glaimis, and returned home with the honor of having suppressed, by his personal exertions, a threatening and triumphant rebellion. He left behind him the Duke of Lennox, who, under the title of lieutenant, hanged many of the poorer sort, and inflicted heavy fines upon the wealthier persons who had borne arms under Huntley and Errol…’

The text above is from Walter Scott’s “Scotland”.  The Battle of Glenlivet took place on October 3, 1594.