Battle of Sheriffmuir

The Battle of Sheriffmuir was fought on November 13, 1715.  This battle moved both Robert Burns (“The Battle of Sherramuir”) and James Hogg (“Will ye go to Sheriffmuir”) to write about it.  The battle resulted in substantial loss of life for both the Jacobites and King George I’s armed forces.  Sir Walter Scott wrote about this event in his “Tales of a Grandfather”.

‘By day-break, on Sunday, 13th November, the insurgent army drew up in two lines of battle, on the plain above the place where they had spent the night. They had not long assumed this posture, when they perceived a strong squadron of horse upon an eminence to the south of their lines. This was the Duke of Argyle, who, with some general officers, had taken this post in advance, for the purpose of reconnoitering the enemy's position and proceedings. In this he succeeded but imperfectly, on account of the swells and hollows which lay between him and Mar's army….

The numbers slain in the battle of Sheriffmuir were considerable. Seven or eight hundred were killed on the side of the rebels, and the royalists must have lost five or six hundred. Much noble and gentle blood was mixed with that of the vulgar. A troop of volunteers, about sixty in number, comprehending the Dukes of Douglas and Roxburghe, the Earls of Haddington, Lauderdale, London, Belhaven, and Rothes, fought bravely, though the policy of risking such a troupe doree might be questionable. At all events, it marked a great change of times, when the Duke of Douglas, whose ancestors could have raised an army as numerous as those of both sides in the field of Sheriffmuir, fought as a private trooper, assisted only by two or three servants. This body of volunteers behaved in a manner becoming their rank. Many of them were wounded, and the Earl of Forfar was slain.

The loss of the Earl of Strathmore and of the young ClanRanald, was a severe blow to the Insurrection. The last was a complete soldier, trained in the French Guards, and full of zeal for the cause of James. "My family," he replied to Mar's summons to join him, "have been on such occasions ever wont to be the first on the field, and the last to leave it." When he fell out of the ranks, mortally wounded, Mar met him, and, ignorant of what had happened, demanded why he was not in the front. "I have had my share," said the dying chief, and fell dead before his commander. Many of his men retired from the army in consequence of his death.’

Robert Louis Stevenson

November 13 is the anniversary of Robert Louis Stevenson's birth, which occurred in 1850.  Stevenson, of course, is well known as an author.  Robert declared his interest in becoming a writer fairly early in life, bucking the Stevenson family trend of building lighthouses.  Robert's father Thomas employed his engineering skills in designing more than 30 of Scotland's lighthouses.  Robert's cousin David designed Bass Rock lighthouse, which figured in Robert's novel Catronia.  Lighthouse building became a Stevenson forte with Robert's grandfather (also Robert), who designed, among others, Bell Rock lighthouse, which Walter Scott visited with Robert Stevenson on his Northern lights tour (1814).  The connection between Scott and the Stevensons clearly influenced Robert Louis' interests.  One other connection in terms of novels, is that his "Kidnapped" was in part inspired by his reading of Scott's "Rob Roy".

Robert Louis Stevenson visited the Northern lights as well, on summer inspection trips with his family.  Like Walter Scott, these travels were a source of writing material for Stevenson, who was a travel writer, as well as novelist.  Stevenson's travels took him not only to Europe, but to America, in pursuit of a love interest (wife Fanny Osbourne), and ultimately to Samoa, where he died.  Stevenson was sickly most of his life, suffering from tuberculosis, and dying at the young age of 44.

Malcolm III of Scotland

Yesterday's post covered the death of Duncan II of Scotland. Duncan was Malcolm's son. After Malcolm died, the Scottish throne went to his brother Donalbane, rather than to Duncan or one of Malcolm's other sons. In fact, the throne would have gone to Duncan's half-brother, were it not for the fact that this son of Malcolm's was killed with him during the battle of Alnwick. Duncan, with tacit support from King William II of England, seized the throne from his uncle. Malcolm's death came nearly to the day, one year prior to Duncan's murder.

Scott includes King Malcolm III in his Tales of a Grandfather:

"...This King Malcolm Canmore was a brave and wise prince, though without education. He often made war on King William the Conqueror of England, and on his son and successor William...in the year 1093...Malcolm besieged the border fortress of Alnwick, where he was unexpectedly attacked by a great Norman baron, Robert de Moubray...Malcolm Canmore was killed in action, and his eldest son was killed by his side..."