Clavers, in his flight towards Hamilton and Glasgow, rode a horse that trailed his guts for two miles, from the place where the engagement happened; but overtaking his groom with some led horses, he mounted one of them, and with the remains of his small army escaped to Glasgow. The rebels, pursuing as far as Hamilton, advanced that evening within a mile of Glasgow, where they encamped all night. As Clavers was marching after his men up the hill, where he had left Mas John King under the guard of a dragoon, (who ran off with the first that fled,) King, in a sneering way, desired him to stay, and take his prisoner with him.*

The rebels being thus encamped within a mile of Glasgow, Clavers commanded his men in the town to stand to their arms all night; and having barricadoed the four streets, to prevent the rebels' horse from breaking in, ordered me, at sunrise, to march with six dragoons, and discover which way the rebels intended to come into the town. I must here observe, that I, with Captain Stuart's troop of dragoons, and a battalion of the foot guards, remained at Glasgow, while Clavers marched to Drumclog, where he was defeated. But to return; I followed the directions which were given me, and having discovered the enemy from a little eminence, I was ordered by Clavers, who came to me there, to watch at a small house, where the way divided, and see which of the roads they would take, or whether they separated, and each party took a different way. I stayed until I saw them take two different roads; some by that from whence I came from the town, which was over the Gallowgate Bridge, and the rest by the High Church and College, which was more than twice as far as the first party had to come, and

* Or, as another account says, "To stay the afternoon sermon."

consequently could not both meet at the same time within the town. This was a great advantage to Clavers, and his little army. That party of the rebels which took the Gallowgate Bridge road, followed me close to the heels, as I returned to inform Clavers what course they took.

The broad street was immediately full of them, but advancing toward the barricade, before their fellows, who followed the other road, could arrive to their assistance, were valiantly received by Clavers and his men, who, firing on them at once, and jumping over the carts and cars that composed the barricade, chased them out of the town; but were quickly forced to return, and receive the other party, which, by that time, was marching down by the High Church and College; but when they came within pistol shot, were likewise fired upon, and driven out of the town. In this action many of the rebels fell; but the king's party lost not so much as one man.

The townsmen being too well affected to the rebels, concealed many of them in their houses; the rest, who escaped, met and drew up in a field behind the High Church, where they stayed until five in the afternoon, it being in the month of May, and from thence marched in a body to the same place where they were in the morning, about a mile off the town. Clavers and his men expecting they would make a second attack, and discovering by his spies whither they were gone, marched after them; but, upon sight of our forces, the rebels retired with a strong rear-guard of horse to Hamilton; whereupon Clavers returned, and quartered that night in Glasgow.

Next morning, the government sent orders to Clavers to leave Glasgow, and march to Stirling, eighteen miles farther; and three days after he was commanded to bring up his party to Edinburgh.

As soon as he quitted Glasgow, the rebels returned, and having stayed in that town eight or ten days, encamped on Hamilton Moor, within a mile of Bothwell Bridge, where it was said that their numbers were increased to fourteen thousand; although Bishop Burnet, in his History of his Own Times, most falsely and partially affirms, that they were not more than four thousand, or thereabout.

The Council, finding the rebels daily increasing in their numbers, gave information thereof to the king; whereupon his majesty sent down the Duke of Monmouth, with a commission, to be commanderin-chief, and to take with him four troops of English dragoons, which were quartered on the Borders: but these, with the forces in Scotland, amounted not to above three thousand. Upon the duke's being made commander-in-chief, General Dalziel refused to serve under him, and remained at his lodgings in Edinburgh, till his grace was superseded, which happened about a fortnight after.

The army was about four miles forward, on the road toward Hamilton, when the Duke of Monmouth came up with his English dragoons, on Saturday, the 21st of June: from thence the whole forces marched to the Kirk of Shots, within four miles of the rebels, where they lay that night. The next morning he marched the army up an eminence, opposite to the main body of the enemy, who were encamped on the moor.

The general officers, the Earl of Linlithgow, colonel of the Foot-Guards, the Earl of Mar, colonel of a regiment of foot, Clavers, the Earl of Hume, and the Earl of Airlie, all captains of horse, the Marquis of Montrose, colonel of the Horse-Guards, (Atholl having been discarded,) Dalhousie, with many other noblemen, and gentlemen volunteers, attending the duke together, desired his grace to

VOL. XII.

C

let them know which way he designed to take to come to the enemy? the duke answered, it must be by Bothwell Bridge. Now the bridge lay a short mile to the right of the king's army, was narrow, and guarded with three thousand of the rebels, and strongly barricadoed with great stones; but, although the officers were desirous to have passed the river, by easy fords, directly between them and the rebels, and to march to their main body on the moor, before those three thousand, who guarded the bridge, could come to assist them; yet the duke was obstinate, and would pass no other way than that of the bridge.

Pursuant to this preposterous and absurd resolution, he commanded Captain Stuart, (whose lieutenant I was,) with his troop of dragoons, and eighty musketeers, together with four small field-pieces, under cover of the dragoons, to beat off the party at the bridge: the duke himself, with David Lesly and Melvill, accompanied us, and ordered the fieldpieces to be left at the village of Bothwell, within a musket-shot of the bridge: when the duke and his men came near the bridge, the rebels beat a parley, and sent over a laird, accompanied with a kirk preacher. The duke asking what they came for? was answered, "That they would have the kirk established in the same manner as it stood at the king's restoration, and that every subject should be obliged to take the Solemn League and Covenant." The duke told them their demand could not be granted; but sent them back to tell their party, that if they would lay down their arms, and submit to the king's mercy, he would intercede for their pardon.

*There is no easy ford in the neighbourhood, although there are places where the river might be passed. The duke probably relied on the effect of his artillery in clearing the opposite bank.

While this parley lasted, the field-pieces were brought down, and planted over-against the bridge, without being perceived by the rebels. The messengers returned in a short time, with this answer : That they would not lay down their arms, unless their conditions were granted them:" whereupon the dragoons and musketeers fired all at once upon those who guarded the bridge, and the field-pieces played so warmly, that some hundreds of the rebels were slain; the rest flying to the main body on the

moor.

The duke, as soon as he had commanded to fire, retired into a hollow from the enemies' shot, some say by the persuasion of Lesly and Melvill, and continued there till the action was over.* Then Captain Stuart ordered the musketeers to make way for the horse to pass the bridge, by casting the stones into the river, which had been placed there to obstruct the passage over it; but the army could not pass in less than five hours; and then marched up in order of battle toward the enemy, who waited for them on the moor, confiding in the great superiority of their number. Clavers commanded the horse on the right, and Captain Stuart the dragoons on the left. The field-pieces were carried in the centre of the foot-guards, while the rest of the officers commanded at the head of their men; and the duke, after the enemy was beaten from the bridge, rode at the head of the army.

Upon the first fire, the rebels' horse turned about, and fled upon the right and left; and although the

* There are two curious pictures of the battle of Bothwell Bridge. One of them is at Hamilton House, the other at Dalkeith, the seat of the Duke of Buccleuch. In both, Monmouth's person is placed in a conspicuous and exposed situation, directing the attack upon the motley ranks of the Covenanters.