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y.

1653.

hending them, retired to the hills. Here they CHAP. were joined by Kenmure, lord Lorn, son to the earl of Argyle, Glengary, Athol and Seaforth. This was in the month of June 1653. The insurrection for some time appeared to be formidable. The Scots were dissatisfied with the foreign jurisdiction that was set up over them, and for the most part hostile, both in politics and religion, to their southern rulers. A practice generally and successfully prevailed among the adherents of the exiled prince, of secretly taking possession of the best horses, and sending them off to the Highlands. The insurgents mounted on these horses, and returned in small parties to the plains d. They were better acquainted than their invaders with the fastnesses and secret paths of the country, and became known by the name of Mosstroopers, from the mosses or bogs with which that part of the country abounded. These swamps were intersected with paths here and there of a firmer texture, not discernible to an unpractised sight. The insurgents having seized their booty, or made their depredations, and often having even assaulted and killed the stragglers of the English in places where the approach of an enemy was least apprehended, withdrew by these paths to their fellows, while the English in at

c Baillie, Vol. II, p. 377.

d Ibid. Whitlocke, Oct. 14, Dec. 13. Burnet, Own Time, Book I.

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IV.

BOOK tempting to follow them, were frequently swallowed up and destroyed by the treacherous nature of the soil.

1653.

Progress of

the insurrection.

.

An uninterrupted series of these petty successes gave courage to the wilder inhabitants, while it perplexed and disheartened the foe. The progress of the insurgents however was checked by misunderstandings and ill-blood among their leaders. Glencairn produced a commission from king Charles, authorising him to command in Scotland till the arrival of himself or some superior officer but this, instead of appeasing their debates, had rather the effect of giving an object and an individual direction to their jealousies. Particularly there was a furious strife between Glencairn and Lorn, who belonged to opposite parties, in addition to which Glencairn held it just that Lorn should suffer for the delinquencies of his father to the royal cause. Balcarras, involved in the same dispute, retired to the continent. But, notwithstanding these unfavourable circumstances, the numbers of the insurgents, animated by the spoils they carried off, went on to increase; so that, by the end of the year, they amounted by Whitlocke's reckoning to three thousand, and by their own writers are put down as ten or twelve thousand men f.

Baillie, p. 377, 378. Burnet, ubi supra.
'Whitlocke, Dec. 31, Feb. 28. Baillie, p. 378.

He

V.

Monk

insurgents.

In this state of things the court of the exiled CHAP. king sent over Middleton, who had been second in command at the battle of Worcester, to take 1654. on him the direction of affairs. On his arrival marches the insurgents grew stronger, and every where against the outnumbered the English that were marched against them. He had not proceeded far however in his undertaking, before Monk appeared in the field. Monk seems at this time to have been equally skilful and untemporising in his warlike proceedings by land, as by sea. had no sooner sooner proclaimed the protector with the usual forms and rejoicings', than, dividing his forces into two bodies, having about two thousand five hundred foot and six hundred horse in each, under himself and Morgan, he marched directly for the Highlands. Here they encountered great privations, with which the patience and hardiness of his character peculiarly fitted him to struggle. At the same time by Cromwel's direction he sent emissaries to several of the principal nobility and gentry, to inform them that, if they would lay down their arms, and quietly return to their houses, their submission should be received, and they should be protected in their estates and fortunes1.

• Whitlocke, Mar. 10, 11, 18.

' Ibid, May 11.

h Ibid, Apr. 13, 17, 21.

* Skinner, Life of Monk, Chapter VI.

'Ibid.

BOOK
IV.

1654. Middleton

to the con

tinent.

His suc

cesses.

Monk in the mean while proceeded by rapid marches into the heart of the Highlands, cutting off the resources of the enemy as he went, and withdraws avoiding all occasions of a general engagement". At length however by a fortunate occurrence Morgan came up, at the north end of Loughgerry, with a body of horse commanded by Middleton, which he utterly defeated, the commander being wounded". This check, together with Monk's mode of proceeding, and the falling off of his followers, so completely discouraged Middleton, that he shortly after withdrew, and, quitting the insurgents, passed to the continent". By the end of August, having succeeded in all the objects of his campaign, Monk returned to Edinburgh, the seat of his government P.

Disaffection in the army of Scotland.

Such were the operations of the army of Monk against the royalists of Scotland. But, as has been already said, he had another business intrusted to him by Cromwel, the checking the spirit of discontent in his own forces, which was supposed to be propagated or encouraged by the officers who adhered to the creed, political and otherwise, of the anabaptists. The chief of these officers were Overton, Okey and Alured. Overton is particularly entitled to our attention, as

m

Whitlocke, June 19, 24, July 18. Skinner, ubi supra.
Whitlocke, July 29, 31, Aug. 1. 4.

n

Ibid, Aug. 25. Skinner, ubi supra.

Whitlocke, Aug. 28, Sept. 2. Skinner, ubi supra.

being united in terms of the most cordial friend- CHAP. ship to Milton 9.

V.

of Overton.

Their connection is described by that cele- Character brated author as being of many years standing, and as founded on the similarity of their views, and the peculiarly bland and engaging manners of this officer. He had entered into the service of the parliament from the beginning of the war', and early obtained the appointment of deputygovernor of Hull under Fairfax, of which place he seems to have been a native. In all the various conflicts in which he had been engaged, he had acquitted himself with gallantry and honour; and in consequence had received from the Long Parliament, at the same time with Ingoldsby and Pride, two other distinguished officers, a grant of lands in Scotland to the value of five hundred pounds per annum, subject to a yearly rent to the public of one hundred.

1651.

plary jus

He greatly distinguished himself in the campaign in Scotland subsequent to the battle of His exemWorcester, and that no less by his equity than tice. valour. Three English soldiers being murdered in the fields near Aberdeen, Overton sent for the gentlemen of the vicinity, and told them that, if they did not find out the murderers, he should be

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a Concordia plusquam fraterna conjunctissimus. Defensio Secunda. 'Thurloe, Vol. III, p. 111. Rushworth, Vol. VII, p. 1021. 1 Journals, May 14, 1652.

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