CHAPTER 1685. Loss of his shipping. When Cochrane, with his detachment, returned to Cowal, all hopes of success in the Lowlands seemed, for the present at least, to be at an end, and Argyle's original plan was now necessarily adopted, though under circumstances greatly disadvantageous. Among these the most important was, the approach of the frigates, which obliged the Earl to place his ships under the protection of the castle of Ellengreg, which he fortified and garrisoned, as well as his contracted means would permit. Yet even in this situation, deprived of the co-operation of his little fleet, as well as of that part of his force which he left to defend it, being well seconded by the spirit and activity of Rumbold, who had seized the castle of Ardkinglass near the head of Loch Fine, he was not without hopes of success in his main enterprize against Inverary, when he was called back to Ellengreg, by intelligence of fresh discontents having broken out there, upon the nearer approach of the frigates. Some of the most dissatisfied had even threatened to leave both castle and ships to their fate; nor did the appearance of the Earl himself by any means bring with it that degree of authority which was requisite in such a juncture. His first motion was to disregard the superior force of the men of war, and to engage them with his small fleet; but he soon discovered that he was far indeed from being furnished with the materials necessary to put in execution so bold, or as it may possibly be thought, so romantick a resolution. His associates remonstrated, and a mutiny in his ships was predicted as a certain consequence of the attempt. Leaving therefore, once more, Ellengreg with a garrison under the command of the Laird of Lopness, and strict orders to destroy both ships and fortification, rather than suffer them to fall into the hands of the enemy, he marched towards Gareloch. But whether from the inadequacy of the provisions with which he was able to supply it, or from cowardice, misconduct, or treachery, it does not appear, the castle was soon evacuated without any proper measures being taken to execute the Earl's orders, and the military stores in it to a considerable amount, as well as the ships which had no other defence, were abandoned to the King's forces. CHAPTER III. 1695. persed. This was a severe blow; and all hopes of acting accord- His army dising to the Earl's plan of establishing himself strongly in Argyleshire, were now extinguished. He therefore consented to pass the Leven, a little above Dumbarton, and to march eastwards. In this march he was overtaken, at a place called Killerne, by Lord Dumbarton at the head of a large body of the King's troops; but he posted himself with so much skill and judgment, that Dumbarton thought it prudent to wait at least, till the ensuing morning, before he made his attack. Here again Argyle was for risking an engagement, and in his nearly desperate situation, it was probably his best chance, but his advice, (for his repeated misfortunes had III. 1685. CHAPTER scarcely left him the shadow of command,) was rejected.* On the other hand, a proposal was made to him, the most absurd as it should seem, that ever was suggested in similar circumstances, to pass the enemy in the night, and thus exposing his rear, to subject himself to the danger of being surrounded, for the sake of advancing he knew not whither, or for what purpose. To this he could not consent; and it was at last agreed to deceive the enemies by lighting fires, and to decamp in the night towards Glasgow. The first part of this plan wasexecuted with success, and the army went off unperceived by the enemy; but in their night march they were misled by the ignorance, or the treachery of their guides, and fell into difficulties which would have caused some disorder among the most regular and best disciplined troops. In this case such disorder was fatal, and produced, as among men circumstanced as Argyle's were, it necessarily must, an almost general dispersion. Wandering among bogs and morasses, disheartened by fatigue, terrified by rumours of an approaching enemy, the darkness of the night aggravating at once every real distress, and adding terrour to every vain alarm; in this situation, when even the bravest and the best, (for according to one account Rumbold himself was missing for a time,) were not able to find their leaders, nor the corps to which they respectively belonged; it *Lord Fountainhall's Memoirs, MS. Woodrow, 536. is no wonder that many took this opportunity to abandon a cause now become desperate, and to effect individually that escape which, as a body, they had no longer any hopes to accomplish.* When the small remains of this ill-fated army got together, in the morning, at Kilpatrick, a place far distant from their destination, its number was reduced to less than five hundred. Argyle had lost all authority; nor indeed, had he retained any, does it appear that he could now have used it to any salutary purpose. The same bias which had influenced the two parties in the time of better hopes, and with regard to their early ope rations, still prevailed, now that they were driven to their lastextremity. Sir Patrick Hume and Sir John Cochrane would not stay even to reason the matter with him whom, at the onset of their expedition, they had engaged to obey, but crossed the Clyde, with such as would follow them, to the number of about two hundred, into Renfrewshire. prisoner. Argyle, thus deserted, and almost alone, still looked Argyle taken to his own country as the sole remaining hope, and sent off Sir Duncan Campbell, with the two Duncansons, father and son, persons all three, by whom he seemed to have been served with the most exemplary zeal and fi III. 1685. CHAPTER delity, to attempt new levies there. Having done this, and settled such means of correspondence as the state of affairs would permit, he repaired to the house of an old servant, upon whose attachment he had relied for an asylum, but was peremptorily denied entrance. Concealment in this part of the country seemed now impracticable, and he was forced at last to pass the Clyde, accompanied by the brave and faithful Fullarton. Upon coming to a ford of the Inchanon, they were stopped by some militia men. Fullarton used in vain, all the best means which his presence of mind suggested to him, to save his General. He attempted one while by gentle, and then by harsher language, to detain the commander of the party till the Earl, who was habited as a common countryman, and whom he passed for his guide, should have made his escape. At last, when he saw them determined to go after his pretended guide, he offered to surrender himself without a blow, upon condition of their desisting from their pursuit. This agreement was accepted, but not adhered to, and two horsemen were detached to seize Argyle. The Earl, who was also on horseback, grappled with them, till one of them and himself came to the ground. He then presented his pocket pistols, on which the two retired; but soon after five more came up, who fired without effect, and he thought himself like to get rid of them, but they knocked him down with their swords, and seized him. When they knew whom they had taken, they seemed |