" Montrose had only 1500 - the Macdonalds
of Glengarry and the Highlanders of Athol having previously gone
home, against the earnest solicitude of Montrose that they should
complete the campaign, according to their usual custom, to deposit
the booty obtained in their repeated victories under their great
chief, but on the plea of repairing their houses and other property
which had been so much injured by their enemies in their absence.
The great commander, however, although he knew many of the garrison
to be old soldiers, decided to attack the superior numbers against
him, correctly surmising that a great many of his opponents were
newly raised recruits "from among husband-men, cowherds, tavern-boys
and kitchen-boys," and would be raw and unserviceable. Fortunately
for Seaforth and his forces, matters turned out otherwise. The
gallant Marquis, on his way to Inverness, was informed of Argyll's
descent on Lochaber, and, instantly changing his route, he fell
down upon him at Inverlochy so unexpectedly, that when Argyll, by
an ignominious flight in one of his boats, made himself secure, he
had the well-merited reward of personal cowardice and pusillanimity
of witnessing fifteen hundred of his devoted adherents cut down,
among whom were a great number of the leading gentlemen of the clan,
who deserved to fight under a better and less cowardly commander.
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