Thursday 26 June 2014

Lord Loudoun. An Historical Note.

JOHN CAMPBELL, 4th EARL OF LOUDOUN(Loudoun in East Ayrshire) was born in 1705 (two years before the Act of Union of Scotland and England) and lived to the age of 76. He became Lord Loudoun on the death of his father. As a Campbell he was a supporter of the House of Hanover, and during the Jacobite Rising of 1745, he raised a regiment of twelve companies for the Government, with Loudoun as colonel, and John Campbell (later 5th Duke of Argyll) as lieutenant-colonel. At the Battle of Prestonpans, three of his companies were captured, 1n what was a great victory for the Jacobite army, at the outset of their campaign. Later, in 1746, he was based at Inverness with eight companies, and was involved in the 'Rout of Moy' (qv), where his 1500 men were so terrified by five local lads that Loudoun's men retreated in haste back to Inverness. This disgraceful event did not prevent future promotions for Loudoun in the British Army. He served as C-in-C of the British forces in North America during the Seven Years War, was later in Portugal fighting against the Spanish, and finally he was promoted to General, and saw out his days as Governor of Edinburgh Casle (from 1763), when peace had returned to the realm. Such a sinecure for a notable old soldier ! A HAPPY REUNION. Since the Rout at Moy, Lord Loudoun and the scattered remnants of his army pushed north across the Cromarty and Dornoch Firths pursued by Lord Cromarty (a Mackenzie kinsman) with a substantial force of men, but Loudoun was able to continually employ evasive action and avoid all contact with his pursuers. Lord Cromarty was 'doing no good, and the men had not much confidence in him'. Lord George Murray took over the command of this army, aided by the Duke of Perth. On landing on the other side of the firth, they encountered no opposition, and Lord Loudoun and Forbes, the Lord President had again managed to escape. But some others did not escape. One of these was the 'Laird of Macintosh' who was a captain in Lord Loudoun's regiment who 'surrendered himself prisoner' with a great many men under his command. The 'Laird of Macintosh' was none other than Aeneas (Angus) Macintosh, the husband of Colonel Anne, the 'Heroine of Moy'. Prince Charles gleefully instructed that he be handed over to his wife at Moy, where he would be safe and well treated. On being greeted by Anne with the words "Your servant, Captain", it was said that, just as succinctly, Macintosh replied "Your servant, Colonel".

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