Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

BATTLE OF DRYFESANDtJ BETWEEN MAXWELLS AND JOHXSTONES. CXXlll
cliallengiug to the conflict, and shouting tlic Johnstones' wav-cry, "Keady,
aye ready !
" Maxwell, exasperated, sent forth a strong delachmcnl of his
men crying, '-"Wardlaw! AVardlaw !
Wardlaw
!
] bide ye fair, Wardlaw!"
\\lnch \yas the slogan of the Maxwells. This detachment was suddenly
attacked on all sides by a larger body of Johnstones, who had also the
advantage of a more favonralile position. The JIaxwells broke up and fell
back on the main body, v,-hich was thus thrown into confusion. The John-
stones, seizing their opportunit}', ruslied dowu with their whole force upon
their disorganised eneniies, who, panic-stricken, fled in confvrsion, most of
them falling back upon and recrossing tlin river Annan. ^ Thus ended the
sliort but sharp battle of Dryfesauds, which was so disastrous to the
Maxwells and .so victorious to the Johnstones for the time.
One of the traditions connected with this battle is tliat some days before it
took place Lord Maxwell promised a reward of a ten pound land, that is, laud
valued at that amount for taxation purposes, to the person wlio should bring
him the head or hand of Sir James Johnstone. The latter retaliating said that
while he had not a ten pound land to give, he would bestow a farm of the half
of that value upon tlte man who should bring him the head or the hand of
Lord Maxwell. Spottiswoode, the only writer of the time who gives details
of Lord Jilaxwell's death, says, " The Lord Slaxwcll, a tali man and heavj'
in armour, was in the chase overtaken and stricken from his horse." The
tradition on the subject is that Lord Maxwell was pursued and overtaken by
William Johnstone of Kirkhill, who on coming uji to him sti uck him off his
horse, and disregarding his prayer for mercy, v/hich he alleged in similar
circumstances he had given to the Johnstone chief, cut off his liand, and put
him to death." Anoth.er tradition is to the effect that William Johnstone
* A considerable number of the fugitives ^ Sir Walter Scott states tLat the above
fleil to Lockerbie. These were wounded to account \v.i3 derived from the daughters of
such an extent that the jihr.iae, "A Lockerbie William Jolr.istoiie of Kirkhill, mIio received
lick," applied to thc-iri at the time, afterwards it from their father,
became a proverbial one.