A history of the Highlands and of the Highland clans : with an ...

856 HISTORY OP THE HIOHLANDS.
during the proposed cessation, to tamper with his men, and endeavour te
withdraw them fioin their allegiance, he called a council of war, and pro-
posed to retire without delay to the Highlands. The council at once
approved of this suggestion, whereupon Montrose resolved to marcli next
iiii'lit as far as Badenocli ; and that his ai-ray might be able to accouiplish
Buch a long journey within the time fixed, he immediately sent off all
his heavy baggage under a guard, and ordered his men to ke(;p
themselves prepared as if to fight a battle the next day.* Scarcely,
however, had the carriages and heavy baggage been despatched, when
an event took place which greatly disconcerted Montrose. This was
nothing less than the desertion of his friend Colonel Sibbald and some
of his officers, who went over to the enemy. They were accompanied
by Sir William Forbes of Craigievar, who, having been unable to fulfil
the condition on which he was to obtain his ultimate liberation, had
returned two or three days before to iMontrose's camp. Tiiis distressing
ocQurrence induced Montrose to postpone his march for a time, as he
was quite certain that the deserters would communicate his plans to
Argyle. Ordering, therefore, back the baggage he had sent off, he resumed
his former position in which he remained four days, as if he therp
intended to take up his winter quarters.
In the meantime Montrose had the mortification to witness the de-
fection of almost the whole of his officers, who were very numerous, for,
vrith the exception of the Irish and Highlanders, they outnumbered the
privates from the Lowlands. Tlie bad example which had been set by
Sibbald, the intimate friend of Montrose, and the insidious promises of
preferment held out to them by Argyle, induced some, wliose loyalty was
questionable, to adopt this course ; but the idea of the privations to
which they would be exposed in traversing, during winter, among frost
and snow, the dreary and dangerous regions of the Higlilands, shook the
constancy of others, who, in diffijrent circumstances, would have willingly
exposed their lives for their sovereign. Bad health, inability to undergo
the fatigue of long and constant marches—these and other excuses were
made to Montrose as the reasons for craving a discharge fi-o;n a service
which had now become more hazardous than ever. Montrose made no
remonstrance, but with looks of high distlain which betrayed the inward
workings of a proud and unsubdued mind, indignant at being thus aban-
doned at such a dangerous crisis, readily complied with the request of
every man who asked permission to retire. The earl of Airiy, now sixty
years of age and in precarious health, and his two sons. Sir Thomas, and
Sir David, out of all the Lowlanders, alone remained faithful to Mon-
trose, and could, on no account, be prevailed upon to abandon him.
Among others who left Montrose on this occasion, was Sir Nathaniel
Gordon, who, it is said, went over to Argyle's camp in consequence of a
concerted plan between him and Montrose, for the purpose of detaching