The chiefs of Grant - Electric Scotland

171G.] KXECUTIOX OF rLUXDHUKUS. 315
acted as their guide, and they encountered the enemy, a body of Macleans,
on their march to jt»in Dundee. The Highlanders jiressed hard upon the
Laird's party, but the latter -were reheved by a detachment iVom Mackay's
army, who pursued the enemv for some distance, but tln'v laired r.qiidly
with !)ut slight loss; anr'. also, it is asserted, not without ;, iking spoil of
some of the dragoons' hoises.'
This was the last appearance of the Laird in active service for some
time. His regiment, it would appear, had been levied, but was not
properly equipped. Such as they were, however, their colonel and they
were left with other foi'ces, under the command of Sir Thomas lavingstone,
to guard the niirth while General Mackay proceeded to the south. The
battle of Killiecrankie, on -JZth July KiS'J, and the death of Dundee, made
a pause in the campaign for some time, but before that date the Grants, or
a portion of them, were invnUed in a contest which had important conse-
quences, and nearly caused a rupture among Dundee's followers. It would
appear, though the point is not certain, that the Laird of P'reuchie accom-
panied Mackay on his retreat from Culnakyle, but whether this wa.s so or
not, he captm-ed some stragglers of Dundee's men, members of the clan
Cameron, who, either at Edmglassie or elsewhere on the march, were found
annexinf " the most i)ortable moveables thev could fall u])on."" For this
the Laird promptly hanged them.
The Camerons nursed their wrath against the Laird and the Clan
Grant for that and other causes, until the first opportunity of retaliating.
This soon occurred, though the innnediate occasion was promp)ted by
private revenge. Dundee employed the time of Maekay's absence in
the south in recruiting his forces, and endeavouring to secure a supply of
provisions. To obtain the latter, many of the men were allowed to go
home, and while waiting their return, and that of others, to the general
rendezvous, a party of the Camerons made use of the delay to avenge
their comrades. In doing so without the orders of their chief they expected
his approbation, because they had seen his anger at the fate of their
clansmen, and they also thought that Dundee would be glad of a drove of
cattle from the enemy's country. They therefore sallied forth secretly
I Mackay's Memoirs, p. 33 ; Memoirs of I.ocliiul, p. 244. - Memoirs of Lochiel, p. '-MJ.