The Glencairn Uprising, 1653-54 Helen Baker Department of ...

around 25 prisoners. The English went on to pursue the Royalist foot in the direction
of Lochaber. Middleton was badly wounded and his horse was captured, but he
escaped on foot and, a week later, was reported to be in Sutherland. 210
By dramatically reducing the number of horses Middleton had at his disposal and
dispersing the rest, Morgan had ensured that the Royalist force could no longer pose
any kind of real threat to the English in formal battle circumstances. The foot soldiers
were badly trained and poorly equipped – after the engagement at Dalnaspidal, the
only form of resistance left to them was a continuation of guerrilla warfare. The
Royalist troops who had failed to remain with the main body and had evaded capture
were left vulnerable, in unfamiliar territory and without their mounts. Many foot
soldiers fled in the direction of their homes; others were set upon by resentful
members of the local community. 211
Monck was determined to pursue those who had failed to disband. Even though the
main body of rebels were in no state to engage the English in formal battle, they were
still able to challenge English authority by means of plunder and skirmishes. Like the
English army, Middleton’s men continued to burn and pillage Scottish land and
committed acts of brutality on any lone English solider they happened upon. On 20
July Monck left Kinnell for Glen Lyon where he ordered a party under the command
of Major Tobias Bridge to round up escapees around Loch Rannoch. After capturing a
number of prisoners and supplies under the Earl of Atholl, Bridge rejoined Monck
who, by 21 July, was near Weems. Two days later Monck was at St. Johnstons and,
by 28 July, had reached Stirling. 212
In August Monck and his men marched in the southern Highlands, continuing to
destroy crops and property particularly in Aberfoyle in the area of Perthshire and
Loch Lomond in Dunbartonshire. Although Monck’s forces were able to threaten the
security of a number of Royalist leaders including Glencairn, Atholl and the Marquis
of Montrose, Middleton was well out of his reach in Caithness. Morgan was then
ordered to complete his reduction of Middleton’s army while two frigates, the
210 Dow, F.D. Cromwellian Scotland, pp.129-130; Willcock, J. A Scots Earl in Covenanting Times,
pp.66-67 and Akerman, J.Y (ed.) Letters from Roundhead Officers, pp.83-84, 87.
211 Dow, F.D. Cromwellian Scotland, p.130.