Top 100 Generals

-------------------------------------------------------------------

English �Royal� commander

5^th Earl and 1^st Marquis of Montrose.

The long-awaited son and heir for the wealthy Graham family.

[SIDENOTE: Only son of six children.]

Succeeded his father as Earl at age fourteen.  1626

Attended St. Andrews University.

Married Magdalene, youngest daughter of Lord Carnegie of neighboring Kinnaird Castle.  1629

Set out on a 3-year journey to France and Italy.

Signed the Convenant protesting at King Charles I�s attempt to force, Episcopalian worship, upon the largely Presbyterian people of Scotland.  1633

[SIDENOTE: Charles I attempted to impose a new Prayer book in 1637]

One of four noblemen who drew up and signed the National Covenant.  1638

Fought against King Charles I in the Bishops� Wars.  1639-40

Led an army to Aberdeen, forcing the city to accept the Covenant.

Occupied Newcastle upon Tyne and cut off London�s coal supply; forcing Charles to make truce.

Became increasingly disillusioned with the policies of the covenanter, who generally sided with Parliament against Charles I.

Soon realized that Archibald Campbell, 8^th Earl of Argyll, was prepared to depose of the King to extend his own power.

The �Solemn League and Covenant� was drawn up, but Montrose refused to sign claiming other obligations.

[SIDENOTE: He had already signed the �Cumbernauld Bond� against the extremes of Presbyterianism.]

Jailed in Edinburgh Castle for five months for not supporting the Scottish Parliament.

Traveled to Oxford to meet with Charles I.  1643

Offered to retake Scotland in the name of the King.

Switched sides to support Charles I.

Charles I made Montrose a Marquis.  1644

Appointed King�s Lieutenant of Scotland.

Raised the standard at Dumfries.

Forced to retreat to Carlisle.

Harassed the supply lines of General David Leslie, the commander of the Scottish army in England.

Entered Scotland for a second attempt.

Made his way to Dunkeld.  August 1644

Intercepted a message from Alistair MacDonald (Colkitto) that was, by luck or fate, intended for Montrose.

Prevented a battle from erupting.

Was able to prevent a battle between the Irish under MacDonald and the Stewarts and Robertsons of Atholl

He united the feuding factions under himself and the King.

Made Alistair MacDonald his Major General.

He led army of 3,000 men (consisted of a crack brigade of Irish Macdonnels, Highland infantry, and a handful of cavalry), using speed and surprise, he compensated for its small size.

A Covenanter army marched south to support Parliament.  1644

Led brilliant campaign marked by victories at; 1644-45

TIPPERMUIR    September 1, 1644

-------------------------------

Lord Elcho (6,800) vs. James Graham (3,000)

Lord Elcho had 6,000 infantry, 800 cavalry (led by Lord Drummond) and 9 small cannon.  Tippermuir�s terrain is a flat plain.  The Covenant infantry were drawn up at the base of Methven Hill with cavalry on each flank.  Elcho commanded the right wing, James Murray of Gask commanded the center and Sir James Scott of Rossie commanded the left flank.  Montrose had 3,000 infantry and 3 cavalry.  He quickly deployed his men; putting Lord Kilpoint and 400 archers on the left, facing Elcho.  The Lochaber accompanied them.  Montrose commanded the left and had the Irish in the center.  Covenanters were within a hundred yards of their enemy Montrose sent Master of Madertie under the flag of truce to beg Elcho to reconsider battle.  Elcho reacted by seizing Madertie.  Elcho sent two troops of cavalry and 160 infantry to harass the Highlanders line.  Alistair MacDonald and Lord Rollo countered by sending 120 men forward and successfully halted the Covenant move.  Drummond�s men were pushed back and Montrose immediately ordered a general advance.  The Covenant men handling the cannon abandoned their positions.  Elcho�s musketeers fired one volley into the mass of pikemen, and then charged into the fray.  Irishmen attacked at once with such ferocity, that Lord Elcho�s men lost their coordination, broke ranks and began to flee the field.  Sir James Scott of Rossie rallied his men at a series of ruined cottages, but was pushed back when Montrose led the Athollmen against their resistance.

2,000 Covenant killed (mostly occurred during the rout)

1,000 Covenant prisoners

2 Royalist killed (this number seems very suspicious.)

[SIDENOTE: Many of the townsfolk that came to view the battle were caught up in the retreat and massacred by the advancing Royalists.]

ABERDEEN      September 13, 1644

-------------------------------

James Graham (1,500) vs. Lord Burleigh (3,000)

After an initial Royalist charge the Covenanters were put to flight.  No quarter was given. 

Losses of the Covenanters side were heavy. 

Royalists� losses were light.

INVERLOCHY    February 2, 1645

-------------------------------

James Graham (1,500) vs. Sir Duncan Campbell (3,000)

James Graham had caught wind that Argyle Campbell and William Baillie were following his northern movement.  Montrose�s scouts warned him of the force behind his army.  Montrose made a two-day march through inhospitable terrain to Inverlochy where they encountered the Covenant army now led by Sir Duncan Campbell (no recording of where Argyle Campbell was at the time).  The Covenants spotted the Royalist force, but assumed it to be merely a raiding party.  Montrose positioned his army for attack; placing Manus O�Cahan on his left, Ronald Og and his Pikemen and Musketeers on the right, and Montrose took up the position to the Royal Standard.  Colonel James (O�Neill) MacDonald�s musketeers backed the center.  Sir Duncan Campbell of Auchinbreck placed his army in four divisions along a ridge.  The 500 Lowland companions on each flank with 2 cannon.  The center had the Campbell men was commanded by Lairds of Lochnell.  In front of the center was a mass of Campbell Clansmen led by Gillespie son of Gillespie Og, Laird of Bingingeadhs.  Auchinbreck placed 50 musketeers to the left flank of old castle of Inverlochy.  Gillespie�s vanguard started the advance.  O�Cahan�s musketeers advanced and held their fire until they were mere paces from the Covenants.  They then charged, forming a solid wedge.  Alistair threw his men at Auchinbreck�s left.  Gillespie�s men retreated to the Campbell center.  Sir Thomas Ogilvie�s cavalry intercepted 200 Covenant infantry as they attempted to reach the safety of Inverlochy Castle.  The Royalists collided with the Campbell center and broke through.

KIA: Sir Thomas Ogilvie (Royalist Commander)

1,500 Covenanters killed.

8 Royalists� killed (another suspicious number)

With 1,500 Royalist Highlanders, Montrose defeated 3,000 Campbells and Lowland Covenanters.  The defeat broke the power of the Campbells for many years.

1,700 Covenanter casualties

Unknown Royalist casualties � safe to assume they were light.

Plunders Dundee and evades General Baillie�s Covenanter army.

AULDEARN      May 9, 1645

-------------------------------

Urrey (? ? ?) vs. James Graham (? ? ?)

Made camp with 1750 men and 250 horses.  Covenanters were marching through the night from Inverness to fight.  Sir John Hurry�s men had the advantage of surprise were they to attack at once.  He had a concern of the heavy rain and ordered muskets to be fired and reloaded.  (To prevent them from being unreliable.)  Scout from MacDonald�s Irish soldiers heard the discharges.  Soldiers attacked immediately only to find themselves in a bog and in trouble.  The Gordon cavalry arrived and aided them.  Followed by Montrose and infantry.)

Completely surrounded, half of Hurry�s Covenanters were killed.

Charles I�s fortunes declined after the disastrous defeat at Naseby.  June 14^th, 1645

ALFORD July 2, 1645 

-------------------------------

William Baillie (2,000) vs. James Graham (2,000)

James Graham defended the Gallow Hill, just west of the village of Alford.  Under pressure by the Committee of Estates, General William Baillie crossed the River Don via Mountgarrie ford.  Unknown to Baillie, the bulk of Montrose�s forces were drawn up on the reverse slope of Gallow Hill.  When the young Lord Gordon saw a herd of his cattle among Ballie�s supply train, he led his small body of Cavalry on the Royalist�s right flank headlong charge into Balcarres cavalry on the left of Baillie�s line.  Irish infantry under Laghtnan soon supported the cavalry attack.  The Royalist left, led by Viscount Aboyne, imitated their right attack using a cavalry charge that was supported by Irish infantry.  Montrose�s Highland infantry charged the center.  The Covenant line collapsed and the battle turned into a rout.

KIA: Lord Gordon (Royalist)

1,250 Covenant casualties

KILSYTH, STERLING    August 15, 1645

-------------------------------

William Baillie (6,800) vs. James Graham (5,000)

Montrose, after finding the whereabouts of Baillie and that he was soon connecting with another force under the earl of Lanark, moved his force of 4,250 infantry and 500 cavalry and by nightfall on the 14^th of August reached a meadow near Colzium.  Baillie, hearing about Montrose�s maneuver, moved his force 6,000 infantry and 800 cavalry on the same night until he was at Hollinbush, three miles from Kilsyth.  His men were exhausted and arrived late.  Effectively using the local people, Baillie knew the location of Montrose�s force.  Baillie�s force approached Montrose�s but no action was taken.  Baillie felt that as long as he sees the enemy Montrose would put himself at a disadvantage if he attacked; if he attacked Lanark, then Baillie would assault him from the rear, if he attacked, Lanark could provide support.  Baillie�s decision was to be overridden by the Committee of Estates, who with Baillie at the time.  They ordered Baillie to initiate action, as they feared Montrose might escape to the Highlands.  Bailllie ordered his army to march in northern perimeter of the high ground, flanking Montrose�s position.  The column was led by the cavalry, which made a circuit to Banton Burn and then V-lined to the Drum Burn.  Taking this opportunity, Montrose ordered Gordon�s cavalry against the nose of the column and MacLean�s infantry to seize the Auchinvalley farmsteadings laying between the Covenanting main body and its center.  The column�s advance was stopped and it broke with a second charge.  1,000 Highlanders initiated an expected assault.  Montrose, irate, supported it by sending in a strong detachment under the Earl of Airly.  The Covenanting army was already is disarray and in rout mode.  Montrose ordered a general assault.  Baillie escaped through the notorious Dullatur Bog.  Lanark�s forces were informed of the disaster at Kilsyth and soon scattered.  All of the Committee of Estates escaped.

5,500 Covenant killed

8 Royalists killed.

[SIDENOTE: During the cutting of the Forth and Clyde Canal, the bodies of several troopers, one stilled seated on a horse, were recovered from the Dullatur bog.]

PHILIPHAUGH   September 13, 1645

Sir David Leslie (6,000) vs. James Graham (700)

Montrose�s army melted away after Montrose attempted to secure political control of Scotland.  Montrose moved close the Scottish border to collect more troops.  General David Leslie, with his large army, including 5,000 cavalry, moved back to Scotland to find Montrose.  A fog near Philiphaugh assisted Leslie as he approached Montrose who was unaware of the coming danger.  Disinformation received by Montrose made him conclude he was safe as the River Ettrick protected his left flank and the wild hills of Hairhead protected his right.  Montrose reluctantly, but was persuaded to flee the battlefield.  The Irish surrendered.  No quarter was given on the part of the Covenants.  After the Irish surrendered, the Covenants massacred the 300 camp followers, all women and children, and then killed their Irish prisoners.

Few Royalists survived.

Covenant casualties were light.

Montrose continued ineffective campaign of guerilla warfare.  1646

Charles I ordered him to lay down his arms.

Montrose disbanded his army at Blairgowire in Perthshire.  September 3, 1646

Boarded a Norwegian ship bound for Bergen disguised as a servant.

Support for the Royalist cause in Scotland collapsed.

Made a mareschal by the Germans with similar honors from the French.

Charles I was executed.  January 30^th 1649

Immediately pleaded his loyalty to the new king, Charles II.

Charles II encouraged Montrose to begin a new campaign.

[SIDENOTE: Charles II was playing a double game.  He had letters of condemning Argyle and his followers if Montrose was successful and letters disowning Montrose completely.]

Montrose persuaded Charles II to dub him Lieutenant-Governor of Scotland.

Returned to Scotland with 1200 hired Danish mercenaries to raise the Highlands for the new King.  Spring of 1650

Shipwrecked in Orkney, only 500 men made it ashore.

Recruited another 1,000 Orcadians to his cause, but these were untrained troops.

[SIDENOTE: With the exception of 50 cavalry, all were infantry.]

Crossed over to the Scottish mainland at Thurso.

Found the clans were reluctant to follow him against the Covenant.

Moved south from Sutherland towards Inverness.

CARBISDALE    April 27, 1650

Colonel Strachan (156) vs. James Graham (800)

Called a halt at a hill called Carbisdale, a strong defensive position.  Ordered his troops to dig in until reinforcements arrived from the Royalist highland clans.  General David Leslie ordered an experienced Covenanting cavalry force under Colonel Strachan to harass Montrose�s force until he arrived.  Instead, Strachan attempted to draw Montrose down form his defensive stronghold; into the open country.  Strachan hid his main force and sent forward a troop of cavalry.  Montrose bite hard, he send forward a troop of cavalry under major Lisle to drive them back.  He struck camp and advanced with his whole Brigade, abandoning his strong defensive position Carbisdale hill provided.  Strachan charged from his concealment in the woods.  The sight of such a large body of cavalry charging broke the Orcadians� morale.  The battle quickly turned into a rout. 

He escaped the battle.

Upon reaching Loch Assynt in Sutherland, he encountered Neil Macleod whom had fought at Montrose�s side during the siege of Inverness.

Captured when betrayed by Neil Macleod of Assynt at Ardvreck Castle.

SIDENOTE: McLeod sold him to his enemies for ₤25,000.

At Monifieth, rescue attempted failed.

Taken to Edinburgh.

Disowned by Charles II.

Executed without a trial.  Hung and quartered at the Market Cross.  May 21, 1650

Given a proper tomb in Edinburgh�s St. Giles�s Cathedral. 1888

SIDENOTE: He is laid directly opposite his adversary, Archibald Campbell, Marquis of Argyle.

Weakness: Allowed his forces to disperse.

Eyewitness recording of his last words.

-----------------------------------------------

�I leave my soul to God, my service to my prince, my goodwill to my friends, my love and charity to you all.�

My oldest list had Frederick at #6 and Marlborough at #7.  The new listing I have has them both up one spot (fifth and sixth respectively).  I don't want to delve into the Top 10 list as it is simply too controversial.  I am working from the bottom up.