Battle of Dalnaspidal

Part of Wars of the Three Kingdoms (Scottish Civil War)

Dalnaspidal

Date	19 July 1654
Location	Dalnaspidal near Loch Garry, Scotland
Result	English Parliamentarian victory

Belligerents

Scottish Royalists loyal to Charles II of England:
Clan MacGregor
Clan Robertson

Parliamentarians loyal to Oliver Cromwell:
Clan Campbell

Commanders and leaders

William Cunningham, 9th Earl of Glencairn

John Middleton, 1st Earl of Middleton

Sir Thomas Morgan, 1st Baronet

Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll

Strength

1,200 foot, 800 horse (cavalry).^[1]

Unknown

Casualties and losses

300 horse captured.^[1]

Unknown

Location within Scotland

Scotland
in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms

Bishops Wars

Newburn

First English Civil War

Scottish Civil War

Third English Civil War

Glencairn's rising

The Battle of Dalnaspidal was a battle during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and one of the last engagements of the Scottish Civil War, bringing an end to the Royalist rising of 1651 to 1654.

Prelude

The Earl of Glencairn raised the Clan MacGregor from Rannoch. He would have no difficulty recruiting them because one of their opponents was the Earl of Argyll, a Campbell, one of their hereditary enemies. Alexander, the 12th chief of Clan Robertson led his men from Fea Corrie. Both forces met above Annat and marched up the old path to Loch Garry.

Battle

On the evening of 19 July 1654, Thomas Morgan surprised John Middleton, 1st Earl of Middleton at Dalnaspidal near Loch Garry on the Drumochter Pass. The Royalist horse had become separated from the foot. When Morgan's superior forces advanced towards them, most of Middleton's cavalry fled, leaving the infantry unprotected. As Morgan's cavalry continued to advance, the Royalist infantry also turned and ran.^[2]

Aftermath

The fight at Dalnaspidal broke the Royalist insurrection in the Highlands. Although wounded, Middleton managed to escape into the mountains, but he was never able to gather a substantial force again.^[3] Monck wanted all the leaders of the uprising put to death, but the Protector and Council promised a pardon to all those who submitted. The Earl of Glencairn himself surrendered to General Monck in September 1654. Middleton escaped back to the Continent and rejoined Charles II at Cologne early in 1655.

Noes

1 2 Baker 2005, p. 65.
↑ Baker 2005, pp. 65–66.
↑ Baker 2005, p. 66.

References

Baker, Helen (August 2005), The Glencairn Uprising, 1653-54 (PDF), Department of Linguistics, Lancaster University for their Newsbooks at Lancaster project .