The Marquis of Montrose . businessto beat this force as soon as possible, for Argyll waslumbering in his wake, and Fabian tactics would landhim between two fires. On the morning of the 13th, according to hiscustom, he sent in an envoy to the magistrates of thecity summoning them to surrender, and advising them,at any rate, to send the women and children to a placeof safety. It was a merciful act, which was un-generously requited, for a drummer-boy who accom-panied the messenger was brutally slain by one of theFife troopers. A breach of the laws of war alwaysoffended Montrose, and this was a pe
The Marquis of Montrose . businessto beat this force as soon as possible, for Argyll waslumbering in his wake, and Fabian tactics would landhim between two fires. On the morning of the 13th, according to hiscustom, he sent in an envoy to the magistrates of thecity summoning them to surrender, and advising them,at any rate, to send the women and children to a placeof safety. It was a merciful act, which was un-generously requited, for a drummer-boy who accom-panied the messenger was brutally slain by one of theFife troopers. A breach of the laws of war alwaysoffended Montrose, and this was a peculiarly wantonbreach. He vowed to make the enemy pay dearly forthe misdeed, and promised Alastair the sack of the cityif the day was won. Without delay he drew up hisforces for battle. The Irish as before held the centre,and on the right wing Sir William Rollo and ColonelJames Hay commanded, while Nathaniel Gordon ledthe left. He divided his cavalry into equal portions,and placed one on each wing, while in both cases he. ABERDEEN AND FYVIE. 97 stiffened the score of horsemen with musketeers andbowmen interspersed among them. The little force wasthe nearest approach to a regular army that he had yetcommanded, for every one was adequately armed, andnearly all had some experience of war. Balfour, whowas nothing of a general, was content with his superiorposition, heavier guns, and more numerous had little authority and no plan, of battle, and hislieutenants followed their own devices. The fight began with an attack on the houses andgardens that protected the Covenant centre. Alastairhad little difficulty in driving the enemy out of theseand advancing up the slope. Presently Lord LewisGordon charged with his twenty horse on Montrosesleft, and Lord Eraser and Crichton of Frendraught ^^^^followed, but they knew nothing of the value of shocktactics, and sporadic assaults of this sort were easy torepulse. On the Covenants left wing the cavalry hadapparently no orders, and a
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidmarquisofmon, bookyear1913
