"Auldearn 1645 - The Armies" Topic

Latest blog entry on Auldearn 1645, looks at the armies for the battle being re-fought at Warlord's Open Day on 25th Sept. Includes details on the orders of battle with stats. and scenario rules for use with Pike & Shotte. The scenario rules cover the Covenanter's surprises attack and the Royalist's response to it.

More pictures on the blog here: link

Nice pictures of nice figs. Thanks!

As always, lovely stuff CtG

Beautiful!

Cheers, Rusty, KYPD, and Gorgrat 👍

Always superb!😁

Thanks for this. My Ancestor took part in this battle; he was the Laird of Kilravock Castle, not far from the battle site, and led the Clan Rose on the side of the Covenanters. Looking at the Army list, I wonder if they were included in the Northern Levies? I have no idea of the composition of his force. He changed sides later, joining up with the Duke of Hamilton, and died in 1649 (I think of illness). I'd be very interested if you had any more knowledge about the clan's actions that day. Cheers, Tom

Many thanks @TakeDa333 👍

Cheers, TomSurbiton 👍. That is fascinating. Looking at Highland Warrior by David Stevenson he mentions the Roses as being part of the Covenanters of Moray in the Northern Levies. So it looks like you ancestor would have been part of these "hastily raised" levies. The levies are said to have been mostly foot, but maybe a few horsemen as well. There isn't much mention of their part during the battle, and I suspect that Hurry was keeping them out of the early fighting. There is a mention of bowmen being used against Mac Colla's troops and these are usually thought of being the men that the Earl of Seaforth brought from the Isle of Lewis. No reason why there might not have been other bowmen, especially amongst the levies who would be expected to turn up with what ever they had to hand. The levies are mentioned in the retreat in that many of them were recorded as casualties which were pretty high.

If your ancestor went on to fight for the Duke of Hamilton this sounds like it would be part of the Engagers movement in 1647 when the Covenanters in effect changed sides and fought against the English Parliament. That went disastrously wrong at the Battle of Preston. If you ancestor made it through it 1649 then he survived two bad defeats!

Hope that helps a bit?

Certainly does, Charge the Guns, and much obliged for your trouble. I looked up the book about MacColla but it's going at silly money now. If you have a copy of John Prebble's Culloden, you'll see that a later Laird of Kilravock entertained Prince Charlie on the eve of the battle and had a conversation with Butcher Cumberland soon after! The night march of the Jacobites, intended to surprise the Hanoverians, got lost and dispersed in Kilravock woods.
I represent the Army of Parliament in the Earl of Essex Regt of Foote, ECWS (a most Godly group of men)!

Hi Tom – I'm disappointed that book isn't still in print. You'll have to wait for one to come up on one of the second hand sites. Definitely worth having for the period.

I haven't trailed a pike for a few years now, but I was in the SK. Sir Gilbert Houghton's Regiment of Foot, a fine body of folks, but almost certainly not godly ;) . I will raise a dram to Kilravock 👍