THE TRUE RELATION OF THE LATE & HAPPY VICTORY, Obtained by the MARQUIS of MONTROSE his Excellency, HIS MAJESTY'S Lieutenant, and General Governor of the Kingdom of SCOTLAND: Against General Lieutenant Bailiff, and others of the Rebels, at Kilsyth, 15 August, 1645.   

SOME LINES, Upon the Marquis of MONTROSE HIS EXCELLENCY; Written by the late Lord GORDON, Who died at Alford, valiantly fight for His Majesty's Service.  

We need not praise thee, let thy passive Foes  
Tell their Destruction; whilst our Nation, owes  
In compensation, for the blood that's spilt  
Memorials of thy Glory, and their Gild,  
Who tempted first thy Loyalty, to dare  
With private Valour, t'undertake a War  
Against a Multitude, Fortune alone  
Favouring to bring future successes One:  
But now thy Sword hath so destructive been,  
In spite of Force, and Danger, that the sin  
Of bolder Treason, henceforth seems to be  
The presage of thy further Victory:  
Whilst thy successful Arm sustayns alone  
The freedom of a Kingdom, and a Crown.   
GEORGE GORDON.   

GOD SAVE THE KING.  
AFter the Battle of ALFOORD, MONTROSE resolving to prosecute his VICTORY, marcheth the same night to Clunye; where he arryveth in the morning betimes: And after some hours-halt, moveth to Craigtoun, two mile's distance from the Northsyde Dee; whence he directeth the Earl of Aboyn to Buchan, and all those next adjacent places, for new Recrewes; in regard that many of his Forces consisting of Hy-landers, and others there of those parts, had straggled off the Army, and gone to their homes. Then General Major Mack-Donald, who had been directed formerly off, was not as yet returned: Always after some stay there at Craigtoun, finding the Supplies, contrary to his expectation, but flowlie advancing, resolveth not to drive time, crosseth Dee, marching straight in the Merns, and quartereth the same night at Fordon; having sent to Aberdene at his march from Craigtoun, to the Earl of Aboyn; understanding he was, at last, advanced the length; That he might meet him there in the Merns, as his nearest way.  
ABOYN cometh the next morning: But not being well accompanied, MONTROSE desired him return to increass his numbers; and hasten up again unto him with all possible speed, he himself marcheth straight towards Brechen: Where he understandeth that General Major Mack-Donald was fallen in the West of Angus, with Mackclen Inchbrakie, & all those Hy-land Forces. Upon which he resolveth to march towards him: That being joined, he might advance to the other, side Tay, to prevent the Rebels Levies, and interrupt their Parliament, which was then intended in great State.  
Upon his crossing the River, and march towards Logiamond, the Enemy were somewhat startled: But so soon as he advanced to Meffen, and sent some parties of Horss towards the Town of Saint johnston, their Foot being retired on the other side of the Bridge of Ern, their Horss who were upon Guard, and in the Town, upon the sight of some Scouts, took so the Alarm; apprehending that MONTROSE was presently to advance and storm; that they run in such fearful terror, that they would not come in sight of a single Horss-man; though they were stronger by at least three hundreth.  
MONTROSE resolveth to incamp there at Meffen, and stay for his Northern Supplies: which he was to have hourly expected. And finding the Enemy in such apprehension, he thought best to keep them going. So, next day (he not being fourscore Horses) causeth mount an hundreth or sixscore Dragoniers, & faceth the Town, at such a distance, and so ordered, as if he had been all Horssmen, and having given them an hot Alarm, immediately marcheth with the same Party towards Diplin, and the water Ern, to scurrie all those fields, and startle the Enemy; as if he had been able to command the whole Country by Parties. Upon which, the Enemy lifteth Horss and Foot; fearing his March to Striviling, and incampeth at Newtown, some few miles from thence, to put themselves in the way.  
Some days passing in this kind, the Enemy expecting Recrewes from the West and South; and MONTROSE impatiently longing for his Supplies from the North: who should have been long of before with him, directeth in all haste thither for that effect; which yet still tending to Delays, the Enemies whole Forces being gathered, they resolved to fight before those of the North should come, and join with MONTROSE, so crosseth the water, and advanceth Horss & Foot towards his Camp. Upon which (they being stronger in both then above four thousand) resolveth to march: So giveth command, that the Baggage provisions, and all of that kind, might draw off, and putteth himself in Batrallie; directing some Parties to the several passes, as if he had been resolved to have fought; by which, having amused the Enemy, until his Baggage, & all of that kind, were so far gone, as they could be no hindrances, he then marches off in a closely body, keeping a strong party of commanded men to flank the few horss, which he had on the Rear: So the Enemy never doubting, but he was to have fought, until on the sudden they saw him quite gone, falleth on fast, to have engaged his Rear: But there being several passes, he so dallies, & keepeth them up, as he putteth himself without all reach; and pointing his courss towards Dunkell, he quickly reacheth some strong grounds, where the Enemy's Horses were not well able to follow: Which they perceaving, & finding they could be no better, advanceth fast up their forlorn party of Horss, to vapour at the pass, that they might seem with handsomeness to return.  
MONTROSE perceaving, directed some twelve or twenty of his ablest Hylanders, with snapwarks, who killing some of their Gentlemen, by mark shots; & seeing them begin to reill, & startle, fell out resolvedly in the open field upon them, though they were not about in all twenty, and made their whole body of three hundreth Horss, to run upon the spur; so he marcheth that night to little Dankell; where he resolveth to incamp it, being a strong ground, and convenient for the passes of the River, to favour the joining of his supplies: To who he directed again with all possible diligence to hasten: So a few days passing in this kind, the Enemy lying near where MONTROSE camped of before at Meffen, and he still at little Dunkell, the Earls of Airlie, Aboyn, & Colonel Gordon, came at last along with the Horses, & though not by much so considerably as were expected, MONTROSE resolves to march straight upon the Enemy, finding he could be for the time in no better posture, and that their forces were much melted away. So marching down towards Logiamond, within some three miles of their camp, he faced somewhat near with his Horses, to touch their pulss, and cry before he should engage, whether his intelligence did or not hold good, making his foot to march off to their quarter that night, they kept themselves so closely, as almost they did not at all appear, by which it was expected they would march off before the next morning. So MONTROSE getting very early to horss, to view the fields; learneth that they had marched in the night time, in great disorder; and were encamped on the southside the Bridge of Ern: Upon which, he presently lifteth to march towards them, crosseth Ern, and incampeth that night, some six miles short, marcheth early the next morning: And coming within view, findeth them drawing in so strong a ground, as their could be no approach, so he resolveth to march a little towards their left hand, to be betwixt them, and the Shire of Fyff; that they should have no supplies, and (if it were possible) he might force their ground, so that night passeth. Next morning, seeing them lie still at their Posts, and that they could not be forced from such advantage, without great hazard, he resolveth to march into Fyff, to break the Randevouses of that Shire; who were all a-gathething to join with them; & to draw them also out of those strong grounds, to come to the supply of their friends: So he removeth, and marcheth that night to Kinrose, the Enemy making a fashion to follow up his Rear: But not daring hearty to do it, moveth a several way towards the East of Fyff: MONTROSE directing with a fore party Colonel Gordon, & Sir William Rollock; who having occasion to send off most of them several ways; ●●ncountred two hundreth of the Enemies, Horss & foot at a particular Randevo●● just their in the way, and not being above twelve persons, chargeth the Enemy, putteth them to the rout, and taketh & killeth divers.  
Always MONTROSE finding that whole Shire would join with the Enemy; and that he could not fight them with so great disadvantage: and likewise understanding that the whole South & West were gathering against him, resolved with long marches to cross Forth, and shake himself so louse of the Enemy, as all their auxilaries of Fyff, and those places should weary to follow, & those Conventions of the West & South be dispersed, before their Army should be able to reach that length: So be removeth from Kinrose next morning, & incampeth within some three miles of Striviling that night. On the morrow knowing the Enemy would advance, he marcheth to be on the other side Forth, staying himself, with all his horses upon the Rear; the Army being a good distance gone, his spies come, & tell him, the enemy were advancing: So seeing some of their scouts already in view, he followeth slowly the way off the march, and learning by a prisoner, that the Enemy were to move all that night, to have engaged him to fight before their auxilaries should go from them; who were already very weary, and extreme unwilling to cross Forth: he resolveth likewise to march the whole night. So next morning halting some six myls on the southside Striviling, MONTROSE finding that the Enemy had not crossed the water that night, but camped some three myls short on the other side. Wherefore he continueth his march, cometh to Kilsyth the same night; where he was not well encamped, when the Enemy cometh up, & pitcheth within some three miles. Upon which, MONTROSE resolveth next day to fight; knowing that the Earl of Lanerick had conveaned much of the Country; & was already with a thousand foot, & six hundreth horss, within twelve myls: As also, that the whole West was gathering to a head; & that he behoved to fight in time, or those forces should all join, & come vpon him; or otherwise he should be constrained to take the Hielands.  
So next morning he going timely abroad, to view the Enemy, findeth they were resolved to press him to fight, and not stay upon their Supplies, out of a conceit they had, he would take the Mountains, and not bide them. So seeing them quite their own ground, and advance towards him to force him from his, (which was that in the world he most wished) he drew instantly out, and met them in the field, equal almost betwixt the two Camps, giving all his men order, horss & foot, to cast themselves, & charge in their Shirts, as being all rather re●●lved to die in the place, nor not carry it, since much of his Majesty's fortunes did depend on that success. And having two Regiments only placed, & the horss not as yet all come up; and the whole rest of the foot at a great distance, the enemy gins already to play hard on some commanded men, that MONTROSE had advanced to some houses near the place where he was to draw up; but they being presently beat, & running back in disorder; MONTROSE men were so inspired with resolution, and the lustre of their whites, impatient to stay upon orders, marched along to the top of the bray, hard joining to the enemies whole body, both of horss & foot. So MONTROSE seeing them engaged, and that it was as impossible to draw them off as for them to have stood, if the Enemy had but had the resolution to have charged; thinketh that there were nothing so safe, being so far already engaged, as resolvedly to put it on. The enemy beginning to stagger; and not all of them either drawn up; so commandeth the Van with horss, and flanking Musquetiert advance, and give an home-charge, & the rest, as they could, to follow in their several order; which did so at unaworss astonish the Enemy, as their horss resolved not to stand; and their foot (after first Salvie) placed all their hopes in their going, which but served for little; MONTROSE men having the execution of them some fourteen myls, and of six thousand foot, to which they estimate, there did not (so far as is known) fifty escape.  
Their horss consisting of eight hundreth, were all either killed, taken, or mightily dispersed. Of Prisoners there were several taken; as Sir William Murray of Blebo, the Laird of Fairlye, brother to the Lord Burley, Lieutenant Colonel Dick, Lieutenant Colonel Wallace, and divers other Captains, and inferior officers. MONTROSE consisting of some four thousand foot, and six hundred horss, had not of all above six killed. This so happy & glorious Victory obtained at Kilsyth, the xv day of August, 1645, did so stonish the hearts of the Rebels, & state the minds of the faithful Subject; that the one seemed to be struck with such terror, as they would have wished hills & mountains to have covered their iniquity. The other to be so confirmed from the evident and sensible acknowledgement of GOD Almighty's providence; That they run to profess their Righteousness (then) as the Noonday.  
The Rebels went indeed back, not only seven ways, but by more a great many: some towards Berwick, some to Irland, some to Newcastle, others to Carleell, and some (as the jews) scattered every where.  
The whole Country, Borrows, & Gentry, begun all frequently, to offer themselves to MONTROSE and in particular. The Towns of Glasgow & Linlithgow; who in their be●●● against the desperate iniquity of so corrupt a time) stood loyal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for his Majesty, chief the former. MONTROSE passing on a day only at Kilsyth to refresh his people, marchech towards Glasgow, & so to Bothwer upon Clide, whence he directeth parties to the East & West, chargeth Edinburgh to render, receaveth them to obedience, relieveth the Earl of Crawford, Lord Ogilvie, and many other Officers & Gentlemen, who were in miserable Prisons: and that only for their loyalty & faythfulness to his Majesty's Service. All the West likewise giveth over: The Earl of Eglingtoun & Cassles (who began to make some stickling; but not being followed by the Country, & not daring to trust themselves) flying several ways. The whole Gentry & Commons freely offer themselves for his Majesty's service: & in particular some in Carrick; who stood loyally affected to his Majesty, the Town of Air, and other places did the same likewise.  
THis is the seventh Battle, & the sixth total Victory, which Montrose (by the extraordinary Blessings of Almighty GOD) hath so happily obtained since his entry into this Kingdom, which being with himself, & but two Gentlemen only. The one whereof abandoned him in greatest necessities may truly evidence the justice of his Majesty's Service, & integrity of that Cause, which hath so happily prevailed: For as prosperity is to be concluded as no infallible mark of GOD'S favour: yet the consciousness of innocency, & clearness of Reason ●ecunded by the success of happy Providence, may justly confirm us, that GO● is pleased and make us conceive, that if the LORD would have destroyed us; h● would not have taken our Sacrifice, nor carried us through all this Red Sea and Wilderness.  
Then let all true Christians, & loyal hearted Subjects & Patriots, acknowledge then avety to GOD, Prince, Country, proper Interects, & Freedoms; by joining themselves, & all their utmost Endeavours, for the happy Conclusion of this Great Cause; wherein the Truth of Religion, honour of the King peace of the Country, happiness of the Subjects, are only, & totally intended: So shall the judgement of GOD be averted, our slavery reauced, our mourning turned into gladness, and our mouths filled with Songs of Deliverance.  ECCLES. CHAP. viij VERS. 2. 
I counsel thee to keep the king's commandement, and that in regard of the Oath of GOD.  Vers. 3. 
Be not hasty to go out of his sight: Stand not in an evil thing for he doth whatsoever pleaseth him.  Vers. 4. 
Where the word of a king is, there is, power: And who may say unto him; What dost thou?  Vers. 5. 
Who so keepeth the commandment, shall feel no evil thing.  
FJNJS.