1645 Battle of Inverlochy. February 2nd. was a battle of the Scottish Civil War in which General James Graham (1st.
Marquess of Montrose) routed the pursuing forces of the Archibald Campbell (1st. Marquess of Argyll).
1645 February 2nd. just before dawn, Archibald Campbell (Marquess of Argyll) and his Covenanters were dismayed
at the sight that lay before them, as far as they were aware General James Graham (Marquess of Montrose) should have been thirty miles north; Archibald Campbell (Marquess of Argyll) did not stay for the battle,instead he left the command of his army to General Duncan Campbell(2nd.Baronet and 6th.Lord of Auchinbreck) and retired to his galley that was anchored on Loch Linnhe.General Duncan Campbell (2nd.Baronet and 6th.Lord of Auchinbreck) lined up the Covenanters in front of Inverlochy castle, which he reinforced with two hundred mus- keteers to protect his left flank, in the centre he placed the Campbells of Argyll and put the lowland militias on the flanks. Unlike at Tippermuir and Aberdeen, where General James Graham (Marquess of Montrose) had annihilated hastily conscripted and poorly trained militias, the troops he faced at Inverlochy were veterans of the war in England. General James Graham (Marquess of Montrose), lined his army up in only two lines deep to avoid being out flanked, placing his six hundred Highlanders in the centre with the Irish on the flanks, the right being commanded by Alasdair MacColla Chiotaich(sir Alexander MacDonald); the fight did not start straight away and instead skirmishes broke out along the line, this is probably due to the fact that General Dun- can Campbell (Baronet, 6th. Lord of Auchinbreck) and his officers believed that they were only fighting one of James's lieutenants and not the man himself, believing he was still far up the glen. Just before first light, General James Graham (Marquess of Montrose) Royalists launched their attack, the Irish clashed violently with the lowlanders on both flanks and routed them while the Highlanders closed with the Campbells in the centre, the Campbells broke, and their retreat to Inverlochy castle blocked by the Royalist reserve cavalry under the command of Sir Thomas Ogilvie of Auchinbreck, He was shot in the thigh while trying to rally his men and died shortly after, the remaining Covenanters briefly rallied around their standard,then broke and ran, trying to reach Lochaber. The small garrison in Inverlochy castle surrendered without a fight; over fifteen hundred Covenanter troops died, while General James Graham (Marquess of Montrose) reputed to have only lost eight men, the most notable being Sir Thomas Ogilvie who was killed by a stray bullet. General James Graham (Marquess of Montrose)through his lieutenant, Alasdair MacColla Chiotaich (sir Alexander Mac-Donald (who commanded the two thousand Irish troops sent by the Irish Confederates) was able to use this conflict to rally Clan Donald against Clan Campbell; in many respects,the Battle of Inverlochy was as much part of the clan war between these two deadly enemies and their allies as it was part of the Wars of the three Kingdoms and that is how it was portrayed in Gaelic folklore.
Marquess of Montrose) routed the pursuing forces of the Archibald Campbell (1st. Marquess of Argyll).
1645 February 2nd. just before dawn, Archibald Campbell (Marquess of Argyll) and his Covenanters were dismayed
at the sight that lay before them, as far as they were aware General James Graham (Marquess of Montrose) should have been thirty miles north; Archibald Campbell (Marquess of Argyll) did not stay for the battle,instead he left the command of his army to General Duncan Campbell(2nd.Baronet and 6th.Lord of Auchinbreck) and retired to his galley that was anchored on Loch Linnhe.General Duncan Campbell (2nd.Baronet and 6th.Lord of Auchinbreck) lined up the Covenanters in front of Inverlochy castle, which he reinforced with two hundred mus- keteers to protect his left flank, in the centre he placed the Campbells of Argyll and put the lowland militias on the flanks. Unlike at Tippermuir and Aberdeen, where General James Graham (Marquess of Montrose) had annihilated hastily conscripted and poorly trained militias, the troops he faced at Inverlochy were veterans of the war in England. General James Graham (Marquess of Montrose), lined his army up in only two lines deep to avoid being out flanked, placing his six hundred Highlanders in the centre with the Irish on the flanks, the right being commanded by Alasdair MacColla Chiotaich(sir Alexander MacDonald); the fight did not start straight away and instead skirmishes broke out along the line, this is probably due to the fact that General Dun- can Campbell (Baronet, 6th. Lord of Auchinbreck) and his officers believed that they were only fighting one of James's lieutenants and not the man himself, believing he was still far up the glen. Just before first light, General James Graham (Marquess of Montrose) Royalists launched their attack, the Irish clashed violently with the lowlanders on both flanks and routed them while the Highlanders closed with the Campbells in the centre, the Campbells broke, and their retreat to Inverlochy castle blocked by the Royalist reserve cavalry under the command of Sir Thomas Ogilvie of Auchinbreck, He was shot in the thigh while trying to rally his men and died shortly after, the remaining Covenanters briefly rallied around their standard,then broke and ran, trying to reach Lochaber. The small garrison in Inverlochy castle surrendered without a fight; over fifteen hundred Covenanter troops died, while General James Graham (Marquess of Montrose) reputed to have only lost eight men, the most notable being Sir Thomas Ogilvie who was killed by a stray bullet. General James Graham (Marquess of Montrose)through his lieutenant, Alasdair MacColla Chiotaich (sir Alexander Mac-Donald (who commanded the two thousand Irish troops sent by the Irish Confederates) was able to use this conflict to rally Clan Donald against Clan Campbell; in many respects,the Battle of Inverlochy was as much part of the clan war between these two deadly enemies and their allies as it was part of the Wars of the three Kingdoms and that is how it was portrayed in Gaelic folklore.
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