THE ISLES AND THE COVENANT. 333 



and, ultimately, his open espousal of the Covenanting cause, 

 display an extraordinary vacillation of mind, or, what is 

 probably nearer the truth, a desire to keep on the winning 

 side. 



In May, 1645, the battle of Auldearn was fought, in 

 which a Lewis regiment, commanded by John, son of 

 Murdoch Mackenzie of Kernsary, took part. The events 

 which preceded and followed the battle clearly prove that 

 both Urry, the Covenanting general, and his colleague, 

 Seaforth, were half-hearted Covenanters. There is 

 evidence to show that it was in contemplation to disband 

 Seaforth's forces, if not, indeed, to offer Montrose the 

 services of some of his men. But circumstances proved 

 unfavourable to the maturation of this scheme, and Urry 

 and Montrose ultimately faced one another in the vicinity 

 of the village of Auldearn. For a time, the issue was 

 in doubt, when Mac Coll Keitach, Montrose's lieutenant, 

 showing more valour than discretion, was drawn out of 

 his entrenchments and then forced to retreat. The mag- 

 nificent personal courage of Macdonald, and particularly 

 the strategy of Montrose, saved the situation and the 

 battle. The Covenanters were totally defeated with heavy 

 slaughter accounts of their loss vary from 1,000 to 4,000 

 men while the loss of the Royalists was slight The 

 Lewismen, who fought magnificently, were cut to pieces, 

 among the killed being the Chamberlain of Lewis (Donald 

 Bayne, brother of the laird of Tulloch) and Angus Mac- 

 aulay of Brenish, Donald Cam's son. Tradition states that 

 only three Lewismen escaped from the battle. 



It has been suggested that the result of the battle ot 

 Auldearn was pre-arranged by Urry, who purposely 

 ordered his dispositions in such a manner as to give 

 Montrose the advantage.* This is a most serious charge 

 to make, but it is not substantiated by facts. Yet, when 

 we consider all the circumstances : how Drummond was 

 tried and shot for having betrayed the army, by his flight 



* Vide MS. quoted in the History of the Mackenzie*. 



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