4 i2 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



was too late to obtain assistance from Lewis ; for the Minch 

 was commanded by English warships, three of which had 

 anchored at Lochalsh and blown up Eilean Donain Castle. 

 The total number of Seaforth's recruits does not seem to 

 have exceeded 500, of which number, 400 were Loch 

 Carron men. 



The Glenshiel skirmish for it hardly merits the name 

 of battle lasted three hours, and the loss sustained by 

 Wightman was considerably greater than that of the High- 

 landers. The Hanoverian troops had 21 men killed and 

 121 wounded, including officers, among the latter being 

 Munro of Culcairn, who was severely wounded. The 

 Jacobites lost less than ten men killed and wounded, 

 among the wounded being Seaforth and Lord George 

 Murray. It is clear that the fight simply resolved itself 

 into a case of sharpshooting on the part of the High- 

 landers, who had no desire to come to close quarters with 

 the enemy ;* and a large number of them were simply 

 spectators. Seaforth undoubtedly bore himself well during 

 the skirmish, holding his ground after his followers showed 

 a disposition to retire ; and the wound which he received 

 in his arm, when waving his sword to encourage his men, 

 left a scar of honour. Accompanied by Tullibardine and 

 the Earl Marischal, he made his escape, it was supposed 

 to Lewist, but he does not seem to have remained there for 

 any length of time. Meanwhile, Wightman made a tour 

 through Kintail, in order to strike terror into the hearts of 

 the people, by burning the houses of those who had joined 

 their chief. 



The affair of Glenshiel has usually been described as 

 a drawn action, and Sir Walter Scott states that the 

 Government troops "were compelled to retreat without 

 dislodging the enemy " ; but contemporary accounts on 

 both sides clearly disprove that statement. The High- 



* According to the Annals of George I. (Vol. IV., p. 254), "the rebels 

 skipped off from rock to rock when they had discharged their muskets." 

 The Historical Register (Vol. IV., p. 285) states they never ventured to come 

 to a close engagement. 



f Hist. Reg., Vol. IV., p. 285. 



