John Welsh, the Irongrav Ct)VENANTER. 83 



BoTHWELL Bridge. 



What followed may be read in any history of Scotland, 

 or, better still, in Old Mortality. The defeat of Claverhouse 

 was the sig"nal for the West to rise. Welsh came from 

 Carrick with a considerable force, " rotten hearted," Russell 

 calls then in his " Narrative," Some were gentlemen of good 

 standing in Galloway and Carrick ; others may have been that 

 party of armed men with which Welsh was said to ride about 

 the country, who were known as " Mr Welsh's body guard " 

 (Just. Rec, May 12th, 1679). ^^e Covenanting army 

 swelled, but there was dissension in their ranks. The old 

 quarrel about indulgences bred bad blood. " The one party 

 (Hamilton, &c.) preached against all defections and encroach- 

 ments upon the prerogative of Jesus Christ. Mr Welsh and 

 his party preached up the subject's allegiance to the magis- 

 trate." It is not my intention to detail these squabbles. 

 Welsh was strong enough to carry the majority with him, but 

 Hamilton and his followers were a powerful minority, and 

 they were drunk with their victory at Drumclog. On June 

 18th the Duke of Monmouth, the bastard son of Charles H. 

 and husband of the Duchess of Buccleuch, was sent to com- 

 mand in Scotland. He was known to be well disposed to 

 Scotland, and not hostile to Presbyterians. He marched 

 upon the rebels who were posted on the Clyde at Bothwell 

 Bridge. A deputation met Monmouth, headed by Mr David 

 Hume, the laird of Caitloch, " and some say Mr John Welsh 

 had been named to go to the Duke with the supplication " 

 (Wodrow, iii., 106). They promised to lay down their arms 

 if free exercise of religion was granted them, a free Assembly, 

 and a free Parliament, and indemnity for past offences. 

 Monmouth neither could nor would have granted these terms, 

 nor would they have satisfied Hamilton's party had they been 

 granted, Monmouth temporised, but battle had already begun. 

 Hamiltonians and Welshites accused one another of abandon- 

 ing the Bridge. Hamilton seems to have given the order. 

 The result was that Monmouth's artillery was brought across 

 the Clyde. The horses of the Covenanters were flung into 

 confusion by the cannonade, and an easy -victory was won by 

 Monmouth (June 22nd, 1679). 



