298 Dumfries Treasurers' Accounts. 



details. On 25th May Colonel Munroe and his regiment were 

 ordered to the Eastern March as a counter-move to the Royal 

 troops who had been hurried from Carlisle to Berwick. On 

 May 28th another order was sent to Munroe and Lord John- 

 stone to hasten. Their departure left the burgh undefended 

 and at the mercy of the Lord Nithsdale, who favoured the 

 King, and had immediately seized the opportunity to perse- 

 cute the minister of Caerlaverock. On June ist the Town 

 Council petitioned the Tables, pointing out their danger and 

 imploring help. Their appeal was backed by Lord Kirkcud- 

 bright, who was besieging the garrison of Threave Castle. 

 The reply of the Tables is preserved in Warriston's Diary. 

 They promised the return of Monroe's regiment, if necessary, 

 undertook to defray the charges of the regiment in Dumfries, 

 and ordered Garlics, Lag, and others to defend Dumfries and 

 succour the minister of Caerlaverock. 



Dumfries at once began to organise its own defence. 

 These Accounts give some indication how it was done. 

 ;^96 was spent on muskets and powder purchased from 

 James Steinson, who proves to have been the skipper of 

 a small ship. Three more stone weight of powder was 

 bought for ;^48. Drilling was commenced under the eyes 

 of competent sergeants. John M'Kie was appointed ensign, 

 and a major and captain obtained. A cannon was made 

 or acquired, and 13s 4d spent on repairing its " carkis. " 

 It seems to have been kept in the Kirkyard. A field 

 piece, which may perhaps have been the aforesaid cannon, 

 was also made and cast, for which £s4 '^^^ disbursed in 

 part payment. Burton in his History of Scotland tells us 

 how they were made. " They were manufactured in Edin- 

 burgh out of a tin bore with a coating of leather, bound round 

 tight with cords. A horse could carry two of these cannon, 

 and it was their merit that they could stand a few discharges 

 before they came to pieces." The cannon made in Dumfries, 

 we know, was bound around with a sheep skin at the cost of 

 I2S. The Magistrates may well have been nervous when they 

 sanctioned the expenditure of £1 for powder " to try the 

 feild peis." The pomp and pageantry of war, too, appealed 

 to the Council. William Martene got 36s 8d for making the 



