Tradition, Rabbie Burns and The Braes of Killiecrankie

Tradition, the local folk memory, often turns out to be right. Sometimes it is written down or captured in verse or song and so it lives on. Some readers will be familiar with the popular song The Braes of Killiecrankie.  There was apparently an early version of this song but this one comes to us from via Scotland's great poet Rabbie Burns, the Bard of Ayrshire.

It takes  the form of a narrative between two Williamite soldiers one old and one young.  It is the older man's voice we hear and he wants the younger to know that whatever he has experienced in the wars it was nothing to what happened at Killiecrankie.  As you can see it's written in Scots and it's full of information so let's have a look at it verse by verse.

Where hae ye been sae braw, lad?
Where hae ye been sae brankie-o?
Where hae ye been sae braw, lad?
Cam' ye by Killiecrankie-o?

Our old soldier asks the young one where he has been looking so fine (in his uniform) and where he has been fighting?  And if he had passed by Killiecrankie?

An' ye had been where I hae been
Ye wadna been sae cantie-o
An' ye had seen what I hae seen
On the braes o' Killiecrankie-o

Our old soldier says if the young one had been where he had been (at the Battle of Killiecrankie) and seen what he had seen on the slopes of Killiecrankie he would not be so cheerful.  We can note he correctly says the battle was fought on sloping ground.

I fought at land, I fought at sea
At hame I fought my auntie-o
But I met the Devil and Dundee
On the braes o' Killiecrankie-o

Our old soldier sets out his credentials as a fighting man.  He has fought on land and on sea, he even fought with relatives at home.  But he met the Devil and Dundee and a Highland Army on the slopes of Killiecrankie and that was different.

The bauld pitcur fell in a furr
And Clavers gat a clankie-o
Or I had fed an Athol gled
On the braes o' Killiecrankie-o 

Our old soldier gives more details. But for Halliburton of Pitcur falling in a furrow and Dundee (Claverhouse) getting hit our narrator thinks he would have been killed and that his corpse would have fed the buzzards on the slopes of Killiecrankie. It implies our old soldier was involved in the fiercest of the fighting, perhaps with Balfour's Regiment. It also implies that this was the moment to make a run for it while the Highlanders were distracted by their stricken leaders.

Oh fie, MacKay, What gart ye lie
I' the brush ayont the brankie-o?
Ye'd better kiss'd King Willie's loff
Than come tae Killiecrankie-o 

Our old soldier makes the point that even Mackay, his General and a brave man, found himself hiding in the bushes with other Williamite survivors while the Highlanders cut down his fleeing army.  Mackay had cut his way through the Jacobites and did indeed gather survivors and seek to conceal them from their foes.  Our narrator allows himself informed comment, Mackay should not have fought at Killiecrankie he should have found another way to prove his loyalty to the Williamite cause.  In fact Killiecrankie was not ideal ground for the Williamites and William never trusted any of the officers involved in the coup against James, Mackay included, .

It's nae shame, it's nae shame
It's nae shame to shank ye-o
There's sour slaes on Athol braes
And the de'ils at Killiecrankie-o 

Here we get to the point.  The old soldier says it was no shame to run away that day. He cannot, and will not be judged for it. It does not impugn his courage, he had fought but at the end there was nothing else to do but to run.  The sour sloes (Blackthorn I think) might be an allusion to the dead Williamite soldiers on the battle field.  Sloes are used to make Gin and Gin was the Williamite drink.

The de'il at Killiecrankie was Dundee and the Jacobite Army who, we can note, drank Brandy. 

The verses must have accorded with tradition and the popular memory of the course of the battle else it would not have survived in Scottish popular culture.  It is also a splendid piece of work.  If you fancy a listen here are the Corries: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn3wZ2Buu2Y 

The Williamite Army at Killiekrankie for Beneath the Lily Banners

This is my Williamite Army for this battle rated according to Beneath the Lily Banners-War of Three Kings

Command 

General Hugh MacKay is ’Competent’, with a Command Radius of 6 inches.  Here he is with the Williamite banner.

Colonel Balfour, a Dutch Service officer, who commanded the Dutch Scot’s Brigade is ’Competent’ with a Command Radius is 4 inches.

The Earl of Annandale’s Horse were commanded by a newly appointed lieutenant and so is a ’Plodder’.  He also commands the other Williamite Horse, Lord Belhaven’s, who, for the game, are included with his unit.

The Scots Brigade in Dutch Service

The core of the Williamite Army was drawn from the Scots Brigade in Dutch Service comprising of Balfour, Ramsey and Mackay’s regiments. These were regular troops and I’m rating them as follows:

Balfour’s, Ramsey’s and Mackay’s are ‘Drilled’ ‘Regulation’ armed with Matchlock and Pike.

All are 3 stand units.

Lauder’s Fusiliers were detached from the battalions above and so are ‘Drilled’ ‘All Musket’ and as their title implies armed with ‘Flintlocks’.  Lauder’s Fusiliers are represented by 2 stands.

Hasting’s Regiment

The English Hasting’s Regiment are ‘Drilled’ ‘Regulation’ armed with Matchlock and Pike and have three stands.

Kenmure and Leven’s Regiments

These are newly raised troops ‘Raw’ ‘Regulation’ armed with Matchlock and Pike. Both are 3 stand units.  Leven's above have yet to receive their uniform coats although,as is the way of it, their officers have.  Kenmore's find themselves likewise.

The Earl of Annandale’s and Lord Belhaven’s Horse

Newly raised ‘Raw’ ‘Bullet’ Horse 2 stands. 

The Artillery 

Two very light pieces, some accounts make them 'Leather' guns which would mean they survived from the previous civil wars.  I don't have any of them so I'll be using one Battalion gun as per BLB.

Tactics

The Williamites turned their column of march to face to provide their battle line and advanced up the slope and halted.  Their formation extended beyond the flanks of the Jacobites who they outnumbered.  They had two very light guns which it seems were placed on either flank.  The small unit of Horse were in reserve behind the centre of the line. The recently raised infantry were in the right of the line and the Dutch Scot’s Brigade to the left.  The intention was to break the Jacobite charge with fire power and then send the Horse at the disordered survivors.

The Williamites fired 3 volleys the last one being at 75 yards which indicates the first two were at a greater distance.  The whole line was not engaged as there were insufficient Jacobite to engage its extremities. Where the Williamite were engaged they broke before or during the impact of the Jacobite charge.  

The Jacobite Army at Killiekrankie for Beneath the Lily Banners

This is my Jacobite Army rated according to Beneath the Lily Banners-War of Three Kings.

Command 

John Graham of Claverhouse, 1st Viscount Dundee:  Skilled, with a Command Radius of 6 inches.

 

The following officers are all classed as Brigadiers under the rules. They influence only their own units. 

Clan Chiefs, one for each Highland unit and all rated as ’Competent’ simply for convenience. Command Radius is 4 inches and only their own Clan responds.

Sir William Wallace who commanded the Horse likewise ’Competent’. Colonel Alexander Cannon who commanded the Irish Regulars also ’Competent’’.

The Irish Regulars

Colonel Cannon’s Foot.  The current view of these soldiers is that they were in fact dismounted Dragoons from Purcell’s regiment.  I’m going with that here and so will rate them:

‘Drilled’ ‘Loose order’ Foot. Fast moving and can ‘Charge’ ‘Steady’ Foot.  They are armed with ‘Flintlock’ Muskets.  

This in fact fits well with their performance on the day when they charged alongside the Highlanders. I field 3 stands without the horse holders.

The Horse

Dundee’s Horse were comprised of former troopers of the old Royal Scots Regiment and noble friends and followers. 

Were I to follow our sources they would constitute 1 stand of ‘Blade’ Horse.  As it is I’ve painted the whole Squadron with ‘What if’s’ in mind. They performed well on the day and if I field them as 1 stand I’ll make them ‘Veteran’ otherwise they will be ‘Drilled’.

The Highlanders

Dundee had 5 units of Highlanders at Killiecrankie.  I’ve modelled them as 3 stands for each unit.  The flags are mainly from Ray at ‘Don’t Throw a ‘1 who did the Battle of Killiekrankie a while back.  You can check it out here:

https://onelover-ray.blogspot.com/search/label/Killiecrankie 

We have looked at the Highlanders before but to recap here are the stats: 

Fast Moving- six inches in line compared to four inches for a regular Battalion.

Hard Hitting- 2 dice a stand and up one dice type when charging or winning-hitting on a 3. 

Not so good if they’re are left hanging about though, one dice a stand and hit on a six. 

Reduced Fire Power- They shoot like Pike and Shot infantry but don’t get the advantageous First Fire bonus.  I’ve given them ‘Flintlocks’.

 
I’m making 1 unit ‘Veteran’ and the rest ‘Trained’.  The Clans at Killiecrankie had not called out every man available to them so I’m not fielding any ‘Raw’ Highlanders for the battle.

The Jacobite Order of Battle

Clan Maclean

Irish Dragoons

Clanranald

Glengarry McDonald

Dundee and Dumfermline Horse

Clan Cameron

Clan Donald

Tactics

Dundee apparently took care to choose good ground for the Highland Charge.  The Highlanders charged from up slope of the Williamite Army. Charging down slope was an advantage but the real benefit of the chosen ground was that it was without obstacles. At a distance of 50 yards they fired one volley and then charged home, routing the Williamites.