MONTROSE resolveth to incamp there at Meffen , and stay for his Northern Supplies : which hee was to haue hourly expected . And fynding the Enemie in such apprehension , hee thought best to keep them going . So , next day ( hee not beeing fourscore Horses ) causeth mount an hundreth or sixscore Dragoniers , & faceth the Town , at such a distance , and so ordered , as if hee had been all Horss-men , and having given them an hot Alarum , immediately marcheth with the same Partie towards Diplin , and the water Ern , to scurrie all those fields , and startle the Enemie ; as if hee had been able to command the whole Countrey by Parties . Upon which , the Enemie lifteth Horss and Foot ; fearing his March to Striviling , and incampeth at Newtown , some few myles from thence , to put themselues in the way .

Some dayes passing in this kynd , the Enemie expecting Recrewes from the West and South ; and MONTROSE impatiently longing for his Supplies from the North : who should haue been long of before with him , directeth in all haste thither for that effect ; which yet still tending to Delayes , the Enemies whole Forces being gathered , they resolved to fight before those of the North should come , and joyne with MONTROSE , so crosseth the water , and advanceth Horss & Foot towards his Camp . Upon which ( they being stronger in both then aboue four thousand ) resolveth to march : So giveth comand , that the Baggage provisions , and all of that kynd , might draw off , and putteth himself in Batrallie ; directing some Parties to the severall passes , as if hee had been resolved to haue fought ; by which , having amused the Enemie , vntill his Baggage , & al of that kynd , were so far gone , as they cold be no hinderances , he then marches off in a closs bodie , keeping a strong party of commanded men to flank the few horss , which he had on the Reer : So the Enemie never doubting , but hee was to haue fought , vntill on the sudden they saw him quyte gone , falleth on fast , to haue ingaged his Reer : But there being several passes , hee so dallies , & keepeth them vp , as hee putteth himself without all reach ; and poynting his courss towards Dunkell , hee quickly reacheth some strong grounds , where the Enemies Horses were not well able to follow : Which they perceaving , & fynding they could bee no better , advanceth fast vp their forlorn partie of Horss , to vapour at the pass , that they might seem with handsomness to return .

MONTROSE perceaving , directed some twelue or twentie of his ablest Hylanders , with snapwarks , who killing some of their Gentlemen , by mark shots ; & seeing them begin to reill , & startle , fell out resolvedly in the open field vpon them , though they were not about in all twentie , and made their whole bodie of three hundreth Horss , to run vpon the spur ; so hee marcheth that night to little Dankell ; where hee resolveth to incamp it , beeing a strong ground , and convenient for the passes of the River , to favour the joyning of his supplies : To who hee directed agayn with all possible diligence to hasten : So a few dayes passing in this kynd , the Enemy lying near where MONTROSE camped of before at Meffen , and hee still at little Dunkell , the Earls of Airlie , Aboyn , & Colonell Gordon , came at last along with the Horses , & though not by much so considerably as were expected , MONTROSE resolues to march strayght vpon the Enemie , fynding hee could bee for the tyme in no better posture , and that their forces were much melted away . So marching down towards Logiamond , within some three myles of their camp , hee faced somwhat near with his Horses , to touch their pulss , and cry before hee should ingage , whether his intelligence did or not hold good , making his foot to march off to their quarter that night , they kept themselues so closs , as almost they did not at all appear , by which it was expected they would march off before the next morning . So MONTROSE getting very early to horss , to view the fields ; learneth that they had marched in the night tyme , in great disorder ; and were incamped on the Southsyde the Bridge of Ern : Upon which , hee presently lifteth to march towards them , crosseth Ern , and incampeth that night , som six myles short , marcheth early the next morning : And comming within view , fyndeth them drawing in so strong a ground , as their could bee no approach , so hee resolveth to march a little towards their left hand , to bee betwixt them , and the Shyre of Fyff ; that they should haue no supplies , and ( if it were possible ) hee might force their ground , so that night passeth . Next morning , seeing them ly still at their Posts , and that they could not bee forced from such advantage , without great hazard , hee resolveth to march into Fyff , to break the Randevouses of that Shyre ; who were al a-gathething to joyn with them ; & to draw them also out of those strong grounds , to come to the supplie of their friends : So hee removeth , and marcheth that night to Kinrose , the Enemie making a fashion to follow vp his Reer : But not daring heartily to do it , moveth a severall way towards the East of Fyff : MONTROSE directing with a fore partie Colonell Gordon , & Sir William Rollock ; who having occasion to send off most of them severall wayes ; ●●ncountred two hundreth of the Enemies , Horss & foot at a particular Randevo●● just their in the way , and not being aboue twelue persons , chargeth the Enemie , putteth them to the rout , and taketh & killeth divers .

Alwayes MONTROSE fynding that whole Shyre would joyne with the Enemie ; and that hee could not fight them with so great disadvantage : and lykewyse vnderstanding that the whole South & West were gathering agaynst him , resolved with long marches to cross Forth , and shake himself so louse of the Enemie , as all their auxilaries of Fyff , and those places should weary to follow , & those Conventions of the West & South bee dispersed , before their Armie should bee able to reach that length : So bee removeth from Kinrose next morning , & incampeth within some three myles of Striviling that night . On the morrow knowing the Enemie would advance , hee marcheth to be on the other syde Forth , staying himself , with all his horses vpon the Reer ; the Armie being a good distance gone , his spyes come , & tel him , the enemie were advancing : So seeing some of their scouts already in view , he followeth slowlie the way off the march , and learning by a prisoner , that the Enemie were to moue all that night , to haue ingaged him to fight before their auxilaries should go from them ; who were already very weary , and extream vnwilling to cross Forth : hee resolveth lykewyse to march the whole night . So next morning halting some six myls on the Southsyde Striviling , MONTROSE fynding that the Enemy had not crossed the water that night , but camped som three myls short on the other syde . Wherefore hee cōtinueth his march , cometh to Kilsyth the same night ; where hee was not well incamped , when the Enemy cometh vp , & pitcheth within some three myles . Upon which , MONTROSE resolveth next day to fight ; knowing that the Earl of Lanerick had conveaned much of the Countrey ; & was already with a thousand foot , & fyue hundreth horss , within twelve myls : As also , that the whole West was gathering to a head ; & that hee behoved to fight in tyme , or those forces shold al joyn , & come vpon him ; or otherwise he shold be cōstrained to take the Hielands .

So next morning hee going tymely abroad , to view the Enemie , fyndeth they were resolved to press him to fight , and not stay vpon their Supplies , out of a conceat they had , hee would take the Mountayns , and not byde them . So seeing them quyte their own ground , and advance towards him to force him from his , ( which was that in the world hee most wished ) hee drew instantly out , and met them in the field , equal almost betwixt the two Camps , giving al his men order , horss & foot , to cast themselues , & charge in their Shirts , as being al rather re●●lved to die in the place , nor not carry it , since much of his Majesties fortunes did depend on that success . And having two Regiments only placed , & the horss not as yet al come vp ; and the whole rest of the foot at a great distance , the enemy begins already to play hard on som commanded men , that MONTROSE had advanced to some houses near the place where hee was to draw vp ; but they being presently beat , & running back in disorder ; MONTROSE men were so inspyred with resolution , and the luster of their whytes , impatient to stay vpon orders , marched along to the top of the bray , hard joyning to the enemies whole body , both of horss & foot . So MONTROSE seeing them ingaged , and that it was as impossible to draw them off as for them to haue stood , if the Enemy had but had the resolution to haue charged ; thinketh that there were nothing so safe , being so far already ingaged , as resolvedly to put it on . The enemy beginning to stagger ; and not al of them either drawn vp ; so commandeth the Van with horss , and flanking Musquetiert advance , and giue an home-charge , & the rest , as they could , to follow in their severall order ; which did so at vnaworss astonish the Enemy , as their horss resolved not to stand ; and their foot ( after first Salvie ) placed all their hopes in their going , which but served for little ; MONTROSE men having the execution of them some fourteen myls , and of six thousand foot , to which they estimate , there did not ( so far as is known ) fiftie escape .

Their horss consisting of eight hundreth , were all either killed , taken , or mightily dispersed . Of Prisoners there were several taken ; as Sir William Murray of Blebo , the Laird of Fairlye , brother to the Lord Burley , Lievetenant Colonell Dick , Lievetenant Colonell Wallace , and divers other Captains , and inferiour officers . MONTROSE consisting of some four thousand foot , and fyue hundred horss , had not of all aboue six killed . This so happie & glorious Victorie obtayned at Kilsyth , the xv day of August , 1645 , did so stonish the hearts of the Rebels , & state the mynds of the faythfull Subject ; that the one seemed to bee struke with such terrour , as they wold haue wished hills & mountains to haue covered their iniquitie . The other to be so confirmed from the evident and sensible acknowledgement of GOD Almighties providence ; That they run to profess their Righteousness ( then ) as the Noon-day .

The Rebels went indeed back , not only seven wayes , but by more a great many : some towards Berwick , some to Irland , som to Newcastle , others to Carleell , and some ( as the Iewes ) scattered every where .

The whole Countrey , Borrowes , & Gentrie , begun all frequently , to offer themselves to MONTROSE and in particular . The Towns of Glasgow & Linlithgow ; who in their be●●● against the disperate iniquitie of so corrupt a tyme ) stood loyal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for his Majesty , chiefly the former . MONTROSE passing on a day only at Kilsyth to refresh his people , marchech towards Glasgow , & so to Bothwer vpon Clide , whence hee directeth parties to the East & West , chargeth Edenburgh to render , receaveth them to obedience , relieveth the Earl of Crawford , Lord Ogilvie , and many other Officers & Gentlemen , who were in miserable Prisons : and that only for their loyaltie & faythfulness to his Majesties Service . All the West lykewyse giveth over : The Earl of Eglingtoun & Cassles ( who began to make some stickling ; but not being followed by the Countrey , & not daring to trust themselues ) flying several ways . The whole Gentrie & Commons freely offer themselues for his Majesties service : & in particular som in Carrick ; who stood loyally affected to his Majestie , the Town of Air , and other places did the same lykewyse .

THis is the seventh Battell , & the sixth totall Victory , which Montrose ( by the extraordinary Blessings of Almighty GOD ) hath so happily obtayned since his entry into this Kingdom , which being with himself , & but two Gentlemen only . The one whereof abandoned him in greatest necessities may truely evidence the justice of his Majesties Service , & integrity of that Cause , which hath so happily prevayled : For as prosperity is to bee concluded as no infallible mark of GODS favour : yet the consciousness of innocency , & clearness of Reason ●ecunded by the success of happy Providence , may justly confirm vs , that GO● is pleased and make vs conceaue , that if the LORD would haue destroyed vs ; h● would not haue taken our Sacrifice , nor carried vs through all this Red Sea and Wilderness .

Then let al true Christians , & loyal hearted Subjects & Patriots , acknowledge then auety to GOD , Prince , Countrey , proper Interects , & Freedoms ; by joyning themselues , & all their vtmost Indevours , for the happy Conclusion of this Great Cause ; wherein the Trueth of Religion , honour of the King peace of the Countrey , happiness of the Subjects , are only , & totally intended : So shall the judgement of GOD bee averted , our slavery reauced , our mourning turned into gladness , and our mouthes filled with Songs of Deliverance .