Skirmish of Keith
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| Skirmish of Keith | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Jacobite rising of 1745 | |||||||
 The Auld Brig (old bridge) at Keith | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Campbell of Argyll Militia[2] |
 Jacobites from:Clan Stewart French hussars | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Captain Alexander Campbell[1] |
Major Nicholas Glasgow[3] Captain Robert Stewart[3] | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 900 or 1,000 men[1] | |||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
9 killed[1] About 80 taken prisoner[1] Between 20 and 30 horses lost[1] | 1 Frenchman killed and a "good number wounded"[1] | ||||||
The Skirmish of Keith was a conflict that took place on the 20 March 1746 in Keith, Moray, Scotland and was part of the Jacobite rising of 1745.[4]
In March 1746, Captain Alexander Campbell with about 70 Campbells and 30 of the Duke of Kingston's Regiment of Light Horse: troops of the British-Hanoverian Government and Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, entered the town of Keith, Moray.[1] At that time, men who supported the Jacobite Prince Charles Edward Stuart were at Spey and had heard a rumour that the Duke of Cumberland's army was on their way and wou’d cut them all to pices.[1] Lord John Drummond who commanded these Jacobites ordered the bagpipes to play and drums to beat and they began their march to take up the ground for action.[1] They were joined by about 500 men of Roy Stewart's and Lord Elcho's; which with Lord Drummond's men amounted to about 900 or 1000 men in all.[1] At last light the detachment of Kingston's Light horse appeared within less than a mile of the hill of Fochabers but did not see any of the Jacobites.[1] A detachment of Roy Stewart's men was ordered to take guard under Captain Ludowick Stewart.[1] Captain Stewart ordered a party to march over the hill and to wait there for further orders from Major Glasgow who was to command the whole force.[1] Captain Robert Stewart had not been there for longer than a quarter of an hour when a small body of French hussars came riding down the street and told him that the detachment from Kingston's Light Horse was in the Fir Park, near the town; that they had been firing at one another for some time; and that they wanted a party of his men to go into the park and attack them.[1] Captain Stewart replied that he could only do this on the orders of Major Glasgow.[1] Major Glasgow arrived about three quarters of an hour later with a detachment of Lord Ogilvie's men, about 16 of the French and about 20 or 30 horse.[1] Together with the French hussars they entered the park but found none of the enemy.[1] They then marched towards to the town of Keith, arriving there at about twelve o'clock at night.[1]
Skirmish
The Jacobites were challenged by the Campbell sentry. They answered to him that they were friends of the Campbells and he welcomed them in.[1] They then overpowered the Campbell sentry and entered the town, where the action began.[1] The French began the action and a general "huza" was given up with the words "God save Prince Charles".[1] The action continued on both sides for about half an hour with the fire from the Campbells coming very hard from the windows of the kirk.[1] Captain Robert Stewart was severely wounded with a musket ball through both of his shoulders.[1] Major Glasgow requested that Captain Robert Stewart send a party of men to the kirk as he thought it was likely that he was going to be over-powered in the streets.[1] Captain Stewart immediately came down the street where there was a prettie hot action for some time, but took all of the enemy prisoner.[1]