Monument to the Battle of Drumclog

The Battle of Drumclog was fought on 1 June 1679, between a group of Covenanters and the forces of John Graham of Claverhouse, at High Drumclog, in Lanarkshire, Scotland. June 1 is the 152nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (153rd in leap years), with 213 days remaining. ... Events January 24 - King Charles II of England disbands Parliament August 7 - The brigantine Le Griffon, which was commissioned by René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, is towed to the southern end of the Niagara River, to become the first ship to sail the upper Great Lakes. ... The Covenanters, named after the Solemn League and Covenant, were a party that, originating in the Reformation movement, played an important part in the history of Scotland, and to a lesser extent in that of England, during the 17th century. ... John Graham, Viscount Dundee (c. ... Lanarkshire (Siorrachd Lannraig in Gaelic) is a traditional county of Scotland. ... Transport in Scotland Timeline of Scottish history Caledonia List of not fully sovereign nations Subdivisions of Scotland National parks (Scotland) Traditional music of Scotland Flower of Scotland Wars of Scottish Independence National Trust for Scotland Historic houses in Scotland Castles in Scotland Museums in Scotland Abbeys and priories in Scotland...

The Battle

Following the assassination of Archbishop James Sharp, and the Declaration of Rutherglen, the Covenanters were on the verge of open rebellion. A large conventicle was planned to take place at Loudoun Hill, on the boundary of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire, in defiance of government persecution of the Covenanters. On the morning of Sunday 1st June, the Rev. Thomas Douglas allegedly broke off his sermon with the words "Ye have got the theory, now for the practice", when it was reported that the dragoons of Claverhouse were heading to the area. Claverhouse, better known to his enemies as 'Bluidy Clavers', had recently been appointed captain, with a mission to disperse conventicles in south west Scotland. This article is about the 17th century minister. ... There are two towns named Rutherglen: Rutherglen - a town near Glasgow in Scotland Rutherglen - a small town in northeastern Victoria, Australia This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Ayrshire (Scottish Gaelic, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir) is a traditional county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. ... See: Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk, founder of the Red River Colony Tommy Douglas, premier of Saskatchewan and leader of the NDP This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... A light dragoon from the American Revolution Statue of a dragoon on the Triumph Arc of the Louvres in Paris During the late 17th and early 18th centuries a dragoon was traditionally a soldier trained to fight on foot, but transported himself on horseback. ...

A group of around 200 armed Covenanters moved east, to a boggy moor near the farm of Drumclog. With about 40 mounted men, and armed with muskets and pitchforks, the Covenanter force was no rabble. Commanded by Robert Hamilton, the army took up a strong position behind a bog, or 'stank'. Claverhouse's force arrived, but were unable to engage the enemy directly due to the ground conditions. For some time groups of skirmishers exchanged fire across the stank, and Claverhouse felt he was gaining the upper hand. However, he was still unable to get his troops close to the Covenanters without becoming bogged down.

At this point, the Covenanters decided to press the attack. William Cleland led a force around the stank, and advanced rapidly. Despite heavy fire from the government troops, the attack was entirely successful. The line of Claverhouse's force broke, and the dragoons were soon routed from the battlefield, leaving 36 dead [1]. William Cleland (1661-1689) was a Scottish poet and soldier. ...

The victory was a huge success for the rebellious Covenanters, although euphoria was short lived. Just three weeks later Claverhouse would crush the rebellion at the Battle of Bothwell Brig.

A somewhat fanciful account of the battle, allegedly written by Thomas Brownlee of the Covenanter army, was published in 1822. Claverhouse himself also left a frank account of the battle. A fictionalised version appears in Sir Walter Scott's novel Old Mortality. Thom Brownlee (born Thomas William Brownlee; August 18, 1986 in Belfast, Northern Ireland) is the bassist and vocalist in Belfast Alternative Rock band, Never Pass Entry. ... 1822 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... For the first Premier of Saskatchewan see Thomas Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott (August 14, 1771 - September 21, 1832) was a prolific Scottish historical novelist and poet popular throughout Europe. ... Old Mortality is a novel by Sir Walter Scott set in the period 1679 - 89 in south west Scotland. ...

Memorials to the Battle

The Battle of Drumclog is a celebrated event in Scottish history, as a victory for religious freedom over the oppresive policies of the English government. In 1839 a monument was erected on the site of the battle, and in 1859 a school house was erected nearby. Stirling Castle has stood for centuries atop a volcanic crag defending the lowest ford of the River Forth. ... Freedom of religion is the individuals right or freedom to hold whatever religious beliefs he or she wishes, or none at all. ... 1839 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1859 is a common year starting on Saturday. ...

The Boston Church in Duns, in the Scottish Borders, had a bell named in memory of the battle. The church was demolished in the 1950s, but the bell is preserved on the site [2]. Location within the British Isles Duns is a town in the Scottish Borders. ... Scottish Borders (Crìochan na h-Alba in Gaelic) is one of 32 unitary council regions in Scotland. ...

In 1905 the Darvel to Strathaven railway opened, with a stop at Drumclog, 2km south west of the battle site. By 1912 the village which had grown up here required a church, and the Drumclog Memorial Kirk was constructed. Inside the kirk, located on the A71 Edinburgh to Kilmarnock road, is a stained glass window depicting the Covenanters, and a painting of the Covenanters' army standard. The kirk holds an annual memorial service on the first Sunday in June, at the Drumclog Monument. 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday. ... The A71 is a major road in Scotland. ... Edinburgh (pronounced ), Dùn Èideann () in Scottish Gaelic, is the second-largest city in Scotland and its capital city. ... View from Kilmarnock train station onto John Finnie Street. ...

External Links

• Picturesque Scotland: Drumclog
• Drumclog Memorial Kirk