Alexander McDonald stood in the heather and tall grass on the high ground, south of Loch Gynach overlooking Fort Badenoch, also known as Ruthven Barracks, it was an imposing sight, standing as it does on what is known as Castle Hill.
Keppoch, swayed gently side to side, in time with the damp grass in which he stood, enjoying the sensation of its feel on his bare legs. He knew that this was going to be a tough but to crack, a garrison of some 100 men in that place was a goodly defence.
However, Alexander, was a man with a plan, at present Fort Badenoch – named after the ancient lords of the area, in particular Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan who was known as the "Wolf of Badenoch", the younger son of King Robert II of Scotland, who used it as his local base of operations.
Whilst Alexander had a plan, he was a simple man of few words, thus his plan was simple and of few words as well. Summarised as follows:
“Blaw aff th' gates 'n' tell thaim tae gie up or else we'll murdurr ye a'”
The view from this high ground showed that there were three main buildings that made up the fort, all linked by a retaining wall that was looped to allow musket fire out at approaching enemies.
Some 50 yards distant was a separate stable block for officer’s horses and the dragoons when they were in the area.
Some 2-300 yards North and West of the barracks flowed the River Spey, the ground here was wet and boggy, another 2-300 yards north of the river was the small town of Kingussie. East of the Barracks a small burn runs north to south disappearing into a wooded area and to the South West lay the village of Ruthven.
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Alexander and his Highland Brigade had been in the area since the night of the 5th November, having marched north after the Battle of Glasgow Mearns to recruit and display a presence in Jacobite the Highlands.
Time was of an essence, delay would mean that his men would surely be discovered, after a day resting north of Loch Gynach, Alexander and his clan leaders were now putting the finishing touches to their plan.
Mid morning they returned to their men and explained what was going to happen the following night…
At 1:00am on the 7th November, the Highland Brigade moved out, heading east from their hiding positions before swinging south through Glen Gayniek moving east of the small settlements in the area.
They crossed mile and a half to two miles distance and reached the north bank of the Spey by 3:00am, crossing the Spey and the River Tromie at the Dell of Killihuntly took another hour before they headed west to the Barracks and paused behind a knoll of high ground.
At this stage the Powder Party lead by Gordon McDonald of Kildrummie stepped forwards to complete the final 4-500 yards to the barracks and plant 2 kegs of powder at the Barracks’ main gate. The 10 men, later known as the ‘Ruthen Ten’, snuck forwards towards their goal.
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Fifteen minutes later Alexander McDonad ordered John Dubh MacKinnon of MacKinnon to take his regiment and provide support for and covering fire on the East Gate of the Bararcks.
At this stage, as narrator, I divert my attention to the garrison at Ruthven at this time. 100 Men, true and good and loyal subjects of his majesty King George.
Life at Ruthven had been dull and even after the fall ad subsequent recapture of Fort William, nothing much had changed here. True Dragoon of Hamilton’s Irish Regiment were coming and going as they scoured the Highlands for stray Jacobites but nothing was really happening for the Garrison troops.
These men were highlanders, who had volunteered for the King’s service and where policing the Highlands in the King’s name. Since the mutiny of the Black Watch, two years ago, they have been forced to wear Government Issue clothing, not their native attire. Many of the men were somewhat older that most regulars and they lived for their daily ration of grog to keep the cold out now that winter was setting in.
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Last night had been typical, Blue Watch were on duty from Midnight through to 8:00am, 30 men to watch and guard those within the walls of the facility. Six men of each watch were picketed outwith the Barracks to keep an eye on the Stable buildings the other two dozen split into groups to man key points in the Barracks and where stationed at the guard house when half their number would be resting and keeping warm whilst the other twelve performed their duties, an hour on, an hour off through the night.
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Thus it was that on a normal night there would be two guards in the Northern Bastion, another two in the Southern Bastion and a further two patrolling individually around the perimeter of the facility.
Gordon McDonald of Kilrdummie and his nine accomplices were now just some 30 yards from the Barrack’s Eastern Gate, it was 15 minutes past five in the morning as Fusilier James Howlett walked past the gate heading towards the corner where he would disappear as his path would take him on to the Southern Bastion. It was a cold light and Howlett was wrapped in a blanket for warmth, he had not noticed anything out of the ordinary this night or any other night that he could remember.
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Two men of the ten, moved towards the corners of the barracks to give covering fire if that was needed, should the powder moneys be discovered.
Gordon McDonald worked fast, a former mariner and gunner in the Royal Navy, he was familiar with the use of gunpowder. The pre-cut lengths of fuse were inserted int the barrels and he waved away his comrades as he prepared to light the fuse.
There was a sudden crash of thunder and the heavens opened up as the lighting flashed through the sky. Gordon’s slow match was extinguished almost instantly in the rain. No matter he had a spare match but how to light it?
With time passing he resorted to pulling his pistol from his belt and cocking it, he fired the pistol into the ground whilst holding the match to the pan… it worked and the match ignited. Quickly, Gordon set the fuse alight and retired from the scene.
Fusilier Harry Baldwin had been sure that held head a shot, he was approaching the northern bastion of the barracks and he broke into a run, turning the corner in the rain he thought he saw a man running away from the main gates some 20 yards away. He shouted and called for the man to halt.
Instead two shots rang out from his left, he’d not seen Wee Billy McRory and his brother Jimmy lying prone on the ground. The first shot caught Harry in his left knee, sending him spinning sideways towards the Barracks walls, the second shot hit home just under his now exposed left breast, killing him instantly. He crashed int the wall and slide to the ground as the McRory brothers jumped up and ran eastwards.
In the north bastion the guards men there had been surprised by the sudden clap of thunder outside and grumbled about getting wet when it would be their turn to walk the perimeter. The second clap of thunder was more of a pop, they looked at each other – could it be? Them two more louder pops and they knew that this was not thunder, they scrambled to see what was happening outside and saw two figures running eastwards.
They rang the alarm bell which they were pleased to hear was echoed by the larger bell in the guardroom… Then boom, boom -was that thunder again?!
No, it was two kegs of powder blowing at the Main Gates…
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Soon there was activity at the gate, men with torches could be clearly seen, John Dubh MacKinnon ordered his best marksmen to fire at will at the gate, wit the purpose of taking down anyone foolhardy enough to show themselves with a torch or investigate the assumed damage to the gate.
Soon there was return fire from the loophoes in the wall facing the McKinons and from the top of the walls themselves, the fire was steady but sporadic with individuals firing at moving figures in the dark and then theirs returning fire to the flashes. In all this the rain continued to fall.
By morning’s first light Alexander McDonald had come up to view the situation, the McLKinnons were relieved by the McIntoshes, who where much more comfortable fighting in wet weather….
.. and besides had fresh eyes and powder to help quell the Garrisons’ belligerent defenders.
As the ligtening day revealed the damage to the gate, McDonald was impressed:
“Ah thought ye wee ainlie aff tae blaw aff th' bloody gates”, was his comment to his kinsman Gordon.
It was clear the gates were destroyed and the defenders had pieced together a make shift barricade inside the space as best they could. A number of bodies lay in front of the barricade, men lost due to the covering fire since the explosions. The stonework around the gate was damaged and disrupted and was certainly not as sturdy as it should have been, piles of rubble lay strewn across the forecourt area.
Keppoch strode out and called for a parlay with the garrison Commander Captain Augustus Hamilton, a 46 year old Lowlander in the Hanoverian Service.
Keppoch offered Hamilton the Civilities of War to enable him and his small force to surrender with honour, Hamilton was reluctant to take such a step. By his calculations he might hold on for 2- weeks, and would expect relief from Argyll or Loudon in Inverness.
Keppoch smiled at the man’s bravado and he ordered his officers to reveal his hand, with the McKinnons & McIntoshes these regiments alone outnumbered the garrison five to one. But the on McDonald’s order the accompanying McDonalds and McDonnell Regiments came into view – more than doubling the Jacobite numbers again.
Hamilton wavered and asked for time to consider – McDonald gave him until noon.
At the appointed time the two met again and Hamilton offered McDonald his sword, McDonald refused and handed it back and gave Hamilton 15 minutes to parade his men and prepare to march out of the barracks and head south to Newcastle or Berwick with a letter from Keppoch giving them free passage.
The story of Captain Hamilton’s long and heroic journey south, through hostile territories is for another time and place. This narrator can not do it justice, instead he recommends Hamilton’s own book “Surrender to the Highlander” published some twenty years later, criticised by may for being to racy but still in print, by all accounts…
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