From:
A Narrative or Diary of the Proceedings of the Forces under Lt. General Monck, after their parting from the Army.1 Aug. 4, 1651.


Aug. 4. Upon his Excellency's [Cromwell's] marching with the greatest part of the army from Kinros... four regiments of horse (Col. Hacker's, Col. Okey's, Col. Alured's, Col. Grosvenours), and three of foot (Lt. General Monck's, Col. Ashfield's, Col. Reade's), with __ troops of dragoons... and the greatest part of the train of artillery, with the two companies of firelocks [to guard the train], were sent under the conduct of Lt. General Monck from the rest of the army towards Sterling...

Aug. 5. Col. Hacker's regiment had orders to march from him towards the army.

Aug. 6. Lt. General Monck came with his forces before Sterling. Upon his approach he summoned the town and Castle, promising freedom from plunder or violence to the persons of the inhabitants. He had no answer from the Castle, but the town clerk came out to treat upon conditions [for those] in the town, which after some delays were agreed upon, he threatening to storm. Our men went in about one o'clock in the morning. The enemy that were in the town retreated into the Castle.

We got over a [mountain pass] about two miles above Sterling, where never [artillery] train marched [before]. One of the [artillery] pieces fell down a very high and steep mountain, but neither horse nor man had any hurt.

Aug. 7. This day the Lt. General began to raise platforms for batteries against Sterling Castle...

Aug. 10. The four battering guns and two mortar pieces were brought by water to Sterling, with other ammunition...

Aug. 11. Our men played2 hard upon the enemy out of the Kirk steeple, which was near the Castle. The enemy played hard upon the batteries and church; shot through the steeple, but did no harm. One George Smyth, a gunner, was killed. Six of Col. Berrye's regiment were condemned at a Court Martial for straggling and plunder, and one of them executed.3 Col. Okey's and Col. Berrye's regiments were sent to quarter in the west, and only Col. Grosvenour's left in the town...

Aug. 12. The platforms were beginning to be made to play the mortar pieces; the enemy discovering it, played hard against them with their great guns, but did not much spoil. The mortar pieces were drawn down towards the evening. The Lt. General summoned the Governor of the Castle to surrender the same for the use of the Parliament of England. The Governor answered that he would keep it as long as he could.

Aug. 13. The mortar pieces were planted, and Mr. [Joachim] Hane, the engineer, played with one of the mortar pieces twice. The second shot fell into the middle of the Castle, and did much execution. Afterwards he played with the other great mortar pieces and did execution. The Governor being sent to about exchange of prisoners, refused.

Aug. 14. This morning betimes both great guns and mortar pieces played very hard against the Castle, and both did execution. After the playing of the guns, and 24 grenadoe shells4 sent into the Castle, which killed two or three of the enemy, the Highlanders and other soldiers fell into a mutiny, and one of them beat a drum for a parley. The Governor and other officers commanded them to cease, but they refused, and said they would not fight for their country's gear [goods brought into the Castle for safekeeping], but for their King and Country. Thereupon, the mutiny not being to be laid, the Governor sent out a letter wherein he desired a treaty: to which the Lt. General sent an answer wherein he offered him conditions to march away, himself, officers, and soldiers, with their arms, etc. That the country [the local people] should have their goods...

There was taken in the Castle 40 pieces of ordnance, viz. 26 brass pieces, 11 leather guns, 3 iron pieces, 26 barrels of powder, great store of match and other ammunition, great store of meal [flour], and other provisions to have kept them many months, about 30 or 40 barrels of beef and beer, and as many rundlets and vessels of claret wine, two coaches and a sedan, the Earl of Murris's coronet and Parliament[ary] robes, diverse of the King's hangings [tapestries]... The mortar pieces had defaced the Castle in diverse places.

Aug. 16. The inhabitants continued fetching their gear out of the Castle. There was great store of goods, by which the soldiers got very good booty by helping to carry them out, and to guard them to their several places, the inhabitants receiving little or no damage by any of their goods, but what their own soldiers had plundered before they went away...


Aug. 21... This day the Lt. General marched out of Sterling with his forces, three battering pieces, and a mortar piece... Col. Grosvenour's and Col. Berrye's regiments were in the van, Col. Ashfeild's of foot and then the train, and the Lt. General's of foot and Col. Okey's in the rear...


Aug. 23. The forces marched from Blackford to near St. Johnstons, where they quartered that night in the fields. The Lt. General came to St. Johnstons, where he had intelligence that the enemy had lately had several meetings about eight miles from the Garrison... Major Bourne, commander of the [naval vessel] Speaker, came hither this day. At his passage by Dundee he gave them several shots... He sent a summons5 to St. Andrews... This day there came several vessels laden with biscuit and cheese [the army's staples] and other provisions for the supply of the army in these parts...

Aug. 24. The foot and a good part of the horse got over on the other side of the river. The horse were forced for want of... boats to swim over, so the we had three or four men drowned, and as many horse.

Aug. 25. Five troops of Col. Alured's regiment, and the five troops of dragoons that were at St. Johnstons before were ordered to march over towards Dundee. Capt. Compton's troop only was left for the town. The Lt. General with Col. Overton went over the water towards Dundee, and marched to Beligarney, where they quartered that night. The Lt. General sent a summons this day from St. Johnstons to St. Andrews requiring them to deliver up their arms, ammunition, and utensils or war to him, promising them protection and a free trade.

Aug. 26. The three great guns and mortar pieces were put aboard the shallop to go for Dundee, but the mortar pieces broke the shallop, which stayed the sending of them. A proclamation made for all [soldiers] upon pain of death to repair to their colors, both horse and foot... The firelocks were shipped away with the great guns.

[That day General Monck summoned Dundee, in reply to which the Governor of the town, Sir Robert Lumsdaine, "desired" Monck and his army to lay down their arms and "conform to the King's Majesty's Declaration..."]

Aug. 28. We are making a very gallant trench on the west side of St. Johnstons, which being filled with water from the Mount will make the town very strong... The [siege] ladders which were prepared for St. Johnstons sent to Dundee...

Aug. 29. [At Dundee] the platforms and batteries for about ten guns which were brought from the ships, made ready and the guns planted. The great guns and mortar pieces came this night from St. Johnstons to the leaguer before Dundee.

Aug. 30. This night the three battering guns and mortar pieces were played against the town; the night proved very wet and windy, which prevented our playing, and the not coming back of Col. Okey with his party prevented the storming of the town...

Aug. 31. This evening Col. Okey and Col. Grosvenour returned to the headquarters. They had been about 40 miles from the leaguer, and 8 miles into the Highlands [where they had routed 400 Scottish horse, returning with nearly 100 prisoners]...

Sept. 1. About 4 o'clock in the morning our great guns began to play before Dundee round about the line. The enemy for two or three hours answered us gun for gun, besides small shot from their works, til such time as large breaches were made in two of their most considerable forts... Mr. Hane the engineer played the mortar piece...

Three hundred horse and dragoons, being eleven of [each?] troop, were appointed to fall on6 with the foot with sword and pistol. Our men were drawn forth in ambuscades by daybreak to fall upon when breaches were made, and with them 200 seamen who had their posts assigned, and 400 horse appointed to second them mounted...

Capt. Hart led on the forlorn7 of Lt. General Monck's regiment on the west side, Major Robinson the horse, and Col. Ashfeild's regiment went on the east side. Capt. Ely led on the Pioneers [engineer troops] who made way for the horse [through the breaches], and the Lt. General went in person. Our word was "God with us," and the sign a white cloth or shirt hanging out behind...8

About 11 o'clock the signal was given, and breaches being made into the enemy's forts on the east and west sides of the town, our men entered, and after about half an hour of hot dispute, diverse of the enemy retreated to the church and steeple, and amongst the rest the Governor, who was killed with between four and five hundred soldiers and townsmen...

There was killed of ours Capt. Hart and about 20 soldiers, and as many wounded.

When our men got to the marketplace they gave quarter, and took about 500 prisoners, and amongst the rest Col. Coningham, Governor of Sterling, who was in the town with many of his soldiers which marched thence [after their surrender August 14].

The soldiers had the plunder of the town for all that day and night, and had very large prize, many inhabitants of Edinburgh and other places having sent their ware and gear thither.

There were about 60 [or 190] sail of ships in the harbor of 10, 6, and 4 guns, which were all prize; about 40 pieces of ordnance, many arms and store of ammunition...

By the best testimony we could get, the townspeople were most obstinate against a rendition on terms, being confident of their own works and strength, having formerly beat out Montrosse, but they have now most suffered for it, and paid dearly for their contempt.

Sept. 2. Proclamation was made by the Lt. General that the soldiers should forbear further plundering or rifling of the houses in Dundee, and order given to the inhabitants to bury the dead...


Sept. 5. The Lt. General fell very ill...


* * *


[Letter] For the Honourable William Lenthall, Esq., Speaker to the Right Honourable the Parliament of England... [from William Clarke, secretary to the army in Scotland], Dundee, 11 of September, 1651:

It hath pleased God to visit Lieutenant General Monck with a very desperate sickness since the taking of this town, but we now hope he is in a very good way of recovery. He is a very precious instrument, and the most properly fitted for management of affairs here. His temper every way fits him for this employment, and none could order the Scots so handsomely as himself, he carries things with such a grace and rigid gentleness...







Notes:

From the William Clarke Manuscripts, published in Scottish History Society Volume 18: Scotland and the Commonwealth, Letters and Papers relating to the Military Government of Scotland from August 1651 to December 1653 (C. H. Firth editor, 1895). William Clarke was secretary to the army in Scotland. Text abridged and slightly edited, spelling modernized.



1- i.e. the English Parliamentary Army commanded by Oliver Cromwell, which had defeated the Scots at Dunbar a year earlier, September 3, 1650. Each regiment was known by the name of its commanding officer.

2- Played = fired.

3- In such cases the convicted men drew lots for which would die, unless one was clearly the instigator.

4- Grenadoe shells = hollow iron spheres filled with gunpowder, weighing 170 to 180 pounds each, fired from the siege mortars, fused to explode inside the walls.

5- Summons = an order to surrender.

6- Fall on, or fall upon = attack suddenly, assault.

7- Forlorn, or forlorn hope = The initial assault force. A general was "colonel" of his own regiment. The task of leading the forlorn often fell to the "colonel's captain," the senior captain of the regiment. This had been Monck's assignment at the siege of Breda, as colonel's captain in Goring's regiment of foot, back in 1636. Success commanding the forlorn usually led to promotion, if one survived.

8- Neither side wore uniforms, so the word (password) and the sign were for recognition. Both word and sign were changed before each engagement, to deter enemy infiltration.