A Legend of Montrose | Page 8

and a strong
intimacy, strengthened by a distant relationship, subsisted between
them. When Montrose raised the royal standard, Ardvoirlich was one of
the first to declare for him, and is said to have been a principal means
of bringing over Lord Kilpont to the same cause; and they accordingly,
along with Sir John Drummond and their respective followers, joined
Montrose, as recorded by Wishart, at Buchanty. While they served
together, so strong was their intimacy, that they lived and slept in the
same tent.
"In the meantime, Montrose had been joined by the Irish under the
command of Alexander Macdonald; these, on their march to join
Montrose, had committed some excesses on lands belonging to
Ardvoirlich, which lay in the line of their march from the west coast.
Of this Ardvoirlich complained to Montrose, who, probably wishing as

much as possible to conciliate his new allies, treated it in rather an
evasive manner. Ardvoirlich, who was a man of violent passions,
having failed to receive such satisfaction as he required, challenged
Macdonald to single combat. Before they met, however, Montrose, on
the information and by advice, as it is said, of Kilpont, laid them both
under arrest. Montrose, seeing the evils of such a feud at such a critical
time, effected a sort of reconciliation between them, and forced them to
shake hands in his presence; when, it was said, that Ardvoirlich, who
was a very powerful man, took such a hold of Macdonald's hand as to
make the blood start from his fingers. Still, it would appear,
Ardvoirlich was by no means reconciled.
"A few days after the battle of Tippermuir, when Montrose with his
army was encamped at Collace, an entertainment was given by him to
his officers, in honour of the victory he had obtained, and Kilpont and
his comrade Ardvoirlich were of the party. After returning to their
quarters, Ardvoirlich, who seemed still to brood over his quarrel with
Macdonald, and being heated with drink, began to blame Lord Kilpont
for the part he had taken in preventing his obtaining redress, and
reflecting against Montrose for not allowing him what he considered
proper reparation. Kilpont of course defended the conduct of himself
and his relative Montrose, till their argument came to high words; and
finally, from the state they were both in, by an easy transition, to blows,
when Ardvoirlich, with his dirk, struck Kilpont dead on the spot. He
immediately fled, and under the cover of a thick mist escaped pursuit,
leaving his eldest son Henry, who had been mortally wounded at
Tippermuir, on his deathbed.
"His followers immediately withdrew from Montrose, and no course
remained for him but to throw himself into the arms of the opposite
faction, by whom he was well received. His name is frequently
mentioned in Leslie's campaigns, and on more than one occasion he is
mentioned as having afforded protection to several of his former
friends through his interest with Leslie, when the King's cause became
desperate.
"The foregoing account of this unfortunate transaction, I am well aware,
differs materially from the account given by Wishart, who alleges that
Stewart had laid a plot for the assassination of Montrose, and that he
murdered Lord Kilpont in consequence of his refusal to participate in

his design. Now, I may be allowed to remark, that besides Wishart
having always been regarded as a partial historian, and very
questionable authority on any subject connected with the motives or
conduct of those who differed from him in opinion, that even had
Stewart formed such a design, Kilpont, from his name and connexions,
was likely to be the very last man of whom Stewart would choose to
make a confidant and accomplice. On the other hand, the above account,
though never, that I am aware, before hinted at, has been a constant
tradition in the family; and, from the comparative recent date of the
transaction, and the sources from which the tradition has been derived,
I have no reason to doubt its perfect authenticity. It was most
circumstantially detailed as above, given to my father, Mr. Stewart,
now of Ardvoirlich, many years ago, by a man nearly connected with
the family, who lived to the age of 100. This man was a great-grandson
of James Stewart, by a natural son John, of whom many stories are still
current in this country, under his appellation of JOHN DHU MHOR.
This John was with his father at the time, and of course was a witness
of the whole transaction; he lived till a considerable time after the
Revolution, and it was from him that my father's informant, who was a
man before his grandfather, John dhu Mhor's death, received the
information as above stated.
"I have many apologies to offer for trespassing so long on your
patience; but