MacKay’s Regiment of Foote, (1626-1634)
Background
The Scottish mercenary had been a fixture in Europe since at least the 12
century. Perhaps no other time was this Scottish presence more felt on the
continent that in the early 17th century. Current estimates are that there
were 38,550 soldiers raised over 27 levies from1624-42 authorized by
Charles I and Privy Council of Scotland for service in Danish and Swedish
armies. If all levies were met and the current estimate of the population
of 850.000 of Scotland is accurate then it would have amounted to between
4 and 5 per cent of the population and as much as one fourth of the adult
male population. This is no small contribution and the Scots soldiers and
their Scots officers were a major presence in the Danish and Swedish
armies during the 30 Years War.
Whether motivated by economic necessity, adventure or greed, these
soldiers made a major difference wherever and whenever called into action.
They served with honor and courage wherever they fought and for whomever
they fought. They also brought home those skills and, in some cases,
plundering ways, to Scotland and made their presence felt during the War
of Three Kingdoms.
Chronology of the Regiment
1626 The Regiment raised by Sir Donald Mackay of Farr (First Lord Reay) under a military levy with a charter granted by Charles I, King of Britain. The regiment’s first levy was completed by years end in 1626 and shipped to Denmark for service under General Peter Ernst, the Graf von Mansfeld, a Catholic mercenary in Danish Service.
“Na h-uile fear a theid a dbollaidh gheibh a dolar bho Mhac Aoidh” (He who is down on his luck can still get a dollar from MacKay) Scottish saying circa, 1626
March 1627 Regiment formes up, sworn in and read the Articles of War in Holstein
June 1627 Successful defense of the Boizenburg sconce by four
companies of the Regiment against 10,000 Imperial soldiers.
July 1627 Defense of Poul Island
August 1627 Defense of the pass at Oldenburgh
August 1627 Four company garrison of Bredenberg overrun and
massacred
April 1628 Regiment is the advanced guard in the storming of
Ekernforde
April 1628 Defense of Grossenbrode
“During our residence there, our orders were so strict that neither officer nor soldier was suffered to come off his watch, neither to dine or supe, but their meate was carried unto them, to their post.”
– Monro at Stralsund
28 May-14 July 1628 Siege of Stralsund
23 June Stralsund transfers from protection of Christian of Denmark
to Gustavus II Adolphus of Sweden. Alexander Leslie reinforces garrison
with elements of Hepburn’s Regiment
3 August 1628 Regimental strength at 400 having lost 500 in siege
is withdrawn to Wolgast under the command of Captain MacKenny.
12 August 1628 Battle of Wolgast. Regiment serves as rear guard for
Danish withdrawal
December 1628 Regiment receives recruit levy from Scotland and goes
into Winter Quarters
April 1629 Regiment cashiered out of Danish service at Angein with
1400 soldiers and moved to Elsinore in preparation for transportation to
Scotland
22 May 1629 Treaty of Lubeck and withdrawal of Denmark from the 30
Years War
May 1629 Regiment enters Swedish Service
“Our regiment, being thanked off by his Majestie of Denmark in May 1629, my Colonel being in England, I, hearing his Majestie of Sweden much engaged against the Pole in Pruce did stand in great need of a supply of foot thought it was a fit time for me, being out of service, to offer my service unto his Majestie of Sweden.”
– Robert Monro
June 1629-June 1630 Garrison at Braunsberg in Prussia
16 July 1630 Gustavus II Adolphus lands at Peenemunde in Germany
with 2 Regiments of Cavalry, 4 Swedish Regiments of Foot and 4 Regiments
of foreign foot. Hepburn’s Regiment of Foot and MacKay’s Regiment of Foot
are among those regiments.
Gustavus II Adolphus, King of Sweden, Finland and Livonia
August-September 1630 Capture and defense of Rugenvald castle. Relieved and reinforced by Hepburn’s Regiment.
“The word treaty has been omitted from my instructions thus I have only powder and ball at the service of the Count De Monteculculi.”
– Robert Monro in response to surrender terms at Coberg
July 1630-Mar 1631 Seige of Coberg. MacKay’s and Hepburn’s
Regiments defend against 8,000 Imperial soldiers attempting to lift seige
at Schievelbein.
24 December 1630 Seige of Greifenhagen
“In these warrs if a fort be to be stormed, or any desperate piece of service to be set upon, the Scottish have always had the honor and the danger to be the first men that are put to such a business.”
– The Swedish Intelligencer
1631 Seige of Demmin
24 March 1631 Scots Brigade formed under the command of Sir John
Hepburn and consisting of Hepburn’s Regiment, MacKay’s Regiment,
Stargate’s Regiment and Lumsen’s Regiment
Sir John Hepburn being made Colonel of the Briggad, his Regiment, Colonel Lumsedells, Stragates and ours, made up the Scots Brigad.”
– Robert Monro
1631 Storming of Frankfurt On Oder. Hepburn wounded in the assault
while carrying 20 pound petard to the cirty gates. Monro leads the Brigade
into the city and garrison is overrun.
8 April-18 April 1631 Seige of Landsberg. Outworks taken by
MacKay’s and Hepburn’s Regiments. Defeated Imperial garrison of 6,000
granted the honors of war and depart city with “2,00 female camp
followers.”
“I with my partie, did lie to our poste, as betwixt the devil and the deepe sea for sometimes our owne cannon would light short and grase over us, and so did the enemies also.”
– Robert Monro at Werben
July 1631 Seige of Werben
“We were not able by the rising of the dust to see about us, much less discerning the way of our enemies or the rest of outr brigades whereupon, having a drummer by me, I caused him to beat the Scotch March, which recollected our friends unto us.”
– Robert Monro at Brietenfeld
7 September 1631 Battle of Breitenfeld. Scots Brigade in the
reserve and are used to refuse the Swedish flank and persue the fleeing
Imperial army
1631 Defense of Ochsenfurt by Scots Brigade.
“My brave Scots, why have you been too quick for me?”
– Gustavus II Adolphus at Oppenhiem
20 November 1631 Siege of Oppenheim. City captured by 200 Scots
before main assault, Scots capture first Spanish colors take by Swedish
Army
December 1631 Surrender of Mainz
Jan-5 March 1632 Garrison of Mainz
March 1632 Seige of Donauworth
March 1632 Assualt river crossing of the Lech River at Rain
April 1632 Seige of Oberndorf
April 1632 Seige of Ingoldstadt
April 1632 Seige of Landshut
May-June 1632 Occupation of Munich and garrison duty Hepburn
appointed Governor of Landshut and Munich
July-August 1632 Occupation of Nurenberg and skirmishing with
entrenched Imperial forces
3 September 1632 Storming of Alte Fest
1632 Storming of Furth
August 1632 Sir John Hepburn leaves Swedish Service
September 1632 Sir Robert Monro takes command of the Scots Brigade
“The right hand of the King”
– Swedish description of the Green Brigade
September 1632 Siege of Landsberg
October-February 1632 Scots Brigade in garrison at Ulm
16 November 1632 Gustavus II Adolphus killed at Lutzen
"In such dress the 800 Irish lately in Stettin walk about"
“They are a strong, hardy race, contenting themselves with little food, if they have no bread they eat roots and carrots; in case of necessity they are bale to walk twenty German miles in a day; they have besides muskets, their bows and quivers and long knives.”
Scottish Soldiers at Stettin, 1632
January–July 1633 Garrison at Donauworth
July 1633 Colonel Monro departs and command of the Scots Brigade
assumed by Colonel John Sinclair
August 1633 Battle of Newmark and Colonel Sinclair killed
August 1633-August 1634 Colonel William Stewart commands Scots
Brigade
6 September 1634 Scots Brigade attempts relief of Nordlingen is
decimated and retreats to Worms. MacKay’s Regiment with one company
remaining
October 1634 Relief of the besieged remnants of the Scots Brigade
at Landau. The last of the 36 original pipers in MacKay’s Regiment
welcomes Colonel Sir John Hepburn into the city. MacKay’s Regiment and the
remnants of the Scots Brigade goes into French Service under command of
Sir John Hepburn.
“In the very moment when our ship did breake on ground, there was a Sergeant’s wife a shipboard, who without the help of any other women was delivered of a boy, which all the time of the tempest, she did carefully preserve. and being come ashore, the next day she marched neere foure English mile with that in her armes which was in her belly the night before.”
– Robert Monro, 1630
“It has been reported and is probable that Lord Dumbarton’s Regiment, which was their nursery for men of honor, did drawn 55,000 recruits from Scotland, whereof few returned with whole bones and less with estates”
– John Crookshanks, 1713
Sources:
- Brander, A.M., The Royal Scots ( London, 1976)
- Childs, John, The Army of Charles II ( London, 1976)
- Dalton, Charles, The Scots Army, 1661-1688 ( London, 1909)
- Ede-Borrett, S., The Army of James II, Uniforms and Organization (UK 2001)
- Glozier, Matthew, Scottish Soldiers in France in the reign of the Sun King ( Leiden, 2004)
- Grant, James, The Scottish Soldier of Fortune, ( London, 1890)
- Malestein, Arthur J., The Restoration Army: Its Mission, Men, and Equipment
- Reid, Stuart, Last Scots Army 1661-1714 ( UK, 2003)
- Smithers, A.J., The Tangier Campaign, The Birth of the British Army ( UK, 2003)
- Tincey, John, Armies of the Sedgemoor Campaign ( UK, 1998)
- Tincey, John, The British Army, 1660-1704 ( UK, 1994)
- Tincey, John, Monmouth’s Drill Book ( UK,1968)
- Turner, James, Pallas Armata: Military essayes of the ancient Grecian, Roman, and modern art of war. Written in the years 1670 and 1671 (NY, 1968)
- Weaver, Lawrence, The Story of the Royal Scots ( UK, 1915)
- Weygand, Max, Turenne, Marshal of France ( London, 1930)
- Williams, Noel Saint John Williams, Redcoats and Courtesans: The Birth of the British Army, 1660-1690 ( London, 1994)