weakened and caused his defeat at Philiphaugh (13 Sep-
tember 1645) at the hands of Sir David leslie. He es-
caped from the battle with a few supporters, and after a
few months was able to flee to Europe.
On 30 January 1649, after being tried by Parlia-
ment, Charles was beheaded. Siding with Charles’s son,
who would later be crowned as Charles II, Montrose
returned to Scotland to fight for the monarchy. Once
again, however, he was betrayed by some of his allies
when Charles II disavowed him to gain Scottish support,
and his small army was easily defeated at Invercharron
(27 April 1650). Montrose himself was captured and
taken back to Edinburgh in a cart as his captors yelled,
“Here comes James Graham, a traitor to his country.”
Stripped of his title, he was taken to Edinburgh, where
he was hanged before a crowd on 21 May 1650. A
contemporary work on his execution stated that “His
sentence was, to be hanged upon a Galhouse, 30 foot
high three houres, at Edeburgh-crosse, to have his head
strucken off, and hang’d upon Edenburgh Towlebooth,
and his arms and legs to be hanged up in other publique
towns in the Kingdome... and his body to be buried,
at the common burying place.” According to several
sources, his last words were, “God have mercy on this
afflicted land!” Many cried when he was put to death.
Montrose was only 37 when he was executed. He is
remembered today as a Scot first and a Royalist second.
A poet as well as a brilliant soldier, he is best known for
the lines he wrote:
He either fears his fate too much,
Or his deserts are small,
That dares not put it to the touch
To gain or lose it all.References: Wishart, George, Memoirs of the Most Re-
nowned James Graham, Marquis of Montrose.... (Edin-
burgh: Printed for A. Constable & Co., 1819); Pryce,
Mrs. Hugh, The Great Marquis of Montrose (London: Ev-
erett & Company, Limited, 1912); Buchan, John, Mon-
trose: A History (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company,
1928); Wishart, George, De Rebus Auspiciis Serenissimi,
& Potentissimi Caroli (The History of the kings majesties
affaires in Scotland: under the conduct of the most Honour-
able James, Marques of Montrose, Earl of Kincardin, &c.,
and generall governour of the kingdome, in the Years 1644,
1645, & 1646) (Amsterdam: Privately printed, 1649);
H. P., A Relation of the Execution of James Graham late
Marquesse of Montrosse, at Edenburgh, on Tuesday the 21
of May instant.... (London: E. Griffin, 1650); Napier,
Mark, Montrose and the Covenanters, their Characters and
Conduct,... , 2 vols. (London: J. Duncan, 1838).Moore, Sir John (1761–1809) British general
The son and namesake of a physician, John Moore was
born in Glascow, Scotland, on 12 November 1761. Ac-
cording to his biographers, Moore was interested in mil-
itary life from an early age, and at 15 he was able to get
a commission (with the help of the duke of Hamilton)
to enter the 51st Foot with the rank of ensign. After two
years of training, he was placed in a new regiment under
Hamilton’s command and sent to the American colo-
nies, where he saw action until the end of the Revolu-
tionary War in 1783. After his return to England, Moore
was elected to a seat in Parliament at the age of 23. After
three years, though, he tired of politics, and reentered
military service. Promoted to the rank of major, he was
assigned to the 60th Rifles, but a year later he was trans-
ferred back to the 51st Foot. In 1790, he was promoted
to lieutenant colonel.
In 1792, Moore was sent to the Mediterranean to
serve in the French revolutionary wars. He was involved
in operations on the island of Corsica and in the tak-
ing of the fort at Mozello, where he was wounded, and
Calvi. In 1794, he was appointed adjutant general to
succeed General Charles Stuart. Upon his return to En-
gland in 1795, he was promoted to brigadier general
and was sent to the West Indies under the command of
Sir Ralph abercromby. On the island of Santa Lucia,
Moore played a key role in the storming and capture of
the cities of Demerara, Vigie, Berbice, and Essequebo,
among others. Abercromby became very impressed with
his ability and wrote that the young officer was “the
admiration of the whole army.” When Abercromby re-
turned to England, he named Moore as governor and
military commander. However, an attack of yellow fever
forced Moore to leave the West Indies and return to En-
gland.
In 1798, Moore once again saw action under the
command of Abercromby. A rebellion in Ireland had
forced England to dispatch troops there, and Aber-
cromby placed Moore in command of the southern part
of the country. Fighting off a group of Irish troops at
Vinegar Hill (2 June 1798), he helped to save the citymooRe, SiR John