Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-04-16
SLAIN MANS LEE.


This is the Slain Mans Lee, >"
said my friend, casting himself down
upon grassy hillock which reared
itself in the center of the little plain
in which we stood.
Wherefore so strange a name3 /
inquired.
Beneath this grassy covering rest
the bones of hundreds of brave men. :"
This. then, has been the acene of
some battle in the olden timer
1T has. l brought you from Sci
kirk on purpose to show it TO you, T"
answered my friend, Harry Oiilvie,
land tell you story about it, if you
like"
Instantly apprised my friend Of the
qualification it would afford Inc to lis
ten to him, and took seat beside him
on the ',Slain Mans Lee" II was not
without a shudder, however, that |
reposed my frame upon the sod that
covered the remains of these who
had once been living and bl eathing
like myself.
''On this little plain, which is called
Philiphaugh, on the 18th of Septem-
Der, in the year 1647, if my memory
serves me Alright began Ogilvie,
the Marquis of Montrose received
his first defeat in the war he had I'M
dertaken for the king. Here his vic
torious career received terrible and
almost irTemediable check. There
were several causes which led to this
defeat
THE marquis encamped here late
at night with only half his usual
force. The men of Athole had re-
turned to their native hills. Two of
his bravest officers were absent.
Alaster McCon was waging an old
feud amid the rocks and glens of
Mingarry, and Lord George Gordon
had been slain at Afford. On this
night the marquis, who had never
neglected it before, intrusted the
placing of the picket guard to other
hands. 1t seemed as if fate had de-
termined to infiict defeat upon the
Great Marquis.
Il relate this story in the words of
my ancestor, Lord Lionel Ogilvie
who was one of Mcntroses officers
at the time, and whose wonderful
preservation from death will, think,
interest you.
''They were sitting in their tent,
Montrose and his captains, wearied
by long ride, leisurely slipping their
wine and never dreaming of the
close proximity of the enemy, when
they were suddenly charged upon
by three squadrons of the lowlands
troops.
''The rout was instant and decisive.
Beset on every side the Royalists
gave way and fled in disorder. Upon
this spot did Montrose succeed in
rallying a portion of his army. and
here the fight became desperate and
deadly, and the slain of either side
lay so thickly together after the bat
tie that it was found impossible to
inter each soldier separately, SO a
deep pit was dug, friend and foe
were cast into it indiscriminately
and the turf lightly heaped above
their mortal remains. From that
time this spot has been called the
Slain Mans Lee.
But ! have something more en-
tertaining to tell you than these flu
nereal details.
"Montrose succeeded in effecting
his escape with most of his officers
and cavalry, retreating step by step,
but maintaining determined front
to the foe, and repeatedly charging
them with great skill and valor. 1t
was in one of these desperate charges
that the Lord Ogilvie, who was but
a STRIPPING at the time, was taken
prisoner.
He was conveyed IN close custody
to SellSirk, The Covenanters exer-
cised the most unrelenting rigor
against all Royalists who were so un-
fortunate as 10 fall into their hands.
Sentence of death was instantly pro
nounced against Lord Ogilvie, and
the day of execution was fixed at an
early date.
His mother, the Countess Airlie,
and Lady Flora Leithintie, his sister,
hastened 10 Sell1irk to unite their
supplications in mitigation of his
doom. Tears, prayers, the offer of
princely bribes for his escape, were
useless s-the judges were inexorable.
The fatal day drew rapidly near,
and the night preceding that morn
ing which was 10 be Lord Ogilvie's
last upon earth his mother and sister
visited him in his dungeon TO bid
him last farewell.
II win not linger over the agony
Of that meeting. For awhile they
folded each other in a sad embrace,
their tears together.
" Must you die, my brotherf' ex-
Flora with choked utter