This story is evidently part of the old nurse's prophecy
mentioned on page 3. For these and many other anecdotes of the battle,
see the "History of the Rebellions in Scotland." I have taken my account
of Dundee's death from the memoirs of Balcarres and Lochiel, and from
the depositions, printed by Napier, of certain witnesses examined
afterwards at Edinburgh, among them being an officer of Kenmure's
regiment, who was carried prisoner into the castle after the battle and
heard Johnstone's story. As for the letter said to have been written by
Dundee to James after the battle, and now among the Nairne Papers, there
is more to be said for it than some have allowed. Macaulay, alluding to
it as dated the day after the battle, calls it as impudent a forgery as
Fingal. But in fact it bears no date at all: the handwriting is declared
on the best authority to be beyond question contemporary; and there is
no absolute proof that Dundee did not live long enough at least to
dictate an account of his victory to James. It is tolerably certain that
he would have done so had his strength permitted him. But in a letter
written from Dublin in the following November by James to Ballechin,
there is no mention of any letter from Dundee, and his death is there
alluded to as having occurred at the beginning of the action.
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