truce, which in the novel Claverhouse
sends down under charge of his nephew Cornet Graham to parley with the
Covenanters, was of Scott's own making, though it seems that a couple
of troopers were despatched in advance to survey the ground. Nor does
Claverhouse mention any kinsman of his, or any one of his name, as
having fallen that day: the only two officers he specifies are Captain
Blyth and Cornet Crafford, or Crawford, both of whom were killed by
Hamilton's first fire. But though Claverhouse mentions no one of his own
name, others do. By more than one contemporary writer one Robert Graham
is included among the slain. It is said that while at breakfast that
morning in Strathavon he had refused his dog meat, promising it a full
meal off the Whigs' bodies before night; "but instead of that," runs the
tale, "his dog was seen eating his own thrapple (for he was killed) by
several." Another version is, that the Covenanters, finding the name of
Graham wrought in the neck of the shirt, savagely mangled the dead body,
supposing it to be that of Claverhouse himself.[26]

But to come from tradition to fact. The affair began with a sharp
skirmish of musketry on both sides. To every regiment of cavalry there
were then joined a certain proportion of dragoons who seem to have held
much the position of our mounted infantry, men skilled in the use of
firearms and accustomed to fight as well on foot as in the saddle. A
party of these advanced in open order down the hill to the brink of the
dyke and opened a smart fire on the Covenanters, who answered with
spirit, but both in their weapons and skill were naturally far inferior
to the royal soldiers. Meanwhile, some troopers had been sent out to
skirmish on either flank, and to try for a crossing. This they could not
find; but, unable to manoeuvre in the swampy ground, found instead
that their saddles were emptying fast. Then Hamilton, seeing that his
men were no match at long bowls for the dragoons, and marking the
confusion among the cavalry, gave the word to advance. By crossings
known only to themselves Burley led the horse over the dyke on one
flank, while young Cleland followed with the bulk of the foot on the
other. Claverhouse thereupon called in his skirmishers, and, advancing
his main body down the hill, the engagement became general. But in that
heavy ground the footmen had all the best of it. The scythes and
pitchforks made sad work among the poor floundering horses. His ow