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Celtic Hist. Newsletter: Worthy Scots Regiment
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hist-@historicgames.com
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Jul 31, 2008 07:07 PDT
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The Celtic History Newsletter
Brought to you by
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The Expedition of the Worthy Scots Regiment
I began my studying games of the past while a member of Clann Tartan,
(http://www.clanntartan.org) a Minnesota-based historical reenactment
group. Clann Tartan portrays a 1630 recruiting camp for Scottish
mercenaries, who will be joining the armies of the Swedish king,
Gustavus Adolphus, in the "Warres of Germany", or what we now call the
Thirty Years War (1618 - 1648). Although the service of Highland
regiments in the British Army is well known, people are less aware
that fighting men were a significant export for Scotland starting as
early as the 1500's, and Scots mercenaries were as well respected as
their Swiss counterparts. It is believed that during the 30 Years War
between 20 and 30 thousand Scottish mercenaries fought on the
Protestant side of that war, as well as a few thousand more who fought
on the Catholic side of the conflict.
One of the valuable primary sources for information about Scottish
soldiers in the 30 Years War is the memoir of Robert Monro who served
as an officer in the war under both Christian IV of Denmark, as well
as under Gustavus Adolphus. So I thought in the coming months I might
occasionally share a few excerpts of the writings of Robert Monro. I
will be leaving the spelling and punctuation as it appears in the
original text to give you a little flavor of reading the original
document, a copy of which I first began reading in the rare books
collection of the University of Minnesota. (In 1999 Praeger Publishers
reprinted a modern edition of Monro's memoir http://tinyurl.com/5jspuf
) In this first excerpt Monro explains how he signs on with the
Swedish armies after being released from duty with under Danish command.
"Our Regiment thanks of by his Majesty of Denmark in May 1629. My
Colonell being in England, I hearing his Majesy of Sweden (much
ingaged against the Pole in Spruce) did stand in need of a supply of
foot, though then is was a fit time for me being out of service, to
offer my service unto his Majesty of Sweden; whereupon I did direct
David Martins Auditor with my letters, and warrant to his Majesty, to
treate with his Majesty for a commission, and money for bringing unto
his Majesty a Regiment of Foot, over which my old Colonell should
command. His Majesty condescending to my desire, dispatcheth my
Commissioner backe againe with a commission, and monies to me in the
Colonells name; and in his absence I did direct as a beginning of the
Regiment, Fowles, Captaine Monro, and my owne Captaine, being three
companies of the Regiment unto Spruce, before the Colonells coming
from England, and after there were sent unto Spruce three companies,
(viz) Major Synnots, Captaine Bullions, and Captaine Lermond's
Companies, which sixe for that yeare, remained in Garrison in
Brownesbery in Spruce; other sixe companies of the old Regiment, the
Colonell directed from Holland to Sweden, in November 1629, where they
remained in Garrison until May 1630..."
"The first Sunday after our coming, his Majesty did invite the
principall Cavaliers that were in Towne of our Nation, for to
accompany his Majesty at a Feast appointed in honour of the Order of
the Garter, where thirteene Cavaliers of our Nation did sit at his
Majesties table, and were royally entertained; this Feast past, his
Majesty having ordered his Foot Army in the Fields after his new Order
of Discipline of Briggades, the first brought in use, at which time
his Majesty having showen unto my Colonell and his Officers, the Order
of his Majesties Discipline, in which order he Majesty commanded to
put my Colonells Regiment... "
The second paragraph mentions Gustavus' "new Order of Discipline of
Briggades" and shows that Monro's Scottish unit was ordered to adopt
the new Swedish infantry formations before their actual entry into the
30 Years War. A brief look at the way Gustavus Adolphus changed the
battle formations of the time can be seen in this little YoutTube
video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILRHUI4f_2Q
The mention of the Order of the Garter was interesting. Foreign
monarchs in the English Order of the Garter are known as 'Stranger
Knights', and include the kings of Spain and Sweden. However I think
those are more modern conventions, and I suspect Monro was referring
to a Swedish award which may have been an order of chivalry similar to
the Order of the Garter.
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