Iain Ruadh Stiùbhart
Sitting tired beside a stream
Is the poor Christian, John Roy,
A fighting man, still without peace
His foot having just stumbled badly.
Before we leave Badenoch and Strathspey, I want to tell you about one
of the most famous people ever that came from that area – John Roy
Stuart. It was he that wrote the passage with which I started the Litir
– the first verse of John Roy’s Prayer.
John Roy was a poet and a soldier of repute among other things. He was
also a famous Jacobite, and an adviser to the Young Prince, Charles
[Edward] Stuart.
He was born in the Knock of Kincardine in the year 1700. He was well
educated and spent time on the European continent. He was for a while
there fighting on behalf of France. He came up against his nemesis –
the Duke of Cumberland – at the Battle of Fontenoy in May 1745.
Three months after that, he heard that the Prince had raised his banner
in the Highlands. He went home and met the Jacobites at Blair Atholl.
He put together a regiment in Edinburgh – the ‘Edinburgh Regiment’. But
many that were in it were from the Highlands.
John was involved in a number of battles between the Jacobites and the
army of the Crown during the 1745-6 Rising. At Culloden he was in
charge of his regiment – which was part of the front line that suffered
so badly. Accordinbg to oral tradition, Cumberland saw him. He was
killing a lot of redcoat soldiers. ‘Who is he?’ he asked.
‘John Roy Stuart,’ replied one of his officers.
‘God,’ said Cumberland, ‘the man who left me in Flanders, doing the
work of ten heroes?! Has he followed me here?’
But, as we know, the day went with Cumberland. John Roy fled through
Gorthleck. He met the rest of the Jacobite army at Ruthven near Kingussie.
We’ll see in the next Litir what happened then.
John Roy Stuart
Aig taobh sruthain na shuidhe, ʼs e sgìth
Tha an Crìosdaidh bochd, Iain Ruadh,
Na cheatharnach, fhathast gun sìth
ʼS a chas air tuisleadh san tìm gu truagh.
Mus fhàg sinn Bàideanach is Srath Spè, tha mi airson innse dhuibh mu fhear
de na daoine as ainmeile riamh a thàinig às an sgìre sin – Iain Ruadh
Stiùbhart. ʼS e a sgrìobh an earrann leis an do thòisich mi an Litir – a’
chiad rann de dh’Ùrnaigh Iain Ruaidh.
Bha Iain Ruadh na bhàrd agus na shaighdear cliùiteach am measg eile. Bha e
cuideachd na Sheumasach ainmeil, agus na chomhairliche don Phrionnsa Òg,
Teàrlach Stiùbhart.
Rugadh e ann an Cnoc Chinn Chàrdainn anns a’ bhliadhna seachd ceud deug
(1700). Fhuair e foghlam math, agus chuir e seachad ùine air tìr-mòr na
Roinn-Eòrpa. Bha e greis an sin a’ sabaid às leth na Frainge. Thàinig e an
aghaidh a shàr nàmhaid – Diùc Chumberland – aig Blàr Fontenoy anns a’
Chèitean seachd ceud deug, ceathrad ʼs a còig (1745).
Trì mìosan an dèidh sin, chuala e gun robh am Prionnsa air a bhratach a
thogail air a’ Ghàidhealtachd. Chaidh e dhachaigh, agus choinnich e ris na
Seumasaich ann am Blàr Athall. Chuir e rèisimeid ri chèile ann an Dùn
Èideann – The Edinburgh Regiment. Ach bha mòran de na bh’ innte às
a’ Ghàidhealtachd.
Bha Iain an sàs ann an grunn chathan eadar na Seumasaich agus armailt a’
Chrùin ann am Bliadhna a’ Phrionnsa. Aig Blàr Chùil Lodair, bha e os cionn
a rèisimeid – a bha mar phàirt dhen chiad loidhne a dh’fhuiling gu dubh. A
rèir beul-aithris, chunnaic Cumberland e. Bha e a’ marbhadh shaighdearan
dearga gu leòr. ‘Cò esan?’ dh’fhaighnich e.
‘Iain Ruadh Stiùbhart,’ fhreagair oifigear aige.
‘A Thighearna,’ thuirt Cumberland, ‘am fear a dh’fhàg mi ann am Flànras, a’
dèanamh obair deichnear ghaisgeach?! A bheil e air tighinn air mo thòir an
seo?’
Ach, mar a tha fios againn, chaidh an latha le Cumberland. Theich Iain
Ruadh tro Ghortlaig. Choinnich e ris a’ chòrr de dh’arm nan Seumasach ann
an Ruadhainn faisg air Ceann a’ Ghiùthsaich. Chì sinn anns an ath Litir dè
thachair dha an uair sin.
