Archibald MacGregor and the Battle of Culloden Moor

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IN SEARCH OF SCOTTISH ROOTS - Article #1

Archibald MacGregor
and the Battle of Culloden Moor

by Steven C. Gardner

A wind that awoke on the moorland came sighing,
Like the voice of the heroes who perished in vain:
“Not for Tearlach alone the red claymore was plying,
But to win back the old world that comes not again.”
Andrew Lang (1844-1912)

     The Battle of Culloden[i] was fought in the spring of 1746 between the forces of King George the II of England, led by his son Prince William Augustus, the Duke of Cumberland, and the Scottish forces led by Charles Edward Stuart, commonly referred to as Bonnie Prince Charlie.  This was the last great engagement fought on either Scottish or British soil between these two contentious forces, and is known for its determined ferocity, vicious brutality, and rapid British victory.

Figure 1: Charles Edward Stuart (1720-1788)

     The conflict was spurred by an attempt of Scottish loyalists to restore “The House of Stuart” (or Stewart) to their hereditary and rightful place as rulers of the British Isles, which encompassed Scotland, England, and Ireland.  Charles Edward Stuart (1720-1788) was an exiled Jacobite[ii] who persisted in his rights to the throne after his grandfather, King James II of England, was deposed in the Revolution of 1688, more commonly referred to as the ‘Glorious Revolution.’  As a result of this claim, Charles was labeled by those favoring British rule as “The Young Pretender.”

     The MacGregors were supporters of the Jacobite cause.  The Clan MacGregor (or Clan Gregor) is believed to have risen during the 800s.  One source states that the origins of this clan began with Gregor [iii], a son of King Alpin II Mac Eochaidh of Scotland and a younger brother to Kenneth MacAlpin.  King Alpin II was the first Scottish ruler to unite Scotland in 843 A.D.  Though historical records are inconclusive to this theory, recent DNA technology is supportive of this claim to the origins of the Gregor Clan and its ties to the Alpin or MacAlpin clan.  The ancient creed of the Gregor clan is, “My race is Royal,[iv]” translated from the Gaelic language of northern Scotland, “S’Rioghal Ma Dhream.”  One suggestion for the meaning of the name Gregor, is “derived from the Latin ‘Gregorious’ and the Late-Greek ‘Gregorious,’” which is translated as meaning “Alert, Watchful, or Vigilant.[v]”  The prefix of ‘Mac’ refers to ‘son of.’  Thus MacGregor literally refers to ‘the son of Gregor.’  The ancient Gaelic spelling of the name is “macGrioghair.”

     The ancient homeland of the Gregor clan was centered along the eastern border of Argyll and stretched to the western border of Perthsire.  The first suspected lands given to the clan Gregor were located in Glenorchy and may have been deeded to them during the reign of Malcolm Canmore (1057-1093), though this origin is still speculative.  It does appear that during the reign of Alexander II (1214-1249) Glenorchy was officially conferred upon them.

Figure 2: Statue of "Robert the Bruce"

     The MacGregor Clan retained its historical and hierarchical importance in Scotland until Robert the Bruce, the 14th century “King of the Scots” who ruled Scotland from 1306 until his death in 1329, superseded the MacGregor’s land rights to the Chief of the Clan Campbell.  This relegated the MacGregor clan to seek its rights through persistent and continual conflicts with the Campbell’s.  Though their efforts eventually proved unsuccessful, the clan diverted its focus to harassing numerous settlements in the region by pilfering local resources.  They became so proficient at this tactic that local clans would pay the MacGregor’s not to raid their fields and cattle, rather then redress their grievances through physical confrontation.  The MacGregor’s had always been known as being fierce fighters who would defend their rights by the use of cold steel and relentless tactical intrusion upon their rivals’ lands and possessions, which probably influenced those who fell within the ire of these MacGregor raids to pay a ransom for their goods not to be repossessed.

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     History confirms that the Clan MacGregor was forced to take refuge for a period of time in various mountainous fortresses and refuges, constantly defending the clan’s rights by mere force and determined ferocity.  At one point the clan was under the threat of extermination, but instead of retreating inflicted terrible vengeance upon their enemies.  The MacGregor clan fought for what was theirs and gave no ground to those who aimed to suppress and destroy them.

     In reference to the MacGregor clan, the famous novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott in his History of Scotland, states “that they were famous for their misfortunes and the indomitable courage with which they maintained themselves as a clan.  The MacGregors strove to retain their lands by the cold steel.”

     It was under this heritage that Archibald MacGregor, the main subject of this story, had grown up in.  Nothing is known of his early life.  It is estimated that he was born around 1720 and was a contemporary of the famous Rob Roy MacGregor that so much has been written about.  The first information we have of Archibald is carried down through family history and begins at the battlefield of Culloden Moor.

     Archibald MacGregor was considered a young man at this time, of “fine stature and immense physical strength.[vi]”  He may have been about 26 years old at the time of the final Scottish battle at Culloden Moor and was sent to the field with dispatches for the commander of the forces of Bonnie Prince Charlie.  The main force of the MacGregor clan were stationed elsewhere[vii] and did not participate in the actual battle, which may have made Archibald the soul representative of the MacGregors in this historically significant conflict[viii].

     The Battle commenced on the 16th of April, 1746, shortly after one o’clock, and was relatively short, lasting forty minutes from beginning to end.  The main supposition for the quickness of this conflict was caused by the exhaustion of the Highlanders, who had been rapidly traveling from a foiled campaign to seize control and overthrow the English Monarchy in southern England.  The main body of Charlies’ forces had been on a forced marched to return to the northern country, and had entered the battle field at Culloden physically exhausted, but of more significance, insufficiently fed.  The troops were said to be famished.

Figure 3: The Battle of Culloden, by David Morier

One description by Dr. Robert Chambers, in his book Lyons in Mourning, states the following:

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"The scarcity of provisions, had none become so great, that the men were on this important day reduced to the miserable allowance of only one small loaf, and that of the worst kind…  Its ingredients appeared to be merely the husks of oats and a coarse unclean species of dust."

     The Reverend George Innes, in his description of events, spoke of the fatigued Highland armies, stating that “the men were nodding with sleep in the ranks” as the battle began, and that many were surprised after the battle had concluded by having their throats cut where they lay.

     Though Archibald may not have been distressed by hunger and extreme fatigue, having arrived at Culloden with dispatches from the MacGregor line away from the moor land[ix], Archibald nevertheless suffered from the results of these circumstances by the ill condition of his fellow Highlanders.

     Even under these conditions the Highlanders of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s forces fought with value and determined ferocity.  One eyewitness recounts:

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"The persevering and desperate valour displayed by the Highlanders on this occasion is proved by the circumstance, that at one part of the plain, where a very vigorous attack had been made, their bodies were afterwards found in layers three and four deep, so many, it would appear, having in succession, mounted over a prostrate friend to share in the same certain fate."
     -- ‘Jacobite Memories: Lyon in Mourning’

figure 4: The Battle Plan of Culloden showing the Encampment of the English Army at Nairn, and the march of the Highlanders in order to attack them by night

     Archibald was severally wounded during the battle.  It is unknown at what point he was injured.  Whether it occurred during the initial cannon barrage, which had effectively reduced the Scottish ranks, or during several marches to confront the British line, or perhaps from close quarter combat, is knowledge that has not been passed down.

     It is known that Archibald was left for dead on the Culloden Moor amongst the cold, drenched marsh land, perhaps as the enemy forces streamed over him in pursuit of the retreating Highland forces.  Accounts testify that the battle ground was difficult to transverse, as the moorland was extremely soggy and rapid movement hampered.  The severity of his wounds must have been seen as fatal to be left for dead, for his body was stripped by Royalist looters after the conclusion of the conflict.  Also, the severity of his circumstances was tenuous, as one account implied after the battle was concluded that the forces of the Duke of Cumberland performed the following:

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“Upon Thursday, the day after the battle, a party was ordered to the field of battle to put to death all the wounded they should find upon it, which accordingly they performed with the greatest dispatch and the utmost exactness, carrying the wounded from the several parts of the field…where they ranged them in due order, and instantly shot them dead”
     -- ‘Jacobite Memories: Lyon in Mourning’ [x]

     In Peter Anderson’s account, Culloden Moore and Story of the Battle, he states that during the retreat “all wearing the Highland dress, without regard to age or sex, including several of the inhabitants of Inverness whom curiosity had led towards the scene, were indiscriminately massacred…  Several, disarmed and helpless, were remorselessly hacked to death.  The retreat was more fatal then the engagement.”

Figure 5: The Battle of Culloden, by Mark Churms

     After regaining consciousness, Archibald, “with great difficulty and much suffering reached his own country.”  This must have been an extremely perilous and tenacious endeavor, not only in regards to the physical condition he was in, but also in his attempts to avoid the British troops who were under orders from Prince William Augustus, the Duke of Cumberland, to dismiss any enemy company by any and all means necessary.  In Lord Mohon’s History of England, he states that “every kind of havoc and outrage was not only permitted, but…encouraged,” which pertained not only to those who had fought on the moorlands, but any and all occupants in the surrounding countryside.

     Upon escaping the region, Archibald was “concealed until he had recovered somewhat from his wounds.”  During the following month after the Culloden Moor battle, the Duke of Cumberland proceeded with his army and advanced north into the Highlands, venturing as far as Fort Augustus, there he “encamped, and sent off detachments on all hands to hunt down the fugitives, and lay waste the country with fire and sword.  The castles of Glengarry and Lochiel were plundered and burned; every house, hut, or habitation met with the same fate without distinction, all the cattle and provisions were carried off; the men were either shot upon the mountains like wild beasts, or put to death in cold blood…  Women, after having seen their husbands and fathers murdered were subjected to brutal violations, and then turned out naked, with their children, to starve on the barren heaths.[xi]

     The numerous atrocities carried out by those under Prince Augustus’ command are still debated and held in extreme contempt by those in the Scottish homeland to this day.

     Also, on the 1st of August, 1746, King George issued a proclamation called “The Act of Proscription[xii]” that endeavored to disassemble the Scottish Clan system.  In effect it outlawed the wearing of the Kilt or “Highland Dress”, the traditional clothing of most Scottish families; and forbid the use of the claymore (sword), broad sword, and any other method of arms.  It stipulated the strict penalties for those who were found in default of this proclamation, along with fines, imprisonment, and forced conscription.  Those who persisted to violate its tenants were “liable to be transported to any of his Majesty’s plantations beyond the seas.”

     Archibald survived under the threat of these privations that existed around him, and those who concealed him probably felt the strains that existed during this period of time as well.  The threat of exposure to the brutalities that have been lightly touched on seemed to have spurred Archibald to leave his homeland and escape to the British colonies in the Americas, following his fellow countrymen who had already left the British Isles.

Figure 6: Territorial Map of North Carolina, date 1755

     It is said that Archibald may have left with members of his family, and perhaps with others fleeing the county.  One thought is that Edith MacAlpin, the daughter of Henry MacAlpin who also served at the battlefield of Culloden Moor and who perished there, accompanied Archibald to the Colonies in the Americas.  Other references state the Archibald did not meet up with Edith until after his arrival in North Carolina.

Figure 7: Detailed map of the Coastal & "Cape Fear" region of North Carolina - 1755

     The attraction to migrate to North Carolina as a gathering place for several Scottish immigrant groups appears to have been influenced by the current Royal Governor of the Colony at the time, Gabriel Johnston, himself a native Scotsman, who in 1739 persuaded about 350 Highland Scots to relocate to the Carolinas[xiii].  This group became known as the Argyll Colony.  He also succeeded in recruiting a small portion of those disposed by the British at the Battle of Culloden, and who were under the threat of economic and political distress, to relocate there as well, along with other Scottish immigrants who left the British Isles for want of land, self-determination, or to seek their own fortunes[xiv].  This produced a large Scottish population that flourished during the eighteenth century in the Carolinas.  They were a fiercely isolated group who maintained their Gaelic language and Highland traditions almost up to the time of the American Civil War in the 1860’s.

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     When Archibald MacGregor and Edith MacAlpine arrived in the North Carolina colonies is unknown.  It is stated that they were married in North Carolina about 1755, probably along the coastal region.  Many researchers list their marriage place as Guilford County, but the county wasn’t officially developed until 1771, siphoning territory from Rowan and Orange Counties, and was located inland, populated by Cherokee Indians, away from the majority other known Scottish immigrants, and was only sparsely populated by camps and settlements that were still in their infancy.  The Carolina’s only began to develop numerous settlements as early as 1749, mostly divided between three distinct groups, the Scotch-Irish[xv], Palatine Germans, and English Quakers.  Other Scottish groups migrated to the territory as well, consisting of the Highland Scots, which were mentioned above as the Argyll Colony, and Lowland Scots, who mainly immigrated for land and grazing rights.  Each group located in a different region.  The Highlander’s mainly settled in Cape Fear Valley[xvi], while the Lowland Scots moved more as individual family groups along the coastal areas, and the Scots-Irish moved toward the Piedmont, along the Eno and Haw Rivers, into the western back-county and mountainous regions.

     Archibald is thought to have settled with his fellow Highlanders, where the Gaelic language flourished.  Whether he settled in the Cape Fear Valley along the river, or in the mountainous regions round about which was reported to have several Gaelic speaking settlements, or elsewhere in the region, is only speculative.  It is known that Archibald and Edith MacGregor were living in North Carolina when their first and only child, Ann MacGregor, was born.  She was born on the 14th of February, 1756.  Sometime in 1758 Archibald MacGregor died from complications attributed to the wounds he had received at the battle in Culloden Moor.

     The life story of Archibald MacGregor is quoted by multiple family historians and is well established in the fabric of family lore.  We are only allowed a minute’ fraction of his life’s story, yet it gives us a visualization of a proud and fiercely determined individual who survived through pure strength of will.  It is hoped that the account given in this prospective is a true reflection of his life and does justice to the Scotsman known as Archibald, from the Clan MacGregor. 

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Edith MacAlpine & Clan Alpin

     The historical relevance of the MacAlpin clan of Scotland travels back to the beginning of the clan system.  Edith MacAlpine’s ancestry can literally be traced back to the first known King of Scotland, Alpin II Mac Eochardh according to clan history, and to his son Kenneth MacAlpin, in the 9th century.  At least that is the tradition passed down through historical lore, but the reality is that much is unknown or unconfirmed about this particular clan’s history beyond its foundation, and its connection to the Clan Gregor (or MacGregor) previously mentioned.

     What is known is that Kenneth MacAlpine[xvii] was referred to as the first King of Scots[xviii] and reigned from 843 until his death on the 13th of February, 858.  His influence united the various northern tribes under one banner.  The line of succession appears to have been handed down through the generations by those holding the Alpin name.         The Alpin or MacAlpine name is still a common one found in Scotland, though the solidity of its existence as a certified clan is constantly being drawn into question.  Those who claim a connection to this name are often referred to as Soil Alpin, meaning the Seed of Alpin.  There are seven clans that fall into this category, the Clan Grant, Clan Gregor, Clan MacAulay, Clan Macfie, Clan Mackinnon, Clan MacNab, and Clan MacQuarrie.

     The battle cry of Clan Alpin is “Cuimknich bas Ailpein” in Gaelic, meaning “Remember the death of Alpin,” a reference that originated from the murder of King Alpin of Brudus in the defeat of the Picts in 843 A.D., and who was succeeded by his son Kenneth.  It can only be deduced that Edith MacALPINE’s name was carried down through the generations and that she is a descendant of Clan Alpin, whose ancient seat was in the Argyllshire, a county on the western coast of Scotland.

     Edith was born in 1724 [xix], in Scotland.  Her father was Henry MacALPINE, who also fought in the Battle of Culloden Moor and perished there.  Little else is known about her father, or about her immediate ancestry.  After the death of her husband, Archibald MacGREGOR in 1758, she married a fellow Scotsman named LANGLEY, whose first name is unknown.  Edith may have married him about 1760, in North Carolina, and from this marriage she had several other children.  There is no other information about her life from that point except that she died about 1774 in Guilford County, North Carolina.

     The daughter of Edith from her marriage with Archibald was Ann MacGREGOR, who was born[xx] on the 14th of February, 1756.  It is known that she married Henry CONNELLY--who had fought in the American Revolutionary War--in 1774 in Guilford County, North Carolina.

FOOTNOTES:

[i] The Battle of Culloden is also referred to as the Battle of Culloden Moor or Muir.  The Gaelic name for Culloden is “Cùil Lodair,” meaning back of the small pond.  It is located about 6 miles (or 9 kilometers) east of  Inverness in northern Scotland.  Inverness is considered the stronghold of the ancient Picts, and is labeled as being the capital city of the Highlands of Scotland.  The actual Battle of Culloden Moor took place in what is called Drummossie Moor, but due to its relative closeness to the village of Culloden, which is about 3 miles to the east, the historical event in 1746 came to be by the town’s name.  Also, the ancient manor house of Culloden was located on Drummossie Moor.

[ii] JACOBITE: This is a reference to a political movement which aimed to restore the throne of England, Scotland, and Ireland to “The House of Stuart” of Scotland.  It is derived from the Latin Jacobus, a reference to King James II of England (also known as King James VII of Scotland) who was disposed from the throne in 1688 as a result of parliamentary intervention to monarchical succession.  Part of the division was also a theological belief between Catholic ideals supported by the Jacobites and those of Protestant nobility who feared King James’ attempts to implement a Catholic dynasty.

[iii] GREGOR:  Also spelled Giogar.

[iv] “YEAR BOOK of American Clan Gregor Society: Containing the Proceedings of the tenth Annual Gathering, 1919.”  Editor: Egbert Watson MaGruder; Richomd; The William Byrd Press, Inc., Printers, Richmond, Va.  Page 54: “Alpin, Mac Alpin, Gregor, Mac Gregor, MaGruder, ‘My Race is Royal,’” by Caleb Clarke MaGruder.

[v] “Clan Gregor.”  http://en.wikipedia.org

[vi] CONNELLEY, William Elsey.  “Eastern Kentucky Papers: The founding of HARMAN’s STATION; with an account of The Indian Captivity of Mrs. Jennie Wiley and the Exploration and Settlement of the Big Sandy Valley in the Virginias and Kentucky.”  The Torch Press, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 1910.  Page 102.

[vii] REID, Stuart.  “The Scottish Jacobite Army 1745-46.”  Page 22: “The MacGregors’ contribution to the Jacobite cause was somewhat fragmentary.  At least two companies under James Mor Drummond/MacGregor served in the Duke of Perth’s Regiment; others under John MacGregor of Glengyle were attached to Keppoch’s, and a third contingent leg by MacGregor of Inverenzie served in Farquharson of Monaltrie’s battalion of Lord Lewis Gordon’s Regiment.  Although there is some suggestion that the MacGregors may have formed a battalion of their own at Falkirk, it appears that they only acted independently at the end of the campaign when Glengyle was sent north in search of the French gold.”

[viii] GIBSON, John Graham.  “Old and New World Highland Bagpiping.”  Page 24 states that a MacGregor Bagpiper may have been at Culloden.  “John MacGregor was wound at Culloden but got back to Perthshire in the south-central Highlans.  He was never made prisoner.”

[ix] GIBSON, John Graham.  “Old and New World Highland Bagpiping.”  The location of the MacGregor Clan during The Battle of Culloden Moor:  It is noted that a Colonel MacGregor of Glengyle was at Dingwall on the day Culloden was fought, along with Colonel Coll MacDonell of Barsidale, of Glengarry’s regiment, and MacLeod of Raza.

[x] Another author states the same incident in this manner:  "Immediately after the conclusion of the battle, the men, under the command of their officers, traversed the field, stabbing with their bayonets, or cutting down with their swords, such of the wounded of the defeated party as came under their notice. This was done as much in sport as in rage; and, as the work went on, the men at length began to amuse themselves by splashing and dabbling each other with blood! They at length looked, as one of themselves has reported, more like so many butchers than an army of Christian soldiers."—(Chambers's 6th edit., p. 258; Scots Magazine, vol. viii. p. 192).

[xi] ANDERSON, Peter.  “Culloden Moore and Story of the Battle.”  Quote by SMOLLETT.

[xii] This Act of Proscription was a reformulation of a previous decree called the Disarming Act which was instituted by the Parliament of Great Britain on the 1st of November, 1716, after the initial Jacobite Rising of 1715.  It mainly dealt with an attempt to disarm the Scottish clans of all manners of weapons, including the use of the “broad sword or target, poignard, whinger, or durk, side pistol, gun, or other warlike weapon.”  The was an attempt by the crown for “more effectual securing the peace of the highlands of Scotland.”

[xiii] RAY, Celeste.  “Highland Heritage.”  The author of this book states that a majority of the passengers aboard the ship ‘Thistle’ came from the Argyllshire in the southwest of Scotland.

[xiv] ASHE.  “Biographical History of North Carolina, from Colonial Times to the Present.  Page 191-192: “In September, 1739, a large body of Scotchmen arrived on the Cape Fear…  The Legislature appropriated a thousand pounds to aid them, and resolved that ‘wherever forty persons shall arrive in one company and settle in the province, they shall be exempt from all taxes for ten years.’  Governor Johnston fostered this immigration from Scotland and from the north of Ireland, and a stream of Scotch settlers poured in, taking possession of the upper waters of the Capt Fear…”

[xv] The term Scotch-Irish is sometimes misused when referring to Scottish immigrants.  There were basically three different separated and distinct Scottish groups that migrated and settled in the North Carolina colony in the mid to late eighteenth century.  The group commonly referred to as the Scotch-Irish is also mentions as the Ulster-Scots.  [write more about these groups….      Highland Scots, and Lowland Scots….

[xvi] “Chronicles of the Cape Fear river, 1660-1916.”  On page 124-125 states that “North Carolina was long a favorite field for Highland emigration,” that along the Cape Fear river and in the mountainous region round about, several Scottish groups settled.  “Some of them Macdonalds who had been fugitives from the massacre of Glencoe.  The numbers were largely increased by the failure of the Jacobite Rebellion in 1745.  The persecution to which the Highlanders were subjected after the scattering of the clans at Culloden made many of them eager to escape from the country; and when the government [English], after the execution of many captured rebels, granted pardon to the rest on condition of their taking the oath of allegiance and emigrating to the plantations of America, great numbers availed themselves of the opportunity.”

[xvii] Kenneth MacALPIN is the Anglican spelling.  In ancient or mediaeval Gaelic it is Cináed mac Ailpin, and the modern Gaelic spelling is Coinneach mac Ailpein.  This would refer to his Pictish name, which is a reference to an ancient language spoken by the Picts.  The Picts were a combined confederation of various tribes that dwelt in northern and central Scotland whose name may have been adopted as a result of Roman influence.

[xviii] SCOTS:  It should be noted that the Gaelic name for Scotland is Alba.  Other associations with Alba, is Albain in the Irish Gaelic, Albey in Manx (refers to the people of the “Isle of Man’ located in the Irish Sea), Yr Alban in Welsh, all meaning Scotland.  The classical name of Albion was adopted by the Gaels (an ethno-linquistic group whose origins come from Ireland and spread to Scotland), the origins of the Gaelic languages (or Goidelic).  See en.wikipedia.org.

[xix] The birth date of Edith MacAPLINE is gathered from multiple sources, yet each of these documents failed to list where their information was obtained from.   Some list her birth date as the 14th of February, 1724, which is an obvious error.  The date of the 14th of February, is the date given for the birth of Edith and Archibald’s daughter, Ann MacGREGOR, who was born on that date in 1756.  This appears to be a transcription error.  It must also be noted that Edith was born in Scotland and any information that has been gathered so far about her comes from family lore and not from governmental or church documents, which are yet to be discovered.  The only possibility is that documents exist in Guilford County, North Carolina, that correspond to her specific information, since it appears that her daughter Ann MacGREGOR was married there to Henry CONNELLY, whose historical records is more prevalent and easily documented.

[xx] The birth date of Ann MacGregor is taken from a family bible of Captain Henry CONNELLY, her husband.  This information was stated by William Elsey CONNELLEY in his book Eastern Kentucky Papers: The Founding of HARMAN’s STATION.  He stated that “The family Bible of Captain Henry Connelly had the following record, which I removed, and which is now in my library.  The Bible was found in the Caudill Family, in Johnson County, Ky., in 1902.  It was published in Philadelphia in 1802…”  See page 103 from the above listed book for extracts from the Bible.

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The Account of the Archibald MacGregor
by William Elsey Connelly

Figure 8: The Crest of the MacGregor Clan

The following description was included in Connelly’s book published in 1910, titled “The Founding of Harman’s Station.”  This particular source appears to be the main account that is quoted by others in connection with the story of Archibald MacGregor, and was used to compile the information in this chapter.  It is placed here for historical prospective.  The origin of Connelly’s information is not stated in regard to the story of Archibald MacGregor, besides the phrase “so it is said in the traditions of our family.”

     Archibald MacGregor, of the Clan MacGregor, Highlands of Scotland, espoused the cause of Charles Edward, the Young Pretender, in 1745, as did his clan and his country.  He was a young man of fine stature and immense physical strength.  His clan was not in the battle of Culloden Moor, having been stationed at another point, so it is said in the traditions of our family, but he had been sent to the commander of the Pretender forces with dispatches, and so was on that disastrous field.  There he was dreadfully wounded, being left on the gory field for dead, and his body stripped by the Royalist looters.  He, however, revived and with great difficulty and much suffering reached his own country.  There he was concealed until he had recovered somewhat from his wounds, when he succeeded in escaping to the colony of North Carolina, where so many of his countrymen were then living.  There he married Edith MacAlpine, the daughter of a Highlander who had also been in the battle of Culloden Moor, and who had with great difficulty escaped with his family to America.

     Archibald MacGregor, of the Clan MacGregor, Highlands of Scotland, espoused the cause of Charles Edward, the Young Pretender, in 1745, as did his clan and his country.  He was a young man of fine stature and immense physical strength.  His clan was not in the battle of Culloden Moor, having been stationed at another point, so it is said in the traditions of our family, but he had been sent to the commander of the Pretender forces with dispatches, and so was on that disastrous field.  There he was dreadfully wounded, being left on the gory field for dead, and his body stripped by the Royalist looters.  He, however, revived and with great difficulty and much suffering reached his own country.  There he was concealed until he had recovered somewhat from his wounds, when he succeeded in escaping to the colony of North Carolina, where so many of his countrymen were then living.  There he married Edith MacAlpine, the daughter of a Highlander who had also been in the battle of Culloden Moor, and who had with great difficulty escaped with his family to America.

     Captain Henry Connelly married Ann MacGregor.

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The Archibald & Edtih
(MacAlpin) MacGregor Family

Figure 9: The Tartan Colors of the MacGregor Clan & Ancient Tartan of the MacAlpine Clan

Archibald MacGREGOR.  He was born in 1720, in Scotland, and died in 1758, in Guilford County, North Carolina.  He married Edith MacALPIN in North Carolina.  She was born on the 14th of February, 1724, in Scotland, and died in 1774, in Guilford County, North Carolina.  She married a Mr. LANGLEY after Archibald’s death.

Children of Archibald & Edith (MacALPIN) MacGREGOR:

1. F – Ann MacGREGOR.  She was born on the 14th of February, 1756, in North Carolina, and died about 1830, in Oil Springs, Floyd County, Kentucky.  She married Henry CONNELLY in 1774, in Guilford County, North Carolina.  He was born on the 2nd of May, 1752, in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and died on the 7th of May, 1840, in Oil Springs, Floyd County, Kentucky.  He was the son of Thomas & Mary (Van HARLINGEN) CONNELLY.
   

Figure 10: Andrew Lang - "A prolific Scots man of Letters" (1844-1912), drawn by Burne Mudock, engraved by J.F. Jungling

Sources:

• ANDERSON, Peter.  “Culloden Moore and Story of the Battle; with Description of the Stone Circles and Cairns at Clava.”
• ARNETT, Ethel Stephens.  “Greensboro, North Carolina – The County Seat of Guilford.”  1955, published by the University of North Carolina Press, Chapel, Hill, North Carolina.
• ASHE, Samuel, A; WEEKS, Stephen B.; Van NOPPEN, Charles, L., Editors.  “Biographical History of North Carolina, from Colonial Times to the Presents.”  1906.  Volume V, Charles L. Van Noppen, Publisher, Greensboro, North Carolina. 
• CONNELLY, William Elsey.  “Eastern Kentucky Papers: The Founding of HARMAN’s STATION; with an account of The Indian Captivity of Mrs. Jennie Wiley and the Exploration and Settlement of the Big Sandy Valley in the Virginias and Kentucky.”  The Torch Press, Cedar Rapids, Iowa – 1910.  See Page 102.
• FORBES, ‘Reverend’ Robert.  “Jacobite Memoirs of the Rebellion of 1745.”
• FORBES, ‘Reverend’ Robert.  “The Lyon in Mourning; or a Collection of Speeches, Letters, Journal, etc. Relative to the Affairs of Prince Charles Edward Stuart.”  By the Rev. Robert Forbes, A.M. Bishop of Ross and Caithness, 1746-1775.  In Three Volumes.  Printed at the University Press by T. and A. Constable, for the Scottish History Society, 1895.
• GIBSON, John Graham.  “Old and New World Highland Bagpiping.”
• McGRUDER, Egbert Watson (Editor).  “YEAR BOOK of American Clan Gregor Society: Containing the Proceedings of the tenth Annual Gathering, 1919.”  The William Byrd Press, Inc., Printers, Richmond, Va.
• MURRAY, William Hutchison.  “Rob Roy MacGregor: His Life and Times.”
• MOHAN, Lord.  “History of England.”
• RAY, Celeste.  “Highland Heritage: Scottish Americans in the American South.”
• REID, Stuart.  “The Scottish Jacobite Army 1745-46"
  
• SCOTT, Sir Walter.  “History of Scotland.”  Volumes I & II.
• SPRUNT, James.  “Chronicles of The Cape Fear River, 1660-1916.”  1916, 2nd Edition.  Raleigh Edwards & Broughton Printing, Co.
• STOCKARD, Sallie Walker.  “The History of Guilford County, North Carolina.”  1902, Knoxville, Tennessee; Gaut-Ogden Co., Printers and Book Binders.
  

Internet Sources:

• British Battles.  http://www.britishbattles.com  “The Battle of Culloden 1745”
• Clan MacGregor.  http://www.clangregor.org  “Glengyle House, Historical Articles and Stories,” by Bob Lundin.
• Crann Tara, Preserving the Culture, History, Heritage & Future of Scotland.  http://www.cranntara.org.uk 
• Everypoet.com.  http://www.everypoet.com  - Poems by Andrew Long
• Gen Uki, UK & Ireland Genealogy.  http://www.genuki.org.uk  -  Argyllshire
• National Galleries of Scotland.  http://www.nationalgalleries.org
• NLS – National Library of Scotland.  http://www.nls.uk  -  Map of the Battle of Culloden.
• North Carolina History Project.  http://www.northcarolinahistory.org – “North Carolina Colony and State Maps
• The Argyll Colony Plus, The Journal of the North Carolina Scottish Heritage Society.  http://www.theargyllcolonyplus.org  
• The Queen of Scots.  http://www.queenofscots.co.uk  “Culloden Moor and Story of the Battle,” by Peter Anderson; original published in 1867.
• The Royal Collection; Royal Palaces, Residences and Art Collection.  http://www.royalcollection.org.uk   

Images:

• Figure 1: Charles Edward Stuart (1720-1788) – Picture on Left is a portrait painted between 1739 to 1745 by William Mosman, showing Charles clothed in a tartan jacket, with the garter containing the star and ribbon, and the white cockade displayed on his hat.  Picture on Right, by Maurice Quentin de la Tour, 1748.  Wearing the blue sash of the Order of the Garter across his breastplate.
• Figure 2: Statue of “Robert the Bruce.”
• Figure 3: The Battle of Culloden, by David Morier. 1746.  – Title of the painting: “The Highland attack on the Grenadier Company of Barrell’s King’s Own Royal Regiment.”
• Figure 4: “The Battle of Culloden showing the Encampment of the English Army; At Nairn, and the march of the Highlander’s in order to attack them by night.”  Map by John Finlayson, dated about 1746.
• Figure 5: The Battle of Culloden, by Mark Churms.
• Figure 6: Territorial Map of North Carolina, dated 1755.
• Figure 7: Detailed map of the Coastal & “Cape Fear” region of North Carolina, 1755.
• Figure 8: The Crest of the MacGregor Clan.
• Figure 9: The Tartan Colors of the MacGregor Clan & Ancient Tartan of the MacAlpine Clan.
• Figure 10: Andrew Lang – “A prolific Scots man of Letters.”  (1844-1912); Drawn by Burne Murdock, engraved by J. F. Jungling.

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