In 1776, after heavy rains, it burst, and, as in
Ireland, streams of black peaty mud began to creep over the plain and to
overwhelm the houses. It was the scene of a battle fought on November
24th, 1542, when the English Army under Sir Thomas Wharton defeated a
Scottish Army of 10,000 men, who were either killed, drowned, or taken
prisoners. One of the unfortunates was unearthed in later times by
peat-diggers, a man on his horse, who had sunk in the bog. The skeletons
were well preserved, and the different parts of the armour easily
recognisable. The disastrous result of this battle so affected James V,
King of Scotland, that he is said to have died of a broken heart.
Personally, we thought he deserved a greater punishment for the murder
of Johnnie Armstrong and his followers twelve years before this event,
for Armstrong was just the man who could and would have protected the
Borders.
The River Esk was associated with Prince Charlie, who, with his
soldiers, had to cross it when retreating before the army of the Duke of
Cumberland. It was a difficult operation to carry out, as the usually
shallow ford had been converted by the melting snow into a swift-flowing
current four feet deep.
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