Archibald au Aislingiche Maclean

From 'The Macleans of Boreray', 1946, pages 22-27:

Archibald, fifth of Boreray, eldest son of Alexander, was a man of
repute, of noble bearing, and an able and courageous leader. On the
death of his father he offered his Superior to fulfil the terms of the old
conditions of tenure his father had failed to implement, by taking upon
himself burden for both his own and his father's obligations. While the
Chief of Sleat declined to continue the occupation on the old conditions,
he granted to Archibald a lease though on less advantageous terms, and
appointed him Chamberlain over his North Uist Estate.

On the renewal of the feud which existed between Donald Gorm
Macdonald of Sleat and Sir Lachlan Mor MacLean of Duart, the former
called upon his vassal, MacLean of Boreray, to join his expeditionary force
in an invasion of Mull, with his quota of fighting men and his great galley,
and report at an arranged rendezvous in the neighbourhood of the Sound
of Mull. Boreray, greatly against his will, obeyed the summons, but his
heart was with the Chief of his own Clan. To refuse would be to forfeit
his heritage in North Uist, and altogether he found himself in a dilemma,
and he was hard put to it as to how he could extricate himself with honour.
For days he brooded over the misfortune of his position, and pondered
over the situation as he crossed the Minch. He was a man of vision-a
poet and a dreamer, as well as a good general, and before he landed in
Mull a subtle scheme began to form in his mind.

After the defeat of the Macdonalds in Islay by the MacLeans, assisted
by the MacLeod of Lewis and Cameron Chiefs, the Macdonalds were
furious, and the Clan united and reformed, under Donald Gorm of Sleat,
a combination of clansmen, consisting of the Macdonalds of Skye and
North Uist, the Macdonalds of Clanranald, South Uist, the Macdonalds of
Kintyre and Ardnamurchan, and various vassal chieftains, including the
redoubtable MacLean of Boreray, and his Gillean Mor. With this
formidable following Sir Donald Gorm Macdonald, of Sleat, suddenly
invaded Mull, and made a landing at the head of Loch-nan-Gaull. At a
place called Cranalich the first skirmish with the MacLeans took place,
and ended in favour of the Macdonald Chief, but next day at Leac Li the
tables were completely turned, and the Macdonalds were routed. Some
time afterwards the Chief of Sleat reformed his forces, and assembled
them at an appointed rendezvous at Bachca, south of Ken-era, but the
MacLeans had good scouts out and attacked the Macdonald clansmen
before they had time to form for battle.

These several sanguinary fights are given in great detail by
" Seneachie " in his Account of the Clan MacLean, as follows : "The
victorious career of Lachlan Mor, and the death of so many of their clans-
men in Isia, roused the ire of the Macdonalds generally, and they now again
formed a combination in which all the chieftains of that name bound them-
selves not to lay down their arms until the ravages committed by the chief
of MacLean in Isia should be fully and satisfactorily punished. This
league included, besides the Macdonalds of Kintyre, Skye, Clanranald, and
Ardnamurchan, the subordinate clans of MacNeil of Gigha, MacAllisters
of Loupe and Collonsay. They had also the powerful assistance of
Maclean of Borreray, who on this occasion was forced to enlist under the
banner of his feudal superior, Donald Gorm of Sleat; and so suddenly did
they assemble together and enter Mull that the chief of Maclean had no
force whatever in readiness sufficient to repel them. He was therefore
obliged to summon all the inhabitants to withdraw themselves from the
valleys and sea coast, and take shelter with their property in the mountains,
where he himself took post with them.

" The invaders in the meantime sailed up Loch-nan-Gaull, on the
West coast of Mull, and landed between Derryguaig and Knock, at the
foot of Bein-mor; from hence they pushed forward their out-posts as far
as Sron-na-Cranalich, within three miles of a small valley called Lichi-Li,
where the MacLeans were encamped. Lachlan Mor gave strict orders
that no one should advance beyond a certain pass, at which it was his
intention to dispute the progress of his enemies when they attempted to
force it. Contrary to his instructions, however, a bold and spirited youth,
Ian 'n Inner (or John of Inverscadell), a son of Maclean of Ardgour, who
commanded the detached parties, and whose bravery on this occasion
overmatched his prudence, could not witness the insulting advance of the
Macdonalds without some attempt to check them; he removed from the
post assigned him, and with a few followers attacked the advanced party
at Sron-na-Cranalich, the result was the loss of almost every individual of
his faithful band, one of whom was Allan, son of Maclean of Treshnish,
a youth of much promise, and whose death was deeply lamented.

"Early on the following day the invaders moved forward with
intention to attack the Macleans in their position. On the march, and as
they were approaching the pass already mentioned, Maclean of Borreray,
while marching at the head of his men, was observed to be wrapt in an
unusual reverie of thoughtfulness. Sir Donald Macdonald of Slaite, the
commander of the invaders, and whose immediate follower Borreray on
this occasion was, approached him, and inquired of him if the cause of
his particularly thoughtful mood did not arise from a reluctance to fight
against his clan and kinsmen; and if so, that he was welcome to fall back
into the rear, and resign his 'post to such as might not be deterred from
doing their duty by such treacherous scruples. 'Treacherous scruples,'
replied Maclean, ' I entertain not; more care for thee and thy followers
makes me in mood melancholy '; and in a half suppressed tone, as if
addressing himself, he added, ' that horrid! and, I fear, ominously fatal
dream?' ' Listen,' said Borreray, ' you shall hear; at the middle hour
of night, as a peaceful slumber came o'er me, a voice distinctly repeated
the following lines to me :-

" ' 'N Lichd-Li sin, 0, Lichd-Li!
'Sann orsdasa'm Bheireir 'n di!
'Siad Clan-Ghilleain a bheir buaidh,
Air an t'shluagh thig air tir;
'N Gearna Dudh sin, si'n Gearna Dubh;
'Sann innta Dhoardir 'n fhuil
Marbhar'n Riddirra Ruadh
Mo'ndheid claimbh 'n truaill duidh!'
(Feared Lichd-Lee, ah ! dread Lichd-Lee!
Direful are the deeds the fates have doomed on thee;
Defeated by the Sons of Gillean the invading multitude.shall be.
On thee, Gearna Dubh, streams of blood shall flow;
And the bold Red Knight shall meet his death ere a. sword is
sheathed).

"Borreray's dream worked with the most happy effect upon the
superstitious credulity of the red knight of Sleat; for, finding the Macleans
in full force, and most advantageously posted at the pass of Gearna-Dubh
(the dreaded spot where the fates had prophesied his downfall), Macdonald
instantly sounded a retreat, and pursued as they soon were by the
Macleans, aided by the artful but worthy Borreray, who now took his
opportunity, accompanied by his followers, to change sides, the best
Macdonald was he who could best run. They were, however, overtaken
at the very spot where but the day before they landed in the high hope
of making an easy prey of those before whom they were now flying; and
so panic-struck and confused were they that hardly any resistance was
made to the merciless attack of the Macleans at the place of embarkation,
prodigious numbers being slain without the loss of a single individual on
the side of their assailants.

This unexpected defeat served only as additional fuel to the rage
of the Macdonalds; and exasperated to the utmost against the Macleans
as the whole clan now was, a fresh levy was immediately made amongst
the vassals of those chiefs who headed the late invasion, and the place of
rendezvous was appointed at a small fortified island south of Kerrera, on
the coast of Lorn, called Bachca ; this formed a convenient post, as being
situated in a central situation between the Macdonalds of the north and
those of the south. The chief of Maclean, however, did not witness these
symptoms of renewed hostilities against him without due preparation on
his part; and he lost no time in summoning to his aid all the chieftains
of his own name and those of Macneil, Mackinnon, and Macquarie. Thus
prepared Lachlan Mor did not consider it advisable to stand on the
defensive only, as regarded the threatened invasion, but determined at
once on attacking his enemies in their stronghold at Bachca; and the
necessary preparation for this purpose being completed, he crossed over
to the coast of Lorn early in the morning; his van being commanded by
the gallant Maclean of Borreray on the right, and by MacNeil of Barra
on the left. The main body was led by Lachlan Mor in person. Borreray
and Barra concentrated their line, consisting chiefly of the archers, at the
principal landing place on the west of the island, where they found the
Macdonalds in strong force prepared to dispute their landing. The attack
was immediately commenced, and with such rapidity and fatal precision
were the showers of arrows from the galleys directed, that the defenders
were soon forced to make a precipitate retreat into their interior works;
the Macleans following up their advantage, pursued the Macdonalds into
the centre of the island where a terrible slaughter ensued, three hundred
and forty of the Macdonalds and their adherents being either killed or
wounded. The victors made also a considerable number of prisoners,
among whom were Macdonalds of Slaite and Ardnamurchan, Macleod of
Lewis, and MacPhee of Collonsay. The result to the Macleans was the
most important as the victory had been achieved with the loss on their
side of two common soldiers killed, and one gentleman of the Morvern
Macleans wounded. In the battle of Bachca the advantages were in
every respect in favour of the Macdonalds; they were in possession of an
island strongly fortified, and at the commencement of the action numbered
two thousand five hundred men, whereas the followers of Maclean did
not exceed twelve hundred. About eighteen hundred of the defeated
host made good their retreat by having taken the precaution to have their
boats in readiness in case of reverse on the opposite side of the island."
That is the account of the battles of Cranalach, Leac-Li, and Bachca,
from the point of view of the Maclean Seanachidh.

But what have the Macdonald historians to say about that bloody
clan feud. At pp. 32-34, of volume III, of that great work. Clan Donald,
we read :-'' The story of the war of vengeance conducted by Donald
Gorme is much less clearly indicated in the records than the feud of
Angus of Dunnyveg. It is no doubt referred to in great detail in the
History of the Clan Maclean by Seannachaidh, and by other more recent
historical writers, who have unquestioningly incorporated his tradition.
Like all accounts, from a clan point of view, based upon unsupported
tradition, the Maclean historian's account of these troubled years must
be received with the greatest caution and reserve. The Chief of Sleat,
accompanied with much unwillingness by his vassal, Maclean of Borreray,
is said to have invaded the island of Mull, probably in the latter part of
1587, and this in the face of a Privy Council prohibition against gathering
in arms. In this invasion Donald Gorme and his allies appear to have
scored the first successes at a place called Cranalich, but on the following
day, at Leac Li, the Macdonald host is said to have been completely routed.
Not long after this there was a fresh levy of the Macdonald confederacy,
and a rendezvous was appointed to take place at a small island on the
coast of Lorn and South of Kerrera named Bachca, being a convenient
place-of meeting between the Clan Donald, North and South. Maclean,
on learning of these preparations for renewed hostilities, determined to
assume the offensive on the very first opportunity. He summoned to
his aid his own and other friendly clans, but still, according to the
Maclean historian, there was a great disparity in point of numbers between
the two sides, the Macdonald host numbering 2500, while Maclean's
followers were only 1200. We are not disposed to deny the defeat of
Donald Gorme on a priori grounds, even in the face of his numerical
advantages; but the circumstances as detailed by Seanachie make rather
heavy demands upon the historical imagination. We are told that Sir
Lachlan attacked the Macdonald warriors at the principal landing place
of Bachca early in the morning, the archers driving them back with flights
of arrows upon their interior defences at the centre of the island. Here
the attack was pressed home with such vigour that 340 Macdonalds were
killed, and many prisoners-including Donald Gorme himself-were
captured, while the Macleans only lost two men killed and one wounded.
The 1800 Macdonalds who were not killed or captured managed to make
their escape. All this is recorded with the utmost gravity by Seanachie,
who seems to think it the most natural thing in the world that a force
of Macdonalds, twice the number of their opponents, should meekly
submit to being massacred, captured, routed, without striking a blow
in self defence. Unfortunately, we have no means of testing the
historian's fidelity to truth except the inherent absurdity of the tale, and
the fact that there appears to be no record whatsoever in the muniments
of the age verifying the imprisonment of Donald Gorme and several
liundreds of his friends and vassals on this particular occasion."

It is not disputed that the MacLeans were the victors in this savage
campaign, but the MacLean version of the fighting is, on the face of it,
highly improbable; the disparity in losses of the contending forces at
the battle of Bachca, as given in the Account of the Clan MacLean, by a
Seneachie, must surely be taken Cum Grano Salis. There is, so far as
we can discover, little authentic information recorded of this, no doubt
sanguinary, battle in which the Macdonalds were admittedly vanquished,
but considering the weapons used at that period, and the mode of
fighting adopted-the discharge of a few flights of arrows, mostly to be
caught on targes (followed by fierce hand to hand fighting)-the result
could hardly have been so one sided as depicted, especially with the
losers numbering more than two to one.