Person Page - 121

Donald MacDonell 4th of Scotus¹

Culloden Battlefield

• Father: Eneas MacDonell 3rd of Scotus² b. 1668, d. Nov 1752
• Mother: Catherine MacLeod [of Berneray]² b. c 1666, d. 1761

• Relationships: 9th cousin of Dougald MacFarlane, Uncle of Margaret MacDonell, 4th great-granduncle of Donald James MacFarlane

The ancestry chart of Archibald MacFarlane (ID # 34) is presented because he unites the ancestry of both his parents. If an individual appears more than once in Archibald's chart this indicates descent from the individual in more than one line. By clicking on the each instance (i.e. Ancestry of Archibald MacFarlane (#5)) each line of descent will be shown.

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• Name-Gaelic: Donald MacDonell 4th of Scotus was also known in Gaelic as Donul nan Gleann.¹
• Birth*: Donald was born circa 1690 in Scotus, Inverness-shire, Scotland.²
• Death*: Donald died in 1746 in Culloden, Inverness-shire, Scotland.^3,2
• Biography*: Donald Scotos, known as " Donul nan Gleann," who was unfortunately killed at Culloden, by tradition the handsomest of his race and name, was captain in the Glengarry Regiment. He, described as " younger " of Scotos, was one of the first to join Prince Charles, and, had he been head of his family, it is not likely that the command would have been given to Lochgarry, a younger branch. Most pleasing accounts of this gallant Highlander are to be found in the Chevalier Johnstone's memoirs. These memoirs are admirable, bearing every mark of genuineness. It must be admitted, however, that he was rather partial ; for those whom he liked no praise was too great : for those whom he disliked, whether individuals or localities, no language could be too strong. Speaking of the town of Forfar, for instance, he says : " There is a small town named Forfar, most renowned for its Presbyterian fanaticism, and whose inhabitants have signalized latterly their holy zeal, by contributing to make Colonel Kerr prisoner. Samuel (a guide) had forewarned me that it was necessary to pass through this infernal town, not having any other road which conducted to Broughty, a village on the border of the first arm of the sea, or abandoning the great routes to pass it ; so I departed late from the house of Samuel in order to pass through this execrable town, during the time that the unworthy inhabitants were sunk in the most profound sleep."
  
  And of St Andrews " At all times the most fanatical town in Scotland, renowned by the assassination of their Archbishop, the Cardinal Bethune. Full of a malignant race of Calvinistic hypocrites, who masked their wickedness under the cloak of religion ; the greatest cheats and rascals in their intercourse, and who nevertheless carried their sanctified dissimulation so far as to lift their bonnet in taking a pinch of snuff to ask God's blessing on it ; who have always the name of God in their mouths, and the devil in their hearts a city only worthy of the fate of Sodom and Gommorhah."
  
  The Chevalier became intimately acquainted with Scotos when the Highland army came to Inverness in the month of February 1746, and they were afterwards constantly together. At the fatal battle of Culloden the Chevalier was along with Scotos in the Prince's left wing, at one time not twenty paces from the enemy. He narrates " My friendship for the unfortunate Macdonell of Scotos, who was killed by my side at the battle of Culloden, had engaged me to accompany him to the charge with his regiment. We were on the left of our army, and at the distance of about twenty paces from the enemy, when the rout commenced to become general, before even we had made our charge on the left.
  Almost at the same instant that I had seen poor Scotos fall (the most worthy man I had ever known, and with whom I had been allied in friendship the most pure from the commencement of the expedition), to the increase of my horror, I beheld the Highlanders around me turning their backs to fly."
  
  Thus ended the career of Donul nan Gleann, one of the most honourable names in the history of the men of Knoydart. Among the cherished possessions of the representative of Scotos the present Glengarry is a snuff-box, by tradition, reported as presented on the field of battle by Prince Charlie to Donul nan Gleann. It bears the royal arms, with an inscription rudely traced, but distinct.
  
  The singular episode in the lives of Donald Scotos and his son Ranald is thus narrated by the Chevalier : " On the 19th March (1746), after that the detachment was commanded by the Duke of Perth, M. Macdonald of Scothouse came to pass the day with me. He was a man of about forty years of age, endowed with a fine figure and a prepossessing address, joined to that of an agreeable exterior. He had all the qualities of soul which ordinarily distinguish the honourable and gallant man brave, polite. obliging, of fine spirit and sound judgment. Although I had not known him but since the commencement of the expedition of the Prince, T soon came to distinguish his merit and the sweetness of his society. I formed with him the closest friendship, notwithstanding the disparity of our ages. He paid back my affection with all the tenderness of a parent. As he was naturally of a gay disposition, I perceived his melancholy on his entering my dwelling. On asking him the cause, this worthy man looked at me, his eyes bathed in tears, and said ' Ah, my friend, you do not know what it is to be a father. I am of this detachment which must depart this evening to attack Lord Loudoun. You do not know that a son whom I adore is with him an officer in his regiment. I believed myself fortunate in obtaining that rank for this dear boy, not being able to forsee the descent of Charles Edward into Scotland. Perhaps to-morrow I shall have the grief to kill my son with my own hand, and that the same ball that 1 shall fire oft in my defence may occasion from myself a death the most cruel ! In going with the detachment I may be able to save
  his life ; if I do not march, some other may kill him.' The recital of poor Scothouse rent my heart. I could not refrain from mingling my tears with his, although I had never seen this young man the subject of the sharp pangs of a tender father. I retained him the whole day at my house, endeavouring to dissipate his fears as much as I possibly could, and making him promise, on parting, to come straight to my house on leaving the boat. The next evening I heard a great knock at my door. I ran thither, and perceived the good father holding a young man by the hand, of a jolly figure, who cried to me, his eyes sparkling with joy ' Behold, my friend, the one who yesterday caused all my alarms. I have taken him prisoner myself, and when I had hold of him he embraced me fervently, not regarding the others who were present.' I then sav him shed tears of joy, very different to those of the night before. We supped all three together at my chamber, and I never had my mind more penetrated with satisfaction than at this supper, by the mutual scene of tenderness between the father and son."
  
  I refer to the memoirs for further particulars ; and in illustration am able to give the son's own account, fifty years after. In 1796 Ranald Macdonell, fifth of Scotos, then an old man, whose chequered career shall be immediately referred to, sent in an application for a pension to King George III. The scroll of this application, tattered, worn, and almost illegible, has, with many papers connected with the family, been fortunately preserved, and in so far as it relates to the '45 runs thus " That the representer is one of the immediate cadets of the family of Glengarry, and at a very early period of his life saw the blessings which all Your Majesty's subjects acquired by the Revolution, and the accession of your Majesty's predecessors to the throne of Great Britain, which induced him, at the breaking out of the Rebellion of 1745, contrary to the general ideas of that clan at the time, to join his Majesty's forces as a volunteer in the regiment of Highlanders commanded by Lord Loudoun. The memorialist was with the regiment in all the service they were engaged in 1745-6, and in particular he was one of those fifty who exerted themselves, and made their escape when the regiment were made prisoners near Dornoch in Sutherland. That the memorialist served in this small party, then commanded by Captain Sir Harry Munro, in which Lieutenant, now General, Reid served, when a French sloop, the 'Hazard,' came to Lord Reay's country with money and ammunition to supply the Rebel army. Here she was attacked and taken by the *'Sheerness,' when 250 of the men, among whom were 26 Irish officers, commanded by a Colonel Brown, having made their escape, they were attacked by the above 50 men, several of them killed, and the remainder all made prisoners ; and the Rebel army were thus disappointed of about 20,000 money, which contributed in no small degree to ruin the cause of the Pretender, and obliged his Rebel army to meet his Majesty's forces at Culloden, which terminated that rebellion. That the memorialist and the said party joined the Duke of Cumberland at Aberdeen, when the officers and men received the thanks of His Royal Highness for the essential service they had performed. That the memorialist remained in the regiment till the year 1747, and was well known to the officers of the regiment, none of whom, so far as the memorialist knows, are now living, except the Duke of Argyle, then Lieut.-Colonel, and General Reid, then a Lieutenant, who was in the attack on the above 250 men, and whose spirit and good conduct contributed greatly to
  the success of the party."
  
  It will be observed that though Ranald Scotos makes no reference to having been taken prisoner by his father, his statement does not contradict the account by the Chevalier. Nothing that I have seen in the papers gives any clue, account, or reason why Ranald, when quite a youth, ran so counter to the family traditions, and associated himself with the Hanoverian party, except that prior to the '45 he had been a good deal among the Macleods, his grandmother's family. He was a strict Catholic, and, though his two wives were Protestants, his family and all their descendants have continued in the ancient faith. He also, when he had occasion to do so, always spoke of the '45 as a " rebellion," in marked contrast with his neighbours and contemporaries, Barisdale, Scammadale, Morar, and others, who cautiously used the expression of " The troubles of the '45."¹