Carr　now　returned　to　Ross　and　laid　siege　to　Redcastle；　the　only　stronghold　in　the　North　which　still　held　out　for　the　Royal　cause。　The　　officer　in　charge　recklessly　exposed　himself　on　the　ramparts；　and　was　　pulled　down　by　a　well…directed　shot　from　the　enemy。　　The　castle　was　set　　on　fire　by　the　exasperated　soldiers。　　Leslie　then　placed　a　garrison　in　　Brahan　and　Chanonry　Castles；　and　returned　south。　The　garrisons　were　　then　expelled；　some　of　the　men　hanged；　the　walls　demolished；　and　the　　fortifications　razed　to　the　ground。　　Thus　ended　an　insurrection　which　　probably　would　have　had　a　very　different　result　had　it　been　delayed　until　the　arrival　of　Montrose。　　The　same　year　General　Leslie　himself　came　to　　Fortrose　with　nine　troops　of　horse；　and　forwarded　detachments　to　　Cromarty　and　〃Seaforth's　strongest　hold〃　of　Ellandonnan　Castle。
  The　following　account　of　this　period　by　a　contemporary　writer　is　　very　interesting：〃Immediately　after　the　battle　of　Auldearn　Seaforth　met　　and　communed　with　Montrose；　the　result　of　which　was　that　Seaforth　　should　join　Montrose；　for　the　King　against　the　Parliament　and　States；　　whom　they　now　discovered　not　to　be　for　the　King　as　they　professed；　but　in　the　meantime　that　Seaforth　should　not　appear；　till　he　had　called　upon　and　prevailed　with　his　neighbours　about　him；　namely；　My　Lord　Reay；　Balna…gown；　Lovat；　Sir　James　Macdonald　of　Sleat；　Macleod　of　Dunvegan；　and　　others；　to　join　him　and　follow　him　as　their　leader。　　Accordingly；　Seaforth　　having　called　them　together；　pointed　out　to　them　the　condition　the　King　was　in；　and　how　it　was　their　interest　to　rise　and　join　together　immediately　　for　his　Majesty's　service　and　relief。　　All　of　them　consented　and　approved　of　the　motion；　only　some　of　them　desired　that　the　Parliament　who　　professed　to　be　for　the　King　as　well　as　they；　and　desired　to　be　rid　of　　Montrose　and　his　bloody　Irish；　should　first　be　made　acquainted　with　their　resolution。　　Seaforth；　being　unwilling　to　lose　any　of　them；　condescended；　and　drew　up　a　declaration；　which　was　known　as　Seaforth's　Remonstrance；　　as　separate　from　Montrose；　whereof　a　double　was　sent　them；　but　the　　Parliament　was　so　far　from　being　pleased　therewith　that　they　threatened　to　　proclaim　Seaforth　and　all　who　should　join　him　as　rebels。　　Now；　after　the　battle　of　Alford　and　Kilsyth；　wherein　Montrose　was　victorious；　and　all　in　the　south　professing　to　submit　to　him　as　the　King's　Lieutenant；　he　was　by　the　treachery　of　Traquair　and　others　of　the　Covenanters；　surprised　and　　defeated　at　Philiphaugh。　　In　the　beginning　of　the　next　year；　1646；　he　came　　north　to　recruit　his　army。　Seaforth　raised　his　men　and　advertised　his　　foresaid　neighbours　to　come；　but　none　came　except　Sir　James　Macdonald；　　who；　with　Seaforth；　joined　Montrose　at　Inverness；　which　they　besieged；　　but　Middleton；　who　then　served　in　the　Scots　armies　in　England；　being　sent　with　nearly　1000　horse　and　800　foot；　coming　suddenly　the　length　of　Inverness；　stopped　Montrose's　progress。　　Montrose　was　forced　to　raise　the　siege　and　quit　the　campaign；　and　retired　with　Seaforth　and　Sir　James　　Macdonald　to　the　hills　of　Strathglass；　to　await　the　arrival　of　the　rest　of　　their　confederates；　Lord　Reay；　Glengarry；　Maclean；　and　several　others；　　who；　with　such　as　were　ready　to　join　him　south；　were　likely　to　make　a　　formidable　army　for　the　King　but；　in　the　meantime；　the　King　having　come　　to　the　Scots　army；　the　first　thing　they　extorted　from　him　was　to　send　a　　herald　to　Montrose；　commanding　him　to　disband　his　forces；　and　to　pass　　over　to　France　till　his　Majesty's　further　pleasure。　　The　herald　came　to　him　　in　the　last　of　May；　1646；　while　he　was　at　Strathglass　waiting　the　rest　of　the　　King's　faithful　friends　who　were　to　join　him。　　For　this　Montrose　was　　vexed；　not　only　for　the　King's　condition；　but　for　those　of　his　faithful　　subjects　who　declared　themselves　for　him　and　before　he　would　disband　he　　wrote　several　times　to　the　King；　but　received　no　answer；　except　some　　articles　from　the　Parliament　and　Covenanters；　which　after　much　　reluctance；　he　was　forced　to　accept；　by　which　he　was　to　depart　the　　Kingdom　against　the　first　of　September　following；　and　the　Covenanters　　were　obliged　to　provide　a　ship　for　his　transportation；　but　finding　that　they　　neglected　to　do　so；　meeting　with　a　Murray　ship　in　the　harbour　of　　Montrose；　he　went　aboard　of　her　with　several　of　his　friends；　namely；　Sir　　John　Hurry；　who　served　the　States　the　year　before；　John　Drummond；　　Henry　Brechin；　George　Wishart；　and　several　others；　leaving　Seaforth　and　the　rest　of　his　friends　to　the　mercy　of　these　implacable　enemies；　for　the　States　and　Parliament　threatened　to　forfeit　him　for　acting　contrary　to　their　　orders；　and　the　Kirk　excommunicated　him　for　joining　with　the　　excommunicated　traitor；　as　they　called　him；　James　Graham；　for　now　the　　Kirk　began　to　rule　with　a　high　hand；　becoming　more　guilty　than　the　　bishops；　of　that　of　which　they　charged　him　with　as　great　a　fault　for　　meddling　with　civil　and　secular　affairs；　for　they　not　only　looked　upon　　them　to　form　the　army　and　to　purge　it　of　such　as　whom；　in　their　idiom；　　they　called　Malignants；　but　really　such　as　were　loyal　to　the　King；　and　also　　would　have　no　Acts　of　Parliament　to　pass　without　their　consent　and　　approbation。　Their　proselytes　in　the　laity　were　also　heavy　upon　and　　uneasy　to　such　as　they　found　or　conceived　to　have　found　with　a　tincture　of　Malignancy；　whereof　many　instances　might　be　given。〃　　But　to　return　to　　Seaforth。　　〃After　he　was　excommunicated　by　the　Kirk　he　was　obliged　to　　go　to　Edinburgh；　where　he　was　made　prisoner　and　detained　two　years；　till　　in　the　end　he　was；　with　much　ado；　released　from　the　sentence　of　excom…munication；　and　the　process　of　forfeiture　against　him　discharged；　for　that　　time　he　returned　home　in　the　end　of　the　year；　1648；　but　King　Charles　I。　　being　before　that　time　murdered；　and　King　Charles　II。　being　in　France；　　finding　that　he　would　not　be　for　any　time　on　fair　terms　with　the　States　and　　Kirk；　he　proposed　to　remove　his　family　to　the　Island　of　Lewis；　and　dwell　there　remote　from　public　affairs；　and　to　allocate　his　rents　on　the　mainland　　to　pay　his　most　pressing　debts；　in　order　to　which；　having　sent　his　lady　in　　December　to　Lochcarron；　where　boats　were　attending　to　transport　himself　　and　children　to　the　Lewis　by　way　of　Lochbroom；　wherein　his　affairs　called　him；　he；　without　acquainting　his　kinsmen　and　friends；　went　aboard　a　ship　　which　he　had　provided　for　that　purpose；　and　sailed　to　France；　where　the　　King　was；　who　received　him　most　graciously　and　made　him　one　of　his　　secretaries。　This　did　incense　the　States　against　him；　so　that　they　placed　a　garrison　in　his　principal　house　at　Brahan；　under　the　command　　of　Captain　　Scott；　　who　（afterwards）　broke　his　neck　from　a　fall　from　his　horse　in　the　Craigwood　of　Chanonry；　as　also　another　garrison　in　the　Castle　of　　Ellandonnan；　under　the　command　of　one　William　Johnston；　which　　remained　to　the　great　hurt　and　oppression　of　the　people　till；　in　t
  Paragraph　587　has　too　many　words。　he　year　1650；　some　of　the　Kintail　men；　not　bearing　the　insolence　of　the　garrison　　soldiers；　discorded　with　them；　and　in　harvest　that　year　killed　John　　Campbell；　a　leading　person　among　them；　with　others；　for　having　wounded　　several　at　little　Inverinate；　without　one　drop　of　blood　drawn　out　of　the　　Kintail　men；　who　were　only　10　in　number；　while　the　soldiers　numbered　　30。　　After　this　the　garrison　was　very　uneasy　and　greatly　afraid　of　the　　Kintail　men；　who　threatened　them　so；　that　shortly　thereafter　they　removed　to　Ross；　being　commanded　then　by　one　James　Chambers；　but　Argyll；　to　　keep　up　the　face　of　a　garrison　there；　sent　ten　men　under　the　command　of　John　Muir；　who　lived　there　civilly　without　molesting　the　people；　the　States　　were　so　incensed　against　the　Kintail　men　for　this　brush　and　their　usage　of　　the　garrison；　that　they　resolved　to　send　a　strong　party　next　spring　to　　destroy　Kintail　and　the　inhabitants　thereof。　　But　King　Charles　II。；　after　the　　defeat　of　Dunbar；　being　at　Stirling　recruiting　his　army　against　Cromwell；　to　which　Seaforth's　men　were　called；　it　proved　an　act　of　oblivion　and　　indemnity　to　them；　so　that　the　Kintail　men　were　never　challenged　for　their　　usage　of　the　garrison　soldiers。　　Though　the　Earl　of　Seaforth　was　out　of　the　kingdom；　he　gave　orders　to　his　brother　Pluscardine　to　raise　men　for　the　　King's　service　whenever　he　saw　the　King's　affairs　required　it；　and　so；　in　the　year　1649；　Pluscardine　did　raise　Seaforth's　men　and　my　Lord　Reay　　joining　him　with　his　men；　marched　through　Inverness；　went　through　　Moray；　and　crossed　the　Spey；　being　resolved　to　join　the　Gordons；　Atholes；　and　several　others　who　were　ready　to　rise；　and　appeared　for　the　King。　　　Lesley；　who　was　sent　from　the　Parliament　to　stop　their　progress；　called　　Pluscardine　to　treat　with　him；　while　Seaforth's　and　my　Lord　Reay's　men　　encamped　at　Balveny；　promising　a　cessation　of　hostilities。　　For　some　days　Colonel　Carr　and　Strachan；　with　a　strong　body　of　horse；　surprised　them　in　their　camp；　when　they　lay　secure；　and　taking　my　Lord　Reay；　Rory　　Mackenzie　of　Redcastle；　Rory　Mackenzie　of　Fairburn；　John　Mackenzie　of　　Ord；　and　others；　prisoners；　threatening　to　kill　them　unless　the　men　surrendered　and　disbanded；　and　the　under　officers　fearing　they　would　kill　them　whom　they　had　taken　prisoners；　did　their　utmost　to　hinder