Clan Badge: Wild Myrtle (Garbhagant sleibhe). War Cry: "Cruachan."

Septs and dependents entitled to use the Campbell Tartan are: Bannatyne, Burns, Connochte, Denune, MacDiarmid, MacGlasrieh, MacIvor, MacKellar, MacTavish, Thomas, Thomson, Caddell, Calder, Loudoun.

Clan Campbell takes precedence of most of the Highland clans for antiquity, and, during the last three centuries has been surpassed by none in the extent of its possessions and the range of its power. I wish I could say that these possessions and this power were the rewards invariably of virtue and of patriotic devotion to Scotland. This I cannot do without falsifying history, and to its pages I refer the reader. It is uncongenial work for one of Highland descent to scan too closely the annals of the clans, for wrongs, cruelties and treacheries which so often mar their pages.

Some of the Campbells, like members of other clans, dissatisfied with descent

from either Scotland or Irish Celts, claim that the name was derived from one Camp-Bello, an Italian noble, who accompanied William the Conqueror to England in 1060. This term is not only bad Italian, but would be inappropriate if applied to an individual, and, furthermore, does not appear in the Conqueror's Battle Abbey of notables. It has been stated that the principal chief of the clan was entered in the register of King Robert Bruce's Parliament as "Campbello."

The late Marquis of Dufferin, who ought to have known better, gave currency to this same fiction in his "Letters from High Latitudes," when referring to one of the Argyll family. The grandfather of the present Duke of Argyll, George Douglas Campbell, the 8th Duke, who had distinction as a scholar and an author, said that his family name was Gaelic, and signified "curved mouth." This is an euphonistic rendering of "cam," Gaelic

for crooked. With the elimination of the "p," which was a later addition, the remainder of the name is spelled as in the olden time. The same Duke of Argyll stated that his ancestors came from Ireland, at that ancient time known as Scotia, with the colony that settled in Caledonia, and ultimately gave it the name Scotland.

Tradition has not been mute in the case of the Campbells any more than it has been regarding most of the ancient and famous clans. These legendary details are no doubt largely mythical, though many probably have had a foundation in fact, which have, as is invariably the case, become exaggerated and distorted in being transmitted orally through long periods of time. True, "Conn of the hundred battles" was doubtless an Irish hero of the olden time, but the claim advanced of his being an ancestor of the Campbell leading families is without foundation in fact. This "Conn" and other semi-mythical characters have been projected into the perspective of the present through tradition and unreliable history, largely to gratify personal vanity and a penchant for the marvelous and mysterious, inherent in our

race.

The earliest record of the name Camp. bell dates back to 1216, when Gillespie Cambell's name appeared in the Exchequer Rolls as holding the lands of Menstrie and Sauchie, in Stirling, and he also witnesses the charter of the burgh of Newburgh, in Fife, in 1266. A Dugald Campbell is mentioned as being connected with Dumbarton Castle in 1289, and in 1292 Colin Campbell supports the claim of Bruce, and is entered on a document as being connected with Argyll. In 1296 Arthur and Thomas Cambell are mentioned severally as King's tenants in Perthshire. In the same year, a Duncan Campbell, of the Isles, swears allegiance to the English King, Edward I, and at this time Neil Cambell was constituted King Edward's bailie over the lands from Lochfyne to Kilmartin, in Argyll. This Neil Campbell is in reality the founder of the Argyll family. As numbers of his descendants have done, he found it to his interests to transfer his allegiance to Bruce, supported him latterly in the War of Independence, and married one of Bruce's sisters.

It occurs to the writer that King Robert Bruce must have had a superfluity of sis

ters to bestow upon prominent Scots who had aided him in his arduous quest for a crown. Angus, Lord of the Isles, had a similar favor bestowed upon him, and others were not forgotten in the distribution of such royal favors. It does not do to be too critical in such cases. Even if a few or all of those royal espousals never took place, we can surely forgive the claimants of such alliances, for an amiable weakness, which pleased them and did not harm others.

Neil's son, Colin, succeeded him, and from this Colin the chief of the house of Argyll gets its patronymic of MacCailean Mor (son of the great Colin). This Colin was the real founder of the family of Argyll, was the sixth in descent from Gillespie previously mentioned, and was knighted by King Alexander III, in 1280. He had a quarrel with the MacDougalls of Lorn, which finally resulted in a clan battle at a place called "Ath Dearg" (Red Field), in Lorn, where he met with defeat and his death, in 1294.

Sir Colin Campbell (Cailean Iangantoch), i. e., Colin the Strange, succeeded his father, Archibald, who died in 1372. This Sir Colin was in high favor with King Robert III, and was employed by him to restrain some of the disaffected clans, for which task, aided by the King's troops and his own followers, he received grants of lands. Thus early did the Argyll family begin their congenial work of harrying their Highland neighbors, aided by the King's forces. Sir Colin was succeeded by Sir Duncan, "Dannachadh" (Duncan the Fortunate), a man of great abilities and wisdom. He was created Lord Campbell by James II, in 1445, and was the first of the family to assume the title of Argyll. He died in 1453, and was interred in the church of Kilmun. There is a monument erected over him, with a statue of life size. Archibald Roy succeeded, and was created Earl of Argyll in 1457; in 1470 he was made Baron of Lorn, and in 1481 he received grants of valuable lands in Knapdale. He was succeeded by his son, Archibald, second Earl of Argyll, who fought at Flodden (1513), and was killed with his royal master, James IV, and most of the Scottish nobles at that disastrous battle.

Though dying thus, with the lustre of bravery and patriotism on his name, it cannot be said that some of the early chiefs

of Argyll were either conspicuously brave or loyal, nor were they masters of strategy in war. To them and their followers were largely attributed the defeats or inconclusive results of the battles of Inverlochy, Pinkie, Philiphaugh and Sheriffmuir.

This second Earl of Argyll, with an eye to the main chance, pursued the steady policy of his family, self-aggrandizement, without much regard to the moral issues involved. Generally pets of the ruling powers and ready to execute their decrees, they had also the good fortune to be almost invariably on the winning side, and death and ruin to others meant accessions of power and large possessions to them.

Earl Archibald was rewarded for his subservience to his royal master with grants of lands of Auchentarlie and Dumbuck, two delightful estates in the Kilpatrick Hills, near Bowling and Dumtocher, and also the grant of Duchal, an estate in Renfrewshire, on the north side of the Clyde, which had been forfeited from Lord Lyle. He held the office of Lord Chancellor of Scotland, with other important positions of state, and greatly increased the land possessions of his clan, at the expense of the island chiefs. He obtained a lease for three years of the entire Lordship of the Isles, as well as their possessions on the mainland. Then he installed Keeper of Tarbert Castle, and "Bailie" of the Crown lands in Knapdale. From this time the great power possessed by the Earls of Ross (Lords of the Isles) was transferred to the Earls of Argyll and Earl Huntley, the former ruling over the Southern Isles and the adjacent coast.

was

The third son of Archibald married the daughter and heiress of Sir John Calder, of Cawdor, near Nairn, and thus became the founder of the family of Campbells, now represented by the Earl of Cawdor.

Colin, the third Earl, son of Archibald, acquired the extensive estate of Balquider, near Abernethy, one of the forfeited Douglas properties. Honors were thrust upon him as on his father, and he accentuated the family policy of hostility to the other clans. He added a pleasing variety to the slaughter of a brave and true race by taking possession of their lands and other property.

Archibald, the fourth Earl, succeeded his father, Colin, in 1530. By deed of gift,

he received the estate of Candross, near Dumbarton, on the Clyde, one of King Robert Bruce's heritages, and three years subsequent the estate of Arrochar, by Loch Loug, was bestowed upon him. Upon the death of James V, Argyll became the friend and adherent of Cardinal Beaton, who granted to the Earl three large estates in Perthshire.

In 1546 Queen Mary presented to the Earl the estate of Boguhan, in Stirlingshire. He was in command of the Scottish forces at the Battle of Pinkie, when his army was practically annihilated. After this defeat he marched the remnants of his forces to Dunbar to repel the enemy. Here, for some unexplained reason, he suddenly changed sides, and became a firm adherent of Mary of Guise and the French party. Soon after this, foreseeing coming events, he as suddenly left the Church of Rome, and embraced the Protestant faith, and on his deathbed he exhorted his son to support the reformed religion, and suppress Popish superstitions. From this. period onwards, with the exception of the seventh Earl, the house of Argyll exerted all its influence in supporting and extending the Protestant religion in Scotland.

Archibald, the fifth Earl, was a zealous, if not a fanatical, Protestant, and supporter of the Queen Regent, but on her violation of the Treaty of Perth he, trimming his sails to the breeze, seceded and joined the Covenanters, and became the friend and champion of John Knox, whom he entertained as Castle Campbell (Castle of Gloom), in Clackmananshire. This Earl, whose tutor was James Douglas, the first Protestant Bishop of St. Andrew's, was more or less instrumental in causing the destruction of some of the most noble ecclesiastical edifices in Scotland-Scoon, Perth, St. Andrew's, St. Giles', Holyrood, Cambus Kenneth, and others-acts of ruthless fanatical vandalism. Notwithstanding his belief, on the return of Queen Mary from France, Argyll was created a Privy Councillor, and stood high in her estimation, at least for a time. With the assistance of the Earl of Glencairn, Moray (the Queen's step-brother), and of Hamilton, he did his utmost to oppose her marriage with Darnley. Failing in this, while the Protestant Lords took refuge in England, Argyll retired to the seclusion of his own country, and guarded the mountain passes

Queen, John Knox endeavored to bring about a reconciliation, but was wholly unsuccessful. Their quarrels and final separation caused a mighty scandal, and much shame to the Protestant party, and drew upon them the censure of the General Assembly. The Countess of Argyll was present with the Queen in the small apartment in Holyrood Palace when Rizzio was so foully murdered by Ruthven and his party, in March, 1566.

Argyll played rather an inglorious part in the intrigues and events that supervened, and was implicated in the murder of Darnley, the Queen's consort, signed the bond in favor of the Queen marrying Bothwell. Despite the favors she had bestowed on him, he took a promi

Loch Leven Castle. He commanded her army at the Battle of Langside, near Glasgow, which ended in defeat, and the flight of the unhappy Queen to England.

A narration of the slaughter, spoliation, treachery by which the Maclans of Andnamunchan and Sunart became deprived of their property by royal warrant, and in the interests of the Argyll family, is extremely painful to one of Highland blood and sympathies. I will give no details of these atrocious proceedings, nor of the incidents of horror attending the practical extermination of the MacGregors, MacLeans, Lamonts and other clans by this clan. One instance of shocking cruelty and perfidy I cannot forbear to mention. After his sorely persecuted clan had been slaugh

tered almost to extinction, the chief of the MacGregors, induced by the blandishments of Argyll, surrendered on condition of his securing a safe conduct to the borders of England, so that he might personally approach King James in London. This was granted; Argyll conveyed the MacGregor chief to the border, then forcibly removed him to Edinburgh, where he had the unfortunate chief beheaded.

In the war between Charles I and the Parliamentary forces, in which the Scots also became involved he first supported the Royalist cause, but after the surrender of the King, he transferred his allegiance to the Parliamentary party. In the wars that followed the execution of the King, the eldest son of the Marquis of Argyll (Lord Lorn) took up arms on the side opposed by his father, so that which ever side won, the estates would be preserved from forfeiture.

This Lord Lorn, at the head of 1,000 of his clansmen, joined in Glencairn's Insurrection of 1633-4, but changing his mind, he without warning marched straight to join Huntly, who at the time was in RuthMacdonnell, ven Castle, in Badenoch.

the Glengarry chief, pursued him with his clan, and overtaking Lorn when within a few miles of Ruthven defeated him. Lorn made his escape, and left his men at the mercy of his enemy.

At the restoration of King Charles, Argyll, remembering the King's past promises, repaired at once to London to offer his Majesty his congratulations, but on his arrival he was at once arrested and committed to the Tower. Subsequently he was sent to Edinburgh, where he was tried on fifteen charges, during which he conducted himself with conspicuous dignity in presence of an unfriendly court and was at last condemned to be executed. "I placed the crown on the King's head, and this is my reward; he hastens me to a better Crown than his own," the Marquis said as he mounted the scaffold in a solemn and undaunted manner, and faced his end with calmness and resolution. Thus died a chief who was adored by his clan, a man of undoubted sagacity and address. The personality of successive chiefs of this ambitious family, combined with the energy and plausibility of their address, had raised the Clan MacDiarmid to such a height of power that the clansmen of McCallein Mor

probably exceeded in number the combined forces of all the other western clans.

The estates of the Marquis were restored to his son, Archibald, with the title of Earl, by King Charles II. This Earl, having taken part in Monmouth's rebellion, was beheaded in 1685, and was succeeded by his son, Archibald, who was created a Duke in 1701. Since that time the Argyll family have furnished many leaders in the State, Church and Army; men of mark, who left their impress upon their generation, in every part of the world.

John, the 5th Duke of Argyll, was born between the Jacobite Rebellions of 1715 and 1745. His early life was spent in the army, and in active service on the Continent. The religious wars of the previous century had not yet wholly come to an end, whilst at home uneasiness as to the security of the Protestant succession had not yet passed away. The French King harbored the exiled Stuarts; and there was still always a faction in England and in Scotland ready to take advantage of any means for the accomplishment of a second Restoration. There was much to be done, to defend, and to fight for. He was and must have been a soldier with a will. In his boyhood he must have met with some old men who in their boyhood had seen his great-great-grandfather, the Marquis of Argyll who was beheaded by Charles II, in 1661, and many more who, in middle life, had seen his great-grandfather, Archibald, ninth Earl of Argyll, who was beheaded by James II, in 1685. Both were judicial murders of the worst type, characteristic of the Stuarts. John, second Duke of Argyll, was a man whose military reputation was second only to that of Marlborough. He was a powerful speaker in Parliament, took an efficient part in securing the Protestant succession, and was celebrated by Pope in one of his splendid couplets:

"Argyll, the State's whole thunder born to wield, And shake alike the Senate and the Field!"

George Douglas, 8th Duke of Argyll (1823-1900), and grandfather of the present Duke, was a highly popular Scottish nobleman, a man of marked ability in public life, associated with Gladstone for fifty years, and one of note as an author. He wrote "The Reign of Law," a standard work of its time, and published an inter