[16] The regiment alluded to was raised by Donald Mackay, Lord Reay, in 1626, for the service of the King of Denmark; it was afterwards in the service of the King of Sweden, and was reduced in 1634 to one company. In 1637, Colonel Robert Monro, who had served in the regiment from the time it was raised, published an historical account of its services, under the title of _Monro's Expedition_; from which history much valuable information has been obtained relating to the ROYAL REGIMENT, and its first Colonel, Sir John Hepburn, who had lived in terms of intimacy and strict friendship with Colonel Monro from the time they were schoolfellows. [17] Monro's expedition; and Harte's Life of Gustavus Adolphus. "He maintained his post for nine weeks, repulsing every attempt to retake it, till he was relieved by a Scotch regiment (the Royals) under Colonel Hepburn, and a body of Swedish troops."--_General David Stewart's History of the Highland Regiments_, published in 1822. [18] Swedish Intelligencer. [19] Monro's Expedition. [20] The Imperialists had previously enacted a cruel tragedy on a party of Scots at Old Brandenburg. [21] Harte's Life of Gustavus Adolphus; Monro's Expedition; and the Swedish Intelligencer. [22] In a list of Gustavus's army published at the time, in the _Mercure François_, the regiment is stated to have displayed four colours at the battle of Leipsic. [23] "The King having noticed that the Duke of Saxony was leaving the field, and that Count Tilly was ready to charge his main body, selected 2,000 musketeers of the brave Scots nation, and placed 2,000 horse on their flanks. The Scots formed themselves in several bodies of six or seven hundred each, with their ranks three deep (the King of Sweden's discipline being never to march above six deep;) the foremost rank falling on their knees, the second stooping forward, and the third standing upright, and all giving fire together, they poured, at one instant, so much lead amongst the enemy's horse, that their ranks were broken, and the Swedish horse charging, the enemy were routed."--_Account of the battle of Leipsic published at the time._ [24] "We were as in a dark cloud, not seeing the half of our actions, much less discerning either the way of our enemies, or the rest of our brigades; whereupon, having a drummer by me, I caused him to beat the _Scots March_, till it cleared up, which re-collected our friends unto us."--_Monro's Expedition._ [25] Monro's Expedition.