History of the Scottish expedition to Norway in 1612Michell, Thomas
History
History of the Scottish expedition to Norway in 1612
Michell, Thomas
Norway -- History -- Scottish Expedition, 1612
Sir Robert Gordon is, however, not quite reliable in his account
of that transaction, for he says that George Sinclair, "hearing of
the wars then likely to fall out, and _which ensued shortly between
the Kings of Denmark and Sweden_, he gathered together 150 men in
Caithness. Having made up this company, he joins with Colonel Ramsay
and Captain Hay to go into Sweden." The Calmar War commenced in the
spring of 1611, a year before the levies were made in Scotland; and
we have seen that Sinclair had arranged with Lieutenant-Colonel
Ramsay and Captain Hay to raise one hundred men each (the strength of
a company of infantry in those days), and that only three hundred men
were landed by them in Romsdalen.
VII.
DESTRUCTION OF THE SCOTS IN GUDBRANDSDALEN.
In his first Report[49] to the Danish Chancellor, dated September
17, 1612, the Norwegian Stadtholder stated that when Lauritz Hage,
Lensmand of Vaage in Gudbrandsdalen, heard of the arrival of the
Scots in Romsdalen, "he at once roused the Bönder and peasantry in
the two parishes of Lessje and Vaage, and went forth against the said
Scots and foreign troops. And when he perceived they were too strong
for him, he advanced for two or three days and kept before them
along the road, without, however, engaging in any skirmish or fight.
Meanwhile, he sent messengers to the peasantry in the two adjoining
parishes, called Froen and Ringeböe, who quickly came to his
assistance; and when they were in this manner gathered they were 405
men strong. Thus he advanced in front" (of the Scots) "along the
road until he saw his advantage at a fjeld called Kringelen, situated
in Vaage parish, which they were obliged to pass. Thus he hemmed them
in between the rock on one side and a large river close by on the
other side, in which advantageous position he quietly encamped in the
woods, and there lay with his men until the foreign soldiers arrived
there, without, however, supposing or knowing aught but that the
Norwegian troops were still withdrawing along the road before them.
The above-mentioned Lauritz Hage, having made his arrangements and
perceived his advantage, attacked, together with another lensmand,
Peter Rankleff of Ringeböe, and with all their men together they
fired upon the foreign troops and shot them to death during an hour
and a half. Those who were not shot jumped into the river to save
themselves, but were there drowned; and those of them who got alive
over the river were quickly killed by the Bönder on that side; all
of which happened and occurred on the 26th of August last. From the
Bönder who were themselves present at the battle, and who buried and
counted the dead and the defeated, we learn that the foreign soldiers
must no doubt have numbered at the least 550 men, although the Scots
who remained alive, and of whom there are altogether 18, will not
admit that they were more than 350 men strong at the utmost. On the
day the battle took place 134 Scots were taken prisoners, who were
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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