Robert Monro

Robert Monro of the Munros of Obsdale family (died 1680), was a famous Scottish General, from the Clan Munro of Ross-shire. He was a grandson of chief Robert Mor Munro, 15th Baron of Foulis, through his third son George Munro, 1st of Obsdale. However Robert's older brother James retained the title as 2nd of Obsdale. Robert Monro was seated at Contullich Castle.

Thirty Years War

Early Skirmishes

Sir Robert Monro's first notable military service was during the Thirty Years' War where he fought in the Swedish army, under Gustavus Adolphus, along with 700 other members of the Clan Muno, including his cousin, Robert Munro, 18th Baron of Foulis and his nephew, George Munro, 1st of Newmore. Together they made up part of the "MacKay Highlanders Regiment". On the 10th July 1627, a division of the regiment was sent to join their comrades, then stationed at a fortification in Boitzenberg, near Hamburg, where Captain Monro had his first brush with the enemy. The Scots after a desperate struggle gained a victory over an overwhelming force of their assailants, though they themselves also had to retire, carrying with them their guns and ammunition.

Robert Monro next comes into notice at a severe engagement at the Pass in Oldenburg, where he was wounded, receiving a wound to his own account, a "favourable mark" to the inside of the knee, while his bartisan was broken in his hand by a cannon ball. Robert's elder brother John Munro, 1st of Obsdale, distinguished himself highly on this occasion and escaped unhurt. The Danes were defeated and had to retire and the Scots also retired, as they did so the Danes returned, this time mounted on cavalry. Robert realising the gravity of the situation reolved a plan to bring his men to safety. Monro ordered his pike-men to advance steadily and charge the horsemen, whom they quickly forced over the shelving edges of the pier. Monro and his men then escaped via ship to escape the Imperialists who had been reinforced by more cavalry. Robert and his men were involved in many more battles and skirmishes, in one incident Monro was saved when a bullet was blocked by the hilt of his sword. [History of the Munros of Fowlis". p.210 - 223. By Alexander MacKenzie] .

iege of Stralsund

Robert Monro, then a Major, along with his cousin Robert Munro, 18th Baron of Foulis both led their men at the Siege of Stralsund, fighting of which started on the 25th May 1628 and lasted for eleven weeks. The Munros were amongst the defenders of the city. One such assault on the city was made on the 26th June when Imperialist General, Albrecht von Wallenstein arrived on the scene. The defenders having heard of his arrival, expected a severe attack on their position. The assault was made that night between ten and eleven o'clock, directed chiefly against the post guarded by the Highlanders under Major Monro. The enemy advanced with above one thousand men. The Highlanders were immediately called to arms, and after a severe battle which lasted for an hour and a half the Imperialists were driven back. However the Imperialists returned and continued to attack until the next morning when they finally forced open the gate. They got inside the "outworks" but were finally beaten back by the Highlanders with great loss, with swords, pikes and butts of muskets. The Imperialists retired having lost over a thousand men, while the Highlanders lost nearly two hundred. After the siege Major Robert Monro was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. [History of the Munros of Fowlis". p.210 - 223. By Alexander MacKenzie] .

iege of Schiefelbein

In 1630 the MacKay and Munro Highlanders had marched to Schiefelbein, a small fortified place in Brandenburg, known as Schiefelbein Castle, in order to obstruct the passage of the Austrians, who were advancing for the relief of Colberg. They were commanded to hold the town as long as possible and to defend the castle or fort to the last man. How well they fulfilled this task an eloquent Latin Ode tells us, printed in front of Monro’s Memoirs and bearing the title: "Schiefelbeinum urbs et arx Marchiae Brandenburgicae a generoso Domino Roberto Munro bene defensae." The five hundred Highlanders under Munro are said to have withstood a siege from an enemy of 8000 Imperialists [Grant's Memoirs of Sir John Hepburn]

iege of New Brandenburg

In January 1631, the King accompanied by Colonel Monro, proceeded to besiege New Brandenburg. The Highlanders soon stormed the palace and forced the defenders to retire from the town. The defending Austrians then sent a messenger to ask for a truce, which was granted. The garrison which according to Monro was a "brave little band of five hundred horse, and twelve hundred foot, being as complete to look at as you wish", allowed to "march out with bag and baggage, horse and foot, with full arms and a convoy to Havelburgh. The Swedish King left a small garrison in the town and the army proceeded on its way. [History of the Munros of Fowlis". p.224. By Alexander MacKenzie] .

Frankfurt and Leipzig

Robert Monro later fought at the Battle of Frankfurt on the Oder and the Battle of Breitenfeld in Leipzig in 1631, where the Scots and Swedes took victory on both occasions. However the Swedish army was later defeated at the Battle of Nördlingen (1634), Robert survived and returned to Scotland.

Bishops Wars

Robert returned to Scotland about 1638, and took part in some of the early incidents of the Bishops Wars against Charles I and also in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms in service of the Scottish Covenanters. During the Bishops' Wars, General Robert Monro laid siege to the fortified Spynie Palace forcing Bishop John Guthrie to surrender to his forces. This marked the end of Spynie Palace as a seat of power, which had been home to the Bishops of Moray for over 500 years. [ [http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/majorsites/aa/spynie.html Spynie Palace ] ] [ [http://www.marie-stuart.co.uk/Castles/Spynie.htm Spynie Palace & Mary, Queen of Scots ] ] Also in 1640 General Monro laid siege to Drum Castle of the royalist Clan Irvine which was surrendered after two days and also occupied Huntly Castle of the Clan Gordon, along with a Captain called James Wallace. [ [http://www.electricscotland.com/history/domestic/vol2ch2b.htm Domestic Annals of Scotland - Reign of Charles I. 1637 - 1649 Part B ] ] [ [http://www.scotwars.com/html/huntly_castle.htm Huntly Castle and the 2nd Marquis - ScotWars ] ]

Irish Confederate Wars

Rebellion in Ulster

In 1642 he went to Ireland, nominally as second in command under Alexander Leslie, but in fact in chief command of the Scottish army sent to put down the Catholic Irish rebels who had massacred Scottish settlers in Ulster during the Irish Rebellion of 1641. Monro's campaign in Ireland was largely confined to the northern province of Ulster. After taking and plundering Newry in April 1642, and ineffectually attempting to subdue Sir Phelim O'Neill, Monro succeeded in taking prisoner the Earl of Antrim who was Randal MacDonnell, 1st Marquess of Antrim at Dunluce Castle.

The arrival of Owen Roe O'Neill in Ireland strengthened the cause of the rebels, now organised in Confederate Ireland, and Monro, who was poorly supplied with provisions and war materials, showed little activity. Moreover, the English Civil War was now creating confusion among parties in Ireland, and the king was anxious to come to terms with the Catholic rebels, and to enlist them on his own behalf against the parliament. The Earl of Ormonde, Charles's lieutenant-general in Ireland, acting on the king's orders, signed a cessation of hostilities with the Catholic Confederates on 15 September 1643, and exerted himself to despatch aid to Charles in England.

Conflict in Ulster

The conflict that took place in Ulster was particularly barbaric. Many of the raised troops were undisciplined and atrocity was being matched by atrocity. Monro's strategy was just as ruthless and no measure was spared in his campaign against O'Neil. The conflict led to thousands of innocent people being killed on both sides. O'Neil waged a guerilla type offensive in Ulster, whereas Monro, superior in numbers systematically destroyed castles and villages throughout the land. Some accounts tell of him laying waste to Antrim and Down in what we would now call a "scorched earth policy". Monro attacked and took Newry in 1642 and took Belfast in 1644. After taking Newry Robert Monro then raised the Siege of Coleraine, a town which later became the centre of military activities and the headquarters of Major Daniel Munro during the coming years.

Belfast is seized

Monro in Ulster, holding his commission from the Parliament of Scotland dominated by the Covenanters, did not recognize the armistice, and his troops accepted the Solemn League and Covenant, in which they were joined by many English soldiers who left Ormonde to join him. In April 1644 the English parliament entrusted Monro with the command of all the forces in Ulster, both English and Scots. He thereupon seized Belfast, made a raid into the Pale, and unsuccessfully attempted to gain possession of Dundalk and Drogheda. In response, the Irish confederates sent an armed expedition to Scotland to join the Scottish Royalists there under James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose.

Battle of Benburb

Monro's force was weakened by the necessity for sending troops to Scotland to withstand Montrose; clansmen were sent back under Monro's nephew, George Munro, 3rd of Obsdale. While Owen Roe O'Neill was strengthened by receiving supplies from the Papal Nuncio to Ireland, Giovanni Battista Rinuccini. On 5 June 1646 was fought the Battle of Benburb, on the Blackwater, where O'Neill routed Monro, inflicting over 2000 dead on the Scottish force but allowing him to withdraw in safety to Carrickfergus.

Conflict at Carrickfergus

In 1647 Ormonde was compelled to come to terms with the English parliament, who sent commissioners to Dublin in June of that year. The Scots under Monro refused to surrender Carrickfergus, Carrickfergus Castle and Belfast when ordered by the parliament to return to Scotland, and Monro was superseded by the appointment of George Monck to the chief command in Ireland. In September 1648 Carrickfergus was delivered over to Monk by treachery, and Monro was taken prisoner. He was committed to the Tower of London, where he remained a prisoner for five years. In 1654 he was permitted by Oliver Cromwell to reside in Ireland, where he had estates in right of his wife, who was the widow of Viscount Montgomery of Ardes. Monro continued to live quietly near Comber, County Down, for many years, and probably died there about 1680. He was in part the original of Dugald Dalgetty in Sir Walter Scott's Legend of Montrose.

References

* Carte, Thomas, "History of the Life of James, Duke of Ormonde", (6 vols., Oxford, 1851)
* Gilbert, Sir J. T., "Contemporary History of Affairs in Ireland 1641–1652", (3 vols., Dublin, 1879–1880)
* Gilbert, Sir J. T., "History of the Irish Confederation and the War in Ireland", (7 vols., Dublin, 1882–1891)
* Hill, G. (ed.), "The Montgomery MSS., 1603-1703", edited by (Belfast, 1869)
* Scott, Sir Walter, "The Legend of Montrose", author's preface
* Spalding, John, "Memorials of the Troubles in Scotland and England", (2 vols., Aberdeen, 1850)
*

ee also

*Clan Munro.

External links

* [http://www.northantrim.com/GeneralMunro.htm http://www.northantrim.com/GeneralMunro.htm General Robert Monro]