Covenanters

Although attributed to Burns, the Selkirk Grace was already known in the 17th century, as the " Galloway Grace" or the " Covenanters ' Grace".

Disillusioned by the Covenanters, in October Charles attempted to escape from them and rode north to join with an Engager force, an event which became known as "the Start", but within two days the Presbyterians had caught up with and recovered him.

He did not succeed in raising many Highland clans and the Covenanters defeated his army at the Battle of Carbisdale in Ross-shire on 27 April 1650.

In 1751, Scottish Covenanters began sending ministers to America, and the Seceders were doing the same by 1753.

Most of the rebels who were not executed were exiled to the Americas; about 30 Covenanters were exiled to the Carolinas on the Carolina Merchant in 1684.

The Covenanters meanwhile, were left governing Scotland, where they raised a large army of their own and tried to impose their religious settlement on Episcopalians and Roman Catholics in the north of the country.

The Covenanters were presbyterians who had supported the Restoration of Charles II on promises of a Presbyterian settlement, but he had instead reintroduced Episcopalian church government with draconian penalties for Presbyterian worship.

The Scots forces were divided into royalist Engagers and Presbyterian Covenanters, who even fought each other.