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by Almorea. . 8 reads.

The Battle of Chaleemore, 1774

Fought on November 3, 1774, outside of the village of Chaleemore in Frasyrland province. A force of 1,200 men of Clan Frasyr and other local families, including the Shaws, MacLairs and Macritchies, and led by future governor Malcolm Frasyr, defeated the 700-man militia of Thornton County, inflicting devastating casualties.

The origins of the battle lay in the provincial elections of May 1770. Governor William Frasyr, the representative of the traditionally powerful Clan Frasyr and the man who had led Frasyrland through the Almorean Revolution, was defeated by a broad coalition of traders, merchants, and immigrants from the rich, English-speaking Trannsa provinces. His replacement, Michael Liddesdale, struggled to govern in the face of organized opposition from Clan Frasyr. Because many clansmen served as magistrates, tacksmen, and other local officials, the ex-governor was able to deny Liddesdale effective authority. During the summer of 1770, the Clan Frasyr raided Hinnevale and captured Liddesdale, forcing Congress to send the National Army north to subdue the violence.

By the end of 1770, Liddesdale had been returned to power. William Frasyr died unexpectedly the following year, cutting short his plans for a second rebellion. William's successor as leader of Clan Frasyr, his son Malcolm, continued to resist the government through the provincial assembly. By 1774, the Frasyrland council was desperate to suppress the clan's political power, and passed an ordinance banning anyone with the surname Frasyr from serving as an "instrument of the law". Effectively, this meant that the clan would be stripped of all its local influence across the province.

Inflamed by the ordinance, Malcolm Frasyr raised the fiery cross in October 1774, signalling a new rebellion. He gathered the heads of loyal families, including Alexander MacLair, William Shaw, and Gilbert Maccritchie, and bade them to gather their tenants and kinsmen for war. Maccritchie, who had served as sheriff of Thornton County, in western Frasyrland, until he was removed under the ordinance of 1774, rode to his seat of Wattburn and began to assemble soldiers. The pro-Liddesdale magistrate of the county, Archibald Herdie, immediately called out the local militia in response to Maccritchie's actions. The men of the county were torn between loyalty to the Clan Frasyr and their wages. Fearing that Maccritchie would be overwhelmed before he could join forces with the main pro-Frasyr army, Malcolm Frasyr led some 1,000 men down the eastward road.

The magistrate and his experienced militia captain, John Durisdeer, decided to intercept Frasyr near the crofters' village of Chaleemore, which lay about seven miles west of Maccritchie's forces gathering at Wattburn. With the 500 men of the county militia, joined by 200 uniformed troops sent quickly from Hinnevale, they encountered Frasyr and his army outside the village at high noon on November 3.

The miliitamen, led by Captain Durisdeer on foot, were nervous at the sight of Frasyr's approaching forces, who lacked cohesion and resembled, in the words of one eyewitness, a "swarm, rolling fast like a cloud, rising over the dales." The experienced soldiers in the governor's pay opened fire first, while the county militia were still struggling to assemble into ranks. Seeing the difficulties of Durisdeer's troops, Malcolm Frasyr ordered a general charge. With cries of "Frasyr! Frasyr!" his men rushed forward, driving hundreds of militiamen back in disorder. The provincial troops stood their ground and resisted the charge with their bayonets, but their muskets were easily smashed to pieces by the Frasyr mens' swords and halberds. With only two cannons, the magistrate was unable to halt Frasyr's advance, and left the field accompanied by a small guard. As the militia dispersed, Maccritchie's force of 200 men arrived on the western road from Wattburn, having been alerted to the impending battle by messenger. Those remaining under Durisdeer's command were cornered and forced to surrender.

Durisdeer himself was cut down on the field, becoming the battle's only notable casualty. He was joined in death by over 300 of his compatriots. Having won the battle, Frasyr's army poured into nearby Chaleemore, stealing its grain and burning many buildings. Despite his success at Chaleemore, Frasyr was unable to gather enough strength to attack Hinnevale, and the rebellion petered out when Congress intervened in the spring of 1775.

Malcolm Frasyr was eventually elected governor of Frasyrland in 1780, returning Clan Frasyr to its old political dominance. His death in 1796 left Frasyrland vulnerable to pressure from the government in Ellsburgh once again. Duncan Frasyr, the governor's younger brother, took over and led the clan to its utter defeat at the battle of Molahchearn in 1797, ending the influence of the "magic name of Frasyr" within its namesake province.

Almorea

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