Anne Mackintosh

Anne Mackintosh (1723–1784) wis a Scottish Jacobite o the Clan Farquharson, a Scottish clan belangin tae the Scottish Heilans an also the gweed wife o Angus Mackintosh, chief of the Clan Mackintosh. She wis the ainly female military leader tae tak pairt in the Jacobite rising o1745 an the first wifie ivver tae hae the rank of colonel in Scotland.

Afore she wis weel-kent

Born Anne Farquharson in Aiberdeenshire in 1723, Mackintosh wis the dochter o John Farquharson o Invercauld, chief of the Clan Farquharson an his wife, Margaret Murray. The faimly wis Jacobite sympathisers. Aroon 1741 she wis mairriet tae Angus (or Aeneas) Mackintosh, chief othe Clan Mackintosh, a strangly anti-Jacobite faimly.

Jacobite risin o 1745

Near the stairt o 1744, Angus Mackintosh wis offert een o three spleet-new Independent Companies bein biggit by John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun tae support the British-Hanoverian Government. Anne, riggit-oot in mannie's claes, rode aroon the glens and, in nae time at aa, enlistit ninety-seiven of the hunner men-fowk socht fir the captaincy. Durin the Jacobite risin o 1745, Angus' company focht for Lord Loudon's Government forces, aka. the Black Watch, in the Helians.

Fan the Jacobite Prince Charles Edward Stuart landit in Scotland in 1745, Mackintosh, then 22 year aul, forcefully raised atween twa- and fower-hunnder men fae Clan Mackintosh an the confederation o Clan Chattan fir the Prince. As weemen couldna command in the field, the regiment wis pit unner the command o Alexander MacGillivray the chief o the Clan MacGillivray, a memmer o the confederation. 'Colonel' Anne's regiment jyned the Prince's airmy at Bannockburn, nae far fae Stirling Castle, in January 1746, 12 days afore the Battle of Falkirk Muir.

Aboot a month later, the Prince wis bidin at Moy Hall, Mackintosh's home. She got a message fae her mither-in-laa that 1,500 oLord Loudon's men, includin her husband's company stationed 8–12 mile awa at Inverness, were plannin a nicht-time raid on Moy Hall tae snatch the Prince (an claim the £30,000 bounty). Mackintosh sent oot five o her staff wi guns tae clatter aboot an skirl clan battle cries tae swick the Government forces intae thinkin they were aboot tae face the hale Jacobite airmy. It wirked: the Government forces were fleggit an fled. The event became kent as The Rout of Moy.

The neist month Mackintosh's husband, fa supportit the Government an three hunner o Loudon's men were capturt north o Inverness by the Jacobites. The Prince handit-ower Captain Mackintosh intae the custody o his wife, claimin "he could not be in better security, or more honourably treated". She famously welcomed him wi the wirds, "Your servant, captain" tae fich he replied, "your servant, colonel" thereby giein her the nickname "Colonel Anne". She wis also caa'd "La Belle Rebelle" (the beautiful rebel) by the Prince himsel.

A fair nummer of her men, especially the Clan Chattan men, and Alexander MacGillivray, dee'd at the Battle o Culloden on 16 April 1746. Their grave is mairkit by the Well o the Deid on the battlefield. Efter the Jacobite defeat at the Battle of Culloden, Mackintosh wis arrestit an turnt ower tae the care o her mither-in-laa fir a file. She steppit in tae stop Anne McKay, a local Inverness wifie fa helpit Jacobite officer Robert Nairn escape, bein whipped throwe the streets o Inverness. Mackintosh later met Prince William, Duke of Cumberland at a social event in London wi her husband. He speired at her tae dance tae a pro-Government tune an she returnt the favour by speiring at him him tae dance tae a Jacobite tune.

Mackintosh dee'd on 2 Mar 1787 in Leith, the harbour district of Edinburgh. She is beeriet in Auld North Leith Beerial Grun on Coburg Street. Her grave is mairket by a fite Jacobite rose an a commemorative plaque.