An Intriguing Find

In the process of reading a book called Cromwell's Scotch Campaigns by W. S. Douglas, a Victorian historian - my edition dated 1898, I came across a reference to a 19th century Scottish novelist I had never heard of before called James Grant. Douglas was querying the accuracy of details in a novel called Harry Ogilvie or The Black Dragoons. As I am as interested in fiction about this period as the historical facts I managed to secure a copy - a modestly priced first edition (I think) through Abe Books. Although a mite scuffed by time, it's a lovely object in itself, half red leather with marbled boards, broader and longer than a Blackberry, about an inch deep, 370 pp., published by G. Routledge & Co., London, 1856, and New York, 18 Beekman Street. The opening paragraph of Chapter I reads:

An hour before daylight, on a morning in December, in the year 1632, the bell at the gate of the University of Glasgow was rung furiously, and the despairing cry of a woman was heard echoing among the heavy balconies and dark quadrangles of the edifice; old Nehemiah Spreul, the porter, started in dismay from his box-bed, and undeterred by the energetic warnings of his cosy helpmate, Hannah, threw a plaid over his shoulders, snatched up a broadsword, for the times were perilous, and hastily opened the eyelet hole of the deeply-arched and richly-carved gate, which faces the High-street. 


How could one not read on?

It's an adventure story, set in the turbulent times of the mid-17th century, which chronicles the early life of a foundling called Harry Ogilvie, adopted by the University principal, who, bored by student life, joins a regiment of the Black Dragoons in the Scots army at the time of Cromwell's invasion of Scotland in 1650. The main part of the novel describes Harry's involvement in the Scots army's vain attempt to repel the invaders. The hero is present at the defeats of Dunbar in 1650, Inverkeithing in 1651 and the sack of Dundee by troops under General Monk when Cromwell left Scotland to pursue Charles II to the Battle of Worcester. I do not have the expert historical knowledge to quibble about the accuracy of military details - the only definite inaccuracy I picked up was a statement saying that Charles II landed at Leith, which he did not - but all I can say is that the experience of reading the book feels authentic. From the opening chapter the author plunges you into another era. Harry's own story is one of finding the truth about his origins, not to mention true love and happiness, and if he survives all the trials and tribulations the author places in his path with almost superhuman implausibility, so be it. There is pathos, loss, betrayal and there is triumph. He portrays the grimness of a battlefield after a rout and in the later pages plague casts a shadow upon a friend. The denouement is perhaps rather hastily wrapped up against the background of the dreadful sack of Dundee, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. If it has none of Scott's philosophical analysis it has none of that writer's longeurs. There's plenty of action, evocative atmosphere, some memorable minor characters and vignettes of historical figures. The Earl of Argyle figures as the arch villain and the author, like his hero, has no time for the canting of the Covenanting ministers.

I think we should know more about James Grant.

Apparently Grant was a popular and prolific writer of historical novels with a military slant in his time, but is now quite obscure. His grandfather was apparently an Edinburgh advocate, his father was a military man and he himself served as a soldier for a few years before taking up writing as his profession.  This novel was of particular interest to me because I have now done a fair bit of reading up of this period, but I still felt it held up as a historical novel of some more general interest.