University of Virginia Library

"Sir Walter Scott, in his History of Scotland, says:—

" `The Parliament, consisting entirely of Covenanters, instigated by the
importunity of the clergy, condemned eight of the most distinguished
Cavaliers to execution. Four were appointed to suffer at St. Andrew's,
that their blood might atone for the number of men (said to exceed five
thousand) which the county of Fife had lost during the Montrose wars.
Lord Ogilvey was the first of these, but that young nobleman escaped
from prison and death in his sister's clothes. Colonel Nathaniel Gordon,
one of the best soldiers and bravest men in Europe, and six other Cavaliers
of the first distinction, were actually executed. We may particularly
distinguish the fate of Sir Robert Spottswood, who, when the wars broke
out, was Lord-President of the Court of Sessions, and accounted a judge
of talent and learning. He had never borne arms; but the circumstance
of having brought Montrose his commission of Captain-General of Scotland
was thought quite worthy of death, without any further act of treason
against the estates. When, on the scaffold, he vindicated his conduct
with the dignity of a judge and the talent of a lawyer, he was silenced
by the Provost of St. Andrew's, who was formerly a servant of his father's
when Prelate of that city. The victim submitted to that indignity with
calmness, and betook himself to his private devotions: he was soon in
this last act interrupted by the Presbyterian minister in attendance, who
demanded of him if he desired the benefit of his prayers and those of the
assembled people. Sir Robert replied, that he earnestly desired the
prayers of the people, but rejected those of the speaker; for that, in his
opinion, God had expressed his displeasure against Scotland by sending a
lying spirit into the mouth of the prophets, a far greater curse than those
of fire, sword, and pestilence. An old servant of his family took care of
his body and buried him privately; and it is said of the faithful domestic,
that, passing through the market-place a day or two afterwards, and, seeing
the scaffold still standing and stained with his master's blood, he was
so much affected that he sunk down in a swoon and died as they were
lifting him over his own threshold'

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166

"His son, Alexander Spottswood, was aide-de-camp to the Duke of Marlborough.
Afterward, he was Governor of Virginia. He married Jane
Butler, sister of the Duke of Ormond, by whom he had two sons—John
and Robert; and two daughters—Catherine and Dorethea: Catherine married
Bernard Moore, and Dorethea, Nathaniel Dandridge. Robert was
killed by the Indians on an expedition with his father beyond the Alleghanies.
Whom John, my grandfather, married, I am not certain; but I
think she was Mary Dandridge, the sister of Nathaniel Dandridge. He
had two sons—Alexander and John; and two daughters—Mary and Ann.
Mary married Mr. Peter Randolph. John married Mary Rouzey, of Essex
county, by whom he had numerous children. Alexander (my father) married
Elizabeth Washington, daughter of Augustine Washington, and niece
of General George Washington, by whom he had seven children, myself
the youngest. My father was a Brigadier-General in the Revolution: his
brother John was a captain. I think I have given you a correct account
of the genealogy of the Spottswood family. There is a difference in spelling
the name in this and the Old World, the original name being spelt
Spottiswood.[47] "