BARCLAY, ALEXANDER [SSNE 7383]
Text source
Major Alexander Barclay served in Duke Bernhard of Weimar's Green Brigade during the siege of Kronach from 13 March to 22 March 1634. Barclay is mentioned in a letter in Duke Bernhard's own hand from the Kronach headquarter (a village named Neuses near Kronach, Upper Franconia, Bavaria) from 18 March 1634 to Axel Oxenstierna in Frankfurt. The letter is in German and translated reads: "Recommendation for Major Alexander Barclay. Especially dear Sir and friend. Present major, the brave and virtuous, our especially dear Alexander Barclay, who has been kept imprisoned by the enemy against parola for almost one year and just recently was set free on his own expenses, has very much implored myself to recommend him to my master, in virtue of his well known merits and loyalty, suffered misfortune and as a veteran servant of the Swedish Crown. As I know, that my master feels obliged to help such highly merited people whenever possible, therefore I'm sure, that he will keep him, major, in gracious memory and intention to occasionally submit him with an adequate charge. Given in our headquarter Neuses near Kronach on March the 8th [18th] anno 1634. My master's all time subserviant and loyal friend Bernhard H. z. S." There is no evidence, where Barclay was imprisoned and when and where he fell into the enemy's hands. However it is certain that he participared at the siege of Kronach under Bernhard's army in March 1634. The only Scottish regiment that Duke Bernhard had in his army corps at that time was Ludovick Leslie's regiment (ex John Hamilton's rgt.), which was part of Duke Bernhard's Green Brigade. Leslies rgt. was in Bamberg garrison from the beginning of 1634 from where it was ordered by Duke Bernhard to attend the siege of Kronach. Leslie's regiment afterwards moved as part of Bernhard's army to the siege of Forchheim (20 June to 14 August) and finally moved to Nördlingen under Bernhard's fieldmarshal Johann Philipp Cratz von Scharfenstein. Although there is no proof, it is probable that Barclay moved with Leslie's regiment, not least because Bernhard was short of officers, but also as there was little point in Barclay moving to Frankfurt (where Oxenstierna was), as there were no Scottish troops there. At that time almost all Scottish regiments (Ramsay. Mackay, Spens, Muschamp, John Forbes, Alexander Forbes) were operating in Upper Suebia under Gustav Horn, until the two armies (Horn's and Bernhard's) finally merged in August to fight the battle at Nördlingen on 5th/6th of September 1634.Rikskanzleren Axel Oxenstiernas Skrifter och Brefvexling, second series, Vol. 7, p.161. Thanks to Peter Engerisser for bringing this officer to our attention and writing this entry for him.
Service record
- SWEDEN, PRISONER
- Arrived 1633-01-01, as MAJOR
- Capacity PRISONER, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, GREEN BRIGADE
- Arrived 1634-03-18, as MAJOR
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY