the Covenanter force under Burleigh marched out of the town to meet the attackers. Burleigh's men drew up in a strong defensive position south-west of the town, on a steep ridge above the valley of the How Burn. Montrose sent a messenger and drummer under a flag of truce to demand the surrender of the city, or the defenders could expect no quarter. He also requested that they send women, children and the elderly out of the town before his attack. Aberdeen's chief citizens and guild leaders received this ultimatum near the present day site of Justice Mill Lane. Although the ultimatum was rejected, the Royalist party was treated hospitably. They were treated to drink and one of the Aberdeen magistrates gave the drummer a coin worth 6 Pound Scots. On the way back to the Royalist camp, a trooper of the Fife regiment fired on the Royalist party, killing the drummer. Montrose was supposedly so angered by this that he ordered an immediate attack and gave his troops permission to sack the town. Deployments Royalist (James Graham, Lord Montrose) Irish Brigade (Alasdair Mac Colla) Thomas Laghtnan's Regiment Manus O'Cahan's Regiment James MacDonell's Regiment Clan MacDonald of Keppoch Sir Nathaniel Gordon's Horse Sir Thomas Ogilvie's Horse Covenanter (Lord Balfour of Burleigh) Lord Balfour of Burleigh's Regiment Lord Forbes' Regiment Aberdeen Militia (Maj. Arthur Forbes) Aberdeenshire Fencibles Cavalry units: Sir William Forbes of Craigevar Capt. Alexander Keith Lord Lewis Gordon 'Fencible' cavalry (Lord Fraser, Lord Crichton) Montrose drew up an extended line of men. His left wing, under the professional soldier Colonel James Hay, included Gordon's cavalry and a small unit of Irish musketeers led by Captain Mortimer of O'Cahan's regiment. The right wing, commanded by Sir William Rollo, included Ogilvie's troopers and a number of Highland infantry; the centre was made up of the Irish under Mac Colla. Burleigh placed the majority of his cavalry, under Crichton and Fraser, on his left flank opposite Rollo, where the gradient to the ridge was shallowest and his defensive position weakest, with his 'regular' cavalry on his right wing. The infantry was in the centre, with his Fife regiment, the strongest, towards the left of the position. A number of Burleigh's musketeers occupied defensive positions in the buildings of the Justice Mills, on his right flank towards the west side of the battlefield. Actions during the battle The battle began with a cannonade