ðə bˈæɾəl wʌz fˈɔːt bᵻtwˌiːn ðɪ ɛŋɡˈeɪdʒɚz hˌuː wɜːɹ ɐ fˈækʃən ʌvðə skˈɑːɾɪʃ kˈʌvənəntɚz ˌʌndɚ ðə kəmˈænd ʌv dʒˈɔːɹdʒ mˈʌnɹoʊ, fˈɜːst ʌv nˈuːmoːɹ ænd hˌuː hæd mˈeɪd "ðɪ ɛŋɡˈeɪdʒmənt" wɪð tʃˈɑːɹlz aɪ ʌv ˈɪŋɡlənd ɪn dᵻsˈɛmbɚ wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd sˈɪkshˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi sˈɛvən, ɐɡˈɛnst ðə kˈɜːk pˈɑːɹɾi hˌuː wɜːɹ ɐ ɹˈædɪkəl pɹˌɛzbɪtˈɪɹiən fˈækʃən ʌvðə skˈɑːɾɪʃ kˈʌvənəntɚz hˌuː wɜːɹ ˌʌndɚ ðə kəmˈænd ʌv ˈɑːɹtʃɪbˌɔːld kˈæmbəl, fˈɜːst mˈɑːɹkwɛs ʌv ˈɑːɹɡʲaɪl.
The battle was fought between the Engagers who were a faction of the Scottish Covenanters under the command of George Munro, 1st of Newmore and who had made "The Engagement" with Charles I of England in December 1647, against the Kirk Party who were a radical Presbyterian faction of the Scottish Covenanters who were under the command of  Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll.