VISCOUNT (c. 1649-1689), Scottish soldier, was the elder son of Sir William Graham and Lady Madeline Carnegie. Educated at St. Andrews university, he served as a volunteer in France and Holland, returning to England in 1677. In 1678 he became a lieutenant, and soon afterwards captain of a troop, in the regi ment commanded by his relative, the marquis of Montrose, and was employed in suppressing the rebellion of the Covenanters.
After the murder of Archbishop Sharp (1679), there were re ports of rebels gathering near Glasgow, and Graham went in pur suit. On June 1, the Covenanters being in a well-protected position upon the marshy ground of Drumclog, Graham advanced to the attack. Hindered by the ground, he had to wait till the impatience of his adversaries induced them to commence an im petuous attack. The charge of the Covenanters routed the royal cavalry, who turned and fled, Graham himself having a narrow escape. This was the only regular engagement he had with the Covenanters. The enthusiasm raised by this victory was the beginning of a serious and open rebellion.
On June 22 Graham was present at the battle of Bothwell Bridge, at the head of his own troop. He was then commissioned to search the south-western shires for the rebels. The wide powers given to him by his commission were most sparingly used, and the gravest accusation made against him in reference to this period is that he was a robber.
His own systematic and calculated terrorism, directed princi pally against the ringleaders, proved far more efficacious than the irregular and haphazard brutalities of other commanders. During these months he was despatched to London, along with Lord Linlithgow, to influence Charles II. against the indulgent method adopted by Monmouth with the extreme Covenanting party. In April 168o it appears that his roving commission had been with drawn ; he was not, therefore, responsible for the severe measures which followed the Sanquhar Declaration of June 22, 1680.
In the disorders following the Test Act of 1681 Graham was again commissioned to act in the disaffected districts. At the end of January he was appointed to the sheriffships of Wigtown, Dum fries, Kirkcudbright and Annandale. He retained his commission in the army, and appears to have had powers in life and death in virtue of a commission of justiciary granted to him about the same time. He quartered on the rebels, rifled their houses, and, to use his own words, "endeavoured to destroy them by eating up their provisions." His severities were rewarded with many hon ours, and with a grant of part of the Maitland lands.
Claverhouse was present at the sittings of the circuit court of justiciary in Stirling, Glasgow, Dumfries and Jedburgh, insti tuted for the imposition of the test and the punishment of rebels. As a member of the privy council of Scotland he declared—to his honour—against the proposal to let loose the Highland marauders upon the south of Scotland. In June 1684 he was again at his old employment—the inspection of the southern shires; in May 1685 he was ordered with his cavalry to guard the borders, and to scour the south-west in search of rebels. In 1686 he was promoted to the rank of major-general, and had added to his position of constable the dignity of provost of Dundee. In 1688 he was second in command to Gen. Douglas in the army which had been ordered to England to aid the falling dynasty of the Stuarts; he was created Viscount Dundee on Nov. 12, 1688.
After the flight of James II. Dundee returned to Scotland for the meeting of the convention, and sought to confirm the waning resolution of the duke of Gordon with regard to holding Edin burgh Castle for the king. The convention proving hostile he left Edinburgh (March 18) at the head of a company of so faith ful dragoons. He was not long gone ere the news was brought to the alarmed convention that he had been seen clambering up the castle rock and holding conference with the duke of Gordon. On March 3o he was publicly denounced as a traitor, and attempts were made to secure him. But the secrecy and speed of his move ments outwitted his pursuers, and he retreated to the north.
Gen. Hugh Mackay was now in the field against him, and a Highland chase began. Dundee considered himself at the head of the Stuart interest in Scotland, and to the day of his death expected help to arrive from the exiled king. It mattered little to him that on July 24 a price of L20,000 had been placed upon his head. The clans had begun to reassemble ; he was now in command of a considerable force, and in July both sides took the field again. A contest for the castle of Blair forced on the decision. Mackay, in his march towards that place, entered the pass of Killiecrankie, the battle-ground selected by Dundee and his offi cers. Here, on July 17-27, 1689, was fought the battle of Killie crankie (q.v.). The Highlanders were completely victorious, but their leader was shot beneath the breastplate, and fell dying from his horse. Dundee was conveyed to the castle of Blair, where he died on the night of the battle. His death in battle formed the subject of numerous legends, the best known of which is the long prevalent tradition that he was invulnerable to all bullets and was killed by a silver button from his own coat.
See Mark Napier, Memorials and Letters of Graham of Claverhouse (1859-62) ; Bannatyne Club, Letters of the Viscount Dundee (1826) ; C. S. Terry, John Graham of Claverhouse, Viscount Dundee; and authorities quoted in Dict. Nat. Biogr., s.v. "Graham of Claverhouse."