| Active | 1644 to 1647 |
| 1648? | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Allegiance | Covenanter |
| Conflicts | First Civil War |
| Second Civil War? | |
| Type | Horse |
| Captain | Marquis of Argyll |
| Archibald Campbell | |
| Area Raised | |
| Flag Colour | |
| Flag Design | |
| Field Armies | Argyll 1645 |
Lifeguard troop of the Marquis of Argyll
A history of the unit is shown in Edward M. Furgol’s A Regimental History of the Covenanting Armies 1639-1651 Edinburgh, 1990. ISBN 0 85976 194 0
A troop consisting initially of gentlemen volunteers, possibly equipped as cuirassiers, forming Argyll’s Lifeguard. At some time in 1645 they accepted the surrender of Lindisfarne, but spent the rest of their time serving in Scotland. They are not mentioned as being present at the battles of Fyvie, Inverlochy and Kilsyth, but as Argyll himself was present, it appears quite possible his Lifeguard were as well. The troop lasted until February 1647 when they disbanded.
In 1648 Argyll led 100 horse in the Whiggamore raid, but these were likely a collection of recent volunteers rather than a formal troop.
From 1649 Argyll was nominal commander of a troop in Lord Mauchline’s Regiment of Horse.
Perhaps cuirassiers.
A list of the troop's officers is shown in Stuart Reid's Scots Armies of the 17th Century 1. The Army of the Covenant 1639-1651 Partizan Press 1998 ISBN 094652550
Argyll (also spelt Argyle) (circa 1607-1661) was Chief of Clan Campbell and most prominent leader of the Scots Covenanters. In effect he ruled Scotland during the Civil Wars. Biographies can be found online at the BCW website, Wikipedia and the Peerage.com. In 1639 he seized Hamilton's castle at Broddick. He led Covenanter forces in a raid on the Highlands during the Second Bishops' War of 1640, capturing Airlie and Dumbarton Castles. In 1644 he accompanied the Covenanter invasion of England but soon returned to Scotland, in May he took Aberdeen from Huntly's Royalists, then captured Kellie Castle. He led the Covenanters at the Battle of Fyvie and besieged Huntly Castle in winter 1644. In 1645 he was present at Inverlochy, but not a participant in the battle due to a dislocated shoulder and fled the scene in his galley on Lake Linhe. He was also present at Kilsyth. In 1648 he opposed the Engagers and later supported the Whiggamore rising, but in 1651 helped strike the deal that saw Charles II lead another Scottish army into England. In 1653 he opposed Glencairn's rising. Convicted of treason after the Restoration, he was beheaded in May 1661, his head being affixed to the same spike that had held Montrose's eleven years before.