Neither the place nor the year of his birth is known; but in the sentence of death, which was passed against him in absence after the battle of Pentland, he is styled "of Auchens," an estate situated in the parish of Dundonald, in Ayrshire, and which was the family-seat of his ancestors, and most probably his own 'birth-place.

At the battle of Dunbar Wallace was again made prisoner; and in the end of that year Lord Lorn, in a petition to the parliament, says, "In respect my lieutenant-colonel has, in God's good providence, returned to his charge, whose fidelity in this cause is well known both in Ireland and in this kingdom, and that his losses are very many and great, I do humbly desire that your majesty and this high court of parliament may be pleased in a particular manner to take notice of him, that he may not only have a company appointed him, but likewise something may be done for the satisfaction of his former losses."

"[7] Colonel Wallace seems to have lived in retirement from the Restoration till the month of November, 1666, when Maclellan of Barscob, and some other men who had been driven into hiding, happening to fall in with some soldiers whom they found maltreating a poor old countryman.

Accordingly, having assembled their friends, to the number of about fifty horse with a few foot, they marched into that town upon Thursday, the 15 of November, and made Sir James prisoner with his whole party, wounding only one man.

Having been reinforced by a small party from Cunningham, under Captain Arnot, the whole body marched to Douglas on Saturday the 24, where at night, after solemn prayer, the proposal of Robertson and Lockhart was carefully considered.

Two other questions were discussed at this meeting: the renewing of the covenants — to which all agreed; and what should be done with Sir James Turner, whom, for want of any place in which to confine him, they still carried about with them; and who, as a persecutor and murderer of God's people, it was contended by many, ought to have been put to death.

Next day, Monday the 26, guards being set upon the water in a boat to prevent any surprise from the enemy, the covenants were renewed, Mr. John Guthrie preaching and presiding to one part of the army, and ministers misters Gilbert Semple and Crookshanks to the other; and the work was gone about "with as much joy and cheerfulness as may be supposed in such a condition."

Part of the way a large body of the enemy's horse hung upon their rear; the roads were excessively bad, and the place could not so much as afford them a cover from the rain, which was falling in torrents.

Scarcely, however, had the meeting broken up, when their guards gave the alarm of the enemy; and though the night was dark and wet in the extreme they set out at twelve o'clock, taking the road through Broxburn, and along the new bridge for Collington.

Even in these distressing circumstances he sent a party to occupy the bridge, and marched off the main body of his little army to a rising ground, where he awaited the enemy to give him battle.

[13] It was at this critical juncture that Lawrie of Blackwood paid him a second visit, not to assist, but to discourage him, by proposing a second time that he should disband his followers and trust to an indemnity, which he assured him the Duke of Hamilton would exert himself to obtain for them.

He, however, remained with the party, which had now moved on to Collington, all night; and in the morning was the bearer of a letter from Colonel Wallace to General Dalzell, who sent it to the council, while he hastened himself to pursue the insurgents.

Wallace in the meantime marched to Ingliston Bridge, at the point of the Pentland Hills, and was in the act of drawing up his little party to prevent straggling when he learned that Dalzell, with the advance of the king's troops, was within half a mile of him.

The Galloway gentlemen, on horseback, under M'Clellan of Barmagachan, were stationed on the south; the remainder of the horse, under Major Learmont, on the north; and the foot, who were exceedingly ill armed, in the middle.

Dalzell seems to have been for some time at a loss how to proceed; having such a superiority, however, in numbers, he detached a party of horse, under General Drummond, to the westward, in order to turn Wallace's left wing.

This detachment was met by the Galloway gentlemen, under Captain Arnot and Barmagachan, and completely routed in an instant; and had Wallace been in a condition to have supported and followed up this masterly movement, the king's army would inevitably have lost the day.

A second attack was met by Major Learmont with equal spirit; and it was not till after sunset, when Dalzell himself charged the feeble unarmed centre with the strength of his army, horse and foot, that any impression was made upon them.

In the case of Wallace the states were obliged to comply, as he had been condemned to be executed as a traitor when he should be apprehended, and his lands forfeited for his majesty's use; but they gave him a recommendation to all kings, republics, &c. &c., to whom he might come, of the most flattering description.

[14] James Wallace died at Rotterdam in the end of the year 1678, "lamented of all the serious English and Dutch of his acquaintance, who were many; and in particular the members of the congregation of which he was a ruling elder bemoaned his death, and their loss, as of a father."

[14] In 1649 or 1650 he married a daughter of Mr. Edmonstone of Ballycarry, and left one son, William, who succeeded to his father's property, as the sentence of death and fugitation passed against him after the battle of the Pentland was rescinded at the revolution.