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MASSACRE OF GLENCOE
The Massacre of Glencoe is one of the most talked about back-stabbings in Scottish history.
On the night of the 12th of February, 1692, MacIan (the clan title of the Glencoe chieftains) and his sept retired to rest unarmed, and unconscious of all evil intended them. Their waking was a dreadful one.
For twelve days they had entertained, with the most generous hospitality,
a company of soldiers, commanded by Campbell of Glenlyon, who gave the
solemn assurance that they came with no ill intent.
On the night of the 12th Alexander MacDonald, and John his brother, played
cards with him at his quarters; and on the 13th, along with Lieutenant
Lindsay and Ensign Lindsay, he was invited to dine with MacIan. The
lieutenant's visit was of a very different kind. Early in the morning he
knocked on the chief's door, asking in a friendly manner to be admitted.
On it's being opened he entered with a party of soldiers, and shot the old
man dead as he was rising out of bed. His wife having got up and put on
her clothes, they stript her naked, and tore the rings off her fingers
with their teeth. MacIan's sons were more wary, for John rushed to
Glenlyon's quarters, and when he saw himself and his men preparing their
weapons, demanded an explanation, when the latter "gave him only good
words, and said they were to march against some of theGlengaries men; and
if they were ill intended, would he not have told Sandy and his niece?"
Wherein we have a depth of lying to which few in the garb of humanity, or
possessing human feelings, have ever descended.Although thrown off his guard for a little, John, with his
brother and about five-sixths of the sept, fled to the hills. Meantime the
butchery went on down below. At Inveriggin, where Glenlyon was quartered,
"the soldiers took other nine men, and did bind them hand and foot, and
killed them one by one with shot; and when Glenlyon inclined to save a
young man of about twenty years of age, one - Captain Drummond - came and
asked how he came to be saved, in respect of the orders that were given,
and shot him dead. And another young boy, of about thirteen years, ran to
Glenlyon to be saved; he was likewise shot dead. And in the same town
there was a woman and boy of four or five years of age killed. And at
Auchnaion there was also a child missed, and nothing found of him but the
hand. There were likewise several illed at other places, whereof one was
an old man of eighty years of age. In all, about twenty-five were
murdered." There being at the time a very severe snowstorm, the sufferings
of those who escaped were fearful, until they reached a place of safetly,
twelve miles distant. Some, indeed, perished in the snow wreaths. This
storm, however, was the saving of the whole sept, as it prevented Major
Duncanson, with 400 men, joining Glenlyon in time. The occasion of this
horrible episode, which blackens our history, and brands with the infamy
the memory of Viscount Stair and King William, was a mistake made by
MacIan, and other unfortunate circumstances, which made him six days after
the date specified before tendering his allegiance. No doubt Stair's
memory must bear the heaviest part of the blame; but the King cannot be
excused, as on the 16th January, 1692 he wrote, "If MacKean of Glencoe and
that tribe can be well seperated from the rest, it will be a proper
vindication of the public justice to extirpate that set of thieves;" and
also, that although requested by Parliament to bring the perpetrators to
justice, he never did so. These are authenticated facts, as they are taken
from the 'REPORT OF THE COMMISSION GIVEN BY HIS MAJESTY FOR ENQUIRING INTO
THE SLAUGHTER OF THE MEN OF GLENCOE, SUBSCRIBED AT HALRUYD HOUSE, THE 20TH
DAY OF JUNE, 1693.' This report having been presented to Parliament on the
24th June 1695, 'the question was stated and voted of the execution of the
Glencoe men on February 1692, as it is represented to Parliament, as a
murder or not, and carried in the affirmative.' Nothwithstanding, as
already stated, the perpetrators escaped unpunished.
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