|
 The
Massacre of Glencoe has been written about, sung about and
romanticized. It did, in fact happen pretty much as the song portrays.
The independent chiefs had become over powerful, some say to the point
of being barbaric. They would execute members of the clan whom they
felt deserved this extreme penalty, and, most irritating to their
settled neighbors, they lived only for cattle raiding and plunder.
Clans MacDonald and Campbell were two of the most notorious cattle
reivers (thieves) and they mostly were stealing from each other.
Towards the end of 1691, William III considered the best way to
establish law and order would be to grant an amnesty and let bygones
be bygones. However, a condition of this amnesty was that all the clan
chieftains who had not previously done so must acknowledge allegiance
by January 1 1692. For some reason, pride, or otherwise, MacDonald of
Glencoe (MacIan) was one of the last to comply with the terms of the
government. On December 31, 1691, MacIan made his way to Fort William
and presented himself to Colonel Hill, the governor, asking him to
administer the required oath of allegiance. The colonel declined
saying that according to proclamation, the civil magistrate alone
could administer the oath. MacIan pleaded with him as to the urgency
of the matter and the fact that there was no magistrate he could reach
before the expiration of the day. Hill persisted in asserting his
power, but advised MacIan to proceed instantly to Inverary. He
provided him with a letter to Sir Colin Campbell of Ardinglass,
sheriff of Argyleshire begging him to receive MacIan as "a lost sheep"
and to administer the necessary oaths. Hill also gave him a letter of
protection and an assurance that no proceedings should be instituted
against him under the proclamation till he should have an opportunity
of laying his case before the King of the privy council.
MacIan left Fort William immediately and traveled through almost
impassable mountains covered with snow. Campbell was absent when he
got there and MacIan had to wait three days till his return, Sir Colin
having been prevented from reaching Inverary sooner on account of the
weather. Campbell, at first, declined to see MacIan as the time
allowed for the proclamation had expired but MacIan threatened to
protest against the sheriff should he refuse to act. Campbell yielded,
administered the oath, and MacIan returned home believing himself free
of danger.
 At
the beginning of February, a company of 120 men descended on Glencoe
under the command of Captain Campbell of Glenlyon, who was related by
marriage to MacIan. Under the pretext of friendship and to obtain
suitable quarters where they could conveniently collect the arrears of
"cess and hearth-money", a new tax law laid by Scottish parliament in
1690, they received a hearty welcome.
Glenlyon and his troops were entertained by MacIan and his people for
over a week. On the 12th of February, the order of "fire and sword"
(to put everyone to death and burn everything) was handed down to
Arglye's regiment and they were ordered to proceed to Glencoe so as to
reach the post by five o'clock the following morning. The instructions
reached Glenlyon to "all upon the MacDonald's precisely at five
o'clock the following morning and put all the sword under 70 years of
age".
After dinner and a card game with the sons of the chieftain, Glenlyon
wished them a goodnight and even accepted an invitation by MacIan to
dine with him the following day. MacIan and his sons retired at their
usual hour, but early in the morning, one of the sons hearing voices
about his house, grew alarmed and, jumping out of bed, went to
Glenlyon's quarters to ascertain the cause of the unusual bustle which
had interrupted is sleep. He found the soldiers all in motion and
inquired of Glenlyon the object of these preparations. Glenlyon
pretended that his purpose was to march against some of Glengarry's
men and explained if he had intended any harm to the clan, he would
have provided for the safety of his niece and her husband.
Satisfied, young MacDonald retired to his house, but had not been long
in bed when he was awakened by his servant informing him of the
approach of a party of men towards the house. Seeing this company of
20 or so soldiers with muskets and fixed bayonets, he fled to a hill
in the neighborhood where he was later joined by his brother who had
escaped after being awakened by a servant.
The massacre commenced at five o'clock in the morning February 13 at
three different places at once. Glenlyon undertook to butcher his own
hospitable landlord and other inhabitants at Inverriggan. MacIan was
shot while rising to receive what he thought were visitors and fell
into the arms of his wife. The lady herself was stripped naked and
treated so cruelly (the soldiers pulled her rings off with their
teeth), that she died the next morning.
 A
third party fired upon nine men in a house sitting before a fire. One
of these men had a protection in his pocket from Colonel Hill.
There were persons dragged from their beds and murdered in all
parts of the glen. In all, only 38 persons out of 200 were
slaughtered. They burned the houses and carried off the cattle, thus
preventing the inhabitants from returning to the Glen. Those that had
fled, including elderly matrons, women with child, and mothers with
infants at their breasts, followed by children were left to try to
find their way through the snow covered mountains, many perishing from
cold, hunger and fatigue.
It all aroused a great outcry in Scotland, even in the Lowlands where
Highlanders were scorned. The authorities realized that they had gone
too far and Stair ( the King's advisor) had to retire from the scene
for a while, but he was never punished and eventually was promoted to
the Earl of Stair. King William himself could not escape
responsibility for he had given the orders of fire and sword on
Stair's advice. Nothing was ever done in the way of punishment to
anyone involved in the incident. However the Earl of Breadalbane was
found guilty of High treason and he spent a few days imprisoned in
Edinburgh Castle. The entire incident was hushed up and is now a part
of history that is regarded as a sad and unexplainable blunder. It
however has made both those that were the perpetrators and the victims
forever famous. Even today, after 314 years,
in some parts of Scotland it is not wise to admit you might be a
Campbell especially around Glencoe.
It was not so much the deed itself that brings about the continuing
hatred, it was the way it was done. According to Scottish hospitality
one did not wage war against the one that cared for you. If you had a
grievance with your host, you left and then came back to fight with
honor.
The Order
 "Sir,
You are hereby ordered to fall upon the rebels, the M'Donalds, of
Glencoe and putt all to the sword under
seventy. You are to have special care that the old fox and his sons
doe upon no account escape your hands. You are to secure all the
avenues, that no man may escape. This you are to putt in execution at
five o'clock in the morning precisely, and by that time, or very
shortly after it, I'll strive to be att you with a stronger party. If
I doe not come to you att five, you are not to tarry for me, but to
fall on. This is by the King's special command, for the good of the
country, that these miscreants be cutt off root and branch. See that
this be putt in execution without feud or favour, else you may expect
to be treated as not true to the king's government, nor a man fitt to
carry a commission in the king's service. Expecting you will not faill
in the fulfilling hereof as you love yourself, I subscribe these with
my hand."
Master of the Stair (John Dalyrmple) |
