The Jacobite Rebellions | Page 8

by that time, or very
shortly after it, I will strive to be at yow with a stronger party. If I do
not come to yow at fyve, you are not to tarry for me, but to fall on. This
by the King's special commands, for the good and safety of the country,
that these miscreants be cutt off root and branch. So that this be put in
execution without feed[6] or favour, as you may expect to be dealt with
as one not true to King nor country, nor a man fit to carry commission
in the King's service. Expecting ye will not fail in the fulfilling hereof,
as yow love yourself, I subscryve this with my hand at Ballacholis,[7]
12 febrry, 1692
ROBERT DUNCANSON.
C. REPORT OF THE COMMISSION GIVEN BY HIS MAJESTY,
UNDER THE GREAT SEAL, 29TH APRIL, 1695, FOR INQUIRING
INTO THE SLAUGHTER OF THE MEN OF GLENCO, 13TH
FEBRUARY, 1692 (idem, p. 99).

At Holyrudhouse, 20th June, 1695.
... The things to be remark'd preceding the said slaughter were, that it's
certain that the Lairds of Glenco and Auchintriaten, and their followers,
were in the insurrection and rebellion made by some of the Highland
clans, under the command, first of the Viscount of Dundee, and then of
Major-Gen. Buchan, in the years 1689 and 1690. This is acknowledg'd
by all. But when the Earl of Breadalbane called the heads of the clans,
and met with them at Auchallader, in July 1691, in order to a cessation,
the deceas'd Alexander Macdonald of Glenco was there, with Glengary,
Sir John Maclene, and others, and agreed to the cessation; as it is also
acknowledg'd.... And here the Commissioners cannot but take notice of
what hath occurr'd to them in two letters from Secretary Stair, to
Lieutenant-Colonel Hamilton, one of the 1st, and another of the 3d of
December, 1691, wherein he expresses his resentment from the marring
of the bargain that should have been betwixt the Earl of Breadalbane
and the Highlanders, to a very great height; ... --And, in effect, seems,
even at that time, which was almost a month before the expiring of the
King's indemnity, to project, with Lieutenant-Colonel Hamilton, that
some of them should be rooted out and destroyed. His Majesty's
proclamation of indemnity was publish'd in Aug. 1691, offering a free
indemnity and pardon to all the Highlanders who had been in arms,
upon their coming in, and taking the oath of allegiance, betwixt then
and the first of January thereafter: And, in compliance with the
proclamation, the deceas'd Glenco goes, about the end of Decemb.
1691, to Col. Hill, Governor of Fort William at Inverlochie, and desir'd
the Colonel to minister to him the oath of allegiance, that he might have
the King's indemnity: But Col. Hill, in his deposition, doth further
depone, that he hasten'd him away all he could, and gave him a letter to
Ardkinlas to receive him as a lost sheep; ... Sir Colin Campbell of
Ardkinlas, Sherif-Deput of Argyle, depones, that the deceas'd Glenco
came to Inverary about the beginning of January, 1692, with a letter
from Colonel Hill, to the effect above mentioned, and was three days
there before Ardkinlas could get thither, because of bad weather; and
that Glenco said to him, that he had not come sooner because he was
hinder'd by the storm; and Ardkinlas farther depones, that when he
declin'd to give the oath of allegiance to Glenco, because the last of

December, the time appointed for the taking of it, was past, Glenco
begg'd, with tears, that he might be admitted to take it, and promis'd to
bring in all his people within a short time to do the like, and, if any of
them refused, they should be imprisoned, or sent to Flanders: upon
which, Ardkinlas says, he did administer to him the oath of allegiance
upon the 6th of January, 1692....
These things having preceded the slaughter, which happen'd not to be
committed until the 13th of February, 1692, six weeks after the
deceas'd Glenco had taken the oath of allegiance at Inverary. The
slaughter of the Glenco men was in this manner, viz., John and
Alexander MacDonalds, sons to the deceas'd Glenco, depone, that
Glengary's house being reduc'd, the forces were called back to the south,
and Glenlyon, a captain of the Earl of Argyle's regiment, with
Lieutenant Lindsay, and Ensign Lindsay, and six score soldiers,
return'd to Glenco about the 1st of February, 1692, where, at their entry,
the elder brother, John, met them, with about 20 men, and demanded
the reason of their coming; and Lieutenant Lindsay showed him his
orders for quartering there, under Colonel Hill's hand, and gave
assurance that they were only come to quarter; whereupon they were
billeted in the country, and had free