Glencoe by John Prebble

Author:John Prebble
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780141933146
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2009-03-23T04:00:00+00:00

The weak, irresolute man, hoping for miracles, had let three months pass before making this decision. He was deeply in debt to the clans. As Duke of York, he had been responsible for harsh, penal measures against them. As King, he had asked them to defend him and die for him. As an exile, he had kept them to their oath and they had honoured it as best they could. When he finally released them, there were nineteen days only before the expiry of the time set by William. James must have known that, in winter, even so determined a courier as Menzies could not reach Edin-burgh in less than nine days. It could be another week before the news reached Lochaber, and longer still before each of the chiefs could be told of the discharge. It was impossible for all of them to take the oath before the end of the year.

The responsibility for the Massacre of Glencoe has in the past been attributed to Stair, to Breadalbane, to William, and to all three. But much of it must also be borne by James the Second of England and Seventh of Scotland.

Duncan Menzies left Carwhin's house on the morning of 22 December. His strength was now gone, and he could travel no farther than his home in Perthshire, four miles from Dunkeld. From there, two or three days later, he sent messengers into Lochaber. In Edinburgh, Campbell of Carwhin wrote at once to Breadalbane's chamberlain, asking Barcaldine to inform the Argyllshire clans. It was all that could be done. Three days before the end of the year, Menzies's messenger reached Ewen Cameron at Achnacarry. Lochiel set out at once for Inveraray where, before a Campbell Sheriff in a Campbell town, he would take the oath to William and be the first to break the ice after all. He gave John Hill the news as he passed by Fort William, and the old man must have thanked God for this mercy, praying that all the malignants would be able to make their peace in time. Although there is no evidence of this, as Lochiel passed over the ferry at Ballachulish he probably sent word to MacIain, urging him to lose no time.

Since the middle of the month marching men had been moving northward in red columns from Perth and Stirling, Dundee and Aberdeen, Blair and Inveraray. On 15 December, the Master of Stair had put the Army in motion. Livingstone's dragoons closed the passes from Stirling and Dunkeld. Sir James Lesley was told to send seven companies of his regiment from Perth to Inverness, where they would be joined by six more from Colonel John Buchan's Regiment in Aberdeen. All the Independent Companies of the Williamite clans were mobilized. Fifty Mackays were ordered from Badenoch to Inverness, with a hundred men of Atholl under Captain George Wish art and Captain Archibald Murray. To Fort William was sent Captain Robert Lumsden's company from Blair, and Captain George Murray's from Finlarig. To sweeten the reluctance of these Highland militiamen.

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