Page:Massacre of Glenco (1).pdf/6

 Campbell inclined to ſpare him; but one Drummond, an officer, barbarouſly ran his dagger through him, whereof he died immediately. The rehearſal of ſeveral particulars and circumſtances of this tragical ſtory, makes it appear most doleful; as that Mackian was killed as he was drawing on his breeches, ſtanding before his bed, and giving orders to his ſervants for the good entertainment of thoſe who murdered him; while he was ſpeaking the words, he was ſhot through the head, and fell dead in his lady's arms, who through the grief of this and other bad usages ſhe met with, died next day. It is not to be omitted that moſt of those poor people were killed when they were aſleep, and none were allowed to pray to God for mercy. Providence ordered it ſo that that night was moſt boiſterous; ſo as a party of four hundred men, who ſhould have come to the other end of the glen, and begun the like work there at the ſame hour (intending that the poor inhabitants should be encloſed, and none of them eſcape) could not march that length, until it was nine o'clock, and this afford to many an opportunity of eſcaping, and none were killed but thoſe in whoſe houses Campbell of Glenlyon's men were quartered, otherwise all the males under seventy years of age, to the number of two hundred, had been cut off, for that was the order; and it might have been eaſily executed, eſpecially conſidering that the inhabitants had no arms at that time; for upon the first hearing that the ſoldiers were coming to the glen, they had conveyed them all out of the way. For tho' they relied on the promiſes which were made them for their ſafety; yet they thought it not improbable that they might be diſarmed. I know not whether to impute it to difficulty in diſtinguiſhing the difference of a few years, or to the fury of the soldiers, who being once glutted with blood, ſtand at nothing, than even ſome about Seventy years of age were deſtroyed. They set all the houſes on fire, drove off all the cattle to the Garriſon of Inverlochy, viz. 900 Cows, 200 Horſes, and a great many Sheep and Goats, and there they were divided amongst the officers. And how diſmal may you imagine the caſe of the poor women and children was