"declare under their hands, that the earl of "Braidalbin was free and clear of the said 46 slaughter, they might be assured of the earl's "kindness for procuring their remission and "restitution, as was plainly deponed before the "commissioners. 66 "It remains now to give an account of the "warrants, either given or pretended to be given for the committing of the foresaid slaughter; for clearing whereof it is to be noticed, that the King having been pleased to "offer by proclamation an indemnity to all the highland rebels, who should come in and 86 $6 $6 accept thereof by taking the oath of allegi ance, betwixt and the first of January, 1692, "after the day was elapsed, it was very proper "to give instructions how such of the rebels as had refused his Majesty's grace should be "treated; and therefore his Majesty, by his "instructions of the date of the 11th of Janu 66 ary, 1692, directed to Sir Thomas Levingston, "and supersigned and countersigned by him"self, did indeed order and authorize Sir "Thomas to march the troops against the "rebels, who had not taken the benefit of the indemnity, and to destroy them by fire and "sword (which is the actual stile of our com"missions against intercommuned rebels), but "with this express mitigation in the fourth "article, viz. That the rebels may not think themselves desperate, we allow you to give "terms and quarters, but in this manner only, "that chieftains and heritors, or leaders, be "prisoners of war, their lives only safe, and "all other things in mercy, they taking the "oath of allegiance: and the community 66 6 taking the oath of allegiance, and rendering "their arms, and submitting to the govern✩ ❝ment, are to have quarters and indemnity "for their lives and fortunes, and to be pro"tected from the soldiers,' as the principal 66 paper of instructions produced by Sir Thomas Levingston bears. "After these instructions there were addi❝tional ones given by his Majesty to Sir "Thomas Levingston upon the 16th of the "said month of January, supersigned and countersigned by his Majesty, and the date marked 66 66 by Secretary Stair's hand, which bears orders "for giving of passes, and for receiving the "submission of certain of the rebels; wherein "all to be noticed to the present purpose is, that "therein his Majesty doth judge it much better "that these who took not the benefit of the "indemnity in due time, should be obliged to "render upon mercy, they still taking the oath "of allegiance: and then it is added, if Mac "kean of Glenco and that tribe can be well 66 separated from the rest, it will be a proper "vindication of the public justice to extirpate "that set of thieves.* And of these additional "instructions, a principal duplicate was sent to Sir Thomas Levingston, and another to "Colonel Hill, and were both produced; and "these were all the instructions given by the King in this matter. 66 "But Secretary Stair, who sent down these "instructions, as his letters produced, written "with his hand to sir Thomas of the same date "with them, testify, by a previous letter of the "date of the 7th of the said month of January, "written and subscribed by him to Sir Thomas, 66 66 says, You know in general that these troops posted at Inverness and Inverlochie will be "ordered to take in the house of Innergarie, * This Order is thus given in the Memoirs of the Massacre of Glenco: "WILLIAM R. "As for Mackean of Glenco and that tribe, if they can be "well distinguished from the rest of the Highlanders, it will "be proper, for the vindication of public justice, to extirpate "that set of thieves. "W. R." "This was directed to Sir Thomas Levingston and Colo"nel Hill. And the parliament has voted that Levingston or "Hill's orders did not exceed these instructions; nor, in"deed, could they, for what can exceed extirpation!" "and to destroy entirely the country of Loch"aber, Locheal's lands, Kippochs, Glengaries " and Glenco; and then adds, I assure you * your power shall be full enough, and I hope "the soldiers will not trouble the government And by another letter of ❝ with with prisoners."* "the 9th of the said month of January, which * In the Memoirs of the Massacre of Glenco, is given the following Letter from Major Duncanson to Captain Campbel: 66 6 "Ballacholis, Feb. 12, 1692. "Sir; You are hereby ordered to fall upon the rebels, "the Mac Donalds of Glenco, and put all to the sword "under seventy. You are to have especial care that the "old fox and his sons do upon no account escape your "hands. You are to secure all the avenues that no man 66 6 escape. This you are to put in execution at five o'clock "in the morning precisely, and by that time, or very shortly after it, I will strive to be at you with a stronger party; if I do not come to you at five you are not to tarry for me, but to fall on. This is by the King's special "command, for the good and safety of the country, that "these miscreants may be cut off, root and branch. See "that this be put in execution, without feud or favour, else you may expect to be treated as not true to the King or 66 6 government, nor a man fit to carry a commission in the King's service. Expecting you will not fail in the fulfill❝ing hereof, as you love yourself, I subscribe these with "ROBERT DUNCANSON." 46 6 68.6 my hand. "For their Majesties service, to Captain 'Robert Campbell, of Glenlyon.'" 66 " is likewise before the instructions, and written "to Sir Thomas as the former, he hath this expression, That these who remain of the "rebels are not able to oppose, and their chief"tains being all papists, it is well the venge ance falls there; for my part I could have "wished the Macdonalds had not divided, and "I am sorry that Kippoch and Mackean of "Glenco are safe. And then afterwards we "have an account, that Locheal, Macnoughton, 66 Appin, and Glenco took the benefit of the "indemnity at Inverary, and Kippoch and "others at Inverness. But this letter of the "11th of January, sent with the first instruc❝tions to Sir Thomas hath this expression, I "have no great kindness to Kippoch nor Glenco, and it is well that people are in 66 66 mercy; and then just now my lord Argile "tells me, that Glenco hath not taken the oath, "at which I rejoice; it is a great work of charity to be exact in rooting out that damnable "sect, the worst of the highlands. But in his 66 letter of the 16th January, of the same date "with the additional instructions, though he "writes in the first part of the letter, The King "does not at all incline to receive any after "the diet, but on mercy; yet he thereafter "adds, But for a just example of vengeance, I |