History of the Mackenzies, with genealogies of the principal families of the nameMackenzie, Alexander
History
History of the Mackenzies, with genealogies of the principal families of the name
Mackenzie, Alexander
Mackenzie family; Scotland -- Genealogy; Seaforth, Earls of
Ghillechallum in Killichirtorn, whom the enemy apprehended, and would
have killed, had not one of the Macdonalds, formerly his friend and
acquaintance, prevailed upon young Glengarry to save his life, and
send him to the Castle of Strome, where he still had a garrison,
rather than kill him.
The successful result of this expedition encouraged Angus so much
that he began to think fortune had at last turned in his favour,
and he set out and called personally upon all the chief and leaders
of the various branches of the Macdonalds in the west, soliciting
their assistance against the Mackenzies, which they all agreed to
give him in the following spring.
This soon came to Mackenzie's knowledge, who was at the time
residing in Ellandonnan Castle; and fearing the consequences of such
a powerful combination against him, he went privately to Mull by
sea to consult his brother-in-law, Hector Og Maclean of Duart, to
whom he told that he had a commission of fire and sword against
"the rebels of Glengarry and such as would rise in arms to assist
them, and being informed that the Macdonalds near him (Maclean)
had combined to join them, and to put him to further trouble,
that, therefore, he would, not only as a good subject but as his
fast friend, divert these whenever they should rise in arms against
him." [Ardintoul MS.] Maclean undertook to prevent the assistance
of the Clan Ranald of Isla and the Macdonalds of Glencoe and
Ardnamurchan, by, if necessary, invading their territories, and
thus compelling them to protect their own interests at home. It
appears that old Glengarry was still anxious to arrange a permanent
peace with Mackenzie; but his son Angus, restless and turbulent
as ever, would not hear of any peaceful settlement, and determined
to start at once upon an expedition, from which his father told
him at the time he had little hopes of his ever returning alive - a
prediction which turned out only too true.
Angus, taking advantage of Mackenzie's absence in Mull, gathered,
in the latter end of November, as secretly as be could, all the
boats and great galleys within his reach, and, with this large fleet
loaded with his followers passed through the Kyles under silence
of night; and, coming to Lochcarron, he sent his marauders ashore
in the twilight. The inhabitants perceiving them, escaped to the
hills, but the Macdonalds cruelly slaughtered all the aged men
who could not escape, and many of the women and children seized
all the cattle, and drove them to the Island of Slumbay, where
their boats which they filled with the carcases lay. Before,
however, they had fully loaded, the alarm having gone through the
districts of Lochalsh and Kintail, some of the natives of those
districts were seen marching in the direction of Lochcarron. The
Macdonalds deemed it prudent to remain no longer, and set out to
sea pursued by a shower of arrows by way of farewell, which,
however, had little effect upon them, as they were already out of
range.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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