5
you are therefore forth with to order your affairs ſo as that the ſeveral poſts already aſſigned by you, be by you and your ſeveral detachments fallen in action with preciſely by five o'clock to-morrow morning, being Saturday; at which time I will endeavour the ſame with thoſe appointed from this Regiment for the other places. It will be most neceſſary you ſecure thoſe avenues on the ſouth ſide, that the Old Fox nor one of his Cubs get a- way. The orders are, that none be ſpared of the Sword from 70, nor the Government troubled with Prisoners. This is all, until I ſee you; from
Pleaſe to order a guard to ſecure the Ferry, and the
Boats there; and the boats must be all on this ſide the
Terry after your men are over.
For their Majesties Service, for Major Robert
Duncanſon of the Earl of Argyle's Regiment.
THE Soldiers being diſpoſed five or three in a houſe,
according to the number of the family they were
to aſſaſſinate, had their orders given them ſecretly. They
had been all received as friends by thoſe poor people,
who intended no evil themſelves, little ſuſpected that
their gueſtſ were deſigned to be their murderers. "At five
o'Clock in the morning they began their bloody work,
ſurprised and butchered thirty eight persons who had
kindly received them under their roofs. Mackian himſelf
was murdered, and is much bemoaned; he was a
ſtately well-favoured man, and of good courage and
ſenſe; As alſo the Laird of Archintrikin, a gentleman of
more than ordinary judgement and understanding, who had
ſubmitted to the government, and had Col. Hill's protection
in his pocket, which he had got three months before.
I cannot without horror repreſent how that a boy
about eight years of age was murdered; he seeing what
was done to others in the houſe with him, in a terrible
fright ran out of the houſe, and eſpying Capt. Campbell,
graſped him about the legs, crying for mercy, and offering
to be his ſervant all his life. I am informed Capt.
