Massacre of the Mamelukes in Egypt, March 1st, 1811. See [account appended] to this list.
Sinopé during the Crimean war, 1854.
Massacres in English History.
Of 300 nobles on Salisbury Plain, A.D. 474.
The Danes in England, November 13th, 1002.
The Jews in England, A.D. 1189.
The unoffending McDonalds of Glencoe, 1692. See [account appended] to this list.
Massacres of Cawnpore, Delhi, and other places during the Great Indian Mutiny, 1857. See [Cawnpore] and [Delhi].
SLAUGHTER or MASSACRE OF GLENCOE.—This barbarous and diabolical massacre, which, at the time of its commission, excited universal and heartfelt indignation, took place in February, 1692. About the middle of 1691, “as the Highlanders were not yet totally subdued, the Earl of Breadalbane undertook to bring them over by distributing sums of money among their chiefs; and £15,000 were accordingly remitted from England for that purpose. The clans being informed of this, suspected that the Earl’s design was to appropriate to himself the best part of the money; and when he began to treat with them, they made such extravagant demands, that he found his scheme impracticable. He had therefore to refund the sum he had received; and resolved to wreak his vengeance on those who had frustrated his intention. He who chiefly thwarted him was McDonald of Glencoe, whose opposition rose from a private circumstance, which ought to have had no effect on a treaty that regarded the public weal. McDonald had plundered the lands of Breadalbane during the course of hostilities; and the Earl insisted upon being indemnified for his losses, from the other’s share of the money which he was employed to distribute. The Highlander, however, not only refused to acquiesce in these terms, but, by his influence among the clans, defeated the whole scheme, and, in revenge, Breadalbane devoted him to destruction. King William had, by proclamation, offered an indemnity to all those who had been in arms against him, provided they would submit and take the oaths by a certain day; and this was prolonged to the close of 1691, with a denunciation of military execution against those who should hold out after the end of December. McDonald, intimidated by this declaration, repaired, on the very last day of the month, to Fort William, and desired that the oaths might be tendered to him by Colonel Hill, governor of that fortress. As this officer was not vested with the power of a civil magistrate, he refused to administer them; and McDonald set out immediately for Inverary, the county-town of Argyle. Though the ground was covered with snow, and the weather intensely cold, he travelled with such diligence, that the term prescribed by the proclamation was but one day elapsed when he reached the place, and addressed himself to Sir John Campbell, sheriff of the county, who, in consideration of his disappointment at Fort William, was prevailed upon to administer the oaths to him and his adherents. Then they returned to their own habitations in the valley of Glencoe, in full confidence of being protected by the government, to which they had so solemnly submitted.