The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1896-04-23
HIGHLAND FEUD.

In Scotland the latter part Of the
fourteenth century was much disturb
ed by the dOings Of the inhabitants o
the Highlands. These mountains were
inhabited by race Of men ditferen
in language and manners from tn,
Lowlanders, and divided into familie:
called Clans. The English termed
them the Wild Scots, and the French
the Scottish Savages: and, in gooC
truth, very wild and savage they seem
to have been. The losses which the
! Low Country had sustained by the
English wars had weakened the dis
tricts next to the Highlands so much
that they became unable to repress
the incursiOns of the mountaineers
who descended from their hills, took
spoils, burned and destroyed. as if il
the country of an enemy.
In 1892. large body of these High
landers broke down from the Gramp
ian mountains. The chiefs were cal
led Clan DOunOchy, or sons of Duncan
answering to the clan now called Rob
ertsOr. A party Of the Ogilvies and
Lindsays, under Sir Walter Ogilvy,
sheriff of Angus, marched hastily
against them. and charged them with
their lance5. But Notwithstanding
the advantage of their being mounted
and completely sheathed in armour.
the Highlanders defended themselves
with such obstinacy as to slay the sher
if and sixty of his followers. and re
pulsed the Lowland gentlemen.
70 give some idea of their ferOclty,
it Is told that Sir David Lindsay, hav-
ing in the first encounter run his lance
through the body of one OF the High
landers, bore him down and pinned
him to the earth. In this condition,
and in his dying agonies, the High
lander writhed himself upwards on
the spear, and exerted his last
strength in fetching n sweeping blow
at the armed knight with his two hand
ed sword. The stroke, made with all
the last energies of a dying man, cut
through Lindsay's stirrup and steel
beet, and though it did not sever his
leg from his body yat .wnl1ndad him
SO sevely as to Oblige him to qmt the
field.
1t happened, perhaps fortunately
for the Lowlands. that the wild High
lands were as much addicted to
quarrel with each other as with their
Lowland neighbors. Two clans, OF
rather two leagues or confederacies,
composed each of several separate
clans. fell into such deadly feud with
each other as filled the whole nei gh-
borhood with slaughter and discord.
When this feud or quarrel could be
no otherwise ended it was resolved
that the difference should be decided
by a combat of thirty men of the Clan
Chattan against the same number of
the Clan Kay; that the battle should
| take place on the North Inch CT Perch,
a beautiful and level meadow. in part
surrounded by the river Tay; and that
it should be fought in presence of the
ki. G and his mobiles.
Now. there was a cruel policy in
this arrangement for it was to be sup
posed that all the best and leading
men of each elan would desire to be
among the thirty which were to fight
| for their honor, and it was no less tC
| be expected that the battle would be
very bloody and desperate. Thus the
probable event would be that both
clans. having lost very many OF then
best and bravest men, would be more
easily managed in future. Such was
probably the view of the king and his
counselors in permitting this desper
ate conflict, which, however, was much
in the spirit of the times.
The parties on each side were drawn
out. armed with sword and target, axe
and dagger, and stood looking on each
other with fierce and savage aspects
when, just when the signal for fight
was expected. the commander of the
Clan Chattan perceived that one OF
his men. whose heart had failed hin
had deserted his standard. There was
no time to seek another man from the
elan, SO the chieftain, as his only re
source, was obliged to offer reward
for any one who would fight in the
room Of the fugitive Perhaps yor
think it might be difficult to get /;
man. who. for a small hire. would IN
dergo the perils of battle which wa.
likely to be obstinate and deadly
But in that fighting age, men valued
their lives lightly. One. Henry Wynd
a citizen of Perth. and a saddler b.
trade, a little handy legged man. bu
of great strength and activity, anC
we'll accustomed to use the broads
worth. offered himself. for half
] - 40 mt
the Clan Chattan in the battle of tha
day
The signal was then given by sounl
of the royal trumpets, and of the grea
war bagpipes of the Highlanders, anC
the two parties fell on each other witt
the utmost fury; their natural ferocit.
of temper being excited by fenda
hatred against the hostile clan. yea
for the honor Of their own, and con
sciousness that they We're fighting il
presence of the king and mobiles o
; Scotland. As they fought with tn
two handed sword and axe, tn
wounds they inflicted on each othe
We're of ghastly size and chara ctel
Heads We're cloven asunder, limb
; We're Topped from the trunk. Th
meadow was soon drenched with bloc
t and covered with dead and wounde
J men.
: In the midst of the deadly confic
the chieftain of the Clan Chattan ot
/ served that Henry Wynd. after b
? had slain one of the Clan Kay. drev
/ aside and did not seem willing /
t fight more.
) How Is this" said he, art tho
afraidf"