Tragic Fulfilment of a Caithness Prediction.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 180, 27 November 1886, Page 6

Tragic Fulfilment of a Caithness Prediction.

About the year 1612 Lord Maxwell, of Nithsdale, had a quarrel with a neighbouring Border chief, Sir James Johnatone, and, happening to meet one day, the diapute was renewed, until from words they came to blowe, when Maxwell unfortunately ran Sir James through the body and killed him on the spot. Horror-stricken at the tragic result of the quarrel, and fearing the vengeance* of the murdered man's relatives, Maxwell took to flight, and made his escape to France. Ho soon, however, returned, and concealed himself fcr some considerable time in the wilds of Caithness, trusting to the well-known generosity of the natives not to betray him, A price was set on his head, but he was aafe enoughso far as the common people were concerned, who scorned to betray even a stranger who trusted himself to them. These fine sentiments were not, however, held by their leader, Colonel George Sinclair, who, on hearing of the fugitive lord, determined to curry favour with the Government by giving him up. Accordingly, he pursued him, and at length secured him near the boundary of the County, and at once sent him to Edinburgh, where the unfortunate gentleman waa executed. Tradition states that when Lord Maxwell was taken prisoner by Colonel Sinclair he upbraided him in no measured terms for his treachery, and told him that he would never prosper after such a deed, but would soon meet with a violent death himself. The Colonel laughed at this ominous prophecy, but he Boon had cause to remember it, for, finding that his neighbours, and even his clansmen, resented his violation of the rules of hospitality, he determined to leave Caithness for a while, and entered the service of Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, to assist him in his war against Denmark and Norway. Having raissd a body of 900 men, he embarked, accompanied by his young and beautiful wife, who could not bear to be lett behind ; and who, to avoid publicity, dressed hereelf in man's clothes and went as her husband's page. Colonel Sinclair found he could not land at Stockholm, as the Baltic was in possession of a strong Danish fl9©t. He therefore determined to land in Norway, and fight his way at the head of his men across the country until he could reach Sweden and join the King's army. He accordingly began his march, laying waste the country, and ill-treating the peasantry in a moat cruel manner. The brutality at lnst so aroused the people that they were nerved to make some attempt at retaliation. The " budstick" (answering to the Jfiery Crossoftheiiighlands)waBBent round. The people assembled, armed with muskets and ! axes to the number of 500, and placed themselves under the leadership of one of their number, named Berdon Seilstead, who/seeing he could not compete with the invaders in numbere, had recouree to stratagem. Sinclair's movements were carefully watched by spies, until he aarived at a place considered favourable for attack. This was a narrow defile between a precipitous rock on one side and a deep and rapid stream on the other. While Sinclair was deliberating whether to pass this daugeroua eorge or try to find another road he espied a young countryman, whom he at once took prisoner and by threats and promises compelled! him to act as his guide. The lad seemed very simple and stupid, but agreed to act as guide if they would not hurt him. Having obtained a promise to this effect, he led them farther through the difficult paßs, until at a certain spot he suddenly stopped, and firing a pistol which be had hitherto kept concealed, leaped among the rocks and at once disappeared, before the report of the pistol shot had died away Sinclairs party heard the blow ing of a horn, and in a moment the rocks which overhung the narrow path were alive with the enraged natives, who poured a terrific volley on the devoted heads of the entrapped Caithness men. Those of the peasants who had no firearms hurled down fragments of rock and large stonea, which proved as destructive as the muskets of the others. The erstwhile guide was among the foremost of the enemy, with all his assumed stupidity thrown off, and was seen to be pointing out Colonel Sinclair to Berdon Seilstead, the leader of the Norwegians, who, having heard that Sinclair bore a charmed life not to be injured by ordinary shot, pulled off one of the silver buttons of his coat, and, biting it into shape, loaded his musket with it, and, taking deadly aim, shot Colonel Sinclair over the left eye, killing him instantaneously. The carnage was dreadful, and the Scots were killed wholesale, without being: able either to defend themselves or attack their enemies. Numbers of the wounded fell into the roaring waters of the torrents below, while about 60 were taken prisoners, and of the whole 900 who entered that pasaonly three escaped and succeeded in making their way back. One waa the wife of the Colonel, the other two being gentlemen who knew the supposed page was their Colonel's wife, and did their best to defend her. Thore ig a pathetic incident mentioned in connection with this unfortunate affair. The day before the slaughter of the Caithness men, a young Norwegian was sitting with his betrothed bride in earnest conversation. He wished to join his countrymen in their proposed attack, and she was trying to dissuade him from doing so ; but on hearing that one of her own Rex was sup poeed to be among the invaders, she wished her lover to go to their camp privately tnat night and try to protect the lady from the fate which they well knew awaited the rest, He consented, and in the twilight made his way unseen to where the Scots lay encamped for the night ; but, in endeavouring to get near enough to Mrs Sinclair to give her warning, he was perceived by her, and nob waiting to hear what he wanted, she shot at and killed him. Tradition records that it was the bereaved and grief- stricken bride, who, disguieed as a lad, led the Scots to their doom, and revenged her lover's death by pointing out Colonel Sinclair to the Norwegian captain. The sixty men who were taken prisoners were a few days afterwards marched to a field and there brutally slaughtered in cold blood by the natives, who had got tired of providing food and lodging for them. Their comrades, who fell at the time, were left as they lay, for tbe birds of the air and beasts of prey to devour ; but the body of Colonel Sinclair was decently buried, and a wooden cross erected over the grave with the following inscription :—: — " Here lies Colonel George Sinclair, who, with 900 Scotsmen, were dashed to pieces, like so many earthen pots, by the peasants of Lessoe, Vaage, Froem. Berdon Seilstad of Ringboe waa their leader." Robert Chambers, who visited Norway in 1849, and went to the scene of the tragedy, says — "In a peasant's house near by were shown to me a few relics of the Caithness men, a matchlock or two, a broadsword, a couple of powder-flasks, and the wooden part of a drum." And thus ended one of the moat unfortunate, fatal, and inglorious military adventures in which Scotsmen were ever engaged, — M. A. Rose, in "Celtic Magazine."