Glencoe

A painful history memorialised Our About The South columnist Lloyd Esler on a massacre, heroism and poisoning.

The oldest battle commemorated in Southland is the Glencoe Massacre in Scotland on February 13, 1692.

A roadside memorial at Southland’s Glencoe stands in memory of the 38 MacDonalds murdered by men of the Earl of Argyll’s Regiment of Foot, commanded by Captain Robert Campbell of Glenlyon.

Forty women and children died of exposure after their homes were burned.

The massacre was one of most callous in British history and led to a long enmity between the

MacDonalds and the Campbells.

This is an example of the ongoing fallout from Fun on Farms and Stations published by Mervin McKenzie in 1979.

‘‘Farmer McDonald went to meet the ploughman at the siding at night. He didn’t ask any questions or his name.

‘‘During the meal the conversation was friendly, then Mr McDonald said: I haven’t asked your name yet.

‘‘The ploughman said: Allan Campbell. Mr McDonald said: Oh. Allan went to bed pleased that he had a job with such a nice family and was looking forward to an agreeable day.

‘‘When he went into breakfast next morning he was surprised to see only the maid. She said: Mr McDonald had to leave early but he told me to tell you that he thinks you will be unsuitable for the job. The horse is in the stable and you can drive yourself to the siding to catch the train.

‘‘The only conclusion that he could arrive at was that his name had brought to the surface some stubborn Highland hate that had existed in Scotland 12,000 miles away; hate that had cost McDonald a good man and Campbell a good job.’’

Southland’s second VC winner

Two of New Zealand’s Victoria Cross winners are from Southland.

Dick Travis was awarded the VC in July 1918. He had lived in Southland from 1910 until he enlisted in 1914.

The other was Jack Hinton, born 1909 at Riverton and awarded the VC in 1941.

On the night of April 28, 1941, in the Allied retreat from Greece, German troops entered the town of Kalamata.

Hinton, tired of retreating, organised a counter-attack with bayonets and grenades and routed a German position.

He was wounded and captured but made several escape attempts and his VC was awarded to him by the camp commandant on October 17, 1941.

Following liberation of his POW Camp by Americans in 1945, he borrowed an American uniform to resume a role in the war.

Hinton’s medal was one of nine VCs stolen from the Waiouru Army Museum in 2007 but was fortunately recovered two months later.

The Glencoe massacre was one of most callous in British history and led to a long enmity between the MacDonalds and the Campbells.

Strychnine in the sugar

The danger of misuse of strychnine made the news in 1901 when Charles Henry Arnett was convicted of the attempted murder of rabbiter Charles Milne by putting strychnine in his sugar.

In a case called ‘‘The Edendale Sensation’’, the court heard that Arnett, who had been stealing rabbit money due to Milne, had decided that killing Milne would absolve him of the debt.

Two other men were poisoned by the tea in which they had mixed the sugar but the jury was unable to agree on whether or not this was attempted murder.

Fortunately all three recovered.

Arnett died in prison serving a life sentence with hard labour.