When war broke out in Moray
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The death toll from Moray topped 250 before the First World War finally reached its exhausted conclusion in November 1918.
Added to that, a far larger number had been left either permanently disfigured or heartbroken.
Those horrors were still unknown – unimaginable even – at the start of the conflict in 1914.
Here we travel back in time 110 years to see how The Northern Scot reported local reaction to the news that the country was now at war.
From the files of the Northern Scot in 1914:
There has only been one topic of conversation this week. The war has stirred us all as we have never been stirred before.
In one of the most memorable weeks in the history of Great Britain all other events have receded into the background. People can think of nothing else.
The stern command "mobilise" was received at the headquarters of the 6th Morayshire Battalions Seaforth Highlanders (Territorials) at six o'clock on Tuesday evening.
In a remarkably short space of time the quiet surroundings of the Drill Hall in Elgin Cooper Park were transformed into a scene of the greatest activity. The momentous news spread with great rapidity.
A few minutes after the intimation had been received copies of the King's proclamation were being posted up in all parts of the town.
There was a thrill of real excitement as word passed from mouth to mouth.
The terrible significance of the call lay in the fact that never before in the history of the Volunteers or the Territorials had they been mobilised for active service and, above all, for the defence of their country.
Members of our citizen army returning home from their work heard the great news and hurried to get everything ready so that they might be able to report themselves at the earliest moment.
There are eight companies of the Seaforths, two with headquarters in Elgin, and one each at Forres, Rothes, Fochabers, Grantown, Garmouth and Lossiemouth. With the exception of Grantown and Forres, all these were required to proceed to headquarters in Elgin.
The task of notifying almost nine hundred men was no light matter.
The sudden call has also affected many shops and offices. Even the local newspapers have found themselves shorthanded.
It seemed as though there would be a disastrous run on the shops on Tuesday and Wednesday. Things looked bad when several of the merchants had to close their premises for a few hours because of the pressures of business.
Fortunately the Elgin people are not liable to unreasonable panic, and beyond taking due precautions, the citizens have kept their heads in most praiseworthy fashion.
The sudden rise in prices has affected every household commissariat. The enterprising tradesman who raised the price of sugar to a shilling per pound evidently thought he had made a corner in that particular commodity.
Conduct of this description requires no comment. It is satisfactory to note, however, that measures are to be taken to prevent overcharging.
With a naval base at Cromarty rumours of naval battles off Lossiemouth and beds for the wounded in out quiet town, we seem to be living in the centre of things instead of the circumference. A shell dropped in our midst would not surprise us very much now.
The Elgin newsagents have been very busy during the past few days. The demand for newspapers has been phenomenal and beyond anything experienced even during the Boer War.
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Alleged German Spy in Elgin
All sorts of stories have been flying around, the most exciting being that three spies had been discovered, that two of them had managed to escape, but that the third had been captured by the police and was lodged in Elgin prison.
An arrest did actually take place and although the man was subsequently released the circumstances justified the Territorials in their action.
The incident took place at the rail station about 11.30 on Wednesday forenoon.
A foreign-looking man put a number of questions to a porter as to the mechanisms of the rifles carried by the Territorials, and as to the quality of the ammunitions.
He wrote his questions in a small notebook and got his informants to write down their answers.
The attention of Lieutenant Cook was drawn to the suspicious behaviour of the man and his actions were watched.
Two other men were also observed on the platform who looked like Germans.
When the Lieutenant approached the alleged spy to ask what he was doing, he put his hands to his mouth and ears to indicate that he was deaf and dumb.
The circumstances were so strange that Lieutenant Cook placed the man under guard until the arrival of the police.
The other two men came forward and talked to the Lieutenant in a foreign tongue, and endeavoured to persuade the police from not making an arrest.
They subsequently disappeared but there seemed little doubt that they were acting in conjunction with him.
In the course of his examination the man stated that he was an Irishman who had visited Elgin for many years to collect subscriptions for the deaf.
He denied being a spy and said he had put the questions simply for his own information.
The police ultimately liberated him.
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Horse owners' plight
Since Wednesday there has been an extraordinary demand for horses for military purposes.
A large number of mounts and transport animals were required by the Seaforths and Scottish Horse, so Elgin and the surrounding district were scoured.
Owners were at first unable to grasp the seriousness of the situation, and hardly realised that the officers had power to commandeer any suitable piece of horseflesh that came their way on paying the full value of the animal.
Many of them absolutely refused at first to sell their horses and the strong arm of the law, personified by a burly policeman, had to be called on to ease matters.
The officers have endeavoured to carry out their work with the least inconvenience to all concerned, but of course in the extraordinary circumstances it was impossible to avoid some measure of hardship.
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Scene at the Station
The companies marched through crowded streets from the Cooper Park to the Highland Railway Station where there was a large assembly eager to give a hearty send-off to the citizen soldiers.
The men were formed up in the station square and afterwards were marched onto the platform where the special train was drawn up in readiness to receive them.
So great was the interest aroused that all the people of Elgin appeared to have foresaken their ordinary occupations for the time being. Fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, wives and sweethearts had come to bid the Territorials God speed.
It was not by any means an emotional crowd. There was much laughing and joking to hide the deeper feelings which the occasion naturally provoked.
Here and there a mother parting from her son did not attempt to conceal their tears.
It was a picturesque scene with elements of pathos.
The platform was densely crowded and the large bridge above the line was black with people. Every vantage point was occupied.
Colonel Black, who was accompanied to the station by Mrs Black, was a prominent figure in superintending the arrangements.
Soon all the men were on board and the moment of departure had arrived.
The train began to move and at the same moment a burst of cheering came from the crowd and a responding cheer from the Territorials.
For a few moments there was a tumultuous demonstration until the train had vanished from sight.
The Territorials were off to the war with the shouts of their friends ringing in their ears.
