Battle of Culloden
The Battle of Culloden (April 16, 1746), was the last military clash in mainland Britain, between the forces of the Jacobites and those of the reigning Hanoverians in the Second Jacobite Rebellion.
Background
Prince Charles Edward Stuart, the Young Pretender (also called Bonnie Prince Charlie), and his army of 5000 (mainly Highland clansmen), after victory at Prestonpans and a lengthy wait in Edinburgh, had invaded England on November 8, 1745. The army had advanced through Carlisle and Manchester to Derby, a position where they appeared to threaten London, leading the royal family to make plans to decamp to France. But in early December 1745 the Prince decided to withdraw, his position was at risk from the armies of General George Wade (in Newcastle) and of William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, as well as the large militia formed in London.
The Jacobite forces reached Glasgow by Christmas Day and reprovisioned and were boosted by a few thousand extra men. They then clashed with the forces of General Henry Hawley near Falkirk and were victorious. However, Hanoverian forces continued to pressure Charles, and he retired northwards, losing men and failing to take Stirling Castle or Fort William but investing Inverness and Fort Augustus by early April.
Battle
The Duke of Cumberland and his army arrived at Nairn on April 14; the Jacobite forces were around ten miles away near Drummossie. The two sides met at Drummossie Moor, also known as Culloden, on April 16. The Prince had around 5000 men and the Duke between 7000 and 9000; Charles had also decided to take personal command of his forces. The weather was very poor, and the terrain highly advantageous to the Duke, the marshy and uneven ground making the famed highlander charge somewhat more difficult.
The Duke's forces arrayed themselves in two lines to met the Jacobite forces, and the Duke and Prince parleyed in the morning. At some point during their discussions the Prince's artillery, outnumbered some three to one, opened fire. With shots flying overhead both leaders quickly retired to their own lines.
Over the next twenty minutes the superior artillery of the Hanoverian forces continued to batter the Jacobite lines, until the Camerons had finally had enough and charged of their own accord. The Highlanders advanced bravely but were constantly subjected to the heavy volley fire of the Hanoverian troops and the artillery which had switched from roundshot to grapeshot. Some Jacobites did reach the Hanoverian lines, and they fought bravely, but the Duke was well aware of the Highland sword charge, having commanded the Black Watch at the Battle of Fontenoy, and the Hanoverian troops had been trained in new bayonet tactics to withstand the charge. Each soldier would use his mounted bayonet on the highlander attacking the soldier to his right, getting behind the guard of the highlander's targe (shield), while relying on his comrade to his left to deal with any attack. In the face of the brutal gunfire, and threatened by cavalry, the Jacobites were forced to retreat. The Duke ordered in his cavalry to rout the Jacobite forces, but the small contingent of elite
monument at the site of the battle]
In a total of about 60 minutes the Duke was victorious, around 1250 Jacobites were dead and possibly 300 of the Hanoverian forces.
After their victory, Cumberland ordered his men to execute all the Jacobite wounded and prisoners, around 450 persons, and for that he was known forever afterward as "the Butcher". Certain higher-ranking prisoners did survive to be tried and executed later in Inverness. The Prince fled the battlefield and survived for five months in Scotland despite a £30,000 reward for his capture. The Prince eventually returned to France.
It is important to note that this last major clash of arms on British soil was contested between two factions rather than two nations: the British Army, not an English Army, as is commonly believed, comprised German Hanoverians, English and Scots whereas the Jacobite Army was made up predominantly of Highlanders, who contrary to popular legend had only 20-25% of their men armed with swords. The army also consisted of many Lowland Scots volunteers, some veteran Irish soldiers, a few English, and several hundred French conscripts.
