Battle of Cromdale

the Battle of Cromdale took place the April 30th and May 1st 1690 with Cromdale (Scotland). Although it is only about one minor confrontation, this battle marked the effective end of the Insurrection jacobite.

The battle

After their defeat with the Battle of Dunkeld in 1689, the clans of the Highlands were turned over from there on their premises, demoralized. Sir Ewen Cameron ensured the command of the remainder of the army. Sir Ewen and the other jacobites chiefs complained near the king Jacques II about the precarious state in which was its supports in Scotland and of the need for sending to them of the assistance. Unfortunately, this one was into full preparations to resist a threat of invasion of Ireland. To help them, it sent touefois clothing, weapons, ammunition and provisions. It also dispatched some officers Irish with Lochaber, among which was the general major Buchan as a commander-in-chief of the forces jacobites in Scotland. On arrival of Buchan, a meeting between the chiefs of clans and the principal officers took place with Keppoch, in order to establish an action plan. Certain clans proposed to submit themselves to the government, but Sir Ewen rejected this option. The meeting showed the unanimous decision to continue the combat, as soon as work of spring would be accomplished in the Highlands. The vast rallying of the clans was thus deferred. During this time, a detachment of 1.200 infantrymen was placed at the disposal of Buchan, in order to weaken the enemy positions along the border of the Lowlands. The Buchan general advanced his men towards Badenoch, with an aim of going down on Speyside in the grounds of the Duc from Gordon, where it intended to gather new troops. Following desertions, the forces of Buchan were then reduced to 800 men. Ignoring the council of its officers Scot not to go beyond Culnakill, Buchan advanced until Cromdale, where it establishes his camping on April 30th. It was joined in Cromdale by Sir Thomas Livingston, ordering garrison of Inverness, with the head of quite higher forces of number. While this one approached with its men, on opposite bank of the Spey, the forces jacobites started to be folded up. The cavalry of Livingston crossed the river and intercepted Jacobites, which gave an opinion with the foot of the hill of Cromdale. Submerged by the number, Jacobites last their safety only with one thick fog, descended from the mountain, which wrapped them, kind Livingston to stop the continuation.

According to the reports, Highlanders had 400 killed men or captive facts, whereas Livingston lost only between 0 and 100 dead.

An small group of approximately a hundred men, separated from large from the troops jacobites, crossed Spey the following day. Continued by men of Livingston, they were caught up with and dispersed on the moor of Granish close to Aviemore, where some were killed. They then tried to seize the castle of Lochinclan but were pushed back by the owner and his farmers.

Consequences

The defeat of Cromdale put indeed a term at the rebellion in Scotland. Propaganda jacobite made nevertheless a victory of the royalist forces of it; a popular song was made up for this purpose, of which here the last ones towards:

honest The Stewarts, with Montrose,

So boldly set upon to their foes,

And brought them down with Highland blows

Upon the Haughs off Cromdale.

Off twenty-thousand Cromwell' S men,

Five-hundred fled to Aberdeen,

The rest off them binds one the lime pit,

Upon the Haughs off Cromdale.

Curiously, the hero of the song, James Graham, marquis de Montrose, had died 40 years before the battle does not take place. The refrain remained popular: he is always played by the Pipe band S.

The battle field is located close to Granton-one-Spey, founded in 1765.

Sources

Random links: