Battle of Culloden

The battles of Culloden (April 16th 1746) mark the end of the hopes of restoration of the line of Stuart on the thrones of Scotland and England, with the escape of the prince '' Bonnie '' Charles tiny room to beseech the assistance of the young person Flora McDonald and the beginning of an intensification of the pressure against the traditional lifestyle of Highlanders (the clans, tartans, even the bagpipe).

From the military point of view, they are a tactical victory the fusiliers and guns hanovriens, vis-a-vis an army formed for the majority of Scottish Highlanders resulting from the clans faithful to the line jacobite. For the first time, the spontaneousness of the furious load sabers with the light of the warriors jacobites will be put in failure by the rigor and the discipline of the fusiliers of the duke of Cumberland.

Tally

After having threatened to take London, the troops of Bonnie return to Scotland continued by the armies of the general George Wade (to the Newcastle-upon-Tyne) and of the Prince Guillaume Auguste, Duc of Cumberland, like by a large militia formed in London.

The forces jacobites reach Glasgow on December 25th. They are supplied and are joined by a few hundreds of men. They run up against the forces of the general Henry Hawley close to Falkirk and are victorious. However the forces hanovriennes continue to make pressure on Charles who folds up itself towards the north losing of the troops and failing to take the Stirling castle or Fort William, but seizing Inverness and Fort Augustus at the beginning of April.

Battle

The duke of Cumberland and his army arrive at Nairn on April 14th; the forces jacobites are with about fifteen km close to Drummossie. The two sides meet in this so named moor Culloden on April 16th. The prince has approximately 5  000 men and the duke between 7  000 and 9  000; Charles also decided to personally take the command of his forces. It rains, which returns the ground marshy and embossed unfavourable for a load.

The warriors of the highlands count on their bravery, their physical force, their terrifying cries, their axes and claymores (swords) on a barred battle field of low walls intended to protect them after each one of their raids. Narguer the adversary including by showing its buttocks, to force it to attack and to cut it of pieces, such was the strategy.

The forces of the duke are reflected in two lines to receive the forces jacobites. The two chiefs parlementèrent in the small hour without result.

During the first twenty minutes, the artillery of the forces hanovriennes touches the lines jacobites until Camerons decide to charge. The artillery passes in shooting to grapeshot and Hanovriens uses grenades (primitive) effective behind the low walls. On the left wing, some Jacobites reach the lines of the duke but these last had been involved with the news bayonet with casing. Vis-a-vis this effectiveness and threatened by the cavalry, Jacobites are obliged to beat a retreat. A small quota of Irish riders of elite prevents that the retirement is transformed into rout.

In less than one hour, at midday, the duke is victorious. Approximately 1  250 Jacobites had died against 350 of the forces hanovriennes.

Consequences

This defeat involved a wild repression, which equipped Cumberland with the nickname of “stopping” ( Butcher Cumberland ). It ordered with its men to kill the casualties, the prisoners and even of the spectators. The survivors were continued. Some being taken refuge in a barn, it made there put fire. The houses close to the battle field were systematically set fire to, so that they are not used as refuges to the survivors. This repression lasted several months and one estimates at several tens of thousands the number of the victims. Highest graded were judged and carried out later with Inverness.

Armies

It is the last important fixing on the British ground between two factions rather than between two nations: Hanovriens comprised an important German quota and Scot of the lowlands, whereas Jacobites included/understood also soldiers Irish veterans, some English and several hundreds of French conscripts.

See too

Note

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