Battle of Culloden
The Battle of Culloden, fought on April 6, 1746, was a pivotal conflict in Scottish history, marking the end of the Jacobite Rebellions. The battle saw approximately 5,000 Scottish and French Jacobite troops, loyal to Charles Edward Stuart, known as the Young Pretender, face off against a well-equipped British army of around 9,000 soldiers. The engagement unfolded on a moor and was characterized by intense cannon fire and a series of desperate charges by the rebel forces, which ultimately failed to break the British lines. The battle concluded in about forty minutes, resulting in a devastating defeat for the Jacobites, with around 1,000 Scots killed compared to only 50 British losses. Following the battle, British troops pursued and killed many of the fleeing Scots, leading to the notorious moniker of "The Butcher of Culloden" for the Duke of Cumberland. The battle not only ended Jacobite aspirations for restoring the Stuart dynasty to the British throne but also led to significant changes in Scottish culture and society. The aftermath of Culloden had lasting repercussions, influencing Scottish identity and the relationship between Scotland and England for generations to come.
Battle of Culloden
Type of action: Ground battle in the Jacobite Rebellions
Date: April 16, 1746
Location: Moor six miles east of Inverness, Scotland
Combatants: 9,000 British vs. 5,000 rebels
Principal commanders: British, William Augustus, duke of Cumberland (1721–1765); Rebel, Charles Edward, the Young Pretender (1720–1788)
Result: Devastating defeat of the army led by the Charles Edward
On April 6, 1746, 5,000 Scottish and French rebel (Jacobite) troops fighting for Charles Edward, the Young Pretender, were routed by 9,000 well-armed and well-disciplined British troops.
The two armies faced each other across a moor. The rebels suffered twenty minutes of British cannon fire before advancing. The rebel left charged three times before breaking ranks and fleeing. As they advanced, the rebel center and right received devastating fire from infantry in front of them and cavalry on their right flank. To defend against the Highland charge (in which the Scots advanced with shield and broadsword), William Augustus, duke of Cumberland, had specially trained his infantrymen. Instead of fighting the Highlander in front of him, each soldier bayoneted the Highlander to his right, thus attacking the Highlander’s exposed side. The rebels were slaughtered and fled in chaos, and many were killed by pursuing cavalry.
In the battle, which lasted only forty minutes, 1,000 Scots were killed, with only 50 British losses. After the battle, British troops killed more than 1,000 of the Scots who had fled the battle, earning Cumberland the name “The Butcher of Culloden.”
Significance
The battle ended the Jacobite Rebellions and dashed any serious hope that Charles Edward might be restored to the British throne.
Resources
The Battle of Culloden. Documentary. British Broadcasting Corporation, 1967.
Black, Jeremy. Culloden and the ‘45. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1990.
Charteris, Evan. William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, His Early Life and Times (1721–1748). London: Arnold, 1913.
Prebble, John. Culloden. New York: Atheneum, 1962.
Speck, W. A. The Butcher: The Duke of Cumberland and the Suppression of the 45. Oxford: Blackwell, 1981.