Battle of Culloden – What Actually Happened

The build-up to the battle

There had previously been some support for Charlie from the Clan Chiefs who were willing to ‘come out’ and fight for him if he could raise French troops as well. Some did turn out for him but others advised him that this was a lost cause. It was felt that this was an issue long dead and advised him to return to France. They well knew there would be harsh consequences should this uprising fail. Some were also wary enough to consider who to back, based on the likely outcome. They would change sides depending on how the campaign progressed. It was a game of high stakes.

Charlie did have the promise of backers and powerful ones at that. The French and Spanish had offered assistance in terms of arms, money and men. But they were fighting other wars elsewhere, so although some gold was sent, it arrived too late to really be of help. Nevertheless, the campaign gathered pace and an army amassed. The army travelled south, took Edinburgh by force and went on into England. Only days from London, they got to Derby, when they decided to turn back. They were far from a supply line and had a Hanovarian spy in their midst, who planted false stories of a large government army waiting close by. Retreat to fight another day was seen as the sensible option.

What happened next?

This army returned north, through the north of England at Carlisle and on to Glasgow, where they demanded supplies. The Jacobites still felt strong, receiving news of French reinforcements. They travelled to Stirling and kept moving north, back to their heartlands but, hungry, poorly equipped and tired, they were exhausted. They had been on the move for many months. The Government were now on full alert, taking this threat seriously. They hastened large numbers of troops north, led by the King’s son, the Duke of Cumberland. On the eve of battle, the Duke and his men camped at Nairn, North East of Culloden.

Prince Charles, meanwhile, had made a rash decision to spring a surprise attack on the Duke. It was the Duke’s birthday and he knew his men would be eating and drinking, in other words, distracted. Against the advice of his officers, Charles insisted that his men walk to Nairn at night. These men were hungry and tired. The ground was hard going and they were at the mercy of indecisive leadership. By the time the order was given to walk, they arrived as the sun was coming up: too late for a surprise attack. So they had to then return to the chosen place for the battle. Even this was argued out amongst Charles’ officers, some thinking it an advantageous site, others not.

The scene was set for the battle to come, the Battle of Culloden. Culloden was named after a house on the site where the Prince was staying. The moor itself is called Drummossie. Jacobite numbers were around 5,500 fighting men. The government side was nearer 7,500. The Duke had been planning and discussing strategy for weeks. The Prince didn’t have a plan – it seems he didn’t want to be dissuaded from engaging with the Duke and refused the advice to retreat to fight better another day.

Which clans fought at the Battle of Culloden?

The important point to remember – this was a battle between those who supported the notion of returning a Stuart King to the throne and those who didn’t. Scots, English and Irish fought on both sides. Sometimes clansmen fought their own fathers, brothers, and uncles. On the Jacobite side were, amongst others, Chisholms, MacLeods, MacLeans, Frasers, Farquarsons, Camerons and Gordons. There is a cairn on the battlefield to ‘Mixed Clans’, those buried together but whose numbers were few. The government side was boosted by Flemmings, Howards, Monros and many others. Certainly, English-speaking Lowland Scotland, including the cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh, were firmly on the government side. They saw Prince Charles as a puppet of the French court who had the nickname of The Young Pretender. His father before him had been The Old Pretender, each supported by Gaelic-speaking, uncouth ruffians from the Highlands.

How long did the battle last?

The battle of Culloden lasted for under an hour. In that time, approximately 1250 Jacobites were dead, almost as many were wounded and 376 were taken prisoner (those who were professional soldiers or who were worth a ransom). The government troops lost 50 men while around 300 were wounded. There is some controversy as to what happened next. The Prince, watching at a distance, was said to be in shock. The orders were given to the Dukes men that ‘no quarter shall be given’. And so the slaughter began, 5 miles of blood and bodies as the cavalry finished off wounded men. These orders were not official though. It seems that someone had inserted the clause to slaughter all.

What happened after the Battle of Culloden?

For weeks and months afterwards, the government troops unleashed terrible bloodletting on the Highland population, while they sought the Prince who had a bounty on his life of £30,000. But here’s the twist that turned him into a romantic hero: he fled, with a close bodyguard of a handful of loyal supporters, and evaded the troops for five months, crossing the Highlands and island-hopping. He was almost caught several times but each time, escaped. He was assisted on one occasion by Flora MacDonald, who famously rowed him to the Isle of Skye, he dressed as her maid. On modern maps, Prince Charlie’s Caves litter the landscape. Eventually, he was picked up by a French Navy ship on the West coast of Scotland. He never set foot in Scotland again, and died an old man in Rome, 41 years later. But he was never given up.

His supporters weren’t so fortunate. The Chiefs who had supported him were sought high and low. Many hid for years, only to finally give up and go into exile in France.

Why was the Battle of Culloden important?

The repercussions were far-reaching. The wearing of tartan, the playing of bagpipes and speaking of Gaelic were all banned. This was an insensitive move, as the banning of tartan also applied to those clans who had fought for the government. Many bagpipe tunes, centuries in evolving, were lost forever. Gaelic culture was seen as ‘backwards’ and has only relatively recently reclaimed its rightful place as a rich, valuable expression of a way of life.

The Prince was, by all accounts, charismatic, handsome and flamboyant. Women of influence swooned and supported him. But charisma is no substitute for clear think and thorough planning. This was the last major battle fought on British Soil. It could be debated that the whole campaign was doomed from the beginning. Certainly, the horror of its blundering aftermath is what makes it such an important event and goes some way to explaining how a long shadow was cast. But with the reinstigation of the Scottish Parliament, this is a nation who has embraced its Highland culture and wants nothing more than to share it with the world.