The Battle of Culloden

The striking saga of the Glorious Revolution is one that continues to fascinate historians around the world today. Some chroniclers have referred to these events as the "Bloodless Revolution," but other historians say otherwise. The ruthless game of politics that William and James played may have been somewhat bloodless in comparison to history's greatest rebellions, but the rebels, soldiers, and other pawns who lost their lives along the way must not be forgotten. The revolution would also pave the path for a series of bloody wars between England and Scotland, the results of which have left quite a legacy of their own.



The Jacobites conjure up many images to 21st century Britons, including romantic heroism, the Outlander series, and Bonnie Prince Charlie as the doomed hero of the cause, but Jacobitism was a cause that had far reaching consequences across 18th century Europe. The Jacobites were not only supporters of the exiled Stuart monarchy, but also against the political and religious settlements agreed to across the British Isles. As Jacobite historians such as Daniel Szechi and Frank McLynn have noted, the specter of the Jacobite threat was present for the British government and monarchy in their dealings with European powers throughout the 18th century. This was especially true in France, the country that supported the exiled Stuarts and gave them a home until 1714. This soured the French monarchy's relationship with Britain, and the Hanoverian kings who replaced the Stuarts were always aware of French and Spanish attempts to return the British throne to the Catholic Stuarts.



Of all the fighting conducted by the Jacobites, the Battle of Culloden, fought on April 16, 1746, was probably the most famous battle of them all, and it was a complete disaster for the Jacobite army. The government army outnumbered and outgunned the Jacobites, and when snow fell that morning, it left the battlefield wet and boggy. The exposed field also meant there would be nowhere for the Jacobites to avoid the enemy's gunfire. The battle began around 1:00 p.m. with British artillery fire that the Jacobites struggled to respond against, and the famous Highland charge employed by the Scottish clans was hopeless in a boggy field. Their opposition had learned from previous encounters by attacking their opponent on the right instead of straight ahead, which bypassed the Highlanders' shield. The battle lasted about an hour, and in that time the Jacobites lost about 2,000 men, a resounding defeat that marked the end of the Jacobites' struggle to restore a Stuart to the throne.



During the fighting, the Bonnie Prince Charlie had been forced to leave the battlefield, shouting that he would "not be taken alive." It was a major contrast to his grandfather James, who fled from the Boyne too early, and his father had never fought at the front of any rebellion led in his name. However, after O'Sullivan forced Charles to flee, he fled into the Highlands, helped by the kindness of the clans and ordinary Scots at a grave danger to themselves. No princely palaces awaited him as he slept in huts, fields, and caves. Hoping to find a ship sailing to France, he headed for the Western Isles. He was on the Isle of South Uist as the government forces were closing in, and he sought the assistance of Flora McDonald, the daughter of a local clansman. She agreed to help, and she dressed Charles up as a maid in disguise. They eventually escaped on a boat to the Isle of Skye and only narrowly avoided capture when government troops fired on their boat. The story of his escape from Scotland is epitomized in the Skye Boat Song, with the famous line, "Carry the lad who was born to be king, over the sea to Skye." He hid on Skye for almost three months in a cave near Loch Nan Uamh before he was eventually brought back to France.