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Pre-clearances - Culloden


The Jacobites slowly made their way through the hills back home to the Highlands. They had barely made camp in Inverness when news arrived that Cumberland had made camp in Nairn: about 15 miles away.

Exhausted, freezing, starving, out of supplies and ammunition some of his army went home to their families and some stayed.

Charles thought he would take the upper hand and strike first.

Just over 4,000 Jacobite supporters stood in the snow driven moors in mid morning, some had been up all night after their night march, all were starving, tired and worse for wear..

Video Clip:

View the Jacobites' Weapons .
A mixture of Clans, Irish and men from the ages of 51 years to as young as 13 stood in front of a veteran force of over 9,000 well supplied infantry and cavalry.

The video clip above will let you compare and contrast the weapons of a Jacobite and a Redcoat as they demonstrate them to the children of Ullapool Primary.

Panoramic Battlefield:

You can use your mouse to move around the panoramic image of Culloden Battlefield by Mark Churms.

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Cumberland's troops were made up of English veterans fresh from Europe and over 4,000 Scots: more Scots were facing Charles than were standing next to him. For many though it was more a case of Clan revenge than a fight for a crown - and even brother faced brother.

The Duke's army had canon and riffle-musket. Each man equipped with enough ammunition for at lEast 24 rounds. On the Prince's side they were armed with musket-pistols - and no ammunition. It was back to the old ways - The Highland Charge.

A little after 12:30 that afternoon the Princes side fired what canon they had and waited for the return volley - which came swiftly. His troops were cut down in the dozen by the onslaught of Cumberland's artillery. Disembowelled by the flying balls of 4lb steel, arms legs and heads were scattered amongst the bunched up and freezing Jacobites. It all lasted for minutes and when the smoke cleared all that was left to do was to run or charge - the Jacobites outnumbered by at lEast 2 to 1 charged on the right flank of Cumberland's lines. For a brief spell the Duke's troops on the right were scattered, but soon closed ranks on the charging Highlanders and began the massacre, in turn scattering the Highlanders across 'Cumberland's Bloody Killing Field'.

By 1:00, only 30 minutes later, it was all over and those Highlanders, who could, ran for cover and back to their homes. By Cumberland's own estimate, some 2,000 Highlanders lay dead on Culloden Moor.

The memories of Culloden still run deep in the blood of Highlanders the world over because this battle was not the end - it was just the beginning!

It is said Cumberland gave orders for "No Quarter Given": in other words 'none shall live' - however it appears this was actually added to the foot of Cumberland's written orders by some unknown person. His army marched on and killed every wounded Highlander left on the field - and then made it's way to Inverness to carry on the fight.