Swords and Spears vs. Guns; The Battle of Culloden, April 16th, 1746In 1745 the Stuarts were a royal

Swords and Spears vs. Guns; The Battle of Culloden, April 16th, 1746In 1745 the Stuarts were a royal family in exile from their home country.  During the 17th century the House of Stuart ruled over a large kingdom of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland.  The family had endured political intrigue, civil war, and execution, but in 1688 the family was ousted from power in favor of William of Orange from the Netherlands.  This bloodless revolution became known as the Glorious Revolution, and is one of the most important events in British history.The Stuarts went into exile, guests of the Bourbons of France.  For decades they schemed of ways to regain the throne of England, which had become the United Kingdom of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.  In 1745 Charles Edward Stuart (Charles III), landed in Northern Scotland intent on taking back his throne.  Northern Scotland was chosen as the starting point of the invasion because the Stuarts were historically a Scottish family who still had loyal followers among the Scottish Highlanders known as Jacobites.  Charles built a large army consisting mostly of Scottish Highlanders, but also Scottish lowlanders, English, Irish, and French.  At first the rebellion almost succeeded, with Jacobite forces invading Northern England. However, Britain was not expecting an enemy invasion from the North but was rather expecting trouble from their arch-nemesis, France.  British units were recalled from the continent and the Jacobites were forced to retreat back to the Scottish highlanders.Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Jacobite Uprising was the anachronism inherent in the two armies.  The British forces were the stereotypical redcoats.  Wearing bright red uniforms, it was an army manned with professional soldiers armed with the latest in technology and trained in the latest military tactics.  The British Army was equipped with the legendary Brown Bess flintlock musket and a bayonet.  The British Army also fielded the best and the latest in artillery and cavalry forces.  The Scots of the Jacobites, however, were a blast from the past.  The Jacobites had few muskets, rather the Scottish Highlanders were armed much like their medieval ancestors of the past; with a small wooden shield and a longsword, as well as pikes, halberds, axes, and spears.  The typical Scottish warrior wore a tartan kilt and a bonnet for a uniform.  Scottish tactics consisted mainly of the “Highlander Charge”, a fierce frontal assault in which the Scots simply charged and overwhelmed the enemy.This tactic had worked for the Scots before but only when used with the element of surprise.  Once in close a long musket was useless against an enraged Scottish Highlander.  However, by April 16th, 1746, the Scots had been chased to Iverness in the north, and had neither surprise or tactical advantage over the British.  The two armies met on Culloden Field located south of Inverness, Scotland.  The opening shots of the battle proved that the Scots were at a huge disadvantage.  The British began the battle with salvo’s of their artillery.  The Scots countered, but the poorly trained and equipped Jacobite artillery forces were ineffective against the British Army.  It was at this point that Jacobite command and control broke down.  Under fire from British artillery, no one would give the order to charge or advance.  The Scots merely stood in rank and file as British artilleryman played target practice with their big guns.  Charles Stuart was expecting the British forces to attack and neglected to give the order to advance.  For thirty minutes straight the Jacobite waited as the British pounded their lines with terrible and accurate cannon fire.  Then the order to charge was given.The Scots attacked with their traditional Highland Charge.  However, they were slowed by wet, muddy, and marshy terrain.  The British, situated in standard rank and file, poured volley after volley of musket fire into the Scots.  The Scots, slowed by the muck and lacking firearms were sitting ducks for the British redcoats.  Worse yet, British cannon began to fire grapeshot, a charge filled with dozens of grape sized projectiles which made artillery into large shotguns.  Grapeshot blast annihilated whole clusters of Scottish warriors.  Against the worst the Scots managed to meet and nearly break through British lines.  However British re-enforcements plugged the gaps and eventually the British were able to turn back the assault and drive the Jacobites from the field. The Battle of Culloden was the last pitched battle on British soil.  Furthermore, it was proof that the age of the sword and spear was long over, and the gun reigned supreme on the battlefield.  Only 50 British were killed that day, compared to 1,500 - 2,000 deaths suffered by the Scots.  Charles Edward Stuart would escape back into exile.  He never again would challenge the British throne.  Eventually the Scottish Highlands would be incorporated into the United Kingdom, often following persecution of Highlander culture, nobility, and sovereignty.  -- source link

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