12. Sunset and Sorrow

N B Please note that thanks to the Internet, you can read up on the often gory detail of the '45. I am taking my own view of events. (As usual)

From the very start, it seems that there were strong doubts about the chances of success of the Rising. A huge gale had smashed to pieces the ships which were to have accompanied the prince - not the first time England has been saved by storms, when one thinks of the Spanish Armada.

Glenfinnan, with Memorial

On the 19th August 1745, Charles  raised his standard at Glenfinnan. He had some strong support, though not, as we have noted, from our horrid chief. By 11 September he was in Edinburgh. Charlie was everyone's darling and the ladies flocked to meet the bonnie Prince. His army was doing well. Indeed, until April 1746, he was highly successful, beating General Cope at Prestonpans on 21 September.

By 13 November, he had taken Carlisle, letting the garrison depart in peace, probably much to their surprise. The army then moved south, in winter weather. The troops were now hungry and cold, their boots had worn out, and the fateful decision was taken at Derby, against Charles's inclinations,  to return to Scotland. The government had had time to get its defence organised. Three armies were converging on the Jacobites, one led by the Duke of Cumberland, the king's son, and one by our old friend, General Wade. The third was sitting unhappily North of London, while the National Anthem was composed as a kind of prayer to save civilisation from the Hieland mob. in addition to requests to the Almighty to crush "rebellious Scots,' the next verse takes a whack at the rest of the enemy:

From France and Pretender

Great Britain defend her,

Foes let them fall.

From foreign slavery,

Priests and their knavery

And Popish reverie

God save us all.

If it does not seem to you to be immortal verse, just remember it was a rush job.



Panorama of Culloden

Battles were won, even in the sunset of the campaign, but the opposition grew stronger, and fate caught up with Charles at Culloden on 16 April, 1746.The battle lasted about an hour, though the hunting down and slaughtering of the prince's army took longer, on the orders of the Duke of Cumberland, or the "Butcher' as he now became known.

Cumberland's young aide-de- camp, aged only 18, to his eternal credit, refused to participate, telling his enraged commander he was not an executioner, but the ordinary soldiers had no such scruples. Those they captured were beaten to death in a number of artistic ways. A number of wounded lying in a hut were locked in and burned to death. Those locals who attempted to help the rebels were beaten and sometimes killed.

Some years later, the young ADC, a General at 32, was to storm the Heights of Abraham at the head of his Royal Highland Fusiliers and gain Canada for the British Empire. He died during the battle. It is said that he discussed Goldsmith's Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, the night before the battle. I have always had a soft spot for General Wolfe. He was a practical and intelligent soldier's soldier.

When someone told George II Wolfe was mad, he retorted: "Mad is he? Then I hope he will bite some of my generals."

The Death of General Wolfe

The battle of Culloden has been represented as the English against the Scottish Highlanders, but this is very inccurate. Scots, Irish and English, and some Hessian and Austrian mercenaries fought for the government.. In some tragic instances, brothers were on opposing sides

Terrible reprisals were taken not only on the Jacobite troops, but on the Highland population.
And Charles fled westwards, to the Outer Hebrides, and eventually back to France, dying in Rome as a worn out alcoholic. George III made a handsome donation for the building of his tomb.

Cumberland became a national hero, but only for a while. When he failed to cover England in glory in the endless wars going on on the European continent, his father welcomed him back:

"Here is my son who has ruined me and disgraced himself."

Parents are difficult to please.

We will deal with the Prince's wanderings in the next edition, but why did it all go pear-shaped?

The Reasons for Charles's Failure.

Clausewitz

Here's the guy who eventually worked it out, 87 years too late for the Bonny Prince. Naturally, Clausewitz was a Prussian. War was a national industry in Prussia., not something for gifted amateurs, though he acknowledged that luck and the outstanding commander could help things along.

It all boiled down to first assessing the probabilities. If Charles  had done so, he would never have left France. Where were the men, money and materials that the French King had promised? They were never provided.

"Then one must act with the utmost concentration." and: "Act with the utmost speed." Decide what to do and do it. Not hang about partying in Edinburgh for weeks while the enemy is gathering strength.

And finally, the soldier "must fight at the right place and at the right time."

I can add a few thoughts. Cumberland's use of artillery at Culloden was decisive. The charging Highlanders were cut down brutally and  quickly. When Napoleon came along, his success was partly due to his brilliance with the guns.

The motto of the British Royal Artillery is "Ubique" (everywhere) and they have no battle honours because they have been in so many battles.

On a personal note (why not?) I remember sitting in the Latin Class mis-translating Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars, first at Sir E Scott, with Mr Macaskill ( how we hated each other), and Mr Thom at Inverness Royal Academy.

Sir E Scott, Tarbert, Harris

Ol' Julie was always going into "Winter Quarters", and I thought he was a bit thick to stop the war just when he was winning. Napoleon and Adolf Hitler, however have confirmed Caesar's brilliance. It's difficult to fight a campaign when the snow is falling, your boots have worn out and food is scarce.

It was always going to be a losing campaign, not only for Charles, but for the Highlands and for Scotland. The figure on the Memorian at Glenfinnan is not of Prince Charles, but a Highlander. I think the Victorians got it right.

For my next trick, we will deal with Flora Macdonald, and the family connection with Culloden.


Detail of the Glenfinnan Memorial
The Highlander who followed the Prince and Paid the Price



Loch nan Uamh

Here Charles landed, and from here he sailed away, never to return.