"The Battle of Culloden" di John Prebble

THE BATTLE OF CULLODEN By John Prebble Penguin Books, 1996 Events before the battle Prince Charles Edward's army commenced its memorable march into England, from its position near Dalkeith, on the 1st of November, 1745. It consisted of about 6000 foot, one-half Highlanders, and some 500 cavalry; but when mustered at Carlisle their number was found to be reduced by desertion to about 4500, to whom were added at Manchester 200 to 300 recruits. With this small force the Insurgents penetrated to Derby, within 127 miles of London. Here they learned that they were being environed by three armies, amounting to 30,000 men - one under General Wade at Newcastle; a second, composed of veteran troops, under William, Duke of Cumberland, in Staffordshire; and a third, less formidable, mustered on Finchley Common, - while reinforcements ordered from Scotland were not on the way. In the lack of all co-operation, the leaders, to the Prince's deepest chagrin and bitter disappointment, and equally to the mortification of the inferior ranks, deemed it indispensable to make a timely retreat. The retrograde movement, concerted with great secrecy, accordingly on the morning of the 6th December, and was conducted with much skill and complete success. The invasion had been regarded at first with supineness by the English, as a piece of mere infatuation; and the leading Jacobites in England and Wales hung back, from distrust of the fortunes of so small a force. By this time, however, the nation and the government were thoroughly alarmed, and many well-wishers were on the very eve of joining the insurrection; while the French Ministry had made serious preparations for a large armament, and 10,000 troops were mustered, in order to a descent on the south of England. So it is probable that, had the Prince's eagerness to risk all the hazards of the die prevailed, his romantic enterprise might have achieved at least the temporary reinstatement of the Stuarts on the throne of Britain. The Insurgents retreated by Carlisle, Dumfries, Nithsdale, Hamilton, and Glasgow. They left the latter city on the 3rd of January, 1746, and occupied Falkirk and villages between that town and Stirling, which place the Prince, waiting reinforcements from the North, set about reducing. Affairs in the north During the absence of the Prince's forces in England, Duncan Forbes of Culloden, Lord President of the Court of Session, had continued the strenuous labours whereby he was so instrumental in rendering the Rising abortive, by persuading many of the most powerful of the Highland chiefs to hold aloof; and having been intrusted with commissions for the purpose, accompanied by a mere promise of repayment of his advances, but with no supply of money, he succeeded in embodying at his own expense, as Independent companies, nearly 2000 Highlanders in the service of government, who rendezvoused at Inverness, and who, though perhaps but lukewarm in the Royal cause, were thus kept from swelling the ranks of i Continua »