The Battle of Culloden, where the Duke of Cumberland’s army demolished the Jacobite troops, marked the end of the rebellion. Thoroughly defeated, Prince Charles’s supporters limped home while their leader lay low until he could be smuggled to safety. Appreciating the significance of the rebellion, Robert Forbes, a bishop of the Episcopal Church in Scotland, gathered first-hand testimony from those involved in the rising (see pages 131–3). There is considerable bias in some accounts, and also misremembering of facts, but the following account of the Battle of Culloden, by Colonel Ker of Gradyne, who was close to the Prince and was prized as a reliable witness, is thought to come very near the truth. One of the disadvantages of being an honest and unhistrionic witness, however, is that Ker’s account seems strangely dull considering the events it describes.
Tuesday, being April 15th, the whole army marched up to the muir, about a mile to the eastward of Culloden House, where they were all drawn up in order of battle, to wait the Duke of Cumberland’s coming. Keppoch’s men joined in the field, from Fort William, and the whole was reviewed by the Prince, who was very well pleased to see them in so good spirits, though they had eaten nothing that day but one single biscuit a man, provisions being very scarce, and money too.
The Prince (being informed that the Duke of Cumberland had halted that day at Nairn, to refresh his men, and that the ships with the provisions were coming into the bay of Inverness, that evening) called a council of war; and, after great debates, (although that neither the Earl of Comarty [sic], who by this time was prisoner, though not known, nor the MacPhersons, nor a great many of the Frazers was come up,) it was resolved to march, and endeavour to surprise the Duke in his camp at Nairn, about twelve miles distance.
Accordingly, the march was begun betwixt seven and eight o’clock at night; the first column commanded by Lord George Murray, the second by the Prince. The night being dark, occasioned several halts to be made, for bringing up the rear. When about half way, Lord George Murray ordered Colonel Ker, one of the Prince’s aides-de-camp, to go from front to rear, and to give orders to the respective officers to order their men to make the attack, sword in hand; which was thought better, as it would not alarm the enemy soon, and that their fire arms would be of use to them afterwards.
When he returned to the front, to inform Lord George Murray of his having executed his orders, he found they were halted a little to the eastward of Kilravock House, deliberating whether or not they should proceed, (having then but four miles to march to Nairn, where the enemy was encamped,) or return to Culloden, as they had not at most, or thereabouts, one hour to daylight; and if they could not be there before that time, the surprise would be rendered impracticable and the more so, as it was not to be doubted that the enemy would be under arms before day-light, as they were to march that morning, to give the Prince battle.
The Duke of Perth, and his brother, Lord John Drummond, who had been sent to advise the Prince, returned to Lord George Murray. Lochiel and others, that were in the front, hearing that there was a great interval betwixt the two lines, which would take up most of the time to day-light to join, it was resolved to return to Culloden, which was accordingly done, which, some say, was contrary to the Prince’s inclination. They marched the shortest way back, by the church of Croy, which, though but scarce two miles from the place where the halt was made, yet it was clear day-light before the front arrived there; which makes it clear there was no possibility of surprising the enemy before day-light, as was designed.
The march continued to Culloden, from whence a great many, both officers and soldiers, went to Inverness, and other places, in quest of provisions, which were very much wanted. The Prince, with great difficulty, having got some bread and whiskey at Culloden, where reposing himself a little, after having marched all that night on foot, had intelligence brought, that the enemy were in sight; whereupon those about Culloden were ordered to arms, and several officers sent to Inverness and places adjacent, to bring up what men they could meet with. While those about Culloden were marching to the muir above the house, where they were joined with about three hundred of the Frazers, just then coming, Colonel Ker went out to reconnoitre the enemy. When he came back, he told the Prince and Lord George Murray, that their foot were marching in three columns, with their cavalry on their left; so that they could form their line of battle in an instant.
The Prince ordered his men to draw up in two lines, and the few horse he had in the rear towards the wings, and the cannon to be dispersed in the front, which was brought up with great difficulty, for want of horses. As there was no time to march to the ground they were on the day before, they were drawn up a mile farther westward, with a stone enclosure on the right of the first line, and the second at a proper distance behind. After having reconnoitred the enclosure, which ran down to the water of Nairn, on the right, so that no body of men could pass without throwing down the walls; and to guard against any attempts that might be made on this side, there were two battalions placed, facing outwards, which covered the right of two lines, and to observe the motions of the enemy, if they should make any attempt that way.
The Duke of Cumberland formed his line at a great distance, and marched in battle order till he came within cannon shot, where he halted, and placed his cannon in different places, at some distance, in the front, which outwinged the Prince’s both to right and left, without his cavalry, which were mostly on the left, some few excepted who were sent to cover the right.
As soon as the Duke’s cannon were placed, he began cannonading, which was answered by the Prince’s, who rode along the lines to encourage his men, and posted himself in the most convenient place, (where one of his servants was killed by his side,) to see what passed, not doubting but the Duke would begin the attack, as he had both the wind and the weather on his back – snow and hail falling very thick at the same time. Here it is to be observed, that neither those that had been with the Earl of Cromarty … nor the MacPhersons, nor between two and three thousand men that had been on the field the day before, were come up. Notwithstanding these disadvantages, and the Duke’s cannon playing with great execution, Lord George Murray, who commanded the right, sent Colonel Ker to know if he should begin the attack, which the Prince accordingly ordered.
As the right was farther advanced than the left, Colonel Ker went to the left, and ordered the Duke of Perth, who commanded there, to begin the attack, and rode along the line till he came to the right, where Lord George Murray was, who attacked, at the head of the Atholl men … with all the bravery imaginable, as indeed did the whole line – breaking the Duke’s line in several places, and making themselves masters of two pieces of the enemy’s cannon. Though they were both fronted and flanked by them, they, notwithstanding, marched up, under a close firing from right to left, to the very points of their bayonets, which they could not see till they were upon them, for the smoke. At the beginning of the attack, the Campbells threw down a great deal of the wall of the enclosure, for the dragoons on the Duke’s left to pass to the rear of the Prince’s army, which they were suffered to do, without receiving one shot from the two battalions that were placed to observe their motions. This being observed, and the constant fire kept up by the Duke’s foot in the front, put the Prince’s people in disorder, and rendered the defeat of his army complete.
The Prince retired in good order, with some few of his men, and crossed the water of Nairn at the ford, on the highway between Inverness and Corribreigh, without being pursued by the enemy, where he parted with them, taking only a few of Fitzjames’s horse and some gentlemen along with him up that river, the rest taking the highway to Ruthven of Badenoch, where they stayed some days, expecting an answer of a letter that was sent to the Prince; but it not coming in the time expected, they all separated, every man to do the best for himself he could.