Atholl raids
Atholl raids | |||||||
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Part of the Jacobite rising of 1745 | |||||||
Tummel Bridge, which was built for General Wade in 1730 and which was captured by the Jacobites during the Atholl raids in 1746 | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Government: Campbell of Argyll Militia[1] Loudon's Highlanders[1] |
Jacobites: Atholl Brigade (Clan Murray)[1] Clan Macpherson[1] | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Colin Campbell of Glenure[1] |
Lord George Murray[1] | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
Atholl Brigade: 400[1] Macphersons: 300[1] | |||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
2 killed[1] 8 or 10 wounded[1] 300 taken prisoner[2] | unknown |
The Atholl raids of 14 - 17 March 1746 were a series of raids carried out by Jacobite rebels against the British-Hanoverian Government during the Jacobite rising of 1745.
Background
The commander of British forces in Scotland,
The Atholl raids
The Jacobite troops were divided into thirty companies or detachments, consisting of both Atholl men and MacPhersons and were each assigned a particular target.[1] The Jacobite force strode across 30 miles of hills to come within reach of their objectives, taking the Pass of Killiecrankie.[1] The post at Bun Rannoch was then taken which was being held by the Loudon's 64th Highlanders and much to the embarrassment of that unit's commander, Colin Campbell of Glenure, as he was not present when the Jacobite attack went in.[1] He claimed that at the time he was at Castle Menzies trying to obtain food for his men.[1] His militia men at Bun Rannoch had been drinking when they were surrounded at 11pm on 16 March by the Jacobites.[1] The first sentry fired his musket but to no effect and was surrounded.[1] The next post to the east was Kynachan House which guarded an important bridge over the River Tummel, but again the sentry was surrounded and this time killed.[1] The Campbell men inside the house did for some time stand firing out of slits of the building, but an opening was made in the roof above them and so they were obliged to surrender.[1] At these two posts the garrison lost two men killed, including one officer, and eight or ten wounded.[1] In all a dozen militia outposts had been taken by the Jacobites,[3] and 300 government troops were taken prisoner.[2]
Aftermath
All of the objectives had been taken including those of the regular soldiers who were closest to Blair Castle.[1] All of the government schemes to reinforce the outposts came to nothing and the Jacobite general, Lord George Murray, was then able to lay siege to Blair Castle for two weeks.[1] The Atholl raids proved Murray's contention that guerrilla warfare tactics were the best option, but left the Jacobite army spread out over the Scottish Highlands with few troops to prevent the Duke of Cumberland marching on Inverness.[4] Colin Campbell of Glenure whose men were defeated at the raid on Bun Rannoch was later murdered in what is now known as the Appin Murder on 14 May 1752.[1]
Bagpipers
According to historian John Buchan, the Jacobites had as many as twenty bagpipers with them when they carried out the Atholl raids.[5]
References
- ^ ISBN 9780753822623.
- ^ ISBN 9783849604578.
- ISBN 9781906000141.
- ISBN 9781405514767.
- ISBN 9780773569799.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
See also
- Jacobite risings
- Battle of Culloden