Glenbuchat Heritage

96 'Old Glenbucket' at Culloden 1746

Old Glenbucket at Culloden.

The Scots Magazine, Volume 8
Edinburgh Dec 31st 1746

John Gordon, Old Glenbucket was Bonnie Prince Charlies Major. General and fought with the Prince at Culloden in 1746.

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In the above diagrams of the line up for the Battle of Culloden in 1746, the Glenbucket Regiment can be seen lined up just behind Bonny Prince Charlie’s Unit.

The text of the article written in 1746 is as follows:


The rebel army formed their front in thirteen divisions being so many clans under their respective chiefs with four pieces of cannon placed before their centre three and the same number on each wing The centre was headed by Lord John Drummond the right wing by Lord George Murray and the left by the Duke of Perth To support the front commanded line occasionally and covered by some stone walls on the right was disposed Fitzjames's horse and four companies of French piquets on the left one body of horse made up with the young Italian's pretender's son's guards some hussars and the Perthshire squadron and five companies of Lord John Drummond's foot Open to the centre of the front line was young Italian placed with his body guards In his rear a line of reserve of three columns the first on the left commanded by Lord Kilmarnock the centre column by Lord Lewis Gordon and Glenbucket and the right by Roy Stuart Next and directly in the rear of Glenbucket were the regiments of Perth and Ogilvy stationed as the final reserve

In this order the rebels began firing on the King's army about two o clock with cannon which being ill served did execution The firing was return by the King's army with such success as put the rebels in great disorder They disliked this way of fighting and therefore made a push on the right of the King's army where his R Highness waited to receive them in person This they did in a kind of bravado to draw the King's troops forward bat finding themselves they turned their whole force to the left and the weight of their fury fell chiefly on Barrel's and Monro's regiments where they attempted to flank the King's front line but Wolfe's regiment advancing entirely defeated their design In the meantime the cannon kept playing upon them with cartridge Gen Hawley with some high landers had opened a passage thro some stone walls to their right for the horse which advanced on that fide while the horse on the King's right wheeled off up on their left dispersed their body of reserve and met in the centre of their front line in their rear when being repulsed in the front and numbers cut off they fell into an universal confusion The horse on their backs made a dreadful carnage The foot moved only in due order but Kingston's horse from the reserve galloped up briskly and falling in with the fugitives did excellent execution The rest the reader is to guess having only to observe that on the appearance of the two bodies of horse and dragoons advancing from the King's right and left upon the rebels body of reserve the young Italian never made the least motion oppose them but instantly wheeled with his guards to the right and rode full gallop thro between Glenbucket's and Stuart's columns and as we are credibly informed never looked back till he arrived at Aird.

The different dispositions of these two armies were in some measure owing to their respective situations The King's army was to fight uncovered the rebels covered behind walls but when their impatience to get out of the way of the King's cannon pushed them on attacking they necessarily either loft the benefit of their reserve or the reserve must lose the benefit of the cover which they not choosing to do the impetuosity of the front carried them too far from their reserve and then having no guard in their rear the horse from the King's right and left easily did their business On the other hand the disposition of the King's army was perhaps as just as the mind of man was capable of contriving If one failed a second supported and if that failed a third could no way take two pieces of cannon but three must play directly upon them nor break one regiment but two were ready to supply the place If the rebels were repulsed they were routed if any part of the King's army broke they rallied and were supported. Had the King's army attacked it might not have been so well because then the rebels would have been close and covered and consequently the breaking of them more difficult Success is sometimes the effect of accident but in this case chiefly of skill If his R Highness did not form the whole himself it is immaterial He that knows when he is well advised is a judge of what is right and to pursue good advice is one of the distinguishing characteristicks of a great General

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