Page 82 - The Wish Stream Year of 2021 (Crest)

Culloden Battlefield
PO Lau
On the 16th October 2021, The Leadership Development Course 213 travelled from Inverness to Culloden to conduct a bat-
tlefield study tour about the final battle between the Jacobite Army and the British Government Forces.
The Potential Officers (POs), guided by Ian (a local historian and reenactor), surveyed the ground, the positions of the Jacobite forces and their government adversaries, and listened to the details of how the battle unfolded. After the battlefield tour itself, the POs explored the visitors centre, looking at artefacts from the day and first-hand accounts of the battle. There was also a lecture put on by the centre on the impor- tant, if often overlooked, role of women through- out the Jacobite Rising. Finally, POs travelled to the Culloden House Hotel where Bonnie Prince Charlie, the Jacobite Pretender to the throne, spent the night before the battle. Here Ian gave a demonstration of the weapons and tactics of the period, and the POs had the opportunity to fire muskets for themselves, the closest that they will get to a real rifle for the next few months!
What did the POs learn from the tour?
There were many important and varied lessons that POs took away from the battlefield tour. The demonstration of different weapons and tactics used by the different sides demonstrated the importance of recognising one’s own strengths and weaknesses. The Jacobites, understanding the consequences of not having sufficient artil- lery, sought to close the distance and employ
their sword, shield and knife combination rather than the cumbersome volley fire with muskets, something that highlanders, conscripted into the fighting, were inexperienced with and thus could not match the government forces’ 3 rounds per minute. Likewise, the logistical element in the lead up to Culloden highlighted just how essen- tial it is to be prepared for battle. Having the wrong size cannon balls immediately and irrevo- cably damaged the Jacobites fighting strength, forcing them into choosing the tactics that did maximise their offensive potential. These points that the tour highlighted brought home the value
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