Page 82 - The Wish Stream Year of 2021

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