Culloden, 1746. Oh dear, it's not gone too well has it!
But there's still a chance! Win and the crown is yours. Lose and it's all over. What will you decide to do?
Lord George Murray, Jacobite Army General
Let's find better ground to fight on. This moor land is too boggy and open. We need a hill to charge down and trees to shelter us. The enemy have cannons and guns – they'll cut us to pieces before we ever get close to them if we fight here. Let's retreat and fight somewhere else!
John O'Sullivan, Jacobite Army Officer
The moor is fine. Yes it's boggy but that will slow down their horses. Our men are brave – they don't fear cannons. We've run away too much. The men don't like it. They're soldiers and they want to fight. Let's fight here. If we win we will have the crown back!
James MacDonald, Jacobite Soldier
I can't believe we are fighting here. It's too open and there's nowhere for us to hide! We can't charge across that – they've got more cannons! The only chance we have is to get close up to them as soon as possible. If we can get to their soldiers fast then we have a chance. What makes it worse is that my cousin Iain is fighting for the Government. I hope he is alright.
Joseph Yorke, British Army Officer
Finally we get these rebels cornered. We have far more guns and cannons than them. That should win us the day. It seems very strange but we have more Scots in the British army than the Jacobites have in theirs. Many of them have relatives that are Jacobites. Cannons - I trust in our cannons! They will win this battle for us. Then we teach these rebels a lesson!
How to Do a Highland Charge
The Highland Charge is a very simple and effective way of attacking the enemy. Soldiers charge straight at the enemy and fire their muskets at them from a close distance. Then they hack and slash at the enemy with their claymore swords. A successful Highland Charge is so terrifying to the enemy that often the enemy soldiers simply run away at the sight of the charge. Speed and bravery is the key!
Claymore and targe
A popular weapon for the Jacobites was the claymore broad sword and the targe – or shield. The sword and shield were great weapons for fighting close up but were useless if soldiers were far away. This is why the Highlanders charged straight at their enemies and got close to them as soon as possible.
Musket and Bayonet
The musket and bayonet were the weapons used by the British army during this period. Muskets could only fire one bullet before having to be reloaded. A well-trained soldier could fire three bullets a minute. The bayonet was a long knife that was attached to the end of the gun to stab enemies when they got too close.
