Search results for #CULL278
#CULL278 And as Columbo says: 'Just one more thing.' A good part of Culloden is in the care of National Trust for Scotland. It's an international flagship for the presentation of battlefields to public. Archaeology continues @NTS_archaeology. Go visit! nts.org.uk/visit/places/c…
#CULL278 It's over for the Jacobites. Terrain worked against them, in places due to lack of care (S. enclosure). Also BA fire plan from cannon over long charge & musketry with mobility were battle winners. Jacobites stream from field. It's taken no more than an hour of combat.
#CULL278 Why did JA charge only reach BA left? A number of factors, but archaeology again shed light. The moor road covered over in the 1980s passed through JA centre and then BA left. It was a delivery system largely overlooked by historians. Now reinstated as a footpath.
#CULL278 Butcher's bill - BA: 50 KIA, 259 wounded (c.200 die of wounds); JA: c. 1500 KIA & wounded & 154 JA & 222 French POWs. That's all folks. So much had to leave out but hopefully you know a little more than you did this morning. I'll post a bit on dead & burial tomorrow.
#CULL278 With all going to pot Lord Murray brings up reserve of French troops (Irish & Scots in French service). Little they can do & as they retire they are fired on by BA Highlanders behind the enclosure walls. We found evidence for this firefight, far away from the main line.
#CULL278 Crisis of battle reached. With Barrell's & Monro's in mêlée Huske brings second line into play. Sempill's & Ligonier's bolsters them & Wolfe's moves round end to stand at right angle. Crescendo of fire as up to 6 volleys fired into front & flank of Jacobites crowding in.
#CULL278 The archaeology has shown that Jacobites using far more musket fire power than traditionally thought. We have recovered as many .69cal lead balls as 0.75cal & when we consider that some of latter likely to be JA this is not just a battle of broadsword against bayonet.
#CULL278 While battle has been raging, Cumberland has directed his Highlanders to knock holes in wall of s. enclosure. Through these c.600 mounted dragoons move unchecked to rear of Jacobite original position. JA cavalrykeep them at bay in a stand-off. But this is a killer move.
#CULL278 Danger on Cumberland's left is so great that Cohorn mortars are brought into action here. Launch spherical bombs (hollow iron balls packed with gunpowder) over heads of left flank and into JA. So close could have been firendly fire. Insight here again from archaeology.
#CULL278 Hand-to-Hand fighting makes this little part of the field a hellish couldron of lead & steel. We found a bayonet - it's Jacobite! Along with small pieces of BB trigger strap cut off by broadswords, possibly while musket held over head to parry - indicates break in line.
@N_T_S #Culloden #Cull278 One from the archives, Jacobite, Mike, a well kent face, paying their respects to the fallen on #CullodenMoor #MixedClans
#CULL278 Found debris field left by hand-to-hand fighting in survey area. Inside red square - projectiles, incl. pistol balls (always fired at close rage), bits of broken musket, & the tin lid. This is where Barrell's regiment stood; archaeological version of Morier's painting.
#CULL278 Among debris is my fave find. Piece of Brown Bess blown off by a JA musket ball. Shot might have killed the man in Barrell's holding it. Tells us a Jacobite was following orders & had not dropped musket (see ALT text). Great example of what archaeology can tell us.
#CULL278 Jacobites on right & centre hit BA left, smashing into Monro's & Barrell's regts. Hand-to-Hand fighting with sword & bayonet. traditional idea is Jacobites dropped muskets after firing a shot as charge closed, then went in with sword. Some did but we found something else
#Cull278 We can tell the difference between the projectiles when found in metal detector survey. BA Brown Bess (.75cal) is slightly bigger than the French (.69cal) muskets used by JA (though they also had Brown Bess muskets picked up after earlier victories Prestonpans & Falkirk)
#CULL278 At around 70m battalions in BA opened fire with muskets. Volleys from 2 ranks while first knelt with bayonet tipped Brown Bess providing a protective hedge of steel. White clouds of smoke soon obscured the line as the Jacobites approached. Some fired at least twice.
#CULL278 Can tell a musket ball fired as canister because it develops facets from being packed in with all its neighbours. Here's a great example not all so clear. Like deadly swarms of bees they flew across moor, bringing down men in groups. All that terrible distance to cover.
#CULL278 Debate over how long Jacobites stood incoming arty fire before they charged. Let's go for 15 mins. When the Highlanders move off at a run they were described as forming 3 wedges. Guns switch to canister - cans full of musket balls, shotgun-like. We even found a tin lid.
#CULL278 Jacobite cannon fires first. Soon a duel between the guns on both sides. Royal artillery soon knock out JA guns - gunners not as experienced. Then they switch from cannon shot to grape shot to hit JA infantry. These are rounds made up of c.9 golf ball sized lead balls.
#CULL278 Armies aligned at an angle, with JA right flank closer to BA left flank (bottom) than JA left flank & BA right flank (top). As will be seen the small Leanach enclosure did not provide an obstacle to the Jacobite charge as some historians suggest.
