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16 April in military history: the Battle of Culloden, 1746

Military history · 16 April · Jacobite rising · Full calendar

Location: Culloden Moor, near Inverness, Scotland.
Location: Culloden Moor, near Inverness, Scotland. Location map: © Echoes of Battle (data: Natural Earth, public domain)
Quick answer

On 16 April 1746 the Jacobite rising ended on Culloden Moor near Inverness. The government army of the Duke of Cumberland shattered the exhausted, outnumbered Highlanders of Charles Edward Stuart in less than an hour. The date is in the Julian calendar, which Britain still used; in today's calendar it was 27 April.

Less than an hour

Disciplined musketry and artillery broke the famous Highland charge. The brutal pursuit that followed helped destroy the old clan system of the Highlands.1

Our article on the Battle of Culloden covers the rising and the battle itself. › Battle of Culloden, 1746

Also on this day

Frequently asked questions

When and where was the Battle of Culloden?

It was fought on 16 April 1746 on Culloden Moor, east of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands, the final battle of the Jacobite rising of 1745.

Who fought at Culloden?

The Jacobite army of Charles Edward Stuart, Bonnie Prince Charlie, against the British government army commanded by Prince William, Duke of Cumberland.

Who won the Battle of Culloden?

The government. Cumberland's army decisively defeated the Jacobites in under an hour and crushed the rising.

Notes

A number in the text points to a note; each note names the works that paragraph draws on, listed in full under Sources.

  1. Echoes of Battle, “Battle of Culloden”. ↩

Sources

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