Jacobite Rising

Each Jacobite Rising formed part of a series of military campaigns by Jacobites attempting to restore the Stuart kings to the thrones of England and Scotland (and after 1707, Great Britain) after James VII of Scotland and II of England was deposed in 1688 and the thrones "usurped" by his daughter Mary II jointly with her husband William of Orange.

"Glorious" Revolution

Jacobite war in Ireland

See the Williamite war in Ireland.

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The Williamite war in Ireland was the opening conflict in James' attempts to regain the throne. It influenced the Jacobite Rising in Scotland which "Bonnie Dundee" started at about the same time. When it ended in October 1691 the Irish army left Ireland for France, becoming the Irish Brigade which provided forces assisting The 'Forty-Five Jacobite Rising in Scotland.

Related Topics:
1691 - Irish Brigade

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Bonnie Dundee

On April 16th 1689, Viscount Dundee, known as Bonnie Dundee, raised James' standard on the hilltop of Dundee Law with less than 50 men in support. James had already arrived in Ireland and his letter was on the way promising Irish troops to assist the rising in Scotland. At first Viscount Dundee had difficulty in raising many supporters, but that changed after the Williamite commander Major-General Hugh Mackay of Scourie had been ineffective in chasing after Dundee around the north and 200 Irish troops had landed at Kintyre. Dundee received support in the western Scottish Highlands from Catholic and Episcopalian Clans.

Related Topics:
1689 - Viscount Dundee - Dundee - Hugh Mackay - Kintyre - Scottish Highlands - Catholic - Episcopalian

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By July the Jacobites had 8 battalions and 2 companies, almost all Highlanders. Bonnie Dundee gained the confidence of the Clans by understanding the need to treat each Highlander as a touchy gentleman whose allegiance to his chieftain and clan with its etiquette and precedence was much more important than a secondary cause such as Jacobitism. At a time when infantry were trained to fight in formation, the Highlander's method was to set aside their plaids and other encumbrances before the battle, drop to the ground if their enemy fired a volley then, after quickly returning fire, run screaming at their foe in the Highland charge with broadsword and targe (shield) or whatever other weapon they had, sometimes pitchforks or Lochaber axes (a combined axe and spear on a long pole). This charge could be devastating to troops in formation still struggling to fix their "plug" bayonets which were inserted in the barrel of their muskets.

Related Topics:
Clans - Plaids - Highland charge - Broadsword - Targe - Lochaber axe - Bayonet

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This charge defeated a larger lowland Scots force at the Battle of Killiecrankie on July 27th, 1689, but a third of the Highlanders and Bonnie Dundee were killed in the fighting. At the street fighting of the Battle of Dunkeld on August 21st the Jacobite Highlanders were set back by the Cameronians (now a government regiment), but much of the north remained hostile to the government and expeditions to subdue the highlands met with a series of skirmishes. Jacobite forces suffered a heavy defeat at the Haughs of Cromdale on May 1st 1690 and later that month Mackay constructed Fort William on the site of an old fort built by Cromwell. Then in June news arrived of William's victory over James at the Battle of the Boyne and Jacobite hopes petered out. A year later they were forced to agree to a truce while the Clan chieftains sent requests to the exiled James VII and II for permission to submit to William, and in January 1692 the Jacobite Clans formally surrendered to the government.

Related Topics:
Battle of Killiecrankie - 1689 - Battle of Dunkeld - Cameronian - Haughs of Cromdale - 1690 - Fort William - Cromwell - Battle of the Boyne - 1692

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