Broadside entitled 'A Letter to the Author of the National Journal'

Commentary

This satirical piece begins: 'IN all the Lists of the Prisoners taken in or after the Battle of Culloden, I observe That none of those taken were wounded. Now, as in every Battle there are a great many wounded, and left in the Field of Battle a Prey to the Conquerors, who generally take as much Care of their wounded Enemies, as of their own wounded Men, I wish you would inform me what became of the Rebels---------that were left wounded in that Field at that Battle.' The letter is signed with the pseudonym Tom Curious. Below it is a reply from a man calling himself 'A true Modern WHIG'. It was published around 1746.

The response is shocking and inflammatory. It is almost certainly a spoof, intended to highlight the national corruption at the time of the Battle of Culloden. The Whig believes that all Jacobites should be killed, including their women who are 'not past the Age of Breeding'. He goes on to say that the livestock and crops should have been seized, the aim being to 'starve those rebellious Wretches in a Year or two'. At the bottom is a list of 'The Noblemen, Gentlemen, and others, attained for their Accession to the Rebellion'.

Broadsides are single sheets of paper, printed on one side, to be read unfolded. They carried public information such as proclamations as well as ballads and news of the day. Cheaply available, they were sold on the streets by pedlars and chapmen. Broadsides offer a valuable insight into many aspects of the society they were published in, and the National Library of Scotland holds over 250,000 of them.

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