Blair Collection > Celtic magazine > Volume 2

470 THE CELTIC MAGAZINE.
HIGHLAND BATTLES AND HIGHLAND ARMS.
V.
CULLODEN.
His Grace of Cumberland, it is well known, issued a general order to Ins
forces which, whatever may he said of its accuracy, was certainly neither
logical nor in accordance with the views exj^ressed by General Hawley.
For in the first place he informed his forces that very few of the Jacobite
soldiers were real Highlanders, and, secondly, that whatever they might
be, they were, if firmly resisted, the most despicable of all adversaries,
and woidd be defeated with the utmost ease. Lastly, he had some time
previously promulgated his wondrous bayonet exercise, Avhich still
occasionally finds admirers in writers upon military subjects. Tliis
exercise being that each soldier in place of thrusting at the adversary
immediately opposite him, was to direct his weapon against the one
immediately to his right, and in this way deliver his thrust upon the
right side of his opponent, Avhich was linprotected by his target.
In reference to these propositions, it ma,y bo remarked that the first
was a downright and barefaced falsehood, Avhich could only liavu Ijeen
promulgated on the 'assumption of the ignorance of the men to whom
it was addressed.
The second was just a repetition of (General jNIackay's accdunt of the
behaviour of the Highlanders, in Avliicli he afterwards candidly acknow-
ledges himself to have been completely mistaken.
The bayonet exercise Avas, hoAvever, an emanation from the brain of
the great I)uke himself, and has certainly the idea of originality, if
of nothing else, to recommend it.
When, hoAvever, its merits are considered, it must be borne in mind
that an active and Avell trained soldier can ahvays, by facing towards the
right, interpose his target so as to parry a bloAV from that direction,* and
there is therefore nothing Avhatever in the Cumberland method, but even
admitting that the bayoneteer succeeded in Avounding his adversary to his
right, his opponent in front had an etj^ual opportunity of cleaving his
skull, and thus no advantage Avhatever could be derived to cither party
from his Grace's contrivance, and the engagement Avould still require to
be fought according to the relative merits of the Aveapons emj)loyed.
It is noAvhere related Avhether his Grace's much vaunted system Avas
ever actually tested at CuUoden or not, all that has been ever mentioned
being that some Highlanders Avere killed by bayonets, Avhich Avas, as Lord
Elcho says, the easier because a number of Highlanders had laid aside
their targets.
General Sir Charles Napier, an ardent admirer of the bayonet, admits
that he had seen in India a native SAVordsman lying on the ground thrust
* All the better classes of the Highlanders were individually well trained to thq
Use of the broadsword and target.