Culloden

“They Created a Desert and Called it Peace”–Tacitus

A paper by Brian A. Whiting

In December 1964 the BBC showed a ground breaking
drama/documentary; written, produced and directed by a 28 year
old film maker called Peter Watkins. It was entitled “Culloden” with an
opening credit; “An account of the most mishandled and brutal battles
fought in Britain” the historical advisor on the project was John
Prebble based on his book, of the same name, published in 1961.

As Peter Watkins had a budget of only £3000.00 it was filmed in
black and white with local people and repertory actors portraying the
principle participants. This caused a certain amount of chagrin to
Equity, the actors union; thinking that it would stop their members
working, but it went ahead anyway!

It had been filmed in August 1963 but with the amount of rain that
fell during the shoot Watkins used it to good effect; it certainly
resembled the weather at the time of the battle, the actors certainly
looked miserable in these conditions.

The film was presented in the guise of a news and current affairs
program by television crew, with interviews with both Jacobite and
Hanoverian forces. It showed the grim reality of battle and the genocide
that followed. Viewers were stunned by the power of this film; an
attribute which still resonates 48 years later.

Opening scenes depict the dissention among the High command of
the Jacobite army, with the sycophantic John O’Sullivan and the
aristocratic Lord George Murray disagreeing with the choice of
battlefield. Individual Highlanders, many of whom were Gaelic
speakers were given the chance to express their feelings as to why they
were fighting, this following a brief resume of the clan system. Answers
varied from loyalty to the Prince, their clan chiefs, coercion, Religion
and inter-clan rivalry. Special mention was made of Brigadier Walter
Stapleton’s Irish piquet known as the “Wild Geese” [remembered in the
song “The Lowlands Low”]. The majority of these were Irish exiles who
had fled from the port of Dunmore after The Battle of the Boyne and
their sons. Charles Edward Stuart was portrayed as an autocratic fop
with little sense of the realities of the battle ahead. In the Hanoverian
ranks, a motley crew to say the least, the Duke of Cumberland’s salary
of £15,000 PA was compared with the common soldiers 6 pence a day!

Much was made by the troops of the new musket and bayonet drill
devised by Cumberland; described in graphic detail, particularly the
thrust of the bayonet into the armpit of his enemy on his right hand
side diagonal. Great play was made of this after the battle as one of the
tactics that defeated the Jacobite Army. This is another myth from
Culloden perpetuated by the Hanoverian victors over the centuries; as
any military historian will suggest, in order for this tactic to be effective
the enemy must advance in a linear formation. The highland charge in
contrast to this was anything but, being a manoeuvre consisting of
around 700 men armed with the targe and broadsword charging in an
ill disciplined yet terrifying mass, using the speed of the charge [some
12 mph] to smash the line of defenders. In the face of such an attack,
highly meticulous bayonet drill is anything but effective.

The battle scenes themselves concentrate on the opening cannonade
and the indecision of the Jacobite high command. The charge of the
Atholl Brigade towards Barrell’s Regiment is highlighted and the
carnage that ensued, illustrated by the heaps of twitching bodies of
dead and dying men, as the Jacobite army is defeated. The Prince is led
away having failed to encourage the fleeing clansmen to stand,
protected by the remnants of Stapleton’s Irish Piquets.

The scenes following the battle show the brutal callousness of the
Hanoverian soldiery, bayonetting and cutting throats of dead and dying
clansmen. Cumberland’s order of “Let them have sweets”, was carried
out with enthusiasm, although a few expressed some reservation. The
pursuing of the fleeing clansmen; who were cut down whilst in the path
of redcoat cavalry regardless of whether or not they had taken part in
the battle, was depicted with shocking effect. One poor woman whose
baby was murdered is particularly poignant as she describes what had
been perpetrated by the Nottingham Militia.

Most shocking of all is Trooper Ray’s arrival in Inverness as the first
of the “victors” into that city. He is shown calmly dismounting from his
horse and giving his bridle to a startled young woman, going into a
nearby house and killing wounded Jacobite soldiers within, then
coming out again with blood on his sword and galloping away without a
word. The horror and disbelief on the girl’s face could not have been
more graphically illustrated.

The days, weeks and months of the highland clearances concentrate
on that notorious sadist Captain Caroline Scott who is shown
committing one atrocity after another with rapine, burning and
pillaging carried out with no compassion or regret. A trooper
interviewed said it wasn’t right what was being done, but still carried

out his “orders”, whilst another stated it was revenge for his colleague
killed at Falkirk. Such were the excuses for destroying a culture and a
way of life forever.

The films commentary ended with the words used as the title for this
piece, never has an event been so suitably described.

Unfortunately, Peter Watkins drama/documentary style has not
been embraced by his successors. It was a very simple concept, using
people, the spoken word and appropriate locations to convey that awful
day in 1746.Today, history is told with the aid of Computer Generated
Imagery [CGI] and it lacks the realism of Peter Watkins work, which is
a great pity.

There is no doubt that this film is a very difficult watch, from a
Jacobite perspective. It does demonstrate, however, the brutality and
callousness of man’s blind indifference to his fellows, in an age where
living was harsh with few comforts, unless of course you were fortunate
to be part of the gentry. Even they, however, were hard pressed
following the events of April 16th. 1746.

The DVD was released by BBC Worldwide in 2005 with the co-
operation of the British Film Institute. It is admittedly difficult to
obtain. The version used for this critique was purchased from Amazon,
but it is well worth pursuing and to accept some of the films
inaccuracies by all current Jacobites.

Peter Watkins is now 76 years old and lives in Norbiton, Surrey,
England.