Battle of Killiecrankie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Killiecrankie
Part of the Jacobite rising of 1689
"Lochiel's charge at Killycrankie", by James Grant
Date 27 July 1689 (1689-07-27) Location Killiecrankie, Perthshire, Scotland Result Jacobite victory
Belligerents
Jacobites	Scotland
Commanders and leaders
Viscount Dundee  † Alexander Cannon Ewen Cameron Sir Alexander McLean	Hugh Mackay Barthold Balfour   †
Strength
2,440	3,600–5,100
Casualties and losses
800 killed and wounded	1,700–2,000 killed, wounded and missing
Registered battlefield
Designated	21 March 2011
Reference no.	BTL12

The Battle of Killiecrankie (Scottish Gaelic: Blàr Choille Chnagaidh) was a major battle in Scotland. It happened on 27 July 1689. This battle was part of the Jacobite uprising in Scotland.

In this battle, a group called the Jacobites fought against the government army. The Jacobites were led by Viscount Dundee. The government army was led by General Hugh Mackay.

The Jacobites won the battle. However, their leader, Dundee, was killed. This made it hard for them to continue their fight.

What Led to the Battle?

Viscount Dundee, the Jacobite commander. His death changed the uprising.

In 1688, King James II & VII was removed from power. This event is known as the Glorious Revolution in Scotland. James was a Catholic king, and many people in England and Scotland wanted a Protestant ruler.

His daughter, Mary, and her husband, William of Orange, became the new rulers. King James went to Ireland to try and get his throne back.

At the same time, some people in Scotland still supported King James. These supporters were called Jacobites. They started an uprising in Scotland in 1689. Their goal was to bring King James back to power.

Viscount Dundee was the main leader of the Jacobites in Scotland. He wanted to win a big battle. He hoped this would make more people join their side.

The Armies Prepare

General Hugh Mackay led the government army in Scotland. He had about 3,500 experienced soldiers. Many of these soldiers were from the Dutch Scots Brigade.

Dundee gathered about 1,800 Highlander soldiers. These were brave fighters from the Scottish Highlands. However, Highlander soldiers often went home after a short time. This made it hard for Dundee to keep a large army.

Dundee needed more supplies and soldiers. He asked King James for help. But King James was busy fighting in Ireland. He sent only 300 Irish soldiers to Scotland. These soldiers were led by Alexander Cannon.

A key place was Blair Castle. It controlled a path to the Lowlands. A Jacobite group held the castle. Mackay's army moved north to take it back. Dundee saw this as a chance to fight. He gathered his forces quickly.

The Battle Begins

Government commander Hugh Mackay.

On 27 July, Dundee learned that Mackay's army was entering the Pass of Killiecrankie. This pass was a narrow path about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) long. The River Garry was on one side, and steep hills were on the other.

Dundee placed his Jacobite soldiers on the high ground above the pass. Mackay's army was trapped in the narrow pass. They had the river behind them and the Jacobites above.

Mackay stopped his troops and spread them out. He formed a long line, only three soldiers deep. This was to make the most of their firepower.

The Jacobites waited until sunset, around 8:00 PM, to attack. They charged down the hill. This was their famous Highland charge.

Mackay's soldiers fired their guns. They killed many Highlanders. But the Highlanders kept coming. They fired one shot, then dropped their muskets. They used axes and swords to fight hand-to-hand.

This battle was one of the first times British soldiers used a new weapon. It was called a plug bayonet. This bayonet was pushed into the musket barrel. It turned the musket into a spear. But it meant soldiers couldn't reload their guns.

The Jacobite charge was very fast. Many government soldiers were not ready. They had trouble using their new bayonets. Many of them ran away.

After the Battle

The Jacobites won a great victory. But it came at a high cost. Dundee was badly wounded during the battle. He died shortly after. This was a huge loss for the Jacobites.

A stone said to mark where Dundee died.

Both sides had many casualties. The government army lost about 2,000 soldiers. This included those killed, wounded, or missing. The Jacobites also lost many men, between 600 and 800.

After Dundee's death, Alexander Cannon took over as leader. But he faced many problems. The Jacobites did not have equipment to attack castles. They also lacked cavalry, which made them weak in open areas. Many Highlander soldiers went home after the battle.

Cannon tried to attack a town called Dunkeld in August. But his attack failed. The Jacobite uprising slowly lost its strength.

General Mackay spent the winter building a new fort. This fort was at Fort William. The Jacobite forces became smaller and weaker. By 1690, they were mostly defeated.

In 2004, a piece of a hand grenade was found at the battle site. This showed that grenades were used in Britain much earlier than thought. A survey in 2015 found many musket balls. This helped confirm where the fighting happened.

See also

In Spanish: Batalla de Killiecrankie para niños