Siege of Fort Augustus (March 1746) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Siege of Fort Augustus
Part of the Jacobite rising of 1745
Fort Augustus
Date 22 February to 1 March 1746 Location Fort Augustus, Scottish Highlands Result Jacobite victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Great Britain	Jacobites
Commanders and leaders
Major Hugh Wentworth	Colonel Stapleton Colonel James Grant
Strength
300 (estimated)	1,500–1,800 (estimated)
Casualties and losses
None	None

The Siege of Fort Augustus was a short battle that happened between February 22 and March 1, 1746. It was part of the Jacobite rising of 1745, a time when people tried to put Prince Charles Edward Stuart back on the throne. During this siege, a group called the Jacobites captured Fort Augustus from the government soldiers. They even used the fort's cannons to attack another fort later!

Why Forts Were Important

After an earlier uprising in 1715, the government built forts in Scotland. These forts were meant to help control the area. Three important forts were Fort George, Fort Augustus, and Fort William.

When the Jacobite uprising began, soldiers were sent to these forts. However, the forts had not been well-maintained. Their defenses were not very strong. The Jacobites did not try to capture them until February 1746. This was after they had to leave Stirling Castle.

Fort George's Surrender

Fort George had plenty of supplies, but it gave up without a fight. Its leader, Major Grant, was related to a Jacobite leader, Lord Lovat. Major Grant later faced serious consequences and was removed from his job.

The soldiers at Fort Augustus and Fort William had been raiding the nearby lands. These lands belonged to important clan leaders, Lochiel and MacDonald of Keppoch. To protect their homes, these leaders wanted the forts captured. So, on February 21, 1746, a large Jacobite force arrived at Fort Augustus. This force included French soldiers and about 1,500 clan members.

The Battle for Fort Augustus

Fort Augustus and Loch Ness, seen from an old military road.

Fort Augustus was built in 1729. It was located at the end of Loch Ness, where important military roads met. The fort was not built on high ground. Instead, it was on a piece of land surrounded by Loch Ness and two rivers, the Oich and the Tarff.

The British commander, Duke of Cumberland, thought the fort could not be defended for long. He believed that only Fort William was truly important.

Fort Design and Weaknesses

The fort was square-shaped with angled corners called bastions. It was designed to show the government's presence, not for strong defense. The walls were weak. The cannons, which were meant to protect the fort, were placed on top of the bastions. This meant they were easy targets for attackers.

Major Hugh Wentworth led the fort's soldiers. He had about 300 men but no trained cannon operators. He placed some of his soldiers in an old barracks building outside the main fort. This building was quickly taken by the French soldiers. The Jacobites began their attack on February 22, 1746.

The Attack

The Jacobites set up three cannon positions. One was aimed at the main gate. The other two fired from the north. These cannons did not do much damage. However, the Jacobites also had three special mortars called coehorns. These mortars fired shells high into the air.

On the first day, a shell from a mortar hit the fort's gunpowder storage. This caused a huge explosion and destroyed one of the fort's corners. The next day, another shell caused a second explosion. After that, the fighting continued for four more days.

The soldiers inside Fort Augustus gave up on March 1. No one was killed on either side during the siege. Major Wentworth was later removed from his position because he surrendered too quickly.

What Happened Next

Another drawing of the old fort from around 1788.

After capturing Fort Augustus, the Jacobites moved on to attack Fort William. Fort William was the last government stronghold in the area. It was a much stronger fort. However, the Jacobites stopped their attack on Fort William in early April.