Human cost of battle amidst harsh winter
DIGGING INTO THE PAST with Dr Murray Cook
Last week was the anniversary of The Battle of Sherifimuir (November 13, 1715), a horrible, cold wet, messy affair with around 1400 soldiers dying in the conflict.
The Jacobites were trying to secure the crown for the deposed James VII (James II of England), known as the Old Pretender and his grandson Bonnie Prince Charlie, the Young Pretender.
Anyway, the battle is often considered a loss to the Jacobites despite their greater numbers as they failed to advance and gain control of Stirling Castle, though in fairness they were not beaten by the Government’s forces led by John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll.
Jacobite leader John Erskine, 6th Earl of Mar, is often blamed for this loss and called Bobbing John due to his indecision.
Now the reason for writing after the anniversary is what happened after the battle. The Jacobites did not simply go away, they stayed between Dunblane and Perth as Argyll began to hunt them down. They were still there in January when the snow was so thick it came up to the horses’ bellies.
On January 25, the Jacobites began to burn every settlement between Dunblane and Perth to deny Argyll and his troops shelter. The Old Pretender had landed at Peterhead on December 23 and met Mar and his troops in Perth on January 30 to see if the cause could be rallied.
However, it all fizzled out. James fled to France taking Mar with him and Argyll returned to London in late February. But what about all those poor souls who were left homeless in the middle of winter? Spare a thought for them later on in the year.