Editing Battle of Culloden (section)

==Prelude==
On 12 April, the government army forded the [[River Spey]], which was guarded by a 2,000-strong Jacobite detachment under [[John Drummond, 4th Duke of Perth|Lord John Drummond]]. However, Drummond decided he could not hold his position and withdrew towards [[Nairn]], an action for which he was later criticised. By 14 April, the Jacobites had evacuated Nairn, and the government troops camped at Balblair just west of the town.{{sfn|Reid|2002|pp=51–56}}

[[File:Battle of Culloden (campaign map 01).png|thumb|right|upright=1.8|[[William Augustus Cumberland|Cumberland's]] route from [[Aberdeen]] towards [[Culloden, Highland|Culloden]]]]

Although significant elements were absent elsewhere, the main Jacobite army of about 5,400 left [[Inverness]] on 15 April, and assembled in battle order at the [[Culloden, Scotland|Culloden]] estate, 5&nbsp;miles (8&nbsp;km) to the east.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=57.5566&lon=-3.9597&scale=200000&icon=x|title=Map of Drummossie | publisher = MultiMap}}</ref> The leadership was divided on whether to give battle or abandon Inverness, but with most of their dwindling supplies stored in the town, they feared retreat meant the army might disintegrate.{{sfn|Pittock|2016|p=58}} [[Sir John O'Sullivan]], the Jacobite [[adjutant-general]], identified a suitable site for a defensive action at Drummossie Moor,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=57.4779&lon=-4.0863&scale=100000&icon=x|title=Map of Drummossie Moor | publisher = MultiMap}}</ref> a stretch of open moorland between the walled enclosures of Culloden Park to the north,<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=57.49&lon=-4.1356&scale=100000&icon=x|title=Map of Culloden | publisher = MultiMap}}</ref> and those of Culwhiniac to the south.<ref>{{citation | publisher = Ordnance Survey | place = UK | url = http://getamap.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/getamap/frames.htm?mapAction=gaz&gazName=g&gazString=NH7417645057 | title = Get map | access-date = 3 July 2008 | archive-date = 25 September 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120925185047/http://getamap.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/getamap/frames.htm?mapAction=gaz&gazName=g&gazString=NH7417645057 | url-status = dead}}.</ref>

Jacobite Lieutenant-General [[Lord George Murray (general)|Lord George Murray]] felt the relatively flat and open ground selected by O'Sullivan favoured the government troops. He suggested an alternative steeply sloping site near [[Daviot Castle]], which was inspected by Brigadier Stapleton of the Irish Brigade and Colonel Ker on the morning of 15 April. They rejected Murray's suggestion, arguing the ground was "mossy and soft", while it also failed to protect the road into Inverness.{{sfn|Pittock|2016|p=60}} The debate remained unresolved by the time of the battle, while the Jacobite army ultimately formed their line west of the site originally chosen by O'Sullivan.{{sfn|Pittock|2016|p=58}}

===Night attack at Nairn===
On 15 April, the government army celebrated Cumberland's 25th birthday by issuing two gallons of [[brandy]] to each regiment.{{sfn|Harrington|1991|p=44}} Hoping they would be less vigilant as a result, the Jacobite leaders decided to conduct a night attack on the government encampment. Murray's instructions were for his troops to use only swords, [[dirks]] and bayonets, to overturn tents and subsequently to locate "a swelling or bulge in the fallen tent, there to strike and push vigorously".{{sfn|Roberts|2002|pp=177–180}}{{refn|A Highland Jacobite officer wrote: "We were likewise forbid in the attack to make use of firearms, but only of sword, dirk and bayonet, to cutt the tent strings, and pull down the poles, and where observed a swelling or bulge in the falen tent, there to strick and push vigorously".{{sfn|Lockhart|1817|p=508}}|group= note}}

The plan drawn up by Murray called for simultaneous attacks on Cumberland's front and rear by his troops, and a second force under the [[James Drummond, 3rd Duke of Perth|Duke of Perth]], supported by Lord John Drummond and Prince Charles. The Jacobite force did not begin its march until well after dark, partly to avoid being spotted by ships of the Royal Navy then in the [[Moray Firth]]. Murray led it across country in order to avoid government outposts, but one participant, [[Chevalier de Johnstone|James Johnson]], later wrote "this march...on a dark night [was] accompanied with confusion and disorder".{{sfn|Reid|2002|pp=56–58}}

As a result, it was one hour before dawn when Murray's leading elements reached Culraick, still {{convert|2|mi|km}} from the intended crossing point over the River Nairn. After a heated debate, Murray concluded the attack should be aborted, but this message was not communicated to the 1,200 men under Perth. While Murray led his detachment back to camp along the Inverness road, Perth continued, unaware of the change in plan. One account claims his troops made contact with government sentries before realising their colleagues had turned around. Although some historians suggest the night attack might have remained viable if he had continued, most argue their numbers were too small to have any effect.{{sfn|Black|1998|p=32}}{{sfn|Pittock|2016|p=67}}

Not long after the exhausted Jacobite forces had made it back to Culloden, an officer of Lochiel's regiment, who had been left behind after falling asleep in a wood, arrived with a report of advancing government troops.{{sfn|Reid|2002|pp=56–58}} By then, many Jacobite soldiers had dispersed in search of food or returned to Inverness, and others were asleep in ditches and outbuildings. Several hundred of their army may have missed the battle.