Friday 30 December 2011

The Battle of Prestonpans 1745

From Reid's Culloden 1746, Prestonpans was an interesting battle as it was not fought in the highlands of Scotland but in a pre-industrial setting in suburban Edinburgh. The battle is most famous for the British Commander Sir John Cope losing, then retreating and reporting his own defeat to his superior. In Highland lore and Highland Regiments traditions, the pipe tune Hey Johnny Cope depicts this battle as one where the Jacobite's had surprised the British army while they slept. This wasn't necessarily the case, but it was a coup by the Jacobite's. They were able to defeat a modern army.





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