Tuesday 3 November 2015

Cumberland

The latest recruit to the slowly expanding Government army. It's only one and a half Battalions big (or small - depends on your point of view) at the moment but I wanted somebody on a horse so started at the top. Its another of the very fine 1745 range from Crann Tara miniatures.



Probably like most people my first source for Culloden was John Prebble's highly atmospheric book. It's probably fair to say that Cumberland does not get a good press and the BBC2 docudrama which followed did little to even the score as grim faced redcoats were shown bayoneting the wounded highlanders. The recent work of Stuart Reid presents a more balanced picture - the number of Jacobite prisoners is perhaps indicative of a less than thorough approach. True, the prisoners dont appear to be have been treated too well but find me an instance of prisons in the 18th century where anybody was. Jacobite mythology seems to have worked rather well. I gather that the wounded Zulu's at Rorkes Drift did not get the correct human rights treatment either but we dont hear of Butcher Chard do we?

I visited the Culloden battlefield in 2001. The new visitors centre was open but this was before film revamp. All the guides were dressed as plucky highlanders and I looked in vain for the man in a redcoat who might show us round. Presumably he was too busy sharpening his bayonet.


1 comment:

  1. Another fine paint job. You've made him look quite grim :) living up to his reputation.
    Graham

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