Siege of Fort William
Encyclopedia
The siege of Fort William, Scotland took place between 20 March and 3 April 1746. Prior to the siege the Jacobites
had forced the surrender of Fort Augustus
after a siege of just two days, from where they proceeded to Fort William with cannons they had taken from Fort Augustus. They arrived with siege cannon on 20 March and both Cameron of Lochiel and MacDonald of Keppoch wrote to their Jacobite leader, Charles Edward Stuart
to tell him that they had declared war on the Clan Campbell
. In their letters they both claimed many war crimes had been committed against them by the Campbells, including the burning of 400 homes in a single day.
The siege began on 20 March 1746 and lasted for two weeks. However the pro-government clans who held the fort were well supplied by the Royal Navy
who could send ships via Loch Linnhe
, as a result the fort held fast. On the 22nd, the Jacobites sent a drummer to Captain Scott, the commanding officer, with a letter, requiring him to surrender, but his answer was, that he would defend the place to the last extremity. The bombardment was then renewed on both sides for some hours, but at last the garrison silenced the besiegers by beating down their principal battery. For two weeks the fort withstood a bombardment before sending out a force of men from the garrison who took a number of the Jacobite's guns, mortars and their shot furnace. The garrison of the fort also launched a "sally" on the 31 March which destroyed the remaining Jacobite guns and by the 3 April the Jacobites had abandoned the siege completely.
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
had forced the surrender of Fort Augustus
Fort Augustus
Fort Augustus is a settlement in the Scottish Highlands, at the south west end of Loch Ness. The village has a population of around 646 ; its economy is heavily reliant on tourism....
after a siege of just two days, from where they proceeded to Fort William with cannons they had taken from Fort Augustus. They arrived with siege cannon on 20 March and both Cameron of Lochiel and MacDonald of Keppoch wrote to their Jacobite leader, Charles Edward Stuart
Charles Edward Stuart
Prince Charles Edward Louis John Casimir Sylvester Severino Maria Stuart commonly known as Bonnie Prince Charlie or The Young Pretender was the second Jacobite pretender to the thrones of Great Britain , and Ireland...
to tell him that they had declared war on the Clan Campbell
Clan Campbell
Clan Campbell is a Highland Scottish clan. Historically one of the largest, most powerful and most successful of the Highland clans, their lands were in Argyll and the chief of the clan became the Earl and later Duke of Argyll.-Origins:...
. In their letters they both claimed many war crimes had been committed against them by the Campbells, including the burning of 400 homes in a single day.
The siege began on 20 March 1746 and lasted for two weeks. However the pro-government clans who held the fort were well supplied by the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
who could send ships via Loch Linnhe
Loch Linnhe
Loch Linnhe is a sea loch on the west coast of Scotland....
, as a result the fort held fast. On the 22nd, the Jacobites sent a drummer to Captain Scott, the commanding officer, with a letter, requiring him to surrender, but his answer was, that he would defend the place to the last extremity. The bombardment was then renewed on both sides for some hours, but at last the garrison silenced the besiegers by beating down their principal battery. For two weeks the fort withstood a bombardment before sending out a force of men from the garrison who took a number of the Jacobite's guns, mortars and their shot furnace. The garrison of the fort also launched a "sally" on the 31 March which destroyed the remaining Jacobite guns and by the 3 April the Jacobites had abandoned the siege completely.