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The Inventory of Historic Battlefields – Battle of Bothwell Bridge The Inventory of Historic Battlefields is a list of nationally important battlefields in Scotland. A battlefield is of national importance if it makes a contribution to the understanding of the archaeology and history of the nation as a whole, or has the potential to do so, or holds a particularly significant place in the national consciousness. For a battlefield to be included in the Inventory, it must be considered to be of national importance either for its association with key historical events or figures; or for the physical remains and/or archaeological potential it contains; or for its landscape context. In addition, it must be possible to define the site on a modern map with a reasonable degree of accuracy. The aim of the Inventory is to raise awareness of the significance of these nationally important battlefield sites and to assist in their protection and management for the future. Inventory battlefields are a material consideration in the planning process. The Inventory is also a major resource for enhancing the understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of historic battlefields, for promoting education and stimulating further research, and for developing their potential as attractions for visitors. Designation Record and Full Report Contents Name - Context Alternative Name(s) Battlefield Landscape Date of Battle - Location Local Authority - Terrain NGR Centred - Condition Date of Addition to Inventory Archaeological and Physical Date of Last Update Remains and Potential Overview and Statement of Cultural Association Significance - Commemoration and Inventory Boundary Interpretation Historical Background to the Battle Select Bibliography - The Armies - Information on Sources and - Numbers Publications - Losses - Full Bibliography - Action - Primary Sources - Aftermath and - Cartographic and Consequences Illustrative Sources Events and Participants - Secondary Sources Inventory of Historic Battlefields BOTHWELL BRIDGE Alternative Names: Bothwell Brig 22 June 1679 Local Authority: South Lanarkshire NGR centred: NS 709 575 Date of Addition to Inventory: 21 March 2011 Date of last update: 14 December 2012 Overview and Statement of Significance The Battle of Bothwell Bridge is significant as it brings to an end the 1679 Covenanter rebellion. This was the largest of the Covenanter uprisings of the 17th century and features many figures who were prominent in Scottish political and military history in the latter part of the century. It is also final major battle between the Covenanters and their Government opponents. The Battle of Bothwell Bridge was a major defeat for the Covenanter army against the Government troops lead by the Duke of Monmouth. The catalyst for the Covenanter uprising was the hard-line repression of their conventicles by Government forces. An attempt by Government dragoons to break up a conventicle at Drumclog in Lanarkshire on 1 June 1679 had resulted in a battle victory for the Covenanters. Following this triumph a confident Covenanter army marched on Glasgow but failed to take the city. A Government army under the Duke of Monmouth hurried north to meet the Covenanters positioned to the south of Hamilton. The overwhelming Government victory at Bothwell Bridge effectively signalled the end of the Covenanters’ military activities. Inventory Boundary The Inventory boundary defines the area in which the main events of the battle are considered to have taken place (landscape context) and where associated physical remains and archaeological evidence occur or may be expected (specific qualities). The landscape context is described under battlefield landscape: it encompasses areas of fighting, key movements of troops across the landscape and other important locations, such as the positions of camps or vantage points. Although the landscape has changed since the time of the battle, key characteristics of the terrain at the time of the battle can normally still be identified, enabling events to be more fully understood and interpreted in their landscape context. Specific qualities are described under physical remains and potential: these include landscape features that played a significant role in the battle, other physical remains, such as enclosures or built structures, and areas of known or potential archaeological evidence. The Inventory boundary for the Battle of Bothwell Bridge is defined on the accompanying map and includes the following areas: 1 Inventory of Historic Battlefields Land to the north of Bothwell Bridge. The direction of the advance of the Government troops and their initial deployment to assault and cross the bridge. The south bank of the river at the bridge. The position of the Covenanter troops defending the bridge and the advancing Government army. The high ground on the south and south-east of the bridge. The position of the remaining Covenanter army and the probable route of the Covenanter’s rout. The terrain of the river crossing and the views out from the higher ground on the north and south of the river. The views out to the river from both the initial Government position and from the Covenanters stronghold are key to understanding the manoeuvres of both armies and the outcome of the battle. 2 Inventory of Historic Battlefields Historical Background to the Battle On the morning of the battle, a Covenanter army of about 4,000, led by Sir Robert Hamilton, gathered on the south bank of the River Clyde. The Duke of Monmouth had left Edinburgh four days before at the head of 5,000 Government troops. As they reached the river, they realised that the bridge at Bothwell was held against them by the Covenanters, who were drawn up on the higher ground to the south of the river. Monmouth seems not to have wanted a bloodbath and initially tried to negotiate the surrender of the Covenanter army, but they refused the terms offered. With a fight now inevitable, the Government troops had the prospect of having to take the bridge and establish a bridgehead on the other bank. A small detachment of 300 Covenanters with a single cannon held the bridge against them. The main bulk of the Covenanter army was deployed on the slopes above the bridge to the south, posing a major threat to any crossing. The Covenanter defenders put up a tremendous fight. Their musketry kept the Government dragoons from taking the bridge, while their single cannon was so effective that it caused the Government gunners to abandon their guns temporarily. However, the defenders received no assistance from the main army: as they began to run low on ball and powder, they asked for supplies but were refused as none could be spared. After holding the bridge for a period of between one and three hours, the remaining defenders retreated in the face of a dragoon charge, and the bridge was taken by the Government. Having forced the bridge, the Government army crossed the river unmolested and were able to form up without an attempted counter-attack by the Covenanters. In failing to commit his main force at this juncture, Hamilton allowed the enemy to redeploy on the south bank of the river. Hamilton’s reasons for inaction have never been clear; it may have been incompetence, or it may have been because the Covenanter army was riven with factionalism and virtually impossible to control. The effect of this inaction negated all of the tactical advantages that the Covenanters had, letting the Government army get into a position where the outcome was inevitable. The Covenanter cavalry tried to break the Government line, but were forced back repeatedly until they ran into their own infantry, causing them to break and run. As the lines broke up, a rout began; the Covenanter sources suggest that the officers were the first to abandon the field, leaving their men to their fate. Monmouth gave orders for quarter for the Covenanters, but Claverhouse seems to have taken revenge for his defeat at Drumclog and 400 men were killed in the rout. Roughly 1,200 were taken prisoner and marched to Edinburgh, where they were held prisoner at Greyfriars Kirk. The Armies Covenanter: The Covenanter army was c.6,000 (4,000 foot and 2,000 horse). However, while they may have had superior numbers, the Covenanter force was not a cohesive unit. In part, this was because of a lack of military training and experience, but it was also because of a failure among the high command to agree on a common manifesto. Faction disagreements were a continuing problem, largely between John Webb’s moderates, who were willing to make 3 Inventory of Historic Battlefields an accommodation with the king, and Hamilton’s extremists, who saw open rebellion and deposition of the king as the only answer to an ungodly monarchy. This division was to deny the Covenanters any chance of success at Bothwell Bridge. Despite a surge of recruits in the immediate aftermath of Drumclog, large numbers soon began to melt away as discontent set in and the likelihood of an all-out encounter with a large Government force seemed likely. Government: The Government army numbered around 5,000 men. It is easy to overestimate the potency of the Government army, in comparison to what was effectively an entirely untrained force of armed civilians. However, the majority of the Government force at the battle was made up from militias raised in Fife and Lothian. Although Monmouth was commissioned by the king to raise two new regiments of foot, 800 dragoons and three troops of grenadiers, this was easier said than done. Although these quotas were not reached, the Government army did benefit from a cadre of well-experienced officers, particularly among the horse, with the likes of Major Theophilus Ogelthorpe, Major Edmund Maine and Captain Henry Cornewell, adding to those already in the field under Dundee, Home and Airlie. No more than four cannon could be found, and these were manned by skeleton crews with little experience.

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