Clifton Moor Skirmish
Who Fought
History & Significance
The Clifton Moor Skirmish (also referred to as the Battle of Clifton Moor or Clifton Moor Action) took place on the evening of Wednesday 18 December during the Jacobite rising of 1745. Following the decision of the council of Charles Edward Stuart to retreat from Derby on 6 December, the fast-moving Jacobite army split into three smaller columns; on the morning of 18th, a small force of dragoons led by Cumberland and Sir Philip Honywood made contact with the Jacobite rearguard, at that point commanded by Lord George Murray.
Murray ordered his baggage train to continue its retreat towards Penrith while he delayed Cumberland's force. The action did not begin until late afternoon, in failing light and heavy rain; while technically a draw, it enabled Murray to retreat in good order and escape into Scotland.
The battle is considered to be one of the last battles on British soil.
== Background; the retreat from Derby and arrival at Clifton ==
The Jacobite Army stayed on the first night of retreat at Ashbourne, Derbyshire. They reached Leek the following day: on the 9th, both Jacobite divisions met on the road to Manchester.
The Jacobite army left Manchester on the 10th and reached Wigan that night. The next day they reached Preston; the Duke of Perth was sent north with a cavalry escort to bring back reinforcements from Scotland. Prince Charles and the main army arrived in Lancaster on the evening of the 13th; the Jacobite commanders considered staying there and fighting, but their lieutenant-general Lord George Murray had also received reports that a large body of General George Wade's dragoons had entered Preston shortly after the Jacobite departure. Charles changed his mind and decided to continue northwards.
The government forces under Wade and the Duke of Cumberland arrived at Macclesfield on 10 December, where Cumberland was told the Jacobites had left Manchester that day. Leaving Lancaster on 15 December, Charles' army was scarcely out of the town when an advance guard of government horse entered it. The Jacobites formed in order of battle, but upon the alarm turning out to be false, the army continued to Kendal.
The army entered Kendal that night, where they were met by Perth and his party, who had turned back after being attacked by militia at Penrith. On the retreat, Prince Charles had requested that Murray attempt to save as many of his cannons and cannonballs as possible which led a delay on the night of 16 December at Shap as over 200 cannonballs had to be carried up the hills around Shap. The following day, the Jacobite army passed through the village of Clifton with Murray's rearguard force being the last to approach Clifton on 18 December.
The ground they fought on
The site of Clifton Moor Skirmish lies on Argyll Group, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is psammite, semipelite and pelite.
- Jacobites: 13 killed and wounded
- British Government: 14 killed and wounded
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