Siege of Fort William

Siege of Fort William
Part of the Jacobite Rising of 1745
The site of the old fort at Fort William
Date 20 March to 3 April 1746 Location Fort William, Scotland 56°49′17″N 5°06′28″W / 56.8214°N 5.1077°W / 56.8214; -5.1077Coordinates: 56°49′17″N 5°06′28″W / 56.8214°N 5.1077°W / 56.8214; -5.1077 Result British-Hanoverian Government victory
Belligerents
Hanoverian clans: Campbell of Argyll Militia Clan Scott	Jacobite clans: Clan Cameron Clan MacDonald of Keppoch Clan Stewart of Appin  France: French artillerymen
Commanders and leaders
Captain Scott Alexander Campbell	Lieutenant Colonel Stapleton Murray of Broughton Mirabelle de Gordon Cameron of Lochiel MacDonald of Keppoch
Strength
400	Unknown
Location within Scotland

The siege of Fort William, Scotland was part of the Jacobite rising of 1745. The siege began on 20 March 1746 and lasted for two weeks.

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. After the Jacobite's successful siege of Fort Augustus attention of both sides shifted towards Fort William which was the last remaining strong point in the Great Glen. The Duke of Cumberland apparently looked upon it as the only fort in the Scottish Highlands "of any consequence" and said that he would be taking "all possible measures for the security of it". The elderly governor of the fort was Alexander Campbell who was described as a "careful and good man", but there were doubts about his competence and on 15 March 1746 he was superseded by Captain Caroline Frederick Scott of Guise's 6th Regiment.

The government garrison of Fort William when reinforced was together made up of two companies of Guise's 6th Regiment, two other companies of regulars and a company of the Campbell of Argyll Militia, totaling about 400 men in all. Fort William was more solidly built than Fort Augustus and its triangular shape was calculated to take advantage of the cover afforded by the head of Loch Linnhe. Fort William's armament consisted of six 12-pounder cannon, eight 6-pounders, seven smaller pieces, two 13-inch mortars and eight coehorns. There was also plenty of ammunition but the fort did not have a permanent supply of water.

On 25 February 1746, the government garrison of the fort began demolishing the service town of Maryburgh so as to clear a field of fire. However, nothing could be done to stop the besiegers using the outlying heights. The garrison was supported by the sloop of war Baltimore and she had been joined by the bomb vessel the Serpant on 15 February.

On the Jacobite's side the operation was entrusted to the same team who had taken Fort Augustus: Lieutenant Colonel Stapleton, the French regulars and the clansman under Cameron of Lochiel and MacDonald of Keppoch.