Page 34 - All About History - Issue 19-14

James erring on the side
of caution
Although James II was an experienced
soldier with extensive combat experience
in battles across Europe, he was
occasionally unsure of himself and overly
cautious – as his withdrawal in this battle
testifies, despite his troops incurring only
William’s narrow escape minimal losses.
The battle was nearly over before it had
even started, when William of Orange was
shot at while surveying the battle site.
Reports of his death proved to be greatly
exaggerated; the bullet merely grazed his
shoulder, resulting in a flesh wound.

Here comes the cavalry
Both sides employed extensive use of men
on horseback, which influenced the course
of the battle, first in that the two armies
remained bogged down in a relatively
narrow location, and as they played a large
role in covering the Jacobites’ retreat and
preventing further bloodshed.

Few casualties
The battle was pivotal in British and Irish
history, but it wasn’t an especially bloody
one – it is estimated that James’s Jacobite
forces suffered 1,500 casualties and William’s
troops only 750. The main reason for these low
figures was the ordered retreat of the Jacobites,
as in battles most of the casualties often occur
when a force retreats without discipline.

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