Charles Edward Stuart Victorious at Battle of Prestonpans.

Charles Edward Stuart, known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, leads the Jacobite army to a decisive victory at the Battle of Prestonpans on September 21, 1745. With a force of just over 3,000 Highlanders, the Jacobites overwhelm the English Royal forces commanded by Sir John Cope in a swift and stunning attack near Edinburgh.

The battle lasts less than 30 minutes, resulting in a crushing defeat for the government army and boosting Jacobite morale during the 1745 Rising. It also helps solidify Charles’s reputation as a charismatic leader, though the rising would ultimately collapse less than a year later at Culloden.