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{{Infobox Military Conflict |
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|conflict=Battle of Marston Moor |
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|image=[[Image:Marston Moor JBarker.jpg|300px]] |
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|caption=''The Battle of Marston Moor'', by J. Barker |
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|partof=[[English Civil War]] |
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|date=[[July 2]], [[1644]] |
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|place=near Long Marston, 7 miles west of [[York]] |
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|result=Decisive Parliamentarian victory |
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|combatant1=[[Scotland|Scottish]] [[Covenanter]]s,<br>[[Parliament of England|Parliamentarians]] |
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|combatant2=[[Cavalier|Royalists]] |
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|commander1=[[Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven|Earl of Leven]],<br>[[Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester|Earl of Manchester]],<br>[[Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron|Lord Fairfax]] |
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|commander2=[[Prince Rupert of the Rhine]],<br>[[William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle|Marquess of Newcastle]] |
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|strength1='''22,500+:''' <br> 7,000+ horse,<br>500+ dragoons,<br>15,000+ foot,<br>30 - 40 guns |
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|strength2='''17,000:''' <br> 6,000 horse,<br>11,000 foot,<br>14 guns |
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|casualties1=300 killed |
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|casualties2=4,000 killed,<br>1,500 prisoners |
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|}} |
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{{Campaignbox First English Civil War}} |
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The '''Battle of Marston Moor''' was fought on [[July 2]] [[1644]], during the [[First English Civil War]] of 1642–1646. The combined forces of the [[Scottish people|Scottish]] [[Covenanter]]s under the [[Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven|Earl of Leven]] and the [[Parliament of England|Parliamentarian]]s under [[Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron|Lord Fairfax]] and the [[Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester|Earl of Manchester]] defeated the [[Cavalier|Royalist]]s commanded by [[Prince Rupert of the Rhine]] and the [[William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle|Marquess of Newcastle]]. |
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During the summer of 1644, the Covenanters and Parliamentarians had been [[Siege of York|besieging York]] which was defended by the Marquess of Newcastle. Prince Rupert had gathered an army which marched through the northwest of England to relieve the city, gathering fresh recruits on the way. The convergence of these forces made the ensuing battle the largest of the Civil Wars. |
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On [[July 1]], Rupert had outmanoeuvred the Scots and Parliamentarians to relieve the city. The next day, he sought battle with them, even though he was outnumbered. He was dissuaded from attacking immediately, and during the day both sides gathered their full strength on [[Marston Moor]], an expanse of wild [[meadow]] west of York. Towards evening, the Scots and Parliamentarians themselves launched a surprise attack. After a confused fight lasting two hours, Parliamentarian cavalry under [[Oliver Cromwell]] routed the Royalist cavalry from the field and annihilated the remaining Royalist infantry. |
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After their defeat the Royalists effectively abandoned the north of England. Not only did they lose much of the manpower from the counties which were strongly Royalist in sympathy, and access to the continent of Europe through the ports on the [[North Sea]] coast, but they were then restricted to [[Wales]] and the southwest of England. Although they partially retrieved their fortunes with victories later in the year in the south of England, the loss of the north was to prove a fatal handicap the next year, when they tried unsuccessfully to link up with the Scottish Royalists under [[James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose]]. |
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==Background== |
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===Siege of York=== |
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In late 1643, the English Civil War widened. [[Charles I of England|King Charles I]] negotiated a "cessation" in [[Ireland]] which allowed him to reinforce his armies with English regiments sent to Ireland following the uprising in 1641.<ref>Royle, ''Civil War'', p. 212.</ref> Parliament took an even greater step by signing the [[Solemn League and Covenant]], sealing the alliance with the Scottish [[Covenanters]]. Early in 1644, a Covenanter army under the [[Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven|Earl of Leven]] invaded the north of England on behalf of Parliament.<ref>Royle, ''Civil War'', p. 279.</ref> The Royalist commander in the north of England, the [[William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle|Marquess of Newcastle]], was forced to divide his army, leaving a detachment under Sir [[John Belasyse, 1st Baron Belasyse|John Belasyse]] to watch a Parliamentarian army under [[Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron|Lord Fairfax]] in [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]], while he led his main body north to confront Leven.<ref>Newman & Roberts, ''Marston Moor 1644'', p. 13.</ref> |
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During March and early April, the Marquess of Newcastle fought several delaying actions as he tried to prevent the Scots from crossing the [[Tyne River]] and surrounding the city of [[Newcastle upon Tyne]].<ref>Royle, ''Civil War'', p. 283.</ref> Meanwhile, a Parliamentarian cavalry force under Lord Fairfax's son, [[Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron|Sir Thomas Fairfax]], entered [[Yorkshire]] from [[Cheshire]] and [[Lancashire]] where they had been campaigning during the winter. To prevent them rejoining Lord Fairfax in Hull, Belasyse occupied the town of [[Selby]] which lay between them. On [[April 11]], Sir Thomas Fairfax's force together with infantry under Sir [[John Meldrum]] stormed Selby, capturing Belasyse and most of his force.<ref>Newman & Roberts, ''Marston Moor 1644'', pp. 15–16.</ref> |
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Hearing the news, Newcastle realised that the city of York was threatened. York was the principal city and bastion of Royalist power in the north of England, and its loss would be a serious blow to the Royalist cause.<ref>Newman & Roberts, ''Marston Moor 1644'', p. 11.</ref> He hastily retreated there to forestall the Fairfaxes. Leven's army, less a detachment left to mask the Royalist garrison of Newcastle upon Tyne, followed up, and on [[April 22]] Leven joined forces with the Fairfaxes at [[Wetherby]], to begin the [[Siege of York]]. On [[June 3]], they were reinforced by the Parliamentarian army of the [[Eastern Association]] under the [[Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester|Earl of Manchester]], and siege operations began in earnest as York was now completely encircled. Leven was accepted as [[Commander in Chief]] of the three combined allied armies before York (referred to by Parliament as the "Army of Both Kingdoms"). Not only were the Scots the largest single contingent, but Leven was a respected veteran of the [[Thirty Years' War]].<ref>Young, ''Marston Moor 1644'', p. 69.</ref> |
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===Relief moves=== |
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[[Image:Prince Rupert of the Rhine.jpg|left|thumb|150px|''Prince Rupert of the Rhine ([[1619]] - [[1682]])'' - Prince Rupert was tasked with retaking the north from Parliament and their Scottish allies]] |
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News of the siege soon reached [[Oxford]], where King Charles had his wartime capital. From [[April 24]] to [[May 5]], he held a [[council of war]] attended by his nephew and most renowned field commander, Prince Rupert. It was settled that, while Charles attempted to play for time in Oxford, Rupert would relieve York.<ref>Woolrych, ''Battles of the English Civil War'', pp. 55–59.</ref> |
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Rupert set out from [[Shrewsbury]] with a small force on [[May 16]]. His first moves were intended to gather reinforcements along the way to bolster his army, and secure [[Lancashire]] for the troops heading over from Ireland for the Royalist cause. At [[Chester]], he assumed command of a small Royalist army under [[John Byron, 1st Baron Byron|Lord John Byron]], raising his force to 2,000 horse and 6,000 foot. Having forced a crossing of the [[River Mersey]] at [[Stockport]], he [[Bolton Massacre|stormed Bolton]], allegedly killing 1,600 of the Parliamentarian defenders and citizens.<ref>Kenyon, ''The Civil Wars of England'', p. 101.</ref> Resting at [[Bury]] nearby, Rupert was joined by the Marquess of Newcastle's cavalry under [[George Goring, Lord Goring|Lord George Goring]], and several regiments which were being freshly raised in Lancashire by the [[James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby|Earl of Derby]]. Having sidestepped the Parliamentarian [[stronghold]] of [[Manchester]], Prince Rupert approached [[Liverpool]] on [[June 6]], and after a five-day siege wrested control from Parliament.<ref>Newman & Roberts, ''Marston Moor 1644'', pp. 23–25.</ref> |
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With Liverpool secured, Rupert now hesitated, unsure whether to continue on to York or to consolidate the Royalist hold on Lancashire, securing more reinforcements in the process. He was also distrustful of Charles’s council of war, and was wary of being so far from the King's side. On [[June 16]] Rupert received a dispatch from the King which contained troubling news. The King’s advisors on the council of war had overturned Rupert’s defensive policies, sending the garrisons in [[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]] and [[Abingdon, Oxfordshire|Abingdon]] on an offensive in the West Country. This had left Oxford exposed to a sudden threat by Parliamentarian armies and forced the King to hastily leave the city and head to [[Worcester]].<ref name="royle289">Royle, ''Civil War'', p. 289.</ref> Together with this unfortunate news, the letter contained some ambiguous orders regarding Rupert’s northern offensive and future plans: |
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{{quote|But now I must give the true state of my affairs, which, if their condition be such as enforces me to give you more peremptory commands than I would willingly do, you must not take it ill. If York be lost I shall esteem my crown little less; unless supported by your sudden march to me; and a miraculous conquest in the South, before the effects of the Northern power can be found here. But if York be relieved, and you beat the rebels' army of both kingdoms, which are before it, then (but otherwise not) I may possibly make a shift upon the defensive to spin out time until you come to assist me. Wherefore I command and conjure you, by the duty and affection that I know you bear me, that all new enterprises laid aside, you immediately march according to your first intention, with all your force to the relief of York. But if that be either lost, or have freed themselves from the besiegers, or that for want of powder, you cannot undertake that work, that you immediately march with your whole strength, directly to Worcester to assist me and my army; without which, or you having relieved York by the beating the Scots, all the successes you can afterwards have must infallibly be useless onto me.<ref name="Warburton">Warburton, ''Memoirs of Prince Rupert and the Cavaliers'' 2nd vol.</ref>}} |
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[[Image:Marston-moor-campaign.jpg|300px|right|thumb|The York March]] |
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Rupert understood the letter to be an order to relieve York and defeat the allied army before heading south once more in aid of the King.<ref>Royle, ''Civil War'', p. 290.</ref> By this time Rupert’s army numbered {{formatnum:14000}}, and he set off on the last stage of the gruelling "York march", crossing the Pennines and arriving at [[Knaresborough]] on [[June 30]], 14 miles northwest of York. The allies had been hoping that reinforcements from the Midlands under Sir John Meldrum and the [[Basil Feilding, 2nd Earl of Denbigh|Earl of Denbigh]] could ward off this threat, but they learned that these forces could not intervene in time. Therefore they abandoned the siege on the night of [[June 30]], and on [[July 1]] they concentrated their forces at Marston Moor, in an attempt to block Rupert's expected direct march to York (along the old Roman road named [[Ermine Street]], the modern [[A59 road#Yorkshire|A59]]), or any move to the south via [[Wetherby]].<ref>Woolrych, ''Battles of the English Civil War'', p. 66.</ref> |
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However, Rupert made a 22-mile flank march to the northeast, crossing the [[River Ure]] at [[Boroughbridge]] and the [[River Swale]] at Thornton Bridge. These two rivers merge to form the [[River Ouse, Yorkshire|River Ouse]], which Rupert had put between himself and the allied armies. Late on [[July 1]] his forces defeated Manchester's [[dragoons]], left to guard a [[bridge of boats]] across the Ouse at the village of [[Nether Poppleton|Poppleton]] a few miles north of York.<ref>Newman & Roberts, ''Marston Moor 1644'', pp. 47–48.</ref> This had been the only crossing available to the allies above York and its capture prevented the allies crossing the Ouse to engage Rupert. |
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Late on the same day, more of Rupert's cavalry arrived at York, to gain touch with the garrison. With York definitely relieved, Newcastle sent Rupert a fulsome letter of welcome and congratulations. Rupert replied, not in person but through Goring, with a peremptory demand for Newcastle to march his forces to Rupert's assistance on the following morning.<ref>Woolrych, ''Battles of the English Civil War'', p. 65.</ref> |
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==Battle== |
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===Prelude=== |
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On [[July 2]], the allied commanders debated their options. They decided to march south to [[Tadcaster]] and [[Cawood]], where they could both protect their own supply lines from Hull, and also block any move south by Rupert. The Parliamentarian foot, ordnance and baggage set off early, leaving the horse as rearguard. At about 9 am, the allied generals learned that Rupert's army had crossed the captured bridge of boats at Poppleton, and was advancing onto Marston Moor. The Parliamentarian foot, some of whom had already reached Tadcaster, were hastily recalled.<ref name="Stockdale">Account by Mr. Thomas Stockdale to John Rushworth, Clerk's Assistant at the House of Commons. Quoted in Young, ''Marston Moor 1644'', p. 214.</ref> |
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Meanwhile, there was tension between Rupert and Newcastle, who was strongly opposed to a [[pitched battle]].<ref name="royle293">Royle, ''Civil War'', p. 293.</ref> Newcastle counselled that the allied army would eventually dissolve and an engagement was unnecessary, but Rupert was adamant that the King's letter (which he never showed to Newcastle) was a command to engage and defeat the enemy immediately.<ref name="Newcastle">Account of the Duchess of Newcastle. Quoted in Young, ''Marston Moor 1644'', p. 203.</ref> Furthermore, Rupert wished to compensate for the Royalists' numerical inferiority by catching the enemy unawares, and before further Parliamentarian reinforcements could increase their superiority in numbers.<ref name="royle293"/> |
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However, Newcastle’s soldiers had refused to fight unless given their delayed payment. A number were also absent, pillaging the abandoned trenches outside the city, and had yet to return.<ref name="royle293"/> The late arrival of Newcastle's troops and a number of other factors thwarted Rupert's plans for a quick strike. His men were exhausted from their long march on the previous day, as were the soldiers from York who had undergone the strain of 10 weeks of siege. Rupert therefore did not attack; and during the day, the odds against him lengthened as the Parliamentarians returned from their aborted move south and took position. |
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===Deployment=== |
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{{Further|[[Marston Moor order of battle]]}} |
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====Scots and Parliamentarians==== |
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[[Image:Alexleslie.jpg|150px|left|thumb|''Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven ([[1580]] - [[1661]])'' - Leslie commanded the Covenanter and Parliamentarian armies]] |
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The Covenanters and Parliamentarians occupied Marston Hill, a low but nevertheless prominent feature in the flat Vale of York, between the villages of Long Marston and Tockwith. They had the advantage of height, but cornfields stretching between the two villages hampered their deployment. |
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At some point in the day, the Royalists attempted to seize a rabbit warren to the west of the cornfields from where they might enfilade the Parliamentarian position, but they were driven off and the Parliamentarian left wing of horse occupied the ground.<ref>Young, ''Marston Moor 1644'', p. 103.</ref> The wing was under the command of Manchester's Lieutenant General [[Oliver Cromwell]]. The first two lines consisted of over 3,000 horse from the Eastern Association, including Cromwell's own Regiment of [[Ironside (cavalry)|Ironsides]]. There were also 600 attached musketeers, in platoons of 60 between the "divisions" of horse. Their purpose was to disrupt attacking cavalry or dragoons. This was a common practice in the Swedish army of the Thirty Years' War, and was also adopted by the Royalists at Marston Moor.<ref>Young, ''Marston Moor 1644'', p. 86.</ref> No surviving map or account states who commanded the second line, but Colonel Nathaniel Vermuyden was Manchester's Commissary General, or second in command of the Eastern Association horse. One thousand lighter Scots horse under Sir [[David Leslie, Lord Newark|David Leslie]] formed a third line to Cromwell's rear, and 500 Scots dragoons were deployed on the extreme left. |
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The centre, under the three generals-in-chief with no overall commander, consisted of over 14,000 foot, with 30 to 40 pieces of artillery. The various regiments had been hastily deployed as they returned to the field and were considerably mixed up, but most of Manchester's infantry under Sergeant Major General [[Lawrence Crawford]] were on the left of the front line, and Lord Fairfax's in the centre. Scots brigades, the "Vanguard" of their army, made up the right of the front line under Lieutenant General [[William Baillie]]. The second line consisted entirely of Scots, their "Main Battle" or simply "Battle", under Sergeant Major General [[James Lumsden]]. The weaker third and fourth lines consisted of some of Fairfax's infantry, a single Scots brigade, and the Earl of Manchester's own Regiment of Foot. |
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The right wing was commanded by Sir Thomas Fairfax (with [[John Lambert (general)|John Lambert]] as his second in command). He had at least 2,000 horse from Yorkshire and Lancashire and 600 musketeers, with {{formatnum:1000}} Scots horse to his rear.<ref>Young, ''Marston Moor 1644'', pp. 96–97.</ref> |
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====Royalists==== |
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The Royalists occupied the low-lying moor, behind a drainage ditch that Rupert noted as an effective obstacle for a cavalry charge. There is some dispute over the course of ditch at the time of the battle. Some contemporary accounts support the contention by later historians that it was non-existent on the Royalists' right wing. On the other hand, a plan of the Royalist dispositions by Rupert's chief engineer, [[Bernard de Gomme]], shows the ditch in its present-day alignment.<ref name="Heritage">{{cite web|url=http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/upload/pdf/marston.pdf|title=Battle of Marston Moor|work=English Heritage|accessmonthday = May 8 | accessyear = 2007}}</ref> It is generally accepted that it was at least less of an obstacle on the Royalist right. |
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When the contingent from York belatedly arrived, accompanied by Newcastle's Lieutenant General [[James King (soldier)|Lord Eythin]], Rupert's dispositions were criticised by Eythin as being drawn up too close to the enemy. King's main concern was that a fold in the ground between the ridge and the track between Long Marston and Tockwith concealed the front line of the Allied infantry from both view and artillery fire, allowing them to attack suddenly from a comparatively close distance.<ref name="Heritage"/> Rupert and Eythin already knew and disliked each other. Both had fought at the Battle of Vlotho in 1638, where Rupert had been captured and held prisoner for several years. Rupert blamed Eythin's caution for the defeat; Eythin blamed Rupert's rashness. When Rupert proposed to either attack or move his army back as Eythin suggested, Eythin then pontificated that it was too late in the day for such a move.<ref>Young, ''Marston Moor 1644'', p. 106.</ref> The Royalist army prepared to settle down for the night, close to the allied armies. |
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The Royalist left wing was commanded by Lord Goring. It consisted of {{formatnum:2100}} cavalry, mainly from the Marquess of Newcastle's cavalry, the "Northern Horse", and 500 musketeers. The first line was commanded by Goring and the second by Sir [[Charles Lucas]].<ref name="Young8690">Young, ''Marston Moor 1644'', pp. 86–90.</ref> |
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Their centre was nominally commanded by Eythin. A [[forlorn hope]] of musketeers lined the ditch. The infantry units of Rupert's army, {{formatnum:7000}} strong under Rupert's Sergeant-Major General Henry Tillier, formed the first line. The {{formatnum:3000}} infantry from Newcastle's army under Sergeant Major General Francis Mackworth formed behind their right when they arrived, and a brigade of "Northern Horse" numbering 600 under Sir William Blakiston, was behind their left. There were also 14 field guns.<ref name="Young8690"/> |
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The right wing was commanded by Lord Byron, with {{formatnum:2600}} horse and 500 musketeers. The second line, which included some comparatively inexperienced regiments, was commanded by Lord Molyneaux, but the unprincipled Sir [[John Hurry]] apparently acted as Byron's second in command.<ref>Young, ''Marston Moor, 1644'', p. 68.</ref> |
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Rupert personally commanded a reserve of 600 cavalry, including his elite Lifeguard of Horse.<ref name="Young8690"/> |
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===Events=== |
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[[Image:marston-moor-battle.gif|right|thumb|300px|Map of Battle]] |
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Delayed by the late arrival of the York garrison, it was late evening before the Royalists were fully deployed. A flurry of rain showers and the discouragement of Newcastle and Eythin persuaded Rupert to delay his attack until the next day; from the ranks of the allied army he could hear the singing of psalms. As the Royalist troops broke ranks for their supper, Leven noted the lack of preparation among his opponents, and ordered his men to attack at shortly after 7:30 pm, just as a [[thunderstorm]] broke out over the moor.<ref>Royle, ''Civil War'', p. 295.</ref> |
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On the allied left, Cromwell's horse quickly defeated Byron's wing. Though under orders to stand his ground and rely on the ditch and musket fire to slow the progress of an enemy attack, Byron instead ordered a hasty counter-charge which disordered his own troops and prevented his musketeers firing without fear of hitting their own cavalry.<ref>Newman & Roberts, ''Marston Moor 1644'', p. 81.</ref> In the clashes which followed, Cromwell was slightly wounded in the neck, by a pistol ball in most accounts, and briefly left the field to have the wound dressed. |
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Noting the setback on this flank, Rupert led his reserve towards the right, rallying his own fleeing Regiment of Horse and leading them in a counter-attack.<ref>Young, ''Marston Moor 1644'', p. 113.</ref> A Parliamentarian officer wrote: |
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{{quote|Cromwell's own division had a hard pull of it; for they were charged by Rupert's bravest men both in front and flank; they stood at the sword's point a pretty while, hacking one another; but at last (it so pleased God) he [Cromwell] brake through them, scattering them before him like a little dust.<ref name="Watson">Scoutmaster-General Lion. Watson to Henry Overton, quoted in Young, ''Marston Moor 1644'', pp. 209–213.</ref>|Watson to Henry Overton|quoted in Young, ''Marston Moor 1644''}} |
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Sir David Leslie's Scots eventually swung the balance for Cromwell. Rupert's right wing and reserve were routed and he himself narrowly avoided capture by hiding in a nearby bean field.<ref name="royle298">Royle, ''Civil War'', p. 298.</ref> |
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In the centre, Crawford's, Lord Fairfax's and most of Baillie's foot initially succeeded in crossing the ditch, capturing at least three pieces of artillery. On the right, Sir Thomas Fairfax's wing fared less well. Sir Thomas Fairfax himself later wrote: |
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{{quote|Our Right Wing had not, all, so good success, by reason of the whins and ditches which we were to pass over before we could get to the Enemy, which put us into great disorder: notwithstanding, I drew up a body of 400 Horse. But because the intervals of Horse, in this Wing only, were lined with Musketeers; which did us much hurt with their shot; I was necessitated to charge them. We were a long time engaged with one another, but at last we routed that part of their Wing ... [I] myself only returned presently, to get to the men I left behind me. But that part of the Enemy which stood, perceiving the disorder they were in, had charged and routed them, before I could get to them.<ref name="Fairfax">Sir Thomas Fairfax, quoted in Young, ''Marston Moor 1644'', pp. 218–221.</ref>|Sir Thomas Fairfax|quoted in Young, ''Marston Moor 1644''}} |
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Fairfax wrote that his second-in-command, Major-General Lambert, could not get up to him, and so charged in another place. A lane, the present-day Atterwith Lane, crossed the ditch on this flank, and some accounts suggest that several units were easy targets for the Royalist musketeers as they advanced along the lane only four abreast.<ref>Young, ''Marston Moor 1644'', p. 109.</ref> When a small embankment alongside the ditch at this point was removed in the 1960s, several hundred musket balls were recovered.<ref name="Heritage"/> |
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When Goring launched a counter-charge, the disorganised Parliamentarians were routed, although some of the Scottish cavalry behind them resisted stoutly for some time.<ref name="Young110">Young, ''Marston Moor 1644'', p. 110.</ref> Most of Goring's victorious wing either scattered in pursuit, or fell out to loot the Allied baggage train, but some of them under Sir Charles Lucas wheeled to attack the right flank of the Allied infantry. Meanwhile, some of Newcastle's foot counter-attacked Lord Fairfax's foot in the centre of the allied front line and threw them into confusion. Following up this advantage, Blakiston's brigade of horse (with its numbers probably augmented by a troop of "Gentleman Volunteers" under Newcastle himself) charged the allied centre. Under these assaults in the confusion and the gathering darkness, over half the Scots and Parliamentarian infantry fled. Leven and Lord Fairfax also left the field, believing all was lost.<ref name="royle296">Royle, ''Civil War'', p. 296.</ref> Manchester remained on the battlefield, but effectively commanded only his own Regiment of Foot near the allied rear. |
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One Scottish brigade at the right of their front line under the [[John Lindsay, 17th Earl of Crawford, 1st Earl of Lindsay|Earl of Crawford-Lindsay]] and [[John Maitland, 1st Earl of Lauderdale|Viscount Maitland]] stood firm against Lucas, who launched three charges against them. In the third charge, his horse was killed, and he was taken prisoner.<ref name="royle296"/> Behind them, the Scottish Sergeant Major General Sir [[James Lumsden]] managed to reform part of the allied centre, using two Scottish brigades which had stood fast. Behind them in turn, the Earl of Manchester's regiment repulsed and scattered Blakiston's brigade of Royalist cavalry.<ref name="Young110"/> |
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By now it was nearly fully dark, although the full moon was rising. The countryside for miles around was covered with fugitives from both sides. A messenger from Ireland riding in search of Prince Rupert wrote: |
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{{quote|In this horrible distraction did I coast the country; here meeting with a shoal of Scots crying out, 'Weys us, we are all undone'; and so full of lamentation and mourning, as if their day of doom had overtaken them, and from which they knew not whither to fly; and anon I met with a ragged troop reduced to four and a Cornet; by and by with a little foot officer without hat, band, sword, or indeed anything but feet and so much tongue as would serve to enquire the way to the next garrisons, which (to say the truth) were well filled with the stragglers on both sides within a few hours, though they lay distant from the place of the fight 20 or 30 miles.<ref>Mr. Arthur Trevor to the [[James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde|Marquess of Ormonde]], quoted in Young, ''Marston Moor 1644'', pp. 206–208.</ref>|Mr. Arthur Trevor to the [[James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde|Marquess of Ormonde]]|quoted in Young, ''Marston Moor 1644''}} |
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With no general present in command of either side, a drawn battle might have resulted, but Cromwell's disciplined horsemen had rallied behind the Royalist right. Sir Thomas Fairfax, finding himself alone in the midst of Goring's men, removed the "Field Sign" (a handkerchief or slip of white paper which identified him as a Parliamentarian) from his hat, and made his way to Cromwell's wing to relate the state of affairs on the allied right flank.<ref name="Fairfax"/> Cromwell now led his cavalry, with Leslie's Scots horse in support and Crawford's foot on his right flank, across the battlefield to attack Goring's wing from the position Goring had occupied at the start of the battle. Goring's tired and disorganised troops were driven from the field. |
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The triumphant allies now turned on the remains of the Royalist centre, overrunning successive units and cutting down many fugitives. Finally some of Newcastle's foot, the "Whitecoats", gathered for a last stand in a ditched enclosure. This has been suggested to be White Sike Close, in the rear of the Royalists' original position, but another strong possibility is Fox Covert, a mile north of Long Marston on the natural line of retreat towards York.<ref name="Heritage"/> The Whitecoats refused quarter and repulsed constant cavalry charges until the last 30 survivors finally surrendered.<ref>Newman & Roberts, ''Marston Moor 1644'', pp. 105–109.</ref> |
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Approximately {{formatnum:4000}} Royalist soldiers had been killed, many in the last stand of the "Whitecoats", and {{formatnum:1500}} captured, including Charles Lucas and Major General Henry Tillier. The Royalists lost all of their guns, with many hundreds of weapons and several standards also falling into the hands of the allied forces. The allied generals' dispatch, and other Parliamentarian accounts, stated that 300 of their soldiers were killed.<ref>Young, ''Marston Moor 1644'', pp. 217–218.</ref> |
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One of those mortally wounded among the Parliamentarians was Sir Thomas Fairfax's brother, Charles.<ref name="Fairfax"/> Another was Cromwell's nephew, Valentine Walton. Cromwell was present when he died afterwards, and wrote a [[Valentine Walton#Letter from Oliver Cromwell|famous letter]] to the soldier's father, Cromwell's brother-in-law, also named [[Valentine Walton]], which briefly described the battle and then informed the father of the son's last words and death.<ref>Fraser, Antonia, ''Cromwell the Lord Protector'', at pages 129-31, Primus, New York, NY 1973 ISBN 0-917657-90-X</ref> |
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==Aftermath== |
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[[Image:Cooper, Oliver Cromwell.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Oliver Cromwell ([[1599]]–[[1658]]). Cromwell's reputation as an effective cavalry commander and leader was cemented by his success at Marston Moor.]] |
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Late at night, the Royalist generals reached York. A diary later written by one of Rupert's entourage stated: |
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{{quote|After y<sup>e</sup> Enemy having broken o<sup>r</sup> horse the foot stood till night and in y<sup>e</sup> night some of em [sic] came off after y<sup>e</sup> P[rince] and Gen<sup>ll</sup> King had drawn up as many as he could before y<sup>e</sup> town of York"<ref name="Warburton"/>}} |
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Newcastle, having seen his forces broken, and having spent his entire fortune in the Royalist cause, resolved that he would not endure the "laughter of the court". He departed for [[Scarborough, North Yorkshire|Scarborough]] on [[July 3]] and went into exile in [[Hamburg]], with Eythin and many of his senior officers.<ref name="royle298"/> Two days after the battle, Rupert rallied {{formatnum:5000}} cavalry and a few hundred infantry in York. He considered that, rather than attempt to restore Royalist fortunes in the north, he was required to return south to rejoin the King. Leaving York, he marched back over the Pennines, making a detour by way of [[Richmond, North Yorkshire|Richmond]] to escape interception. Goring, who had accompanied him this far, headed for Scotland to aid the Royalists there under [[James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose|Montrose]]. With the departure of Newcastle and Rupert, the Royalists effectively abandoned the north. |
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The allies regrouped themselves and resumed the siege of York. Under the agreement that no Scottish soldiers were to be garrisoned in the city, the garrison surrendered on honourable terms on [[July 16]].<ref name="royle299">Royle, ''Civil War'', p. 299.</ref> The allied army soon dispersed, and Leven subsequently took his troops north to besiege Newcastle upon Tyne, while Manchester's army returned to [[Lincolnshire]] and eventually moved into the south of England.<ref name="royle298"/> |
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Over the next few months the Scots and Parliamentarians slowly eliminated the remaining Royalist garrisons throughout northern England. The Royalist cavalry from the area, the "Northern Horse", continued to fight for King Charles under Sir [[Marmaduke Langdale]], and even made several forays from the south to relieve Royalist garrisons in south Yorkshire, but they became increasingly undisciplined and licentious, turning many former sympathisers away from the Royalist cause.<ref>{{cite web |first=David |last=Plant |url=http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/biog/langdale.htm |title=Sir Marmaduke Langdale, 1st Baron Langdale, c.1598–1661 |publisher=British Civil Wars and Commonwealth Web Site |accessdate=2007-11-09}}</ref> |
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The defeat at Marston Moor was a serious blow to the Royalist cause. Prince Rupert had been decisively beaten for the first time in the war, and lost his reputation for invincibility. Deeply affected by the defeat, Rupert would keep the King's ambiguous dispatch close to him for the remainder of his life.<ref name="royle299"/> He had suffered an additional blow through the death during the battle of his lapdog "Boye", who had been a constant companion by his side throughout his campaigns. Parliamentarian propaganda made much of this, treating Boye almost as a [[Familiar spirit|Devil's familiar]].<ref>Royle, ''Civil War'', p. 173.</ref> By contrast, Oliver Cromwell's reputation as a cavalry commander was firmly established. It was acknowledged that the discipline he had instilled into his troops, and his own leadership on the battlefield, had been crucial to the victory. Cromwell would later declare that Marston Moor was "an absolute victory obtained by God's blessing".<ref name="royle300">Royle, ''Civil War'', p. 300.</ref> From this moment, he was to exert increasing influence both in the House of Commons and in the Parliamentarian armies in the field.<ref name="royle300"/> |
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==References== |
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===Notes=== |
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{{reflist|2}} |
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===Bibliography=== |
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{{refbegin}} |
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* Dodds, Glen Lyndon, ''Battles in Britain, 1066-1746'' (Arms and Armour, 1996) |
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* Kenyon, John ''The Civil Wars of England'' (Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1988) ISBN 0-297-79351-9 |
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* Newman, P.R. & Roberts, P.R. ''Marston Moor 1644: The Battle of the Five Armies'' (Pickering: Blackthorn, 2003) ISBN 0-9540535-2-4 |
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* Royle, Trevor ''Civil War: The Wars of the Three Kingdoms 1638-1660'' (London: Abacus, 2004) ISBN 0-349-11564-8 |
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* Warburton, Eliot ''Memoirs of Prince Rupert and the Cavaliers'' 2nd volume (London: 2003) ISBN 978-1421249407 |
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* Woolrych, Austin ''Battles of the English Civil War'' (London: B.T. Batsford Ltd, 1961) |
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* Young, Peter ''Marston Moor 1644: The Campaign and the Battle'' (Kineton: Roundwood, 1970) |
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{{refend}} |
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==External links== |
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* [http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/military/1644-york-march-marston-moor.htm British Civil War site] |
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*{{cite web|url=http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/conBattleField.21|title= Battle of Marston Moor|work=English Heritage|accessmonthday = May 8 | accessyear = 2007}} |
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[[Category:Battles of the English Civil Wars|Marston Moor]] |
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[[Category:Military history of Yorkshire]] |
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[[Category:1644 in England]] |
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[[de:Schlacht von Marston Moor]] |
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[[es:Batalla de Marston Moor]] |
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[[fr:Bataille de Marston Moor]] |
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[[it:Battaglia di Marston Moor]] |
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[[nl:Slag bij Marston Moor]] |
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[[ja:マーストン・ムーアの戦い]] |
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[[pl:Bitwa pod Marston Moor]] |
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[[ru:Бой при Марстон-Муре]] |
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Revision as of 14:39, 6 May 2008
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