Hastings to Culloden - Battles in Britain 1066-1746 by Glen Lyndon Dodds

Author:Glen Lyndon Dodds [Dodds, Glen Lyndon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Albion Press
Published: 2013-11-02T00:00:00+00:00

It is estimated that about 1,000 Roundheads perished at Edgehill and that Royalist losses were approximately 500 strong. On the following day the Royalists stood firm, but Essex decided not to renew hostilities and withdrew ‘in great disorder to Warwick,’ leaving Charles to all intents and purposes the victor: the road to London was open.

19

THE FIRST BATTLE OF NEWBURY 20 September 1643

After the Battle of Edgehill Charles delayed moving against London until it was too late. When he did so, he was confronted by 24,000 men at Turnham Green on 14 November 1642 and thus withdrew to Reading. Nonetheless, in subsequent months the Royalists generally had the better of things. Then, on 10 August 1643, Charles invested Gloucester, an important Parliamentarian outpost. On the 26th, Essex set out from London to relieve its garrison. His approach led Charles to raise the siege on 5 September and withdraw to Sudeley Castle near Winchcombe.

On the 8th Essex entered Gloucester. He soon headed north to Tewkesbury and so the king moved to Evesham to keep in touch, partly expecting Essex to make for Worcester. On the 15th Essex left Tewkesbury. His destination?—London. Charles therefore set off in pursuit and reached Newbury on the 19th before his adversary. The way to the capital was blocked and so Essex determined to fight.

The battle was fought just to the southwest of the town by forces which both probably numbered about 14,000 men. The Royalists faced west towards their opponents who had managed to secure Round Hill, a feature of tactical importance. The hill was in the centre of Essex’s line, and upon it he placed infantry and cannon.

The battle commenced at about 7.00am on the 20th. The task of dislodging the Parliamentarians from Round Hill chiefly fell to Sir John Byron and his brother Sir Nicholas Byron, who led a brigade of horse and foot respectively. The latter attacked first, but encountered stiff resistance and so asked for cavalry support. However, the terrain was not suited to horse. The ground before the hill was enclosed and as Sir John’s troopers advanced they found their way barred by a high hedge with a gap just wide enough for one horse to pass through at a time. Before the gap could be widened, Lord Falkland, ‘more gallantly than advisedly,’ spurred his mount through it and was instantly killed. As soon as the hedge had been rendered passable, Byron’s men charged only to be repulsed. The Royalists later repeatedly tried to drive their opponents from the hill, but again failed.

Meanwhile, on the south flank, where much of the ground was open, Prince Rupert charged and re-charged the enemy, primarily Sir Philip Stapleton’s cavalry wing, which answered in kind. Eventually Stapleton was driven off, but Rupert then failed to achieve similar success against foot stationed among small enclosed fields. On the north flank, fierce fighting evidently also occurred, but neither side gained the ascendancy. As the day progressed a fierce artillery duel commenced between the Roundhead gunners on Round Hill and their counterparts firing from near tumuli on Wash Common to the east.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.