“I will not consent to divest myself of the just power which God and the laws of this kingdom have placed in me, for the defence of my people.”
--King Charles I
“I was ready to lay down both my life and fortune, but when I found a preparation of arms against the King under the shadow of loyalty, I rather resolved to obey a good conscience…and am now on my way to his Majesty…”
--Lord Paget on deciding for the King and leaving Parliament.
“I shall be content - only if it be when I am with you, for I can no longer live as I am without you.”
--Queen Henrietta Maria to King Charles I from Holland.
From the Parliamentarian left, facing Ruperts advance, the effect must have been unbearable. Here was the victor of Powick Bridge advancing slow and steady in the face of firing from the big guns and the men interspersed between them. Yet it made no difference to his advance, which came on with courage and resolution, eventually getting up to speed in the last 200 yards or so when the trumpeters blared out the charge amidst the growing atmosphere of the battle. The Royalists had to jump over around five or six small hedges and ditches, while the Parliamentarians stood on an incline waiting for the charge. Lord Bernard Stuart found it difficult going for his troops of the Kings Lifeguard.
Once up to the Parliamentarian left wing, Rupert’s men must have been slightly taken aback to see their enemy suddenly turn about and flee, leaving the few musketeers to be cut down.
Sir James Ramsey claimed he was dragged from the field in the midst of his troops, while most of the whole of the Parliamentarian left was dissolved in the mixture of Royalist horse.
Some of Sir William Killigrew's men now began attacking Sir Faithful’s recently changed men, who had in the amazement of seeing their former side flee, forgotten to remove their orange signs of Parliament.
Rupert’s men now sped on after the enemy horse, chasing them from the field and preventing their unexpected return at a later stage. Sir Richard Bulstrode accidentally overtook his officer in the charge, due to his overeager horse and received a wound to the head. Only the well-aimed fire of Sir John Byron’s pistol saved him.
Denzil Holles and his regiment of foot then saw the combined ingredients of cowardice and fear and stood still in the face of the mess heading towards him. As the combined forces of his own fleeing side and Rupert’s impetuous men overran his regiment, he managed to his credit to rally several of his own.
Sir John Byron’s men now thought that their job was done and chased after any fleeing Roundhead. With passion and determination, Rupert halted three troops of horse to lead back to battle, but the others failed to see through their jubilant and victorious eyes, riding onwards to Kineton for the plundering of the enemy’s baggage.
Lord Wilmot in command of the Royalist horse of the left wing charged possibly after he had seen Rupert set loose. Lord Fielding in charge of the Parliamentarian left was equally dismayed with his side’s performance.
The initial clash with Wilmot’s men, with, if it can be believed, was less effort than Rupert had put in on the other.
Fielding's and Sir William Fairfax’s Parliamentary men fled after the tails of Fielding, Wilmot charging furiously with Lord Digby after them, making no visible attempt to rally his men. On the Royalist left, only Sir Charles Lucas had sense and strength enough to rally around 200 men. Lucas’s aim was formed; he would attack the right flank of the Parliamentarian foot.
In the Royalist centre, Sir Jacob Astley fell to his knees in devotion, uttering an improvised prayer, which has since passed into fame.
“O Lord, thou knowest how busy I must be this day. If I forget thee, do not thou forget me.”
With the bright afternoon sky highlighting Astley's silvery white moustache and beard, he stood his small frame up proudly at the head of the foot he commanded and bellowed, “March on boys!” With Astley’s command, the whole centre moved off with a slow and steady pace, trying hard to keep rank. They marched six deep, with the emphasis placed on good order rather than speed; they wouldn’t march more than 70 paces per minute.
One Parliamentarian commented at the sight in front of him, “Their foot, which appeared to us, divided into nine great bodies, came up all in front and after some playing with the cannon on both sides, that part of it which was on the left, and towards our right wing, came on very gallantly to the charge.”
As Astley and his men approached them, the Parliamentarian foot followed the example set by their horse, Charles Essex, Lord Mandeville, Lord Wharton and Sir Henry Cholmley's brigades fled.
Only Ballard's men showed some courage by marching up to occupy the now vacant position in the Roundhead lines. The combined Parliamentary foot now numbered roughly 6500, and they were in close combat with 10500 Royalist foot.
Disengage and Rest
After some hot fighting, both sides felt the strain of fighting in such heat, more so the Roundheads, who were beginning to see the pressing disadvantage of numbers. Both sides now disengaged and retired a few paces back to rest, though still firing at each other.
Sir William Balfour of the leftover Roundhead horse, who started within the foot ranks rather than on the cowardly wings, now saw his chance in an opportunity.
He led his own and Stapleton’s regiments which were placed hidden behind the lines of foot, through the middle of the men in front. Stapleton’s regiment went for Nicholas Byron’s Royalist foot, but was driven back, giving only a small respite to the Roundhead foot.
Meldrum's own charge at his locked-on target went better. He engaged Richard Fielding’s Royalist brigade, slicing through one regiment, which flung down its arms and retreated. Very shortly, the whole of Fielding’s brigade was broken and in confusion, the senior officers being captured.
Behind the Royalist lines, on the high ground, which lavished a clear view of the proceedings, was the King. Surrounded by his advisors, he watched with concern, the recent Roundhead revival and his foot soldiers beginning to lurch backwards.
Turning to his closest advisors, he revealed his intention of riding into his men, to encourage and kill off the wavering signs of despair.
He then turned specifically to the Duke of Richmond, telling him that he had no intention of exposing the young Princes. The King asked Richmond to take them to the safety of the top of the hill, but the Duke was singularly hesitant about this order. Eventually with his known tact and discretion, he excused himself from riding away from the Royalists while still in battle.
The King then turned to the Earl of Dorset and repeated the order. Dorset’s blunt nature replied he, “Would not be thought a coward for the sake of any King’s sons in Christendom.”
The King at this point must have been furious under his ever-calm outer self. He did not expect anyone to refuse his orders for such reasons and he was exacerbated because it was due to safety and love for his children he did this. All the while these men deliberated, his men below needed him more and the advisors seemed to him to class their honours above his commands.
The King then turned to Sir William Howard, commander of the Gentleman Pensioners and positively ordered him to take the Princes off immediately.
One can imagine the Kings determination to be obeyed and his impatience to ride to his men, combined to make Howard take hold of his order with both hands.
At once, the King rode towards his men, accompanied only by Richmond, Dorset and a few others. As their Royal advance commenced, a footman was shot in the face next to the King.
Balfour meanwhile had pushed on and succeeded in getting to the Royalist guns and killing the canoneers. Balfour began to shout for nails, so he could disable the cannon, but none were to be had.
Before the Princes had left for the hill, a Roundhead horse regiment approached them, but the Princes, Howard and Edward Hyde were unaware of their allegiance, thinking them Royalists.
As they realised their error, the Princes and their protectors drew off behind a barn, which housed a makeshift field hospital for the Kings wounded men. Prince Charles now shouted, “I fear them not!” and making to charge them, he was severely dissuaded by Sir John Hinton.
Another stroke of luck arrived when the Roundhead horse mistook the barn for a fortified post and stopped their advance. One rebel however was not convinced and rode towards the Prince at the charge. Meeting Hinton, he was knocked from his horse and then finished by a poleaxe. Balfour then withdrew back to the Roundhead lines.
More Edgehill
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© Copyright 2002 by Mark Turnbull.
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