'Battle of Naseby. Saturday, 14th June 1645. Starting at three in 'the morning, we arrive about five at Naseby. King" reported to be 'at Harborough," uncertain whitherward next: behold, "great bodies 'of his troops are seen coming over the Hill from Harborough towards 'us ;"-he has turned, and is for fighting us, then! We put our Army in order,-"large fallow field northwest of Naseby,' "the brow of the Hill running east and west" "for something like a mile : 'King has sunk out of sight in a hollow; but comes up again nearer 'us, and now evidently drawn-out for battle. We fall back, "about 'a hundred paces, from the brow of the Hill," to hide ourselves and our plans he rushes on the faster, thinking we run ("much of his 'ordnance left behind"): the Battle joins on the very brow of the 'Hill. Their word, Queen Mary, ours, God is our Strength. 1 2 'About Three-hundred Musketeers of ours on the Left Wing, are 'advanced a little, as a forlorn, down the steep of the Hill; they retire fir'ing as Rupert charges up: Ireton and Skippon command in this quarter; ""Lantford Hedges," a kind of thicket which runs right down the Hill, is lined with Colonel Okey and his dragoons,-all on foot at present, 'and firing lustily on Rupert as he gallops past.-Cromwell is on the 'extreme Right (easternmost part of the Hill): he, especially Whalley under him, dashes down before the Enemy's charge upwards (which 'is led by Langdale) can take effect; scatters said charge to the winds; not without hard cutting: a good deal impeded "by furze-bushes and "a cony-warren." These Royalist Horse, Langdale's, fled all 'behind their own Foot, 66 a quarter of a mile from the Battle-ground," '-i.e. near to the present Farm of Dust Hill, or between that and Clipstow; and never fought again. So that Cromwell had only to 'keep them in check; and aid his own Main-battle to the left of 'him which he diligently did. " 'Our Right Wing, then, has beaten Langdale. But Rupert, on the 'other side of the field, beats back our Left:-over "Rutput Hill," ""Fenny Hill" (Fanny Hill, as the Old Books call it); towards Naseby 'Hamlet; on to our Baggage train (which stands on the northwest side of 'the Hamlet, eastward of said "Rutput" and "Fenny," but northward of "Leane Leafe Hill," very sober" Hills," I perceive!). Our extreme Left was "hindered by pits and ditches" in charging; at any rate, it 'lost the charge; fled and Rupert now took to attacking the Baggage and its Guard,—in vain, and with very wasteful delay. For our 'Main-battle too was in a critical state; and might have been overset, at this moment. Our Main-battle,-our Horse on the Left of it giving way; and the King's Foot "coming up into sight," over the brow of 'the Hill, 66 with one terrible volley,' and then with swords and 'musket-butts," mostly all fled." Mostly all: except the Officers, "who "snatched the colours," "fell into the Reserves with them," &c. 'And then, said Reserves now rushing on, and the others rallying to them; and Cromwell being victorious and diligent on the Right, and 1 'At Sibbertoft' (Rushworth). " 2[i.e., Queen Henrietta Maria-always called Queen Mary by the Court.] Rupert idle among the Baggage on the Left,-the whole business was erelong retrieved; and the King's Foot and other Force were all 'driven pell-mell down the Hill: towards Dust Hill (or eastward of the present Farm-house, I think). There the King still stood,'joined at last by Rupert, and struggling to rally his Horse for another brush; but the Foot would not halt, the Foot were all off: ' and the Horse too, seeing Cromwell with all our Horse and victorious 'Foot now again ready for a second charge, would not stand it; but broke; and dissipated, towards Harborough, Leicester, and Infinite 'Space. 1 The Fight began at ten o'clock; lasted three hours: 2 there were some Five-thousand Prisoners; how many Slain I cannot tell.' (b.) Colonel Pickering, a distinguished Officer, whose last notable exploit was at the storm of Basing House, has caught the epidemic, 'new disease' as they call it, some ancient influenza very prevalent and fatal during those wet winter-operations; and after a few days' illness, at Autree' (St. Mary Ottery) where the headquarter was, is dead. Sir Gilbert, his brother, is a leading man in Parliament, with much service yet before him ;-Cousin Dryden, one day to be Poet Dryden, is in Northamptonshire, a lad of fourteen at present. Sprigge (p. 156) has a pious copy of sorrowful verse over dear Colonel Pickering's hearse ;' and here is a Note concerning his funeral. To Colonel Cicely at Pendennis Castle: These Tiverton, 10th December 1645. -SIR, It's the desire of Sir Gilbert Pickering that his deceased Brother, Colonel Pickering, should be interred in your Garrison; and to the end his funeral may be solemnised with as much honour as his memory calls for, you are desired to give all possible assistance therein. The particulars will be offered to you by his Major, Major Jubbs, with whom I desire you to concur herein, and believe it, Sir, you will not only lay a huge obligation upon myself and all the officers of this Army, but I dare assure you the General himself will take it for an especial favour, and will not let it go without a full acknowledgment. But what need I prompt him to so honourable an action whose own ingenuity will be argument sufficient herein; whereof rests assured 1 Clarendon. 3[i.e., Colonel Ceely.] Your humble servant, OLIVER CROMWELL.* 2 Cromwell's Letter. *Polwhele's Traditions and Recollections (London, 1826), i. 22: with a Note on Cicely, and reference to the Original among the Family Papers of the Rev. G. Moore, of Grampound.' [Now at the Bodleian, Select Clarendon Papers, vol. ix. 1.] (c.) A couple of very small Letters, which have now (May, March, 1846) accidentally turned up, too late for insertion in the Text, may find their corner here. 1. The First, which is fully dated (just eight days before the Battle of Naseby), but has lost its specific Address, may without much doubt be referred to Ely and the Fortifications' going on there.1 'To Captain Underwood, at Ely: These' CAPTAIN UNDERWOOD, Huntington, June 6 1645. I desire the guards may be very well strengthened and looked unto. Let a new breastwork be made about the gravel,2 and a new work half-musket-shot behind the old work at stony ground2 staff. Desire Colonel Fothergill to take care of keeping strong guards. Not having more, I rest, Yours, OLIVER CROMWELL.* 2. Sir Dudley North,' Baronet, of Catlidge Hall near Newmarket, is Member for Cambridgeshire; sits too, there is small doubt, in the Ely Committee at London3;-is wanted now for a small County business. 4 The 30th of March,' as we know, is but the fifth day of the then New Year: Oliver,-I find after some staggering, for his date will not suit with other things,-takes the cipher of the Old Year, as one is apt to do, and for 1647 still writes 1646.' As this Entry, abridged from the Commons Journals, will irrefragably prove, to readers of his Letter: John Hobart Esq. dismissed from being Sheriff of Cambridge ' and Huntingdon Shires, and Tristram Dymond Esq. appointed in 'his place, 1st January 1646,' which, for us, and for Cromwell too on the 30th of March following, means 1647. 66 1 Commons Journals, iv. 161, 5; Cromwelliana, p. 16. [dele "at London."] 4 v. 36 (1st Jan. 1646-7). Original now (May 1846) in the Baptist College, Bristol. [The Principal'of the College has very kindly furnished the true reading of this letter, and sent up a tracing which shows his reading to be right. There is no doubt at all about gravel or "ground"; the only doubtful word is that rendered "stony." It appears to be "stonie," but might be "stoun." Carlyle printed " All storm ground stuff," but this is certainly wrong. A little to the south-west of Ely lies a sloping field formerly a gravel-pit, and at its upper end is an artificial mound known as Bug Hill or Smock Hill, which may well have borne a flag-staff, and which entirely commands the point where the roads from Cambridge and St. Ives converge, and turn to enter Ely. It is dangerous to dogmatize concerning gravel-pits, but behind the mound there certainly appear to be two encircling "works," one outside the other.] SIR, For the Honourable Sir Dudley North: These 'London,' 30th March 1646 [error for 1647]. It being desired to have the Commission of the Peace renewed in the Isle of Ely, with some addition, as you may perceive; none left out; only Mr. Diamond, now High Sheriff of the County, and my Brother Desborow, added, there being great want of one in that part of the Isle where I live,-I desire you to join with me in a Certificate; and rest, HERE is Oliver's own account of the Battle of Langport, mentioned in our Text: 'To 'Langport,-July 1645.' DEAR SIR, I have now a double advantage upon you, through the goodness of God, who still appears with us. And as for us, we have seen great things in this last mercy: it is not inferior to any we have had; as followeth. We were advanced to Long-Sutton, near a very strong place of the Enemy's, called Lamport; far from our own Garrisons, without much ammunition, in a place extremely wanting in provisions, the malignant Club-men interposing, who are ready to take all advantages against our parties, and would undoubtedly take them against our Army, if they had opportunity. Goring stood upon the advantage of strong passes, staying until the rest of his recruits came up to his Army, with a resolution not to engage until Greenvill and Prince Charles his men *Original in the possession of the Rev. W. S. Spring Casborne, of Pakenham, Suffolk; a descendant of the North Family. were come up to him.1 We could not well have necessitated him to an Engagement, nor have stayed one day longer without retreating to our ammunition and to conveniency of victual. 2 In the morning, word was brought us, that the Enemy drew out. He did so, with a resolution to send most of his cannon and baggage to Bridgewater, which he effected: but with a resolution not to fight, but, trusting to his ground, thinking he could march 2 away at pleasure. The pass was strait between him and us; he brought two cannons to secure his, and laid his musketeers strongly in the hedges. We beatoff his cannon, fell down upon his musketeers, beat them off from their strength, and, where our Horse could scarcely pass two abreast, I commanded Major Bethel to charge them with two Troops of about 120 Horse, which he performed with the greatest gallantry imaginable; beat back two bodies of the Enemy's Horse, being Goring's own Brigade; brake them at sword's-point. The Enemy charged him with near 400 fresh Horse. He set them all going, until, oppressed with multitudes, he brake through them, with the loss not of above three or four men. Major Desborow seconded him, with some other of those Troops, which were about three. Bethel faced about, and they both routed, at sword's-point, a great body of the Enemy's Horse, which gave such an unexpected terror to the Enemy's Army, that 'it' set them all a-running. Our Foot in the mean time coming on bravely, and beating the Enemy from their strength, we presently had the chase to Lamport and Bridgewater. We took and killed about 2000, brake all his Foot. We have taken very many Horses, and considerable Prisoners. What were slain we know not. We have the Lieutenant General of the Ordnance; Colonel Preston, Colonel Heveningham, Colonel Slingsby, we know of, besides very many other Officers of quality. All Major-General Massie's party was with him, seven or eight miles from us, and about twelve-hundred of our Foot, and three Regiments of our Horse. So that we had but Seven Regiments with us. Thus you see what the Lord hath wrought for us. Can any creature ascribe anything to itself? Now can we give all the glory to God, and desire all may do so, for it is all due unto Him !-Thus you have Long 1[Sir Thomas Fairfax, reporting to his father the victory at Langport, wrote, "the King had given Goring strict commands not to engage before himself, with the Welsh forces, were joined with him, and Greenvill with those out of the West, which altogether would have made a very great army, besides many thousands of club-men."] 2 [Carlyle printed "make."] |