Battle of Marston Moor
Part of English Civil War
The Battle of Marston Moor, by J. Barker
Date July 2, 1644 Location near Long Marston, 7 miles west of York Result Decisive Parliamentarian victory
Belligerents
Scottish Covenanters, Parliamentarians	Royalists
Commanders
Earl of Leven, Earl of Manchester, Lord Fairfax	Prince Rupert of the Rhine, Marquess of Newcastle
Strength
22,500+: 7,000+ horse, 500+ dragoons, 15,000+ foot, 30 - 40 guns	17,000: 6,000 horse, 11,000 foot, 14 guns
Casualties and losses
300 killed	4,000 killed, 1,500 prisoners

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 Covenanters under the Earl of Leven and the Parliamentarians under Lord Fairfax and the Earl of Manchester defeated the Royalists commanded by Prince Rupert of the Rhine and the Marquess of Newcastle. For other uses, see English Civil War (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // Events February to August - Explorer Abel Tasmans second expedition for the Dutch East India Company maps the north coast of Australia. ... York shown within England Coordinates: , Sovereign state Constituent country Region Yorkshire and the Humber Ceremonial county North Yorkshire Admin HQ York City Centre Founded 71 City Status 71 Government  - Type Unitary Authority, City  - Governing body City of York Council  - Leadership: Leader & Executive  - Executive: Liberal Democrat  - MPs: Hugh Bayley (L) John... This article is about the country. ... James VI of Scotland (James I of England) was opposed by the Covenanters in his attempt to bring the Anglican Church into Scotland The Covenanters formed an important movement in the religion and politics of Scotland in the 17th century. ... The English parliament in front of the King, c. ... °°°°°°°°°°°→→→→→→→→→→→→§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§ Prince Rupert, an archetypical cavalier For other uses, see Cavalier (disambiguation). ... Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven (c. ... Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester KG (1602 – May 5, 1671), eldest son of the first earl by his first wife, Catherine Spencer, granddaughter of Sir John Spencer of Althorpe, was born in 1602, and was educated at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. ... Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron (29 March 1584–14 March 1648), English parliamentary general, was a son of Thomas Fairfax, whom Charles I in 1627 created Lord Fairfax of Cameron in the Peerage of Scotland. ... For other uses, see Prince Rupert (disambiguation). ... William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle (1592 - December 25, 1676) was an English soldier, politician and writer. ... The First English Civil War (1642–1646) was the first of three wars, known as the English Civil War (or Wars). The English Civil War refers to the series of armed conflicts and political machinations which took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1652, and includes the Second... The Siege of Hull in 1642 was the first major action of the English Civil War. ... The Battle of Powick Bridge, fought on 23 September 1642, was the first major cavalry engagement of the English Civil War and it was a decisive victory for the Royalists who overthrew of the Parliamentary cavalry. ... The Battle of Edgehill (or Edge Hill) was the first pitched battle of the First English Civil War. ... On the 1st November 1642, Royalist forces, under the command of Prince Rupert engaged Aylesburys Parliamentarian garrison, at Holmans Bridge. ... Combatants Royalists Parliamentarians Commanders Prince Rupert John Lilburne Strength 4,600 1,300 Casualties unknown around 170 dead, unknown wounded, 500 taken prisoner[1] The Battle of Brentford was a small pitched battle which took place on 12 November, 1642, between a cavalry detachment of the Royalist army under the... Combatants Parliamentarians Royalists Commanders Earl of Essex King King Charles I Strength 24,000[1] 7,000-12,000 Casualties very few very few The Battle of Turnham Green occurred 13 November 1642 near the village of Turnham Green, at the end the first campaigning season of the First English... The Battle of Hopton Heath, in Staffordshire, was a battle of the First English Civil War, fought on Sunday 19 March 1643 between Parliamentarian forces led by Sir John Gell and Sir William Brereton and a Royalist force under Spencer Compton, 2nd Earl of Northampton. ... The Battle of Chalgrove was a skirmish of the English Civil War in the county of Oxfordshire. ... Braddock is a village and (by the name of Broadoak) a civil parish in the Caradon district of Cornwall in the United Kingdom. ... The English Civil War battle of Lansdowne (or Lansdown) was fought on July 5, 1643, near Bath. ... English Civil War battle fought near Devizes, on 13th July, 1643 Following the Battle of Lansdowne on 5th July, 1643, the same two armies faced each again at Rounday Down. ... Battle of Sourton Down was a battle of the first English civil war that took place on 25 April 1643. ... The Battle of Adwalton Moor was a battle in the English Civil War on 30 June 1643. ... The Battle of Gainsborough was a battle in the English Civil War. ... The Battle of Winceby took place in 1643 during the English Civil War near the village of Winceby, Lincolnshire about 6 km east of Horncastle Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell, leading the Parlimentary Forces, defeated the Royalists led by Sir John Henderson. ... Combatants Parliamentary army Royalist garrison Commanders Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex Sir Arthur Aston King Charles I Prince Rupert Strength 16,000+ 2,000+ See also: Battle of Reading (871) and Battle of Reading (1688) The Siege of Reading refers to the English Civil War military campaign waged to... Combatants Royalists Parliamentarians Commanders Charles I, Prince Rupert Colonel Edward Massey Strength about 35,000 1,500 regular troops unknown local militia Casualties exact number unknown, believed to be several thousand 50 The Siege of Gloucester took place took place between the 3rd of August and 5th of September, between... The two Battles of Newbury took place near Newbury, Berkshire during the English Civil War in 1643 and 1644. ... The Battle of Alton took place on December 13, 1643, during the English Civil War. ... Categories: Possible copyright violations ... The Battle of Nantwich designates a fight of the English Civil War between the forces of Parliament and of King Charles I to the northwest of the town of Nantwich in Cheshire on 26 January 1644 (some sources say 24 January). ... The Battle of Boldon Hill was a battle fought during the English Civil War in 1644, between a Royalist army based in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and a Parliamentarian army based in Sunderland. ... Combatants Parliamentarians Royalists Commanders Sir John Meldrum Prince Rupert of the Rhine Strength 2,000 horse, 5,000 foot, 13 siege guns 3,500 horse, 3,000 foot, 3 field guns The Relief of Newark was a Royalist victory during the First English Civil War. ... The Siege of York in 1644 was a prolonged contest for York during the English Civil War, between the Scottish Army of the Solemn Oath and Covenant and the Parliamentarian Armies of the Northern Association and Eastern Association on the one hand, and the Royalist Army under the Marquess of... The Bolton Massacre, sometimes recorded as the Storming of Bolton was an episode in the English Civil War, on May 28, 1644, in which it was alleged that up to 1,600 of the towns defenders and citizens were slaughtered during and after its storm and capture by the... The Battle of Cropredy Bridge was the last battle won on English soil under the command of an English King. ... 1. ... Combatants Parliamentarians Royalists Commanders Earl of Essex Sir William Waller Earl of Manchester King Charles I Prince Maurice Strength 7,000 horse 12,000 foot 3,500 horse 5,000 foot Casualties unknown unknown The Second Battle of Newbury was a battle of the English Civil War fought on October... The Siege of Taunton was a siege of the English Civil War. ... Combatants Parliamentarians Royalists Commanders Sir Thomas Fairfax Oliver Cromwell King Charles I Prince Rupert of the Rhine Strength 6,000 horse 7,000 foot 4,100 horse 3,300 foot Casualties 150 total casualties[1] approximately 1,000 killed, 5,000 captured[1] The Battle of Naseby was the key... The Battle of Langport was a Parliamentarian victory in the English Civil War, which destroyed the last Royalist field army, and ultimately gave Parliament control of the West of England, which had hitherto been a major source of manpower, raw materials and imports for the Royalists. ... The Battle of Rowton Heath was a Parliamentarian victory late in the English Civil War. ... Stratton is a small town in North Cornwall near the coastal resort of Bude. ... Combatants Parliamentarians Royalists Commanders Sir William Brereton Colonel Thomas Morgan Sir Jacob Astley Strength 2,500 Foot 600 horse 3,000 Foot 500 horse Casualties unknown less 1,000 killed 1,000 prisoners The Battle of Stow-on-the-Wold took place during the English Civil War. ... The Siege of Oxford was a Parliamentarian victory late in the First English Civil War. ... is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // Events February to August - Explorer Abel Tasmans second expedition for the Dutch East India Company maps the north coast of Australia. ... The First English Civil War (1642–1646) was the first of three wars, known as the English Civil War (or Wars). The English Civil War refers to the series of armed conflicts and political machinations which took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1652, and includes the Second... This article is about the Scottish as an ethnic group. ... James VI of Scotland (James I of England) was opposed by the Covenanters in his attempt to bring the Anglican Church into Scotland The Covenanters formed an important movement in the religion and politics of Scotland in the 17th century. ... Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven (c. ... The English parliament in front of the King, c. ... Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron (29 March 1584–14 March 1648), English parliamentary general, was a son of Thomas Fairfax, whom Charles I in 1627 created Lord Fairfax of Cameron in the Peerage of Scotland. ... Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester KG (1602 – May 5, 1671), eldest son of the first earl by his first wife, Catherine Spencer, granddaughter of Sir John Spencer of Althorpe, was born in 1602, and was educated at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. ... °°°°°°°°°°°→→→→→→→→→→→→§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§ Prince Rupert, an archetypical cavalier For other uses, see Cavalier (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Prince Rupert (disambiguation). ... William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle (1592 - December 25, 1676) was an English soldier, politician and writer. ...

During the summer of 1644, the Covenanters and Parliamentarians had been 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. The Siege of York in 1644 was a prolonged contest for York during the English Civil War, between the Scottish Army of the Solemn Oath and Covenant and the Parliamentarian Armies of the Northern Association and Eastern Association on the one hand, and the Royalist Army under the Marquess of...

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. is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Marston Moor, in Harrogate, North Yorkshire was the site of the battle of Marston Moor, the last great battle of the English Civil War in 1644. ... A meadow is a habitat of rolling or flat terrain where grasses predominate. ... Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 – 3 September 1658) was an English military and political leader best known for his involvement in making England into a republican Commonwealth and for his later role as Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland. ...

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. The North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between the coasts of Norway and Denmark in the east, the coast of the British Isles in the west, and the German, Dutch, Belgian and French coasts in the south. ... This article is about the country. ... James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose (1612 - 21 May 1650), was a Scottish nobleman and soldier, who initially joined the Covenanters in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, but subsequently supported King Charles I as the English Civil War developed. ...

Background

Siege of York

In late 1643, the English Civil War widened. 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.^[1] 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 Earl of Leven invaded the north of England on behalf of Parliament.^[2] The Royalist commander in the north of England, the Marquess of Newcastle, was forced to divide his army, leaving a detachment under Sir John Belasyse to watch a Parliamentarian army under Lord Fairfax in Hull, while he led his main body north to confront Leven.^[3] Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, King of Scots and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. ... The Solemn League and Covenant was an agreement between the Scottish Covenanters and the leaders of the English Parliamentarians. ... The Covenanters, named after the Solemn League and Covenant, were a party that, originating in the Reformation movement, played an important part in the history of Scotland, and to a lesser extent in that of England, during the 17th century. ... Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven (c. ... William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle (1592 - December 25, 1676) was an English soldier, politician and writer. ... John Belasyse, 1st Baron Belasyse (24 June 1614- 10 September 1689) was an English nobleman, soldier and MP, notable for his role during and after the English Civil War. ... Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron (29 March 1584–14 March 1648), English parliamentary general, was a son of Thomas Fairfax, whom Charles I in 1627 created Lord Fairfax of Cameron in the Peerage of Scotland. ... Hull or Kingston upon Hull is a British city situated on the north bank of the Humber estuary. ...

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.^[4] Meanwhile, a Parliamentarian cavalry force under Lord Fairfax's son, 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.^[5] The River Tyne can refer to two rivers in the United Kingdom: River Tyne, England River Tyne, Scotland This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... This article is about a city in the United Kingdom. ... Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Baron Fairfax of Cameron (January 17, 1612 - November 12, 1671), parliamentary general and commander-in-chief during the English Civil War, the eldest son of Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Baron Fairfax of Cameron, was born at Denton, near Otley, Yorkshire. ... Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England. ... For other uses, see Cheshire (disambiguation). ... Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... , Selby is a town in North Yorkshire, England. ... is the 101st day of the year (102nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Sir John Meldrum (died 1645) was a soldier of Scottish origin who spent 36 years in the service of the Stuart kings of Scotland and England, James VI and I and Charles I. In 1642, he found himself opposed to the policies of Charles government and supported the Parliamentarian cause...

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.^[6] 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 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.^[7] is the 112th day of the year (113th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Siege of York in 1644 was a prolonged contest for York during the English Civil War, between the Scottish Army of the Solemn Oath and Covenant and the Parliamentarian Armies of the Northern Association and Eastern Association on the one hand, and the Royalist Army under the Marquess of... is the 154th day of the year (155th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Eastern Association was a Parliamentarian or Roundhead army during the English Civil War. ... Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester KG (1602 – May 5, 1671), eldest son of the first earl by his first wife, Catherine Spencer, granddaughter of Sir John Spencer of Althorpe, was born in 1602, and was educated at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. ... For the television series, see Commander in Chief (TV series). ... Combatants Sweden  Bohemia Denmark-Norway[1] Dutch Republic France Scotland England Saxony  Holy Roman Empire Catholic League Austria Bavaria Spain Commanders Frederick V Buckingham Leven Gustav II Adolf â€  Johan Baner Cardinal Richelieu Louis II de Bourbon Vicomte de Turenne Christian IV of Denmark Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar Johann Georg I...

Relief moves

Prince Rupert of the Rhine (1619 - 1682) - Prince Rupert was tasked with retaking the north from Parliament and their Scottish allies

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.^[8] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (850x998, 760 KB) Prince Rupert of the Rhine (1619-1682), Bohemian soldier and inventor. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (850x998, 760 KB) Prince Rupert of the Rhine (1619-1682), Bohemian soldier and inventor. ... Events May 13 - Dutch statesman Johan van Oldenbarnevelt is executed in The Hague after having been accused of treason. ... Year 1682 (MDCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... This article is about the city of Oxford in England. ... is the 114th day of the year (115th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A council of war is a term in military science that describes a meeting held to decide on a course of action, usually in the midst of a battle. ...

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 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 stormed Bolton, allegedly killing 1,600 of the Parliamentarian defenders and citizens.^[9] Resting at Bury nearby, Rupert was joined by the Marquess of Newcastle's cavalry under Lord George Goring, and several regiments which were being freshly raised in Lancashire by the 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.^[10] For other places with the same name, see Shrewsbury (disambiguation). ... is the 136th day of the year (137th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... For the larger local government district, see Chester (district). ... John Byron, 1st Baron Byron (c. ... The River Mersey is a river in north west England. ... Stockport is a large town in the north west of England. ... The Bolton Massacre, sometimes recorded as the Storming of Bolton was an episode in the English Civil War, on May 28, 1644, in which it was alleged that up to 1,600 of the towns defenders and citizens were slaughtered during and after its storm and capture by the... This article is about the town of Bury in North West England. ... George Goring, Lord Goring (14 July 1608 - 1657) was an English Royalist soldier. ... James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby (1607-1651), sometimes styled the Great Earl of Derby, eldest son of William, 6th Earl, and Elizabeth de Vere, daughter of Edward, 17th Earl of Oxford, was born at Knowsley on the 31 January 1607. ... A stronghold is a strongly fortified defensive structure. ... This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ... For other uses, see Liverpool (disambiguation). ... is the 157th day of the year (158th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

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 and 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.^[11] Together with this unfortunate news, the letter contained some ambiguous orders regarding Rupert’s northern offensive and future plans: is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... , Reading is a town, unitary authority (the Borough of Reading) and urban area in the English county of Berkshire. ... , Abingdon (traditionally known as Abingdon-on-Thames) is a market town in Oxfordshire in Southern England. ... This article is about the city of Worcester in England. ...

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.^[12]

The York March

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.^[13] By this time Rupert’s army numbered 14,000, 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 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), or any move to the south via Wetherby.^[14] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Overlooking the River Nidd in Knaresborough Knaresborough is an historic market town and spa town in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, located four miles east of Harrogate town. ... is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Basil Feilding, 2nd Earl of Denbigh (c. ... is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Roman Britain, with Ermine Street highlighted Ermine Street should not be confused with Ermin Street, the road from Silchester to Gloucester. ... The A59 is a major road, in the United Kingdom running from Liverpool in Merseyside to York in Yorkshire. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

However, Rupert made a 22-mile flank march to the northeast via Boroughbridge and Thornton Bridge, which put the River Ouse 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 Poppleton a few miles north of York.^[15] This had been the only crossing available to the allies above York and its capture prevented the allies crossing the Ouse to engage Rupert. Map sources for Boroughbridge at grid reference SE3966 Boroughbridge is a small town 13 miles northwest of York in North Yorkshire in England. ... The River Ouse in York The River Ouse (pronounced ooze) in North Yorkshire, England flows through York and Selby. ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A light dragoon from the American Revolution A dragoon is a soldier trained to fight on foot, but transport himself on horseback. ... A bridge of boats over the Scheldt River, during World War I A bridge of boats over the Ravi River in Pakistan, 1895 A bridge of boats is a temporary type of bridge which floats on the river instead of having permanent pillars. ... Nether Poppleton is a village in the unitary authority of City of York in the north of England, on the River Ouse, west of York, Yorkshire and north of Upper Poppleton. ...

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.^[16]

Battle

Prelude

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.^[17] is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Map sources for Tadcaster at grid reference SE4843 Tadcaster is a town in North Yorkshire, England, lying on the River Wharfe and the Great North Road. ... Cawood (Other names: Carwood, Thorpe Lane) is a large village in North Yorkshire. ...

Meanwhile, there was tension between Rupert and Newcastle, who was strongly opposed to a pitched battle.^[18] 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.^[19] 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.^[18] A pitched battle is a battle where both sides choose to fight at a chosen location and time and where either side has the option to disengage either before the battle starts, or shortly after the first armed exchanges. ...

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.^[18] 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.

Deployment

Further information: Marston Moor order of battle

Main article: see Battle of Marston Moor. ...

Scots and Parliamentarians

Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven (1580 - 1661) - Leslie commanded the Covenanter and Parliamentarian armies

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. Alexander Leslie http://www. ... Alexander Leslie http://www. ... Events March 1 - Michel de Montaigne signs the preface to his most significant work, Essays. ... 1661 (MDCLXI) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ...

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.^[20] 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 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.^[21] 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 formed a third line to Cromwell's rear, and 500 Scots dragoons were deployed on the extreme left. Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 – 3 September 1658) was an English military and political leader best known for his involvement in making England into a republican Commonwealth and for his later role as Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland. ... Ironside was the name given to a trooper in the cavalry formed by English political leader Oliver Cromwell in the 17th century. ... David Leslie, Lord Newark (c. ...

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. Lawrence Crawford (1611 - 1645) was a Scottish soldier who nevertheless fought in English or other armies on the continent of Europe. ... General William Baillie, was a Scottish professional soldier who commanded a regiment under Gustavus Adolphus in Sweden before returning to Scotland in 1639. ...

The right wing was commanded by Sir Thomas Fairfax (with John Lambert as his second in command). He had at least 2,000 horse from Yorkshire and Lancashire and 600 musketeers, with 1,000 Scots horse to his rear.^[22] John Lambert (1619 - 1684) served as an English Parliamentary general in the English Civil War. ...

Royalists

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.^[23] It is generally accepted that it was at least less of an obstacle on the Royalist right. Sir Bernard de Gomme (1620 – 23 November 1685) was a military engineer. ...

When the contingent from York belatedly arrived, accompanied by Newcastle's Lieutenant General 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.^[23] 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.^[24] The Royalist army prepared to settle down for the night, close to the allied armies. James King, later Lord Eythin, (1589 - 1652) was a Scottish soldier, who served in the Swedish army, and who later supported King Charles I in the English Civil War. ...

The Royalist left wing was commanded by Lord Goring. It consisted of 2,100 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.^[25] Sir Charles Lucas (1613-1648) was an English soldier, a Royalist commander in the English Civil War. ...

Their centre was nominally commanded by Eythin. A forlorn hope of musketeers lined the ditch. The infantry units of Rupert's army, 7,000 strong under Rupert's Sergeant-Major General Henry Tillier, formed the first line. The 3,000 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.^[25] Forlorn hope is a military term that comes from the Dutch verloren hoop, which should be translated as lost troop although in Dutch it can also mean lost hope. The Dutch phrase fortutiously sounding like a accurate statement of the units future in English. ...

The right wing was commanded by Lord Byron, with 2,600 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.^[26] Sir John Hurry (or Urry) (died May 29, 1650) was a Scottish soldier. ...

Rupert personally commanded a reserve of 600 cavalry, including his elite Lifeguard of Horse.^[25]

Events

Map of Battle

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.^[27] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A shelf cloud associated with a heavy or severe thunderstorm over Enschede, The Netherlands. ...

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.^[28] 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.

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.^[29] A Parliamentarian officer wrote:

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.^[30]

—Watson to Henry Overton, quoted in Young, Marston Moor 1644

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.^[31]

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:

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.^[32]

—Sir Thomas Fairfax, quoted in Young, Marston Moor 1644

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.^[33] When a small embankment alongside the ditch at this point was removed in the 1960s, several hundred musket balls were recovered.^[23]

When Goring launched a counter-charge, the disorganised Parliamentarians were routed, although some of the Scottish cavalry behind them resisted stoutly for some time.^[34] 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.^[35] Manchester remained on the battlefield, but effectively commanded only his own Regiment of Foot near the allied rear.

One Scottish brigade at the right of their front line under the Earl of Crawford-Lindsay and 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.^[35] 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.^[36] John Maitland, 1st Earl of Lauderdale, Viscount of Lauderdale, Viscount Maitland, and Lord Thirlestane and Boltoun, (d. ...

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:

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.^[37]

—Mr. Arthur Trevor to the Marquess of Ormonde, quoted in Young, Marston Moor 1644

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.^[32] 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. James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde (October 19, 1610 – July 21, 1688), was an Anglo-Irish statesman and soldier. ...

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.^[23] The Whitecoats refused quarter and repulsed constant cavalry charges until the last 30 survivors finally surrendered.^[38]

Approximately 4,000 Royalist soldiers had been killed, many in the last stand of the "Whitecoats", and 1,500 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.^[39]

One of those mortally wounded among the Parliamentarians was Sir Thomas Fairfax's brother, Charles.^[32] Another was Cromwell's nephew, Valentine Walton. Cromwell was present when he died afterwards, and wrote a 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.^[40]

Aftermath

Oliver Cromwell (1599–1658). Cromwell's reputation as an effective cavalry commander and leader was cemented by his success at Marston Moor.

Late at night, the Royalist generals reached York. A diary later written by one of Rupert's entourage stated: Download high resolution version (529x650, 47 KB)Unfinished portrait miniature of Oliver Cromwell by Samuel Cooper. ... Download high resolution version (529x650, 47 KB)Unfinished portrait miniature of Oliver Cromwell by Samuel Cooper. ... Year 1599 was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Events January 13 - Edward Sexby, who had plotted against Oliver Cromwell, dies in Tower of London February 6 - Swedish troops of Charles X Gustav of Sweden cross The Great Belt (Storebælt) in Denmark over frozen sea May 1 - Publication of Hydriotaphia, Urn Burial and The Garden of Cyrus by...

After y^e Enemy having broken o^r horse the foot stood till night and in y^e night some of em [sic] came off after y^e P[rince] and Gen^ll King had drawn up as many as he could before y^e town of York"^[12]

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 on July 3 and went into exile in Hamburg, with Eythin and many of his senior officers.^[31] Two days after the battle, Rupert rallied 5,000 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 to escape interception. Goring, who had accompanied him this far, headed for Scotland to aid the Royalists there under Montrose. With the departure of Newcastle and Rupert, the Royalists effectively abandoned the north. This article is on the English seaside resort. ... is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Hamburg (disambiguation). ... The town of Richmond as seen from the top of the keep of Richmond Castle Richmond is a market town on the River Swale in North Yorkshire, UK and is the administrative centre of the district of Richmondshire. ... James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose (1612 - 21 May 1650), was a Scottish nobleman and soldier, who initially joined the Covenanters in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, but subsequently supported King Charles I as the English Civil War developed. ...

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.^[41] 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.^[31] is the 197th day of the year (198th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other places with the same name, see Lincolnshire (disambiguation). ...

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.^[42] Marmaduke Langdale (1598 - 1661) was married to Ann Howard, a granddaughter of Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk. ...

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.^[41] 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 Devil's familiar.^[43] 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".^[44] From this moment, he was to exert increasing influence both in the House of Commons and in the Parliamentarian armies in the field.^[44] “Familiar” redirects here. ...

References

Notes

Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde (October 19, 1610 – July 21, 1688), was an Anglo-Irish statesman and soldier. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Bibliography

External links

• British Civil War site
• Battle of Marston Moor. English Heritage. Retrieved on May 8, 2007.