By the middle of the afternoon, Lord-General Cromwell was gloating over a hoard of fifteen thousand enemy weapons and two hundred colours. In addition to those Scots who lay dead on the field, three thousand more were taken prisoner. A bullet tore unnoticed through his sleeve and though the sword-cut on his thigh was a different matter, it was not serious enough to stop him spitting the fellow who gave it to him. Soaked from the incessant rain and liberally spattered with mud, Eden did his duty by his men whilst fighting as hard as any of them. And as the retreat became a rout, Lambert swung his regiments about to support the Foot. Men were cut down like corn-stalks to be trampled beneath the hooves of both sides. Pistols were discharged, then used as clubs the discordant ring of steel on steel mingled with strangled screams and the Scots cavalry foundered and then disintegrated. His trumpet sounded the Charge and Eden’s fellows swept forward with the rest against the enemy Horse. Further away still, the English artillery thundered and growled, its smoke swirling madly about on the wind.Ĭromwell’s reserve troops smashed into Leslie’s Foot and engaged it at push of pike, causing the Scottish line to waver and give ground. From away to their right came a huge cry of ‘ Lord of Hosts!’ and the Lord-General’s infantry started pouring across the burn and up the slopes towards Monck and the Scots. And wheeled his horse about, shouting for a message to be sent to Cromwell. ‘He’s being pushed back,’ Eden told Lambert tersely. Gathering his men with brisk efficiency beneath the steadily lightening sky, he exchanged a couple of sentences with Major-General Lambert and sent off a reconnaissance party to report on how General Monck was faring. This was where discipline paid off and Eden was grateful that he’d inherited a regiment trained by Gabriel Brandon. Until the futility of it became plain, the English cavalry struggled to hold their ground – but finally Lambert’s trumpet sounded the Recall and Eden set about withdrawing his men in order to re-form. Then a troop of Scottish lancers pelted downhill at them … and, after the first shock of impact, Eden found his regiment being driven back. The world erupted into noise and confusion and the earth vibrated.įrom the fringes of the mêlée, Eden Maxwell bellowed staccato orders and strove to gain an over-all view of the situation. There was an exchange of pistol-fire, followed by the roaring thud of artillery and then two bodies of horsemen met head on in a fierce clash of steel. Dawn was breaking, bleak and grey, as Lambert’s cavalry made its first headlong charge up the hill towards the enemy’s right wing while, taken by surprise, the Scots leapt to arms and to horse as best they could.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |