The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1892-07-21
THE BATTLE or DUNBAR.
4 Graphic Dessriptssa Of This Historic
struEx1e.

Anic HltHiOfduit Uittfc HAS Decn OiUc
described-by Carlyle at his best, and
by other graphic and eloquent pens.
wish could give, in few words, some
idea Of it, some picture Of it that might
linger in the memory,
1t is now the I'd day of September,
1850, and Cromwell with his little army
of eleven thousand men, tired and worn
with marching, far from home, is
crowded onto this rocky promontory Of
Dunbar, while the veteran Leslie, the
Scotch commander, has followed and
thrown his whole force around him, and
with fresh and well fed and well ap-
pointed army OF twenty-five thousand
is lying on the hills to the west and
south, his army emitting off the only
road to England and encircling like a
huge serpent, in its coils, its now dis
heartened and apparently doomed
enemy. The Unfolding monster was
drawn back amengAthe hills SO that
Cromwell could not strike it, but it lay
there, sure of its prey-cither to starve
him, or drive him ANONYMOUSLY to en-
bark on his ships, if indeed that critical
movement could now be effected.
1t was most grave and perilous
hour. We know how good fortune
often suddenly deserts her favorites-
Cromwell now to be deserted by his
good genius? Was he now to come to
his Zama, like Hannibal-to his Water
loo, like Napoleon? See him, there, as
he walks back and forth on that little
ledge of land on that September after
noon, his brow knit in thought, his great
mind revolving the situation-stern and
serious, but not despairing. If he could
only see some way to strike his wary
foe Suddenly his face lights up, his
brow clears, for, looking to the south
he sees that Leslie has moved his right
wing down from the impregnable hills
towards the shore--he thinks Cromwell
is about to embark on his ships and he
would be ready to strike him in the
midst of the movement. Quick as the
lightning's flash the genius of Cromwell
saw the mistake and comprehended the
advantage. The excitement of triumph
blazcd in his eyes, and, turning to Lam
bert he exclaimed: "The Lord has de-
livered them into our handr' Then
rapidly follow his orders and DISPOSE
tions for the battle before the morrow's
dawn.
The night was dark and tempestuous.
The wind moaned a requiem over the
opposing hosts and drove the cold rain
into their faces. The moon, pale and
wan, as though affrighted at the com
ing carnage looked furtivcly and fit
fully from between the black and scud-
ding clouds. The English were partly
protected by their tents; the Scotch, in
the open field, lay down in the wet and
soaking shock of corn.
Cromwell had given out as the battle
word 1.-THE Lord Of Hosts and in tbs
early gray of the morning his men
lofty cry upon their lips. And now
while the English cannon, already
trained and loaded, begin to rain their
shot upon the center and left of the
Scotch army across the ravine. among
the hills, and So hold them fast, the in
vincible 'Iropsides" fall upon the Scotch
right wing n the plain. The shock is
sudden and tremendous; the opposition,
so stout and firm at first that the
splendid line is bent inwards, for the
moment, like bow-bcnt but not
broken-for now it springs back, like
the tempered steel of Damascus
blade, into an unwavering front again,
and like a blade of lieenest edge,
now mows down and through the
Scotch horse and foot. 1.-THE Lord OF
hosts!v THE Lord of hosts!" rings out
above the roar and din-above the now
feebler cry of 'The Covenantw "The
Covenant as English Puritan and In
dependent cuts and slashes and tramples
Scotch Presbyterian and Covenanter in
to the mud and mire and CORY reeh of
that terrible field. Three thousand OF
the enemy are cut down in few mo-
ments in that fiery onset. "They run!
they run! | profess they rum shouts
the great leader as he eagerly watches
the charge of his glorious .Ironsides.
And now the main Scotch army, de
spite the cannon still roaring upon them,
deploy across the brook in their front
and descend into the plain to support
their right wing. Blunder on blunder
horror on horror! For here they meet
their broken and routed wing, flying up
the ravine in wild, headlong panic, are
thrown into confusion and trampled
down by it, while through the now in
extricable and wildly struggling mass
the terrible English horse tramp and
thunder in their victorious pursuit! All
now is appalling overthrow and rnin--
all order and organization lost-a rout-
ed, broken, despairing army, flying in
every direction.
And now, as if Heaven itself would
honor this great victory, won in the
name of the Most High, the rising sun
bursts through the morning fog and
| mists, and floods the eastern sea, the
promontory and all the encircling hills
with glorious light! Then the voice of
Cromwell is heard again in high notes
of triumph: LET God arise, let His enc.
mics be scattered and as the thought
of this great and overwhelming victory
| comes over him, in his gratitude to God
he pauses, rallies and steadies his men
ine their great excitement, and there,
under the vast, open, heaven-lighted
temple of the skys they sing the, 1l7th
Psalm: 30 praise the Lord, all We ma
tions; praise Him all We people; fol His
merciful kindness is great towards us,
and the truth of the Lord endureth for
ever. Praise we the Lordr'
And now the swift and terrible pur
suit, the slaughter, the execution" as
Cromwell called it, is taken up, and
when that days sun goes down behind
the hills of Lammermoor Leslie's splen
did army Of yesterday is gone-3, 00t
dead on the field, and more thousands
slain in their fight, 10000 prisoners
| $4,000 stands of arms and 200 colors-
and most wonderful thing in war te
tell, on the side of the victors the los.
is but two officers and twenty men!
| Such was Cromwell's great battle anC
| victory of Dunbar G. y Nav II