, 1900-02-09
THE BATTLE OF NASEBY.
Cromwells Cavalry Destroys the Last
Army of the King.

Amy VI Tue HluS.
Mr.. Morley closed the fourth of his
Cromwell papers, in the February Cen
fury. with an account Of the battle of
Naseby:
Though some, says the modern SOL
der, may hold Marston to offer a
greater variety of striking pictures and
moments of more intensity (Hoenig,
l.. 2O3), there is scarcely a battle in his
tory where cavalry was better handled
than in Naseby. OF the tactics of Nase-
by this second charge of the Cromwell
liam horse stands out conspicuous for
skill and vigor. There was still, how
ever, one more move to make before
victory was secure.
Though aware of the disaster hat
was overwhelming him. the king strove
bravely to rally the broken horse of
his left wing. He was Joined by Ru-
pert, at last returning from the bag
gage-wagons and Naseby village, with
his men and horses exhausted and out
of breath. Here the Royalists made
their last stand. 1t was in vain. The
Parliamentary generals, with %eXtraor-
binary alacrity. prepared for a final
charge, and their preparation was
hardly made before all was over and
the day won. Ireton, though severely
wounded in the beginning of the bat
tie, had got his lei together again,
and he took an active part in the new
attack. The parliamentary foot, who
had been thrown into disorder by the
first charge, and had then rallied Gin
a shorter time than imaginable" now
advanced at the best of their speed to
join the horse. For Oliver had got his
force of cavalry once more in hand,
and made ready to bear down on the
enemy for a third and final charge.
The horsemen were again drawn up in
two wings within cabinet-shot of the
enemy, leaving a wide space between
the wings for the battle of the foot to
fall in. Thereby say the eye-wit-
ness, there vas framed, as it were in a
trice, a second good battalia at the
latter end Of the day. which the enemy
perceiving. and that IL they stood they
must expect a second charge from our
horse, foot, and artillery (they having
lost all their foot and guns before),
and our dragons having already be-
gun to fire upon their horse, they, not
willing to abide a second shock upon
like to be Immediately ran away. both
fronts and reserves, without standing
one stroke more" To the king, gal
lantly heading the line, a curious and
characteristic thing happened. Lord
Carnwath, riding by his side, suddenly
laid his hand upon the kings bride,
and swearing sundry Scotch oaths,
cried out, will you go upon your
death in an Instant" Then says
says Clarendon, before the king I'M
derstood what he would have, he turn
ed his horse round, and upon that they
all turned their horses and rode upon
the spur, as il they were every man to
shift for himself"
The fight, which was desperately
maintained at every point throughout
the day. with it's issue often doubtful,
lasted three hours. The killed and
wounded were about five thousand.
The Irish camp-followers were slaugh-
fnrnI In pn1I h1nnI All hn ls,-f,
guns, all his wagons and carriages, his
colors and standards. were taken, and,
worst of all, his private cabinet, con-
tanning his most secret correspondence
and papers. This did him an injury
almost as deep as the loss of a battle,
for the letters disclosed his perfidy, his
truthlessness, and the impossibility of
trusting him.
Toward the end of May. Digby writes
in one of his letters, Ere one month
be over We shall have a battle of all
for ALL" The prediction came true. If
the battle had gone the other way,
Goring and the king would have
marched up to London, heartening
their men with the promise of the
spoil Of the richest city in the realm,
and the presence Of the king and his
army in the metropolis might have
created a situation that nothing could
retrieve. AS it was, the king had not
even lost his crown. Time had still
golden opportunities to offer him. Yet
Naseby was for all this one OF the de-
cisive battles of English history. 1t
destroyed the last organized force that
Charles was able to raise; it demon
strated that the New Model had pro-
duced an invincible army; it trans
formed the nature of the struggle and
the conditions of the case; it released
new interests and new passions; it
changed the balance of parties; and 1t
brought Cromwell into decisive prom
inence in all mems minds.
John DIR, Poseyville. Ind, says, 81
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