The Second Civil War. The Scots in Lancashire; Battle of Preston.
The Second Civil War was fought under a strange re-arrangement of the
old parties in the struggle, the all-supreme Army having aroused against
it a variety of otherwise conflicting interests. Presbyterians and
Anglicans, Royalists and the Scots, all had their share, and there were
outbreaks of one kind or another in half a dozen counties. That part of
the war which concerns us here is the Scotch Invasion which passed
through Lancashire, and was defeated within the borders of this county.
"Though this was not any of the Lancashire wars yet was it acted in this
county and God's goodness therein is to be kept in remembrance." The
campaign of Preston was not a part of the Lancashire Civil War in that
the causes which led up to it concerned the general history of the
country; but local troops were engaged both on the side of the
Parliament, and among the English royalists who joined the Duke of
Hamilton. And the royalists were probably disappointed that Lancashire
did not rise much more decidedly in their favour.
When Charles I. had refused all the propositions of the Army he turned
once more to the Scots, and accepted from them the terms which he had
previously refused, making with them the Engagement by which he bound
himself to establish Presbyterianism for three years. When the Duke of
Hamilton, the leader of the party of the nobility, secured a majority in
the Scotch Parliament he procured a vote to the effect that the
agreement between the two Kingdoms had been broken, and urged an
invasion of England to assist the King to carry out the Engagement by
force of arms. Though his army was very much less numerous than he
expected, he made preparations to cross the border, hoping to be joined
in England by large numbers of the old royalist party, and by a
detachment of Scots from Ulster under Sir George Munro.[192] In
preparation for his coming, Langdale surprised Berwick, and Sir Philip
Musgrave occupied Carlisle. When the news of this reached Lancashire the
leaders there were in considerable difficulty. They were Presbyterians
of the Scotch type, and were therefore averse to fighting against
Hamilton; they were by no means in accord with the direction of affairs
in London and feared the consequences of openly joining either party.
Yet they could not remain neutral. Their dilemma is illustrated in a
Declaration made by the officers and soldiers in the county on the 9th
May, 1648, which was directed to the Ministers of the county. They
expressed their adherence to the Solemn League and Covenant, and
declared that they stood "for the fundamental government of the Kingdom
by King Lords and Commons, according to the laws of the land, and the
declarations of this present Parliament before our first engagement;
that we love desire and should much rejoice in the regal and regular
Government of His Majesty that now is." It is evident that the
Revolution had already gone too far for the Presbyterians in Lancashire.
A private letter written at the same time as this Declaration, and
printed with it, further expresses the same difficulty, "our soldiery
apprehend themselves in great straits; for if the Army come down, and
they join with them to suppress the Cavaliers, they fear and are very
jealous that the Army will afterwards fall upon them and suppress them."
It was evidently thought that unless Parliament got the better of the
Army, there was little prospect of a peaceful settlement. "For should
the Presbyterian party and the Sectaries joyn to suppresse the common
enemy, it is very much to be feared that they would afterwards clash
one with another; for when those that adhere to the Covenant are put
into a posture of defence, they will never lay down arms to become tame
slaves to the Sectaries, who for all their specious pretences and
flattering proposals, have not hitherto really acted one thing whereby
our distractions may be removed, and truth and peace, which is the
desire of all good men, may be perfectly accomplished." It is
sufficiently apparent that though they were unwilling to join a foreign
invader, and especially one who was assisted by the old royalist party
which they themselves had helped to overthrow, the Lancashire
Presbyterians were very apprehensive of what would happen if the Army
should gain still more power than it already possessed. This Declaration
was not signed by any of the Lancashire Members of Parliament, but among
the 17 names attached to it were those of Nicholas and Ughtred
Shuttleworth, Richard Radcliffe and John Ashhurst.[193]
The inhabitants of Lancashire were dismayed by the prospect of another
war, and many persons fled from their homes; though some returned again
when it became apparent that the invasion was not so imminent as at
first appeared. Eventually the leaders made up their minds to assist the
Parliament. Colonel Rigby, who was not a very fervent Presbyterian, but
who was decidedly a man of action, was the first to move. On May 5th he
had called a meeting of the Deputy-Lieutenants, but only Holland,
Bradshaw, Birch and himself and his son attended. However, they decided
to call a general meeting of the Committee and Deputy-Lieutenants for
the following Monday at Bolton, and sent out warnings of musters
throughout all the county. Five hundred of Rigby's old soldiers, both
horse and foot, assembled without orders, and he encouraged them to
remain in arms. Owing to the Orders of Parliament for disbanding, and
against the free quarter of troops, the officers were uncertain as to
how far their action was permissible, and Rigby wrote to the Speaker for
further instructions.[194] By the end of the month, however, both Rigby
and Dodding had their men still in the field, and the newspapers
reported that "the common soldiers of Lancashire are exceeding forward
to fight the enemy." On May 17th the House of Commons desired Colonel
Assheton to go down to Lancashire and take control of the recruiting,
and when once the raising of troops was begun it was pushed on without
delay.[195] By the middle of June the Lancashire troops consisted of
four regiments of foot and two of horse. Colonel Assheton was appointed
Commander-in-chief, with Rigby, who commanded one regiment of horse, as
his Lieutenant-Colonel; the other regiment of horse was under Colonel
Nicholas Shuttleworth. The Colonel of the foot regiments were Dodding,
Standish (who commanded his own and Rigby's foot), Assheton and Ughtred
Shuttleworth. The total number seems to have been 1,500 foot and 10
troops of horse, so that the regiments of horse were not quite full, and
the foot regiments only at half strength. On July 20th the Committee of
Both Houses wrote to Assheton praising his forwardness in raising men,
and ordering him into Westmoreland to join with Colonel Lambert, who had
been sent forward to intercept Hamilton's advance.[196]
Delayed by a difficulty of transport, and by bad weather, the Scotch
army had moved very slowly. Although they had occupied Carlisle in April
it was nearly three months afterwards before their general advance
really began. The Lancashire troops who had been raised in May and June
encamped about Lancaster on June 15th, and the following day crossed the
border of the county and advanced to Kirkby Lonsdale. A few days later
they reached Kendal, having heard that a party of 200 royalists were in
that neighbourhood. Colonel Rigby advanced with three troops of horse,
and the royalists retreating before him he occupied Kendal. On the same
day Colonel Assheton sent out a party of foot to occupy Bentham House in
Westmoreland. The first summons was refused, but afterwards the
garrison, which only consisted of 30 or 40 men, surrendered and were
allowed to march away to join Langdale; two barrels of powder and 10
muskets were, however, taken by Assheton; the House itself was made
untenable.
In the first few days of July, the Lancashire troops having joined
Colonel Lambert near Carlisle, had a skirmish with the enemy at Stanwix
Bank, and encamped at Brunstock; but they were largely outnumbered by
the invaders, and Lambert was forced to fall back in order to wait for
the army with which Cromwell was marching with all speed to his
assistance. On July 5th they were at Penrith again, and on the 14th at
Appleby.[197] It was uncertain whether Hamilton would march straight
forward to Lancashire or would turn south-eastwards through Wensleydale
in order to relieve Pontefract Castle. Lambert thought the latter course
was more probable and retreated that way; but Hamilton, who had on July
31st seized Appleby Castle and on August 2nd Kendal, decided to push on
through Lancashire. By August 9th he was at Hornby, where he remained
for some days. On August 10th he directed a letter to the Ministers of
Lancashire who, on his approach, had withdrawn from the northern parts
of the county and assembled at Lancaster. He declared that the object of
his coming was "for settling Presbyterian government according to the
Covenant, liberating and re-establishing his Majesty, and for other ends
conducing to the good and peace of the Kingdom," and he denied that any
harm was intended to the Ministers or their families. But they refused
to be conciliated, or to believe his promises of safety and freedom,
"knowing our old Enemies of Religion and the Kingdom's peace are with
your Excellency."[198] They preferred to believe that the English
Parliament were more to be trusted for the establishment of Presbyterian
government. Hamilton's assurances of protection were the less to be
depended upon because his army plundered most unmercifully while on the
march. The Scots had no regard for either party in the north of England,
and provided themselves from the goods of both roundheads and cavaliers
alike. They are said to have cleared the whole district of sheep and
cattle, and even Sir Thomas Tyldesley was unable to protect the
royalists from his oppression.[199]
[Illustration: The Campaign of Preston]
About the middle of August Hamilton marched slowly southward, his
army covering many miles of country. The Earl of Callander, his
Lieutenant-General in command of the cavalry, was far in advance of the
main body of the Scottish infantry under Hamilton himself, while
Monro with the Ulster Scots was far in the rear. Langdale with the
English royalists marched on the west of the main body. By this time
Cromwell was hotly in pursuit, and as usual his rate of march was very
different from the leisurely progress of the Scots. He had reached
Leicester when Hamilton was at Kendal, and Nottingham on August 5th.
Advancing northwards he waited for three days at Doncaster for his
ammunition to come from Hull; and on August 13th he was joined near
Wetherby by Lambert, who had quartered there with 5,000 men to cover the
siege of Pontefract. Next day the combined armies marched to Otley,
sending on their guns to Knaresborough in order to march more swiftly.
Advancing along the Ribble Valley, Cromwell reached Skipton on August
14th, and on the 15th quartered his men round Gisburn; next day they
advanced to the Bridge over the Ribble, at Clitheroe.[200] Here a
council of war was held to decide whether to cross the bridge, there
being no other between that place and Preston, and so march along the
north bank of the Ribble, or to turn south-westwards through Whalley in
order to intercept Hamilton's march further on. Cromwell, however, was
determined to fight as soon as possible, though he had less than 9,000
men to 24,000 of the Scots; and believing that Hamilton would make a
stand at Preston his army crossed the Ribble and marched swiftly along
the northern bank. The 10,000 men with whom Hamilton had entered England
had been increased by reinforcement; Langdale's detachment numbered
about 4,000 and Munro's not quite 3,000 men. But their superiority in
numbers was entirely discounted by the disordered condition of their
line of march, which stretched from Wigan to Kirkby Lonsdale, a
distance of nearly 50 miles. Moreover they were evidently quite ignorant
of Cromwell's approach until the very day before he burst upon
them.[201]
On the night of August 16th Cromwell had quartered his army in
Stonyhurst Park, nine miles from Preston, the General staying at the
Hall. Next day he sent forward an advance party of 200 horse and 400
foot under Major Smithson and Major Pownall, who encountered Langdale's
royalists who were some miles to the north-east of Preston about
Ribbleton and Fulwood. The main body of the Scotch foot were then
marching through Preston, and the undecided Hamilton was persuaded to
countermand his order for them to return; they therefore hurried on
their retreat, leaving Langdale to his fate. "It was reported that when
word came to the Duke that General Cromwell was in the rear of Sir
Marmaduke Langdale's army fighting and killing them, his answer
was--'let them alone--the English dogs are but killing one another.' So
little care had he of them."[202] Langdale was thus left with his 4,000
men to resist the whole attack of Cromwell's army; and his men fought
with the utmost bravery for four hours against overwhelming numbers. The
royalist position was very well chosen at the end of a deep lane leading
towards the town, his men being sheltered behind hedges. Two regiments
of cavalry, Cromwell's and Harrison's, were set to charge along the lane
supported on either flank by infantry, by the regiments of Colonel
Read, Colonel Dean and Colonel Pride on the right, and Colonel Bright's
and Fairfax's regiments on the left. Assheton and the Lancashire foot
were in reserve, and there was a reserve of horse at each point. The
royalists fought desperately and the ground was very heavy owing to the
recent rains. "Such a wet time this time of the year hath not been seen
in the memory of man," wrote one of the Lancashire Captains who took
part in this campaign. The Parliamentarian foot on the right wing
outflanked the enemy, but there was a very severe struggle in the lane
and on Cromwell's left wing. The Lancashire men came into action here.
At length, after four hours fighting, the royalists broke and fled
towards Preston, pursued by Cromwell's horse. Four troops of his own
regiment entered the town first, and being seconded by Colonel Harrison,
they charged along the streets and cleared the town of the royalists.
Colonel Assheton's regiment was specially praised by Cromwell for its
bravery in the action, and the Committee of Both Houses directed a
special letter of thanks to him.[203]
Most of Hamilton's foot were by this time marched across Ribble Bridge,
three-quarters of a mile south of Preston; this they barricaded, and
another fierce engagement took place between them and Fairfax's and
Assheton's foot regiments, whom Cromwell sent forward in pursuit. After
severe hand-to-hand fighting the Scots were dislodged from Ribble Bridge
and chased across the bridge over the river Darwen, and up the hill to
Walton, when night put an end to the engagement. The Parliamentarians
guarded both the bridges, and Cromwell himself returned to Preston for
the night. He places Hamilton's losses at 1,000 killed and 4,000
prisoners; and 4,000 or 5,000 arms had been captured.
There is no reason to suppose that Cromwell had any decided plan of
campaign, but he had been very fortunate in taking the Scotch army on
the flank, and his bold attack had been completely successful. The
invaders' forces was now completely cut in two; moreover the English
royalists who had been defeated and almost annihilated were probably
Hamilton's best troops, and Monro's men, who were also veterans, were
now too far north to be engaged. The cavalry which should have returned
to his assistance had also taken no part in the action; and Hamilton's
foot were largely newly raised men, the old soldiers of the Covenanting
army having refused to follow him. Thus though he still largely
outnumbered the Parliamentarian army his forces were more disorganised
than ever, and his men were dispirited. Cromwell lost no time in
following up his victory. The same night (Aug. 17th) he sent off a
letter to the Committee at Manchester describing his victory and
directing them to oppose Hamilton's further advance; while next morning
he himself hastened after the Scots, leaving the Lancashire troops in
Preston to guard the prisoners. During the night Hamilton had marched
three miles on the road to Wigan. Colonel Thornhaugh was sent in advance
with three regiments of horse in order to bring them to bay, while his
foot followed as fast as possible. Thornhaugh came up with the Scots at
Chorley, and he himself was killed in the engagement. Hamilton had still
7,000 or 8,000 foot and 4,000 horse to the 3,000 foot and 2,500 horse
with which Cromwell was pursuing him; but the Scots attempted to make no
stand, except so much as was necessary to protect their retreat. On
Standish Moor, near Wigan, they drew up as if for resistance, but on the
advance of the Parliamentarians, they retreated into the town. The
pursuers were too weary to go further after their forced marches and two
days' hard fighting. The weather was still against them, "having marched
12 miles of ground as I never rode in all my life, the day being
very wet," writes Cromwell of this day's pursuit. That night the
Parliamentarians encamped in the open country close to the Scots; but
during the night there was skirmishing at intervals, and about 100 of
Hamilton's men were taken prisoners, including some officers of note.
After the capture of Preston some of the royalist horse who had escaped
rode northwards toward Lancaster. Cromwell sent a regiment of horse in
pursuit, which followed the flight for some 10 miles, killing some and
taking 500 prisoners. There was therefore no longer any danger to be
feared from this part of the army. The remaining fugitives scattered
into the Fylde district and dispersed.
On Saturday, August 19th, the Scots continued their retreat southwards
toward Warrington, still hotly pursued by Cromwell. The most determined
stand they made was at Winwick, three miles from Warrington, in a narrow
lane on the road from Newton. Here for some hours they beat off all the
attacks of the pursuers, until some country people showed the
Parliamentarians a way round through the fields, and the Scots then
retreated towards Warrington. They stood at bay for some little time on
the green on the south side of Winwick Church; but at length their
resistance was broken, 1,000 being killed and the remainder driven into
the church and made prisoners.[204] The remnant of the army reached
Warrington, and marching through the town attempted to hold the bridge
over the Mersey. But the Scots were now thoroughly beaten. They were
almost without ammunition, and many of them had thrown away their
muskets in the pursuit; Baillie, who was in command, sent to Cromwell
for terms of surrender. Considering the difficulty of crossing the
Mersey elsewhere, and the strength of the bridge, Cromwell agreed to
give quarter if they would surrender as prisoners of war. About 4,000 of
the Scots capitulated at Warrington, their whole losses during the three
days fighting being 2,000 killed and between 8,000 and 9,000 being taken
prisoners.
After the first engagement at Preston Sir Thomas Tyldesley, who was
still in command of some horse, laid siege to Lancaster, and was on the
point of taking it when news of further defeats arrived. Thereupon he
joined Monro, and attempted to persuade him to advance and attack
Cromwell's rear, as they had still an equal number of troops. The
proposal was an illustration of Tyldesley's bravery, but it was too rash
for Monro to accept, and if carried out would probably have effected
little.
Weariness alone prevented the victors from completing the ruin of the
Scots in Lancashire. Cromwell's men were too exhausted to follow up the
main body of the cavalry under Hamilton himself, which had crossed the
Mersey into Cheshire. "If I had 1,000 horse that could trot 30 miles,"
Cromwell wrote on August 20th, "I should not doubt but to give a very
good account of them; but truly we are so harassed and hagled out in
this business, that we are not able to do more than walk an easy pace
after them." As it was Cromwell himself did not follow the Scots into
Cheshire, but left Colonel Lambert to continue the pursuit, and wrote to
Lord Grey, Sir Henry Cholmondeley, and Sir Edward Rhodes to intercept
Hamilton. Indeed the Scotch army might now almost be left to melt away
of itself. They marched to Malpas and from there to Drayton, and then to
Stone and Uttoxeter, where the Parliamentarian forces fell upon their
rear and captured many prisoners, including Lieutenant-General
Middleton. But Hamilton himself was too ill to continue his flight any
further and surrendered with most of his men. A remnant of the force
under the Earl of Callander and Sir Marmaduke Langdale endeavoured to
escape northwards to return to Scotland, and reached Ashbourne in
Derbyshire; but here Callander's men mutinied, and Langdale, escaping
with three other officers was discovered, though they had tried to pass
themselves off as Parliamentarians. They were all seized and lodged in
Nottingham Castle. The Duke of Hamilton was executed in March, 1649.
On August 23rd, 1648, letters were read in the House of Commons from
Cromwell, giving an account of the fighting in Lancashire. The total
number of prisoners was stated to be 10,000, including many of the
Scottish nobility; 3,000 of the invading army had been killed, and much
ammunition, together with 150 colours, had been taken.[205] September
7th was appointed as a public thanksgiving day, and Warden Heyrick was
named as one of the preachers before the House of Commons. Cromwell
returned at once to Lancashire, where he stayed one night at Stonyhurst;
and then summoning all his troops which had been left in Lancashire to
follow him, he marched after Monro into Scotland, where he remained for
some months, returning to London in December. There was, however, still
a little to be done in the way of reducing the royalists still in arms
in the north of England, and this was entrusted to Assheton. But they
were so disorganised that little or no fighting was necessary. Assheton
and his Lancashire troops dislodged them from Cockermouth, whence they
marched to Carlisle, but they were refused admittance to the town, and
scattered in various directions; the main body of cavalry, about 1,000
in number, retreated to Appleby. Here Assheton followed them, and as the
royalists had no spirit for further fighting terms were soon agreed
upon. The inferior officers and common soldiers were to lay down their
arms and have liberty on promising to observe all the Ordinances of
Parliament; the Colonels were given six months in which to leave the
country. Appleby Castle was surrendered on Oct. 9th together with 1,000
arms and 5 pieces of ordnance. Most of the 1,200 horses of the royalists
were bought at low rates by the Parliamentarians before the actual
surrender. The chief officers were Sir Philip Musgrave, Sir Thomas
Tyldesley, Sir Robert Strickland, Sir William Huddleston; the whole list
included 15 Colonels, 9 Lieutenant-Colonels, and 65 inferior
officers.[206]
So once more the fighting in Lancashire was over, and the stricken
country had again a few years more in which to recover from its
distress. Its condition was now even more pitiable than before. Trade
was destroyed, life disorganised, and everyone suffered indirectly if
not directly from the Scotch Invasion. The care of the wounded soldiers
scattered up and down the county was an added burden. Parliament had
ordered that voluntary offerings made in all the churches and chapels of
England and Wales on the Thanksgiving day, September 7th, should be
devoted to the relief of Lancashire, one half to the care of the wounded
soldiers, and one half for the relief of the general distress. The
London treasurer of this fund was Henry Ashhurst, brother of William
Ashhurst, M.P. for Newton, and of Major John Ashhurst. But the sum
subscribed was not very large. Probably people's intentions were
generous enough, but they had little to give. In the following May a
pitiful appeal was issued by the Major and Bailiffs of Wigan, and four
well known Lancashire Ministers, describing "the lamentable condition of
the county of Lancashire and particularly of the towns of Wigan, Ashton
and the parts adjacent." These two towns were perhaps worse off than the
average, having been visited by pestilence; but the description given
would apply in a less degree to the whole county. "In this county," the
appeal runs, "hath the plague of pestilence been ranging these three
years and upwards occasioned chiefly by the wars. There is a very great
scarcity and dearth of all provisions, especially of all sorts of grain,
particularly that kind by which that country is sustained, which is full
six-fold the price that of late it hath been. All trade, by which they
have been much supported, is utterly decayed; it would melt any good
heart to see the numerous swarms of begging poore and the many families
that pine away at home, not having faces to beg. Very many now craving
almes at other men's dores, who were used to give others almes at their
dores--to see paleness, nay death appear in the cheeks of the poor, and
often to hear of some found dead in their houses, or highways, for want
of bread."[207]
During the next few years, great events were being enacted in London,
but in these Lancashire had no part. The county was full of unrest,
which found its outlet in disturbances and riots. Two years later the
Council of State was much concerned with disturbances which broke out at
Preston, Ormskirk, Manchester, and Rochdale, in resistance to the
imposition of the Excise. Large numbers of people were put in prison;
and three troops of horse under Major Mayer were commissioned to remain
in Lancashire until further orders to assist Colonel Birch and the
Sheriffs to preserve the peace of the county. The Act for bidding the
proclamation of a King was duly published in Lancashire from Feb. 5-10,
1649, but it evidently provoked no enthusiasm in the county, for the
remnants of the royalist party began to carry themselves with much more
boldness than formerly. In July, a party of them well armed and mounted,
even dared to proclaim Charles II. as King at Manchester Cross. They
then rode to Wigan and to Kendal with the same object; and it was only
after some days that meeting with a troop of Parliamentarian soldiers
they were dispersed.[208]
The same spirit of unrest was shown in the difficulties encountered in
enforcing the Ordinance for Disbanding the militia. Four thousand of
Colonel Assheton's troops, being zealous for the Covenant, at first
refused to disband. On February 10th the House of Commons ordered that
Assheton's and Shuttleworth's troops were to be disbanded by
Major-General Lambert, who was authorised to use force if necessary; but
some months at least elapsed before the order could be carried into
effect. It was not altogether zeal for the Covenant but also the fact
that their pay was largely in arrear, that caused the opposition among
the Lancashire soldiers. The matter was considered important enough to
receive the attention of Cromwell himself, and on February 27, 1648-9,
the Council of State requested him to urge on the House of Commons the
necessity of providing a further sum of money for disbanding the
Lancashire forces. On March 4th, accordingly, the Committee at
Goldsmith's Hall were ordered to pay the sum of £1,444/14/10 which had
been voted for this purpose. A month later practically all the soldiers
were dispersed except one or two free companies, who gathered all the
disorderly spirits in the county and lived by plunder. One of these
under Captain Bamber was ordered to be disbanded by force by Major
General Assheton, their horses and arms being restored to those from
whom they had been stolen. They gave out that they were appointed for
service in Ireland, but they had no commission. Bamber seems to have
preyed upon the county for two months longer before he was actually
subdued by Colonel Duckenfield.[209]
This was probably the last service which the Parliament ever asked
Assheton to undertake. He and the other leaders who had subdued the
county seven years before were now entirely out of sympathy with the
existing government of the country. When the militia was further
re-organised in 1650, the matter was taken out of their hands
altogether. Assheton, Shuttleworth, Rigby, Colonel Richard Standish, and
Sir Richard Hoghton, were formally dismissed from employment in
connection with the Militia; and the commissions which were granted in
the following summer to Lancashire officers, were nearly all given to
new men. Joseph Rigby became Lieutenant-Colonel, and there were one or
two names which had previously appeared in the records of the war; but
for the most part those previously best known are absent. Colonel Thomas
Birch seems to have been the only one of the former leaders who still
enjoyed the confidence of the Parliament, and he was for the next
few years largely entrusted with the direction of affairs in
Lancashire.[210]
FOOTNOTES:
[192] "Political History of England," Vol. 7, p. 339.
[193] "C.W.T.," pp. 248-251.
[194] Rigby to the Speaker, May 6, 1648 ("Tanner MSS.," Cary, Vol. 1,
pp. 407-410). May 5 was a Friday, and the following Monday was therefore
May 8. Rigby says that May 6 had been appointed for a general royalist
rising in Lancashire.
[195] "Letters from Scotland, etc.," No. 11. "C.J.," Vol. 5, p. 563.
[196] "Letters from Scotland, etc.," No. 13. "C.S.P.," 1648-9, p. 237.
At the same time the Deputy-Lieutenants were directed to carefully guard
the passes out of Lancashire into that county.
[197] "Letters from Scotland, etc.," No. 15. Diary of Captain Samuel
Birch, from May 15, 1648, to March 29, 1649 in "Portland MSS.," Vol. 3,
p. 173. Birch raised his troop at Manchester on May 15, and gives a
detailed itinerary of his March through Wigan, Lancaster and Kirkby
Lonsdale, to the general rendezvous at Halton. He afterwards accompanied
Lambert into Yorkshire, reaching Ripon on August 3, and Knaresborough on
the 7th. His dates agree with those given by Cromwell for the subsequent
movements; he was quartered on August 14 at Carleton, near Skipton, and
on the following night at Downham. At the battle of Preston "I had
charge of our Lancashire brigade's folorn; my lieutenant had charge of
my division of musquettiers; my ensign by command of General Assheton
lead the pykes and collours up against the defenders on Ribble Bridge
and beat them off. Allmost all my officers markt, none killed, divers
souldiers shott and hurt, some very dangerously, most performed very
well. Blessed be God for his great deliverance." Birch then remained in
Preston in charge of the prisoners and magazine.
[198] "C.W.T.," pp. 252, 253. Probably all the Lancashire ministers were
by no means of the same mind. In Feb., 1648-9, one Thomas Smith preached
two sermons in Lancaster Church and was imprisoned for the views he
expressed. Smith thought "We should have no peace till the Scotts came
to suppresse that army of Sectaries, and being asked what he intended to
do if they came he replyed that he would joyne with them." "Clarke
Papers," ed. Prof. C. H. Firth, Camden Soc. (N.S., 49, 54), Vol. 2, p.
188.
[199] "The last Newes from the Prince of Wales, etc." "C.W.T.," pp. 254,
255.
[200] "Lieutenant-General Cromwell's Letter, &c." "C.W.T.," p. 259.
Cromwell's narrative is here not quite correct. He states that the
council of war was held at "Hodder Bridge over Ribble." But Hodder
Bridge is not over the Ribble, but over the Hodder, near Mitton. The old
bridge which Cromwell used still stands. Obviously, however, the council
of war was held before crossing the Ribble. The army must first have
crossed the bridge at Clitheroe, and afterwards Hodder Bridge over the
Hodder in order to reach Stonyhurst. It would appear that Cromwell when
writing his narrative, forgot that there were two bridges, and wrote
Hodder Bridge instead of Clitheroe Bridge.
[201] The authorities for the campaign of Preston are:
"Lieutenant-General Cromwell's Letter concerning the Total Routing of
the Scots Army, etc." ("C.W.T.," p. 255); "Lt.-General Cromwell's Letter
to the Honourable William Lenthall, etc." ("C.W.T.," p. 258); "An
Impartiall Relation of the late Fight at Preston" ... by Sir Marmaduke
Langdale ("C.W.T.," p. 267); "Discourse," pp. 64-67; and "Autobiography
of Captain John Hodgson" (1882 edition), pp. 28-35. The first of
Cromwell's letters was written to the Committee at Manchester. The
second was largely reprinted in the "Perfect Diurnall," No. 265, August
21, 28; _vide_ also Whitelock's "Memorials" (1732 ed.), pp. 331, 332.
There is a map of the campaign in Gardiner's "Great Civil War," Vol. 3,
p. 431.
[202] "Discourse," p. 65.
[203] "C.S.P.," 1648-9, p. 265. Cromwell wrote to the Manchester
Committee: "In this service your countrymen have not the least share."
He also especially mentioned Assheton's regiment in the letter to
Lenthall ("C.W.T.," pp. 257, 261). Cf. "Hodgson," p. 33: "The Lancashire
foot were as stout men as were in the world, and as brave firemen. I
have often told them they were as good fighters and as great plunderers
as ever went to a field."
[204] "Discourse," p. 66, and note, p. 145. Mr. Beamont is especially an
authority on the neighbourhood of Warrington. The site of this skirmish
at Winwick may still be seen.
[205] "C.J.," Vol. 5, pp. 680, 685. On September 25 the Committee at
Derby House was asked to grant a Commission to Assheton as Major-General
in Lancashire, and for him to have 40 shillings per diem as pay in
addition to his pay as Colonel of horse and Colonel of foot. The
Lancashire Committee were also to be asked to recommend to the House of
Commons some way of paying the arrears due to the soldiers. "C.J.," Vol.
6, p. 32.
[206] "A Great Victory at Appleby, by Col.-General Ashton, etc."
"C.W.T.," pp. 273-276. Whitelock's "Memorials" (1732 edition), p. 390.
[207] "C.J.," Vol. 5, p. 680. "C.W.T.," p. 277.
[208] Sir Gilbert Ireland, Sheriff of Lancashire in 1649, wrote to the
Speaker giving a full list of the times and places at which the Act
forbidding the Proclamation of a King was published in the county
("Tanner MSS.," Vol. 57, fol. 522).
"C.S.P.," 1650, pp. 40, 44, 50, 75, 78. Complaint is made of 'pulpit
incendaries' who "have endeavoured for the setting up of an interest of
their own, destructive of that of the people, to stir up the people to
disobedience, and again to embroil us in new troubles, and enflame the
nation into another war."
[209] Whitelock's "Memorials" (1732 edition), p. 390; also quoted in
"C.W.T.," p. 277. "C.S.P.," 1649-1650, pp. 70, 98, 139, 163.
[210] "C.S.P.," 1650, p. 34. For the reorganisation of the Militia,
_ibid._, pp. 308, 509, a list of the Commissions being given.