_Keynton_ Field, which I shewed to the Generall and Lievtenant Generall of
the Horse, and divers Colonels and Officers, and they conceive it to be
right and according to the truth: For the ill writing of it, I desire that
your Lordship would excuse me, for I had not time to write it over again;
yet I suppose it may be read, and your Lordship may cause it to be written
faire, if your Lordship thinke it worth so much. For that which your
Lordship writeth concerning my brother _John_, is a most false and
malicious slander which that fellow hath raised upon him, that he should
be the first man that fled on the left wing, when as none of your
Lordship's sonnes were in the left wing, and my brother _John_ was not at
all in the field while the fight was; for by occasion that I intreated him
on Saturday morning, when we marched towards _Keynton_ (little dreaming of
a Battell the next day) to go to _Evesham_ (which was but three miles from
the quarter where our Troops lay, before they marched with the Army to
_Keynton_) for to take some Arms that were come thither the night before,
for such of our men as wanted Arms, and so to come after to the Rendevous
at _Keynton_. He could not come thither on Saturday with those men of both
Troops which went backe with him to _Evesham_ for their Arms, but the next
day he came thither between three or foure of the clock; at which time our
left wing being defeated, many of the Runaways met with him as he was
coming to the Army; and happily among the rest, this fellow that raised
this report; for that _Vivers_ which your Lordship mentioneth, was not
Captain _Vivers_ (for he was in _Banbury_) but a brother of his that was
in one of Colonell _Goodwin's_ Troops, and as I heard my brother say, he
saw him there; and I heard my Lord Generall say, that _Vivers_ was one of
the first that ran away: Now it seemes that those men that ran away so
timely, seeing my brother before them, reported as if he had fled from the
Army, which is so contrary to the truth, that he tooke a great deale of
pains to make his own men and Captain Vivers' men which were with him to
stand, and to stop the Runaways that came from the Army, and this he did,
and made two or three stands, and at length gathered a pretty body upon a
hill together, and with them (there being Captain Keightlye's, and Captain
Cromwell's Troope, at length came to them also) he marched towards the
Town; and hearing the enemy was there (as indeed they were with the
greatest part of their horse they made a stand, and sending forth their
Scouts to give them intelligence where the enemy and where our Forces
were, at length they came to knowledge of Colonell _Hampden's_ Brigado
that was coming another way to the Town, and so joyning themselves unto
them, they came to the Army together. My Lord Generall is very sensible of
the wrong that this fellow hath done my brother, and will inquire after
him to have him punished, as he hath written to my Lord _Wharton_
concerning him, to let you know so much. Master _Bond_ whom he citeth for
one of his authors, denies that ere he spake to my brother at all, or that
he saw any such thing of flying, as that base fellow reporteth, and this
your Lordship shall have under his hand. It had been a strange thing if my
brother that shewed so much courage at _Worcester_, should have been so
faint-hearted on this occasion; But I strange that men will give credit to
every idle fellow; if they will, they may heare that my Lord Generall and
all the Officers, every one of them ran away. But my Lord, as your
Lordship hath great cause to be thankfull, together with us, to God, that
in all these late actions of danger, hath preserved the persons and lives
of all your three Sons, so also for preserving their honors, and the honor
of Religion; that in this cause they have never flinsht, but have all of
them in their severall places and conditions been as forward to hazard
their persons into the midst of their's and God's enemies as any whosever.
And of the truth of this (though we do not vapour so much as some do)
there are enough, and those very honorable witnesses that can and will
affirm it as well as
_Your Lordship's most obedient Son_,
NATHANIEL FIENNES.
A most true Relation of the Battell fought by his Excellency and his
Forces against the bloudy Cavalliers.
The two and twentieth of _October_, being _Saturday_, his Excellency the
Earl of _Essex_ came with twelve regiments of Foot, and two and forty
Troops of Horse, and a part of the Ammunition and Artillery, to _Keynton_,
a little Market Toun, almost in the mid-way between _Stratford_ upon the
Avon, and _Banbury_, there being three Regiments of Foot, and nine or ten
Troops of Horse, with seven Pieces of Cannon, and good store of Ammunition
coming after, together with six Companies of Dragooners; the Dragooners,
and two of the Regiments of Foot, with the Cannon, and nine or ten Troops
of Horse, came to _Keynton_ on _Sunday_ night, a little before the day
went down; The Regiment, with the Lord Rochfords, came not into the Army
till Monday in the afternoon. The King's Army was lodged on Saturday
night, about Croprede and Edgecot, some 6 or 7 miles from _Keynton_; and
having, no doubt, got intelligence that part of our Army, and Artillery,
with a great part of our Ammunition was behinde us, they thought they
could not have a better opportunity to fight with our Army, especially if
they could get the advantage of the hill before us, it being a very high
and steep assent, which if they were put to the worst might serve them for
a Retreat, as it did, it being that which saved them, their Carriages, and
the Colours of their Regiments of Foot that ran away; for of those that
fought it out, we tooke most of them, excepting onely those two Regiments
that stood it out till night, and went off with their horse in an orderly
way. The enemy having resolved to give us Battell, and no whit doubting of
the Victory, they being more then we were, both in horse and foot (a
considerable Brigado of our Army being behinde) and having a great opinion
of the resolution of their Souldiers, wherein they were partly deceived,
and partly not, as it hapned also on our side; They returned back towards
_Edge Hill_, and made all possible speed to gain the hill before us (which
they did, by reason that his Excellency had not timely intelligence of
their designe, otherwise we were much neerer the hill, and might have been
possessed of it before them). And by that time our Army was drawn out of
the Town about a mile and half towards the hill, the Dragooners, and some
of the enemie's Foot were coming down the hill; Their horse having gotten
down most of them on their right hand, and placed themselves in a fair
Meadow, at the bottom of the hill; Their Cannon and Ammunition, with the
Rere of their foot, were something long ere they came down. And if we had
charged them before their Cannon and all their Foot were come down, we
might have had a great advantage: but they got all down into the Meadow at
the foot of the hill, and there drew up their Army very handsomely, their
horse being on their right Wing for the most part, and their Dragooners,
and some few Troops of horse on their left Wing; some of their prisoners
said they had four Regiments of horse on that wing also; but I could never
speak with any of our Army, that either saw any such number of horse, or
could tell what they did, unlesse they went directly to _Keynton_, to
plunder the Carriages without charging our Army at all.
For our Army, it was drawn up upon a little rising ground, and being
amongst the horse, I could not well discern how the foot were drawn up;
only I knew they were most of them a good space behinde the horse, when we
began to charge: but for the horse, there were three Regiments on the
right Wing of our Army, _viz._, The Lord Generalls Regiment commanded by
Sir _Philip Stapleton_; Sir _William Belfore's_ Regiment, Lieutenant
Generall of the Horse; and the Lord _Fielding's_ Regiment, which stood
behinde the other two, in the way of a reserve.
On the right Wing of our Army, was Sir James Ramsey, with some 24 Troops,
for many of our Troops were not in the Field that day. The Armies being
thus placed one against another with no great oddes of the winde or ground
(but what their was of winde the enemies had it, the ground being
reasonable indifferent on both sides) after many shot of Cannon which did
very little hurt amongst us, and very much amongst them, their foot
advancing for the most part against our right Wing, and their horse
against the left Wing of our Army. Their horse had the better of our horse
that were on our left Wing, and routing them, drove them back upon our
foot, and amongst the rest, upon Colonell _Hollis_ his Regiment, which was
in the Rere, and they brake through it, yet they ran not away, nor seemed
to be at all dismayed at it; but four other Regiments ran away, and fought
not at all, and many of them cast away their Colours, and so the enemy
took them up, having scarce got so much as one Colour or Cornet of those
Regiments or Troops that fought, whereas all the Colours that we got from
them, and the King's Standard, which we had a long time in our possession,
were taken out of the midst of their best Regiments that fought it out
very resolutely: Our left Wing being thus put to the worst, the day was
very desperate on our side; and had not God clearly fought for us, we had
lost it; for had the enemie's horse when they routed the left Wing, fallen
upon the Rere of our right Wing, in all probability the army had been
wholly defeated: But they made directly to the Town, and there falling
upon our Carriages, most barbarously massacred a number of poor Waggoners
and Carters that had no arms to defend themselves, and so fell to
pillaging and pursuing those that ran away, so long till they met with
Colonell _Hampden_, who with the other Brigado of the Army (which came
with the Artillery and Ammunition which was behinde) was by this time come
near to _Keynton_, and the enemie's Troops falling upon him as they
pursued our men that ran away, he gave them a stop, and discharging five
pieces of Cannon against them, he slew some of them; whereupon they
returned in some fear and disorder: But when they came back into the
Field, they found all their Infantry, excepting two Regiments, cut in
pieces or defeated and run away; for it pleased God to put such courage
into four or five of our Regiments of foot, and two Regiments of horse,
the Lord Generall's commanded by Sir _Philip Stapleton_, and Sir _William
Belfore_, that they defeated all their Regiments of foot, except two. Sir
_William Belfore's_ Regiment of horse charged a Regiment of the enemie's
foot, before any foot came up to assist him, and breaking into it cut most
of it off; and after, by the assistance of some of our foot, he defeated
another Regiment, and so we got up to the greatest part of the enemies
Ordnance, and took them, cutting off the Geers of the horses that drew
them, and killing the Gunners under the Carriages, but were forced to
leave them without any to guard them, by reason we were fain to make good
the day against severall Regiments of foot that still fought with a good
deal of resolution; especially that which was of the King's Guard, where
his Standard was, close by which Sir _William Belfore's_ Regiment rode
when they came from taking the Ordnance; and they taking us to be their
friends, and we them, some of our Company, shook hands with some of them,
which was the cause that after riding up towards the Lord Generall's
Regiment of horse, they gave fire upon Sir _William Belfore's_ Regiment,
and discerning each other to be friends, we joyned Companies; and so with
half the Lord Generall's Regiment, which his Excellency himself led up,
charging the King's Regiment, we defeated it, took the Standard, took the
Generall of the King's Army, the Earl of Lindley, and his son, and
Colonell Vavasor who was Lieutenant Colonell of that Regiment, and killed
Sir Edward Varney upon the place (who carryed the Standard), Colonell John
Munroe, and divers others: In this charge, and generally throughout the
day, the Lord Generall's Troop, consisting most of Gentlemen, carried
themselves most valiantly; and had all our Troops, of our left Wing been
made of the same metall, the enemy had not made so easie an impression
into them. And what is said of my Lord Generall's Troop, may most truly,
and to his high praise, be said of himself; and also that noble Earl, the
Earl of Bedford, Generall of the horse, for both of them rode all day,
being in the heads of the severall Troops and Regiments to give their
directions, and to bring them on upon the enemy, hazarding their persons
as far and further than any particular Souldier in the Army. By this time
all the enemie's foot being dispersed and gone excepting two Regiments,
they retiring themselves, found their Ordnance behind them without any
Guard, and there they made a stand, and made use of their Cannon, shooting
divers shot at us; at which time our Regiment of foot began to want
Powder, otherwise we had charged them both with horse and foot, which in
all probability would have utterly ruined their Infantry, for those two
Regiments were the onely stake which they had now left in the hedge: But
partly through want of Ammunition, and partly being tyred with fighting
all the day (the whole brunt of the Battell having been sustained by two
Regiments of horse, and four or five of foot) we made no great haste to
charge them, so that the enemies horse that had been pillaging at Keynton
had leisure to come about, some on one hand of us, and some on the other,
and so joyned with their foot: Yet as they came back on our left hand, Sir
_Philip Stapleton_, with his Troop, went out to charge some 4 or 5 Troops
of them which went away from him as fast as they could upon the spur to
the rest of their Company, and their foot that stood by their Ordnance,
most of the enemie's horse being gathered to their foot, most of our horse
also gathered to our foot, and so we stood horse and foot one against the
other till it was night. Our Army being thus possessed of the ground that
the enemy chose to fight upon, stood there all night; the enemy having
withdrawn their Army to the top of the hill for more security to
themselves, where they made great fires all the night long, whilst we in
the meantime drew backe some of our owne Ordnance, which they had once in
their possession, and some of their's which they had left behinde.
The next morning, a little before it was light, we drew back our Army
towards the Town to our other Brigadoe and Artillary and Ammunition that
was come and lodged there, and the enemy drew out their horse in the
morning upon the side of the hill, where staying till towards night,
whil'st the foot were retyring behinde the hill and marching away, at
length a little before night, their horse also marched away; and about an
houre after, our horse also marched towards their Quarters, the Foot and
some horse staying all night in their Quarters, in and before _Keynton_;
and the next day the whole Army both horse and foot marched towards
_Warwicke_ to refresh themselves; instead of which, if they had marched
towards _Banbury_, they would have found more victuals, and had in all
probabilities dispersed all the foot of the King's Army, and taken his
Canon and Carriages and sent his horse farther off to plunder, whereas now
because we did not follow them though they quitted the field to us which
we fought on and left their quarter before us the next day, yet they begin
to question who had the day: It is true, there were Colours and Canon
taken on both sides, without any great difference in the numbers, but for
the number and quality of men slaine and hurt, it is verily believed, they
left foure times as many at the least as we did, and in saying foure times
as many, I am confident I speake much below the truth. There were slaine
on their side the Earl of _Lindsey_ Generall of their Army, the Lord
_Aubigney_, brother to the Duke of _Richmond_, Sir _Edward Verny_
Colonell, _John Monroe_ and divers other gentlemen and Commanders, and
very many hurt. Of our side were slaine the Lord St. John, Colonell
_Charles Essex_, Lieutenant Colonell _Ramsey_ and none other of note,
either killed or dangerously hurt that I can heare of; They acknowledge
that they lost 1200 men, but it is thought they lost 2000: and whereas
they report we lost divers thousands, where one man judgeth that we lost
400, ten men are of opinion that we lost not 200 Souldiers, besides the
poore Waggoners and Carters.
These persons underwritten were all of the Right wing and never stirred
from their Troops but they and their Troops fought till the last minute.
The Lord Generall's Regiment _Sir William Belfore's_ Regiment
_Sir Philip Stapleton_ _Sir William Belfore_
_Captain Draper_ _Sergeant Major Hurrey_
_Sergeant Major Gunter_ _Lord Grey_
_Lord Brookes_ _Captain Nathaniell Fiennes_
_Captain Sheffield_ _Sir Arthur Hasilrigge_
_Captain Temple_ _Captain Longe_
_Captain Cromwell_
A FULL AND TRUE RELATION of the great Battell fought between the King's
Army, and his Excellency, the Earle of Essex, upon the 23 of October last
past (being the same day twelve-moneth that the Rebellion broke out in
Ireland) sent in a Letter from Captain Edward Kightley, now in the Army,
to his friend Mr. Charles Lathum in Lumbard Street, London, Wherein may
bee clearly seene what reason the Cavaliers have to give thankes for the
Victory which they had over the Parliaments Forces.
Judges 5-31.
"So let all thine enemies perish O Lord, but let them that love him, be
as the Sun when he goeth forth in his might."
London: Printed November the 4, 1642.
Loving Cousin, I shall make so neare as I can a true, though long relation
of the battell fought betweene the King's Army and our Army, under the
conduct and command of my Lord Generall on Saturday _October_ 22. Our
Forces were quartered very late and did lie remote one from the other, and
my Lord Generall did quarter in a small Village where this Battell was
fought, in a field called Great Kings Field, taking the name from a
Battell there fought by King _John_ as they say: on Sunday the 23 of
_October_ about one of the clocke in the afternoon, the Battell did begin
and it continued untill it was very darke, the field was very great and
large, and the King's Forces came down a great and long hill, he had the
advantage of the ground and wind, and they did give a very brave charge,
and did fight very valiantly: they were 15 Regiments of Foot and 60
Regiments of Horse, our Horse were under 40 Regiments and our Foot 11
Regiments: my Lord Generall did give the first charge, pressing them with
2 pieces of Ordnance which killed many of their men, and then the enemy
did shoote one to us, which fell 20 yards short in a plowed Land, and did
no harme, our Souldiers did many of them run away to wit blew Coats and
Grey Coats, being two Regiments, and there did runne away, 600 horse, I
was quartered five miles from the place, and heard not anything of it,
until one of the clocke in the afternoone. I halted thither with Sergent
Major _Duglis'_ troope, and over-tooke one other troope, and when I was
entiring into the field, I thinke 200 horse came by me with all the speed
they could out from the battell, saying, that the King had the victory,
and that every man cried for God and King Charles. I entreated, prayed and
persuaded them to stay, and draw up in a body with our Troopes, for we saw
them fighting, and the Field was not lost, but no perswasions would serve,
and then I turning to our three troopes, two of them were runne away, and
of my Troope I had not six and thirtie men left, but they were likewise
runne away, I stayed with those men I had, being in a little field, and
there was a way through, and divers of the enemy did runne that way both
horse and foote, I tooke away about tenne or twelve horse, swords, and
armour, I could have killed 40 of the enemy, I let them passe disarming
them, and giving the spoile to my Troopers; the Armies were both in a
confusion, and I could not fall to them with out apparent loss of my selfe
and those which were with me, the powder which the Enemy had was blowne up
in the field, the Enemy ran away as well as our men, God did give the
victory to us, there are but three men of note slain of ours, namely my
Lord Saint _John_, Collonell _Essex_, and one other Captaine, whose name I
have forgot: Captaine Fleming is either slaine or taken prisoner, and his
Cornet, he had not one Officer which was a souldier, his Waggon and money
is lost, and divers of the Captaines money and Waggons are lost, to great
value, our foote and Dragooners were the greatest Pillagers, wee had the
King's Standard one houre and a halfe, and after lost it againe: Wee did
lose not above three hundred men, the enemy killed the Waggoners, women
and little boyes of twelve years of age, we tooke seventeene Colours and
five pieces of Ordnance, I believe there were not lesse than three
thousand of the enemy slaine, for they lay on their own ground, twenty,
and thirty of heapes together, the King did lose Lords, and a very great
many of Gentlemen, but the certaine number of the slaine cannot bee
knowne, we did take my Lord of _Lindsey_, Generall of the Foote, being
shot in the thigh, who dyed the Tuesday morning following, and his body is
sent away to be buryed, the Lo: _Willoughby_ his son was taken,
_Lunsford_, _Vavasour_, and others, being prisoners in Warwick Castle; on
Munday there did runne from the King's Army 3000, foote in 40, 50, and 60
in Companies, wee kept the field all Sunday night, and all Munday, and
then marched to our quarters, and on Munday the enemy would have given us
another charge, but they could not get the foote to fight, notwithstanding
they did beate them like dogs, this last Relation of the enemy I received
from one which was a prisoner and got away.
Banbury is taken by the King, there was 1000 Foote in it, the Captaines
did run away, and the souldiers did deliver the Toune up without
discharging one Musket. It was God's wonderful worke that we had the
victory, we expect to march after the King. The day after the Battell all
our Forces, horse and foote were marched up, and other forces from remote
parts, to the number of 5000, horse and foote more than were at the
Battell, now at my writing, my Lord Generall is at Warwick, upon our next
marching we doe expect another Battell, we here thinke that the King
cannot strengthen himself, for the souldiers did still runne daily from
him, and I believe if we come to fight a great part of them will never
come up to the charge. The King's guard were gentlemen of good quality,
and I heard it, that there [was] not above 40 of them which returned out
of the field, this is all I shall trouble you with, what is more, you will
receive it from a better hand than mine: Let us pray one for another, God
I hope will open the King's eyes, and send peace to our Kingdome. I pray
remember my love to all my friends; if I could write to them all I would,
but for such newes I write you, impart it to them, my Leiutenant and I
drinke to you all daily; all my runawayes, I stop their pay, some of them
for two dayes some three dayes and some four dayes, which time they were
gone from mee, and give their pay to the rest of the souldiers, two of my
souldiers are runne away with their Horse and Armes: I rest, and commit
you to God.
Your loving Cousin,
EDWARD KIGHTLEY.
The Rebellion in Ireland and our Battell were both the 23 of October.
II.
The Geology of Edge Hill.