Battle of Roundway Down

Colonel Slingsby's Relations of the Battles of the Civil War. Within three daies after [on 13th July 1643] Prince Mawrice [aged 22] and the Lord Wilmott [aged 30] comes to our releife with a good strength of horse ; of which the Enemy gaue us notice by his drawing entirely of from the Towne and ordering his Army vpon Roundway-downe.

About two of the clocke the kings horse appeare ; about three they charge the Enemys vantguard, which was suddenly disorder'd, by whose helpe and fowle retreate the rest was the like ; soe that on a sudden, wee could see the Enemy's whole body of horse face about and run with speede, and our horse in close bodye fyring in theire reare, till they had chased them downe the hill in a steepe place, where neuer horse went downe nor up before : Waller went in soe much hast that hee left all his body off ffootte and cannon standing upon the very crowne of the hill, who for a while made gallant resistance against our horse, defending themselues in hopes theire generall would bee soe mindfull of them, as to retourne into the feild and fetch of his ffootte and cannon ; but perceiuing hee stay'd too long, and that our Cornishe Regiments was comming apace upon them, they thought it not soe safe to stay for theire encounter, and therefore began to mooue towardes the next enclosures hopeing to make theire retreate ; but drawing ouer the downes, seeing seuerall bodyes of our horse pressing hard upon them on all sides, they began to fall in peices, and melt into such disorder that they suffer'd miserably; they were about 1800 in number of which aboue 600 was then slaine, the rest all wounded and taken with their coullors and armes, and nine brasse peice of cannon.

From hence the kings Army marched to Bathe, which place with some castles and petty garrisons neare adioyning was quickly surrendered into our hands. From thence after some daies the Army remoou'd to Keynsham, and from thence to the Leaguer of Bristoll, lying downe on the West side of the Cittye.

John Byron's Account of the Battle of Roundway Down. Sir John Byrons [aged 44] Relation to the Secretary of the last Westerne Action [Battle of Roundway Down]. Between the Lord Willmott [aged 30] and Sir William Waller [aged 46]. On Thursday, July 13. 1643. With a List of both their Forces, and of their Losses. Printed at York by Stephen Bulkley, 1643. By speciall Command.

Sir

Upon the occasion of Lieutenant Colonell Butlers [aged 32] comming to Oxford, whom I shall desire your Honour to present to His Majesty, as one that carryed himselfe very bravely in this Action, and tooke three Corners of the Rebells, which we sent with the rest of the Colours to Oxford, I shall make bold summarily to relate to you the carriage of this Businesse, which deserves to be acknowledged with as much thankeful­nesse to God as any thing that ever was done in this Kingdome. According to His Majesties Command, we appeared before the Devices on Thursday about three a Clocke in the Afternoone, with all our Horse, which were not above 17. or 1800. at the most, being much lessened in the long March, and many of them so tyred, that they were not able to come up; we shot off out Ordinance from an high Hill that overlookes the Town, to let them know, that we were there for their assistance; at the same time waller appeared with his whole Army upon an opposite Hill within lesse then two Miles of U; he made a very great show, divers of the Country People being called thither to that purpose. But really I beleeve his Horse were farre more then ours in num­ber, and his Foot, beside the Country People 2500. all of them as compleatly armed as ever Troopes were. It was resolved that we should immediately march to­wards them, and my Lord Willmott very discreetly or­dered it, That only his Brigade and mine should charge, (which both together made not above 1200. Horse,) and that the other Troopes (because they had lately taken an affright, and had been put to the worse by Wallers Men) should only stand as a Reserve, and not be imployed till it should please God to renue their Courage with our Successe: as we marcht towards the Rebells, they sent down some Troopes towards Us, which were gallantly encountered by Serjeant Major Paul Smith (who led our Forlorne Hope, consisting of 300. commanded Men) and forced them to turne their Backs. Sir Ar­thur Hasterigge seconded these with his Formidable Regiment of Lolsters, I meane his Curaffiers whom the Lieutenant Generall intermyned with his Bri­gade, and forced them to retreat, not so, but that they rallied themselves again and charged the second time, but with worse successe; for then my Brigade being drawn up to second my Lord Willmott, they all ran away that could, and from that time Sir Arthur Hasterigge ap­peared no more in the Battle; upon this Waller drew his whole Army down the Hill, and advanced with his own Brigade of Horse, with two Peeces of Cannon be­fore it, and two great Bodyes of Foot on the left Flank of it, these it fell to my share to charge with my Bri­gade, my Lord Willmott in the meane time rallying his men together to second me if occasion should be. A d I marched towards them up the Hill, their Cannon pl [...]l'd upon me at a very neere distance, but with very small losse, killing but two in Colonell Sanayes Regiment; The Musketeers all this while playd upon our Flanke, and hurt and killed some; and another Regyment of their Horse was watching an opportunity to charge us ei­ther in the Reare or in the Flanke, but were hindered by Lord Craford. By this time we were come very near to Wallers Brigade, and the command I gave my men was, that not a Man should discharge a Pistoll till the Enemy had spent all his shot, which was pun­ctually observed, so that first they gave us a Volly of their Carbins, then of their Pistolls, and then we fell in with them, and gave them ours in their teeth, yet they would not quit their ground but stood pushing for it a pretty space, till it pleased God, (I thinke) to put new Spirit into our tyr'd Horse as well as into our men, so that though it were up the Hill, and that a steepe one, we overbore them, and with that violence, that we forced them to fall fowle upon other Reserves of Horse that stood behind to second them, and so swept their whole Body of Horse out of the Field, and left their Foot naked, and pursued them neare three Miles over the Downes in Bristoll way till they came to a precipice, where their Feare made them so valiant that they gallop't downe as if it had been plain ground, and many of them brake both their own and their Horses necks. In my return from the chase, I tooke two peeces of their Cannon, and divers Waggons laden with Am­munition, and then rallied together our scattered Troopes, which were as much broken as the Enemy, by reason of their hot pursuit, in the meane time my Lord Willmott charg'd their Foot with the Horse he had with him, but could not breake them, and in the charge Dudley Smith was staine, and Lieutenant Colonell We­ston [aged 33], hurt and many others, but when they saw my Horse rallyed together again before them, and the Lieutenant Generall continuing still in the Reare of them, and that the Cornish Foot began to sally out of the Town, they thought it not fit to stay any longer, they began first gently to march off, their Officers marching before them, amongst which (as I have been told since) Sir William Waller himselfe was, and Popham [aged 38]; With that I advanc'd toward them with those Troopes I had rallyed, and shot at them with the Cannon I had formerly ta­ken, their Officers thought it not fit to stay any longer, but such as had Horses rid away as fast as they could, and too fast for Us to overtake them, and the rest blew up their Powder, and threw down their Arms and be­tooke themselves to their heeles, Our Horse fell in a­mongst them, and kill'd 600. of them, and hurt many more, and tooke 800. Prisoners, and all their Colours, and this was the successe of their great Conquererer.

The Victory on our side as intire as possiblely can be imagined, their Horse and Foot being totally routed, and all their Cannon being 7 Brasse Peeces taken, and all their Ammunition. Sir, I beseech you excuse this scribling from one that is,

July 14. 1643.

Sir,

Your Honours most humble Servant John Byron

Manuscripts Duke Portland Volume 3. Edward Harley [aged 18]. 1643, July [13] -A list of Captain Edward Harley's troopers who were wounded or lost their arms or horses in the field [at the Battle of Roundway Down]. Two lists, one smaller and varying.

EDWARD HARLEY to SIR ROBERT HARLEY, at Westminster.

1643, July 15, Bristol- "Thursday last I receaved yours of the 6th by Robert Rudhall, which brought mee the most wellcome newes, the assurance of your health, which I have not receaved in many dayes before. I beseech you give these leave to bring you an account of what has passed between the Cornish army and ours. Monday, the 3rd of July, wee heard the enemy began to advance from Froome in Somerset towards Bath, upon which, wee drew up all our horse and foote upon Clirkton Downe, fronting towards the enemy, and Collonell Burghill with his regiment of horse and some comanded foote advanced something neerer the enemy to make good a passe which led to Bath, and this proved one of our greatest disadvantages, for we were not able to send seconds in time, so that party was forced to quitt the place to the enemy and our army to retreate to Bath. The next morning wee marched to a hill called Lansdowne towards Glostershyre, where we continued all that day in bataglia, the enemy being in the same posture upon a hill over against us. In the afternoone we saluted the[m] with three peeces of canon, which they liked so ill they presently began to remove and wheeling something to the left, marched to a towne called Marshfeild allmost behind us. We fell upon theyr reare guard and beate them. Wenedsday morning, the enemy drew out towards us and presently began to retreate, which, Sir William perceaving, he sent out a party of horse with musketiers to fall upon them, which they did with very good success, but other partyes of our horse being engaged in places of disadvantage were forced to retire to the hill wee possessed. The enemy pursued hotly and got that ground where our ordinance was planted, but then our whole body of horse charged then with as much resolution as could be, and in particular Sir Arthur Heselrig [aged 42] and his regiment receaved then a push in the thigh with a pike. Our regiment charged twice, and in the second charge my bay horse was killed under mee, but I thanke God brought mee of well in this hot service. The enemy lost many of theyr bravest men, and the next morning it pleazed God that most of theyr[-] was blowne up, by which Sir Ralph Hopton and some others of quality were very sorely wounded. Friday, the 7th, the enemy began to march from Marshfeild towards Chipnam. Wee presently followed them, and upon Saterday in the afternoone we came in veiw of that towne, but were not able to make any attempt upon it. On Sunday they drew out of the towne towards us, and after two houres pause, marched way through the towne towards the Devises. We pursued them and quickly fell upon theyr reare, which held us very good play till they had recovered the Devises, and the duske night hindred any further action. That evening I was sent with my owne and two other troopes to make good a high hill upon our left hand; upon which ground on Munday the 10th wee drew up all our army. The enemy did the like with theyr horse, upon the east side of the towne. Sir William Waller comanded our horse to fall upon them, which they would not stay for, but presently retreated into the Devises. Our musketiers began then to play hard upon the towne, but that night upon intelligence that the Earle of Craford was coming with supplies of amunition, two regiments of horse were comanded to intercept it in the night. A panick feare fell amongst us, and we gave fire upon one another, being in a miserable rout and confusion. With much adoe we rallyed most of our men, and advanced to a hill in our way, and there drew up in order for fight; which was no sooner done, but we discerned a great body of the enemyes in the same bottome where we were disordered. Wee resolved to charge them, Serjeant Major Jowett, who is a very gallant man, tooke my troope and another, and with them alone charged the enemy whom wee presently routed and pursued a great way, none of the other troopes coming in to second us, and brought away all their amunition. Tuesday and Wenedsday, our men playde hard upon the Devises, and upon Thursday last ' twas resolved to storme it, by which way by God's blessing there is no doubt but wee had taken it, but our good God, who knowes what is best for us, hath disappoynted that, for that morning the newes was brought that suplyes were come from Oxford. Presently, Sir William Waller drew up all his horse and foote to that hill which I mentioned was good by me. As soore as ever we came, there wer a very great body of the enemy, which wee found afterward to be betweene forty and fifty colors of horse besides dragoones, but at the very first charge all our horse run away and left our foote, who behaved themselves very bravely as long as they were able to defend themselves, and then shifted for themselves. We have not lost many men, considering what a miserable rout we were in. All our canon, bagage, and amunition are lost and very many armes. We must needs looke upon this as the hand of our God, mightily agaynst us for ' twas hee only that made us flye. We had very much self confidence, and I trust the Lord has only brought this upon us to make us looke more to him, who I am confident when we are weakest will shew himself a glorious God over the enemyes of his Truth. So this time nothing hath beene gayned by us, with multitudes, and I beseche the Lord give us fayth to live by that, and then I doubt not but our broken bones shall prevayle over the enemyes mighty strength."

Postcript. "Sir, I lost ten horses, and two men in the fight last weeke and this last time I have lost five or six more so that my troope is now very weake.

Sir Arthur Heselrig is hurt in three places, but not mortall. My brother Robert humbly begs your blessing. I thanke God we are both well, having the mercyes of our God very great to us in preserving us safe. I beseech you pardon this scribbling for I have not beene in a bed these twelve nights before." Signet.