Leslie, believing all lost, fled with the rest, in the direction of Tadcaster and Cawood Castle. Cromwell, who commanded the right wing of the Parliamentary army, was thus left to fight or flee, as might happen, but nothing daunted, he attacked the Royalist cavalry with such vigour that he completely routed them, and then turned again to oppose the horse of Rupert, who were just returning from the chase, to find their side in flight. These and a body of pikemen,--Newcastle's "white coats"--fought desperately. The cavalry, on exhausting their charges, flung their pistols at the enemies' heads, and then fell to with their swords. At length the victory remained with Cromwell, Rupert drew off, and Cromwell remained all night on the field. He sent messages after the fugitive generals to recall them, but Leslie was already in bed at Leeds when the news reached him, when he exclaimed, "Would to God I had died on the place!" Cromwell won great renown by this action. He kept the field all night with his troopers, who were worn out by the tremendous exertions of the day, and were in expectation every moment of a fresh attack from Rupert, who might have collected a large body of troops together to overwhelm him. But he had lost the battle by his incurable rashness, after having induced the unwilling Newcastle to risk the engagement, and he made his retreat into Lancashire, and thence into the western counties. [Illustration: SIEGE-PIECE OF CHARLES I.--NEWARK (HALF-CROWN).] [Illustration: SIEGE-PIECE OF CHARLES I.--PONTEFRACT (SHILLING).] [Illustration: SIEGE-PIECE OF CHARLES I.--BEESTON (TWO SHILLINGS).] [Illustration: SIEGE-PIECE OF CHARLES I.--COLCHESTER (TEN SHILLINGS, GOLD).]