On the right wing, soon after the time of Wilmot's charge near the Sun
Rising, Rupert's troops moved down the foot of the hill in the direction
of the Kineton road and towards Ramsay's horse, which advanced to meet
them. The Parliamentary general had lined the hedgerows on his flank with
musketeers, and had placed ranks of musketeers between his horse. But as
the cavaliers[3] swept down the slope a defect was visible in the
Parliamentarian ranks, and Sir Faithful Fortescue's Irish troop threw off
their orange scarves and deserted bodily, not quite soon enough, it seems,
to save themselves, for a score or so of saddles were emptied in the
onrush of Rupert's cavaliers. The roundhead ranks were disordered, for
the troops had fired their long pieces wildly, and scarcely waiting the
meeting, they fled, leaving the musketeers to be cut up. The troops of
cavaliers swept through them scattering and destroying all in their way;
then deflecting a little to the left they pressed back the mass of
fugitives upon the foot regiments of Essex, Mandeville and Chomley which
in turn were overthrown, and the artillery captured. Even Wharton's
regiment and Fairfax's reserve were hurled back. Ramsay, the cavalry
general, was carried for two miles in the melee, and with some of his
troopers found a way through the hostile lines to Banbury.[a] Rupert
continued in unsparing pursuit even into the streets of Kineton and as far
as Chadshunt. Thus was the left wing of Lord Essex's army dispersed,
though to reform for a later phase of the fight. After so much success the
baggage proved to be too attractive to the victors, and had the time
wasted in plundering been spent in an attack upon the rear of the
Parliamentarian army, then the reign of Charles Stuart might have had a
less tragic ending. But with all this, it must be borne in mind that the
incident of the rolling up of a wing was repeated in other battles of the
war which were more disastrous to the King's cause. Sir James Ramsay at a
Court Martial at St. Albans[Vn] in November of the same year made a
vindication of his conduct.
An amusing letter from Captain Kightley tells of this phase of the fight.
He admits that in part his own regiment ran away, and it seems to be
probable that Captain John Fiennes was in no better way, though in the
subsequent rally and attack upon Prince Rupert both did very good service.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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