(1) In 1643 Oliver Cromwell wrote a letter to Suffolk County Committee.
I would rather have a man that knows and loves what he fights for... than a man which you call a "gentleman".
(2) Eyewitness account of the footsoldiers that fought in the royalist army at the Battle of Edgehill on 23 October, 1642.
Arms were the great deficiency, and the men stood up in the same garments in which they left their native fields; and with scythes, pitchforks, and even sickles in their hands, they cheerfully took the field, and literally like reapers descended to the harvest of death.
(3) Edmund Verney, royalist officer, letter to his son before the Battle of Edgehill (October, 1642)
Our men are very raw, our victuals scarce and provisions for horses worse. I daresay there was never so raw, so unskilful and so unwilling an army brought to fight.
(4) A pamphlet An Exact and True Relation of a Dangerous and Bloody Fight near Kineton, was published soon after the Battle of Edgehill (October, 1642)
The field was covered with the dead, yet no one could tell to what party they belonged... Some on both sides did extremely well, and others did ill and deserved to be hanged.
(5) London Peace Petition (22nd December, 1642)
Your petitioners most sadly weighing the present wretched condition of this divided nation; and having too just cause to fear the bitter and fatal consequences of a civil war already broken out amongst us even to the effusion of abundance of blood in several parts of this kingdom, out of piety towards God and pity towards men; do humbly represent unto your lordships the great and unhappy divisions both in church and state of which the bloody rebels in Ireland take advantage, the common safety is infested and endangered, the face of religion is greatly disfigured, commerce and trade the only support of this City exceedingly impaired, whereof none can be equally sensible with us; those with whom we trade in most parts of this, and the kingdom of Ireland much disabled and impoverished by the violence and rapine of soldiers, some of them totally despoiled, others fearing the like measure, the multitude of poor people in and about this City (who by reason of cessation of trade want employment and consequently bread) infinitely abound; sadness of heart, famine, misery, and utter ruin attend us and the whole nation in this condition; besides two great armies being almost at an interview in the bowels of the kingdom ready for another fearful encounter unless a happy mutual concurrence of his majesty, your lordships, and the honourable House of Commons speedily intervene.
The duty therefore which we owe to God the father of peace, and to his church the mother of peace, the honour we bear to a most gracious king, and his great council, and lastly the charity which is due from us to our native Christian country (now ready without the great mercy of God to be sacrificed) hath importuned this most humble petition from us.
That your lordships for the timely prevention of those fearful approaching evils which inevitably wait upon such times of distemper, will be pleased whilst the opportunity is yet in your hands to use such means for an accommodation and procurement of a happy peace in this kingdom without further effusion of blood as to your lordships' wisdom shall seem fit, to effecting whereof your petitioners shall attend your honourable consultation with their most hearty prayers, and not only we and ours, but children unborn shall have cause to bless you and your memorial to the end of time.
(6) Earl of Clarendon, The Civil Wars in England (1667)
At Edgehill... the foot soldiers stood their ground with great courage; and though many of the King's soldiers were unarmed and had only cudgels, they kept their ranks, and took up the arms which their slaughtered neighbours left to them.
(7) Richard Atkins, was a Captain in the Royalist army. On 13 July, 1643, he took part in the Royalist victory at Roundway Down. In this extract Atkins describes trying to kill General Arthur Haselrig, the leader of the parliamentary army at Roundway Down.
It was my fortune to charge Sir Arthur Heselrige... He discharged his carbine first but at a distance not to hurt us... I then... discharged mine; I'm sure I hit him, for he staggered and wheeled off from his party and ran... I pursued him... and in six score yards I came up to him, and discharged the other pistol at him, and I am sure I hit his head... but he was too well armed all over for a pistol bullet to do him any hurt, having a coat of mail over his arms and a headpiece that was musket proof... I employed myself in killing his horse, and cut him in several places... the horse began to faint with bleeding, and Sir Arthur fell off. Then a group of troopers... charged and rescued him.
(8) On 8 August 1643, a crowd of women wearing white ribbons in their hats, marched on the House of Commons and demanded an end to the war. In a letter to his wife, Thomas Knyvett, an MP, explained what happened.
On Tuesday morning a large group of women came and. demanded, peace .The next day they came again in a far greater number... they became unruly and many women were killed by the trained guard.
(9) Mercuris Aulicus (26th August, 1643)
It was this day signified by letters from London, that the tumults there do daily increase, occasioned chiefly by their daily pressing men to serve in their rebellious army, seizing poor men many times in their beds, and taking them from their wife and children to fight in spite of their hearts they know not why.
(10) Diary entry of Henry Slingsby, a MP from Yorkshire (1642).
We have lived a long time.... without war... We have had peace when all the world has been in arms... It is I say a thing most horrible that we should engage ourself in war with another.... with our own venom... we will destroy ourself.
(11) William Davenport, a farmer from Cheshire, kept a journal on the Civil War.
January, 1644: Parliament's soldiers... went into my stable and took twenty of my horses...
May 1644: Prince Rupert came with his army... I lost eight horses, sixty bushels of oats and over a hundred pounds in other goods.
(12) In January 1644, Mary Springate heard that her husband. Sir William Springate, was suffering from camp fever. Although pregnant, Mary made the dangerous journey from London to Arundel.
It was about twelve at night when we arrived... Seeing me... he sprang up as if he would come out of his bed, saying, "Let me embrace you before I die. I am going to my God." He had been in bed for five days... The purple spots came out the day before... The fever was so violent and he so young and strong (he was 23), and his blood so hot they were forced to sit round the bed to keep him in. He died two days later.
(13) Anne Fanshawe, a strong supporter of Charles I, lived in Oxford during the Civil War.
From the windows of our house I observed the sad spectacle of war... sometimes plague, sometimes sicknesses of other kind, by reason of so many people being packed together.
(14) Lucy Hutchinson worked as a nurse looking after parliamentary soldiers during the Civil War. In her book on the war that she wrote in about 1670 she describes looking after soldiers during a battle in Nottingham.
In the encounter only five of our men were hurt... we dressed all their wounds with such success that they were all cured... Seeing three of the prisoners badly bleeding I dressed their wounds also... Captain Palmer came in and told me not to help the enemies of God. I replied, I had a duty to treat them as men, not as enemies.
(15) Henrietta Maria went to Holland to raise funds for the royalist army. On her journey back her ship was chased by four Parliamentary ships. On 23 February, 1643, she wrote a letter to Charles I about her experiences.
All day we unloaded our ammunition... The cannon balls whistled over me; and as you can imagine I did not like the music... I went on foot some distance from the village, and got shelter in a ditch. But before I could reach it the balls sang merrily over our heads and a sergeant was killed twenty paces from me. Under this shelter we remained two hours, the bullets flying over us, and sometimes covering us with earth... by land and sea I have been in some danger, but God has preserved me.
(16) Joshua Sprigge was General Fairfax's chaplain. Later he wrote an account of the battle at Naseby.
Prince Rupert chased the left-wing almost to Naseby town... The Prince, probably realising by that time the success of our right-wing cavalry... he raced to the rescue of the King's army, which he found in such distress, that instead of attempting to rescue them... he went to look for the King... The prisoners taken in the field were about 5,000... The whole booty of the battlefield was given to the soldiers, which was very rich and considerable... besides the riches of the court and officers, there was also the goods stolen from Leicester.
(17) Lucy Hutchinson, Memoirs of the Life of Colonel Hutchinson (c. 1670)
Fairfax overcame the king, in the battle at Naseby... The king's coach and cabinet of letters were taken... the letters revealed that the king had been trying to persuade the Danes and Irish to fight for him.
(18) Edward Walker was a member of the Royalist cavalry at Naseby.
The first charge was by Prince Rupert and his troops... The infantry only made one volley... they were soon in great disorder.
(19) Sir Richard Bulstrode served in the Royalist army at Edgehill.
Just before we began our attack, Prince Rupert passed from one wing to the other, giving orders to the cavalry, to march as close as possible, to receive the enemy shot, without firing our pistols, till we broke in amongst the enemy... after a small resistance... we were masters of their cannon... Prince Rupert... eagerly pursued the (right-wing of the parliamentary cavalry), who fled... if we had only kept our ground after we had beaten the enemy, and not left our foot naked to their cavalry... we might have made an end of the war.
(20) Dr William Harvey served as a surgeon in the Royalist army. Later he described what happened to Sir Adrian Scrope when he was wounded at Edgehill.
Sir Adrian Scrope was dangerously wounded, and left amongst the dead men... The local people stripped him, which helped to save his life. It was cold, clear weather, and a frost that night, which staunched his bleeding, and about midnight, or some hours after his hurt, he awaked, and was forced to draw a dead body upon him for warmth.
(21) Joshua Sprigge wrote about the New Model Army in Anglia Redivia (1647)
The officers of this army, as you may read, are such, as knew little of war, than our own unhappy wars had taught them, except some few, so as men could not contribute much to this work: indeed I may say this, they were better Christians than soldiers, and wiser in faith than in fighting, and could believe a victory sooner than contrive it; and yet I think they were as wise in the way of soldiery as the little time and experience they had could make them.
These officers, many of them with their soldiery, were much in prayer and reading scripture, an exercise that soldiers till of late have used bur little, and thus then went on and prospered: men conquer better as they are saints, than soldiers; and in the countries where they came, they left something of God as well as of Caesar behind them, something of piety as well as pay.
They were much in justice upon offenders, that they might be still in some degree of reformation in their military state. Armies are too great bodies to be found in all parts at once.
The army was (what by example and justice) kept in good order, both respectively to itself, and the country: nor was it their pay that pacified them; for had they not had more civility than money, things had not been so fairly managed.
They were many of them differing in opinion, yet not in action nor business; they all agreed to preserve the kingdom; they prospered more in their unity, than uniformity; and whatever their opinions were, yet they plundered none with them, they betrayed none with them, nor disobeyed the state with them, and they were more visibly pious and peaceable in their opinions, than many we call more orthodox.
They were generally constant and conscientious in duties, and by such soberness and strictness conquered much upon the vanity and looseness of the enemy; many of those fought by principle as well as pay, and that made the work go better on, where it was not made so much matter of merchandise as conscience: they were little mutinous or disputing commands; by which peace the war was better ended.
There was much amity and unity amongst the officers, while they were in action, and in the field, and no visible emulations and passions to break their ranks, which made the public fare better. That boat can go but slowly where the oars row several ways; the best expeditions is by things that go one way.
The army was fair in their marches to friends, and merciful in battle and success to enemies, by which they got love from enemies, though more from friends.
This army went on better by two more wheels of treasurers and a committee; the treasurers were men of public spirits to the state and the army, and were usually ready to present some pay upon every success, which was like wine after work, and cheered up the common spirits to more activity.
The committee, which the House of Commons formed, were men wise, provident, active and faithful in providing ammunition, arms, recruits of men, clothes: and that family must needs thrive that hath good stewards.
(22) Charles I made a short speech before he was executed. Later, the speech was printed in a news-sheet and distributed all over England.
I never did begin the war with the two Houses of Parliament... They began war upon me... if anybody will look at the dates of what happened... they will see clearly that they began these unhappy troubles, not I... therefore I tell you I am the martyr of the people.
(23) John Lilburne, who was one of the leaders of the Levellers, wrote a pamphlet attacking the execution of Charles I (1649)
I refused to be one of his (Charles I) judges... they were no better than murders in taking away the King's life even though he was guilty of the crimes he was charged with... it is murder because it was done by a hand that had no authority to do it.
(24) Extract from a pamphlet on the execution of Charles I that was published soon after his execution.
The King... looking upon the block, said to the executioner... "It might have been a little higher"... The executioner replied, "It can be no higher Sir"... When the King's head was cut off, the executioner held it up and showed it to the spectators.
(25) John Rushworth was one of the fifteen men on the scaffold when Charles I was executed. Later he wrote an account of what happened.
The scaffold was hung round in black... the axe and block was in the middle of the scaffold... "I shall be very little heard by anybody here," began the King, speaking from notes on a small piece of paper he had taken from his pocket... He protested his innocence of beginning the war... Then turning to Colonel Hacker, he asked, "Take care that they do not put me to any pain"... Then the King took off his cloak... the King, stooping down, laid his neck upon the block; and after a little pause, stretching forth his hands, the executioner at one blow cut his head from his body.
