The Royalist and Parliamentary
armies used similar tactics and weapons
during the Civil War. Before a battle
began both sides would line up facing each other. In the centre would
be the infantry brigades of musketeers and pikemen. On each side of
the infantry were the cavalry. The right-wing would be led by the
lieutenant-general, the left-wing by the commissary general.
The heavy artillery was
stationed at the rear where it could fire over the heads of the infantry.
Smaller cannons, that fired nails and scrap iron in canvas bags, were
positioned in front of the infantry. Most soldiers were provided with
armour that covered their breasts and backs. Armour was expensive
and on many occasions some members of the infantry were forced to
wear leather tunics instead. Although completely inadequate against
gunfire, these tunics did provide some protection against swords.
The pikeman carried pikes
that were between twelve and eighteen feet long. When the enemy employed
a cavalry charge, the musketeers sheltered
behind and between the pikemen. During
the cavalry charge the pikemen aimed their
pikes at the chests of the oncoming horses.
Musketeers carried a matchlock.
Although the matchlock was not very accurate it could kill a man from
three hundred yards. Because of the state of medical welfare at that
time, any shot wound would probably result in the soldier dying. The
main disadvantage of the matchlock was the time it took to reload
after each shot. To solve this problem, musketeers in the front line
fired their matchlocks
and then they retired to the
back to reload.
Another strategy involved
the musketeers in the first line kneeling, the second line crouching
and the third line standing. The three
lines of musketeers all fired at the same time.
After firing, these men went to the back and
were replaced by the next three lines of musketeers.
The men in the cavalry
also carried either a short-barrelled musket or a flint-locked carbine.
The main strategy was to advance at a quick trot until in range of
the enemy. The men in the front fired, then wheeled away. In their
second charge they advanced at full gallop using either a short sword
or cutlass.
In the Civil
War, the opening of the battle usually involved groups of cavalry.
The main objective was to make the opposing cavalry run away. When
that happened, the victorious cavalry turned on the enemy infantry.
Well-disciplined pikemen, brave enough to hold their ground, could
do tremendous damage
to a cavalry charging straight at them. There are several examples
of cavalry men having three or four horses killed under them in one
battle.
The king's nephew, Prince
Rupert, was put in charge of the cavalry. Although Rupert was
only twenty-three he already had a lot of experience fighting in the
Dutch army. Prince Rupert introduced a new cavalry tactic that he
had learnt fighting in Sweden. This involved charging full speed at
the enemy. The horses were kept close together and just before impact
the men fired their pistols.
During the early stages
of the Civil War the parliamentary army was at a great disadvantage.
Most of the soldiers had never used a sword or musket before. When
faced with Prince Rupert's cavalry charging at full speed, they often
turned and ran.
One of the Roundhead
officers who saw Prince Rupert's cavalry in action was a man called
Oliver Cromwell. Although Cromwell
had no military training, his experience as a large landowner gave
him a good knowledge of horses. Cromwell became convinced that if
he could produce a well-disciplined army he could defeat Prince Rupert.
He knew that pikemen, armed with sixteen-foot-long pikes, who stood
their ground during a cavalry attack, could do a tremendous amount
of damage.
Oliver
Cromwell also noticed that Prince Rupert's cavalry were not very
well disciplined. After they I charged the enemy they went in pursuit
of individual targets. At the first major battle of the civil war
at Edgehill, most of Prince Rupert's
cavalrymen did not return to the battlefield until over an hour after
the initial charge. By this time the
horses were so tired they were unable to mount another attack against
the Roundheads.
Cromwell trained his cavalry
to keep together after a charge. In this way his men could repeatedly
charge the Cavaliers. Cromwell's new cavalry took part in its first
major battle at Marston Moor in Yorkshire
in July 1644. The king's soldiers were heavily defeated in the battle.
Cromwell's soldiers became known as the Ironsides because of the way
they cut through the Cavaliers on the battlefield.
At the beginning of the
Civil War, Parliament relied on soldiers recruited by large landowners
who supported their cause. In February 1645, Parliament decided to
form a new army of professional soldiers. This army of 22,000 men
became known as the New Model Army.
Its commander-in-chief was General Thomas
Fairfax, while Oliver Cromwell
was put in charge of its cavalry.
Members of the New Model
Army received proper military training and by the time they went into
battle they were very well-disciplined. In the past, people became
officers because they came from powerful and wealthy families. In
the New Model Army men were promoted when they showed themselves to
be good soldiers. For the first time it became possible for working-class
men to become army officers.
Drawing from a pamphlet,
The Cruel
Practices of Prince Rupert (1643)
(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)
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 Heselrige, 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.
(3)
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.
(4)
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.
(5)
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.
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