24 A HISTORY OF LOXGKIDGE. [Chap. 1. 



At this time (1648) the great struggle was raging between the King 

 and the Parliament. Nowhere did it rage more fiercely than on the 

 Lancashire borders. It was at Longridge that Cromwell, who had 

 made forced marches through Yorkshire, came up and engaged the 

 Scots, commanded by Langdale and the Duke of Hamilton. 



In a letter to the committee of Lancashire, Cromwell writes from 

 Preston, 17 Aug., 1648. "It had pleased God this day to show his 

 great power by making his army successful against the common enemy. 

 We lay last night at Mr. Sherburn's, of Stonyhurst, nine m-^es^ from 

 Preston, which was within three miles of the Scots' quarters." In 

 another letter, dated Aug. 20th, to the Speaker of the House of 

 Commons, Cromwell says — "On the 14th we came to Hodder Bridge 

 over Eibble,° where we held a council of war." 



The result of the Council was that Cromwell decided to pass over 

 the river (Hodder), and, as we have seen, halted for the night at 

 Stonyhurst. Very er^rly the next morning ( 1 7th) CromweU marched 

 towards Preston. Captain Hodgson, "the honest-hearted, pudding- 

 headed Yorkshire Puritan " — to use Carlyle's characteristic phraseology 

 — has Ip^* an interesting account of the day's fighting. He saj^s : — 

 Th-'.iiight we pitched our camp at Stanyares Hall,' a Papist's house, one Sher- 

 jrne ; anil the next mi>ruiug a forlorn wa3 drawn out of horse and foot, and, at 

 -Liangridge Chapel, our horse gleaned up a considerable parcel of the enemy, and 

 fought them all the way until within a mile of Preston. They were drawn up very 

 ( formidably. One Major Toundall' [Pownel] and myself commanded the forlorn of 

 foot ; and being drawn up by the moor side (that soatteriug being not half the 

 number we should have been), the General [Oliver himselfl comes to us, and com- 

 mands us to march. We, not having halt of our men come up, desired a little 

 patience. He gives out the word " March," and so we drew over a little common, 

 where our horse was drawn up, and came to a ditch, and the enemy let fly at ua (a 

 company of Langdale's men that was newly raised). They shot at the skies, which 

 did so encourage our men that they were willing to venture upon any attempt ; 

 and the Major orders me to march to the ne.\t hedge, and I bid him order the men 

 to follow me, and there drew out a smart party ; and we came up to the hedge end, 



^Stonyhurst is 12 miles from Preston ; not what he says, which is, of course, 



but C Cromwell might well make a mis- absurd, 



take of this kind, as he had been making -"Stonyhurst. 



forced marches. ''Was the honest Captain indulging In 



- What Cromwell meant was Hodder, a little sally of wit ? 

 close by or over against the Kibble, and 



