CHAP. XII.] CAVALRY IN OUR CIVIL WARS. 



269 



cqiuil to the feats of the hoi-Henieii of Gustavus Adolphus 

 and Pappciiheim. The cavalry were organised into cuiras- 

 siers and dragoons ; the pistol and sword Ix'ing the 

 principal weapons of the former, while the latter carried 

 muskets. 



The first conflict of the war was a skirmish between a 

 small party of cavalry, under Prince Rupert, and a body 

 of the rebel horse, under Colonel Sandys. The Prince 

 no sooner saw the enemy than he chiirged at full speed 

 as they were defiling from a lane. The sudden onslaught 

 gave him the victory. This exercised a great moral 

 influence over the future ojx'rations, and gave a high 

 reputation to the Royalist horse, which the " Ironsides" 

 alone were able to wrest from them.^ 



At the battle of Edge-hill, in 1642, the Royalist 

 cavalry, on both wings, defeated the horse opposed to 

 them, but pursued the fugitives so far that, before they 

 returned, the centre of the King's army had been badly 

 handled by the rebel infimtry. Prince Rupert through- 

 out the war seems to have failed to learn the importance of 

 keeping his men in hand, and of remembering always to 

 reserve his conmiand to be applied at the decisive points, 

 at the critical times when required. 



The combats of Grantham and Gainsborough were 

 decided by the cavalry. In the first action the opposing 

 dragoons fired at each other for about half an hour, when 

 Cromwell led his horsemen on at the charge sword in 

 hand. The Royalists injudiciously awaited the shock 

 standing, and, as a matter of course, were driven off the 

 field in headlong rout, and pursued for miles with heavy 

 loss.^ 



At the battle of Gainsborough, Cromwell, who had 

 been skirmishing with the advance of the enemy, drove 

 them over the crest of a hill, and came suddenly upon a 

 very large body of horse, who were advancing to take 

 him by surprise. Holding back three troops, under 

 Major Whalley, as a reserve, Cromwell at once charged 

 vehemently upon the Royalists, and his steady horse- 

 men pressing in after him, with sword and pistol, soon 

 ^ Clarendon's History, voL ii. part i. p. 25. ^ Xolan, 20. 



