POLITICAL HISTORY 



Manchester. Meanwhile Newcastle, to reduce the drain on his stores, had sent out the greater part 

 of his horse on 22 April to make their way to the king. This they did, though they lost some 

 sixty prisoners, and ' war so hard chaisit that they war forcit to tak the cullouris from the standaris 

 and ryd away with, and leve the staf behind them.' ^°° At the same time the marquess put both 

 troops and non-combatants on strict rations, the soldiers receiving ' a mutchkin of beans, an unnce of 

 butar and a peny loaf daily, and an ordinance being issued that 'everrie ane within the citie of 

 York sail have bott ane maill per diem.' ^ 



During May the siege operations do not seem to have been pressed very vigorously, but towards 

 the end of the month the Parliamentarians captured Cawood Castle,'' and with the beginning of 

 June more active measures were employed against the city. On 5 June the Scots occupied some of 

 the suburbs, but next day the garrison sallied out and managed to set fire to the suburbs, and so 

 to destroy the houses.' A week later, on 14 June, a meeting was held between the representatives of 

 the three Parliamentary generals and those of Newcastle, but the object of the Royalists proving to 

 be only the gaining of time for the expected advance by Prince Rupert, negotiations were broken 

 ofiF. On 16 June a mine was fired by Major-General Crawford on the north side of the city, 

 bringing down St. Mary's Tower and effecting an accessible breach. Unfortunately for the besiegers 

 Crawford was a vain and quarrelsome man, and, wishing to have all the glory of capturing York, 

 he had not warned Leven or Fairfax of his intentions ; they therefore made no diversion on other 

 parts of the city, and although Manchester's troops gained a temporary footing at the Manor House, 

 where they slew Sir Philip Byron, the Royalists were able to concentrate against them, and they 

 were driven out with heavy losses.* Since the beginning of the month the advance of Prince Rupert 

 from Lancashire had been anxiously expected by all parties, and the Parliamentary Committee in 

 London had endeavoured to persuade the three generals to raise the siege and march against Rupert, 

 but this they had wisely refused to do.° Now, on 28 June, when the garrison of York were almost at 

 their last gasp, Rupert entered Yorkshire and advanced by Skipton and Denton to Knaresborough, 

 On I July, under cover of the darkness, the besieging armies drew off and took up a position on Marston 

 Moor, hoping to intercept Rupert's advance ; but he avoided them and reached York, where he 

 encamped for the night outside the walls.' 



Councils of war were held in both camps. In the Parliamentary camp it was decided, by the 

 Earl of Leven's advice, to retire southwards, and on 2 July the foot started to march to Tadcaster, 

 the horse, under Sir Thomas Fairfax, Oliver Cromwell, and David Leslie, remaining on the moor 

 to guard the rear. But meanwhile the impetuous Prince Rupert, putting his own interpretation on 

 an ambiguous letter from King Charles, had overruled the more cautious counsels of Newcastle and 

 had committed his party to a pursuit and attack. An urgent message from Sir Thomas Fairfax 

 brought the ParUamentary foot back on to Marston Moor, where, on the ridge between Tockwith 

 and Long Marston, Lord Leven drew up his army. In the centre he placed four of his own 

 Scottish regiments under General Baillie, with three more in reserve under General Lumsdaine. 

 On their left were the Earl of Manchester's foot under Crawford, flanked by 4,000 horse under 

 Oliver Cromwell and David Leslie. The right wing, commanded by Lord Fairfax, consisted of 

 three regiments of foot under Sir William Fairfax, with Colonels Bright, Needham, and Forbes, 

 with two Scottish regiments in reserve, flanked by the Yorkshire horse under Sir Thomas Fairfax 

 and Colonel Lambert, supported by three regiments of Scottish horse. About a quarter of a mile 

 north of the Parliamentary lines ran a broad ditch, held by the Royalist musketeers. Immediately 

 behind this Prince Rupert had formed up such foot as he had with him, intending to attack the 

 enemy, although they were superior in numbers, as soon as the rest of his troops came up. But 

 there was considerable delay in their arrival, many of Newcastle's party being opposed to the idea of 

 fighting, and part of the troops being mutinous for lack of pay. It was past six o'clock when the 

 expected reinforcements under Lord Eythin arrived, and that cautious veteran would not hear of an 

 attack at that late hour ; he also rebuked Rupert for forming so close to the enemy. It was, 

 however, too late to withdraw, and the Royalist forces took up their positions. In the centre, where 

 Lord Eythin was in command, were Newcastle's foot under General Porter ; on their right came 

 Rupert's foot imder Colonel O'Neil, flanked by 5,000 horse under Rupert with Lord Byron and 

 Lord Grandison. The Royalist left consisted of Newcastle's own Northumbrian regiment, known 

 as the White Coats, from their uniform of undyed cloth, which they had vowed to dye in the blood 

 of their enemies ; flanking these were 5,000 horse under Goring and Sir Charles Lucas. 



A little before seven the conference of the Royalist generals broke up; Rupert, expressing his 

 intention of attacking early next morning, dismounted and settled down to his supper ; Newcastle 

 went off to his coach to smoke, and throughout the lines there was a general slackening of tension. 



"" Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. x, App. i, 53. 



' Ibid. ' Cat. S.P. Dom. 1644, p. 176. ' Markham, op. cit. 146. 



• Torks. Arch. Joum, viii, 220 ; Slingsby, Diary, 109, ' Cal. S.P, Dm, 1644, pp. 206-7. 



' Gardiner, Hiit, of the Great Civil War, i, 372. 



3 425 54 



