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 1921 THE BATTLE OF EDGEHILL 39 and leap over some 5 or 6 hedges and ditches. Upon our approach they gave fire with their cannon lined amongst their horse, dragoneers, carabines and pistols, but finding that did nothing dismay the King's horse and that they came more roundly to them with all their fire reserved, just when our men charged they all began to turn head and we followed an execution upon them for 4 miles together. The left wing did the very same where Wilmot commanded. A great many of them saved their lives by getting our word For God and King Charles. Had our reserve of horse not mistaken but stood still in their place they were commanded, we had given them as absolute a defeat both of horse and foot as ever was given. It was equally divided by these foot till night. A troop of their reserve did charge among our foot where they did a great deal of hurt, and took my Lord Lindsey prisoner (who is wounded) and my Lord Willoughby, Colonel Vavasor, Colonel Lunsford, Sir Edward Stradling and Sir H. Ridley, 1 who are all prisoners in Warwick. But this loss Sir Charles Lucas with some others and their troops did suddenly redeem for he hath cut off four of their foot regiments, and taken a whole bag full of their foot colours. They have lost in all 58 colours horse and foot and we some 12 at most. We have taken 7 pieces of their cannon. Prince Rupert hath forced the E[arl] of Essex and his men to retire into Warwick with so much haste that the Prince hath 30 of his carriages, set fire on 4 carriages of powder. The rebels were more of horse and foot before the battle but now are reduced to a great deal less number by 10000 ; for what is killed and what is run away I am sure he hath lost so many. The K[ing] had 12000 foot before the battle. What is killed and run away I think is about 2500 and that is the most : he hath 10000 foot yet remaining and hath not lost 40 horse of his whole number he had before. They are reduced to 4000 and that is the most. The K[ing] hath taken Banbury yesterday and the castle which held within it both 1500 men and a troop of horse. This day he is gone for Woodstock and tomorrow for Oxford and marches straight for London &c. Bernard Stuart. II British Museum, Harl. MS. 3783, fo. 61. From London. On Saturday 22 of this month the quartermasters of the king's rear and those of the earl of Essex van met in one place near Banbury. On Saturday the king (contrary to the earl's expectation) did not march, so that the earl must either fight or hazard to retreat through such ways as would be dangerous to extremity. The king had so great an advantage of the hill that it turned to his disadvantage, for being so much upon the descent his cannon either shot over, or if short it would not graze by reason of the ploughed lands : whereas their cannon did some hurt having a mark they could not miss. Prince Rupert did not let them long dally with great shot, but by the general confession of his enemies did make lanes wherever he went. The left wing of the earl's army dis- 1 A private captain in Lindsey's regiment (True Relation).