Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume V.djvu/509

 CROMWELL 505 Drogheda was stormed in September, and the entire garrison either butchered or sent as slaves to the plantations. Most of the victims were English royalists, and their commander was an Englishman. Cromwell's object was to strike terror into the enemy, and so prevent further resistance. He did not wish to be long absent from England. He was mostly success- ful, but at Wexford the horrors of Drogheda were repeated; and at Clonmel he met with so stern a resistance that he granted an honor- able capitulation, owing to his impatience to cross the channel. Appointing Ireton, his son- in-law, lord deputy, he hastened to London, which he reached May 81, 1650, and was re- ceived with great enthusiasm. His presence was much needed. The Scotch had set up Charles II. as a covenanted king, and intended to invade England for the purpose of forcing him on that country. The government of the commonwealth determined to anticipate them, and to send an army into Scotland. Fairfax refused to serve, and Cromwell was made gene- ral-in-chief and lord general. He entered Scot- land at the head of 11,000 men. Lesley com- manded double that number of Scotch troops, and, had he been left free to follow his own will, would have baffled the invaders. He held a strong position between Edinburgh and Leith, and, while he refused battle, harassed Crom- well and destroyed all sources of supply. The country was wasted on all sides, the Scotch following their old modes of resistance to Eng- lish invasion. There was some fighting, in which the Scotch showed spirit, but generally were beaten. Cromwell was forced to retreat to Dunbar. On Aug. 17 he again advanced, his aim being to cut off the communication be- tween Edinburgh and the western counties ; but for this movement Lesley had been pre- pared, and he instantly took a new position, not less strong than that which had previously baffled the English. The latter vainly assault- ed several posts garrisoned by the Scotch, and occasionally were defeated in affairs of cavalry. The foot had some skirmishing, and there were brisk cannonades. In the end Lesley won, Cromwell retreating, and the Scotch horse har- assing him as his demoralized army, which had suffered much from sickness, fell back once more upon Dunbar, his grand depot and base of operations. No army ever found itself in a worse position than that in which Cromwell had now placed his. Dunbar is in a valley, surrounded on three sides by hills, through which there are but two narrow passes. The Scotch had possession of the hills and passes, and by the labor of a few hours might have shut up the English in a trap. Such was Les- ley's plan ; but he had in his own camp far worse enemies than he had in that of Crom- well. The preachers were bent upon Crom- well's destruction, and thought it could be ac- complished with the sword. Their influence was overwhelming, and, after they had suc- ceeded in driving from the army all the cava- liers in it, they compelled Lesley to lead it into the plain, thus giving up an impregnable posi- tion. Meantime the English in Dunbar, after discussing some desperate expedients, the adop- tion of either of which would have been an admission of defeat, resolved to send out a strong column to the right on the morning of Sept. 3. This column marched and fell in with the Scotch, who had just descended from the hills, whereupon the battle commenced. The result was doubtful until a body of English cavalry came to their countrymen's assistance, and so the Scotch were routed, their very ex- cess of number causing their defeat to be the more complete. On the other wing, and in the centre, the English were also successful. The vanquished lost 12,000 men, mostly pris- oners, all their artillery, 200 colors, and 15,000 stand of arms. Advancing for a third time into Scotland, Cromwell took Edinburgh, the castle holding out till late in December. The winter was passed in political intrigues and in some military operations in the southern dis- tricts. In the spring, when about to take the field in force, he was seized with ague, and was not able to act till July 1, 1651. Lesley had done his best to reorganize his army, and though much harmed by the continued inter- ference of the preachers, he baffled Cromwell for some weeks. The latter sent a corps into Fifeshire, which defeated the Scotch there, and the English were enabled to besiege and take Perth. While thus engaged Cromwell learned that the enemy had marched into England, which course had been taken by Charles II. in the belief that he should be joined by the Eng- lish cavaliers and the people generally, almost all of whom were opposed to the new govern- ment. The Scotch reached Worcester, where they halted ; butif they had pushed on to Lon- don, it would have fallen into their hands, and with it the whole country. The prompt and skil- ful measures taken by Cromwell on hearing of Charles's march had brought 30,000 English troops to the vicinity of Worcester ; the king had but 13,000. On Sept. 3, the anniversary of Dun- bar, the battle of Worcester was fought, and ended in the annihilation of the invaders, 2,000 of whom were killed and 8,000 captured. Cromwell believed it to be " a crowning mer- cy," as it was, for it was fatal to the royal cause; and had the victor not died prema- turely, or had his successor been a man of tal- ent, a new dynasty, if not a new polity, would have been set up in Britain. The government showed itself grateful to the victor ; an estate of 4,000 a year was conferred on him, and Hamp- ton court was prepared for his abode ; and Sept. 3 was ordered to be observed as an anniversary for all time to come. But Cromwell had now determined to settle the state in his own way, with himself as its chief. In 164T he would have been content with the highest honors of a subject, could he have relied upon the king ; but in 1651 he had put the king to death, had conquered Wales and Ireland, had won three