Page:Works of Thomas Carlyle - Volume 06.djvu/376

 through the Town of Wigan, I was alarmed, That our horse behind me were beaten, and running several ways, and that the enemy was in my rear. I faced-about with that brigade; and in the Market-place serried the pikes together, shoulder to shoulder, to entertain any that might charge: and sent orders to the rest of the brigades before, To continue their march, and follow Lieutenant-General Baillie who was before them. It was then night, but the moon shone bright. A regiment of horse of our own appeared first, riding very disorderly. I got them to stop, till I commanded my pikes to open, and give way for them to ride or run away, since they would not stay. But now my pikemen, being demented (as I think we were all), would not hear me: and two of them ran full tilt at me’—poor Dalgetty! ‘One of their pikes, which was intended for my belly, I griped with my left hand; the other ran me nearly two inches into the inner side of my right thigh; all of them crying, of me and those horse, ‘They are Cromwell’s men!’ This was an unseasonable wound; for it made me, after that night, unserviceable. This made me forget all rules of modesty, prudence and discretion,—my choler being up, and my blood flowing! ‘I rode to the horse, and desired them to charge through these foot. They fearing the hazard of the pikes, stood: I then made a cry come from behind them, That the enemy was upon them. This encouraged them to charge my foot so fiercely, that the pikemen threw down their pikes, and got into houses. All the horse galloped away, and, as I was told afterwards, rode not through but over our whole foot, treading them down;—and in this confusion Colonel Lockhart,’—let the reader note that Colonel,—‘was trod down from his horse, with great danger of his life.

‘Though the Enemy was near, yet I beat drums to gather my men together. Shortly after came Middleton with some horse. I told him what a disaster I had met with, and what a greater I expected. He told me he would ride before, and make the horse halt. I marched, however, all that night till it was fair day; and then Baillie, who had rested a little,