Cromwell in Scotland

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Cromwell in Scotland

• Overview of key events

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Key dates

• June 1650 appointed commander of expeditionary
  force to Scotland, where Charles II had landed
• Sept 1650 Cromwell defeats Scots at Dunbar
• Sept 1651 Cromwell defeats Scottish-Royalist
  army at Worcester
• Oct 1651 Charles II flees to continent

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• "I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, think
  it possible you may be mistaken." (Letter to the
  Church of Scotland, 3 August 1650)

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Background to Scottish campaign

• Scots proclaimed Prince Charles as king and
  planned to force their king and their religion
  upon England
• Rump decided to send an English army north to
  crush the Scottish forces in Scotland itself
• What other options would parliament have had?
  What are the advantages and disadvantages of each
  course of action?
• Fairfax was not willing to invade Scotland
• Cromwell and others were sent to change his mind
• What is the significance of Cromwells failure
  here?

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July-Aug Cromwells problems

• Cromwell led 16,000 strong army
• Entered Scotland unopposed
• Occupied Dunbar, Haddington and Musselburgh
  during late July and early August
• Main difficulty reluctance of the Scottish army
  to give battle in the field, preferring to lie in
  wait behind well prepared defences
• How would delay hurt Cromwell more than it would
  the Scots?

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• Scots led by David Leslie
• Cromwell not strong enough to break the heavily
  defended line from Leith to Edinburgh
• Cromwells tactics
• Diplomacy
• Tempt Leslie to give battle on reasonable ground

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Diplomacy

• Tried to persuade Scottish kirk to abandon their
  animosity
• Cromwell defended regicide and the abolition of
  monarchy and the House of Lords
• Argued morally and politically the Scots were
  wrong to support Charles Stuart
• Stressed his toleration of Scottish
  Presbyterianism

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Letter to Leslie, 14 Aug 1650

• we continue the same which we have professed
  ourselves to the honest people of Scotland,
  wishing to them as to our own souls it being no
  part of our business to hinder any of them from
  worshipping God in that way they are satisfied in
  their consciences by the Word of God
• What is Cromwell promising here?
• How does Cromwells reference to honest people
  differ from his assessment of the Irish? What
  may explain this?

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Letter to Kirks General Assembly, 3 Aug

• Your own guilt is too much for you to bear
  bring not therefore upon yourselves the blood of
  innocent men, deceived with pretences of king and
  Covenant, from whose eyes you hide a better
  knowledge. I beseech you, in the bowels of
  Christ, think it possible you may be mistaken.
• What reasons does Cromwell provide to suggest
  that the Scots should lay down their arms?
• Why do you think these arguments were not
  successful?

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Battle of Dunbar

• Suffering from shortages of supplies, bad
  weather, disease, desertion and lowering morale
  Cromwells men trudged back to Dunbar
• By Sept 1st Cromwell thought he had only 11,000
  soldiers fit for service
• Scots took their chance pursuing the English
  they bottled them up within Dunbar, having an
  army of 22,000

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• Scots occupied Doon Hill and blocked the road
  south to Berwick
• Cromwell decided upon an all-out surprise attack
  on the night of 2-3 September
• As dawn broke Cromwell threw his forces (the
  Scots probably expected nothing more than an
  attempt by the English cavalry to cut their way
  out) on the Scots right wing.
• Wave upon wave of English attack crushed the
  right wing, centre and left wing of the Scots in
  turn. Remainder of the Scots army fled.

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Importance of Dunbar

• Scots lost 3000 dead 10,000 captured English
  just 20 dead
• Triumphalist letters
• Referred to Dunbar as one of the most signal
  mercies God hath done for England and His
  people
• The Lord hath showed us an exceeding mercy who
  can tell how great it is. My weak faith hath
  been upheld

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Letter to the speaker of the House of Commons

• But, Sir, it is in your hands, and by these
  eminent mercies God puts it more into your hands,
  to give glory to Him. Disown yourselves, but own
  your authority, and improve it to curb the proud
  and the insolent,relieve the oppressed, hear the
  groans of poor prisoners in England be pleased
  to reform the abuses of all professions and if
  there is anyone that makes many poor to make a
  few rich, that suits not a Commonwealth.
• What social, judicial, religious and moralistic
  reform did Cromwell call for?

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Aftermath of Dunbar

• In the wake of Dunbar both Leith and Edinburgh
  fell quickly, though Edinburgh castle held out
  until Christmas
• Cromwell spent the autumn winter in Edinburgh,
  devoting himself to diplomacy rather than to
  campaigning
• Sept 1650-July 1651
• marked by inactivity allowing for Cromwells men
  to rest bring up reinforcements (by July army
  numbered 21,000)
• Leslie used this time to regroup and rebuild his
  army around Stirling. A manoeuvre by Cromwell in
  Feb attempting to tempt Leslie into the field led
  to Cromwell falling seriously ill with dysentry
  and fever (lasted until early June).

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3rd July told the President of the Council

• I shall not need to recite the extremity of my
  late sickness it was so violent that indeed my
  nature was not able to bear the weight thereof.
  But the Lord was pleased to deliver me, beyond
  expectation, and to give me cause to say once
  more, He hath plucked me out of the grave.

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Routes to Worcester

• Cromwell split his forces sending 4,500 troops,
  under the command of Overton and Lambert, to
  secure Fife.
• This would threaten Stirling from the north and
  disrupt Leslies supply lines
• Leslie dispatched 4,000 men to rebuff this
  English incursion but they were engaged and
  destroyed at Inverkeithing

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The Scottish royalist forces, now led by king
Charles marched south. The parliamentarian
forces left Scotland on 9 Aug and shadowed but
did not engage the Scottish army. By 23 Aug the
Scots entered Worcester and strengthened the town
against the inevitable attack. Cromwells army
reached Worcester on 27 Aug
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Battle of Worcester

• Scottish royalist force 12,000-16,000
• Cromwell 30,000
• With numerical advantage Cromwell decided against
  a siege
• What would be the advantages/ disadvantages of a
  siege?
• Cromwell launched a two-pronged attack on 3 Sept
  from the south-east and up the west bank of the
  Severn

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• Rather than waiting within Worcester, the enemy
  came out to engage Cromwells army around the
  town.
• Worcester itself fell and by nightfall the
  Scottish royalist army had been destroyed, with
  3000 dead, and over 7,000 prisoners. The rest,
  including Charles himself, fled.

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Importance of Worcester

• the dimensions of this mercy are above my
  thoughts. It is for aught i know, a crowning
  mercy.
• victory at Worcester should provoke those that
  are concerned in it to thankfulness, and the
  Parliament to do the will of Him who hath done
  His will for it, and for the nation
• (speech to the speaker, 4 Sept 1651)

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• Worcester was Cromwells last battle, although he
  retained the office of Lord General until his
  death.
• Cromwell returned to London a week after
  Worcester a conquering hero determined to fulfil
  his aspirations for reformation.