The Battle of Dunbar

Date: 3rd September 1650
Location: Dunbar, East Lothian
Parliamentarian Commander: Oliver Cromwell, General of Horse
Royalist Commander: Sir David Leslie
Victor: Parliament

Now that Charles II was in Scotland, parliament wanted to quell the rebellious Scots. Sir Thomas Fairfax did not fully object to Charles II becoming king, and knew that the campaign would be hard, so he sent Cromwell as commander of the army.

Cromwell assembled his forces at Berwick, and then crossed the border in July. His army marched to the outskirts of Edinburgh.

Leslie was put in charge of a hastily recruited army to oppose Cromwell. Although a much larger force, this was poorly trained and most of the officers had no experience.

Cromwell was held outside Edinburgh, and eventually retreated to Dunbar for supplies. The weather was worsening, and Cromwell's army suffered greatly from sickness.

Cromwell marched on Edinburgh again, but was out manoeuvered by Leslie, and forced back to Dunbar.

Leslie now pressed his advantage, and marched to a position south of Dunbar. This blocked Cromwell's route back to England, and was easily defensible against the much reduced English force.

The ministers of the Scottish Kirk then decided that Cromwell must be prevented from escaping by sea, and ordered Leslie to attack. Dutifully, Leslie brought his army down the slopes to approach the town. Seeing this movement, Cromwell formulated a plan that relied on suprise to give the English an advantage.

During the night, Cromwell changed the deployment of his army. On his right, a force of dragoons and artillery were left to hold the flank. The majority of his troops were then concentrated on the right flank.

At dawn, in pouring rain, the first English wave attacked. Cavalry on the left and infantry in the centre caught the Scottish unexpectedly, but were held by the greater number of opponents and the advantage of higher ground against them.

However, the Scottish right flank was now confined to a narrow piece of ground by the terrain. A second wave of cavalry, lead by Cromwell, turned the Scottish cavalry back and into their own infantry.

Contempory depiction of the action on the Eastern flank. Attacking the disordered infantry, Cromwell systematically rolled up the Scottish right flank. Seeing this, the rest of the Scottish army broke and ran.

Some 3,000 Scots were killed, and 10,000 captured in a little over an hour of fighting. The Scottish army was destroyed.

Cromwell was then able to march on Edinburgh, and succeeded in taking the city. Edinburgh castle still held out, but royalist resistance was now confined to the north.