The Battle of Chalgrove, 18th June 1643
Summer, 1643. Rupert, whilst champing at the bit in Oxford looking for action and avoiding the political intrigues of the court, heard of a Parliamentarian deserter. Colonel John Urry (who was later to desert back to the Parliament cause and was executed in 1651) was a Scottish turncoat who had gained information about the Earl of Essex’s convoy, which was making its way through the Chilterns to bring pay to Essex’s army quartered in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire.
Essex has recently raided Wheatley on the outskirts of Oxford (The Prince of Wales and General Percy’s regiments saw them off in short order), but Rupert was itching to get his own back on Essex, who as de Gomme puts it, ' made the first courtesy call'. The convoy was supposedly poorly guarded, as Essex did not think that the Royalists would venture so far away from Oxford without sufficient warning that he could move his forces in to protect the treasure. It seemed an ideal chance to raid the surrounding countryside, with the possibility of taking a large amount of money into the bargain. One can imagine how this piracy would have appealed to Rupert’s nature.
Rupert immediately called for his chosen troop commanders; Major Will Legge commanding the vanguard of cavalry drawn from his Lifeguard, Lieut-Col Dan O’Neal commanding Rupert’s Horse, Sir Richard Crane commanding the rest of the Lifeguard of Horse, and fresh from their success at Wheatley, Major Tom Daniel commanding the Prince of Wales Horse, and General Percy commanding his own regiment. The dragoon commander Lord Wentworth, with Colonel Washington and Lieutenant-Colonel John Russell (later to command Rupert’s Bluecoats), and Henry Lunsford, to command the Foote, completed the meeting. The plan was hatched and the troops gathered quickly; Rupert’s, Percy’s and the Prince of Wales Regiments of Horse (approximately 1,000 cavalry troops), 400 dragoons drawn from different regiment (known as ‘Commanded Dragoons’ and 500 foot also drawn from different regiments including Lunsford’s own (known as ‘Commanded Foote’). No colours were taken as this was to be a lightning raid on enemy territory, and the chance of losing a colour was too much to risk.
On 17th June at 4 pm Rupert’s small army rode out from Oxford, crossing the River Cherwell at Chislehampton Bridge. Will Legge’s men led the column, and Percy’s Regiment of Horse followed at the rear. In the middle were the remainder of horse, the dragoons and foot. By one o’clock in the morning, the column (having halted several times for the men and horses to rest) had got to just south of Tetsworth, a Parliamentarian village 12 miles from Oxford. An alert sentry gave the alarm by firing his pistol and carbine, and more sentries opened fire from the side of the road. Rupert prevented his men from replying to the shots (as the matches from the matchlocks would give away numbers in the dark countryside), but a Parliamentarian trooper galloped off to the Parliamentarian Horse Garrison at Thame (3 miles away). Sir Phillip Stapleton, the officer in charge at Thame, would probably have heard the shots and have started to get his men ready to move towards the sounds of gunfire. Stapleton chose several troops of horse to sally out against the raiders, and according to de Gomme’s account ‘Colonel Hampden…who finding of a good troop of Horse (whose Captain was at that time willing) desired to know whether they would be commanded by him upon this design: whereupon the officers and common soldiers freely and unanimously consented’. The troop of horse belonged to Captain Crosse. Hampden, an infantry Colonel with his own regiment of Greencoats, lived in and around Thame, and must have thought this an excellent chance to attack the enemy.
Rupert’s column drew near to Postcombe, a tiny village 3 miles on from Tetsworth, where a troop of Parliamentarian Horse under Colonel Herbert Morley were quartered. Most of these soldiers had heard the shots from Postcombe and were thus already saddled and about to move when the Royalist Dragoons under John Russell attacked the village. By the time the dragoons had dismounted from their ‘nags’, most of the Horse had escaped, but they captured the Colour and nine sleepy soldiers who had missed the rally to arms.
After a rest of about 30 minutes, the column continued to Chinnor, about 4 miles away. Major Will Legge and the advance guard entered the village at the gallop, whilst the rest of the column broke up and surrounded the village. Within the village was a garrison of Sir Samuel Luke’s new Bedfordshire Regiment, under the command of Major Edwards. 60 of these men surrendered straight away, whilst a few others and the officers held out in a cottage. After calling on them to surrender, to which they refused, Lunsford’s men set fire to the cottage, and shot the defenders as they ran out of the back. Rupert captured 3 colours here of Luke’s Regiment, as well as horses and men.
Chinnor was by now in flames, and Sir John Urry was anxious to show Rupert where his intelligence had placed the Treasure Train, which contained £21,000 being carried from London to Thame to pay the army. However, the wagon master, hearing the shots and seeing the flames, hid the wagons in a nearby wood, thus depriving Rupert of this prize.
Essex has recently raided Wheatley on the outskirts of Oxford (The Prince of Wales and General Percy’s regiments saw them off in short order), but Rupert was itching to get his own back on Essex, who as de Gomme puts it, ' made the first courtesy call'. The convoy was supposedly poorly guarded, as Essex did not think that the Royalists would venture so far away from Oxford without sufficient warning that he could move his forces in to protect the treasure. It seemed an ideal chance to raid the surrounding countryside, with the possibility of taking a large amount of money into the bargain. One can imagine how this piracy would have appealed to Rupert’s nature.
Rupert immediately called for his chosen troop commanders; Major Will Legge commanding the vanguard of cavalry drawn from his Lifeguard, Lieut-Col Dan O’Neal commanding Rupert’s Horse, Sir Richard Crane commanding the rest of the Lifeguard of Horse, and fresh from their success at Wheatley, Major Tom Daniel commanding the Prince of Wales Horse, and General Percy commanding his own regiment. The dragoon commander Lord Wentworth, with Colonel Washington and Lieutenant-Colonel John Russell (later to command Rupert’s Bluecoats), and Henry Lunsford, to command the Foote, completed the meeting. The plan was hatched and the troops gathered quickly; Rupert’s, Percy’s and the Prince of Wales Regiments of Horse (approximately 1,000 cavalry troops), 400 dragoons drawn from different regiment (known as ‘Commanded Dragoons’ and 500 foot also drawn from different regiments including Lunsford’s own (known as ‘Commanded Foote’). No colours were taken as this was to be a lightning raid on enemy territory, and the chance of losing a colour was too much to risk.
On 17th June at 4 pm Rupert’s small army rode out from Oxford, crossing the River Cherwell at Chislehampton Bridge. Will Legge’s men led the column, and Percy’s Regiment of Horse followed at the rear. In the middle were the remainder of horse, the dragoons and foot. By one o’clock in the morning, the column (having halted several times for the men and horses to rest) had got to just south of Tetsworth, a Parliamentarian village 12 miles from Oxford. An alert sentry gave the alarm by firing his pistol and carbine, and more sentries opened fire from the side of the road. Rupert prevented his men from replying to the shots (as the matches from the matchlocks would give away numbers in the dark countryside), but a Parliamentarian trooper galloped off to the Parliamentarian Horse Garrison at Thame (3 miles away). Sir Phillip Stapleton, the officer in charge at Thame, would probably have heard the shots and have started to get his men ready to move towards the sounds of gunfire. Stapleton chose several troops of horse to sally out against the raiders, and according to de Gomme’s account ‘Colonel Hampden…who finding of a good troop of Horse (whose Captain was at that time willing) desired to know whether they would be commanded by him upon this design: whereupon the officers and common soldiers freely and unanimously consented’. The troop of horse belonged to Captain Crosse. Hampden, an infantry Colonel with his own regiment of Greencoats, lived in and around Thame, and must have thought this an excellent chance to attack the enemy.
Rupert’s column drew near to Postcombe, a tiny village 3 miles on from Tetsworth, where a troop of Parliamentarian Horse under Colonel Herbert Morley were quartered. Most of these soldiers had heard the shots from Postcombe and were thus already saddled and about to move when the Royalist Dragoons under John Russell attacked the village. By the time the dragoons had dismounted from their ‘nags’, most of the Horse had escaped, but they captured the Colour and nine sleepy soldiers who had missed the rally to arms.
After a rest of about 30 minutes, the column continued to Chinnor, about 4 miles away. Major Will Legge and the advance guard entered the village at the gallop, whilst the rest of the column broke up and surrounded the village. Within the village was a garrison of Sir Samuel Luke’s new Bedfordshire Regiment, under the command of Major Edwards. 60 of these men surrendered straight away, whilst a few others and the officers held out in a cottage. After calling on them to surrender, to which they refused, Lunsford’s men set fire to the cottage, and shot the defenders as they ran out of the back. Rupert captured 3 colours here of Luke’s Regiment, as well as horses and men.
Chinnor was by now in flames, and Sir John Urry was anxious to show Rupert where his intelligence had placed the Treasure Train, which contained £21,000 being carried from London to Thame to pay the army. However, the wagon master, hearing the shots and seeing the flames, hid the wagons in a nearby wood, thus depriving Rupert of this prize.
Having caused ‘much alarem and dismay’ to the Parliamentarian troops and their quarters, and with the chance of Stapleton’s troops of horse dispatched from Thame arriving at any moment, Rupert decided to head for home. I would imagine Urry was held in some contempt by those in charge of the Column for failing to find the treasure, but the fact that they had beaten the Parliamentarians up so badly would have been some consolation.
The Royalist scouts then saw signs of the Parliamentarian Horse from Thame coming in their direction. Rupert sent Lunsford and the Foote back to Chislehampton Bridge, to guard their line of retreat to Oxford – if Stapleton’s men got to the bridge first, they would be trapped in Parliamentarian Country, not so healthy a place to be after the savage way they had treated Chinnor. Three troops of Stapleton’s men commanded by Hampden closed upon the rear of the Royalist column slowly making its way back across Oxfordshire. Once or twice General Percy and Dan O’Neal had to swing their horse regiments 180 degrees about, to keep Hampden and two other troops of horse from attacking the rear of the column. However, Lunsford and his men got clean away and secured the bridge as dawn was breaking.
The main body of the column carried on, and then rested in a cornfield in Chalgrove, about 3 miles from the bridge. It was now about 9 o’clock in the morning, and it looked to be a bright and sunny day. The Royalists stood in the field and watched the remainder of the Parliamentarian forces come down Golder Hill towards them. Besides Hampden’s 3 troops who had snapped at Rupert’s heels from Thame were 2 more troops of horse, a company of dragoons and a few other oddments, no more than 400 men in total. I am sure they were waiting for the rest of the Parliamentarian troops from Thame, about 7 miles away, which Stapleton was hastily putting together. Rupert couldn’t see beyond the hill, and as a great tactician would have realised that a large Parliamentarian force could creep up successfully on him and overwhelm him very soon.
However, the temptation to smite the bothersome troops who had cut short his raid must have been very tempting. He sent the dragoons to
line the hedgerows on the route through back to the bridge, as a cunning ambush. He then turned his Horse round and started to trot slowly
away from the field. At this (according to de Gomme) the Parliamentarian Horse galloped down the hill to engage Rupert’s troops, as he sucked them into his ambush.
Rupert had pulled back far enough that a hedge now lay between him and the Parliamentarian troops, who arrayed themselves into line of
battle. Their dragoons dismounted and formed the centre, whilst the Horse went to each end of the line. To match them, Rupert arrayed his men (the hedge cannot have been overly high, as both sides could see each other). Percy’s Regiment and half of the Prince of Wales’
Regiment lay back in reserve; the rest of the Horse formed line to match the Parliamentarians.
At this point some of Rupert’s commanders may have urged him to retire before the rest of Stapleton’s men arrived, or they were cut off.
However, some Parliamentarian dragoons had moved forward to the hedge, and opened fire on Rupert (who was recognisable by his size, hair and clothing). This apparently infuriated Rupert, who shouted ‘Yea, their insolence shall not be endured’ and launched his horse from the
Royalist ranks and jumped over the hedge. Sir Richard Crane and the Lifeguard would have looked long-sufferingly at each other before racing forward to protect their commander who was about to take on the whole Parliamentarian force by himself. About 15 Lifeguards made it over the hedge, and Rupert lined them up to take on the 400 opponents. The dragoons fired again and emptied a few saddles, but this screen of cavalry had worked and more Lifeguard had made it over the hedge to support Rupert (the horses were tired from the long march and not
really in the mood for show-jumping).
The Royalist scouts then saw signs of the Parliamentarian Horse from Thame coming in their direction. Rupert sent Lunsford and the Foote back to Chislehampton Bridge, to guard their line of retreat to Oxford – if Stapleton’s men got to the bridge first, they would be trapped in Parliamentarian Country, not so healthy a place to be after the savage way they had treated Chinnor. Three troops of Stapleton’s men commanded by Hampden closed upon the rear of the Royalist column slowly making its way back across Oxfordshire. Once or twice General Percy and Dan O’Neal had to swing their horse regiments 180 degrees about, to keep Hampden and two other troops of horse from attacking the rear of the column. However, Lunsford and his men got clean away and secured the bridge as dawn was breaking.
The main body of the column carried on, and then rested in a cornfield in Chalgrove, about 3 miles from the bridge. It was now about 9 o’clock in the morning, and it looked to be a bright and sunny day. The Royalists stood in the field and watched the remainder of the Parliamentarian forces come down Golder Hill towards them. Besides Hampden’s 3 troops who had snapped at Rupert’s heels from Thame were 2 more troops of horse, a company of dragoons and a few other oddments, no more than 400 men in total. I am sure they were waiting for the rest of the Parliamentarian troops from Thame, about 7 miles away, which Stapleton was hastily putting together. Rupert couldn’t see beyond the hill, and as a great tactician would have realised that a large Parliamentarian force could creep up successfully on him and overwhelm him very soon.
However, the temptation to smite the bothersome troops who had cut short his raid must have been very tempting. He sent the dragoons to
line the hedgerows on the route through back to the bridge, as a cunning ambush. He then turned his Horse round and started to trot slowly
away from the field. At this (according to de Gomme) the Parliamentarian Horse galloped down the hill to engage Rupert’s troops, as he sucked them into his ambush.
Rupert had pulled back far enough that a hedge now lay between him and the Parliamentarian troops, who arrayed themselves into line of
battle. Their dragoons dismounted and formed the centre, whilst the Horse went to each end of the line. To match them, Rupert arrayed his men (the hedge cannot have been overly high, as both sides could see each other). Percy’s Regiment and half of the Prince of Wales’
Regiment lay back in reserve; the rest of the Horse formed line to match the Parliamentarians.
At this point some of Rupert’s commanders may have urged him to retire before the rest of Stapleton’s men arrived, or they were cut off.
However, some Parliamentarian dragoons had moved forward to the hedge, and opened fire on Rupert (who was recognisable by his size, hair and clothing). This apparently infuriated Rupert, who shouted ‘Yea, their insolence shall not be endured’ and launched his horse from the
Royalist ranks and jumped over the hedge. Sir Richard Crane and the Lifeguard would have looked long-sufferingly at each other before racing forward to protect their commander who was about to take on the whole Parliamentarian force by himself. About 15 Lifeguards made it over the hedge, and Rupert lined them up to take on the 400 opponents. The dragoons fired again and emptied a few saddles, but this screen of cavalry had worked and more Lifeguard had made it over the hedge to support Rupert (the horses were tired from the long march and not
really in the mood for show-jumping).
O’Neal took Rupert’s Horse around on the left flank. The Parliamentarian Horse there steadied, and drew their carbines, awaiting the charge by standing in line. This tactic had proved very bad at Powick Bridge the previous year, where the Parliamentarian Line of Horse had been
smashed by the Royalist Charge as they stood still to receive it. As O’Neal sounded the charge, the first volley took out a few of his horsemen. The Parliamentarian defenders had time to then drop their carbines and fire their first pistol and were about to fire their second when O’Neal’s charge hit them. Amazingly the Parliamentarians stood their ground. Rupert led his Lifeguard at the charge onto the Parliamentarian front, whilst General Percy had brought the reserves around the hedge and behind Rupert to second the charge. At the same time Major Daniel and the other half of the Prince of Wales’ Horse hit the other flank of the Parliament detachment, thus attacking on three sides.
During this part of the fight Hampden had received his wound. When his body was examined in the 1890s, the comment was made that his arm and shoulder were broken in at least two places, and that the lower arm bone was badly smashed. Various accounts have it that he was shot twice in the arm/shoulder by a Royalist Trooper, or that his gun exploded and smashed his arm after being mistakenly double-loaded
(the doctor who later treated him extracted two pistol balls). Hampden rode away from the battlefield draped over his horse’s neck, and made the 5 miles to Thame before collapsing.
The Parliamentarian troops had stood against the charge, but were badly out-numbered. At one point some of them made as if to move towards Chislehampton Bridge (where we hope Lunsford’s musketeers would have decimated them; the bridge is slightly castellated and quite easy to defend, with excellent sniping positions formed by the banks of the Cherwell). However, Dan O’Neal used men from Percy’s Regiment to attack them and send them back to the melee.
It is known that Rupert personally shot at least one Parliamentarian who attacked him at sword-point, and General Percy killed Major Gunter, the commander of one of the Parliamentarian squadrons. O’Neal offered quarter to a Parliamentarian officer, who refused it, and thus lost his life to O’Neal’s sword. Will Legge, John Urry and Major Daniel were both captured for a short time, as were Samuel Luke and John Dalbier on the Parliamentarian side. Eventually the heavily out-numbered Parliamentarians, no doubt dismayed by the loss of John Hamden and the lack of promised reinforcements, retreated under the command of their remaining officers to Warpsgrove House. Rupert ordered the entire line forward at the charge, and this time the Parliamentarian broke and ran back over Golder Hill towards Thame. After 2 or 3 miles the fugitives from the battle ran into Sir Phillip Stapleton and the reinforcements from Thame (which had taken an inordinately long time to be ready). They stopped before Chalgrove to find out what had happened.
The Parliamentarians had lost 30 dead at Chalgrove and 15 at Warpsgrove. 10 wounded men were found sheltering in a cottage close to the
battlefield. Unfortunately four of these men died whilst being jolted back to Thame on the carts used for wounded. Apparently some of the Parliamentary horsemen had been wearing red scarves around their waists during the battle. It appears no-one had told them this was a Royalist symbol, and they were killed by their own side, the majority of whom wore orange tawny scarves as their Parliamentary symbol.
The Royalists took their 11 prisoners back along the road to Oxford, picking up Lunsford and his men en route. They had lost 1 officer (a Captain Jackson) and 12 men killed, with about 15 wounded. John Hampden died of the infection from his wounds a week later. Tradition has it that the King sent his own doctor to attend to Hampden; had he lived, it is thought that he would have ruled England after Charles I’s passing, not Cromwell.
Hampden was a successful, well-thought of M.P., a gentleman who was popular with both the gentry and common folk. Cromwell at this time
was a mere Captain of Horse; Hampden a Colonel of Foote, with great influence, and a leader of Parliament. The future may have been very
different, had it not been for the discharge of a pistol into his shoulder; whether it was his own or that of a lowly trooper from Rupert’s column we shall never be quite sure. Suffice it to say that the Chalgrove Raid had fascinating ramifications.
Written by Andy George for the regimental magazine.
smashed by the Royalist Charge as they stood still to receive it. As O’Neal sounded the charge, the first volley took out a few of his horsemen. The Parliamentarian defenders had time to then drop their carbines and fire their first pistol and were about to fire their second when O’Neal’s charge hit them. Amazingly the Parliamentarians stood their ground. Rupert led his Lifeguard at the charge onto the Parliamentarian front, whilst General Percy had brought the reserves around the hedge and behind Rupert to second the charge. At the same time Major Daniel and the other half of the Prince of Wales’ Horse hit the other flank of the Parliament detachment, thus attacking on three sides.
During this part of the fight Hampden had received his wound. When his body was examined in the 1890s, the comment was made that his arm and shoulder were broken in at least two places, and that the lower arm bone was badly smashed. Various accounts have it that he was shot twice in the arm/shoulder by a Royalist Trooper, or that his gun exploded and smashed his arm after being mistakenly double-loaded
(the doctor who later treated him extracted two pistol balls). Hampden rode away from the battlefield draped over his horse’s neck, and made the 5 miles to Thame before collapsing.
The Parliamentarian troops had stood against the charge, but were badly out-numbered. At one point some of them made as if to move towards Chislehampton Bridge (where we hope Lunsford’s musketeers would have decimated them; the bridge is slightly castellated and quite easy to defend, with excellent sniping positions formed by the banks of the Cherwell). However, Dan O’Neal used men from Percy’s Regiment to attack them and send them back to the melee.
It is known that Rupert personally shot at least one Parliamentarian who attacked him at sword-point, and General Percy killed Major Gunter, the commander of one of the Parliamentarian squadrons. O’Neal offered quarter to a Parliamentarian officer, who refused it, and thus lost his life to O’Neal’s sword. Will Legge, John Urry and Major Daniel were both captured for a short time, as were Samuel Luke and John Dalbier on the Parliamentarian side. Eventually the heavily out-numbered Parliamentarians, no doubt dismayed by the loss of John Hamden and the lack of promised reinforcements, retreated under the command of their remaining officers to Warpsgrove House. Rupert ordered the entire line forward at the charge, and this time the Parliamentarian broke and ran back over Golder Hill towards Thame. After 2 or 3 miles the fugitives from the battle ran into Sir Phillip Stapleton and the reinforcements from Thame (which had taken an inordinately long time to be ready). They stopped before Chalgrove to find out what had happened.
The Parliamentarians had lost 30 dead at Chalgrove and 15 at Warpsgrove. 10 wounded men were found sheltering in a cottage close to the
battlefield. Unfortunately four of these men died whilst being jolted back to Thame on the carts used for wounded. Apparently some of the Parliamentary horsemen had been wearing red scarves around their waists during the battle. It appears no-one had told them this was a Royalist symbol, and they were killed by their own side, the majority of whom wore orange tawny scarves as their Parliamentary symbol.
The Royalists took their 11 prisoners back along the road to Oxford, picking up Lunsford and his men en route. They had lost 1 officer (a Captain Jackson) and 12 men killed, with about 15 wounded. John Hampden died of the infection from his wounds a week later. Tradition has it that the King sent his own doctor to attend to Hampden; had he lived, it is thought that he would have ruled England after Charles I’s passing, not Cromwell.
Hampden was a successful, well-thought of M.P., a gentleman who was popular with both the gentry and common folk. Cromwell at this time
was a mere Captain of Horse; Hampden a Colonel of Foote, with great influence, and a leader of Parliament. The future may have been very
different, had it not been for the discharge of a pistol into his shoulder; whether it was his own or that of a lowly trooper from Rupert’s column we shall never be quite sure. Suffice it to say that the Chalgrove Raid had fascinating ramifications.
Written by Andy George for the regimental magazine.