This battle was the last opportunity for the Scottish to defeat the English army under Oliver Cromwell, but it was squandered by intervention for the church. A memorial is on site besides the main cavalry action that turned the tide of the battle and there is monument to one of the great Scottish losses, William Douglas in the gardens of Broxmouth House, where Cromwell was camped. History of the Battle of Dunbar: Cromwell had failed to take Edinburgh and had fled with his army to Dunbar on the way to England where the New Model Army were camped, tired and many of them sick, on Dunbar Golf Course, pursued by Cromwell’s once ally General Leslie and his force almost double that of the British forces. Hemmed in on all sides with the Scots occupying all of the higher ground, Cromwell faced the option of either battling uphill or remaining to starve in the damp conditions, but his dilemma was solved by the Scottish forces who were inching forwards down the hill where they began to set up their camps ready for a battle the following day. This move was not of Leslie’s doing but advised by the Covenanter ministers committee, predominantly religious men. Cromwell took his chance and attacked before dawn catching Leslie’s men asleep in their tents and though the Scottish forces were able to regroup and at one stage to appear as if they would be victorious, Cromwell forced a hole in their defences and pushed his cavalry through to drive the Scots back into carnage. With so many losses, the lesser trained and disciplined soldiers scarpered off into the countryside there they were only cut down by Cromwell’s cavalry. Ten thousand Scotsmen were taken prisoner, the half who were wounded were released on parole while the rest were marched back to England, suffering heavily with illness on the way due to the lack of food and water. Less than two thousand of the original five thousand survived the two months until they were sold as slaves.

Written by  Anthony Harrison.

Add comment

Comments, reviews and questions

There are no posts. Why not be the first to have your say?

Add a comment, review or question

Make a comment Ask a question Write a review

Review title

Your comment

Your rating

Choose rating... Don't go Go Must go

Your name

Your email address