Siege of Gloucester

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Siege of Gloucester
partof=the First English Civil War
date=August 10-September 5, 1643
place=Gloucester, Gloucestershire
result=Decisive Parliamentarian victory
combatant1=Royalists
combatant2=Parliamentarians
commander1=Charles I
Prince Rupert
commander2=Colonel Edward Massey
strength1=about 35,000
strength2=1,500 regular troops
unknown local militia
casualties1=3,000+ killed or wounded
casualties2=50 killed or wounded

The Siege of Gloucester was an engagement in the First English Civil War. It took place took place between the August 3 and September 5, 1643, between the defending Parliamentarian garrison of Gloucester and the besieging army of King Charles I. The siege ended with the arrival of relieving Parliamentarian army under the Earl of Essex. The Royalist forces withdrew, having sustaining heavy casualties and had several cannon disabled as a result of sallies made by the defenders.

Prelude

The siege took place after a run of Royalist successes, known as the "Royalist summer". After the fall of Cirencester, Gloucester was one of the few remaining Parliamentarian strongholds in the west. During a council of war at Bristol, the King faced a decision to either attack a weakened London, or to solidify the South Western Royalist stronghold by attacking the small garrison at Gloucester. Although the reasons for his decision are not known, Gloucester's position cutting the overland route between royalist Wales and Cornwall made it a favourable target and with the city having only a very small garrison the King may have believed that Gloucester would fall quickly.

Five days before the arrival of the Royalist army the defenders had discovered they were to be attacked and messengers were sent to London to ask Parliament for assistance.

The Siege

On August 10, the Royalist Army arrived at Gloucester and promptly demanded that Colonel Massey surrender. Massey refused and Royalist forces began digging in and setting up artillery batteries around the south and east gates of the city and severed or diverted water pipes. The defenders burned houses and other obstacles outside the city walls. The bombardment of the city began.

Over the next days the defenders made several sallies from the gates attacking and disabling Royalist artillery, taking prisoners and tools. Breaches in the wall were filled with cannon baskets and wool sacks. The Royalists made attempts to drain the city moat and fill it in at places.

On August 26, the Earl of Essex left London with an army of 15,000 men to relieve the City. Meanwhile, the Royalist Army began tunneling to place a mine under the east gate but a sudden outbust of bad weather flooded the tunnel leaving enough time for the Earl of Essex to arrive and reinforce the city.

By the end of the siege, Colonel Massey had only 3 barrels of gunpowder left for the defence of the City.

Aftermath

With the Arrival of the Earl of Essex, the Royalists forces withdrew and began to march on towards London. They intercepted Essex's army at the First Battle of Newbury, but failed to destroy it.

External links

[http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/military/1643-gloucester-newbury.htm#gloucester British Civil War site]