Battle of Aldbourne Chase

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Aldbourne Chase
partof=the First English Civil War
date=September 18, 1643
place=Aldbourne, Wiltshire
result=inconclusive
combatant1=Royalists
combatant2=Parliamentarians
commander1=Prince Rupert
commander2=Earl of Essex
strength1=5,000 horse [ [http://www.aldbourne.org.uk/awg/portal/main/?Section=Features&SubSect=41+..Graham+Palmer&Story=Skirmish Aldbourne Community Website in Wiltshire, England ] ]
strength2=10,000 foot, 4,000 horse, 15-20 cannon [ [http://www.aldbourne.org.uk/awg/portal/main/?Section=Features&SubSect=41+..Graham+Palmer&Story=Skirmish Aldbourne Community Website in Wiltshire, England ] ]
casualties1=
casualties2=

Prince Rupert at the head of a flying column found Essex's army dangerously extended at Aldbourne Chase. The action that followed was inconclusive, but allowed to Royalists to get to Newbury ahead of the Parliamentarian army.

Prelude

After relieving the siege of Gloucester, Essex needed to bring his army back to London, and the Royalists saw an oppotunity to stop him. Essex marched north on 10th September to Tewkesbury to feint an attack on Worcester. However, the Royalist army blocked his path at Pershore, and Essex decided on the southern path back to London through Swindon, Newbury and Reading. On 15th September, the Parliamentarian army turned south and scattered a Royalist garrison at Cirencester. The King's army, marching parallel to Essex, attempted to cut him off, and Rupert's cavalry rode ahead to intercept Essex. He met the army of Parliament on the 18th September at Aldbourne [ [http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/military/1643-gloucester-newbury.htm 1643: The Siege of Gloucester&the First Battle of Newbury ] ] .

The battle

Dawn on the 18th September brought wet weather. Rupert's cavalry found Essex's troops extended in line of March across Aldbourne Chase. A running action ensued, including a charge by Colonel Harvey against the Royalists to no avail. The battle passed through the village of Aldbourne, where ammunition wagons were upset and destroyed to prevent their capture [ [http://www.aldbourne.org.uk/awg/portal/main/?Section=Features&SubSect=41+..Graham+Palmer&Story=Skirmish Aldbourne Community Website in Wiltshire, England ] ] .

Aftermath

Following the action, Essex decided to take the route to Newbury via Hungerford [ [http://www.newbury-society.org.uk/history/Civil%20Wars.htm Newbury in the first of the Civil Wars in Englan ] ] , where some of the wounded died [ [http://www.britannia.com/history/berks/hungerford.html Britannia: History of Hungerford (Berkshire) ] ] . This allowed the King's army to occupy Newbury on the 19th September just before the Parliamentarians arrived. The delay at Aldbourne led to the First Battle of Newbury of the 20th September.

References

External links

* [http://www.clash-of-steel.co.uk/pages/battle_details.php?battle=ALDBOURNEC01]