Battle of Newburn Ford, 28th August 1640 Pt. 1: 1300

So finally got soldiers on the table. It’s going to be a long process, but going to be well worth doing. Goal: to play every single battle of the English Civil War. Madness-probably. Impossible: Probably. But I think, well worth it for giving purpose towards further writing/modelling projects.

The battle is set out as a mini-campaign around the only major battle of the Bishops War, at Newburn Ford. the battle will be played out over five games, with each game feeding into the other-so that if a unit of two dragoons appears in the first scenario, get killed off, but i due to appear in the 5^th scenario, they remain dead, thus sewing a seed of doubt at the back of the commanders mind needing to conserve troops for later use.

Background

Amid widespread opposition to Charles I’s imposed Episcopalianism and New Book of Common Prayer on a dominant Scots’ Presbyterian Population in 1637, the population of Southern Scotland signed the National League and Covenant and raised an army. Outstripping anything the King could raise, its officer corps blooded in Sweden and the Low Countries, the Scots’ emerged victorious from the short lived First Bishops War, with two ignominious standoffs at Kelso and Duns Law. However Charles was not one to sit idle for long and conflict would continue. To pre-empt Charles, the Covenanters must invade first.

Reaching the lowest crossing point on the River Tyne, the Covenanter forces under Sir Alexander Leslie could effectively bottle in the coal trade coming out of Newcastle, from the weak southern defences, hampering any Royalist opposition before it could even muster. Outnumbering their Royalist opposition by 7:1, the Covenanters held all the negotiating cards.

A Royalist detachment from the garrison of Newcastle under Lord Conway, had initially ensconced themselves at the ford. He had been ordered personally by the Earl of Strafford to give battle to the Scots by any means necessary. John Rushworth wrote;

... were drawn forth into a plain Meadow ground which was near a mile in length, close on the South side of [the] Tyne, called Newborne-Haugh or Stella-Haugh, to hinder the Scots from passing the River in the night time, where were two several Sconces or Breast-works raised by the English against the two Fords, which the Scots might pass over at Low water, for till then they could not pass the Tyne, and into each Sconce were put four hundred Musqueteers and four pieces of Ordinance.

The Horse were drawn into Squadrons in the said Haugh at some distance from the Foot, in this posture Horse and Foot guarded the River all that night and the next day, till the engagement.

The Scots all the forenoon watered their Horses at one side of the River, and the English on the other side, without affronting one another or giving any reproachful language.

Sir Alexander Leslie

Captain Thomas Dymock wrote;

Their army appeared marching on the hills above the ford when we were drawing into our miserable works in the valley, where we lay so exposed to their battery, that their great shot was bowled in amongst our men, to their great loss.

John Rushworth on the Scot’s dispositions;

The Scots, having the advantage of the rising ground above Newbourne, easily discerned the posture and motion of the English Army below in the Valley on the Southside the River, but the posture of the Scots Army the English could not discern, by reason of the Houses, Hedges, and Inclosures in and about Newbourne.  The Scots brought some Cannon into Newbourne Town, and planted some in the Church Steeple a small distance from the River Tyne, their Musqueteers were placed in the Church, Houses, Lanes and Hedges in and about Newbourne.

 At midday on the 28th, Leslie sent forward a herald to give terms, assuring Conway of no ill will on his part, wishing to petition the King. Conway agreed to a small party, but not the whole army. The herald was taunted away by the Royalist pickets.

Looking from the Scots positions at Ryton, down onto the battlefield

At 1pm, with the tide falling, a Scottish officer, wearing a black feather in his bonnet, rode into the river. He was shot down immediately. This prompted Leslie into an initial advance led by 300 Covenanter horse.

How it played out

Played out on a 120cm² table, victory depended on routing the other army from the field. Caught in an immediate crossfire, options were limited to the four units of Covenanter Dragoons. Note, you will notice many of them depicted in redcoats throughout the article, this was due to the 1640 issue for Monroes Scot’s Army for Ireland being issued with them-they are likely to have worn out very quickly.

However initial initiative failures on the part of Conway’s forces, commanded by yours truly, meant that ample time was provided for the dragoons to find cover within the ample tree line on the far side of the Tyne. But, still being too far away from the Royalist earthworks, no pot-shots could to be taken at their opposing gun teams. Any river crossing will slow down an army’s progress and this would be no different. Call it Cole’s crossing, 17^th century style.

However, succeeding on initiative the following turn and successfully rolling to fire, a round shot barrelled into Leven’s unit. Only one casualty was inflicted, but this was crucial when rolling to inflict a lucky blow, it became apparent that Leven had had his head taken off-curtailing any further military reputation at Marston Moor! All subsequent units passed their initiative, but with their commander out for six, stopped for that turn. A further shot barrelled into Leven’s dragoons, taking out another three, but they remained intact.

The following turn, provided a bit of welcome release to the Covenanters, with both guns now reloading, and the Royalist foot trying to invert, to provide covering fire once the dragoons got across the Tyne. However failed initiative from Monck’s company meant this was only partly achieved. However initially this would not matter, advance now being slowed by the dragoons wandering from the woods and venturing into the tide.

This would be most felt as again a raging crossfire, forced all but one unit back across the river, Leven’s own dragoons being wiped out. But rallying, Montrose’s successfully got across and in and amongst the earthworks, delivering a point blank volley at Monck’s company and wiping it out before the guns and infantry could pivot to meet this threat. Applied use of massed volleys and hailshot being used to wipe the Covenanter threat from the field.

Will they have a chance to build a successful bridgehead to finally take out the guns? Find out next month.

Sources:

Guest, K and D. British Battles: The Frontlines of History in Colour Photographs (HarperCollins/EH, 1994)

Leck, M. “Weapon’s for the Rebels: The Swedish Influence on the Battle of Newburn” Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy 87 (Karwansaray Publishing, Zutphen, 2016)

English Heritage Battlefield Report: Newburn Ford 1640 (London, 1995) DOI: https://content.historicengland.org.uk/content/docs/battlefields/newburn.pdf