During the year following its organization the regiment, including John Disbrowe's troop, participated in many minor clashes with the King's men throughout the eastern area. The Royalists were driven back and the Eastern Counties Association was secured. The regiment gained valuable battle experience and its successes were recognized by the promotion of its commander, Colonel Cromwell, to the rank of Lieutenant General in January 1644.

At this stage neither side had gained the advantage. While Parliament had been successful in the east, in other areas the King's forces held the most important towns and cities. Since Edgehill the engagements had been, for the most part, skirmishes between relatively small units. But now at Marston Moor in Yorkshire, a major battle was in the making.

A large Royalist force commanded by the Marquis of Newcastle, under pressure from the Scots, had withdrawn into the walled city of York. A Parliamentary army under the Fairfaxes (father and son) [1], and a Scots army under Alexander Leslie [2], surrounded the city. They were joined by another Parliamentary army of 9000 under the Earl of Manchester. Manchester's cavalry, numbering 3000, was under the command of Cromwell; his own regiment constituted about a third of the force. Major Disbrowe (he had recently been promoted) was there. He was now either second or third in command of the regiment.

Prince Rupert, who had been operating in the north, marched south with 15,000 men to relieve Newcastle at York. On his approach the Parliamentary forces abandoned their siege lines and moved out to intercept him. But Rupert skillfully evaded them and marched triumphantly into York where he joined the besieged Royalists commanded by the Marquis of Newcastle. He then, with his combined forces numbering about 18,000 men marched to the west and occupied a position on Marston Moor. The Parliamentary forces, numbering about 27,000 men, at first withdrew to the south, but at the urging of Sir Thomas Fairfax, who had remained in contact with the Royalist army, they reversed their direction and by late afternoon on July 2, 1644, they confronted the King's armies on the Moor. It is interesting to note that on neither side was there a unified command.

Map of the Battle of Marston Moor

On Marston Moor there was a great ditch which crossed it in an east - west direction. From its centre eastward it was very deep and tall hedges grew on both banks. Westerly is was shallower and there were no hedges. South of the ditch the ground rose and on these slopes rye and wheat were growing. The village of Marston was to the east and on the west, another smaller village called Tockwith. On the eastern edge of the moor the ground was very rough and covered with gorse; the western edge was wet and soft.

The Royalist armies were drawn up on the northern edge of the ditch with the infantry in the centre and the cavalry on the flanks. The artillery was positioned in the ditch itself as was also a small force of musketeers. Rupert, with his regiment of lifeguards, occupied a position to the rear of the centre from where he expected to direct the battle.

The Parliamentarians were drawn up in similar order on the south bank. In the centre were some 18,000 English and Scots infantry consisting of musketeers and pikemen. On the left flank Cromwell commanded 4500 cavalry, including his own regiment and about 1000 Scots under Leslie. On the right flank the cavalry, 3500 strong, was commanded by Sir Thomas Fairfax; it included three regiments of Scottish horse. The Parliamentary artillery was positioned in front of the troops on the rising ground between the lines.

In the early afternoon there was an exchange of fire by the artillery and then the two armies settled down to wait, each seemingly willing to allow its adversary the first move in the battle. During the afternoon there were rain showers which created great discomfort among the men on both sides. In the Royalist lines they could hear, throughout the long afternoon, the sound of psalm singing by the Parliamentarians. At seven o'clock Rupert and Newcastle, deciding there would be no battle that day, imprudently retired behind the lines to dine. No sooner had they left when, on command, the whole Parliamentary line advanced to begin the battle.

The ditch was quickly crossed and the armies met in bloody hand-to-hand fighting. On the left, Cromwell's horse in which Major Disbrowe rode, moved forward first at the trot, and then at the gallop. Rupert's cavalry under Byron [3] moved forward to meet it but, finding themselves on soft ground their horses bogged down and they were unable to mount a charge. They were at the mercy of Cromwell's horse whose momentum gave them the advantage.

Rupert, seeing that Byron was in trouble, impetuously came to his rescue with his regiment of lifeguards. He gained a temporary advantage but lost it when Leslie's horse charged his right flank. Rupert's troopers fled in disorder to the rear but Cromwell's squadrons, with their new discipline, halted, reformed their ranks and returned to the battlefield. A few of Leslie's Scots were dispatched to pursue the cavaliers.

Elsewhere the Parliamentary forces were in deep trouble. Initially the infantry of left centre had advanced across the ditch and turned the flank of the Royalist foot. But in the centre, being fiercly attacked by Newcastle's foot, they gave way. On the right flank Fairfax had done his best to get his troopers through the hedges and across the ditch. But at this point it was very deep and the rough moor beyond was difficult terrain for cavalry. To add to their difficulties, the Royalist musketeers, who had been posted in the ditch, inflicted heavy losses on them as they attempted to break through. In the end about 400 got across to engage the right of the Royalist cavalry. But they were too few and they were quickly outflanked by the Royalist cavalry of the left who circled past them to attack the desperate Parliamentary infantry which, by this time, had been driven back across the ditch. Some of Goring's [4] cavalry attacked the reserves of Fairfax and pursued them in the direction of Tadcaster. The time at this point was about 8:30 p. m. and the battle scene was one of the utmost confusion. The losses on both sides had been very heavy.

On the northern side of the ditch a remnant of the Parliamentary infantry under Crawford [5] was still intact though under fierce attack by Newcastle's infantry. Meanwhile Cromwell ,with 60 troops of horse, had reformed after routing Rupert's cavalry and now occupied the position of the Royalist cavalry at the beginning of the battle. He now rode to the east scattering the Royalist cavalry which was protecting their infantry at the centre. Then turning again, he charged repeatedly into Newcastle's foot which resisted so desperately that nearly two hours were needed to defeat them.

It was a great victory for Parliament and a triumph for Cromwell whose brilliant use of cavalry had been the deciding factor in the battle. About 4000 Royalists were killed, while 1500 prisoners and much booty were taken. Rupert, narrowly escaping capture, fled to York from whence he departed the following morning with about 6000 troops who had survived the battle. It was Rupert, though he had suffered a great defeat, who admiringly designated Cromwell's cavalry, "The Ironsides", the name by which they were known thereafter.

Major John Disbrowe came through the battle unharmed (Walton was killed) and, as did all the officers of the Ironsides, learned much from this demonstration of the effectiveness of the new tactics.

Notes for Chapter Four:

[1] - Lord Fairfax and his son Sir Thomas Fairfax

[2] - Alexander Leslie, the Earl of Levan

[3] - Lord Byron

[4] - Lord Goring

[5] - Major General Lawrence Crawford

Chapter Five: Naseby and the New Model