Volume 2 > Half-Volume 4

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judices, the prepossessions, and the ignorance of
those whom the circumstances of birth placed over
him as directors. His lordship acquired extensive
landed property, particularly Inchmartin in the Carse
of Cowrie, which he called Inchleslie. He was twice
married: first to Agnes, daughter of Renton of Billy
in Berwickshire, and by her had two sons, Gustavus
and Alexander, the latter of whom succeeded him as
Earl of Leven, and five daughters. After the death
of his first wife, which took place in 1651, he married
Frances, daughter of Sir John Ferriers of Tamworth
in Staffordshire, relict of Sir John Parkington,Baronet
of Westwood, in the county of Worcester, by whom
he had no issue. His peerage finally became merged
by a female with that of Melville, in conjunction
with which it still exists.
LESLIE, DAVID, a celebrated military com-
mander during the civil wars, and the first Lord
Newark, was the fifth son of Patrick Leslie of Pit-
cairly, commendator of Lindores, by his wife, Lady
Jean Stuart, second daughter of Robert, first Earl
of Orkney. Of his early life little more is known
than that, like many others of his countrymen, he
went into the service of Gustavus Adolphus, King
of Sweden, where he distinguished himself by his
military talents, and attained to the rank of colonel
of horse. Returning from the Continent at, or
shortly after, the commencement of the civil wars,
he was appointed major-general to the army that
was sent into England under the command of the
Earl of Leven to the assistance of the parliament.
This army, which marched for England in the month
of January, 1644, after suffering greatly from the
state of the roads and want of provisions, joined the
parliamentary forces at Tadcaster, on the 2Oth of
April, with whom they were united in the siege of
York, which was raised on the night of Sunday, the
3Oth of June, by the advance of Prince Rupert, with
all the strength of the royal army. Determined to
give him battle, the confederates took post on Mar-
ston Moor, on the south side of the Ouse, about five
miles distant from the scene of their former opera-
tions. Here they hoped to have interrupted the
march of the prince towards the city, which he was
desirous of gaining; but permitting their attention to
be engrossed by a party of horse which he despatched
for this purpose, to contest the passage of a river, he
in the meantime succeeded in throwing the whole of
his army into the town. His immediate object thus
gained, he was advised by his colleague, the Marquis
of Newcastle, to rest satisfied till he should receive
reinforcements, or till the dissensions which now
appeared among the confederates should rise to such
a height as to destroy the unanimity of their proceed-
ings. Rupert, however, was not of a disposition to
wait for remote contingencies when he conceived
the chances to be already in his favour; he therefore
hastened to Marston Moor, the position the enemy
themselves had chosen, and came upon their rear
when they were already on their march for Tadcaster,
Cawwood, and Selby, by occupying which they in-
tended to cut off his supplies, and to hem him in till
the arrival of additional forces should render his cap-
ture easy, and his escape impossible. The Scottish
troops in advance of the army were already within a
mile of Tadcaster, when about nine o'clock of the
morning of the 22d of July, 1644, the alarm was
given that Prince Rupert's horse, to the number of
5000, were pressing on the rear of the confederates,
while the main body of his army occupied the moor
which they had just left. The march was instantly
countermanded, and preparations for an engagement
made with the least possible delay. The prince,
however, having full possession of the moor, they
were compelled to draw up part of their troops in an
adjoining field of rye, their right bearing upon the
town of Marston, and their line extending about a
mile and a half fronting the moor. By three o'clock
in the afternoon both armies, amounting to 25,000
men each, were formed in order of battle. The royal
army was commanded on the right by Prince Rupert
in person; on the left by Sir Charles Lucas, assisted
by Colonel Harvey; while the centre was led by
Generals Goring, Porter, and Tilyard. The Mar-
quis of Newcastle was also in the action, but the
place he occupied has not been ascertained. The
parliamentary army was composed on the right of
horse, partly Scottish, commanded by Sir Thomas
Fairfax; on the left, likewise horse, by the Earl of
Manchester, and Cromwell his lieutenant-general,
assisted by Major-general David Leslie; and in the
centre by Lord Fairfax and the Earl of Leven. The
battle commenced with a discharge of great guns,
which did little execution on either side. A ditch,
separating the combatants, rendered the assault a
matter of difficulty and peculiar danger, and both
stood for some minutes in breathless expectation
waiting the signal for attack. On that signal being
made, Manchester's foot and the Scots of the main
body in a running march cleared the ditch, and ad-
vanced boldly to the charge, accompanied by the
horse, who also rushed forward to the attack. The
fiery Rupert with his squadrons instantly advanced
upon the no less fiery, but far more cautious, Crom-
well. The conflict was terrible; every individual,
being under the eye of his leader, exerted himself as
if the fate of the day had -been intrusted to his single
arm. The troops of Cromwell, however, supported
by David Leslie and the Scottish horse, charged
through the very flower of the cavaliers, putting them
completely to flight, while Manchester's foot, keep-
ing pace with them, cut down and dispersed the
iniantry. The Marquis of Newcastle's regiment
alone disdained to flee, and their dead bodies, dis-
tinguished by their white uniforms, covered the
ground they had occupied when alive. On the
other extremity of the line Sir Thomas Fairfax and
Colonel Lambert, with a few troops of horse, charged
through the royal army, and met their own victorious
left wing. The remainder, however, were completely
defeated, and even Fairfax's victorious brigade was
thrown into confusion by some new raised regiments
wheeling back upon it, and treading down in their
flight the Scottish reserve under the Earl of Leven,
who, driven from the field, fled to Tadcaster, carry-
ing with them the news of a total defeat. Cromwell,
Leslie, and Manchester, perceiving the rout of their
friends, returned to the field as the victors were about
to seize upon the spoil. The fate of the day was now
reversed. The royal troops occupied the field of rye,
and the parliamentary forces the moor. Each, how-
ever, determined if possible to preserve the advan-
tage they had gained, and both once more joined
battle. The struggle now, however, though bloody,
was short and decisive. The shattered remains of
the royal army sought shelter in York; leaving all
their baggage, artillery, military stores, and above a
hundred stand of colours, in the hands of the con-
querors. Upwards of 3000 men were left dead on
the field; and upwards of 1500 prisoners�more than
l00 of whom were principal officers�fell into the
hands of the conquerors. This victory was the death-
blow to the affairs of the king, and greatly added to
the reputation of Cromwell and Leslie, between whom
the whole merit of the affair was divided; the In-
dependents claiming the largest share for Cromwell,
and the Presbyterians for Leslie. The combined