Re: David Trail Sr.-More Eastern Shore connections
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In reply to:
Re: David Trail Sr.-More Eastern Shore connections
George 6/21/04
The soldiers captured at the Battle of Dunbar were not Jacobite. Nor were any of the soldiers prior to 1660. They were in fact in support of the Presbyterian Church and considered themselves Calvinists and because of their dislike of the English Parliament supporting Charles II. So the names of the two parties were the royalists and the Parliementary Republicans
1650 - Battle Of Dunbar
The Calvinists were in support of Charles II when he became King and signed both the Covenants in 1649 after his fathers execution by Cromwell. Cromwell, however, was not. With sixteen thousand men he invaded Scotland in July and headed for Edinburgh, expecting to rendezvous with his supply ships at Leith. David Leslie and the Scots army did not let him.
By August Cromwell had backtracked to Dunbar. As the Scots followed, Covenanting ministers dismissed from among them any who did not meet their godly standards. Least satisfactory were the professional soldiers, most of whom were told to leave, and Leslie’s force dropped by five thousand, leaving what was described by an appalled officer as ‘an army of clerks and ministers’ sons’.
Even so, by September Cromwell’s men were pushed up against the sea at Dunbar with no sign of their supplies, and with their premium position on Doune Hill above, the Scots had only to wait for the already weak enemy to surrender.
Patience was not among the fervent ministers’ virtues. Ignoring Leslie and knowing nothing of military tactics, they sent his twenty thousand men down the hill.
It was the consummate military blunder.
Three thousand were killed and ten thousand captured. Edinburgh Castle belonged to Cromwell by December.
Ten thousand are a lot of people. Cromwell was not noted for his mercy
More Replies:
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Re: David Trail Sr.-More Eastern Shore connections
George 6/22/04
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Re: David Trail Sr.-More Eastern Shore connections
Elsie Ritchie 6/22/04
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Re: David Trail Sr.-More Eastern Shore connections