This article is my personal interpretation of this battle. Any mistakes are my own.
During 1643 and beyond, King Charles issued numerous Commissions for the raising of regiments of horse and foot. On paper the Royalists could raise some 60,000 men.
In reality, the Royalists would be lucky to gather a third of that number, the rest being scattered in garrisons all over the country. Regiments were no more than either company or troop strength.
However, at this time the Royalists were in the ascendancy. Parliamentary Generals could not work as a unified Command, with each County Association jealously guarding against amalgamation. The “ New Model Army” was still in the future.
Taking advantage of the confusion within the enemies ranks, Queen Henrietta, having recently returned from the Continent, left York with a large convoy of weapons and material destined for Oxford.
This convoy, also had 3,000 foot, 30 companies of horse and dragoons along with 6 cannon and two mortars. The whole being escorted by the Duke of Newcastle.
After arriving at Newark and making sure the Queen and the supplies were secure, the Earl set out with his force to find the local Parliamentary army and destroy it thereby securing the North of England for the King.
To that end, Newcastle set out toward Bradford. He didn’t know that the Parliamentary forces under Fairfax were heading toward his army also intent on battle.
At Adwalton Moor, the advance guards of both armies accidentally ran into each other and had their first clash on Wisket Hill, with the Royalists giving way. During this skirmish, the main Royalist army drew up to the South-east at Hunger Hill. As the Royalist skirmishers took up their positions with the main army, the Parliamentary forces advanced into the enclosed area to the North-west of the Royalist position. As the Royalist cannon belched out their welcome, battle was joined………
THE PARLIAMENTARY ARMY: 3,500 Infantry and 500 Cavalry.
4,000 = 4pts x 10 = 40pts.
C-in-C Ferdinando Fairfax Senior @1pt.
Thomas Fairfax @ 1pt
John Gifford @ 1pt.
2 stands of Light Foot Artillery @ 1pt equals 2pts.
9 stands of Muskets @ 2pts = 18pts.
3 stands of Pikemen @ 3pts = 9ps.
3 stands of Clubmen @ 1pt =3 points.
2 stands of Cavalry @ 2pts = 4pts.
1 stand of Dragoons. @ 1pt.
Note: the Clubmen do not carry firearms relying instead on a wooden club or quarter-staff. I repainted some pikemen and glued a shortened cocktail stick to the illustrations.
THE ROYALIST ARMY: 10,000 = 10pts x 10 = 100 pts.
C-in-C William Cavendish, Earl of Newcastle @ 1pt.
Sir Henry Slingsby @ 1pt.
Colonel Kirton @ 1pt.
5,000 Cavalry = 5pts x 10 = 50pts.
5.000 Infantry = 5pts x 10 = 50pts.
8 stands of Pikemen @ 3pts = 24pts.
10 stands of Muskets @ 2pts = 20pts
16 stands of Cavalry @ 3pts = 48pts.
2 stands of Dragoons @ 1pt equals 2points.
3 stands of Light Artillery @ 1pt equals 3pts.
SPECIAL RULES.
* Both sides throw dice to determine who has the Initiative Point as per the basic rules.
* Royalist Musketeers deduct 1pt from all firing die rolls.
* All musketeers on both sides deduct 1pt from each die roll when firing on a target behind a hedge.
* When a stand moves into the trench it must stop moving. It can be moved at the start of the next Game-Turn.
* Cavalry cannot jump over hedgerow.
* The Cavalry and Pikemen can only move through the face of a square not a diagonal.
* The Musketeers, Mounted and Dismounted Dragoons can move in any direction.
* Infantry can push through Hedgerow but, can only be moved one square when doing so.
* Both sides cannot move any stands over, or through the squares containing the coal pits.
* There is no mention of cannon being moved during the battle so the cannon of both sides are static.
* If Cavalry attack any enemy Infantry stands positioned in the Trench, the Cavalry do not get the three points for attacking Infantry in the open.
* Any opposed Infantry in Close Combat across the hedge: use the rules regarding”Trench”.
VICTORY CONDITIONS:
* The Game is played for eight Game-Turns.
* The Royalists win if they can push all the Parliamentary stands from the enclosures toward Wisket Hill either before/ or by, the end of Game-Turn 8.
* The Parliamentary Army wins if it can hold its position in the enclosures for the Eight Game-Turns.
THE HISTORY:
When the Parliamentary troops initially encountered the Royalist advance guard on Wisket Hill, they managed to push them back across the Moor. It was said that the Royalist musket fire was “ a bit light”
I’m assuming that either the Royalists didn’t have enough powder, not trained enough with their weapons, or had a mixture of weapons. Possibly all three. The great Royal Arsenal of Hull fell to Parliamentary forces quite early in the war.
At this time Parliamentry infantry had better access to weapons so they could maintain two Muskets to every pikemen. The Royalists struggled to maintain their armies therefore the ratio was roughly 50/50
When Fairfax Senior saw the preponderance of Royalist Cavalry, this may have been the reason he ordered a rapid advance into the enclosures.
In modern times the battlefield is being slowly encroached upon by housing estates. The commentator at the time talked of a ditch that extended across the battlefield although there is no trace of it now.
The Royalist Cavalry had a real problem trying to break into, and move around the Parliamentarian position. The fighting was very intense
The actual history of the battle is very sparse and apparently has not received much attention. The historians are not sure even if this is the actual site of the battle. However in recent times, the battle and its effects on the War are being reappraised.
CREDITS:
Once again, the figures used were the Paper Soldiers of Peter Dennis ( Trademark Peter Dennis.) sold by Helion and Co.
The village of Adwalton is foamboard with illustrations stuck on. The hedgerow is pieces of panscrubber stuck on card.
The hills were made from foamboard with thin card overlay.
The flags were homemade from cocktail sticks and labels. The cannon were also scratchbuilt using card, plastic tubing from paint brushes and buttons.
