The Battle of Edgehill
Sir Robert Walsh

23 October 1642

The wars beginning then; truly I was offered by the Houses of Parliament a considerable employment, my Tenent not leading me that way, I quietly got away, and went for York where my King was; and I in no ill equipage, and after kissing his hand, applyed my self unto the Lord Henry Wilmot late Earl of Rochester deceased, who left this Young Lord, I hope to inherit the Father's Worth and Gallantry. The Lord Wilmot was then raising a Regiment of Horse for his Majesty, and as soon as I came to him, he did embrace me, bidding me welcome; not Alamode but in effect, telling me I should command his own Troop, then a raising, so I did, and in it a Hundred Valiant brave men, most Gentlemen of Estate and Quality, who not long after did so approve themselves; who could not choose but so to do, having such a General in the head of them as was his Lordship, what hath not he done to leave his Name Renowned....

Now give me leave Noble Readers, to give a relation of the first War betwixt King and Parliament, which truly is uncontradictable, for it shall carry nothing in it but a real Character of truth. At the Battle of Edge-hill, His Higheness Prince Rupert that ever Renowned Person, Commanded the right Wing of our Horse, who put the Enemies into an absolute rout, and the Earl of Brandford the left, unto whose share it came to charge the Enemies right Wing, His Highness putting into a derout their left Wing, the Battle begun upon a Sunday Morning, and the Lord Digby commanded our reserve of Horse, who gave more Testimony of his Courage then of conduct, but that never to be buried in oblivion the deceased Earl of Rochester, this Lord being then Commissary General of the Horse, and in the head of our left Wing of Horse, and in the head of his one Troop, Commanded by Sir Robert Walsh, and his Lordships Troop consisting of at least a Hundred Brave and Noble Gentlemen, as Sir John Dongan, Sir Brien O Neale, Sir Henry Talbot, Sir Walter Dongan, son to Sir John, brave Irish Gentlemen, whose most Valiant deportment gave great Testimony of their Loyalty, as I may say did the whole Troop and his Regiment, as may witness that first service they were in, his Royal Majesty of Blessed Memory, and His now sacred Majesty, and his Royal Highness, were not only there as witness of their Loyal subjects, but also hazardly and dangerously ingaged in the said Battle, to their great and ever Renowned Everlasting Glory. The Lord Wilmot having charged the right Wing of the Enemy, did beat them and put them so in disorder, as that they run confusedly into Kington, which was in the Rear of their Army, the reserve of our Horse unpremeditatedly follow the pursuit of the Enemy, which gave the advantage unto the reserve of the Enemy's Horse, as also unto their main Body, that they fell upon that Renowned Most Honorable Earl of Linzy our General, and so furiously, as that His Majesties own Regiment was disordered, and divers of their standards taken at the same time, where the Noble Lord Gerard Commanding Three Regiments of Foot made a most manly stand, our Horse being for the most part mingled in the Enemies, and his Highness Prince Rupert's Horse pursuing, fortune proved so favorable unto Sir Robert Walsh, as to keep the Lord Wilmots Troop in a Body unscattered, so as he encountred some of the Horse that charged the Earl of Linzy in their return, this being in the rear of the Enemy's Army towards the Town of Kington, Sir Robert with his Troop charged them and recovered the standards, which they took from the King's Regiment, and also took some of the Enemies, and Sir Robert being then in the rear of the Enemies Army in the Town of Kington, did sieze upon Two Pieces of Cannon and a Waggon, brought them into the rear of His Majesties Army. His Glorious Majesty having lain that night upon the top of Edge-hill, his Army not then drawn from the Enemies, Sir Robert towards Morning brought the Two Pieces of Cannon and Waggon to the bottom of Edge-hill, and brought the standard of His Majesties, and some of the Enemies unto His Highness Prince Rupert, who immediately did present them, and Sir Robert unto His majesty, who was graciously pleased, there to Knight Sir Robert for the acceptable service he then did render.

Robert Walsh. A True Narrative and Manifest. (1679).