The Battle of Marston Moor
Arthur Trevor to Lieutenant-General, The Marquis of Ormonde

10 July 1644

In the fire, smoke and confusion of that day, the runaways on both sides were so many, so breathless, so speechless, and so full of fears, that I should not have taken them for men; both armies being mingled, both horse and foot; no side keeping their own posts.

In this horrible distraction did I coast the country; here meeting with a shoal of Scots crying out 'Weys us, we are all undone'; and so full of lamentation and mourning, as if their day of doom had overtaken, and from which they knew not whither to fly: and anon I met with a ragged troop reduced to four and a Cornet; by and by with a little foot officer without hat, band, sword, or indeed anything but feet and so much tongue as would serve to enquire the way to the next garrisons, which (to say the truth) were well filled with the stragglers on both sides within a few hours, though they lay distant from the place of the fight 20 or 30 miles.

I shall now give your Excellence the short of the action. The armies faced one another upon Hessam-Moor, three miles from York, about 12 of the clock, and there continued within the play of the enemy's cannon until 5 at night; during all which time the Prince and the Marquis of Newcastle were playing the orators to the soldiers in York, (being in a raging mutiny in the town for their pay) to draw them forth to join with the Prince's foot; which was at last effected, but with much unwillingness. The enemy perceiving the advance of that addition to the Prince's army, instantly charged our horse, and mingled with very great execution on both sides. On the left wing the enemy had the better of us, and on the right wing, where the Prince charged, we had infinitely the better of the enemy; so that in truth the battle was very doubtful, as in the number of the slain as well as the success of the day. This, my Lord, is what can be punctually said of this encounter; each side being retired with a broken wing and gone to the bone-setter.

[In code in the original:]
The horse of P. Rupert and Lord Byron were totally routed; all their cannon taken; the Marquis of Newcastle fled unto Scarborough, and some say unto France; P. Rupert's forces of foot destroyed; yet he keeps the field with 5000 horse and 2000 foot, but will shortly march to Chester. The fault is laid wholly upon the Marquis of Newcastle.

T. Carte. Collection of Letters. (1739), I:56.