Battle of Hieton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Hieton |
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| Part of the Anglo-Scottish war of 1650–1652 | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Scottish Remonstrants |  England |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Gilbert Ker | John Lambert | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown | 1,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Heavy | Slight | ||||||
| Official name | Battle of Hieton | ||||||
| Designated | 30 November 2011 | ||||||
| Reference no. | BTL23 | ||||||
The Battle of Hieton was a fight that happened on December 1, 1650. It was part of a bigger war between England and Scotland (1650–1652). In this battle, a group of Scottish soldiers called Remonstrants, led by Colonel Gilbert Ker, fought against 1,000 English soldiers. The English were commanded by Major-general John Lambert. The battle took place near the Cadzow Burn, which is close to the town of Hamilton in Scotland. The Scots tried a surprise attack, but they were defeated. Their army was badly damaged and could no longer fight effectively.
Why the Battle Happened
After two big wars in England, called the First and Second English Civil Wars, the English Parliament's army was very unhappy with King Charles I. They removed some members from Parliament and put King Charles on trial. He was accused of acting against the English people.
King Charles I was executed on January 30, 1649. After his death, England became a republic, which means it was ruled by Parliament, not a king. This new government was called the Commonwealth.
Charles I was also the King of Scotland. The Scottish Parliament was not asked before he was executed. So, they declared his son, also named Charles, as the new King of Britain. Scotland quickly started building an army to support King Charles II. This army was led by a skilled general named David Leslie.
The English Commonwealth leaders felt threatened by Scotland's actions. So, in July 1650, they sent their army, led by Oliver Cromwell, to invade Scotland. This started the Anglo-Scottish war of 1650–1652.
Before the Fight at Hieton
Cromwell's army moved around Edinburgh, trying to get the Scottish army to fight. But General Leslie, who led the Scots, avoided a direct battle. On August 31, Cromwell's army moved back to Dunbar.
The Scots thought Cromwell's army was in a bad situation. General Leslie moved his troops to attack Dunbar. In the early morning of September 3, Cromwell's army made a surprise attack on the Scottish army. The Scots were badly beaten in the Battle of Dunbar. About 6,000 Scottish soldiers were captured, and around 1,500 were killed or hurt.
After this big loss, the Scots, along with King Charles II, set up a new defense line at Stirling. The defeat at Dunbar hurt General Leslie's reputation. He tried to quit leading the army, but the Scottish government wouldn't let him. They didn't have anyone else suitable to take his place.
Some of Leslie's officers refused to follow his orders. They left to join a new army being formed by a group called the Western Association. There were already disagreements within the Scottish government, and the defeat made them worse. Some Scots blamed the army's defeat on removing certain people from the army. They wanted to bring unhappy Scots back into the army. Others believed God had abandoned them because the army wasn't pure enough. They also thought they had trusted too much in a king who wasn't fully committed to their religious cause.
These more radical Scots wrote something called the Western Remonstrance. It criticized the government for not properly purifying the army. This made the disagreements among the Scots even deeper. The group who wrote this became known as the Remonstrants. They took control of the Western Association army. They tried to talk with Cromwell, the English commander. They asked him to leave Scotland and let them be in charge.
The Battle Itself
Cromwell refused their offer. Instead, he sent 1,000 of his soldiers, led by Major-general John Lambert, to fight the Remonstrants.
The Remonstrants, led by Colonel Gilbert Ker, attacked the English on December 1, 1650. The battle happened in the Hieton area of modern Hamilton. "Hieton" is a Scots word for 'high town'.
The Scottish surprise attack had some early success. But the English soldiers quickly regrouped. They pushed back the Scots, causing many losses. The Scottish army was destroyed as a fighting force. Colonel Ker was wounded and captured during the battle.
Today, the battle site is where Hamilton's Common Green is located. The 19th-century Cadzow Bridge goes over this area. There is a plaque on the bridge that remembers the battle. The Hamilton Civic Society put it there.
What Happened Next
In July 1651, the English army crossed the Firth of Forth and defeated the Scots at the Battle of Inverkeithing. Cromwell then ignored the main Scottish army at Stirling. Instead, he marched to Perth, which was the seat of the Scottish government. He surrounded Perth.
Perth surrendered after two days. This cut off the Scottish army from new soldiers, food, and supplies. In a desperate move, King Charles II and General Leslie decided their only chance was to invade England. They hoped that the English people would rise up and support the King. So, they took their army south into England.
Cromwell and Lambert followed them. They left General George Monck with 6,000 less experienced soldiers to finish off any remaining Scottish resistance. Monck quickly did this. Meanwhile, the Scots under Charles and Leslie went as far as Worcester in England.
At Worcester, the stronger English army, which was better trained and supplied, cut off the Scots' escape route. On September 3, the English attacked and completely defeated the Scots at the Battle of Worcester. King Charles II was one of the few who managed to escape being killed or captured.
