Battle of Langport facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Langport |
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| Part of First English Civil War | |||||||
 The site of the battle |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Royalists |
 Parliamentarians |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| George, Lord Goring | Sir Thomas Fairfax | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 7,000 | 10,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 300 killed 500 captured |
Unknown | ||||||
The Battle of Langport was a very important fight during the First English Civil War. It happened on 10 July 1645 near the town of Langport in Somerset. In this battle, the Parliamentary army, also known as the Roundheads, won a big victory. They defeated the last main army of the Royalists, who supported King Charles I. This win gave Parliament control over the West of England. This area had been very important for the Royalists, providing them with soldiers, supplies, and goods.
Contents
The Road to Battle
Taunton and the Royalist Plan
The town of Taunton had been captured by the Parliamentarian army in June 1644. This army was led by the Earl of Essex. Later, in September, the Royalists forced Essex's army to surrender at Lostwithiel. After this, the Royalists tried to take Taunton back. They started a siege of Taunton, surrounding the town. However, Sir William Waller, another Parliamentarian leader, briefly helped Taunton in November.
For the year 1645, King Charles I had a plan. He sent Lord Goring, who was in charge of his cavalry, to the West Country. Goring's job was to recapture Taunton and other places held by Parliament. Goring briefly joined the King's main army, but he didn't get along with Prince Rupert, the King's main advisor. Because of this, Goring's forces went back to the West.
The New Model Army Arrives
Meanwhile, Parliament sent a large group of soldiers from their New Model Army to help Taunton. This group was led by Colonel Ralph Weldon. It included one cavalry regiment and four infantry regiments. They managed to lift the siege of Taunton on 11 May. But then, Goring's army returned and surrounded them instead. However, the Royalists couldn't easily attack the town.
On 14 June, the main part of the New Model Army won a huge battle at Naseby. This army was led by Sir Thomas Fairfax, with Oliver Cromwell in charge of the cavalry. The Battle of Naseby destroyed King Charles's main army. A few days later, the Royalist soldiers in Leicester gave up. This meant the New Model Army was free to march to Taunton and help.
Fairfax Chases Goring
Fairfax's army marched south and then west. They stayed close to the coast to keep in touch with Parliament's navy. On 4 July, they reached Beaminster. There, Fairfax learned that Goring had stopped his siege of Taunton. Goring was now retreating towards Bridgwater, a strong Royalist town.
To protect his slow-moving baggage, Goring's army spread out. They covered about 12 miles along the north bank of the River Yeo, from Langport to Yeovil. Fairfax's army was much larger than Goring's. Also, Goring's soldiers were not very disciplined. They had been allowed to steal from local people, which made many locals dislike them.
Fairfax was joined by Weldon's soldiers from Taunton. They moved north towards Goring's army. On 8 July, the Parliamentarians captured Yeovil. This was at the western end of the Royalists' line. The Royalists then left the river line, and Fairfax crossed to the north side of the River Yeo. Fairfax also sent another Parliamentarian force to deal with some of Goring's cavalry. These cavalry, led by George Porter, tried to distract Fairfax by moving towards Taunton. But Porter's men were not careful and were surprised and defeated by Parliamentarian forces at Isle Abbots on 9 July.
Fairfax continued to chase Goring. Late on 9 July, he found Goring's main army at Langport.
The Battle of Langport
The main battle happened the next day, 10 July. Goring had chosen a strong position to protect his cannons and baggage as they moved away. His main force was on a ridge (a long, raised strip of land) that ran from north to south, about a mile east of Langport. The River Yeo was to the south, making it impossible for Fairfax to go around that way. Going around to the north would take too much time.
The Battlefield
In front of the ridge was a marshy valley with a stream called the Wagg Rhyne. There was only one narrow lane that crossed the stream using a ford. This lane then went up to the top of the ridge. The lane was lined with trees and hedges.
Goring placed two small cannons to fire down this lane. He also put two new regiments of Welsh foot soldiers in the hedges along the lane. At the top of the ridge, he had three groups of cavalry waiting.
The Parliamentarian Attack
Fairfax decided to rely on the strong spirit of his cavalry to break Goring's position. First, his cannons fired and silenced Goring's two small guns. Then, Fairfax sent 1500 musketeers (soldiers with muskets) under Colonel Thomas Rainsborough through the marshes. Their job was to clear the Welsh soldiers from the hedges.
After the hedges were cleared, Fairfax ordered two groups of cavalry to charge up the narrow lane. These cavalry groups were from regiments that had once been part of Cromwell's famous "Ironsides" before joining the New Model Army.
The first group, led by Major Christopher Bethel, galloped up the lane four soldiers wide. When they reached the top, they spread out into a line. They then charged and broke through two of the Royalist cavalry regiments. A third Royalist regiment tried to fight back. But the second group of Parliamentarian cavalry, led by Major John Desborough, charged and defeated them too. As more Parliamentarian soldiers rushed up the lane, Goring's men broke and ran away.
The Chase
Cromwell, who was known for his disciplined cavalry, stopped his soldiers at the top of the ridge. He waited until his forces were organized again. Then, they quickly chased after the fleeing Royalists.
Goring tried to slow down the Parliamentarians by setting fire to Langport. He also tried to gather his army again about two miles further on. But as Cromwell's cavalry got closer, Goring's army completely fell apart. They left behind their baggage and most of their weapons. Many of the Royalist soldiers who ran away were attacked by local "clubmen". These were groups of local people who had formed to protect themselves from both armies, who often took supplies without paying.
What Happened Next
The Royalist Collapse
Goring's army was the last strong army the Royalists had. Losing it was a huge blow to their morale. On 11 July, Fairfax met with representatives from the local clubmen. He promised that his army would pay for all supplies and leave the clubmen alone, as long as they didn't help the Royalists.
Goring left some infantry soldiers to defend Bridgwater. He then retreated with his cavalry to Barnstaple in Devon. Goring himself was very upset by the defeat. Even though Bridgwater was a strong town, Fairfax attacked and captured the eastern part of it on 21 July. After a heavy cannon attack, Sir Hugh Wyndham surrendered the rest of the town on 23 July.
Fairfax then went on to surround Sherborne. This town was defended by Sir Lewis Dyve. Dyve surrendered on 17 August after Fairfax's cannons and mines broke through the castle walls. The New Model Army then attacked and captured the city of Bristol on 10 September. This was a major loss for the Royalists, as Bristol was their last big manufacturing center. King Charles had put Prince Rupert in charge of Bristol, but he felt Rupert gave up too soon. This made the King and Prince Rupert grow further apart.
These Parliamentarian victories cut off the remaining Royalists in the West Country from King Charles's forces in Wales, Oxford, and the Midlands. The Royalists could no longer put together strong armies. The First English Civil War ended less than a year later, after the Parliamentarians captured most of the remaining Royalist strongholds.
