Battle of Seacroft Moor
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The Battle of Seacroft Moor, on 30 March 1643, was a decisive loss for the Parliamentary forces during the First English Civil War. It took place near Seacroft, north east of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The battle reportedly turned the Cock Beck, which ran through the battlefield, red with the casualties' blood for several days.
Contents
Prelude
As Sir Thomas Fairfax was instructed to capture Tadcaster, he fell back into the West Riding after failing to destroy the bridge over the Wharfe at Tadcaster. He was intercepted and pursued by Royalist horse under Lord George Goring, the lieutenant-general of horse to Sir William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, over the moors of Whinmoor and Bramham.
Battle
Fairfax's force, made up of mainly clubmen (local personnel, recruited to defend their area) crossed Bramham Moor safely, but began to straggle as they crossed Seacroft Moor. Goring descended on the Parliamentarian troops from the north with his cavalry. With only three troops of horse to defend against the Royalist cavalry, the Parliamentarians lost over 1000 infantry, and only a few of their cavalry reached the main Parliament army in Leeds.
An author of the battle, Cavendish's wife, the Duchess of Newcastle, reported over 800 prisoners were captured by the Royalists. Fairfax escaped with just some of his surviving horse to Leeds, mainly because of bad communication in the ranks. He quoted that it was "the greatest loss we ever received".
