giment and Fairfax's reserve were hurled back. Ramsay, the cavalry
general, was carried for two miles in the melee, and with some of his
troopers found a way through the hostile lines to Banbury.[a] Rupert
continued in unsparing pursuit even into the streets of Kineton and as far
as Chadshunt. Thus was the left wing of Lord Essex's army dispersed,
though to reform for a later phase of the fight. After so much success the
baggage proved to be too attractive to the victors, and had the time
wasted in plundering been spent in an attack upon the rear of the
Parliamentarian army, then the reign of Charles Stuart might have had a
less tragic ending. But with all this, it must be borne in mind that the
incident of the rolling up of a wing was repeated in other battles of the
war which were more disastrous to the King's cause. Sir James Ramsay at a
Court Martial at St. Albans[Vn] in November of the same year made a
vindication of his conduct.

An amusing letter from Captain Kightley tells of this phase of the fight.
He admits that in part his own regiment ran away, and it seems to be
probable that Captain John Fiennes was in no better way, though in the
subsequent rally and attack upon Prince Rupert both did very good service.

The right wing of the Puritan forces had in the meantime become
aggressive. It was the beginning of the great turning movement which was
repeated in each of the great battles of the war by the Parliamentarians,
in fact, so evident at Naseby and Marston Moor, as to compel belief in
studied uniformity of plan. The abandonment or weakening of one wing, then
the use of all the weight of the other wing with the foot as a centre
pivot, to out-flank, attack, and crush in succession the opposing wing and
centre of the Royalist army. Balfore, Meldrum, and Stapleton's brigades
charged Wilmot's cavalry with such vigour that these were thrust back upon
the three regiments of pikemen, under Lord Carnarvon, and chased up the
hill side. Cannon balls and other remains of the fight found on the hill
slopes at Lower Westcote near the Sun Rising are evidence of this attack.
The infantry under Roberts and Constable having moved forward to aid in
the attack upon Carnarvon, now wheeled upon the King's centre, which soon
became the focus of a fierce and bloody fight, for the elated Roundhead
horse, after crushing in the Royalist left wing, hurled themselves also
upon the flanks of the nearest troops of the King's centre, and th