Battle of Dunbar Ii
Who Fought
English New Model Army (over 16,000 men) under Oliver Cromwell; Scottish army (12,500 or fewer) under David Leslie
History & Significance
The Battle of Dunbar was fought between the English New Model Army, under Oliver Cromwell, and a Scottish army commanded by David Leslie on 3 September 1650 near Dunbar, Scotland. The battle resulted in a decisive victory for the English. It was the first major battle of the 1650 invasion of Scotland.
After Charles I's execution in 1649, the English Rump Parliament established a republican Commonwealth in England. When their erstwhile ally, Scotland, recognised his son Charles II as king of all of Britain on 1 May 1650 and began recruiting an army to support him, the English dispatched the New Model Army, under the command of Cromwell. The army crossed into Scotland on 22 July, with a force of over 16,000 men. The Scots withdrew to Edinburgh, stripping the land of provisions. Cromwell attempted to draw the Scots out into a set piece battle, but they resisted, and Cromwell was unable to break through their defensive line. At the end of August, with his army weakened through disease and lack of food, Cromwell withdrew to the port of Dunbar. The Scottish army followed and took up an unassailable position on Doon Hill, overlooking the town. On 2 September, although many of their most experienced men had been dismissed in religious purges, the Scots advanced towards Dunbar and the English took up positions outside the town.
Before dawn on 3 September the English launched a surprise attack on the Scots, who were poorly prepared. The fighting was restricted to the north-eastern flank with the main contingents of English and Scottish cavalry fighting inconclusively, as did the English and Scottish infantry. Due to the terrain Leslie was unable to reinforce the fighting, while Cromwell used his last reserve to outflank the Scots. The Scottish cavalry broke and routed; the Scottish infantry made a fighting retreat but suffered heavy casualties. Between 300 and 500 Scots were killed, approximately 1,000 wounded and at least 6,000 were taken prisoner from an army of 12,500 or fewer.
After the battle, the Scottish government took refuge in Stirling, where Leslie rallied what remained of his army. The English captured Edinburgh and the strategically important port of Leith. In the summer of 1651 the English crossed the Firth of Forth to land a force in Fife; they defeated the Scots at Inverkeithing and so threatened the northern Scottish strongholds. In response, Leslie and Charles II marched the Scottish army south in an unsuccessful attempt to rally Royalist supporters in England. The Scottish government, left in an untenable situation, surrendered to Cromwell, who then followed the Scots south. At the Battle of Worcester, precisely one year after the Battle of Dunbar, Cromwell crushed the Scottish army, ending the war.
The ground they fought on
The site of Battle of Dunbar Ii lies on Inverclyde Group, bedrock that formed in the Osagean. The rock here is sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.
Before dawn on 3 September 1650, Cromwell's New Model Army launched a surprise assault on the Scottish forces, who were poorly prepared and had been weakened by religious purges that had removed many of their most experienced men. Cromwell deployed his last reserve to outflank the Scots on the north-eastern flank; the Scottish cavalry broke and routed, while the Scottish infantry made a fighting retreat but suffered severely, with between 300 and 500 killed, around 1,000 wounded, and at least 6,000 taken prisoner from an army numbering no more than 12,500.
- 300 to 500 Scots killed, approximately 1,000 wounded, at least 6,000 taken prisoner; English casualties not specified in sources
This battlefield is listed on the Register of Historic Battlefields — a national designation identifying Britain's most significant battle sites for protection and further research. Reference: HES BTL7.
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- Battle of Dunbar (1650) · Wikipedia
- Anglo-Scottish war (1650–1652) · Wikipedia