viernes, 3 de mayo de 2024

Ironsides. English Cavalry 1588–1688

 https://imtw.ru/topic/7710-porohovye-armii-novogo-vremeni/






















Today in 1643, Royalist forces are victorious over the Parliamentarians at the battle of Roundway Down.

This piece of artwork depicts Captain Richard Atkyns of Prince Maurice's Regiment of Horse facing a Parliamentarian dressed in full cuirassier armour, whom he believed to be Sir Arthur Haslerigge. Haslerigge commanded the only full regiment of cuirassiers to fight in the Civil War. Atkyns's relation of their encounter indicates the protection from pistol shot offered by high-quality armour, but also reflects the lack of speed and manoeuvrability that it imposed on its wearer. Atkyns marked his enemy and charged towards him: He discharged his carbine first, but at a distance not to hurt us, and afterwards one of his pistols, before I came up to him, and missed with both: I then immediately struck into him, and touched him before I discharged mine; and I'm sure I hit him, for he staggered, and presently wheeled off from his party and ran. … Follow him I did, and in six score yards I came up to him, and discharged the other pistol at him, and I'm sure I hit his head, for I touched it before I gave fire, and it amazed him at that present, but he was too well armed all over for a pistol bullet to do him any hurt, having a coat of mail over his arms and a headpiece (I am confident) musket proof. In the end Haslerigge's horse gave up the struggle and he surrendered to Atkyns, only to be rescued by a troop of his own men. Hearing the story Charles I said of Haslerigge, ‘Had he been victualled as well as fortified, he might have endured a siege of seven years'. This was a fitting epitaph for a type of cavalryman defeated by lack of mobility.









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