Soldiers of the Covenant

The role of the Scots in the English Civil Wars is an often-overlooked subject, but their effect on the war was profound. The National Covenant of 1638 was brought about by attempts by King Charles I to bring both the Scottish church and legal system into line with English practice. The Covenant bound the Scots to oppose these moves and provided the background to the Bishops' Wars of 1639-40. In 1643 the Scots government entered into the Solemn League and Covenant with the English Parliament. Its aim was the 'reformation and defence of religion, the honour and happiness of the King, and the peace and safety of the three kingdoms of Scotland, England and Ireland.' From the beginning of 1644 they fielded a powerful army in alliance with Parliament and against the King, which, it can be argued, tipped the balance decisively in favour of the former. From the outbreak of the Second Civil War in 1648, until the final demise of the Royalist cause at the Battle of Worcester in 1651, the Scots changed sides and fought for the King, his only reliable field army. The Scots armies are a colourful and fascinating subject, as a glance at Stuart Reid's Men-at-Arms 331 Scots Armies of the English Civil Wars demonstrates. They are also a fertile area for the gamer and provide a welcome change for those who have exhausted the gaming possibilities of the 'English' armies. Here are a few ideas to whet your appetite.

The Royalist Campaign in Yorkshire, 1644
The English Civil War had not been going well for the King. Begun in 1642 it had been close fought and generally indecisive; however, the King's forces were gradually being pressed west, away from the Parliamentarian heartlands in the east and southeast of England. The situation was such that one victory could give the initiative back to the King. Indeed one Parliamentarian commentator stated that the King could lose 99 battles yet still be king; whereas if they lost one battle, they would hang as rebels. In 1644 things changed. A Scots army crossed the Tweed in January and moved south in alliance with the forces of Parliament.

Charles I of England and Scotland had made a difficult situation worse. Rather than allow the Scots to continue as a separate kingdom with its own laws and system of government Charles decided to bring Scotland's church and state in line with England's. By 1639 he had so irritated the Scots that he was forced to gather an army to impose his will. In the two Bishops' Wars of 1639 and 1640 a badly funded and untrained English force was no match for a better organised, equipped, and led Scots force. There were few casualties in this conflict, but the result was effectively a Scots republic north of the border.

The Scots ruling classes had a common interest with the English Parliament, and so an alliance was always on the cards. Indeed the Scots started mobilising their army in August 1643 before any treaties had been signed or deals struck, so inevitable did their intervention appear.

With the invasion, the Marquis of Newcastle, who held the northeast of England for the King, found himself outnumbered and asked for help. In May Prince Rupert, the leading Royalist commander and the King's nephew, took two thousand horse and six thousand foot north into Lancashire. He intended to consolidate Royalist authority and recruit more men prior to striking east to help the Marquis of Newcastle who by this time was besieged in York by a combined force of Scots and Parliamentarians.
 
While in Lancashire, Rupert was joined by an additional 5,000 horse under Lord Goring. Many of these cavalry had come from the Marquis of Newcastle who had the foresight to send them out of York before the siege began, reckoning that they would be of more use in a field army than as edible horseflesh in the city. After reorganising his army to accommodate the Irish and Lancashire levies, and Goring's horse, Rupert was ready to march. He crossed the Pennines and arrived at Knaresborough, fourteen miles from York, on 30 June. The Scots and English commanders besieging York were concerned. Unsure of Rupert's numbers and worried his advancing army might crush them against the walls of York, they lifted the siege to meet him in the field. They drew up near Long Marston, with the river Nidd between themselves and Rupert. Rupert proceeded to out-manoeuvre them. Masking their force with his cavalry his infantry marched twenty-two miles in one day, crossing three rivers (the Ure, the Swale, and the Yorkshire Ouse) in the process. To add to the allies' embarrassment, Rupert crossed the Ouse on a bridge of boats that the allies had built to ease contact between Scots and Parliamen-tarian forces besieging York. In one swift move, Rupert broke the siege.

The allies were at a loss. They decided to move south toward Tadcaster to stop Rupert from rejoining the King, or, even more dangerous from their point of view, from striking south into the undefended heart of Parliamentarian territory. There had been a dispute between the English and their allies: the English had favoured attacking at once, but the Scots were more cautious and favoured a more calculated withdrawal. Here things could have become very dangerous for the allies because, as they withdrew, their forces were strung along the road. The advance guard of the Royalist army appeared almost on their flank. Unfortunately for the Royalists, Rupert was following with the infantry, too distant to seize the opportunity. Fairfax who was both Parliamentary and de facto allied commander (unless the Scots objected to his plans) recalled his infantry and artillery, and deployed. The resulting battle of Marston Moor (2 July 1644), fought west of York, was a crushing defeat for Royalists, and was probably the death knell of their cause. It could all have been very different.

The opposing forces involved were reasonably well balanced. Rupert's forces numbered about 11,000 foot and 7,000 horse with up to 25 guns. Of these nearly 4,000 infantry were from the Garrison of York. Rupert also knew he might receive reinforcements. Sir Robert Clavering was marching to join him with an estimated 3,000 men from Cumberland and Westmoreland. The allies were stronger. Estimates reach 27,000 men for the combined allied armies: 19,000 foot and 8,000 horse. The Scots provided 12,000 foot, but only 2,000 horse. This cavalry was probably not up to facing the Royalist horse. This scenario makes an interesting and well-balanced campaign, especially if both sides were in doubt about each other's intentions.

Setting the Scene
The first thing to do is to write out situation reports for both commanders. In the interests of causing trouble you really want to have several players commanding the allies. I would put your most experienced wargamer to be Prince Rupert at the head of the Royalist Forces. This means that the allied players treat him with proper respect. I would then split the rest of the players up into two teams, one to be Parliamentarian and the other Scots. Have at least two people per team and do two reports for each team. If a team only has one player, let him have both reports to represent the conflicting advice of his subordinates.

Royalists
The Prince Palatine Rupert:
 
Sir, You have been instructed by the King to relieve York. Indeed he went as far as to say that even if you relieve York and come back to him with your army, it will be a wasted effort. If, on the other hand, you relieve York and defeat his enemies in battle, then the King should be able to persevere in the south until you arrive. You have under you 23 guns, 7,000 infantry and 7,000 horse: all decent troops, and as reliable as you could hope for. In York, you have the Marquis of Newcastle with another 4,000 infantry. These veteran troops will be a very useful addition to your force. Finally, Sir Robert Clavering is marching to join you with an estimated 3,000 men from Cumberland and Westmoreland. Although the composition of his force is unknown, it is perhaps 1,000 horse and 2,000 foot. They should arrive in three or four days. Currently you are at Knaresborough and you know that the allies must be aware of your arrival by now. Initial reports say they have lifted the siege and are deployed at Long Marston, hiding behind the River Nidd. Your men are fit, and in good morale. Whilst it is unreasonable to expect more than twelve miles a day from infantry, you have every confidence that you could get a march of at least twenty miles out of yours without worrying about stragglers.

The Scots
The Earl of Leven:

Your force is 10,000 foot and 2,000 horse with 30 guns. You have hastily lifted the siege of York and deployed the army at Long Marston blocking the Royalists' path. Your current situation is not bad. You have a river protecting your front, and the Garrison of York to your rear is probably too weak to bother you. However, it seems that Rupert's recruiting has been successful and his army may even out number yours. There is also talk of reinforcements joining him. Your major concern is that Rupert will strike south, giving you the slip, and join forces with the King in Worcester.

Major-general David Leslie:
The situation appears grim. You have the Garrison of York to your rear, several thousand excellent infantry. You have Rupert to your front, and he is known as a courageous, attacking commander who appears to outnumber you. Already your army has left the siege lines, so you have conceded that the siege has been lifted. Rupert has already achieved his objectives; he can now hold his position or attempt to rejoin his uncle, the King, in the south.

Parliamentarians
Sir Thomas Fairfax:

You have 6,000 foot, 6,000 horse, and ten guns. Your position is a difficult one; at present you are maintaining a blockade of York, though your forces are stretched. The longer you wait, the stronger Rupert will become, because to his rear he has a solidly Royalist Lancashire and the possibility of further Irish troops arriving through Liverpool. There are also rumours that he is to be reinforced from Westmoreland. If he could brought to battle whilst you are in defensive positions at Long Marston, protected by the river Nidd, then he should be defeated despite his superior numbers. However, should you be defeated, or even out-manoeuvred, the unprotected Parliamentarian heartland would be open to him, no significant forces would bar his march on London

Sir Oliver Cromwell:

The army is not in bad shape after the siege. Rupert's forces may be slightly larger than yours, but your army's superior morale, training, and discipline should carry the day. Much more damaging would be to allow Rupert to bypass your positions and move to the southeast, giving him the opportunity to damage your heartland. Unfortunately your decision to leave the siege lines has provided the Royalist force with some desperately needed supplies; they are now re-equipped with powder guns and other materiel.

Once the initial briefings have been passed around it is necessary to discuss the rules:

How do we move? - Build a grid of matchboxes so they form a stack of boxes 10 boxes by 10 boxes. Each box corresponds to a square on the map. If you move troops from one map square to another then you shift their counter from one corresponding matchbox to another. This way you don't need an umpire and everyone gets to play. I also suggest you give players one counter for every thousand horse, one counter for every thousand infantry and another counter for guns and baggage. You can then have players shift their counters around on the map. If they want a cavalry screen, they stick a counter for 1,000 horse out in the appropriate direction. As for movement distances, foot and baggage move twelve miles a day; cavalry, twenty.

The most important aspect is politicking. Start with the allied commanders having a council of war. Then they make their first move. Allied commanders cannot discuss things unless they call another council of war. To do this, they move their counters, and then put an extra counter in for each force for the next move as well. They then have their council of war. In the following move their units move as they originally intended; it is only in the move after that move that the players regain control and can move troops as they wish. If an Allied player isn't invited to the council of war, he can move his troops normally. However, he must not know their deliberations and he isn't told what actually has been decided until the move the players regain control of their units.

Montrose and Highlanders:
The other major aspect of Scots participation in the ECW was the campaigning of the Marquis of Montrose. With a small army of Irish regulars, bulked out with Highland clansmen, he defeated several armies sent against him and diverted men and supplies destined for the Scots in England.

Montrose's campaigns are well documented and the battles are relatively small, even by the standards of the period. However, a different twist can be added by playing them as one campaign.

Take a mythical Scots Sheriffdom where a local Laird, loyal to the Scots Government and Parliament, is raising troops to send to Edinburgh where they can either be used to deal with Montrose or sent south to replace losses incurred campaigning in England. He is opposed by an officer sent by Montrose to recruit more clansmen for the Royalist cause. Obviously they are in conflict; however, their success will be judged not on who defeats the other, but on who sends more properly equipped and organised men to their superiors. If they defeat the other militarily, then it will make their job easier, but there is no other advantage to a display of martial prowess.
 
There are two ways a player can recruit. They can wait for volunteers, or they actively recruit amongst the local communities. If the player waits for volunteers at his HQ, roll one 1d6 per turn, the resultant score is the number of eager volunteers who arrive. However, if the player actively recruits, 1d6 recruits are obtained when in the countryside, and 3d6 when in a town.

In theory each man should bring his own equipment. However, the region has already suffered the depredations of the recruiting sergeant, and the best equipped men have gone. Not only that but there is an additional complication. The Sheriffdom is on the edge of the Highlands. Hence if they turn up with their weapons, they aren't exactly what the Lowland player is looking for.

Each player first chooses a base. Montrose's man has 50 well-armed clansmen with him, and the Government Laird has 50 musketeers along with a stock of 300 muskets and 200 pikes that he can either transport with him or leave somewhere safe. Each day the players roll their dice. This will give them a number of recruits. Once recruited, the players need to roll again to find out how their men are equipped (see table below).

When the Government player runs out of arms, he can contact the Government who will send him more. Another 300 muskets and 200 pikes will arrive 1-6 weeks after a request is sent.

Each player's duty is to gather his men into properly armed companies of about one hundred men and send them off to their superior. For Montrose's men, this means that every man in the company has at least a sword and shield or a musket. For the Government player a properly equipped company should have two musketeers to every pikeman.

Here again, use the matchbox grid that was used in the first scenario. Lowland troops can move at 12 miles a day, highlanders at 15. Hopefully some fascinating skirmishes, raids and perhaps even a few small battles will develop from chance encounters or ambushes. Each player gets 50 victory points for every 100 man company sent off properly equipped, and if the company has fought successfully (i.e. has inflicted casualties on an enemy of comparable numerical strength) before completing its journey then its value is doubled, but only if brought back up to full strength.

by Jim Webster

About the author
Jim Webster is an author and gamer living in the farmlands of England. He has written articles and scenarios for several magazines.