Wednesday 29 January 2014

Raid on Twyford ...

Sir William de Willoughby has been given command of the small garrison at Twyford to the south of Winchester. To the west of the town is a small farmstead with a herd of cattle.

Some dragoons are stationed in the farmstead, it is early in the morning - the guard check down the road for activity.
Meanwhile in Tywford Sir William is checking in with the officer of the nightwatch - all seems ok.
A dragoon on patrol spots movement by the bridge (a Parliamentarian force from Southampton, led by Sir Warwick Hunt, is crossing the river Itchin).
As the dragoon looks to check on the movement he see a body of horse already over the bridge, he sets off at the gallop ...
He stops at the farmstead to warn them and sets off for Twyford ...
Parliamentarian horse aproach the farmstead, while more have crossed the river at the old ford...
The dragoon reaches Twyford and tells Sir William what he's seen....
Parliamentarian horse jump the barrier over the road and engage the small party off dragoons stationed at the farmstead ..
At Twyford men spill out of the houses and get ready to defend ....
The Parliamentarian horse have the defending dragoons penned up in the farmhouse and are getting into the fields to try and round up the cattle....
Sir William manages to get his regiment of horse mounted up at last and musters them at the edge of the town ....
At the farmstead the cattle are now being got under some control and are starting to be moved, some commanded shot come up to support the horse ...
Sir William leads his regiment forward - they receive a charge by the parliamentarian horse and hold their ground ....
They push back the opposition,
But not for long, the parliamentarian horse defeat them and they fall back to the town ....
Meanwhile the parliamentarians are withdrawing from the farmstead and get away with the cattle....
 
---oXo---
 
A success for Parliamente

Sunday 12 January 2014

Back out on patrol ....

Sir William de Willoughby out for a walk in Winchester to stretch his legs - catches up on the latest news with a fellow officer
 He hears that Arundel Castle surrendered to Parliament on the 6th Jnaury; an attempt to relieve the garrison by Lord Hopton a few days earlier had been abandoned after they found themselves outnumbered by the opposition. Waller and his army are content with securing their positions at Farham, Midhurst and Arundel.
---oXo---

In the afternoon Sir William leads out his regiment of horse to patrol to the south of Winchester; regular patrols are carried out to to deter the parliamentarian garrison of Southampton from any raiding activities.