The Battle of Edgehill

The Battle of Edge Hill was fought on Sunday, October 23, 1642. King Charles' army set out that morning from Cropredy Bridge and arrived at Edge Hill, already occupied by Prince Rupert's army at Noon. There were 14,000 Royalist troops occupying the whole of the hillside from the Knowle to Sunrising Hill, and 10,000 Parliamentarians, commanded by the Earl of Essex, on the plain below.
Led by Prince Rupert, the cavalry of the King's right flank charged and routed their opponents, chasing them beyond Kineton, and capturing their baggage. They began celebrating their victory.
Meanwhile, the battle was not going so well for the rest of the Royalists. Wilmot, the Commissary-General, commanding the left flank, attacked the enemy's right, at fist succesfully. However when they left the open ground and reached the hedges and ditches near Little Kineton, he was stopped and driven back.
At the same time, the King, Charles I, advanced his center, also with success, until hedgerows checked his progress. Many of his men were killed.
Vulnerable on both sides because of Rupert's advance and Wilmot's retreat, the center gave way and the Royal Standard-bearer, Sir Edmund Verney, was killed and the standard taken.
The Royal Standard was recovered by Captain Smith of the Skelts, near Tamworth, who impersonated a Parliamentarian and ordered Lord Essex's secretary to give the standard to him. When the King heard of this, he knighted Capt. Smith on the field.
Prince Rupert then re-appeared from Kineton and relieved the King's center and averted defeat. The battle was still undecided when darkness fell. Essex's forces withdrew to Kineton.
The King spent the night in King Leys barn and breakfasted in Radway the following morning. Neither side was anxious to resume the battle .
At least 5,000 men died in this first major battle of the English Civil War.