Battle of Alton - Battle

Battle

Sir William Waller mustered his men in Farnham Park near 10:30 p.m., 12 December. At around midnight, 5000 of Waller's men marched west from Farnham toward Basing House. The Parliamentarians marched about two miles in this direction (in order to confuse Royalist scouts), until around 1:00 a.m., before abruptly turning south toward Alton. The march was quick and quiet, owing to a long frost which had hardened the roads and Waller's judicious use of wooded areas. Also helpful in Waller's advance was his use of leather guns, here employed for the first time in the English Civil War. Unlike heavier artillery, a leather gun could be led by a single horse, transported efficiently over difficult terrain, and still be an effective tool for bombardment.

Waller's forces reached the western side of Alton at around 9:00 a.m., capturing six of Crawford's sentries posted in the north. One Royalist sentry, however, managed to raise the alarm just before dawn, leading Crawford and his horse to quit Alton and head for Winchester at a gallop, as Waller approached the town. It is reported that they had promised the remaining infantry men that they would return soon with reinforcements. Initially, Crawford and his cavalry attempted to flee from the eastern border of Alton, but were routed back into town and to the south (heading directly for Winchester) by Parliamentary horse. The fleeing Royalists were chased for a half-mile by Waller's heavy cavalry (these under Sir Arthur Haslerig and nicknamed the "Lobsters"), losing a few men and some number of horses. Haslerig, forfeiting pursuit, guarded the entrances to the town.

"I am certainly informed there were not above fifteen pieces found in the pocket of Colonel Bolles, who, until he fell himself, did bravely encourage and lead on his soldiers."

Meanwhile, Boles's men concentrated to the north-west corner of town, before the Church of St. Lawrence. A regiment of Waller's infantry, five companies of Haslerig's, and five companies of Kentish Men attacked Alton from the north and north-west. The Royalist infantry, however, took effective cover inside buildings, out of which they fired quickly; they particularly favoured a large brick house near the church. This house, however, was soon abandoned as Waller's artillery, positioned at the foot of the hill to the west, fired upon it, forcing these defenders to retreat to the church. The Parliamentary regiments from London and four companies from Farnham Castle descended the hill: Waller's Red Regiment attacked a lunette and breastwork which the Royalists had built and which they were using as an effective fortification. The Green Regiment flanked the Royalists which were behind these fortifications forcing them out, while marching through town under the cover of smoke from a thatch house which they had set on fire. Soon after, the rest of Waller's men entered the town en masse, flying their colours and pushing Boles's men back to the Church of St. Lawrence. From the church and nearby fortifications (including a large earthwork on its north side), the Royalists held their ground for two hours. The Royalists fired from the windows of the church, and employed a scaffolding inside the church proper to fire from greater heights.

Eventually, the Parliamentarians forced the Royalists to abandon the south-east part of the wall around the church. However, since the retreating men had left their muskets sticking up, the Parliamentarians were temporarily unaware that the Royalists had left. After some time it was concluded that the defenders had gone, and the Parliamentary army promptly attacked the churchyard, driving the last of Boles's men into the church itself. Waller's forces threw hand grenades into the windows while working to enter the church themselves. Inside the building, Boles declared he would, "run his sword through him which first called for quarter ." There had been no time for the Royalists to barricade the church doors, and the Parliamentarians soon managed to gain entry.δ Inside, the Royalists shot from behind a jerry-rigged breastwork of dead horses. Some of Boles's men were killed; other surrendered. Boles did not give up, and he killed as many as seven men before being killed himself.γ With Boles killed, all but a few of the Royalists requested quarter.

Inscribed in Boles's honour was this epitaph:

Alton will tell you of that famous Fight

Which ys man made, and bade this world good-night.

His Vertious Life fear'd not Mortality,

His body must, his Vertues cannot die,

Because his Bloud was there so nobly spent,

This is his Tombe; that Church his Monument.

Ricardus Boles, Wiltoniensis in Art. Mag.

Composuit Posuitque Dolens. An. Domi 1679.