CHAPTER XIV.
BY WHAT MEANS GENERAL LAMBERT GAINED THE PASS AT UPTON BRIDGE.
Early next morning--August 28th--Major-General Lambert, who hadcrossed the Avon at Pershore on the previous day, and passed the nightat Strensham, advanced with a regiment of horse and three troops ofdragoons towards Upton Bridge, with the condition of which he hadbeen made acquainted by the reconnoitring party he had sent on. Noinformation of his movements reached Massey, and as he approachedthe river he was sheltered by the orchard previously described. Onexamination he found that, although the central arch of the bridge wasdestroyed, a plank had been most incautiously laid across the piers forthe convenience of foot-passengers. Moreover, not more than three orfour dragoons were on guard at the time. How so important a passage, onthe security of which the royal army mainly depended, chanced to be soslenderly guarded, seemed inexplicable to him. Nevertheless, he greatlyrejoiced, and firmly believed that Providence had favoured him.
At the very time when they ought to have been on the look-out,watching for their active and daring foe, Massey's troops werescattered about the single street, which formed the quiet little town,as careless and unconcerned as if no surprise were to be apprehended,and the fate of a great kingdom did not depend upon their vigilance.General Massey himself was at breakfast at the little hostel, and not asingle officer was on duty. It is true they were close at hand, sincethe street led direct to the bridge, but not near enough, as the eventshowed.
General Lambert could not have chosen a more opportune moment for hisapproach. He had taken the Royalists completely unawares, and theycertainly betrayed unpardonable negligence. Even the few dragoons onguard seemed half asleep, and were reclining drowsily against theparapets of the bridge.
Nothing could be more peaceful--nothing more lovely than the scene--andyet how soon, how terribly, was its calmness to be disturbed!--itsbeauty destroyed! Round the tower of the grey old church the swallowswere wheeling; some sounds arose from the quiet little town, butthey were not unpleasant to the ear; a few barks were moored to thebank below the town, but their owners seemed infected by the generalindolence, as did some other persons who were fishing lower down thestream. The smooth, broad river flowed calmly on, save where itscurrent encountered the remains of the broken arch of the bridge,against which it split and struggled. Partly destroyed as it was, theold stone bridge somewhat marred the peaceful character of the scene,yet it did not detract from its effect. Lambert was struck with thebeauty of the view as he gazed at it, yet he hesitated not to play thepart of a destroyer.
"Look yonder, Corporal Lightbound," he cried to a sour-visaged soldiernear him. "Behold how these malignants keep guard. When they should bewatchful, they are eating and drinking, or slumbering on their posts.They have broken their bridge to hinder us, yet have they foolishlylaid down a plank whereby we may pass over and destroy them. Of a truththis is the Lord's doing. He has delivered them into our hands. Thou,corporal, art chosen for the work. Take with thee a score of musketeerson whom thou canst best rely. Cross over the plank as quickly as thoumayest, and possess thyself of the church. Thou canst easily maintainthe post till I come to thine aid. The river must be fordable yonder,"he added, pointing to a place below the bridge, where the current wasrushing swiftly over a pebbly bed, and where a man who had reached alarge stone, almost in the mid-stream, was fishing. The Severn, wemay incidentally remark, had not then been dammed up at intervals, asis now the case, to preserve a constant depth of water for tradingnavigation.
"Truly, a fording party might well cross yonder, general," remarkedLightbound.
"The position yon man has attained proves it. He must have waded tothat stone. There I will cross with the whole of my force."
"You will find me within the church with my men, general."
"I nothing doubt it," rejoined Lambert. "Fear not. The Lord is withthee, and will enable thee to surprise the enemy. And now about thework."
A man of great resolution, and appalled by no danger, CorporalLightbound instantly obeyed. Selecting twenty musketeers, each asstalwart and fearless as himself, and bidding them follow him, he leftthe orchard.
So unlooked-for was the attempt, that the attacking party reached thebridge, and indeed were only a few yards from the broken arch, beforethey were discovered by the drowsy guard.
"Let me go first, corporal," said a soldier. "Thy life is more preciousthan mine."
"Nay, Zachariah; the command belongs of right unto me," criedLightbound, sternly and authoritatively. "I may not yield it--and Iwill not."
But Zachariah pressed forward, and went on to his death.
So offended was Corporal Lightbound at this act of insubordination,that he allowed all the others to pass on before him, whereby his ownlife was preserved.
Meantime the Royalist guard, aroused at last to a sense of danger,shouted loudly, "Arms! arms!" and sprang forward to dispute the passage.
The foremost of them discharged his musket at Zachariah, who was nowcrossing the plank, sword in hand. The shot took effect. Zachariahtottered, and fell upon the huge stones lying beneath him, scarcecovered by water.
Another shot was instantly fired, and did execution upon the secondsoldier, who likewise dropped into the river.
The Royalists shouted, but their triumph was short-lived, for thebullets of the musketeers killed them both, and their comrades took totheir heels.
By this time the call to arms having been loudly beaten, troopers anddragoons came rushing from the street to the scene of action. But theywere not quick enough to prevent the assailing party from gainingpossession of the church, the door of which, fortunately for them,chanced to be left open.
Everything favoured them, and they might well think, as their leaderaffirmed, that Heaven had declared itself on their side.
No sooner had they entered than the church door was closed and barred.Musketeers were placed at each window--with others behind them--andevery possible precaution for the defence of the place was taken byCorporal Lightbound. Churches constantly served as fortresses in thosedays--and very good fortresses they made, as we see.
Cursing his own imprudence, General Massey rushed from the littlehostel, sprang on his charger, and galloped to the bridge, followed bya small body of cavalry.
His first aim was to dislodge the detachment that had gained possessionof the church, but when he rode into the churchyard with his troopersfor this purpose, they were received by a well-directed volley fromwithin, that killed several men and horses, and threw the rest of thetroop into confusion. Massey himself was wounded in the hand.
Nothing daunted, the Royalists rode close up to the windows, firedtheir pistols into the church, and tried to reach their enemies, withtheir swords, but did them little hurt. The Parliamentarians, on thecontrary, returned the fire with deadly effect, being able to aimdeliberately at their opponents.
With the second volley, the churchyard was strewn with horses andwounded and dying men. Attempts were made by the Royalists to force anentrance to the church, but the windows were secured by bars, and thedoor being fashioned of stout oak and clamped with iron, their effortswere futile, and only excited the derision of the enemy.
By this time a regiment of cavalry had come up, and all seemed overwith the brave men in the church. Massey ordered the door to be blownopen; but ere a petard could be fixed to it, a fresh alarm was given.
The main body of the enemy was at hand.
While the attack on the church was taking place, Lambert had succeededin fording the river at the place he had indicated, without any losswhatever, and was now hastening with his whole force to support thesmall detachment previously sent over.
Massey prepared to meet him, but his troops were utterly unable toresist the overwhelming force brought against them. Their ranks werebroken on the first charge, and they made a headlong retreat intoUpton, all Massey's efforts to check them being vain.
On gaining the street, which, as we have said, led to the bridge, theywere reinforced, and faced
the foe; but the conflict was of shortduration, and ended in the complete rout of the Royalists, numbers ofwhom were slain.
Massey performed desperate acts of valour, needlessly exposing his life.
Surrounded by a party of dragoons, he extricated himself; and althoughwounded in the attack on the church, and subsequently hit in severalplaces--two horses being shot under him--he managed to conduct hisshattered troops safely to Worcester.
Pursuit was not continued far by Lambert, who was more intent onsecuring the pass he had gained than anxious to destroy the enemy. Heknew the immense importance attached by Cromwell to the possession ofUpton Bridge, and he also knew the effect its loss would inevitablyhave on the young king's fortunes.
Master of the all-important pass, he ordered the bridge to be repairedwith all possible despatch.
Boscobel; or, the royal oak: A tale of the year 1651 Page 17
