EDGEHILL, BATTLE OF. The first great battle of the civil war was fought on Sun day, 23d 1642, between the royalist forces under Charles and the parliamentarians under the earl of Essex. It was the intention of Charles, who had been lying at Shrews bury, to march upon London by Wolverhampton, Birmingham, and Kenilworth; and Essex, who had thrown himself into Worcester, on being informed of the king's plans, marched forward to intercept him, and entered the village of Keinton, in Warwick shire, on the evening of the 22d. On the following morning, the royalist army was dis covered a little in advance, and drawn up in order of battle on the elevation of Edge hill. The king's forces had the advantage in numbers and in cavalry, as well as in position; Essex, however, had the more formidable train of artillery. Charles had commanded that hostilities should be delayed until the enemy should open fire; accord ingly no movement took place till about two o'clock, when Essex commenced the fight by firing upon the royalists, who immediately replied with their cannon. The royalists
then bepn to descend the hill, and prince Rupert, who led the right wing, charged with his cavalry the left wing of the parliamentarians, broke it, and pursued it madly to Keinton, where his men, regardless of the main army, busied themselves in plunder. This was the fatal movement of the day. The right wing of the parliamentarians had charged and recharged with the greatest success, until, after some stubborn fighting around the royal standard, the royalists broke, and retreated toward the hill. That night 4,000 men lay slain at the foot of Edgehill, and of these the greater number were royalists.