ABSTRACT
Nevertheless, the King’s attention was seriously deflected from his cxposed left flank, by a diversionary attack on Shaw House ordered by the earl of Manchester which had got decidedly out of hand. The parliamentary infantry went in too hard and too long, with the result that although they achieved nothing of value.they exhausted themselves prior to the signal that was to bring about a joint assault on the royalists. The diversionary tactic worked, however, and all that Waller needed when he attacked was for Manchester’s men to fall on at the same time, which they failed to do. Thus Waller, exposed to artillery fire from Donnington, had to make the best of a difficult job, and attack. Maurice’s Cornishmen were driven back from their new fortifications, Speen was entered, and street fighting followed. By late afternoon, the position was taken, Maurice’s men were in retreat towards Newbury, and the King was momentarily caught up in a bitter skirmish with Balfour’s cavalry in which his life was at some considerable risk. Waller’s success, however, depended very much on Cromwell, his other cavalry commander, moving in with similar vigour, and this Cromwell signally failed to do, for reasons that are obscure. There were no terrain problems for him, nor was he under exceptional pressure from enemy opposed to him. Instead, Cromwell’s forward cavalry were repulsed by George Goring in a headlong charge, whilst Balfour, having moved beyond Speen, was halted and sent reeling by infantry under Colonel Blague. Speen now became a parliamentarian strongpoint beset by renewed royalist attacks, and quite unsupported by cavalry.
