Page 35 - Hampdens Monument Unveiled

With the foresight of an active spirit, he had established a
chain of communication between
the principal posts to the eastward, and, the day before had
despatched his own Lieutenant to Lord Essex, to urge the
strengthening of the line by calling in the remote pickets from
Wycombe, and from those very villages which were now suffering
from Rupert's attack. Had this advice been adopted when it was
given, that morning's disaster at Chinnor would have been
spared, and a force would have been collected on the main line
of the Stokenchurch road sufficient to have stopped and
defeated Rupert on his advance, or effectually cut off all
possibility of his retreat.

Hampden had obtained, in early life, from the habits of the
chase, a through knowledge of the passes of this country. It is
intersected in the upper parts with woods and deep chalky
hollows and in the vales with brooks and green lanes; the only
clear roads along the foot of the hills, from east to west, and
these not very good, being the two ancient Roman highways
called Upper and Lower Icknield Way. Over this district he had
expected that some great operation would be attempted on the
King's part, to force the posts round Thame, and turn the whole
eastern flank of the army. To this neighbourhood he had, the
evening before, repaired, and had lain that night at
Watlington. On the first alarm of Rupert's irruption, he sent
off a trooper to the Lord General at Thame, to advise moving a
force of infantry and cavalry to Chiselhampton Bridge, the only
point at which Rupert could re-cross the river. Some of his
friends would have dissuaded him from adventuring his person
with the cavalry on a service which did not properly belong to
him, wishing him rather to leave it to those officers of lesser
note under whose immediate command the pickets were. But,
wherever danger was, and hope of service to the cause, there
Hampden ever felt that his duty lay. He instantly mounted, with
a trooper of Cap. Sheffield's horse, who volunteered to follow
him, and being joined by some of Gunter's dragoons,
endeavoured, by several charges, to harass and impede the
retreat, until Lord Essex should have time to make his
dispositions at the river. Towards this point, however, Rupert
hastened, through Tetsworth, his rear guard skirmishing the
whole way.

The Battle of Chalgrove

On Chalgrove Field, the Prince overtook a regiment of his
infantry, and here, among the standing corn, which covered a
plain of several hundred acres, (then, as now, unenclosed) he
drew up in order of battle.

Gunter, now joining three troops of horse and one of dragoons
who were advancing from Easington and Thame, over Golder hill
came down among the enclosures facing the right of the Prince's
line along a hedgerow which still forms the boundary on that
side of Chalgrove Field. The Prince with his life guards and