Whiggamore Raid

Part of Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms

Date	September 1648
Location	Edinburgh
Result	Edinburgh taken by Kirk Party Committee of Estates relocates to Stirling Ensuing Battle of Stirling

Belligerents

Kirk Party

Committee of Estates

Engagers

Commanders and leaders

The Earl of Eglinton

The Earl of Leven

Earl of Loudoun

(Lord Chancellor)

Committee of Estates

The Whiggamore Raid (or "March of the Whiggamores") was a march on Edinburgh by supporters of the Kirk faction of the Covenanters to take power from the Engagers whose army had recently been defeated by the English New Model Army at the Battle of Preston (1648).

Whiggamores (later shortened to Whigs)—a term most likely originating from the Scots for "mare drivers"—became a nickname for the Kirk party who were against the Engagement with King Charles I.

After defeating the Duke of Hamilton at Battle of Preston (17 August – 19 August 1648), Oliver Cromwell had still to deal with the forces under Sir George Monro and Sir Philip Musgrave, making in all about 7,000 men. Monro, however, not being on good terms with his English allies, made his way through Durham to the Anglo-Scottish border, and, crossing the Tweed into Scotland on 8 September 1648, left Musgrave to his fate ( who had retreated into Appleby and capitulated on 9 October 1648). The Earl of Lanark and the Committee of Estates, anxious to hold Cromwell back from carrying the pursuit across the Border, gave orders that no Englishman who had been in arms in conjunction with Hamilton or Monro should be admitted into Scotland. By this time Cromwell was at Durham pushing steadily northwards. He soon learnt that he would not be without potent allies in Scotland itself.

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Wikipedia