The Battle of Worcester was the final conflict in the English Civil War. The King in exile, Charles II, marched his men from Scotland into England, and they came up against Parliamentary forces under Oliver Cromwell at Worcester. Entering the city on August 23, he paused to allow his men to rest and gather supplies. Cromwell divided his men into two groups, and it is likely that all told Cromwell’s men outnumbered the royalists by two to one.

Cromwell began a bombardment of the city and attempted to cross the Severn from the south, but his men were beaten back. Charles sallied out to attack, but he, too, was unsuccessful and returned without taking any of Cromwell’s guns. Cromwell constructed a boat bridge across the river, and led his men across. They pushed back the royal troops, allowing the main Parliamentary army to cross. Charles quickly launched a counterattack, pushing his opponents back in the east. Cromwell was forced to re-cross the river to support his men, and after 3 hours of hard fighting they pushed the royalists back into Worcester. The city was surrounded, and troops attempting to flee were quickly captured by Cromwell’s men. Charles left his bodyguard to hold off pursuit and fled the field.