At that time, the English army was probably the best in Europe. During the Civil Wars, Cromwell and Fairfax forged an army with good organization and soldiers who were well-trained. But of the 16,354 men Cromwell had led across the Scottish border in July, only 3,500 horse and 7,500 foot soldiers remained combat effective at Dunbar. His opponents outnumbered him 2-to-1. However, most of the English, unlike their opponents, were veterans.

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Under cover of darkness at about 4 a.m., the English charged the sleeping Scots. Severely beaten to the punch, the Scots barely had time to scramble into position. Cromwell nevertheless later wrote in praise of his foes, ‘The enemy made gallant resistance and there was a very hot dispute at the sword’s point between our horse and theirs.’

Although the stunned horsemen were driven back, the Scots recovered. Colonel Archibald Strachan then led a counterattack. Some of Strachan’s cavalry carried lances, and they pushed the English back to the burn.

A seesaw struggle dominated at the center. The Scottish infantry under Sir James Lumsden moved forward to engage Monck’s foot regiments. Infantry regiments at the time were usually made up of about 40 percent pikemen, who could repel cavalry charges and force back enemy infantry. Musketeers exchanged fire while the foot battle, the so-called ‘push of pike,’ began. ‘Our first foot, after they discharged their duty, received some repulse which they soon recovered,’ Cromwell wrote. Highlanders in the Campbell of Lawers regiment charged at one point, but a counterattack repulsed them. The scrum between pikemen went in favor of the Scots, who advanced downhill. The entire English assault had been blunted.

Cromwell was aware of the stalemate, but unlike Leslie he retained control of his army’s maneuverability. Realizing that his reserve troops could make the difference, he moved them between the Broxmouth cottage and the sea, coming onto the extreme right of the Scottish flank. Lambert and Fleetwood re-formed their cavalry, and their counterattack added further pressure to the Scots’ right flank.

‘The horse…did with a great deal of courage and spirit beat back all opposition,’ Cromwell wrote, ‘charging through and through the bodies of the enemy’s horse and their foot; who were, after the first repulse given, made by the Lord of Hosts as stubble to their swords.’

As the Scottish cavalry fell back, the English cavalry, with Colonel Pride’s infantry regiments behind them, pounded on the flank of the Scottish infantry. Pride wrote, ‘My own regiment did come seasonably in and at the push of the pike did repel the stoutest regiment the enemy had there merely with the courage the Lord was pleased to give; which proved a great amazement to the residue of their foot.’

With its flank being rolled up, Leslie’s retreating army found itself packed between Doon Hill and the burn. The Scots’ superior numbers now hindered them.

The Scottish cavalry on the right flank fled in all directions, and the units on the left flank abandoned the battle they had not even joined. English pressure prevented units from retreating and re-forming. Most Scots panicked and ran or surrendered where they stood.

Some Scottish foot regiments stood their ground. ‘Onely Lawers his regiment of Highlanders made a good defense,’ Monck reported. ‘They stood to the push of the pike and were all cut in pieces.’

According to an anonymous Scottish chronicler, Sir John Haldane of Gleneggies’ regiment also’stood very stiffly to it’ and ‘would not yield though at the push of pike and butt-end of musket, until a troop of horse charged from one end to another of them, and so left them to the mercy of the foot.’ All its senior officers were killed. Another Scottish chronicler, who had apparently interviewed some of Cromwell’s troops after the battle, wrote that Gleneggies’ and Alexander Stewart’s two ‘regiments of foot fought it out manfully, for they were all killed as they stood (as the enemy confessed).’ Nevertheless, by the time the sun had evaporated the morning mists, Cromwell had shattered Leslie’s army.

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