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September 3

Cromwell Crushes Royalists: Dunbar Secures Parliament

Oliver Cromwell had roughly 11,000 men at Dunbar. David Leslie had 22,000 Scots on the high ground above him and simply had to wait — so Leslie's officers convinced him to come down. That decision handed Cromwell the battle. In one dawn charge on September 3, 1650, the English Parliamentary forces killed 2,000 Scots and captured 10,000 more. Cromwell called it 'one of the most signal mercies God hath done for England.' Leslie had been winning until he moved.

September 3, 1650

376 years ago

What Else Happened on September 3

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