Prelude to the Crooks Farm battle

Lord Thomas had expected to be  reprimanded for his failure to carry out his mission to take Dollingham for the King. His ignominious retreat with virtually intact forces had not impressed his superiors. He would not forget their scorn., but as he remarked to his son,  his duty was to his Majesty and not self important popinjays. There would be no centrally funded reinforcements. The artillery that had felt to Lord Thomas as a couple of mobile millstones were to be returned to the artillery park at some point. His friends still gave him their support but perhaps less than before. It would take 3 days until the one cavalry unit he could count on was ready to take the field again;

 

Sir Josiah Letterman was somewhat mollified and his choler abated. His force had crossed the Trout and, thanks to Mudford’s Dragoons they had taken a walled farmhouse.as their base. Sir Josiah was never one to take a chance so he was glad to encamp within an hours march of the River. Within 24 hours local farms started being raided, hay stacks fired, cattle and other livestock taken. There was no sign of their recently defeated enemy but even so, Sir Josiah posted out infantry pickets in a half mile radius whilst the cavalry and dragoons ravaged the countryside. Half the spoils were to be sent to the troops besieging Oldfetter and a quarter of what remained to Linden. The rest fed his contingent. He was relatively pleased with his accomplishments so far.

 

 Sir Josiah would have been less composed if he had known that his position had been reported to Lord Thomas within 24 hours and that Lord Thomas was already taking steps to evict “ That impertinent scoundrel”. Lord Thomas had something to prove and he was not going to move until he had the advantage and the addition of a Unit of Dragoons, admittedly untested, might well make up for his lack of Horse..

 

On the second day of occupation It was noticed that the Parliamentarian forces were being observed, the observer fled to the South West. On the third day a troop of horse were tasked to scout an arc from the South West to North West of the farm at a distance to include the Great North Road which linked the King’s stronghold of York to Oldfetter. The patrol did not return that night so pickets were doubled and 1 regiment of Infantry stood to. Sir Josiah pointed out  to his Colonels that, although they were down 1 regiment of infantry , they beaten the Malignants  and pursued them into their own territory, “ We have beaten them  once we shall do so again.”, he assured them.