English Civil War earl of Essex would put himself in their way". Accordingly, the army left Shrewsbury on 12 October, gaining two days' start on the enemy, and moved south-east. This had the desired effect, as it forced Essex to move to intercept them. The first pitched battle of the war, fought at Edgehill on 23 October 1642, proved inconclusive, and both the Royalists and Parliamentarians claimed it as a victory. The second field action of the war, the stand-off at Turnham Green, saw Charles forced to withdraw to Oxford. This city would serve as his base for the remainder of the war.
First English Civil War work continuing during the Second English Civil War. Fortifications across the country were targeted, but especially those in Yorkshire and Wales. The rhetoric of Parliament at the national level emphasised that slighting was a military necessity, however the motivations were far more complex and varied regionally. The breach between the New Model Army and Parliament widened day by day between 1646 and 1648 until finally the Presbyterian party, combined with the Scots and the remaining Royalists, felt their preparations for a new war had made them strong enough to subdue the English Independents, as embodied in the New Model Army,