Wikipedia article of the day for August 17, 2025

The Wikipedia article of the day for August 17, 2025 is Battle of Preston (1648).
The battle of Preston took place on 17 August 1648. It was part of the Second English Civil War, which began with a series of mutinies and Royalist uprisings. The Scots raised an army under the command of James, Duke of Hamilton, which marched into England to support King Charles I. It combined with English Royalists and continued south some 24,000 strong. Oliver Cromwell concentrated 9,000 Parliamentarians in north Yorkshire and fell on the flank of the much larger Royalist army. Not anticipating this reckless assault, Hamilton was caught with his army dispersed. A blocking force of Royalist infantry was outflanked after a ferocious hour-long fight. A second round of prolonged infantry hand-to-hand fighting took place for control of the bridge south of Preston (pictured); the Parliamentarians fought their way across as night fell. In total 1,000 Royalists were killed and 4,000 captured; Parliamentary casualties were low. (This article is part of a featured topic: Scottish invasion of England (1648).)