My name is Bartimolo Smit

My name is Bartimolo Smith. I have been faithful and patriotic to my country for as long as I?ve been alive. I was born in 1615. When I was ten years old, King James I passed away. Although it touched many people?s hearts to see our leader pass away, I never agreed with him or his ideas. He could have ?peaced? it out with parliament, instead of being so stubborn. I strongly believe that it was his teachings that lead to his son, King Charles I, execution and the civil war could have been avoided if only the hierarchy would have decided to cooperate.
It all began with the divine rights idea. King James I felt he was the chosen from god to run the country. He believed that he only had to answer to god. James I policy alienate Parliament because he believed he didn?t have to listen to any one but god. He didn?t want the help of parliament nor did he want parliament telling him how to run his country.
The problems began when I was merely a teenager. King James I wanted parliament to marry his son. The only religion allowed in the country was the Anglican religion. King James I wanted to marry his son to a Spaniard Catholic Princess. Catholicism was like saying a bad word. It was not allowed; people were not allowed to worship it. Parliament denied his request because the ties between Spain and England were not good. This was because Spain was Catholic. King James decided to dismiss Parliament for ten years and suspended any type of activity. He never resolved any matters with the assembly and passed away in 1625.
Charles I was not any better than his father. He had the same teachings. Very similarly to his dad, he dismissed Parliament when they refused to give him money. For another eleven years parliament didn?t meet. Charles tried to force the Anglican religion in Scotland but they did not allow it and rebelled. He then asked parliament for help but instead of helping they abolished all his illegal taxations. This was the Petition of Rights and it prohibited taxing without consent, arbitrary, imprisonment, the declaration of Marshall Law, and quartering soldiers. My parents were happy since they had a farm and had been taxed so much money by the King. Parliamant even started making acts against the King and his advisors.
When I was 24 years old, in 1639 the Scots invaded our country. I still remember the start of the Civil War in 1942. King Charles called parliament back because he needed money to fight the Scots in England. Parliament was already tired of being put away for ten years and being called only when their help was needed. I remember my mom telling me that they had killed one of The King?s advisors. I don?t recall his name but what I do know is that they wanted The King to stop acting like his shit didn?t stink
By the time I was 28, King Charles walked into parliament and tried to arrest five members, it was too late though, because there had been an informant. Everything was hectic in town, the Scots were everywhere. Innocent people began to die. In the newspaper, it said that 1500 had died in the first battle at Edge Hill and that both sides were almost equal. I remember walking home one day and seeing over 10 people just laying on the floor. I knew war was escalating; we had to prepare for the worst. They sent letters to all the towns, join the Royalists if you are with the King or join parliament if you are against the king. I knew although I was going to be betraying the King, I was going to be fighting to stop this division in a country that just needed a better ruler. So I joined the Parliamentary Army when Oliver Cromwell became in charge of the horses in battle.
Although Charles has taken much pleasure in his many victories, he couldn?t finish his opponents off. So I joined the Parliamentary Army when Oliver Cromwell became in charge of the horses in battle. I had rode horses all my life in the farm, our fist victory was at Winceby on October 11. I was so scare, because Charles had taken pleasure in many victories before this battle, I almost peed on the horse. We sure whooped their butts, made the Royalists run like little sissies.
In order to secure victory, we needed a strong professional army. The smartest idea the parliament did was make the New Model Army. People, like me, were placed in the army based on their skill rather than their social rank which helped us succeed in the war. The Royalist did succeed because they placed their soldiers on who had more money regardless of their fighting skills. Charles I tried to do the same as Parliament but his army fell apart.
By June 1645, we had abolished the Royalists Oxford Army. We had won the war! What a victory. By this time I had a punctured wound in my stomach. I was forced to go home. The crazy part was that someone from our army had found all of the king?s documents indicating that he was trying to help the Catholics. That was the worst thing he could have done to his country. Charles tried to flee but realized he would be hunted for life. He gave himself up to the Scots, since he had been their King as well. The Scots sold him back to us since they were our allies.
I was not allowed to fight the second phase of the war although, it was a parliamentary Victory. After the reconciliation of the Scots and the King, they tried to fight the New Model Army. Parliament was tired of trying to work anything out with the king, so they executed him.
Oliver Cromwell came into power. He wasn?t any of a better leader than any of the Kings we had. I guess power does it to a person. He wanted to change rules around and was still trying to have complete power of the country. The town people were very angry. I was home laying in bed trying to live everyday I could.
I can?t take the pain any longer. I have been injured to deep and will never be the same. I no longer can keep all my food inside my stomach. The doctors tell me that I will die. Although I am dying from an injury, no one will ever be able to say I was a coward. I stood up for what I believed was right. I will die with honor and pride for my country. Hopefully, this war will teach people to not be so arrogant.
Bibliography
Giles Howard. ?A brief History of the English Civil War.?2006. http://www.eventplan.co.uk/Bol.ECWhistory.htm. . 8 Oct . 2007
Phillips, Charles, and Alan Axelrod. ?First Civil War.? Encyclopedia of Wars, vol. 1. New York: Facts on File, Inc., 2005. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://0-www.fofweb.com.sslopac.bergen.edu:80 /activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE534&SingleRecord=True. .8 Oct . 2007
Purkiss Diana. ?Battle royal The English Civil War was far more than a conflict between Parliament and crown.? Financial Times . July 2006. . Lexis Nexus Academic. Bergen Community College . 8 Oct . 2007
?The Causes to The English Civil War?2000-2007 www.history learningsite.co.uk/englishcivil-war.htm. 8 Oct . 2007
Thompson Richard S.? English Civil War.?Great Britain: A reference guide from the renaissance to the present. New Facts on File, Inc., 2003 Modern World History Online. Facts On File Inc. http://0-www.fofweb.com.sslopac.Bergen.edu:80/activelink2.asp?itemID=WE53&iPin=GB0282&SingleRecord=True. Bergen Community College . 8 Oct . 2007
Wooves Ed.?Lessons of the English Civil War.? The Philadelphia Inquirer . September 2006. Lexis Nexus Academic. Bergen Community College . 8 Oct . 2007