cavalry officer and General in the English Civil War and Scottish Civil Wars
1600 CE
to 1682 CE
David Leslie, 1st Lord Newark (c. 1600–1682) is a cavalry officer and General in the English Civil War and Scottish Civil Wars.
A son of Patrick Leslie, 1st Lord Lindores, he fights for the Swedish army of Gustavus Adolphus as a professional soldier during the Thirty Years' War.
He had entered Swedish service in 1630, serving as a captain in the regiment of Alexander Leslie (future Earl of Leven).
David Leslie is one of the Scots who transfers from Swedish to Russian service under Alexander Leslie of Auchintoul (not to be confused with Leven) in 1632 to participate in the Smolensk War and is mentioned by name in Auchintoul's testimonial.
David Leslie re-appears in the Swedish army in 1634 where he serves as a colonel and thereafter Field Marshal Johan Banér's adjutant-general with whom he participates at the Battle at Wittstock in 1636.
Leslie petitions to leave Swedish service in August 1640 after being wounded in battle.
The Swedish Riksråd (Royal Council) records show that he and Colonel James Lumsden asked to return to Scotland at the same time.
The seriousness of Leslie’s wounds are questionable and it is likely that they have been summoned home to support Alexander Leslie's Army of the Covenant, at this time participating in the Bishops' Wars against Charles I.
Both these officers are rewarded with a severance deal that includes two hundred muskets and two hundred suits of armor each.
Leslie also receives a valuable gold chain as an indication of his loyal service to the Swedish Crown.
The Stuart ambassador in Hamburg, Sir Thomas Roe, informs London of Leslie’s departure with Colonel Lumsden and twenty-four other Scottish officers from that city.
They arrive in Scotland after the Bishops' Wars has effectively ended.
