11 Facts About Daniel Axtell

Daniel Axtell had a brother Thomas Axtell who was an early immigrant in Sudbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Daniel Axtell participated as a lieutenant colonel in Pride's Purge of the Long Parliament, arguably the only military coup d'etat in English history, and commanded the Parliamentary Guard at the trial of King Charles I at Westminster Hall in 1649.

Daniel Axtell was a figure of some prominence in the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland.

Daniel Axtell played a role part in the storming of Drogheda and the massacre that ensued.

Colonel Daniel Axtell, with some twelve of his men, went up to the top of the mount, and demanded of the governor the surrender of it, who was very stubborn, speaking very big words, but at length was persuaded to go into the windmill at the top of the mount, and as many more of the chiefest of them as it could contain, where they were disarmed, and afterwards all slain.

Daniel Axtell was court-martialled for this by Henry Ireton and sent back to England.

Daniel Axtell escaped from the fight at Daventry, during which Lambert was captured by Colonel Richard Ingoldsby, but was himself arrested shortly afterwards.

Daniel Axtell was arraigned for treason for his actions during the King's trial.

Daniel Axtell's commanding officer Colonel Francis Hacker had been condemned as a Regicide and had been executed.

Daniel Axtell went to his execution unrepentant, declaring "If I had a thousand lives, I could lay them all down for the [Good Old] Cause".

In 1678 Axtell's son, named Daniel Axtell, fled to Carolina after his house in Stoke Newington was searched for seditious libels.