Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - Ko da yake Charles ya nada shi kwamandan rundunar soja a Arewacin Ingila, Rich ya kasance tare da majalisar a farkon yakin basasa na farko a watan Agusta 1642. Mutane da yawa a bangarorin biyu sun yi tsammanin wani ɗan gajeren rikici ba tare da zubar da jini ba kuma sun yi mamakin asarar da aka yi a Edgehill a watan Oktoba na shekara ta 1642. A farkon shekara ta 1643, Rich ya yi ƙoƙari ya shawo kan dan uwansa kuma kwamandan sojojin Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl na Essex don tilasta Majalisar yin zaman lafiya; lokacin da wannan ya kasa, sai ya koma ga Royalists a Oxford. Ko da yake a Newbury
a watan Satumba, Charles ya bi da shi ba tare da nuna damuwa ba kuma ya koma Westminster a watan Nuwamba, an ruwaito cewa saboda ya yi adawa da "Cessation" da Royalists a Ireland suka tattauna da Catholic Confederation.