Relation of Both Battles, Letter 1
A moſt True and Exact RELATION OF Both the Battels fought by his Excellency and his Forces againſt the bloudy Cavelliers.
The one on the 23. of October laſt, neer Keynton below Edge-Hill in Warwickſhire, the other at Worceſter by Colonell Brown, Captain Nathaniel, and John Fiennes, and Colonell Sands and ſome others.
Wherein the particulars of each Battle is punctually ſet down at large for the full ſatisfaction of all people, with the Names of the Commanders and Regiments that valiently ſtood it out.
Alſo the number and Names of the chief Commanders that were ſlain on both ſides; All which is here faithfully ſet down without favour or partiality to either Army.
Written by a worthy Captain Maſter Nathaniel Fiennes. And commanded to be Printed.
London, Printed for Joſeph Hunſcott. Novem. 9. 1642.
Mr Nathaniell Fiennes his Letter to his Father.
My Lord,
I Have ſent to your Lordſhip a Relation of the laſt Battell fought in Keynton Field, which I ſhewed to the Generall and Lievetenant Generall of the Horſe, and divers Colonels and Officers, and they conceive it to be right and according to the truth: For the ill writing of it, I deſire that your Lordſhip would excuſe me, for I had not time to write it over again; yet I ſuppoſe it may be read, and your Lordſhip may cauſe it to be written faire, if your Lordſhip thinke it worth ſo much. For that which your Lordſhip writeth concerning my brother John, it is a moſt falſe and malicious ſlander which that fellow hath raiſed upon him, that he ſhould be the firſt man that fled on the left wing, when as none of your Lordſhips ſonnes were in the left wing, and my brother John was not at all in the field while the fight was; for by occaſion that I intreated him on Saturday morning, when we marched towards Keynton (little dreaming of a Battell the next day) to go to Eveſham (which was but three miles from the quarter where our Troops lay, before they marched with the Army to Keynton) for to take ſome Arms that were come thither the night before, for ſuch of our men as wanted Arms, and ſo to come after to the Rendevouz at Keynton. He could not come thither on Saturday with thoſe men of both Troops which went backe with him to Eveſham for their Arms, but the next day he came thither between three or foure of the clock; at which time our left wing being defeated, many of the Run-aways met with him as he was coming to the Army; and happily among the reſt, this fellow that raiſed this report; for that Viuers which your Lordſhip mentioneth, was not Captain Viuers (for he was in Banbury) but a brother of his that was in one of Colonell Goodwins Troops, and as I heard my brother ſay, he ſaw him there; and I heard my Lord Generall ſay, that Vivers was one of the firſt that ran away: Now it ſeemes that thoſe men that ran away ſo timely, ſeeing my brother before them, reported as if he had fled from the Army, which is ſo contrary to the truth, that he tooke a great deale of pains to make his own men and Captain Vivers men which were with him to ſtand, and to ſtop the Run-aways that came from the Army, and this he did, and made two or three ſtands, and at length gathered a pretty body upon a hill together, and with them (there being Captain Keightlyes and Captain Cromwells Troope, at length came to them alſo) be marched towards the Town; and hearing the enemy was there (as indeed they were there with the greateſt part of their horſe) they made a ſtand, and ſending ſorth their Scouts to give them intelligence where the enemy and where our Forces were, at length they came to knowledge of Colonell Hampdens Brigadoe that was coming another way to the Town, and ſo joyning themſelves unto them, they came to the Army together. My Lord Generall is very ſenſible of the wrong that this fellow hath done my brother, and will inquire after him to have him puniſhed, as he hath written to my Lord Wharton concerning him, to let you know ſo much. Maſter Bond whom he citeth for one of his authors, denies that ere he ſpake to my brother at all, or that he ſaw any ſuch thing of flying, as that baſe fellow reporteth, and this your Lordſhip ſhall have under his hand. It had been a ſtrange thing if my brother that ſhewed ſo much courage at Worceſter, ſhould have been ſo faint-hearted upon this occaſion: But I ſtrange that men will give credit to every idle fellow; if they will, they may heare that my Lord Generall, and all the Officers every one of them ran away. But my Lord, as your Lordſhip hath great cauſe to be thankfull, together with us, to God, that in all theſe late actions of danger, hath preſerved the perſons and lives of all your three Sons, ſo alſo for preſerving their honors, and the honor of Religion; that in this cauſe they have never flinſht, but have all of them in their ſeverall places and conditions been as forward to hazard their perſons into the midſt of theirs and Gods enemies as any whoſoever. And of the truth of this (though we do not vapour ſo much as ſome do) there are enough, and thoſe very honorable witneſſes that can and will affirm it as well as
Your Lordſhips moſt obedient Son, NATHANIEL FIENENES.