A Letter from a Minister to a Brother in London, Letter
A LETTER From a Miniſter in His Excellence His Army, To a Brother of his in LONDON, By way of prevention to MERCURIUS AULICUS and his Complices.
Dated from my Lord Generalls Quarter before READING. April 18. 1643.
London, Printed for J. Rothwell, and S. Gellibrand. April 20. 1643.
A Letter from a Miniſter in the Army, to his Brother in LONDON.
Brother,
I Know my friends are full of expectation, & I am not unwilling to take a little pains to fatisfie them: But if they will not be ſatisfied without the ſtorming or taking the Town, they cannot yet be ſatisfied: if the truth will give any ſatisfaction, it is this: We marched from Windſor to Maydenhead, on Thurſday after noon; from thence to Ockingham on Friday, and ſo to a place on the Weſt of Reading, a mile from the Town, where my Lord Generalls Quarters, at the houſe of one Sir Iohn Blachgrave, with the Souldiers in the fields about. On Saturday afternoon, toward night, we faced the Town: in the night Major Gen: went up with his Regiment, and a Work was made to plant Ordnance on, which began to play on Sunday morning early, and battered the Fort and Works next them, which yet they diligently make up. On Sunday night Sir Iohn Meldrum commanded with his own Regiment, Sir William Cunstables, and Col: Barelayes, who went on with the Works. Laſt night Col: Langham commanded, having with him his own Regiment, my Lord Generalls, and Colonell Hampdens; and the Works are now brought within leſſe then half a Musket ſhot of the Town. It may be our friends at London expect we ſhould have ſtormed the Town, and entred it before this; but they may be miſtaken at that diſtance: they have in the Town about 3000 men, which they have a liberty of drawing down to that part of the Town next us, in regard we have no Forces on the other ſide, my Lord Grey being not yet come to us, though we doubt not of him this night, or to morrow morning. We have had intelligence out of the Town, that ſay we have kill'd and hurt many of their men, notwithſtanding the advantage of their Works, Colonell Bolles, as is reported, for one; and that their Proviſion is ſcarce, but as yet it is not ſtopped, as were to be wiſhed; yet we have taken up Caveſham bridge, and left no way to them, but by Boat, or by Henley. We hear of ſome of the Kings Forces marching down on the other ſide the water to their relief, if it may be, I hope they will be prevented. At our firſt approach, our Proviſion was very ſcant, but I hope we ſhall now have it more plentifully; hungry dayes, and cold nights would have abated the courage of our Souldiers, were they not very hearty in the buſineſſe: Let our friends rather ſtrive to have their prayers for us warm as the day, then their cenſures ſharp as the night: If we be to blame, it was for coming hither, which yet muſt not be too ſoon; I know no miſcarriage ſince we came. Our loſſe hath been very little, conſidering our danger, working and lying ſo neer them; I think we have not loſt above 8 or 10 men in Service, two or three have been kill'd through curioſity, and ſome hurt by accident, as ſome of Sir Iohn Meldrums Regiment yeſterday, by blowing up Powder, and this morning three or four ſlain, and ſome were hurt by the breaking of a Carriage by ſome Powder fired about through improvidence. Sir Anthony Saint-John, a Captain of my Lord Generalls Regiment hurt by it; it was reported Major Ingolſly was ſlain, and Lievtenant Colonell Barriff hurt, but no ſuch matter: We have loſt no Officer ſince our ſitting down, but one Lievtenant Price, of the Major Generalls Regiment. Though our work be hard, yet our Souldiers are hearty; but it muſt not be expected they ſhould overcome impoſſibilities, ſo as by a bare aſſault to get over Palliſadoes, Ditches very deep, and Breſt-Works. They have in Town ten ſmall Braſſe Pieces, two bigger of Iron, three Troops of Horſe. As we have not aſſaulted, ſo neither they ſallyed forth to do any thing worth the naming. Take heed your deſires of ſtorming be not too ſoon fulfilled; if it be not done with all circumſpection, it will not onelyonly loſe many lives, but endanger the whole Army and Kingdom, for ought I know: Adde therefore to your faith patience; we could be as willing to change our Quarters, as you to have us; Me thinks you ſhould be preparing a ſupply, to further the beſt, and to prevent the worſt. I thought fit to write this, not onelyonly for your own ſatisfaction, but to prevent Mercurius Aulicus, who I doubt not will tell you ſtrange ſtories ſhortly. This may ſerve as a battery upon the refuge of lies, which is our enemies ſtrong retreat; as ſome out of the Town tell us, they encourage their Souldiers by telling them our Ordnance are broke, their ſupplies at hand, they ſee our men fall in great numbers. This night Major Gen: commands in the approaches, his own Regiment; my Lord Roberts, and Col: Hobornes, with three Regiments more, as a reſerve to them, which is the conſtant courſe: It may be the difference of my profeſſion may make me miſſe in terms and circumſtances; but you may take this for the ſubſtance and truth of our condition. OnelyOnly I may further adde, for I ſhall not conceal any thing, though to our diſadvantage, That there is a Supply of ſtrength come into Reading this morning, ſome Muskettiers under the Conduct of Sir Lewis Dyve, as I hear, who have ſo much confidence, as to bring their Ladies to this Muſick; I hope to no other purpoſe then to make our Victory the more conſiderable. I forbear to adde further for the preſent, but that which I need not beg, your prayers.
So I rest, E. B.
FINIS.
End of the text · Edward Bowles, A Letter from a Minister to a Brother in London (1643)