Lancashires Valley of Achor is Englands Door of Hope, Part 3 – Part 5
Blackburne-Hundred.
ABout November the ſeven and twentieth, the Array, with ſome three hundred armed men (as is conceived) beſides Club-men, poſſeſſed themſelves of Blackburne, whence they ſent a party to diſarme Whalley. This Alarm awaked the Militia, to awake the people by precept. They being awaked were ſoon up, and marched toward Blackburne, about two hundred armed men, ſome companies of Club-men, and ſome Horſe-men, but without Arms. The want of skill in Souldiers, and skilfull Captains to ſupply that want, cauſed a conſultation on Hinfield-Moore, which received Determination (not from the Diſcoverie of hidden skill, but from the reſolute will of theſe ſtirring Souldiers) to diſpoſſeſſe thoſe forcible Tenants. They ſpeed on with ſhouting, dividing themſelves unto the conduct of two choſen Captains, and come within ſight of the Town about eight of the clock, when the Queen of the night, that had ſhined upon their March, did diſcover them to their enemies: who ſoon let flie from the Steeple, which ordered one Captain and his companie to the South-ſide of the Town, and the other Captain with his company to the Eaſt-end of the Town, where they found, (though not ſo high, yet) as hot entertainment out of the Town, for the ſpace of two houres. But God that varieth his providence according to his peoples occaſions, and had maintained the paſſages of Mancheſter, (that a rightfull people might not …) did now open a difficult paſſage to let in his friends, from whom the Array haſted, having disburdened themſelves of their Arms, and reſtored what they took from Wh…ley. Now had God added an experience of favourable providence, in a new kinde, formerly in a way of Defence, now in a way of Offence, declaring his All-ſufficiencie and co… pleatneſſe for Warre, to thoſe two united Hundreds, giving a Shield to Mancheſter, and a Sword to Blackburne, hereby aſſuring them from heaven, That if they would cleave together, and be mutually aſſiſtant in his Cauſe, they ſhould be variouſly, but ſuitably and compleatly aſſiſted and ſaved, he would be their All-ſufficient God, their God indeed, and to purpoſe.
By this time the Moſt-High had lifted us aloft, that we might through weakneſſe of head, or neglect of our footing, have fallen dangerouſly, had not God as carefully taken us down, as he lifted us up; which he did about the ſixteenth of December.
The Plundering Array iſſued out of Wigan, to provoke the anger, and ſtirre up the courage of the neighbourhood, who to maintain their Proteſtation in their own defence, reſolved to be mutually encouraging and aſſiſtant: but apprehending themſelves too weak, requeſted two Captains out of Mancheſter, with their companies, to Quarter with them for their ſecurity; which was granted. This new ſtrength was augmented by forces raiſed thereabouts. They wax bold to face Wigan, and come off faire. They go to Plunder a Papiſts houſe neere Wigan. The enemy ſends a party after them, and is advantaged by their ſecuritie; But leaving their Plunder, and taking to their Armes, they redeem their libertie for this time.
The enemy hath not thus done with them, he will be better provided for a ſecond encounter; he Warrants the adjacent parts to come in to his help: Houghton Common.Our Captains and Companies go to plunder another Papiſts houſe; the Enemy with about a thouſand horſe and foot, makes after them, (as if they had choſen to relieve their confederate Papiſts.) Our Forces will not flie, though but about eighty Muſquetteers, no not from ſtrength, though as yet a door was open, but having drawn their companies into a Cloſe of ground upon the ſide of Houghton Common. They confidently conflict with the enemy, to his great loſſe, towards three hours; but leſt they ſhould eſcape, (as they were nigh to do) God fires their Magazine, and cools their courage; they ſound a Parley, have quarter given them for their lives, but looſe their Arms and Libertie; three Captains and eightſcore ſouldiers were ſhut up into the hand of the enemie, the firſt and fowleſt blow God gave us in this kinde in the County; an humbling blow, and laſting warning: To this day we halt of this blow though moſt of our Captains and Souldiers be releaſed, (bleſſed be God) and well it is if we carry not the marke of this wound when it is healed.
Upon this ſad occaſion, God made a comfortable appearance, that he had not ſaved Mancheſter to the intent they ſhould ſit ſtill, nor had he placed a Garriſon there, to make their mountain to ſtand ſtrong, but that they might be ready for action at the beat of his Drum, which ſtruck up, after a reconciliation ſought with him by faſting and prayer. The project was for Leigh, Leigh.our marching out (as they ſay) cauſed the Earl to retreat from his purpoſes and beginnings againſt Bolton. The day of aſſault, the weeping heavens changed their chear for our encouragement, looked fair upon our enterprize, and triumphant return. The doubt of falling firſt upon the town, or ſome malignant houſes, the cleering of Cho-Bent in the way, made it high Chriſtmas Eve ere our men could fall on, (an infortunate time for us, as the Papiſts would judge) but it quickned reſolution, and ſpeeded action. The Enemie ſuffered them to come within halfe Muſquet ſhot ere they diſcharged, and then plaid deſperately upon our men, in a full Body, to the preſent loſe of onelyonly one. Our men divided themſelves, that they might claſp hands at a diſtance, and compaſſe the Town, God intending to ſhut up the enemy into their incloſure; which done they parted again, and marching up at ſeverall places, at the call of the Drum, met at the Marketplace, to receive from the bounty of the God they had ſought, the repair of their loſt Arms and the price of redemption for Captains and Souldies: This Victory founded in humiliation, was compleated in thankſgiving. It is not to be paſſed by, what a change of Chriſtmas was now made in the Countie and Kingdom, ſuch a change in the emptineſſe of great mens houſes, in the places and occaſions of concourſe, in mirth and proviſion, in idleneſſe and recreation, as expreſſed a people very ſinfull, and a God very angry, to imprint both which there was much in the time, if much conſidered.
The like Chriſtmas kept our Forces at Blackburne; The Militia having in the Towne four hundred armed men, and ſome Clubmen, the Array came againſt the Towne on Chriſtmas Eve with five thouſand, and three field Pieces, very early in the morning, they ſhot off their pieces, with ſhouting, ſaying, Take heed you Round-heads. God took heed for us, for we were not afraid of the noiſe, nor hurt once by the eight pound Bullet, though directed againſt us eight and twenty times. We called on them (in vaine) to come within Musquet ſhot. About twelve a Clock they called a parley: The pretence was, if we would yeeld the Towne, and the Arms, and ſubmit to the Earl of Darby, they would meditate with him to ſupplicate the King to grant a Pardon. The intent was to carry their god (the greateſt Field-Piece) nearer the Towne, he was too farre off to doe any harme. We (Scot-like) knew not the meaning of a Pardon, profeſſing our ſelves to be for King and Parliament. When we would no Pardon, they laboured to puniſh us, having ſet up their Idoll nearer, by the counſell (as they report) of four or five Prieſts and Jeſui…es, and other great Papiſts, whom they had at hand in a tythe Barn: Till Sun-ſetting both ſides plaid fiercely, but then taking advantage of the darkneſſe, they fled in fear, and over-run their great Pieces, truſting more to the night for protection, than to their own courage or ſtrengh.
The ſeventh and eight of February were devoted to God in Faſting and Prayer in Mancheſter, to ſucceed our Forces that were upon their march. The firſt day was ſpent, and gave ſtrength to our men to march all night, Preſton.and to ſet upon Preſton by break of day, the next mornidg, the ſecond day of faſting, when ſome of our men ſoon advantaged themſelves by taking of Rible-Bridge, and with unſpeakable courage ſet upon the Town, well fortified and manned, which God gave them in two hours, as a preſent return of prayers. Such courage was raiſed in the Souldiers, that they dared to take hold of their enemies Muſquets put thorow the Loop-holes, as if the miracle of mercy had been again revived, Pſalme 91.19. Thou ſhalt tread upon the Lyon and Adder. And when the Pikes kept them off from the Mudwalls, yet by breaking thorow an houſe ſome twenty entred the Towne; which ſmall number drew down a Troop of Horſe to take a Prey. But Moſes, Aaron, and Hur being on the top of the hill, whileſt Joſhua was fighting in the Valley; the Captaine of the horſe was killed, and the Troop ſcattered. Then came up the reſt of our men, killed the Major and ſome others, chaſed the Enemy, and commanded the Towne. Here Divine Providence took a noble Captain off his feet before the dangerous diſcharge of a Bullet, he ſtood not to fall, but fell to riſe. We loſt few men in this dangerous aſſault, took ſtore of priſoners and Armes, and came in the nick of time to relieve the well-affected in Preſton, and thereabouts, upon whom the Array were prepared to impoſe an Oath and heavy Taxations. This prey God plucked out of the teeth of the Lion, and paw of the Bear.
Haughton Tower.
It was not long after, that this glorious victory was clouded by a dark and terrible blow at Haughton Tower, where the miſcarriages of great and ſmall in the taking of Preſton, did us more miſchief, than all our enemies from the entrance of our hoſtility, to that time; as ſometimes Iſraels ſin thorow Balaams counſell, prevailed to puniſh them more, than Warre or Witchcraft.
Our men going down to take the Tower, and finding it prepared for entrance, poſſeſſed themſelves of it, till being burdened with the weight of their ſwearing, drunkenneſſe, plundering, and wilfull waſte at Preſton, it diſpoſſeſſed them, by the help of Powder, to which their diſorders laid a Train, fired by their neglected Matches, or by that great Souldiers Idoll, Tobacco. However it was, ſure it is, that the place ſo firmely united, choſe rather to be torn in pieces then to harbour the poſſeſſours. O that this thundering Alarm might ever ſound in the eares of our Swearing, Curſing, Drunken, Tobacco-abuſing Commanders and Souldiers, unto unfaigned Repentance. For do they think that thoſe upon whom the Tower fell, and ſlew them, were ſinners above the reſt of the Army. Let Chriſt that asked a like queſtion, Luke 13.4 5. give the Anſwer: I tell you nay, but except ye repent, ye ſhall all likewiſe periſh: In the day when the Lord viſiteth, he will viſit their ſins upon them, Exod. 32.34.
Though our ſinnes thus clouded our Sun in the cleare day, yet was not the praiſe of Gods glorious goodneſſe and power to be darkned, but to be held forth two ſeverall dayes, to hold proportion with the time of our humiliation: which (if I miſtake not) was done.
The latter day of thankſgiving was at Mancheſter, the ſixteenth of February, the unhappy time that the Earle choſe to recover his Preſtor-loſſes, in the gaining of poore and pious Bolton, which would have been a back-door to Mancheſter. The relation of that buſineſſe ſtands thus:
Boltons firſt aſſault.
THe Earles Major Generall, with about one thouſand Horſe and Foot, Marched towards Bolton, ſurprized their Scouts in the way, and diſcovered themſelves to be within a mile of the Town, about nine of the clocke, little ſuſpecting that the Bolton Souldiers were that while at Prayer in the Church, nor the Souldiers knowing what need they had by Prayer to prepare for Fight. Had they preſently come down upon the Towne, they had taken them unprovided of Ammunition; But fetching a compaſſe, that they might come on in a more ominous way, by Great-L…aver, the Biſhops houſe, the Souldiers were furniſhed to reſiſt. The aſſault was fierce and threatning, the Outworks outed our men to entertain the Enemy, who ſtayed not there, but followed to the Town, fired an houſe neer the Sentinell, wherein the winde ſerved them to carry the ſmoke upon us; But God preſently commanded the winde to blow from another point, to darken and ſmother the fire-kindlers.
Then the Enemy tooke an houſe that joyned to the Mud-Wall, and had Windows above it, which gave them advantage, to beat our men from the Wall, and a Stable that opened into the Street, whence they ſhot the Major through the Arme, and had Commiſſion to kill his Horſe, but to ſave him. This doore they opened to enter, but God ſo faced and feared them by our men, that they turned their backs and ſhut the doore, found paſſage out, and place for retreat. Whileſt the Fight laſted, the vapouring Horſe prevented aſſiſtance, ſo that they compaſſed the people of God a…out, yea, They compaſſed th m about, but in the Name of the Lord they did deſtroy them, Pſal. 118.11. Whileſt Gods people at Manch…ſter did Sing and Praiſe, the Lord ſet ambuſhments againſt their enemies at Bolton; and, They were ſmitten, 2. Chron. 20.21, 22. Here the Canons roared often, but ſtill played childrens play, for they mortally bit but one lad, r…ported to be of their own ſide.
Hither their wittie malice brought a new-invented miſchievous Inſtrument, which received this deſcription at Bolton; An head about a quarter of a yard long, a ſtaffe of two yards long, or more, put into that head, twelve i…on pikes round about, and one in the end to ſtab with; This fierce Weapon (to double their ſcorn) they called, A Round-head; But no weapon that is formed againſt thee ſhall proſper, Iſaiah 54.17.