Gods Ark Overtopping the Worlds Waves, Parliamentary chronicle · Letter 13
SIR; About 6 of the clock in the morning, Jan. 16th, 1643. the enemie faced us on both ſides of the Town; and our houſe with 2 foot Companies went to the workes, but they being a very great body, and the workes not yet defenſible in many places (they to give them their due) very bravely came on, and forced their entry into the Town, and our horſe and foot were both forced to retreate to the Caſtle, but we had not one man ſlain or wounded in the retreate: Our Ordnance from the Caſtle made a lane among them at their entry, and our Musketteers kild many of them as they retreated into the Caſtles The enemy poſſeſſed themſelves of St. Peters Church, and thoſe houſes & ſtreet ends, which hindred our ſallying out, but when our horſe ſaw they were able to do no ſervice (their body of horſe being far greater) Colonell Thornhagh & all the other horſe Commanders, encouraged their Troopers to take Muskets in their hands, and ſerve as foot (which to their great glory they very cheerfully and couragiouſly did) and with a foot company joyned to part of them, ſallied out and beat the Cavaliers out of the neereſt houſes to the Caſtle, and poſſeſſed them: When we ſaw our ſally and retreat, both made indifferent ſafe, we drew out 2 other foot Companies, & all the reſt of the Troopers with Muskets, who went on with ſo great courage & valour, that they drove the enemy before them out of the Town, with a great deal of diſhonour and confuſion: we have now 80 priſoners, and all their armes, and a great many kild, the certain number whereof I cannot relate, divers of them were wounded & carried dead off from the field, ſome they had buried in the field before they had entred the Town, we traced them 2 miles in the ſnow by much bloud which we found ſpilt; and we hear that they left dead and wounded men in the Towns as they paſſed. I do not perceive we have any priſoners above the quality of a Captain, Lievtenant, but the reaſon is, becauſe the Commanders ran away in ſuch haſt, that they left their own and got Troopers horſes, and took no care of their men, but left them without command, being happy who could firſt ſcape away: We loſt not all this day but one man ſlain, and 2 or 3 wounded: At laſt the enemy rallied in a valley about a mile from the Town (where they had a body of horſe which never came into the Town) we faced one another, but we finding their body ſo much exceeding all our force, would not hazard the whole garriſon upon ſuch unequall termes, towards night the enemy marched away to their ſeverall Garriſons. Col. Cartwright had his horſe kild under him with a Cannon bullet they ſay (but I am not certain) that he himſelf is ſhot. That you may know their devilliſhnes, give me leave to acquaint you with their deſign as it was related to us: They were reſolved to have ſurpriſed us this morning by two of the clocke, but the bitterneſs of the ſnowie weather which fell, hindred ſo ſpeedy a march of their foot as they expected; therefore failing of that, their farther deſigne was, to try if they could get the Town, which if they could, they then reſolved to ſummon the Caſtle, & if they could neither winne nor have it delivered up, they reſolved to plunder, and then fire the Town; to this purpoſe and with theſe threats they had prepared a Letter to ſend me, and when they could finde none that would venture to carry it, they ſeiz'd on Mr Majores, and would with many threats have compelled him to carry it to me; one clauſe of it was, that if I would not ſend them the Major & Aldermen, nor deliver the Caſtle, they would proceed to plunder and fire: Before Mr Majores was well out of doores with his Letter, there was ſo quick & unexpected an anſwer ſent them by 400 Muskettiers, which ſallied out upon them, that they were in too great haſt to take with them the plunder of the Town, ſo that in that reſpect the Town eſcaped well and loſt nothing of value; we muſt acknowledge it was a wonderfull mercy of God that it eſcaped firing, for they caſt a many coals of fire amongst a great deal of hay, in Capt. Whites Quarters, and laid fire to divers houſes, and had prepared divers Gorſe Buſhes to fire, and ſhot muskets and piſtols into the thatch of houſes as they paſſed by, and into barnes, but God preſerved us from all theſe dangers, ſo that though the fire was found halfe an hour after they were gone quick in the hay, yet there was not ſo much as a ſmoke in the Town: The number of theſe forces were (as neer as we could gueſſe) or find out by the priſoners) 1500 horſe and foot, being all the force that could be gathered together from Newark, Si… Charles Lucas, Col. Fretwell, with other forces drawn from Bolſover, and Welbeck, and Shelford: They faced the Bridge on the other ſide of the Trent with between 2 and 300 horſe & Dragoons which came from Haſtings, Belvoir, & Wiverton. By this you may ſee how we are ſtraitned and how over potent our enemies are, and you may imagine how impoſſible it is for this poor Garriſon to ſubſiſt without ſome reliefe of money to encourage our Souldiers, and the truth is to make them able to live to do the publique ſervice: Therefore Sir, I beſeech you, proſecute my deſires in my laſt Letter to you as the greateſt ſervice you can doe your Country and Obligation you can lay on
Your loving friend and ſervant, J. H. Nottingham Caſtle, Jan. 16. 1643.
In all this dayes ſervice we had not any aſſiſtance from the Townſmen, beſides thoſe which have all this year been in the Caſtle with me, though I had twice ſummoned them to receive armes for the defence of the Town, but could not perſwade them to do it, but now I am in ſome hopes that they will by this be brought to concur more cheerfully with me, for their own defence, and that the Cavaliers (though they have no cauſe to brag of this) will more deerly buy their next entrance, I heare ſince that moſt of the enemies foot are run away, which were about five or ſix hundred; all their foot flung their Armes away, that they might run the lighter.
Sir, Since I writ this Letter I am certainly informed, that there are above a 100 Cavaliers lying dead in Thor…high and Sauſom woods, and Nottingham Coppice, the weather being ſo ſharp that their wounds bled to death, and ſome of them ſtarved with cold, and wee have ſince found many of them dead in the Towne that were wounded, and hid themſelves in houſes, and there bled to death; they have left many wounded all along the Townes as they diſperſed themſelves to their ſeverall Garriſons from whence they came. The greatneſs of their loſs is more than yet we can diſcover, and what I have related to you is leſs than what we know to be true: we have ſome priſoners that were in the Parliaments ſervice in Ireland, & are now taken with the enemy; I deſire to know the pleaſure of the Houſe concerning them; whether they ſhall be tryed by a Councell of war, as runawayes, or excha…ed, becauſe it may be our fortune to meet with more conſiderable men of the ſame kinde.
Your ſervant, J. H. Nottingham-Caſtle, Jan. 17. 1643.
From all theſe plots, then, and moſt deſperate and devilliſh deſignes of our reſtleſs rancourous adverſaries, wee may clearly ſee that of the Prophet Eſay moſt eminently verified.Eſa. 57. 19, 20. That it is the Lord alone, who is able to create peace and ſalvation to his people that are a far off, & to thoſe that are neer, evermore to heal and to help them. But, the wicked (as heer wee have ſeen in all theſe plots and deſperate deſignes) are ſtill like the troubled Sea, which cannot reſt, but is evermore caſting up mire and dirt. And therefore there is no peace (ſaith my God) to the wicked. But now to proceed.
And heer now I have thought fit to acquaint the Reader (though a little out of order, in reſpect of the day of the MonethMonth onelyonly) with the moſt admirable and bleſſed providence of the Lord, in ſtirring up the hearts of our loving and loyall Brethren of Scotland, Our Brethren of Scotlands firſt advance and coming into England for our aſſiſtance.to ſuch a pitch and highth of Chriſtian ſympathizing with us in our preſent preſſing troubles and deep diſtractions, as to leave their own native Country, wives, children, kindred & eſtates, yea, their all, and to bring their lives in their hands, & to adventure their moſt precious heart-bloud for us and with us, in the godly vindication of our Religion, Lawes & Liberties, & to help forward the happy reeſtabliſhment of Peace & Truth among us, which if rightly & ſeriouſly conſidered, is & ought to be moſt juſtly eſteemed and accounted one of the richeſt & rareſt temporall mercies that have from the firſt,What a rich & rare mercy this of our Brethren of Scotlāds coming into England, is unto us. or can to the laſt befall us; even a whole Kingdom or Nation, unanimouſly to combine and conjoyne with us in this neceſſitated holy-war. O what ſufficient thanks & praiſes is England ever able to retribute & repay to Englands good God for it? O England, England, let this ſo rich, ſo rare a mercy, be never forgotten of thee; let thoſe our loyall, our loving Scottiſh-Brethren, be ever moſt intimately & entirely beloved of thee. And now to the matter, which I ſhall ſuccinctly deliver to the Reader in a full relation of our ſaid loving Scottiſh-Brethrens march from Barwick to Newcaſtle, as it was printed and publiſhed by authoritie, which was as followeth.