Gods Ark Overtopping the Worlds Waves, Parliamentary chronicle · Letter 19
To the Honourable William Lenthall Eſquire, Speaker of the Houſe of Commons.
HONOURED SIR,
NOt to trouble you with vain relations, whereby to hinder the other ſerious imployment for the Kingdomes good; May it pleaſe you to be advertiſed, That the Town of Oſweſtree, late taken by the Forces of the Parliament,Oſweſtree beſieged b… Col. Marow on the Kings ſide. under my Brother Colonell Mittons Command, was upon Saturday laſt begun to be begirt, and ſince ſtrictly beſieged by the Kings forces conſiſting of about Fifteen hundred Horſe, and Three thouſand five hundred Foot, under the command of Colonell Marrow; And that thereupon, in purſuance of a Councell of War's determination, occaſioned by …arneſt and importunate Letter from my Brother, Colonell Mitton, directed to wee, for ſpeedy reliefe and raiſing of the ſiege of the ſaid Towne; I did▪ upon the Lords-day laſt paſt, with ſuch Forces of Horſe and Foot as I then had with me, and the Foot Forces of Cheſhire, all of us then at Knotsford, upon a determinate reſolution to have marched for Mancheſter, and then for the ſervice in the North: According to enjoyment of the Committee of both Kingdomes, returne and re-advance with all my ſaid Forces, unto a place called Spurſtow heath, where that night we quartered, and thence advanced upon Munday morning towards Whitchurch, we quartered that night likewiſe in the open Fields, at a place called the Fennes in Flintſhire, where yeſterday we marched towards Elſmore, and ſo to the ſaid Towne of Oſweſtree, where the Enemy endeavoured by battering and ſtorming of the ſame,Sir Tho. Midleton comes to Oſweſtree to aid his brother Col. Mitton. violently to have carryed it; about two of the clocke in the Afternoon we came in ſight of the Towne, and within three miles of it, where the Enemy having got intelligence of our approach, prepared to receive us, the chiefe Forces of our Enemy conſiſting of the moſt valiant Commanders and Souldiers, drawn out of the garriſons of Cheſter, Cheſhire, Shrewsbury, Shropſhire, Ludlow, Denbyſhire, Flintſhire, and other places. The Enemy had taken the paſſage of water neere to Whittington, and very furiouſly aſſaulted and charged us; but were repulſed and forced to retyre, through the courage of our Horſe, who moſt courageouſly entertained the Enemy; three ſeverall times the skirmiſh was doubtfull,The Enemy beaten & put to flight. either ſide being forced ſo often to retreat, but in the end our Foot Forces comming up, relieved the Horſe, beat back the Enemy, and purſued them with ſuch force, that the Horſe thereby encouraged, which indeed was formerly weary, joyning with the Foot; they put the Enemy to an abſolute flight, in which we purſued them Five miles towards Shrewsbury, to a place called Felton-heath, and where likewiſe we remained after their flight again thence, Maſters of the Field… In the skirmiſh with the Enemy,Our loſſe & hurt. and in the purſuite, wee loſt ſeverall of our Horſe, ſome of our Troopers; but never a Foorman which I am yet informed of, many of the Troopers are hurt, but I hope they will recover; I loſt one Captain Williams, and one Captain Lieutenant Fletcher (a very couragious man, being Captain Lieutenant to Colonell Barton, in my Brigade) was dangerouſly ſhot, but I hope not mortally.The Enemies leſſe. As for the Enemy, they loſt many ſtout men, had many of them taken priſoners, the number whereof the incloſed will manifeſt, ſome of them being of great quality; As, the Lord Newports eldeſt Son: And beſides, in their flight ſuch was their haſte, that wee found in the way of our purſuite of them, the high way, as it were, ſtrewed with ſtore of Bread, Cheeſe, Bacon, and other good proviſions,The highways and paſſages ſtrewed with ſtore of the Enemies good proviſion. clothes, and ſuch neceſſary appurtenance to an Army, beſides ſome whole Ʋeales and Muttons new kill'd. The Enemy before the reliefe came, had taken the Church, being the ſtrongeſt hold about the Town, upon the approach of the reliefe, they ſuddenly deſerted it, and ſent their two battering pieces unto Shrewsbury. In the way alſo were taken by our Forces, ſeven Carts and Waggons loaden with proviſions, as Beer, Bread and other neceſſaries, whereof one was loaden with Powder and other Ammunition, the Towne of Oſweſtree I find to be a very ſtrong Town, and if once fortified, of great concernment, and the Key that lets us into Wales.
SIR, I had to my ayd 3. Regiments of Foot, viz. Colonell George Boothes Regiment, a gallant Regiment led by himſelfe on foot, to the face of the Enemy; Another by Colonell Manwaring, and the third by Colonell Croxon, all of them ſtout and gallant Commanders, and the reſt of the Officers and Souldiers full of courage and reſolution. Major Louthien, Adjutant Generall, that brave and faithfull Commander, to whom I cannot aſcribe too much honour, brought up the Reare that day.
SIR, I reſt Yours, THO: MIDDLETON.
Priſoners taken at Oſweſtree at the raiſing of the ſiege thereof.
Francis Lord Newport, Son and heir to the Earl of Newport,
Captain Swinerton, Captain of a Troope of Horſe;
twenty Welſh and Shropſhire Gentlemen;
one Cornet of Horſe which had no command;
Lievtenant Norrell;
one Quartermaſter;
two Corporalls;
32 Troopers;
two pieces of Artillery to come up to the walls to ſave the Musketteers;
ſeven Carryages, whereof one, of powder;
200 common-ſouldiers, moſt of them Welſh,
great ſtore of Armes, found (as was toucht before) in the wayes, and ditches;
There was ſince alſo taken Major Manly and Major Whitney, under the walls of Shrewſbury in the purſuite of them.
About the 5th. of this inſtant July, came certain intelligence out of the North to London, of that moſt famous and glorious victory, wherewith it graciouſly pleaſed the Lord to crown our three moſt noble and ever to be renowned Generalls, The moſt famous and glorious victory neer Yorke.viz. Cenerall Leſley, Earl of Leven in Scotland: The moſt noble Earle of Mancheſter; and the moſt renowned Lord Fairfax: Which was moſt happily obtained on the ſecond of this inſtant July, 1644. being Tueſday toward night; and that within the ſpace of leſſe than three houres. The full and true relation of which Fight and famous Battell, although the three moſt noble Generalls aforeſaid ſent it to London under their owne hands, and divers other relations thereof have been publiſhed in print to ſhew the clearneſſe and truth of the thing (they every one in ſubſtance agreeing one with another) yet both in regard of the fulneſſe and faithfulneſſe, as alſo the pious enlargements of that Copy which was written by that very reverend, learned, and pious Paſtour, and Heroicke-ſpirited Gentleman, Maſter Simon Aſh, Chaplaine to the moſt noble, valiant, and victorious Earle of Mancheſter, I have therefore made choice of his excellent relation, and here inſerted it verbatim, as it was printed and publiſhed (with onelyonly ſome interlacing and addition of ſome few materiall paſſages cull'd out of other authentick copies) for the Readers better ſatisfaction and much content therein; which was as followeth.