Englands Parliamentary Chronicle, Chronicle · Letter 16 – Letter 17
Sir,
ON the 21 of this inſtant Aprill, The Copy of Colon. Maſſies own Letter ſetting forth his great danger & as great deliverance.Prince Rupert, marching all that night, came the next morning, Aprill 22 from Ledbury, where, I then, was, but the Enemy intercepting 8 of my Scouts, wee had no intelligence, till they were neer at hand upon us. The Enemies advanced and charged into the Town upon us, and my ſelf, with divers Gentlemen, Viz. Major Harlow, Leivtenant Colonell Kerle, Major Bacchus, Captain Gifford, Captain More, and Captain Baily, with ſome others, and ſome common Souldiers, with the aſſiſtance of 200 Musketteers, out of the County Forces, received them, and ſo ſoon as wee received the Alarm, wee drew out upon them, and marching cloſe up to them, fell on them, beat them to a retreat, and made it good againſt them, ſo long till my foot might retreat a ſecure way to Glouceſter. After the foot wee marched off, and out of the Town wee had two or three hot charges upon them, where wee ſlew neer forty of the Enemies men, and many of them that were killed at this charge being Officers of quality and eſteem. On our part wee had very few killed, not above 6 or 7. but I was inforced my ſelf ſtill to charge in the head of all my Troops, to incourage the Warwick and Northampton horſe, I and my Officers bearing the heat of the day.
At length, intending to retreat to our place of advantage (ſome horſe, of thoſe ſent to mee not ſtanding to it, as they ſhould have done) the Enemy got in amongſt our foot, but wee redeemed that again, and marched off into the field.
The Enemy have ſent us a Liſt of the Priſoners which they took from us: the number by their own Liſt is 110 priſoners, but above 80 of them were none of my men, only ſuch Country people as they ſwept away with them in their retreat, that did never bear Armes, onelyonly they carryed them away to cauſe them by money, or making friends for exchange, to redeem themſelves: my Major, Sergeant-Major Bacchus is deſperately wounded in the head, and was carryed away priſoner by the Enemy to Hereford. Major Harlow had a ſleight wound in the head, and another in the arme, but came bravely off; Captain Baily, and Captain Foſter, with ſome other common men of ours are taken priſoners by them. I have ſent for their freedom by exchange of ſome of thoſe priſoners I took from them, many of them being men of quality, and …now to redeem them all, if they were thrice as many
Prince Rupert ſent mee word by my Trumpeter that I ſent, that in the fight hee ſought mee out, but knew me not till after, no more than I knew him. But it ſeems wee charged each other, and hee ſhot my horſe under mee, and I did as much for him. At that charge many Commanders of theirs fell. Prince Rupert is (I hear) very much enraged to undertake ſo great and toilſome a march, and ſo much to miſſe his end. I had by Gods bleſſing my intendment, and ſtopt his preſent march Northward, to God bee the glory. Prince Ruperts Army by the report of the Countrey, is noiſed about to bee 6 or 7000 horſe and foot: who are now upon their march again towards Ludlow, and ſo, as I hear, intend for Salo… if they bee not prevented again, which muſt bee by a more conſiderable ſtrength than I have.
The forces that were with mee, were in all about 500 foot, and 350 horſe, nor were theſe all with mee at Lydbury, for my Guards were not come. The Enemy braglittle of their getting, but lament much; the names of the Commanders and Officers that were ſlain by us, I ſhall ſend you by the next.
Your humble Servant Edward Maſſie. Aprill 25. 1645.
Poſt ſcript. My laſt Letter told you that Lydney Houſe was fired and Sir John Winter ran away by the light of the flames, and for haſte over-ran two of his great Gunnes, one Demi-Culverin, one Saker, and 3 braſes of Iron murtherers, which hee left behind at Lydney, to doe mee a courteſie.
Sir John fired all the way hee went, till our forces drove them to a full flight over the Bridge.
The conſideration of this gallant ſervice of Colonel Maſſies, and all his former ſucceſſes rendered him moſt honourable in the thoughts of his endeared friends, the Honourable Houſe of Commons, who preſently after the reading thereof, fell into conſultation how to reward him in ſome meaſure to his great deſervings, and thereupon it was Ordered that an Ordinance of Parliament ſhould bee brought in for the ſetling 1000 pound per annu… on Colonell Maſſie, during his life.
And likewiſe Ordered, that hee ſhould have 200 pound beſtowed upon him, for his extraordinary valour and gallantry in this fight, and becauſe theſe monies might bee ſpeedily iſſued to him, it was Ordered that the Committee for the Kings Revenue ſhould make payment forthwith of this ſumme. And a Letter of thanks was ordered likewiſe to bee ſent to Colonell Maſſie, deſiring him to goe on in ſuch honourable deſignes, and that hee ſhould never want the encouragement of the Houſes of Parliament.
About the 8 of this inſtant May, wee alſo received certain intelligence by Letters out of Warwickeſhire, The good ſucceſſe & valiant ſervices of the the Parliaments forces at Warwick, under Major Purefoy.of the good ſucceſſe of the Parliaments forces in thoſe parts under the Command of valiant Major Purefoy, teſtified alſo by his own Letter to the Committee of Parliament at Coventry, and by them to London, the ſubſtance of which Letter was, as followeth.
Noble Gentlemen,
I Cannot but give you notice of ſome skirmiſhes lately performed by my Troop. As firſt, that my ſaid Troop ſcouting abroad to diſcover the Enemies actions, wee encountred a party of them, skirmiſhed with them, and in the fight took Colonell Francis Wortley, Son and h…ire to Sir Francis Wortley, that prime and pernicious Royaliſt. Since that I marched out again with my Troop and faced Banbury within twice Musket ſhot for above an houres ſpace, and drew out a forlorn hope, and ſent, then into Nelthrop where they met with a party of the Enemies foot, purſued them to the very Turn-pike, killed one of them, and brought off 6 priſoners, without any loſſe to our ſelves.
Immediately after I ſent out a party of 30 good Horſe, who bravely fell into the Reare of the Kings Army, within a mile of Stow, and after a ſtout aſſault upon them, ours took priſoners Prince Ruperts Gun-Smith, 4 Reformadoes of his Life-guard, Prince Mourice his Chirurgeon,A brave prize taken. his cheif Cook, his Farrier, with ſome other common Troopers, 12 good horſes, 7 caſe of piſtol…, 12 ſwords; and all this taken without any loſſe at all on our part, praiſed bee the Lord for it; and and 100 peices of gold was taken …one of their pockets. Since this alſo I ſent out another party to …udgell them up in their Rear, and my ſaid party marched ſtraight to Cambden, and found the Garriſon ſet on fire, but the party entred the Town, and found 200 foot in the ſtreets, and about an 100 horſe in the ſtables there, which unexpected ſight increaſed my mens courage and reſolution, and they ſeeing themſelves ingaged, charged quite through them all, and through the whole Town, where they diſcovering the Kings forces within half a …ile of the Town, at their rendevour, charged therefore through …hem again, killed 14 upon the ground, beſides many more wounded, put them all to run, and quit the Town, and my men came off without any loſſe, and brought 3 good horſes with them.
And about the 12 of this inſtant wee received certain …ntelligence by Letters out of the Weſt, of the long expected, and much longed for aſſurance of the releif of the diſtreſſed and much ſtraitned Town of Taunton, The happy releif of the precious Town of Taunton, by renowned Sir Tho Fairfaxes forces under the command of Col. Welden, & Col. Graves.by Colonell Welden, and Colonell Graves and their valiant forces deſigned by renowned Sir Thomas Fairfax for that purpoſe. In which Town there were very many precious ſoules, and moſt faithfull Servants of the Lord, who were all with admirable Chriſtian courage reſolved, …gether with their brave and moſt undaunted Governour, Colonell Blake, to hold out to the uttermoſt of their deareſt hearts blood, rather than to truſt to the preſent perfidious Articles, and thereby the future intollerable tyranny, and baſeneſſe of a moſt diſloyall, bloody, and barbarous Enemy. The manner of the releif whereof, being ſuccinctly certified by valiant Colonell Weldens own Letter to Sir Thomas Fairfax, I have heer thought fit, for my Readers better content and ſatisfaction to inſert, onelyonly heer and there I have made bold to interlace a word or two very materiall and pertinent to the preſent buſineſſe; which was as followeth.