Englands Parliamentary Chronicle, Chronicle · Letter 38
Honourable Sir;
I Had not an opportunity to ſend my Letters formerly written, but now God hath afforded an accaſion to ſpeed away his Meſſenger on purpoſe, to let you know, that the laſt night the Enemy drew out of Oxford with a ſtrong party of 1000 Horſe, and all the ſtrength they could make of …, and notwithſtanding all our parties abroad, and our Horſe Guard, they came between Thrupp and Norcot to Barton Houſe, and kept covert till day light, and lay ſtill after the Ravalue was beaten, and our out-Centinels called in, and then ſuddenly ariſing out of their Ambuſhment, taking the advantage, our Works (being caved out) at the Spurr, and other places, forced our Guards, beat them all from the Works, entred above 300 men, poſſeſt themſelves of Abby-Guard, Spur-Guard, Wayne-Guard and Barne, preſſed hard towards the Priſon, where three of their men were ſlaine betweene Maſter Dues Houſe and the Priſon, by which time we had taken the Alarm, and our men were got together, and made good the paſſage, and then fearing leaſt they ſhould poſſeſſe themſelves of Bore-Bridge, and ſo let in their Horſe, (which they had in great numbers about our Works) I commanded a party toward the Bridge, and lodged them in the old Redoubt at Bore-Lane end, which was of much good uſe for us; for, by keeping that, we kept the Town. I alſo ſent another party which did very good ſervice at Wainyard. In the … time our Horſe did moſt gallantly charge their Foot, routed their Musketeers, and we had doubtleſſe taken moſt of them that were over the Work, but that they were preſerved by a ſtrong body of their Pikes. Major Blundell and Colonell Waſhburn came in unto us in good time,Our men moſt bravely charges the Enemy. charged gallantly through the thickeſt of them, which ſo terrified them, that being on all ſides beſet, they quit their ground, tumbled over the Works faſter than they came in;The Enemies beaten out of the Town. and beſides them they carried away, we took 13 priſoners of them. There were ſlaine on our party but two Common Souldiers: Captain Taylor, Captain Maddocks, Quartermaſter Cox, were dangerouſly wounded;The hurt on our ſide. Major Blundell ſlightly hurt with a Halbert on the thigh, Captain Keeling ſhot in the hand, Colonell Waſhburn had his great bay horſe ſlaine under him, Quartermaſter Arnot and Major Blundels Cornet Horſes were ſlaine, and many of our men ſorely wounded. The diſpute was very harſh for the time, but God gave our men ſuch ſpirits, that ſcorning death, they reſolved rather to loſe their lives than the Towne, and ſome of them fought moſt deſperately in their ſhirts onelyonly as they ſtarted out of their beds,Some of ours moſt deſperately fought in their ſhirts only. and could but ſnatch up their weapons, and flie to their Horſes. Our Horſe Guard that lay without Ockbridge ranne all away, whether for feare of the Enemy, or for feare of being called to an account for their neglect, I know not, they were part of Suſſex Troop. I deſire you will pleaſe to order the Officers of Colonell Rainsboroughs Regiment to come down to look to their charge, there being here but foure of tenne Commanders. I am informed that the King hath ſworne he will have Abbington and will fire it;The King vowed to have Abington, and to fire it. and that this night againe we ſhall be aſſaulted with 2500 men; I doubt not, if he come, but he ſhall finde us better …aided than before. Sir, I beſeech you be pleaſed to haſten down ſome … for the relief of our poore men, whoſe neceſſities are great, and their need of encouragement as great. Sir, I ſhall deſire to approve my ſelf, to the utmoſt of my power,
Your Honours moſt humble Servant, George Pain. Abington, March 2. 1645.
And here, good Reader, I ſhall deſire thee to take notice of Gods extraordinary providence in the preſervation of this Town,A paſſage of ſpeciall providence in the preſervation of Abington. i… one eſpeciall paſſage, which was omitted in the Letter, whereof I was credibly informed, viz. That the Enemy having got the Magazine in their power, or ſo neer it, that they might have fired it yet were ſo confident that the Town was certainly theirs, that though they might, yet they therefore did not: whereas, I ſay, had they doubted the taking of it, they would, no doubt, have done it, and then had irrecoverably maſtered the Town, our Souldiers not having above three charges of powder left them at that time, and ſo might eaſily have been all deſtroyed and taken. Beſides, had they taken this Town,Abingtons bad and ſad condition had it now been taken. they would have firſt plundred it to purpoſe, and carried away whatever was portable and worth having, and then unqueſtionably, have ſet the whole Town on fire, as not being tenable by them, as their caſe then ſtood, the King (at this time) neceſſitated to draw all the Souldiers into the Field, for the forming of a Field Army, and not able to keep or increaſe Garriſons, eſpecially this Garriſon at this time. Therefore, I ſay, ſee what an admirable mercy, and ſpeciall providence and protection of the Lord was here ſeene to this Town; and therefore what great praiſe and Thankſgiving is due to the Lord for the ſame. But to goe on.
Upon the 4. of this inſtant we received the certaine intelligence and confirmation of the ſurrender of the ſtrong Garriſon of Aſhbie de la Zouch, Aſhbie de la-Zouch ſurrendred to the Parliament.to Leiceſter forces. The conditions of the ſurrender were, that Haſtings, alias, the Lord of Loughborough, together with his brother the Earle of Huntington and Colonell Perkins ſhould have their eſtates unſequeſtred, protections for their perſons, & paſſes to go beyond Sea; the reſt of the Officers to have liberty to compound for their ſequeſtration, and paſſes (if deſired) to go beyond Sea alſo; and the Garriſon to be ſlighted. Too good Conditions indeed, for ſuch a deſperate and wicked Rob-Caryer as Haſtings was, but that the Kingdome may be glad to be rid of ſuch wretches. The ſurrender was made accordingly on Munday, the ſecond inſtant. We tooke therein. 5. Peeces of Ordnance, about 300. Armes, little ammunition, and no great ſtore of other proviſions. A great mercy and mightie preſervation of the peace and tranquility of all thoſe ad-jacent Parts about it, for which let God have all the due praiſe and glory.Our Armies ſingular good ſucceſſe in Cornwall, and the taking of Bodman Liſtithiel and VVare Bridge.
About the 6. of this inſtant March, we had farther certaine information of the ſingular good ſucceſſe of our armie in the Weſt paſſing on moſt proſperouſly by God Almightie guard and guidance; The ſumme of which dayes intelligence was contained in theſe 2. enſuing Letters from Maſter Ruſhworth, which was as followeth: