Relation Made in the House of Commons, Statement
A RELATION MADE In the House of Commons, BY Col: Nathaniel Fiennes, CONCERNING The Surrender of the City and Castle OF BRISTOLL, August 5. 1643.
Together with the Transcripts and Extracts of certain Letters, wherein his care for the preservation of the City doth appear.
Imprimatur, JOHN WHITE.
London, Printed for R. D.
Mr. SPEAKER,
ALthough both my selfe and the whole Kingdome have cause to be humbled under the hand of God, which hath lighted heavy upon us, in the late unhappy defeat of Sir William Wallers Army neer the Devises, and in consequence thereof, in the losse of a place of such importance as is the City of Bristoll, yet I make no doubt but I shall give cleere satisfaction both to this House, and to the whole world; That though I have great cause to be griev'd at the successe, yet I have no cause at all to be ashamed for any mis-carriage in the discharge of my duty and trust, having performed it to the uttermost of my power, and beyond what could be expected from me, considering the condition wherein I was, and in this great unhappines wch hath befallen my self and the whole kingdom; it is some ease to me that I have opportunity to cleere my selfe in this place, from such aspersions as most unworthily and most unjustly have been layed upon me, by those that have condemned me before they heard me, or any other upon whose relation they were able to found a right judgement concerning the carriage of this unhappy businesse.
Sir, I wil not trouble you with rehearsing the occasiō of my first undertaking the care & charge of the City, nor with the dangers & difficulties that I have gone through in the managing thereof: only thus much I shall say, that as I little enjoyed my self in the employment, having no rest or quiet from continuall care and paines, so I never did affect it, but allwayes declined it, and that not in a way of complement, but really as my private Letters to my Lord Generall, my father, and others, and my expressions at severall times to my friends in private, may witnesse; and the reason why I did desire to be taken off that imployment, was this: Because I knew that the place was of very great importance to the Kingdom, and the losse thereof would much reflect upon him that had the charge thereof, though he were not at all in any fault, having not sufficient means to defend it, which I alwayes feared would be the destiny of that place (as it hath been) by reason that it would require a great Garrison, and charge to maintain it, which I found would not so soone and so easily be setled, but that some misfortune was like to befall it (as it hath done) in the mean time. Notwithstanding, seeing God was pleased to pitch me there, and that I could not get off this service, (although I earnestly endeavoured it) I bethought my selfe, how I might put the place into a posture of defence, and though it be one of the hardest towns in England to be fortified, yet by Gods assistance I drew Fortifications round about it, and had almost brought them to perfection: and knowing that without men, arms, and ammunition, all that I had done would be but like a body without a soul, and considering how hard a thing it would be to have men and maintenance continually from London, for the defence of that City; and that it was as impossible (what conceits soever some had of the wealth of that City) to maintaine the Garrison, out of the City, without the assistance of the adjacent Counties: I made certain Propositions soon after my first coming thither, to the Gentlemen of the adjacent counties, for the setling and maintaining of a sufficient Garrison there; which (at length, I got most of the Gentlemen to consent unto, as may appear by Certificates under their hands:) After I sent them to my Lo: Generall, who liked them very well, and wrote a Letter to my father, wherein he did earnestly presse him to move the Committee for the safety, and the Houses for to settle the Garrison according to those Propositions; accordingly the Committee and the Houses were moved in it: an Ordinance framed to that purpose, and Committee appointed to consider of it, and to bring, it to perfection: and there was never a Post, but I wrote, earnestly for the expediting of it, and pressed it, as that which imported no lesse then the safety of the City: (all this my Letters to my Lord, Father, and others can testifie) yet I know not what obstructions it met with at the Committee, but I am very confident had it been dispatched when I first sent about it, before the Armies had fallen into the countries round about that City, it had not been in the hands that now it is. In the mean time I did not faile to use all the care I could, and all the power I had to strengthen that Garrison with men, arms, and ammunition; for whereas I found, there only Colonell Essex's and Col. Pophams Regiments: Sir William Waller drew out, Col. Essexs Regiment, and all the Troops of horse that were in it, except two for the service of the field, in stead whereof, I raised and armed as many troops as he drew forth: and without any money allowed from London raised, armed and coated a Regiment of foot, of 1200. men. After that, when Sir Ralph Hoptons Army, upon the defeat of the Earl of Stamford, began to draw down towards Sommersetshire, and Marquesse Hartford, and Prince Maurice, endeavoured to joyne their forces with him: Six Companies of Col. Pophams Regiment were drawn forth to ioyn with the forces of Sommerset to prevent the joyning of the enemies western forces; but these were routed, and lost all their arms at Wells. After that, when Sir Wil. Waller came from Woster, and had his Randevouz at Bath, both he and Sir Arthur Hazelrig, and all the Gentlemen of the country were very earnest with me to afford him a good strength of foot to his horse, whereby he might be inabled to encounter with the enemy, and be master of the field, which was pressed upon me both by him, and others with great earnestnesse, as the onelyonly means to preserve Bristoll and the west of England, (as may appear by a Letter signed by him and sir Arthur Hazelrig, (which I shall desire may be read:) Hereupon I advised with my Officers, and concluded that if there had been a sufficient Garrison within the City, whereby it might have subsisted of it selfe without the help of an Army in the field, that it would not have bin wisdom in me to suffer so considerable a place to depend upon the fortune of an Army in the field; but seeing there was not a sufficient Garrison established in the town, but that the enemy being master of the field, would in a short time be master of the City also: it was held the best way to make Sir Wil: Wallers Army as strong as possible I could; and seeing the security of the City was to depend upon the successe of his Army, to use all means that might any wayes contribute towards the good successe thereof; and so I resolved to send him 1200. men out of the towne, which accordingly I did, besides my Regiment of horse, which was with him before: After expressing that I was forced to cast Bristoll, and the fortune thereof upon the successe of that Army; But when all Sir Will. Wallers Army was routed, and amongst them those 1200. that I had sent out of Bristoll were all dispersed, and had lost all their arms; Every body looked upon Bristoll as a lost town, and that onelyonly with respect to the western Army, without relation to those forces which came from Oxford with Prince Rupert, (which were more then the other:) Hereupon Sir Wil: Waller resolved to retire with his horse (wherein he did wisely, for otherwise he would have lost those that remained of them, to no purpose;) and Sir ARTHUR HAZELRIGGE and Colonell BORRGHELL though sorely wounded, and divers Gentlemen that had formerly resided constantly in Bristoll, thought fit to withdraw themselve, which I do not speak to any other purpose (many of them having no tye at all to that place) but onelyonly to shew that it was the gener I apprehension of these men, that Bristoll was lost when Sir William Waller lost the field, and that they did not hold that either Town or Castle was tenable (for that to my knowledge they might have had lodgings in either) all which I am enforced to declare, to satisfie the world, that there were some besides my self and the Councell of War at Bristoll, that were of opinion, that neither the Town nor Castle were tenable against such Forces as came against them. Notwithstanding all this, and that I had but 700 men left in the town, and not a penny of money left to pay th…m, much lesse to raise or arm any more, yet I was not wholly discouraged, but it pleasing God to stir up the heart of Sir John Horner, (who hath carryed himself very nobly in this businesse to the end) and some other honest men to lend me some money, (whom I am confident you will never suffer to be Loser, for the testifying of their affection in such a time of extremity;) by this means I was encouraged to try what strength of Foot I could adde to these I had already, and resolved to make use of the Arms of the Trained-…ands of the City, which I did, and by that mean, and by ready money, I procured about One thousand or Eleven hundred Arms, and raised so many men in Five dayes space; which time of respite the Enemy gave me, staying til the Oxford Army under the Conduct of Prince Rupert came up on Glocestershire side the Town. Having gotten together between Seventeen hundred, or Eighteen hundred men (which was nothing for the manning of those Works, that required at least twice as many) I resolved to make the best defence I could, and as long as I could, although when I saw the two Armies drawn upon both sides the town (being as I have been firce informed. Fifteen Regiments of Foot, and Twelve Regiments of Horse) I did know, that without a miracle, it was impossible the town should be maintained against them for one week, yet neither the sight of their great Army, nor their short Summons, did cause us to surrender the place, as some have reported we did; and the Enemy expected we should have done (as some of them have expressed since the rendring of the town) but we stood it out Four dayes together, wherein they spared not to plye us with small and great shot, and with their Granadoes, giving our men (who were forced to be constantly all of them upon duty, and were so Five dayes and nights together) no rest at all, and two sharp assaults they made upon us, the one on Munday was seven-night at midnight, at which time having given a signall by three peeces of Ordnance shot off, first on the one side of the water, and then answered by as many on the otherside, they fell on very desperately on both sides the town at once, but were beaten off with losse; whereupon on Tuesday they entred into a solemn debate, whether they should proceed to fall upon the town by way of Assault, or by way of Approach; and it was resolved, that it should be by way of Assault, as may appear by the Result of their Councell of War (which we found in the pocket of Colonell Buck (who, with divers other Officers and Gentlemen of quality was slain in that Assault) and accordingly on VVednesday morning at break of the day they made a most furious Assault upon all sides of the town in Eight or Nine places at once, with Fire-Pikes and Granadoes in their hands, and with VVains full of Faggots, which they drove into the Ditches, that first getting upon them, they might after get over the works, and they ran on so desperately, that they got up to the portalls of the Canon, and to the Pallisadoes of the Forts, and would not give over till they were knock'd down with Stones and Halberts, and so with the losse of divers hundreds of their men, (with many Officers and Gentlemen of quality) besides a multitude that were wounded and maimed, they were beaten off on all sides, and the ground bestrewed with their dead bodies in all places where they stormed.
But in one place where the works were not quite perfected, the Ditch being not made without side, nor the Foot Bank within side the work, they entred the line, there being but a weake Guard in that place, yet as I did in all places where through the want of foot I could not place a Guard strong enough, there were neer a 100. horse under the command of Major Langrishe, appointed to second the Foot there, who were commanded to charge the enemy so soon as they should enter, but these horse did not charge the enemy as they were commanded, though some of them were most earnestly entreated thereunto by my Lieutenant Colonell, who had the command of that part; when the enemy first began to enter, and our men began to give back; so the enemy falling on in five distinct bodies, the first and the second got over, and presently got to the walls and places of advantage within the line, but as the third body was entring, my troop of horse, that was set to second another Guard, hearing of the enemies entrie in this place, came down and fell upon the third Devision of the enemy as they were entring, and cut them off; but being assaulted both by those that were entring, and those that had entered, before they came down firing upon them from the walls (which they had got the advantage of) they were forced to retreat, and then the enemy had free liberty to possesse themselves of the Suburbs by the Colledge Green, and Froom-gate, which they did, and hoping to force their entrie by that gate, they drew off the whole body of their forces to the place; whereupon we also drew off all our men from off the line into the town, and not staying till they came to the Gates, we opened them, and issued forth upon the enemy both with horse and foot, and beat them back from street to street for an houre and halfe together, insomuch that many of them threw downe their arms and cryed for Quarter, but the enemy drawing down fresh Companies still one after another upon us, and we being not able to answer them in the like kind, having so few men as we had, our men were forced at length to retreat into the town, and then, and not till then, whether it were out of extream wearinesse, (having bin upon continuall duty for five nights together) or that they began to be disheartned, the souldiers began to drop away from their colours, and from their guards, insomuch that (having declared that all souldiers should repair into the Marsh unto their colours, and that there they should receive both victualls and mony:) when I went into the Marshe to see what company came together, of 12. or 14. Companies there came not a 100. men, and yet the enemy drew down thick upon the back; and it began now to be low water in the Key, so that they might wade over at their pleasure, and the guards being so weak, might (if they had attempted it) have forced their entrie into the town in halfe an hour: Hereupon I resolved to call a Counsell of war, for that now was the time that either we must treat or retreat into the Castle, if it should be thought fit so to do, for that the Town could not be kept any longer.
The Officers of the Garison being gathered together, and also the Gentlemen of the adjacent Counties, Sir Iohn Horner, Edward Sironde, Mr. Stevens, &c. We tooke it into consideration, whether we should treate with the enemy or no, or retreat into the Castle, firing the Town behind, as we made our retreat, if wee could keep the Town no longer, every body seemed to be of opinion, and as for the retiring into the Castle before we treated with the enemy, these considerations were offered against it. First, all our Horse, which were 300. All the Souldiers that could not be contained in the Castle (which would have been near halfe of them) all our friends, both Citizens, and those that had retired themselves into Bristol out of the adjacent Counties, excepting some few Principall men, must have been sacrificed to the furie of the enemy, the Citie was like in great part to be put into ashes, and those that should retire into the Castle (if they were not prevented by the enemie) falling upon them on one hand, and the generality of the City on the other, (as I am credibly informed, there was such a designe) they must also within three or foure daies have been the objects of the enemies cruelty and revenge (who would have given them no conditions) when they had no further retreat to make conditions in.
A second consideration was this, that if we did fall upon these desperate resolutions, we should destroy, only that we might destroy without any hope of defending the place above three or foure daies, and without expectation of any relief in three or foure weeks, (nay it is clear, we should not have had any in sixe or eight weeks. That which made it evident, that wee could not hold the Castle above two or three daies, was because we had not amunition for a longer time, having only fifty barrells of Powder, and no match at all, and according to the proportion of powder that we had spent the daies before, this would not have served us above two daies: And if any blame me for being no better provided with Ammunition, my Answer is, that I found but 45. Barrels of powder in the Town when I first entred upon the charge thereof, that I had set all the men I could find about the City, and in the Countrie thereabouts, to make Salt Pet…r and Powder, that I had severall times searched all the Ships and Shops in the City, and had brought into the store all the Powder and Match that could be found, that I had sent to London often for Powder, declaring that want of Powder and men would be the losse of that City, and of the West of England, that I received only 30. Barrels of Powder from London, and that 70. more vvere sent by a Ship (which as I understand since is cast away) that unlesse I had taken care for more surety to have some from France (from whence I had 126 barrels) long ere this both the Town and Sir William Waller had bin lost for want of powder, & I was forced to help Sir William Waller with so great a proportion of powder, (about 60 barrels) and so much match, before the Siege of the City, that I could not recover it, the enemy giving meno time to furnish my self again with match and powder, and if I had not helped Sir VVilliam VValler at that time, he having but 6 barrels of powder left him after the fight at Launsdown: both the losse of his Army and of the City in consequence thereof, would have been imputed to me, and as I said before, I held the security of Bristoll, to be involved in the security of that Army, and that the destiny of the one, would bee the fall of the other. Besides whatever opinion some may have of the strength of the Castle (and indeed I had a greater opinion of it my selfe, till I saw the manner of the Enemies storming and the execution that their peices of batterie did eaven upon our perapets of Earth) I am of the opinion that the enemy was, that they would by battery and storme of hand have entred the Castle in two dayes and so they did resolve to have stormed it, being provided with close decked boates and galleries to that purpose; and I doe verily believe that they would have gained it though with the losse of some men, whereof there would have been after, a great deale more losse and massacre on every side, when they should have entred in that manner by force, which I am confident in the eye of any judicious man, they would have done, the fortifications about the Castle being not perfected as they vvere intended, upon these Reasons it was concluded by the Counsell of War that we should rather treat, & accept of conditions which might preserve the City to the Kingdom and 300 horse and 1500 Foot to the Parliament, besides the lives and estates of many friends to the Parliament; then to expose al these to evident ruine and destruction for to preserve the Castle 2 or 3 daies vvithout hope of keeping it longer: and vvithout hope of having reliefe in that space, or in any time it could be imagined the Castle could be kept, though we could have kept it 2 mon. as I verily perswade my self we could not have kept it a daies. When vve novv entred into the Parley, all the conditions that vve desired all most vve had accorded unto us, excepting that of the Ammunition, Souldiers marching out vvith his armes and colours vvheron I intended to have insisted and should have done it, but that vvhilst I vvas vvithdravvne to debate it, together with my Officers. divers of my Captaines, came in and told me, that doe what they could, they could not get together above six a piece of their compainies that many of them did run over the water to the enemy, which not onelyonly shewed the enemy that our men were disheartened, and that they should find but slender opposition, but it also shewed the enemy how they might with ease come over the water into the tovvne; vvhichwhich undoubtedly, they vvould have done, vvithall the ease that might bee, had vve broke off the Treaty vvithout comming to an agreement. It is true, conditions vvere not observed (vvhichwhich turned very much to the prejudice of the State) for by that meanes they ruined a Regiment of three hundred horse and disperced a body of 1200, or 1500 Foot, vvhichwhich if faith had beene kept; I vvould have brought in a body together to this City, and that was a speciall thing that induced me to surrender upon Conditions, esteeming that the preservation of so many Horse and Foot, for the serving the State, together with the lives and Estates of divers hundreds of our Friends, was of more consideration unto the Parliament, then the desperate holding out of a Castle for a few dayes to no purpose but the distruction of those that could not bee drawne into it first, and of all those also that were drawne into it afterwards there being no hope of any timely reliefe, but it is time that the falshood of the Enemy (against which there is no Fence) hath in great part deprived us of the fruit of our conditions dismounting our Troopers pillaging our Souldiers as well Officers as others and by threats and inticements drawing off our Souldiers to serve them, or dispercing them into their severall Countries, and our convoy used us worst of all, pillaging us all most all the way they went with us, and extorting moneyes from us, wherein the Officers for the most part were as much to blame as the Common-Souldiers, yet I must doe this right to the Princes, Prince Rupert, and Prince Maurice, contrary to what I find in a printed pamphlet, that they were so farre from sitting upon their horses, triumphing and rejoycing at these disorders that they did ride amongst these plunderers with their swords, hacking and slashing them, and Prince Rupert did excuse it to me in a very faire way and with expressions as if he were much troubled at it:
One thing more I shall endeavour to give you satisfaction in and so I shall conclude. It is concerning Sir William Wallers leaving of Bristoll, which by something that I have seen in Print, as the resolution of a Councell of warre held at Bristoll, is sayed to have been by the importunity of mee, and my Officers, at which Councell of Warre, neither I nor any of my Officers were present, nor doe I know that Sir VVilliam VValler was ever importuned, or so much as moved by mee, or any of my Officers to goe from thence, but finding by many expressions of his that hee did not intend to bee besieged with his Horse in that Towne (as it would not have been wisedome for him to have been) the first Speech that I had with him about his stay or departure, was when he drew out his Horse upon Bundam Downe, neere Bristoll, for to take a view of them, at which time I asked him if the Enemy should advance towards Bristoll, how he would dispose of himself and his Horse, whereunto he answered that he must retreat, and thereupon so so…n as I come off the Downe, I called a Councell of Warre, and acquainted them with Sir VVilliam VVallers resolution, and thereupon we made certaine propositions unto him, that if he did leave the Towne, t…at hee would leave a certain proportion of Horse with us (which was my Regiment) and that hee would leave all his foot with us, who if vvee could get Arms for them, might be some help to us, which proposition he stuck at a while, alleadging that he would take the field againe, and would have his Foot with him, but after he was contented to leave the Foot with us, finding it was not possible for him to keepe the field with a fevv unarmed Foot, and a many scattred and disheartned Troopes, which I am confident did not altogether make 500. Horse when he left Bristoll, yet they were two many to lose, as I am confident they would all have been lost had they stayed in Bristoll, or have runne away to the Enemy, as many of them did, and they would have beene of no use to us for the Defence of the Citie, but have helped to have spent our Provision, and disturbed the Citie quarrelling continually with the Townsmen for want of Money to pay their quarters (as they did) and therfore it was my opinion and is still that it was best for the advantage of the service that Sir Villiam VValler should draw them out of the Town, and this I might expressein discourse, but that I ever moved Sir VVilliam VValler thereunto, much lesse importuned him. I doe not remember, onelyonly just as he was going to take Horse, he desired me, if it was my opinion, that I would set it under my hands, that I did approve of his resolution therein, which accordingly I did, but I knew nothing of his going to my Lord Generall, but expected rather that he would have gone to Gloster or Exeter, and gathered a Body there, to have afforded me some speedy reliefe, which when he went from me, he told me he would doe, and that he would not be long ere he returned to my reliefe, or to that purpose, and as it appeareth by a Letter, which he writ to my Lord Generall, the day after he came to Bristoll, that he intended not to stay there, but to take the Field againe, so it did appeare to me by many of his expressions, that he never intended to bee kept up in Bristoll, and I never heard that he advised with any or my Officers concerning his stay at Bristoll, but supposing that he must not stay in the Towne, hee advised with one of my Officers, whether he had best to retire to Gloster, or to Exeter, who advised Him to goe for Exeter, and to take Do…chester in the way, and so gathering all the Forces he could to joine with the Earle of VVarwick, to raise the siege of Exeter, and after to make a Body to releeve us, which in my opinion had been no ill course if it had been followed. Thus having declared unto you all particulars at large, I desire you would be pleased to let the truth of what I have affirmed be examined at a Councell of Warre, that I may bee cleared or condemned according as they shall finde the truth or falshood of what I have declared.