THE Lord Fairfax's MEMORIALS SHORT MEMORIALS OF THOMAS Lord Fairfax Written by Himself LONDON Printed for Ri. Chiswell and are to be Sold at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard 1699. TO THE Right Honourable THOMAS Lord FAIRFAX MY LORD IT is with Your Lordship's leave that this short Manuscript of my Lord Fairfax Your Noble Predecessor is now Printed from the Original written in his own Hand and left in Your Study at Denton in Yorkshire for it was never intended by him to be Published but to remain for the Satisfaction of his own Relations But of late something has hapned which in the judgment of Your Lordship and many other Persons of Condition makes it necessary that these Papers should be sent to the Press which is now done without any Material Alterations from the Original but only by placing them in the natural order of Time Tho' no Copy was ever taken by Your Lordship's Consent yet I know not how some imperfect Ones are got into other Hands And this being an Age wherein every Man presumes to Print what he pleases of his own or other Mens we are plainly told That my Lord Fairfax's Memorials are ready to be Published and by the very same Person who has lately set forth some Memoirs wherein his Lordship is scarce ever nam'd but with Reproach not to be excused by what the Editor himself confesses That the Author was much out of humour when he writ the Book My Lord Fairfax's True Character is better known to many Wise and Good Men than to be blemished by such envious Detractions Nor can his Reputation thereby suffer with any who were acquainted with his Person and the true Intentions of his Actions and knew him in the latter part of his Life His great Misfortune and so he accounted it was to be engaged in the Unhappy Wars whereof he desired no other Memorial than the Act of Oblivion which few that ever needed better deserved It cannot be denied but as a Soldier his Life would furnish as Noble a Memoir as the Age has produced from the time that he began with a Troop of Horse and a few undisciplined Forces in the North to his being General of a Victorious Army in the South which he Governed not as a Cypher but with great Prudence and Conduct in Councils of War as well as animated by his Personal Courage in the Field as long as they had any Enemy to oppose them But after that they broke into Factions and were over-run with Enthusiasm and became Vngovernable by their General when they chose their own Agitators and were managed by Men of the deepest Dissimulation and Hypocrisie by whose fair but treacherous Promises some Greater than Himself were deceived to their own Ruin That most Tragical and Deplorable part of the Civil War the Death of the King he utterly from his Soul abhorred and lamented to his dying day and never mentioned it but with Tears in his Eyes The retired part of his Life gave him greater Satisfaction than all his former Victories when he lived quietly at his own House at Nun-Appleton in Yorkshire always earnestly wishing and praying for the Restitution of the Royal Family and fully resolved to lay hold on the first good Opportunity to contribute his part towards it which made him always lookt upon with a jealous eye by the Usurpers of that time As soon as he was invited by General Monk to assist him against Lambert's Army he cheerfully embraced the Occasion and appeared at the Head of a brave Body of Gentlemen of Yorkshire and upon the Reputation and Authority of his Name the Irish Brigade of Twelve Thousand Horse forsook Lambert's Army and joyned with him the Consequence was the immediate breaking of all Lambert's Forces which gave General Monk an easy March into England This was always acknowledged not only by General Monk but by the King himself as a signal Testimony of his Zeal to make amends for what was past and of the very considerable Assistance he gave towards the restoring the Royal Family After he had waited on his Majesty in Holland as one of the Commissioners sent to invite him home and had seen the King establish'd on his Throne he retired again into his own Country where he died in Peace in the 60th Year of his Age Anno 1671. leaving behind him his only Daughter the Lady Mary Dutchess of Buckingham I shall now say no more of him but That so long as Unfeigned Piety towards God Invincible Courage joyned with wonderful Modesty and exceeding Good Nature Justice and Charity to all men in his private Life and an Ingenuous Acknowledgment of his Publick Error with hearty Endeavours to make Reparation as soon as he was convinced of it shall be esteemed in the World So long shall the Name of my Lord Fairfax be honoured by good Men and be had in perpetual Remembrance Your Lordship had the good fortune to be born after the Storms and Tempests of that Age But you have had the Honour to appear eminently in defence of our Religion and Civil Rights in this last happy Revolution as your Noble Predecessor did at the Restoration My LORD Apr. 22. 1699. I am Your most affectionate Uncle and humble Servant Brian Fairfax A short MEMORIAL of the Northern Actions in which I was engag'd during the War there from the Year 1642 to the Year 1644. IN Gratitude to God for his many Mercies and Deliverances and not to deprive my self of the Comfort of their Remembrance I shall set down as they come into my Mind those things wherein I have found the wonderful Assistance of God to me in the Time of the War in the North though not in that methodical and polish'd Manner as might have been done being intended only for my own Satisfaction and help of my Memory My Father was call'd forth by the Importunity of his Country to join with them in their own Defence which was confirm'd by a Commission from the Parliament The first Action we had was at Bradford We were about three hundred Men the Enemy seven or eight hundred and two Pieces of Ordnance They assaulted us We drew out close to the Town to receive them They had the Advantage of the Ground the Town being encompassed with Hills which exposed us more to their Cannon from which we receiv'd some Hurt but our Men defended those Passages by which they were to descend so well that they got no ground of us and now the day being spent they drew off and retired to Leeds A few days after Captain Hotham with three Troops of Horse and some Dragoons came to us Then We march'd to Leeds but the Enemy having Notice of it quitted the Town and in haste fled to York We advanc'd to Tadcaster eight Miles from York that we might have more room and be less burthensome to Our Friends and being increased to one thousand Men it was thought fit that we should keep the Pass at
Lives I presently order'd the manner of the Storm and we all fell on at the same time The business was hotly disputed for almost two Hours but the Enemy being beaten from their Works and the Barricado's into the Streets forced open the Horse and Foot resolutely entred and the Soldiers cast down their Arms and rendred themselves Prisoners The Governor and some Chief Officers swam the River and escaped only Major Beaumont was drowned about forty or fifty slain good store of Ammunition taken of which we had great want The Consequence of this Action was yet of more importance for those who fled from Leeds to Wakefield and quitting that Garison also gave my Lord of Newcastle such an Allarm at Pontefract that he drew all his Army again to York leaving once more a free intercourse which he had so long time cut off betwixt my Father and us After a short time the Earl of Newcastle return'd again to the same Quarters and we to our stricter Duties But we quickly found our Men must have more room or more Action Captain Hotham and I took a resolution early one Morning from Selby to beat up a Quarter of the Enemies that lay at Fenton they being gone we marched to Sherburne intending there only to give them an Alarm but they might see us a Mile or more over a plain Common which lay by the Town and they sent twenty or thirty Horse to Guard a Pass near the Town I had the Van for at this time we commanded our Troops distinct one from another both making five Troops of Horse and two of Dragoons I told Captain Hotham that if he would second me I would Charge those Horse and if they fled I would pursue them so close as to get into the Town with them He promised to second me I went to the Head of my Troops and presently Charged them they fled and we pursued close to the Barricado but they got in and shut it upon us Here my Horse was shot in at the Breast We so fill'd the Lane being strait that we could not Retreat without confusion and danger of their falling in our Reer so we stood to it and Stormed the Works with Pistol and Sword At the end of the Barricado there was a narrow passage for a single Horse to go in I entred there others following me one by one and close at one side of the Entrance stood a Troop of Horse of the Enemy So soon as eight or ten of us were got in We Charged them and they fled by this time the rest of our Men had beat them from their Barricado and entred the Town We soon cleared the Streets and pursued those that fled And now my Horse which was shot in the Lane fell down dead under me but I was presently mounted again The Enemy in the Towns about having taken the Alarm it made us think of securing our Retreat with the Prisoners we had got some of them being considerable among whom was Major General Windham We scarce got into order before General Goring came with a good Body of Horse up to us and as we marched off he followed us close in the Reer without doing us any hurt only my Trumpet had his Horse shot close by me and thus we returned to Selby Though this did not free us wholly from a Potent Enemy yet we lay more quietly by them a good while after In this recess of Action we had several Treaties about Prisoners and this I mention the rather for that Captain Hotham here first began to discover his intentions of leaving the Parliament's Service in making Conditions for himself with the Earl of Newcastle though it was not discovered till a good while after which had almost ruin'd my Father and the Forces with him for being now denied help and succour from Hull and the East-Riding he was forced to forsake Selby and retire to Leeds and those Western Parts where I then lay To make good this Retreat I was sent to to bring what Men I could to joyn with him at Sherburne for my Lord of Newcastle's Army lay so as he might easily intercept us in our way to Leeds which he had determin'd to do and to that end lay with his Army on Clifford-Moore having present Intelligence of our March Whilst my Father with fifteen hundred Men Ordnance and Ammunition continued his way from Selby to Leeds I with those I brought to Sherburne marched a little aside betwixt my Lord of Newcastle's Army and Ours And to amuse them the more made an Attempt upon Tadcaster where they had three or four hundred Men who presently quit the Town and fled to York Here we stayed three or four hours slighting the Works which put my Lord Newcastle's Army to a stand being on their March to meet us thinking he was deceived in his Intelligence and that we had some other design upon York He presently sends back the Lord Goring with twenty Troops of Horse and Dragoons to relieve Tadcaster We were newly drawn off when he came my Lord Goring past over the River to follow us but seeing we were far unequal in Horse to him for I had not above three Troops and were to go over Bramham-Moore Plain I gave direction to the Foot to march away whilst I stay'd with the Horse to interrupt the Enemy's passage in those narrow Lanes that lead up to the Moore Here was much Firing at one another but in regard of their great Numbers as they advanced we were forced to give way yet had gained by it sufficient time for the Foot to have been out of danger When we came up to the Moore again I found them where I left them which troubled me much the Enemy being close upon us and a great Plain yet to go over So we marching the Foot in two Divisions and the Horse in the Rear the Enemy followed about two Musket-shot from us in three good Bodies but made no Attempt upon us And thus we got well over this open Campagn to some Inclosures beyond which was another Moore less than the other Here Our Men thinking themselves secure were more careless in keeping Order and whilst their Officers were getting them out of Houses where they sought for Drink it being an extream hot Day the Enemy got another Way as soon as we into the Moore and when we had almost pass'd this Plain also they seeing Us in some Disorder charged Us both in Flank and Rear The Countrymen presently cast down their Arms and fled the Foot soon after which for want of Pikes was not able to withstand their Horse Some were Slain many were taken Prisoners Few of Our Horse stood the Charge Some Officers with me made Our Retreat with much Difficulty in which Sir Henry Fowlis had a slight Hurt my Cornet was taken Prisoner We got well to Leeds about an Hour after my Father and the Men with him got safe thither This was one of the greatest Losses we ever
was engaged with the Enemy's Foot and gained Ground of them The Horse came down again and charged us they being about Thirteen or Fourteen Troops We defended Our selves as before but with much more difficulty many having got in among us but were beaten off again with some Loss Collonel Herne who Commanded that Party was slain We pursued them to their Cannon Here I cannot omit a remarkable Instance of Divine Justice Whilst we were engag'd in the Fight with those Horse that entred the Gate four Soldiers had stript Colonel Herne naked as he lay on the ground Men still Fighting round about him and so dextrous were these Villains that they had done it and mounted themselves again before we had beaten the Enemy off But after we had beaten them to their Ordnance as I said and now returning to our Ground again the Enemy discharged a Piece of Cannon in our Rear the Bullet fell into Captain Copley's Troop in which were these four Men two of them were killed and some Hurt or Mark remain'd on the other though dispers'd into several Ranks of the Troop which made it more remarkable We had not yet Martial Law among us this gave me a good Occasion to declare to the Soldiers how God would punish when Men wanted Power to do it This Charge and the Resolution our Men shewed in the Left Wing made the Enemy think of Retreating Orders were given for it and some marched off the Field Whilst they were in this wavering condition one Collonel Skirton desired his General to let him Charge once with a Stand of Pikes with which he broke in upon our Men and not being relieved by our Reserves which were Commanded by some ill-affected Officers chiefly Major General Gifford who did not his part as he ought to do Our Men lost Ground which the Enemy seeing pursued this advantage by bringing on fresh Troops Ours being herewith discouraged began to fly and were soon routed The Horse also Charged us again We not knowing what was done in the Left Wing Our Men maintained their Ground till a Command came for us to Retreat having scarce any way now to do it the Enemy being almost round about us and Our way to Bradford cut off But there was a Lane in the Field we were in which led to Hallifax which as a happy Providence brought us off without any great Loss save of Captain Talbot and twelve more that were slain in this last Encounter Of those who fled there were about sixty kill'd and three hundred taken Prisoners After this ill Success we had small hopes of better wanting all things necessary in Bradford for defence of the Town and no expectation of help from any Place The Earl of Newcastle presently Besieg'd the Town but before he had surrounded it I got in with those Men I brought from Hallifax I found my Father much troubled having neither a place of Strength to defend our selves in nor a Garison in Yorkshire to Retreat to for the Governour of Hull had declar'd if we were forced to Retreat thither he would shut the Gates on us Whilst he was musing on these sad thoughts a Messenger was sent unto him from Hull to let him know the Townsmen had secured the Governour that they were sensible of the danger he was in and if he had any occasion to make use of that Place he should be very readily and gladly receiv'd there Which News was joyfully receiv'd and acknowledged as a great Mercy of God yet it was not made use of till a further necessity compell'd My Father having Order'd me to stay here with eight hundred Foot and sixty Horse retired that Night to Leeds to secure it The Earl of Newcastle spent three or four days in laying his Quarters about the Town of Bradford and brought down his Cannon but needed not to raise Batteries for the Hills within half Musket-shot commanded all the Town Being planted in two places they shot furiously upon us and made their Approaches which made us spend very much of our little Store being not above twenty five or twenty six Barrels of Powder at the beginning of the Siege Yet the Earl of Newcastle sent a Trumpet to offer us Conditions which I accepted so they were Honourable for us to take and safe for the Inhabitants We sent two Captains to treat with him and agreed to a Cessation during that time but he continued working still whereupon I sent forth the Commissioners again suspecting a design of attempting something upon us They returned not till Eleven a Clock at Night and then with a slight Answer Whilst they were delivering it to us we heard great shooting of Cannon and Muskets all run presently to the Works which the Enemy was storming Here for three quarters of an hour was very hot Service but at length they retreated They made a Second attempt but were also beaten off after this we had not above one Barrel of Powder left and no Match I called the Officers together where it was advised and resolv'd to draw off presently before it was day and to retreat to Leeds by forcing a Way which we must do for they had surrounded the Town Orders were dispatch'd and speedily put in execution The Foot Commanded by Colonel Rogers was sent out through some narrow Lanes and they were to beat up the Dragoons Quarters and so go on to Leeds I my self with some other Officers went with the Horse which were not above fifty in a more open Way I must not here forget my Wife who ran the same hazard with us in this Retreat and with as little expression of Fear not from any Zeal or delight in the War but through a willing and patient Suffering of this undesirable Condition I sent two or three Horsemen before to discover what they could of the Enemy who presently return'd and told us there was a Guard of Horse close by us Before I had gone forty Paces the Day beginning to break I saw them upon the Hill above us being about 300 Horse I with some 12 more charged them Sir Hen. Fowles Major General Gefford my Self and 3 more brake through Cap. Mudd was slain and the rest of our Horse being close by the Enemy fell upon them and soon routed them taking most of them Prisoners among whom was my Wife the Officer Will. Hill behind whom she rid being taken I saw this Disaster but could give no relief for after I was got through I was in the Enemies Reer alone those who had charged through with me went on to Leeds thinking I had done so too But I was unwilling to leave my Company and stay'd till I saw there was no more in my Power to do but to be taken Prisoner with them I then retired to Leeds The like Disaster fell among the Foot that went the other way by a mistake for after they had marched a little way the Van fell into the Dragoons Quarters clearing their way but through a
cowardly fear he that commanded these Men being in the Reer made them face about and march again into the Town where the next Day they were all taken Prisoners only 80 or thereabout of the Front that got through came all to Leeds mounted on Horses which they had taken from the Enemy where I found them when I came thither which was some joy to them all concluding I was either slain or taken Prisoner At Leeds I found all in great Distraction the Council of War newly risen where it was resolv'd to quit the Town and retreat to Hull which was sixty Miles off many of the Enemies Garrisons being in the way This in two Hours after was accordingly done least the Enemy should presently send Horse to prevent us for they had fifty or sixty Troops within three Miles But we got well to Selby where there was a Ferry and hard by a Garrison at Cawood My Father being a Mile before with a few Men getting over the Ferry word came to us that he was in danger to be taken I hasted to him with about forty Horse the rest following in some disorder He was newly got into the Boat when the Enemy with three Cornets of Horse entred the Town I was drawn up in the Market place directly before the Street they came down when they were almost half come into the Market-place they turn'd on the Right Hand with part of my Troop I charged them in the Flank and divided them we had the Chase of them down the long Street that goes to Brayton It hapned at the same time that those Men I left behind were coming up that Street but being in disorder and discourag'd with the Misfortunes of many Days before they turn'd about and gave way not knowing we were pursuing the Enemy in their Reer At the end of this Street was a narrow Lane which led to Cawood The Enemy strove to pass that way but it being narrow there was a sudden stop where we were mingled one among another Here I receiv'd a Shot in the Wrist of my Arm which made the Bridle fall out of my hand and being among the Nerves and Veins suddenly let out such a quantity of Blood that I was ready to fall from my Horse But taking the Reins in the other Hand in which I had my Sword the Enemy minding nothing so much as how to get away I drew my self out of the Crowd and came to our Men who turned about and seeing me ready to fall from my Horse they lay'd me on the Ground now when I was almost senseless my Surgeon came seasonably and bound up the Wound and stopt the bleeding After a quarter of an Hours rest I got a Horse-back again the other part of our Horse had beaten the Enemy back to Cawood the same way they came first to us Thus by the goodnesse of God our passage was made clear some went over the Ferry after my Father I my self with others went through the Levels to Hull but it proved a very troublesome and dangerous passage being often interrupted by the Enemy sometimes in our Front sometimes in our Reer I had been twenty Hours on Horseback after I was shot without any rest or refreshment and as many Hours before And as a further Affliction my Daughter not above five Years old being carried before her Maid endured all this Retreat a Horseback but Nature not being able to hold out any longer she fell into frequent Swoonings and in appearance was ready to expire her last Having now past the Trent and seeing a House not far off I sent her with her Maid only thither with little hopes of seeing her any more alive though I intended the next Day to send a Ship from Hull for her I went on to Barton having sent before to have a Ship ready against my coming thither Here I lay down to take a little rest if it were possible to find any in a Body so full of pain and a Mind yet fuller of anxiety and trouble Though I must acknowledge it as the infinite goodness of God that my Spirit was nothing at all discouraged from doing still that which I thought to be my Duty I had not rested a quarter of an Hour before the Enemy came close to the Town I had now not above a hundred Horse with me we went to the Ship where under the Security of her Ordinance we got all our Men and Horse aboard and crossing Humber we arriv'd at Hull our Men faint and tired I my self had lost all even to my Shirt for my Cloaths were made unfit to wear with Rents and Blood Presently after my coming to Hull I sent a Ship for my Daughter who was brought the next Day to the Town pretty well recovered of her long and tedious Journey Not many Days after the Earl of Newcastle sent my Wife back again in his Coach with some Horse to guard her which generous act of his gain'd him more Reputation than he could have got by detaining a Lady Prisoner upon such Terms Many of our Men who were dispersed in this long Retreat came hither again to us Our first Business was to raise new Forces and in a short time we had about 1500 Foot and 700 Horse The Town being little I was sent to Beverly with the Horse and 600 Foot but my Lord of Newcastle now looking upon us as inconsiderable was marched into Lincolnshire with his whole Army leaving some few Garrisons He took in Gainsbrough and Lincoln and intended Boston which was the Key of the Associated Counties for his Orders which I have seen were to go into Essex and block up London on that side Having laid a great while still and being now strong enough for those Forces which remain'd in the Country we sent out a good Party to make an Attempt upon Stanford-Bridge near York but the Enemy upon the allarm fled thither which put them also in such a fear that they sent earnestly to my Lord of Newcastle to desire him to return or the Country would again be lost Upon this he returned again into York-shire and not long after came to besiege Hull I lay at Beverly in the way of his March and finding we were not able to defend such an open place against an Army I desired Orders from my Father to retire back to Hull But the Committee there had more mind of raising Money than to take care of the Soldiers and yet these Men had the greatest share in Command at this time and would not let any Orders be given for our Retreat nor was it fit for us to return without Order The Enemy marched with his whole Army towards us Retreat we must not keep the Town we could not So to make our Retreat more honourable and useful I drew out all the Horse and Dragoons towards the Enemy and stood drawn up by a Wood side all that Night Next Morning by Day our Scouts and theirs fired on one another They marched
reason of the Furzes and Ditches we were to pass over before we could get to the Enemy which put us into great disorder Notwithstanding I drew up a Body of 400 Horse But because their Intervals of Horse in this Wing only were lined with Musketteers who did us much hurt with their Shot I was necessitated to charge them We were a long time engag'd one within another but at last we routed that part of their Wing which we charged and pursued them a good way towards York My self only return'd presently to get to the Men I left behind me But that part of the Enemy which stood perceiving the disorder they were in had charged and routed them before I could get to them So that the good Success we had at the first was eclipsed by this bad Conclusion Our other Wing and most of the Foot went on prosperously 'till they had cleared the Field I must ever remember with Thankfulness the Goodness of God to me this day for having charged through the Enemy and my Men going after the Pursuit and returning back to go to my other Troops I was got in among the Enemy who stood up and down the Field in several Bodies of Horse so taking the Signal out of my Hat I past through them for one of their own Commanders and got to my Lord of Manchester's Horse in the other Wing only with a Cut in my Cheek which was given me in the first Charge and a shot which my Horse receiv'd In this Charge many of my Officers and Soldiers were hurt and slain The Captain of my own Troop was shot in the Arm my Cornet had both his Hands cut so as render'd him ever after unserviceable Captain Micklethwait an honest stout Gentlemen was slain And scarce any Officer who was in this Charge but receiv'd a Hurt Coll. Lambert who should have seconded me but could not get up to me Charged in another place Major Fairfax who was Major to his Regiment had at least thirty Wounds of which he dyed at York after he had been abroad again and in good hopes of recovery But that which nearest of all concern'd me was the loss of my Brother who being deserted of his Men was sore wounded of which in three or four Days after he dyed Buried at Marston Aetat 23. In this Charge as many were hurt and kill'd as in the whole Army besides On the Enemy's part there were above 4000 slain and many taken Prisoners Prince Rupert returned into the South the Earl of Newcastle went beyond Sea with many of his Officers York was presently surrendered and the North now was wholly reduced by the Parliament's Forces except some Garrisons Soon after this I went to Helmesley to take in the Castle there where I received a dangerous Shot in my Shoulder and was brought back to York all being doubtful of my Recovery for some time At the same time the Parliament voted me to Command the Army in the South But my Intentions being only to keep in mind what I had been present in during this Northern War I shall put an end to this Discourse where it pleas'd God to determine my Service there Yet thus with some smart from his Rod to let me see I was not mindful enough of returning my humble Thanks and Acknowledgments for the Deliverances and Mercies I received and for which alas I am not yet capable enough to Praise him as I ought that may say by Experience Who is a God like unto Our God Therefore not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give we the Praise But as for my self and what I have done I may say with Solomon I looked on all the Works that my Hands had wrought and on the Labour that I had laboured to do and behold all was Vanity and vexation of Spirit For there is no remembrance of the Wise more than the Fool for ever seeing that which now is in the Days to come shall be forgotten T. Fairfax SHORT MEMORIALS OF Some things to be cleared during my Command in the Army BY the Grace and Assistance of God I shall truly set down the Grounds of my Actions during this unhappy War and especially of those Actions which seem'd to the World most questionable My first engaging in the sad Calamities of the War was about the Year 1641 when the general Distemper of the three Kingdoms I mean the Difference betwixt the King and Parliament had kindled such a Flame even in the Heart of the State that before a Remedy could be found the whole Body was almost consumed to Ashes I must needs say my Judgment was for the Parliament as the King and Kingdoms great and safest Council As others were averse to Parliaments because they did not go high enough for Prerogative Upon this Division different Powers were set up The Commission of Array for the King and the Militia for the Parliament But those of the Array exceeded their Commission in oppressing many honest People whom by way of Reproach they called Roundheads who for their Religion Estates and Interest were a very considerable part of the Country which occasion'd them to take up Arms in their own defence and it was afterward confirm'd by Authority of Parliament My Father being yet at his House at Denton where I then waited on him had notice from his Friends that it was intended he should be sent for as a Prisoner to York He resolved not to stir from his own House not being conscious to himself of any thing to deserve Imprisonment The Country suffering daily more and more many came and intreated him to join with them in defence of themselves and Country which was extremely oppressed by those of the Array who after had the Name of Cavaliers and he being also much importun'd by those about him seeing his Neighbours in this Distress resolv'd to run the same Hazard with them Then did the Parliament grant a Commission to him to be General of the Forces in the North my self also having a Commission under him to be General of the Horse It is not my intention in this place to relate the services done in this Cause of the Parliament For I am rather desirous to clear my Actions than declare them and therefore I shall say no more of this three years War in the North there being nothing I thank God in all that time to be objected against me in particular But I shall say something how I came to be engaged in the South Some years had been spent in those Parts in a lingring War betwixt the King and Parliament and several Battels so equally fought that it could scarce be known on which side the business in dispute would be determin'd Though it must be confest that the Parliaments Army was under the Command of a very noble and gallant Person the Earl of Essex yet they found that time and delay gain'd more advantage against them and their Affairs than Force had done They
Wetherby for the securing of the West-Riding or the greatest part of it from whence our chief Supplies came I was sent to Wetherby with three hundred Foot and forty Horse The Enemy's next design from York was to fall upon my Quarters there being a Place very open and easy for them to assault there being so many back-ways and Friends enough to direct them and give them intelligence About six a clock one morning they fell upon us with eight hundred Horse and Foot the Woods thereabout favouring them so much that Our Scouts had no notice of them and no Allarm was given till they were ready to enter the Town Which they might easily do the Guards being all asleep in Houses for in the beginning of the War Men were as impatient of Duty as they were ignorant of it I my self was only on Horseback and going out of the other End of the Town to Tadcaster where my Father lay when one came running after me and told me the Enemy was entring the Town I presently galloped to the Court of Guard where I found not above four Men at their Arms as I remember two Serjeants and two Pikemen who stood with me when Sir Thomas Glenham with about six or seven Commanders more charged us and after a short but sharp Encounter they retired in which one Major Carr was slain and by this time more of the Guards were got to their Arms. I must confess I knew no Strength but the powerful Hand of God that gave them this Repulse After this they made another Attempt in which Captain Atkinson on our part was slain And here again there fell out another remarkable Providence during this Conflict our Magazine was blown up This struck such a Terror into the Enemy believing we had Cannon which they were before inform'd we had not that they instantly retreated And though I had but a few Horse we pursued the Enemy some Miles and took many Prisoners We lost about eight or ten Men whereof seven were blown up with Powder the Enemy lost many more At this time the Earl of Cumberland Commanded the Forces in York-shire for the King He being of a peaceable Nature and affable Disposition had but few Enemies or rather because he was an Enemy to few he did not suit with their present Condition Their Apprehensions and Fears caused them to send to the Earl of Newcastle who had an Army of six thousand Men to desire his Assistance whereof he assured them by a speedy March to York Being now encouraged by this increase of Force they resolv'd to fall upon Tadcaster My Father drew all his Men thither but in a Council of War the Town was judged untenable and that we should draw out to an advantagious piece of Ground by the Town But before we could all march out the Enemy advanced so fast that we were necessitated to leave some Foot in a slight Work above the Bridge to secure our Retreat but the Enemy pressing on us forced us to draw back to maintain that Ground We had about nine hundred Men the Enemy above four thousand who in Brigades drew up close to the Works and storm'd us Our Men reserv'd their shot till they came near which they did then dispose of to so good purpose that the Enemy was forced to retire and shelter themselves behind the Hedges And here did the first Fight continue from Eleven a Clock at Noon till Five at Night with Cannon and Musquet without intermission They had once possessed a House by the Bridge which would have cut us from our Reserves that were in the Town but Major General Gifford with a Commanded Party beat them out again where many of the Enemy were slain and taken Prisoners They attempted an another Place but were repulsed by Captain Lister who was there slain a great Loss being a Discreet Gentleman By this time it grew dark and the Enemy drew off into the Fields hard by with intention to assault us again the next day They left that Night above two hundred dead and wounded upon the Place But our Ammunition being all spent in this day's Fight we drew off that Night and marched to Selby and the Enemy entred the next Morning into the Town Thus by the Mercy of God were a few delivered from an Army who in their thoughts had swallowed us up The Earl of Newcastle now lay betwixt us and our Friends in the West-Riding but to assist and encourage them I was sent with about three hundred Foot and three Troops of Horse and some Arms to Bradford I was to go by Ferry-bridge Our Intelligence being that the Enemy was advanced no further than Sherburne but when I was within a mile of the Town we took some Prisoners who told us my Lord of Newcastle lay at Pontefract eight hundred Men in Ferry-bridge and the rest of the Army in all the Towns thereabout So that our Advance or Retreat seem'd alike difficult Little time being allowed us to consider we resolv'd to retreat to Selby three or four hundred Horse of the Enemy shewed themselves in the Rear without making any attempt upon us so that by the Goodness of God we got safe to Selby Three days after this upon better Intelligence how the Enemy lay with the same Number as before I marched in the Night by several Towns where they lay and came the next Day to Bradford a Town very untenable but for their good affection to us deserving all we could hazard for them Our first Work then was to Fortifie Our selves for we could not but expect an Assault There lay at Leeds fifteen hundred of the Enemy and twelve hundred at Wakefield neither place above six or seven Miles distant from us They visited us every Day with their Horse Ours not going far from the Town being very unequal in Number yet the Enemy seldom return'd without Loss till at last our few Men grew so bold and theirs so disheartned that they durst not stir a Mile from their Garisons Whilst these daily Skirmishes were among the Horse I thought it necessary to strengthen our selves with more Foot I summon'd the Country who had by this time more liberty to come to us I presently Armed them with those Arms we brought along with us So that in all we were about eight hundred Foot Being too many to lye idle and too few to be upon constant Duty we resolv'd through the assistance of God to attempt them in their Garisons We summon'd the Country again and made a Body of twelve or thirteen hundred Men with which we marched to Leeds and drew them up within half Cannon-shot of their Works in Battalia and then sent a Trumpet with a Summons to deliver up the Town to me for the use of King and Parliament They presently returned this Answer That it was not civilly done to come so near before I sent the Summons and that they would defend the Town the best they could with their