against them and far lesse then twice Musket shot distance from them They began their battery against us with their great Guns above halfe an houre before we could get any of our Guns up to us our Gunner dealt very ill with us delaying to come up to us our noble Colonell Tucker fired one peece of Ordnance against the enemy and aiming to give fire the second time was shot in the head with a Cannon bullet from the enemy The blew Regiment of the trained Bands stood upon our right wing and behaved themselves most gallantly Two regiments of the Kings Horse which stood upon their right flanke a far off came fiercely upon them and charged them two or three times but were beat back with their Muskettiers who gave them a most desperate charge and made them flie This day our whole Army wore green boughes in their hats to distinguish us from our enemies which they perceiving one regiment of their Horse had got green boughes rid up to our regiments crying Friends friends but we let flie at them and made many of them and their horses tumble making them flie with a vengeance The enemies Canon did play most against the red Regiment of trained Bands they did some execution amongst us at the first and were somewhat dreadfull when mens bowels and brains flew in our faces But blessed bee God that gave us courage so that we kept our ground and after a while feared them not our Ordnance did very good execution upon them for we stood at so neer a distance upon a plain field that we could not lightly misse one another We were not much above halfe our Regiments in this place for we had 60 Files of Muskettiers drawn off for the forlorn hope who were ingaged against the enemy in the field upon our left Fank Where most of the Regiments of the Army were in fight they had some small shelter of the hedges and bankes yet had a very hot fight with the enemy did good execution an 〈◊〉 to it as bravely as ever men did When our two regiments of the trained Bands had thus plaied against the enemy for the space of three hours or thereabout our red Regiment joyned to the Blew which stood a little distance from us upon our left Flank where we gained the advantage of a little hill which we maintained against the enemy halfe an hour two Regiments of the enemies foot fought against us all this while to gain the hill but could not Then two regiments of the enemies horse which stood upon our right Flank came fiercely upon us and so surrounded us that wee were forced to charge upon them in the front and reere and both Flanks which was performed by us with a great deal of courage and undauntednesse of spirit insomuch that wee made a great slaughter among them and forced them to retreat but presently the two regiments of the enemies foot in this time gained the hill and came upon us before wee could well recover our selves that we were glad to retreat a little way into the field till we had rallied up our men and put them into their former posture and then came on again If I should speak any thing in the praise and high commendations of these two regiments of the trained Bands I should rather obscure and darken the glory of that courage and valour God gave unto them this day they stood like so many stakes against the shot of the Cannon quitting themselves like men of undaunted spirits even our enemies themselves being judges It might be expected that something should be spoken of the noble and valiant service performed by the rest of the Regiments of the Army both horse and foot but their courage valour it self speaks which was performed by them that day our men fighting like Lions in every place the great slaughter made amongst the enemies testifies My noble and valiant Captaine George Massie who was with the forlorn hope received a shot in the back from the enemy of which wound he is since dead This 26. of September hinc illae lachrymae we lost about 60 or 70 men in our red Regiment of the trained Bands besides wounded men we having the hottest charge from the enemies Cannon of any regiment in the Army Also that worthy and valint Gentleman Capt. Hunt was slain in this battell whose death is much lamented These two poore regiments were the very objects of the enemies battery that day and they have since made their boast of it It is conjectured by most that the enemy lost four for one 70. chief Commanders were slain on their side This is most certain that they did acknowledge themselves to be beaten It is credibly informed by those that were this day in the Kings army that the King himself brought up a regiment of Foot and another of horse into the field and gave fire to two peeces of Ordnance riding up and down all that day in a souldiers gray coat The next day I viewed the dead bodies there lay about 100 stript naked in that field where our 2 regiments stood in battalia This night the enemy conveyed away about 30. cart load of maimed and dead men as the towne-people credibly reported to us and I think they might have carried away 20 cart load more of their dead men the next morning they buried 30 in one pit 14 lay dead in one ditch this battaile continued long it begun about six aclock in the morning and continued till past 12 aclock at night in the night the enemy retreated to the towne of Newbury and drew away all their Ordnance we were in great distresse for water or any accommodation to refresh our poore Souldiers yet the Lord himselfe sustained us that we did not faint under it we were right glad to drink in the same water where our horses did drink wandering up and downe to seek for it Our word this day was Religion theirs was Queen Mary in the field The great goodnesse of God in giving us victory this day is so much the more remarkable from these three considerations First that great disadvantage we had this day in case we had been beat by the enemy we having no place of retreat for safety neerer then Glocester which was above 30 miles whereas our enemies had possession of Newbury and in a manner of the whole Countrey round about secondly we had great scarcitie of provision for our Army having marched many dayes and nights with little food or sleep or any refreshment had not God fed us with the bread of our enemies which we took at Ciceter we could not without a speciall providence of God have been able to subsist whereas our enemies had the town of Newbury and the Country all about for their relief Thirdly we had a great disadvantage by giving battell in that place the enemy had made choice of their ground planted their Ordnance gained all advantages they could desire Beside many other
of ours who was pistold by one that took him prisoner we killed 2. or 3. of them Saturday Septemb. 16. we advanced from Ciceter five miles to a village called Letton where our London-Briggade was quartered that night the Lord Generall with his Army quartered a mile further at a Market-towne in Wiltshire called Cricklet at the village aforesaid were ten cart-load of Cavaliers who were sick and lame and brought thither to be quartred who when they heard we were marching to this place they then found their leggs and run away this day we had a wet march and in the night a false alarm Sabbath day Septemb. 17. we marched from Cricklet to a Market-towne called Swindowne 8. miles This morning newes was brought that the Cavaliers were come to Ciceter and had taken and kild many of our men who stayed behind drinking and neglecting to march with their Colours who are not much to be pittied this day we drove along with our army about 1000 sheep and 60 head of Cattell which were taken from Malignants and Papists in the Country for the maintenance of our army 87 sheep was allotted for our red Regiment but wee afterwards lost them all when we came to fight it being every mans care then to secure himselfe and to see to the safetie of the Army this night our London-Briggade was quartred 2 miles beyond the Lord Generalls quarters at a little poore village called Chizelton where wee could get no accommodation either for meat or drink but what we brought with us in our snapsacks most of us quartred in the open feild it being a very cold frosty night wee marched away hence the next morning Munday Septemb. 18. we advanced from this village about two miles to a place called Abern-chase where newes was brought to the Lord Generall that the enemy was coming upon us with a great body of horse which caused the Lord Generall to make a stand our whole Army being in a deep valley and the enemy upon the hills on our left flank we drewup all our Army into a body to the top of the hill where we had a full view of the enemy over against us there appeared a great body of their horse if was conceived there was 7 or 8000 but no foot that we could discerne we stood a while and faced them then one small body of horse as a forlorn hope marched up the hill to them and fired upon them and then retreated to their main body in the valley the enemy followed our horse in their retreat firing at them all the way very feircely then we fired some Drakes at their horse but did little execution then our body of foot was drawne downe from this hill to the top of another high hill where we stood and faced the enemy having a full view of all that was don between our horse and theirs our foot were not ingaged at all in this fight except two Regiments onely Then Collonell Meldrams and Colonell Harvies troops drew up in a body gave the enemy a very feirce charge which was performed with as brave courage and valour as ever men did and then wheeled about to a Regiment of our foot that stood in the reer of them the enemy pursued them in their retreat skirmishing one at another all the way what number was slain in this fight is not yet known here Cap. Willet received a shot from the enemy of which wound he is since dead we lost no other man of note in this fight one man of great note and esteem of the enemies partie was here slaine Marquesse de la Veel his father is Lord high Marshall of France and chiefe Commander in the feild we took up his body and carried it to Hungerford I viewed his wounds he received three shot in his body from us one in his right pap another in the shoulder and a third in the face from this place all their horse gathered into a body when it begun to be dark and so ours likewise and wee marched away that night to Hungerford 5 miles our red Regiment with some other Regiments were quartred a mile on this side Hungerford at a little village called Shelton those that marched in the reer of the Army were marching this 5 miles all night we were much distressed for want of sleep as also for all other sustenance it was a night of much raine we were wet to the skin this day we took 25 Cavaliers at Hungerford whereof one was slaine Tuesday Septemb. 19. we advanced from Hungerford to a village called Embry about a mile and halfe from Nubury the Lord Generall had intent to have quartered at Nubury that night but the King got into the Town that day before and so we were prevented This morning a Trumpetter came from the King to the Lord Generall to desire that Chyrurgions and Doctors might have free accesse from them to the Marquesse that we had taken But the Messenger came to late for the Marquesse was past their cure The Lord Generall told him if they pleased to send for his body they might have it The death of this Marquesse hath much inraged the enemy being one whom they did highly esteem This night our whole Army quartered in the open field we had no provision but what little every one had in his Snapsack We had now marched many dayes and nights with little food or any sustenance and little sleep This night the King sent a challenge to the Lord Generall to give him battell the next morning which accordingly was performed and in the night our enemies gained the hills where they intended to give us battell they planted their Ordnance got all advantages they could desire before our Army marched up to them Yet now wee see there is neither wisedome nor policie nor strength against the Lord yea had not the Lord himselfe been on our side they had swallowed us up quick so great was their rage and fury stirred up against us they being confident of the victory before we came to fight But let not him that puts on his harnesse boast as he that puts it off For it was not our owne arme that saved us but the right hand of the Lord became glorious in that day to get himselfe a glorious name The next morning Septem. 20. very early before day we had drawn up all our Army in their severall Regiments and marched away by break of day and then advancing towards the enemy with most cheerfull and couragious spirits The Lord Roberts souldiers had begun to skirmish with them before we came up to the enemy which we hearing put us to a running march till wee sweat again hastening to their reliefe and succour When wee were come up into the field our two Regiments of the trained Bands were placed in open Campania upon the right wing of the whole Army The enemy had there planted 8 pieces of Ordnance and stood in a great body of Horse and Foot wee being placed right opposite
disadvantages on our part which I forbeare to relate yet God gave us the victory and made our enemies flie before us that we kept the field all night The Lord Generall deserves perpetuall honor by his wise valiant and worthy managing of this dayes battle as also no lesse praise and commendation to the rest of the councel of war Many more particular passages might here be inserted but I proceed Thursday Sept. 21. after we had buried our dead we marched frō this field with our whole army to a town called the Veal 11 miles and 4 miles from Redding where in our march this day our enemy pursuing of us fell upo our reer in a narrow lane about a mile and halfe from a village called Aldermason they came upon us with a great body of foot and horse our London Briggade marched in the reer and a forlorn hope of 600 Muskettiers in the reere of them besides a great number of cur horse but our horse which brought up our reere durst not stand to charge the enemy but fled running into the narrow lane routed our own foot trampling many of them under their horse feet crying out to them Away away every man shift for his life you are all dead men which caused a most strange confusion amongst us We fired 10 or 12 Drakes at the enemy but they came upon us very feircely having theirfoot on the other side of the hedges many of our waggons were overthrowne and broken others cut their traces and horse-harnesse and run away with their horses leaving their waggons carriages behind them our foot fired upon the enemies horse very bravely and slew many of them some report above 100 and not 10 of ours some that we took prisoners our men were so inraged at them that they knockt out their braines with the butt-end of their Muskets in this great distraction and rout a waggon of powder lying in the way overthrowne some spark of fire or match fell among it which did much hurt 7 men burnt and 2 kild the enemy had got 2 of our drakes in the reer had not our foot played the men and recovered them againe this was about 4 or 5 aclock at night many of our men lost their horses and other things which they threw away in haste wee marched on and came to the Veal about 10. aclock at night Fryday Sept. 22 we advanced from the Veal and came to Reading foure miles where we refreshed our Souldiers after our hard service and wearisome marchings We stayed here fryday saterday and sabbath day saterday night about 20 of the enemies horse came and gave us an alarm Sabbath day was celebrated a day of thanksgiving we marched away hence on munday morning Monday Sept. 25. wee advanced from Reading to Madenhead our Briggade was quartred here But the Lord Generall with his Army and all his train marched to Windsor Tuesday Sept. 26. we advanced from Maidenhead about 4 aclock in the morning having some intentiō of marching to London that night but came no farther then Brainford where we stayed the next day also being Fast day Thursday Sept. 28. we marched from Brainford to London where we were joyfully received home of all our friends and all that wish well to the Parliament and to the vexation of heart of all wicked malignants who had raised reports that we were all routed and slaine The Lord Mayor together with the Aldermen of the Citie met us at Temple-barr and entertained us joyfully many 1000 bidding us wellcome home and blessing God for our safe returne Thus God that called us forth to doe his worke brought us through many straits dilivered us from the rage and insolency of our adversaries made them turne their backes with shame giving us victory and causing us to return home joyfully FINIS