Selected quad for the lemma: enemy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
enemy_n	colonel_n	horse_n	regiment_n	1,920	5	9.9256	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87342	An impartiall narration of the management of the late Kentish petition.		1648 (1648)	Wing I87; Thomason E453_37; ESTC R204956	3,913	9

AN IMPARTIALL NARRATION OF THE MANAGEMENT OF THE LATE KENTISH PETITION July 21 LONDON Printed in the Year 1648. HONI SOIT QVI MAL lY PENSE AN Jmpartial Narration of the Management of the late Kentish Petition ALthough the late Kentish Petition failed in its main aim and intent which was Peace yet because it procured strange consequences in reference to the whole Kingdome and there hath been raised many and several reports of the Management of that affaire in the carrying on of their just Petition which way of Addresse is undoubtedly the Birthright of the Subjects of England and once lost must be succeeded with slavery and Tyranny both hateful to the English nation I shall faithfully and impartially relate the beginning progresse and conclusion of that affaire as far as I know or from credible persons could learn the particulars thereof First that it was the intent of the Countrey to carry up that Petition without Armes or the least war-like appearance is Notoriously known to all that know any thing in that businesse and the peaceable entrance of the Petitioners into that action But that which caused them to appear in that war-like posture was the Printed Declaration with most of the Deputy-Lieutenants hands to them commanded to be read in Churches throughout the whole County calling the petitions Seditious Papers which tended to the raising seditions and tumults within the said County and the indeavouring the promoting thereof Seditious practises the least of which was most contrary to their thoughts who aym'd at nothing more then to preserve their and the whole Kingdoms Birth-right in presenting their just desires in a most peaceable and usual manner had not the afore-said Declarations with other scattered expressions by some in Authority of hanging some in every parish that durst adventure to go up with the Petition And the raisiing of several Troops of Horse which upon good grounds was conceived to make good those declarations and expressions not again to be exampled by any Committee in the Kingdome caused the extreamly and justly agrieved and incensed Petitioners to take up Armes for their own defence and preservation of themselves from the sad and bloudy example of their next neighbours the Surrey-men so freshly bleeding in their memories Thus far for their taking up Arms Next for the progresse of the Petitioners in pursuance of their Petition They met together upon Boxley-Heath on Tuseday May the thirtieth intending the same day for Black-Heath and ten Gentlemen with ten Yeomen to have gone from thence with the Petition to the Parliament in the behalf of all the rest But an Order comming from both Houses at that instant to them that the Houses would receive none of their Petition but had referred it and them to the Lord Generall Fairfax who was at that very instant strange and unexpected to them drawn up at Black-Heath in a War-like posture with about four thousand Horse and Foot with other forces on their March for his recruit It was thought fit to apply themselves to the General for his mediation to the Houses that their Petition might be received which he refused to do and chusing the contrary to pursue them as Rebels And the Kentish Forces not being compleat in their Field-Officers and others and some other accomodations necessary which in so short time could not be put into so fitting an equipage as was required for an Army forced presently to fight concluded forthwith to retreat their unmembred body within the River of Med-way which accordingly they did for its more safe modelizing and their standing on their just defence But the General finding them in green Councel and knowing his own advantage in timely pursuing them before they were regulated neglects no time but follows them to Maidstone Alsford Trasum and Farley-bridge the chief passes of those parts which being kept by too small Parties for the encountring with the Generals old Soldiers On Thursday night following he fell to storming of Maidstone which was so wel maintain'd by part of a Regiment of Trained-bands who made it good that diverse times they repulsed the Enemy out of the Town to their great losse and disputed it with them at least six hours exspecting relief from General Goring who had newly received that Title from the Gentlemen then at Rochester where the main body of the Kentish Army then lay but General Goring either conceiving it too late or having some other designe which was conceived of more moment I know not marching the next day the other way to Black-Heath and from thence crossing the water into Essex and sending no relief to those poor men which by their enemies own confession did so gallantly considering their number and condition they were forced at last being over-powr'd with Horse and Foot all at one time to submit themselves prisoners and surrender the Town to the mercy of the Enemy which in all likelihood had been made good and defended from all the power and strength of the Adverse party had but one fourth part of the body then at Rochester marched to their relief And after all this diaster had but the whole body advanced down to the Town they had in all probability recovered it redeemed their Prisoners and made good that place against any visible power of the enemies by reason of which advancing of their new General the contrary way the Kentish Gentry and Soldiers were so discontented that they might not March to the rescue of their friends and not knowing the Generals designe for such actions of his as that diverse of them on a suddain dispersed every way to shift for themselves crying out they were betrayed so that the General carryed not over into Essex above fifteen hundred of all their forces the rest scattered except twelve hundred Horse and Foot who retreated to Canterbury to make good that place the three Castles of Sandown Deal and Weymor and the Town of Sandwich but for want of men Ammunition and Provision to make good all leaving the three Castles well man'd and provided Sandwich besides the wanting of Fortfications and provisions being very averse to a concurrence with the County in respect of a great part of the Town within by reason of the faction of the people which was much increased by the setting up of an impostor and counterfeit Prince so that many families must of necessity have been expulsed the Town or secured and would have required longer time and the greatest part of the Forces then in Armes before it could be made teneable and Canterbury being then the seat of the whole Action which must have been left with all the Countrey thereabout by this enterprize to the mercy and spoil of the Enemy they were forced to make one body of all their numbers within Canterbury there resolving to try their fortunes to which place the Generall made with all his strength he had in that County which was about four thousand Horse and Foot viz. Colonell Riches and Colonell Hewsons

Regiments of Horse and Foot sent to relieve Dover-Castle and after that he had Command to make good the East side of the Town and then Comissary Ireton's Regiment of Horse and some other broken Regiments of Horse with Colonell Baxsters Regiment of Foot and part of other broken Regiments of Foot which in all made up the aforesaid numbers of the General 's Forces beside some Additionall Forces the Deputy-Lieutenants of the County had by this time got together and were in their daily increase all which were designed for the reducing of Canterbury and were within two hours March of the same on the West side And therefore to speak a little in Vindication of those Gentlemen who there Acted because I have heard severall some false reports of their proceedings as that they surrendred the Town to fifteen hundred when three thousand were in it which is very false for their Enemies numbers it is most certain themselves confessing it into their numbers must be reckoned women and children to make up the sum of three thousand for they had not above thirteen hundred fighting men when the Enemy came nigh and they continually lessening by the running away of the Soldiers and many that stayed began to grow discontented for want of pay and the Town neither teneable nor provided with victuals for last Christmas-Gamboll had burnt up their gates and made diverse breaches in their wals which were not yet re-edyfyed and no hopes of relief from their Generall my Lord of Norwich who was at that instant in Essex and necessitated to provide for himself nor from any others that might timely do it It is true indeed fifteen hundred only of the Enemies Forces entred the Town the most of the Forces after the Articles agreed on being Commanded severall waies the greatest part into Essex the rest to Sandwich and to make good their siege against Weymor-Castle So that all these things truly considered that the Petition being onely for peace and the raising of Armes only for their just defence in the delivering thereof and no thoughts then of a setled or continued war till all the Forces Raised by the Kentish Gentlemen were thus scattered and dispersed which was then certainly too late to think upon in that their Enemies Forces were then so neer them all relief so far from them the Town by reason of its former defects so untenable and by reason of its compasse requiring so many to guard it and their own Forces so unproportionably few to defend it their money and provision spent so that upon necessity they must maintain the Soldiers upon plundring the provision of the Town which was too so scant as was not able to maintain so many persons but a very little while and the Countrey not ready to bring in any more the rich booty in it beside which would have been an incouragement to their Soldiary a discouragement to the other especially the Town Forces whose whole estates were most in danger So that these things thus certainly standing in my opinion you will find that those Gentlemen who there acted did as much as possibly in them lay for their Countreyes and their own defence as long as there was any hope of life in that action and stayed it out to the last when others deserted it and perhaps hereby in a Condition rather to take then to make Articles To which though much prejudiciall to themselves and their own benefit yet out of the deep sence and feeling of that Rapine and spoile which would inevitably have fallen upon Rich and poor without exception by the Army they were now willing to agree that they might though 't were through their own losse preserve the Town The Yeomanry and poor Labourers from further plundring which must of necessity have ensued and yet the issue and conclusion of their best advantages in that Condition they were in within a very short time in all humane probability must have proved succeslesse and fruitlesse And this I am assured by the strict enquiry I have made into that affair is the whole truth of it so as I much wonder to hear such Calumny raised by strangers and especially by some of their own members tending to the disparagement of those Gentlemen and dis-uniting the Gentry of the County in affection not to be cemented again in all likelyhood for any Future action of the like nature FINIS