Foote-boy of his that could both runne and swimme well and sixe Muskatieres to the point of the Island where they were to land their Men to see if they could discouer any Men or Ordnance that they had planted there to encounter vs When he came to the shoare he caused the Foote-boy to strippe himselfe and to run along and he run three quarters of a mile into the Countrey and found all that Coast cleere sauing three Horse-men that the Enemies had set out to be Scoutes which chased him back to the Sea side The Boy was releiued by the Ship Ordnance and the Muskets in the Boate At ten of the clocke he turned back to the Triumph and gaue the L. Generall an accompt what he had discouered Whereupon the L. Generall gaue present order for all Officers to be in a readinesse and to meete him aboard the Kings good Shippe called the Lyon lying next the Pointe where they were to land their Men for there he would keepe his Randeuous for that time At twelue of the clocke he tooke his Barge accompanied with Sir George Blundell Sergeant Maior attended by M. Grymes and M. Ashburneham and went to all those Ships that had Land Soldiers and commanded them that they should presently draw themselues as neere that point of the Island as they could After that he went to all the Ships and appointed the Captaines of them how and where to attend with their Shippes and commanded them presently to prouide their Barges and long Boates to land their Land Souldiers and to send them to the Lyon Hee then made choyse of tenne Ships of lesser burthen and directed them to draw their Shipps as close as they could to either side of the point of the Island where the Souldiers were to be Landed and commanded them that if the Enemie did appeare within shotte they should presently play vpon them He being aboard at the same time of one of these Shippes went vp to the top of the mayne Mast and discouered of the Enemies three Troupes of Horse and 16. or 18. hundred Foote all ready in Battalia some English mile or more off the place where wee were to land our men hee came presently downe and tolde vs what hee had discouered and shot at them himselfe two or three Peeces of Ordnance and commanded the rest of the Peeces to play vpon them still with that tooke Barge and went to the Lyon where hee found all the Officers ready with their long Boates to land their men In this time came backe from Rochell Monsieur Sabuesa and Sir William Beecher who stayed there till Saturday following Monsieur Saint Blancart disswaded the Lord Generall to forbeare the Landing of his men vntill the next morning but the Lord Generall fearing it would giue time to the Enemie to strengthen himselfe Hee would by no meanes heare of any delay Whereupon Monsieur Saint Blancart like a braue man choosed himselfe a Pike and put himselfe into Sir Iohn Burrowes Regiment By this time it was three of the clocke when the Lord Generall commanded to land two Regiments that were of the olde Companies where of Sir Iohn Burrowes and Sir Alexander Brett were Commanders he went with them himselfe on shore and appointed the two Colonels in what place they should land their men And being landed commanded them to put their men in Battalia with all speed fearing the Enemie vvould giue them a suddaine assault The men being vveary in lying on Shipboard lingred vvashing their hands in the Sea but the Lord Generall vvith a Cudgell runne to and fro amongst them beating some and threatning other-some and got them thrust vp three Pykes length to the skirt of the banke vvhere they vvere to be There vvas a third Regiment that vvas ready to land in the meane time came Sir William Courtney to the Lord Generall and tolde him that vnlesse hee should doe the same curtesie for him vvhich he did for the other two Collonells hee should not get his men landed and that his vvere olde Souldiers and vvould doe good seruice if the Enemie made assault Whereupon my Lord called Sir William Courtney vvent into his Barge vvith an intention to hasten a shore his Regiment and as soone as he had gone about fourescore from the shore hee presently heard the fight begun and turning backe he saw three Troupes of French Horse charging our Foote vvith all the fiercenesse that mighâ— be And the third Regiment those that vvere vnlanded pressing themselues amongst the Shippes to succour themselues the rest of that Regiment that vvere landed hee sawe prest into the vvater by the French Horse and Sir William Haydon being caried violently to the Sea by the Reuolters was there drowned Whereupon he set S. William Courtney into another Boate with commande to make all expedition to get his Men landed And very brauely himselfe drew his Sword and turned his Barge attended by Master Grymes and M. Ashburneham and thrust himselfe vpon the Reuolters and rebuking some and encouraging others told them he hoped they came not with any intent but to aduenture themselues so farre as he would leade them Wherevpon he thrust himselfe on to the shoare and they followed slowly and animating of the other Foote which were run into the water they most of them leapt out of the water and vpon the Lord Generalls words threw themselues forwards as if they would haue fought brauely but before we could get where the blowes were the Battaile was ended My Lord Generall had ordered certaine Shippes to scoure the Landing place with their Ordnance but the assault was so sodaine as they did little hurt to the Enemie and in verie heate of the combate it fell out that one of our owne Shipps had entangled himselfe betweene our Battering shippes and the Land by which meanes they were hindred in performing of their charge If the French Foote had come on to haue charged presently vppon the discharge of the Horse it had been impossible that we could haue withstood them But as God would haue it the Horse-men made more hast then in iudgement they should haue don Before the Foote came we had killed most of their Horses But when the Foote did come they came very orderly and brauely being 1500. comming within a Pike and a halfe of our Men before they discharged and the Leader of the Foote being a braue and goodlie Gentleman tooke off his hatte wherevpon all their Foote discharged their Muskets and after they fell to it with Swords and push of Pike vntill they were breathlesse on both sides The French finding our Pikes to be longer then theirs threw away their Pikes and went to it with Stones and so did our Men but ours beate them out and made them flye away very disorderly that happie was he that got first off his Armor to betake him to his heeles This Battaile did not continue in all much aboue halfe an hower but our Horse were not yet landed But if we had had twentie
Horse to haue followed them we had killed them vp euery Man That night we intrenched our selues in that place fearing the Enemie would giue vs an assault in the night My Lord Generall spent that euening in viewing of the dead Bodies and visiting those that were hurt on our side and giuing great charge to the Chirurgions to take speciall care of them We tooke fower of the French Gentlemen but they were all hurt before two of them dyed the next day one of them is aliue yet in the Tryumph his thigh being shotte to peeces the other being a Page the Lord Generall sent him to his Master The next morning very earlie the Lord Generall came on shore againe and spent all the whole daie there calling the Commanders to him and ordering them to bring him notes of euery seuerall Companie how many they were and how manie were perished in the conflict By which vve found there was nineteene Captaines Antients and Lieuetenants killed and twelue other Officers hurt but in no danger of death and some thirty fiue common Soldiers drowned but none killed for the French men discharged all on our Gentry and neuer looked at the Common sort Our Gentry when the common Soldiers began to route clapt themselues together and shewed themselues the brauest Men in the world espetially Sir Iohn Burrowes Sir Alexander Brett Sir George Blundell and a Brother of Sir Alexander Bretts There was not one Gentleman of our Nation in the field that did not act his part brauely This being Friday the day after the Battaile the 13. of Iuly Monsieur de Thorax Gouernour of the Island sent the Barron Ambleuile with a Trumpet to speake with the Lord Geuerall His Message was to desire my Lords fauour to giue them leaue to fetch away their dead bodies they being so suddenly demaunded by them my Lord made scruple in granting it Whereupon the Gentry made meanes by some of our Officers to buy the bodies and offered for one 1000. pounds When my Lord Generall had considered he gaue leaue that they should take them away Within foure houres the Gouernours sent another Trumpet with one of his Pages to giue him thankes for his fauour and to report to him that he would neuer after harbour an ill thought of the English for hee iudged the Gentry of them to be the brauest men in the world Although before the Battaile he made no more account of vs then if wee had beene all Beeues and enquiring what number we were wee tolde him 6000. He said he would kill vs and salt vs as wee did Oxen in England At the same time he sent my Lord Generall word that he would wayte on him himselfe so that we made full account that hee would giue vs Battell The same day wee put our selues in Battalia and expected them all that day yet hee came not The next day being the 14. of Iuly we made our selues ready to Martch and at 6. of the clocke we marched an English mile further into the Countrey leauing Sir Peregrine Bartue in the place with some Companies The 15. by 6. of the clocke in the morning vve marched on to a village vvithin an English mile and tooke in that vvithout any disturbance Then vve marched on two English miles further to a Towne called St. Maries vvhen vvee came neere to the Towne the Protestants came out and yeelded the Towne to the Lord Generall so hee went with some Gentlemen with him and tooke possession and made the Souldiers martch by and not suffer them to come to the Towne fearing they vvould pillage and disturbe the people so vve marched on the same day to a Towne called La Flote In the mid vvay the Enemie appeared vvith 120. horse and 1500. Foote the which were left vnkilled Wee did verily thinke they would haue giuen vs Battell but it did not proue so for as soone as they viewed vs they returned backe againe We vvere ready for them for our men vvere very forward to fight so vve marched on vvithin halfe a mile of La Flote vvhere the Protestants of that Towne met vs and surrendred the Towne and themselues vvith a suite they had to the Lord Generall vvhich vvas that hee vvould for their sakes shew fauour to the Romish Catholiques for that they had liued long together in that Towne and euer receiued good Quarter and vsage from them And that now seeing he vvas become Master of both he vvould requite it on their behalfe to the Catholiques vvhich hee very Nobly consented vnto and vvent vvith them to the Towne and tooke possession and presently turned backe to the Souldiers and Encamped them round about the same and vvould not suffer any of them to goe into it fearing they vvould make Pillage and that night lay amongst them in the open Field vvith no other bedding saue one Cloake vnder his head and another vpon him The next day being the 16 he went into the Towne accompanied with Monsieur Subesa and some other Lords to bury Sir William Heydon and returned into the Field at night and lay as he did before But that night about two of the clocke there fell very miserable vveather vvith Thundering and Rayning and continued so till twelue of the clock the next day The next day being the 17. vve martched on towards St. Martyns though it Rayned very fearefully and about 12. of the clocke it grew faire at which time vve vvere vvithin three English miles of the Towne By that time we had marched a mile further we could see the Enemie sally out of the Fort vvith Horse and Foote so they Martched towards vs and vvere vvithin the distance of an English mile and wee thought they vvould take the aduantage of our weary Martching and giue vs Battell Therefore it was holden fit by the Lord Generall that we should take all aduantage we could in that place which was onely to gaine the Sunne and the Winde of them We marched on toward the end of the Towne that lay next vnto the Sea side and furthest from the Fort. And by that wee had aduantage both of Sunne and Winde Within lesse then an Euglish mile of the end of the Towne we could see the Horse approach very fiercely as though they would come suddenly vpon vs. Whereupon the Lord Generall gaue order to the Master of the Ordnance to shoote some of our Drakes at them which he did and killed a Gentleman and two Horses and put all the rest in feare and disorder Here Captaine Coningham Lieuteuant of the Horse aduanced himselfe on horsebacke and proffered a single combate but no Man answered him Whereupon they presently put out a Flagge of Truce and sent some of the Protestantes to vs to render the Towne without any condition So that we presently marched into it in Battalia and quartered all our Soldiers therein The Lord Generall rode to euery Company and desired them to be carefull of themselues and not to wrong the Towne and that they should take
nothing but what was giuen them and what they payde for and that he would goe aboard the victualing Shippes and told them they should want nothing which contented them verie well and thanked God with a loude voyce that they had such a worthy Lord Generall He tooke his Barge and accordingly went and as he was going there was a poore Englishman in distresse in a Sand-bed where the Tyde had locked him about and had no meanes to saue himselfe but must runne towards the Fort where the Enemie was retired with all his Forces My Lord hearing him so cry out caused to stay his Barge although the Barge-men told him he would endanger the casting away of himselfe and the Gentlemen perswaded him also that he should not hazard himselfe in the danger yet would he not stirre before he had releeued this Man and got him into his Barge So after went aboard of the Victualing Shippes and saw all the proportions of the Victuals sent to the Soldiers and after went aboard the Tryumph And on wednesday the 16. made a dispatch for England to acquaint the King with his fortunate proceedings The Enemy was retired into the Fort a Musket shot with 1500. Men of which number there was 120. Horse left they had neyther Water nor Wood in their Fort and had but some eight or nine Peeces of Ordnance and the Fort too little for so great a Company so that it was not likely that they could hold it long and we hope to be Masters of it as well as of the Island within a very short time Thurseday and Fryday we were raysing a Mount to plant our Ordnance against it Saterday the 21. we planted twentie one peeces of Ordnance and eleuen Drakes and the Master Gunner was very confident to batter them from the Fort in a very short time We were working with our Pyoniers and our Soldiers trenching against the Fort. This is all I was an Eye witnesse to So God send them good successe and I for England in his Maiesties Good Ship called the Charles There was slayne that day in the Battaile of the French 125. Horsemen dead on the ground besides a great many that were deadly hurt of vvhich number there vvere 23. Marquesses and Barons all the rest Knightes and Gentlemen of the best quallitie in all France Some Commanders of their Foote vvere killed with 100 or 120. Common Soldiers Receiued at Court the 15. of August THe Cittadell in the Isle St. Martins holds out still the Walls and Fortifications thereof being made so strong and substantiall that our Cannon that beate on it perpetually could doe little hurt to it in so much as my Lord wrought by Mynes and hath cut off two Pipes that carried vvater to the same but findes that part of the ground which is penetrable neere the Cittadell to be loose sandy ground which will not Mine and the foundation of the Cittadell and the part neere the same is Rocky not to be wrought so as my Lord hauing beaten the Enemie out of his out-workes into the Fort is resolued to endeuour to recouer the same by famine there being 3000. men in the Castle and they wanting Firing and Water My Lord hath planted aboue 20. Peeces of Ordnance by Sea and Land against the Cittadell and the third shot that the Kings Cananere made killed 41. French men as some who were then in the Fort related My Lord lately intercepted two small Vessels laden vvith Victuals and one laden vvith Munition vvhich vvere in the night passing from the mayne ouer the Riuer to releeue the Cittadell that vvhich vvas laden vvith Munition vvas in the taking sunke vvith a Shot and 37. French men in one of the other Vessells slaine vvhich made the third yeeld vvithout resistance My Lord walkes the round most nights to see the Watch performe their Duty And Sunday last vvas seauen dayes lay in our Trenches all night vpon aduertisements that the Enemie vvould sally and assault the men in our Workes My Lord Montioy chiefe Commaunder of the Horse very happily surprized 28. of the best of the Enemies Muskatieres vvho vvere sent out of the Fort for a guard to some vvho vvere sent to fetch vvater at a Well not farre distant from the Fort as soone as they perceiued our Horse to approach they ranne into a Mill and there vpon quarter demaunded and graunted they yeelded My Lord hath by Proclamation giuen permission to the Inhabitants of the I le to make Salt with which Commodity his Grace intendeth to satisfie the Dutch men who were taken vp to transport Horses and Prouisions for the Armie for the hire of their Ships and likewise to furnish England with Salt The Gouernour of the Cittadell and I le of St. Martins sendeth euery day some Messenger to speake with my Lord And about tenne dayes since vnder colour of a Parly sent a Disciple of the Iesuites to haue mischieued his Grace the Villaine being come to act his Villanie when hee began to speake to my Lord changed his colour and so trembled that he could scarce speake whereupon his Grace commaunded one that was with him to search him there was found in the Sleeue of his Doublet a long Rauilliack-like Knife poysoned which at the first he said he caried for his defence but that being no place to carrie a Weapon for defence he was that night committed and being threatned to be tortured hee desired to be brought before the Lord Generall which was graunted and then he confessed that the Gouernour had dissiplined and hired him to murther my Lord and being questioned how he durst vndertake such a mischieuous work since he could not hope to escape death or enioy the reward he was to haue he said he did beleeue it would cost him his life but being perswaded it was a meritorious worke and promised his Wife and Children for it should be aduanced he vndertooke the same and falling downe at my Lords feet besought his pardon My Lord sent him backe to the prison and after three dayes pardoned him and sent him ouer into the mayne All Souldiers cry out against the Gouernour for this treachery and say hee deserues not to haue any Quarter that would offer the same to one who hath in all poynts caried himselfe so Nobly towards him and all the French that haue beene at his mercy for my Lord sent him back his Brothers Page which was taken in the day of Battell and hauing found the Gouernours brothers Gentleman of his Horse wounded in the Field caused him to bee sent a board his owne Ship and looked vnto by his owne Chirurgion Sir George Blundell is lately dead of the wounds hee formerly receiued in the day of Battell There is Newes from Paris the French King is very ficke and no man dares tell him of his Graces landing in that Island he lies at Villeroy and Monsieur that Kings Brother at Paris The Duke of Sauoy and Count of Soissons are in Armes vpon the Froutiers of Daulphine and the Dukes of Roan and Mountmoreney are in Armes in Languedoc Monsieur the Marshall Crequi Gouernour of the Daulphine sent Post to Paris for a Commission and money to leauie men returned with a Commission but without any money I must adde this which I beleeue makes my Lords actions to prosper that his Grace doth duly euery morning and euening serue God either priuatly in his Chamber or publikly in the whole Armie and hath caused a strict course to bee held with such as neglect the seruice of God Thus endeth the Journall at this time Receiued at Yorke-House August 15. THE RELATION OF Mr. Garetson Master of the Shippe called the Bread and Beere-pott of Horne in Holland made and taken at Plimmouth the 12. of August 1627 by Sir Iames Bagge knight who reporteth the same as followeth Videlicet THat he was that day chased with a Ship as he supposed to be a Man of warre of Dunkerke and to free himselfe did put into the port of Plimouth this present euening being the 12. aforesaide and that he was at Burdeaux about the 29. of Iuly last where the Gouernor and People were taken with such a feare of the aproach of the English that they destroyed the Cloysters and Ware-houses and all the Suburbes of the saide Citie to the end the aproach of the English might be the more difficile And from Burdeaux he went to Southers and from thence to Rochell where he arriued the first of August And from thence he went to St. Martines where his Excellencie was besieging the Cittadell and making a Trench to impeach the sallying forth of the Horse And for as much as all passages by water were stopped except the intercourse betweene Rochell and St. Martines He was enforced to returne for Rochell and from thence went ouer land to Southers where he laded his Shippe with Salte And sayling from Southers came within halfe a League of St. Martines where being by the lee there came out three English Shippes to vnderstand what he was and finding him to be a Hollander gaue him relation that the 5. day of this moneth the Cittadell was by his Grace taken the French men permitted to depart thence only with Bastinadoes in their hands And the Captaines of those Shippes told him that the 6. of this month there was an English Shippe dispatched with information of his Excelencies full proceedings and conquest of that Island He further sayeth that at Southers it was reported that the French King sent to Rochell to require them to declare whether they would abandon the English and serue him or not To giue answere to which the Rochelers desired seuen daies respite But he sayeth that diuers of the Principall and others of Rochell daily repaire to his Maiesties Generall He also sayeth that there is a command giuen that none speake with the French King and it is muttered that he is dead He sayeth that there was a French man apprehended in the Dukes presence with a Knife in his sleeue who waighted an opertunitie to attempt the murther of his Grace FJNJS