Selected quad for the lemma: reason_n
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A30652
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Colonel Joseph Bamfield's Apologie written by himself and printed at his desire.
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Bampfield, Joseph, fl. 1639-1685.
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1685
(1685)
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Wing B618; ESTC R16264
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58,236
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72
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to my wife the Earle of Laneric and my Lord Willowby wherefor excuse me to the Earle of Southampton that I have not answered his wich I shall doe by the first occasion I am advertised that it has been deliberated by some of the army to possesse themselves of the Duke of Yorke consider if you cannot finde means to convey him out of England cause the inclosed to be delivered to him for it concerns me neerly to have correspondence with him at this tyme let me knowe as soone as may be your opinion touching this business farewell Your assured frend CHARLES R. Sect. 93. Upon the receipt of this letter I caused the inclosed for his Royale Highness the Duke of Yorke to be delivered him by a sure hand whoe had that accesse to him which I could not have and unless my memory failes me as I am persuaded it does not he had been pleased not long before by Message to let me knowe that he had promised the King his father whilest he was in the hands of the army to make his escape out of England as soone as he Could attempt it on any reasnable appearance of success demanding if Could not serve him in it which I am confident I had undertaken in which resolution I was fully confirmed by theise his Ma ties commands and not knowing whither by this occasion he had mentioned the business to the Duke or not with his owne letter I sent his Royalle Highness mine which was transmitted againe to me and upon his resolution and answer I framed mine to his Father The Duke was pleased to commande me not to precipitate the business but to take necessary tyme and use all circomspection not to plunge him into a worse condition then he was Haveing duly considered what measures were fittest for me to take herein and given the King an account there of his Ma tie was pleased to write me the following letter Cairsbrooke the 22 Feb. SEct. 94. I have received yours of the 14 present and being weary with decyphering it I cannot answer to all its particulars nor is it needfull I will only tell you in Generall that I approve what you have allready done and what you propose for the saveing of the Duke of York I confirme the promesse he has made to Howard and the assurances you have given him in my name to be continued in the Charge of Master of his horse allthowgh the Parliament has made him soe The rest I leave to your conduct committing you to Gods Providence trawble not your selfe about my other affaires but thinke only of what you have now in your hands bring him if possible either to his Mother or sister farewell Your assured frend CHARLES R. Sect. 95. For some Important reasons which I acquainted his Ma tie with I delayed this business untill the end of Aprill following at which tyme it succeeded happily to the great contentment of the King and of the Royalle famely his Highness arrived first in Zealand and the next day in Holland Sect. 96. About six weekes after the Parliaments whole fleet quitted their unlawfull masters came to anker in Gorée Rode delivering themselves up to the Duke of York as their Admirall which they knew he was by the King his fathers patent and was really the occasion of their coming thither and submitting to him Sect. 97. The winde which was favourable to bring them into Holland prouved a storme to me which occasioned my wrack ever since haveing unhappily given some councell concerning that fleet it seemes with to much precipitation which was well meant very ill taken because most bitterly represented by a person of quality and to doe him but Justice of merit betwixt whome and me there was at that time some competition about particular matters who according to the ordinary practice in such cases to ruine my credit and increase his owne held it expedient to couver his private animosity under the specious vaile of Zeal to a more publique interest I shall againe declare what I have ever protested that I had no other end or designe then either freeing the King out of his Imprisonment in the Isle of wight or if it were fownd Impossible which I did not then belive nor doe now that is was to have landed 1500. or 2000. men at yarmouth to have countenanced a rising in northfolke suffolke and the other adjacent Provinces of the easterne assotiation the probabillity of the one or of the other I shall here expose to any reasnable consideration Sect. 98. First touching the Kings freedome I had been assured out of England of a landing place in the Island which I looked upon as the greatest difficulty Sect. 99. Secondly that we Could have landed with 2000 Men haveing raised at that very tyme in Holland about 1200 English Soldiers of the reduction which the States had then made of the troupes of our nation and might well have added to them upon such an occasion 1000 sea men chosen out of the Fleet besides that great assurances were given that the inhabitants would have risen with us if we could have furnished them with armes which was to have been done Sect. 100. Thirdly I could never conceave in case of a free descent on land any great or long opposition wee Could have met with by sea not the least the Parliament not haveing had one ship of war fitted out in ten weekes or three months after By land as little except what Colonel Hamond Could have made with not above 5 or 600 foote which was all he had nor Could have hoped for more Cromwell with the greater part of the army was marched against the Scots Fairefax engaged before Colchester and some considerable parties of the army diverted into walles by risings there for the King at the same tyme. Moreover if they Could have sent an army entire to portsmouth or any other part upon that coast to have been transported into the Island not a barque or bote Could have passed without either being sunke or taken Besides there were many of the bravest and best officers whoe had served his Ma tie whoe were Embarqued in the fleet as Prince Mauris S r. John Boyce Colonel Washington S r. Francis Mackworth and very Many more whoe wee fownd retired into Holland at our arivall and some followd nor is it to be Imagined that in soe glorious an enterprise but that the greatest contestation would have been whoe should have been readiest to have sacrifised themselves For my part I never could apprehend any other difficulty in this attempt then to have landed which we had great and likely assurances of and in all events our retreat was sure and the fleet at liberty for any other designe in case that could not have been effected Sect. 101. Which was to have landed at yarmouth where we were sure of a free reception and did persuade my selfe that a body of 2000 Soldiers would have had the reputation of double the nomber and have encouraged
Generall in the West for the Parlament but after the Battaile of Stratton reduced to the Gouvernment of that Citty 4. The first day wee came before it the Enemy despising our small Number sillied out with a very considerable party but was vigorously repulsed beaten and some of their out worcks and the south subburbs possessed which by reason of our want of Amunition and our few forces wee quitted of our own accord very many of their men where killed and taken prisoners The siege continued about twoe months the Parlement endeavoured twice to succour it once by land from plimouth and Dartmouth which where surprised in their march beaten and totally Dissipated Secondly by sea with the Parlaments fleet commanded by the Earl of Warwich having two thowsand souldiers aboarde which he designed to land at Apsom under the favour of his Cannon but was prevented by our sinking the night before divers vessels with stones in the Channel He endeavoured to land at other places on the strand in his long Botes but was always repulsed with loss one of his ships was fired by us another so raked through by our Cannon that they were Constrayned to fire it themselves not able to bring it of 5. About this time Bristol was taken by the Kings forces Prince Maurits arrived before Exeter with about 3000 Cornish foote and some horse having viewed all the quarters and Approches resolved on an Attaque by the south gate which was Committed to Colonel Chudly and mee with 2000 men the manner left to our selves at the place where wee intended to fall on the enemy had twoe out guards advanced from the southgate the distance of musquet shot of about 3 or 400 men with a line of communication from the port to the out works which wee could perceive was but slightly mand wee resolved with fire locks and Pikemen with pistols by their sydes that light matches should not discover our designe to march silently an hower before break of day to assault the line jointly by way of surprise he on the left hand neat the outguarde I on the right neer the port hopeing thereby if success full to cut of the retreat of the Enemy which wee did by this meanes all in the out work were either killed or taken Whereupon wee Lodged our selves under the wall reasnably wel couvered soe neer the port that they durst not attempt à sally in this condition and consternation they beat a parley desired a treaty sent out hostages Sir Richard Cave and I were employed to treat and had the place rendered even on our owne tearmes 6. Having refreshed the Army twelve or fourteen days the Prince marched to Dartmouth though late in the year to begin a siege before the several Quarters were fully fixed his Highness the Earl of Marborow General of the Artillery c. and Major General Basset fell all three at one time dangerously sick which caused disorder and delay the greatest part of the Officers were inclined to raise the siege and retire the Army into Winter-quarters Sir Richard Cave Colonel Chudley and my selfe opposed it and wrote to My Lord Berkeley who was Gouvernour as well or the Province as of Exeter to come to the Army at whose arrival resolution was taken to attacque the Town in two places Colonel Chudley and my selfe were ordered as at exeter to assault one post in divers places he entered the first beat the Enemy out of some Workes but being unfortunately killed his Troupes were repulsed those I commanded entered likewise drove them from all their outworks which was their chief strenght in that quarter and commanded the Towne which immediately treated and rendered whereof Colonel Seymour was made Gouvernour 7. Towards the end of October the King sent order to my Lord Berckely to dispatch mee with my own Regiment and what other troupes he could spare with all expedition to joyne with my Lord Hoptons Army for the relief of Basing then besieged by Sir William Waller I was immediately sent away with a Brigade of Foot consisting of his Lordships Sir William Courtenays not he of Devonshire but another of the same name Sir John Acklands Colonel Strangeways and my own Regiment with three troupes of Horse I joyned my Lord Hoptons Army Basing was relieved Waller retired incamped advantagiously under Farnham Castel General Hopton followed him presented him Battaile the one would not dislodge nor the other attacque him as he lay the day following a Councel of war was held about the beginning of December where it was resolved that the Amy should separate into four Brigades and retire to Winter-quarters one with my Lord Hopten to Winchester another under Sir Charles Vavasour to Alsford a third commanded by Colonel Boles to Alton the fourth with mee to Petersfield the Horse were divided accordingly a party with every Brigade of Foote whereof I had with mee Sir Edward Stowels Regiment of Cavallery Sir Edward Fords Sir Edward Bishops four Troupes of my Lord Bellasis his Regiment commanded by his Major Bovel with the three Troupes which came with mee out of Devonshire One present at the Councel declared his opinion that it was dangerous to divide the Army into so many open quarters whilest Sir William Wallers remained in one entire Bodie since he could in one night as his custome was to march force any of the neerest to him before the others could be advertised joine and succour the quarter aetacqued this comming from a verry youngman was neglected as of no moment though the consequence ten days after made it appeare as one of Cassandra's predictions which though always true were never believed till accomplished or pastremedy 8. Four of five days after my Lord Berkeley arrived at my quarter from Oxford bringing with him Sir William Butler his Regiment of Horse with the Kings commands to march incontinently towards Arundel to take it if possible I marched all tuesday with the Horse and as many Musquetiers as I could mount being favoured by a great mist without any discovery about four of the clock wednesday morning wee surprised and forced the Towne the greatest part of the Enemie retired into the Castel which was rendered the Saturday following when my foote came up that the Souldiers should goe whither they would leaving all Armes and Amunition both of war and mouth having in three or four days given the necessary orders touching the defence of the Town and Castel I left Sir Edward Ford there with 400. Foote marching all night with the rest at the instances of Sir William Butler whom his Majestie had made Sherif of Kent hoping to have taken Bramber Castel but were prevented by Colonel Morley and Sir Michael Livesie who had possessed themselves of the place and passage over the River with about 2000. Men out of Kent whilest I was seeking another forde where I might pass the River with more conveniencie then in the face of the Enemy my Lord Hopton by an Express sent mee advertisement that the General Waller