A Briefe RELATION OF The Proceedings OF Our Army in IRELAND, since the Tenth of June to this present Iuly 1642.
TOGETHER With the Petition of the Parliament there Assembled, To the Lords, Iustices, and Counsell.
LONDON. Printed by R. Oulton. and G. Dexter for Benjamin Allen. An. D. 1642.
A Briefe Relation of the Passages of our ARMIE.
TVESDAY the 10. of Iune, about 12 a clock at noone, our Armie departed from Dublin: There went 6. companies under the command of Lievtenant Colonell Monke, 50. of my Lord of Ormonds: Foure under the command of Sir Francis Willowbie: Five under my Lord Lamberts: under the command of Sir Georg Thylock: Foure of Collonell Crafford, under his own command: Nine of my Lord Iones Regiment: 9 of Sir Michaell Herles Regiment: and 9. of Collonell Cromwells regiment: Of Horse, there was my Lord Lieutenants Troop, my Lord of Ormonds Troop, my Lord Burlase Troop: Sir George Wentworths Troop; Sir Thomas Lucas Troop, Captaine Mawhs Troop: Captaine Villers Troop, Sir Richard Greenvills Troop; Captain Armstrongs Troop; Captaine Masons Troop, and two other Troops, whose Captaines names I have forgot: we had like wise 7 Brasse Peeces, The first night wee marched about 7. miles from Dublin, where wee quartered that night: and the next morning being Wednesday, there was sent from the Armie Captaine Garners Troop, and my Lord of Ormonds Troop; Captaine Marrowes Troop; Captaine Stuerfi [...]lds 1000 Compan [...], and three Peeces of Ordinance that carried about 6 pound bullet; wee left the Armie, and marched with the foresaid Companie to a Castle wide of Trym, a garrison place, a Castle called K [...]ock Linch: belonging to one Mr. Linch, there we found about 1500 of our men that had besieged the Castle 2. dayes before, and had been very fiercely at it, wee found at our comming to them that they had lost about 40. men; along with the foresaid companies we came [Page 3] with the Ordinance, there came also 200 Fire-locks, who at our firstcomming, placed themselves round about the Castle in the Trenches and Dikes till the orduance were planted: which in two houres were planted: and plaid upon the Castell, for the space of 6 or 8 houres, the Rogues within the Castell, still defying us, saying, Be gone yee Parliament Rebells, you that fight against your King, and many upbraiding words, they had fortified the Castell very strongly; the Castell likewise being a strong stately place, amongst the rest of our men, Lievt. Colonell Kirke was shot very dangerously with two Bullets in the back; but whether he be since dead, we know not certaine; for hee was left in the Chirurgeons hands at Trime; About 6 a clock at night our men entred one part of the Castell very couragiously, rushing through great dangers, with their beating and throwing downe of stones from out the Castell, at last, when they had no shot left, they fell a throwing of stones, and left not so much as the Tiles upon the house, and at even, when the Castle was most part all on fire, they got into a Tower, where was a strong Battlement; and there did stand the chiefest of them; whereof one, as wee heare, was one Matthew Plunket, who stood up, and asked if there would be quarter granted to them, it was replied, there would; no sayes hee, I will beleeve none of you, Let some Honourable man speake, as my Lord Lambert, or the like; or saith hee, where is Captaine Grace, that I may speake with him, hee likewise fetch'd Mistris Boothes Child, and shewed it to him alive; no perswasion could bring them downe; although they had put a great rope out to come downe by: they were very timerous, the Common Souldiers would fall upon them; and so drave away the time till it was darke; that night the Souldiers lay about the Castle, and next morning did doe as good as dwell with them; it was thought there was about 600. in the Castle, which were put to the sword; very stout fellowes there were; Our Armie lay that night hard by Trim, where our Forces, that lay before the Castell, did likewise draw themselves.
Thursday, our men took another Castle, called Tremellstowne, where the Rogues stole away, and left all within to them.
Friday wee marched through Athboie, a Faire Towne, which the Rogues had burned to the ground, to prevent us from leaving [Page 4] any Garrison there that night we came to the Earl of Westmeaghes: the Foot quartered a Mile of this side the Earles house.
The Earle of ORMOND and many of the Chiefest Commanders lay there that night, he bestowed Beare, Bread and Meat very plentifully, on our Souldiers.
The next morning we marched and not three miles from the Earles house: our Dragoneirs going before, came to a Castle which the Rogues had strongly intrenched and cut off the way and made a redoubt or 2 to hinder our passage, but our men beat them off, and killed about 14. of them: the Rogues did run still before us and burnt all the Townes before us, that wee might have no houses to lie in: Burnt MOLLINGER where the FOOTE was to Quarter the next Night:
So the Foot were faine to lie in the Field, and the Horse lay in Mollinger that night, the Townes people ran all away, and got all their goods unto on Island hard by. The next Day being Sunday morning, we marched from Mullinger, and about 5 miles beyond Mollinger, wee came to a Castle belonging to one Mr. Tinte which wee found verie strongly Fortified and entrenched with mightie Trenches, our Men entered the Castle and found no bodie in it, but store of provision and abundance of good Beere, this Tintes Brother was taken hard by the Castle and killed, our Men ransacked the Castle and so left it: The same Night wee came to a place called Ballimore, which the Rogves had likewise burnt that day: next morning following Forces were drawne out to goe for Athlove, my Lord President of Connagh Castle, my Lord Jones Regiment Sir Michael Herles, there went along the Earle of Ormond my Lord Lile Sir George Wentworth and many more: And within 5 miles of Ahchalon, we met my Lord President of Connagh, who came to meet the Earl with about 50 Horse and 200 Foot, which was his greatest strength and presently after came young Sir Charles Coote with his Troop of compleat men: after an houre or two staied in the Field the Earle of Ormond tooke leave of the President, and left with him the 2 foresaid Regiments, the Lord of Ormond returned that night to our Armie, and my Lord Lile with 5 Troop of Horse accompanied my Lord President to Athalon. There wee found [Page 5] good store of everie thing: for Sir Iames Dillon who had lai [...] siege before Athlove ever since Christmas, & left the siege 2 dayes before wee came there, they run away and left all; hearing the English Armie was comming that way. Them in those parts applauding young Sir Charles Coot very much, having done a great deale of good service in the County of Rosecomon and those parts and for releiving Athlove twise whilest it was besieged.
At Ballimore where our Army lay, the Lord Nevtervill had intrenched Kymkelfe in a faire Castle very strong, but hearing of our comming left it and fled away. And a prisoner whom we tooke there, did confesse the Lord Nutervill had given order for the burning, if all those Townes be for the English Army: In Ballunore we found great store of Salt, and there is now too much with the Rebells which they have from Galloway, doe now buy it for two quarts a peny, and some of them acknowledged not long since it was worth 5. pence a quart. The same day some of my Lord Lamberts Regiment brought away the English were in Kilbegan. Wee likewise left two small pieces at Athlove: the next day my Lord Lile came from Athlove. And we came to Ballimore, wee found the Army gone, and instantly met with Sir Richard Greenvill and his Troope, who went with us to the Armie, who quartered that night in the fields, so we marched next day without any thing remarkable, The next day we came to a place called Killmkin which place belongeth to (Iudge) Donellan and about 2. miles of this side we were to passe a way which lies between 2 Bogs, which we found so strōgly entrēched with redouts and many strong Fortifications, these works were made, thinking that wee would take our way to Athalon through that part of the Countrie. But comming home, wee came by the back part of it. And were faine to stand there at least three houres, before we could cast it down, to get passage through: that night we were quartered in the Fields by a wood side; our men got that Night at least a 1000 Cowes, about Sun, set wee had an Alarme, there comes 2 Rogves out of the wood to Coronell Craffords quarter, thinking it had beene there owne Collours, so were instantly slain. That night was a cruell night raining with extreme cold killed some of our men, and many lies sicke in their garrisons, next day we marched to Kilrock and so to Dublin.
The humble Declaration and Petition of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall, and Commons in PARLIAMENT assembled.
THAT the Religion now professed by the Church of Rome (which in fundamentall points is Antichrististian) hath of late yeares extraordinarily overspread this Kingdome, and hath the more encreased by the forbearing, to put in execution the wholsome Lawes, and Statutes of force in this Kingdome, against Recusants and others of the Romish Religion, who have of late time more then formerly extreamely swarmed in this Kingdome, and whereas it evidently appeares that the said Antichristian and Hereticall Religion, and the not putting of the said Lawes in execution, hath as the fruits and effects thereof, produced a generall confederacy of the Papists in this Kingdome, to destroy and extirpe the Protestant Religion, and all English, Scottish and Irish in this Kingdome professing the same, wherein they have actually proceeded to execrable cruelties (without any provocation given them by his sacred Majestie, by the State and Government, or any Acts of Protestants or any others (the intending utterly to cast of the English Government, and most Royall authority of our Soveraigne Lord the King, and where divers of the Romish Religion, have in all parts of this Kingdome since the two and twentieth day of October last, inhumanely used most bloudy and unheard of barbarous Actions against the persons, as well of the Clergy as of most of the Protestant Religion, within their power not only while life lasted, but even after death digging some of them out of their graves, cutting them in peeces and casting them into ditches, defiling of Churches, and setting up the abominable Idoll of the Masse in stead of Gods true worship and service, and in scornefull and reproachfull manner, trampling under foote the Holy Bible, and disdainefully burning it, and have by the said cruelties already destroyed many thousand Protestants, and of those that remaine and escaped their fury, [Page 7] most of them have beene enforced to flie into England or Scotland for reliefe, or to beg the charity of well disposed people here.
The said Lords and Commons duely considering the Premisses, and the great dishonour done to his Majesty, to the English Nation, and indeed to all his Majesties Kingdomes by the said most wicked Rebellion, plotted and enacted by Titular Bishops, Abbots, Iesuits, Friers, Priests, Monks, and others of the Remish Religion, doe humbly expresse their detestation (thereof, and their humble desire of a thorough Reformation of Religion may be had in this Kingdome, to the glory of God and the honour of his Sacred Majesty, and to that end humbly pray that a present and effectuall course may be taken, for putting in execution the Lawes and Statutes of force in this Kingdome, against Recusants, and all others of the Popish pretended Religion in all parts of this Kingdome, where the Lawes doe or may run and for suppressing the usurped power, and Iurisdiction of the Sea of Rome, and particularly in the City of of Dublin, which is now the City of Refuge for most of the distressed and dispoyled Protestants of this Kingdom who are not without just fears of imminent dangers by reason of the multitude of popish inhabitants, and they doe pray that it may bee given in charge to all his Majesties Officers, whom it may concerne faithfully, and without delay to proceed therein, and that monethly Sessions be held for that purpose in the said City of Dublin, That Bills may bee forth-with transmitted into England, concerning all such Lawes as are now of force there against all Iesuits, Priests, Eryers, Monks, and other superstitious Orders, and societies of the popish pretended Clergy, and their relievers, and against Recusants, and other Papists to be enacted in this Kingdome.
And such further Lawes as are or shall bee needfull in that behalfe, and that such necessary expressions and provisions may be therein made, as may bee agreeable with the constitution of this Kingdome, and may give hopefull and comfortable assurance to your Suppliants and their Posterity, and to all other of the Protestant Religion, who are or shall be in this Kingdome.
That it may not be in the power of any Governour or Governours, of this Kingdom to suspend inhibite or connive at the [Page 8] execution of the said Laws, or any of them, and to this end that your Lordships, who are intrusted by his Majestie, with the Goverment of this Kingdome, and must one day give an accompt thereof, before the Tribunall of Gods Justice, will give present order for performing your suppliants requests herein expressed, and although since this most hideous and bloody Rebellion begun, wee have some succours out of England, which wee ascribe to the great mercy of God, in the great wisedome and pietie of his sacred Majestie, and in the carefull and chargeable indeavours of the Parliament and Kingdome of England, which his Majesties grace and goodnesse, wee with the duty and loyaltie of faithfull Subjects, doe most humbly and thankfully acknowledge to his Koyall Majestie; and doe also render to his Parliament of England: hearty thankes for their said care and endeavours for us, yet we find with inward sorrow and grief of heart that for want of such powerfull and speedy succour of Men money Victuall, Cloathes, Armes, Ammunition, and other requisites of Warre necessary to bee sent hither out of England this VVarre, for Gods cause, and the cause of his servants in this Kingdom, hath hitherto had but a slow proceeding. They therfore most humbly beseech your Lordships, to represent to his sacred Majestie their humble desires and supplications, that it may stand with his Princely pleasure: that an effectuall & speedy course may be taken by his Majesties high VVisdom, the care of the Parliament for hasting those needfull succours, which the said Lords and Commons humbly conceive have beene hitherto retarded, longer they doubt and fear can well consist with the safetie of this his ancient Rightfull Crowne and Kingdome and so by the high wisdome and great goodnesse of his Majestie, our great grief and sorrowes converted into joy and gladnesse, Gods true Religion may be the more firmly established, his Majestie in wisedome and power magnified his good Subjects comforted and his enemies, and the enemies of Gods truth disapointed.