I Having heard severall discourses and opinions since my being in England concerning the Battell fought neer unto old Rosse in Ireland, between our Army commanded by the now Lord Marquis of Ormond as Generall, my Lord Lisle Lieutenant Generall of the Horse, my self being Major Generall; by which discourses, and variety of opinions, I find that many are mistaken in the truth thereof. So as I having by me some collections, as also the man­ner and form of the Battell, I have thought fit according to my best knowledge to set down the passages of that service as neer as I can: which is as followeth.

Our present wants being so great at Dublin at that time, as the then Lords Justices, viz: Sir William Parsons, and Sir John Borlerie Knights, could find no means to support the great charge of our Army: no supplies coming out of England for our relief at that time, and the Souldiers in great want. The Lord Lisle Lieutenant Generall of the Horse, was pleased to propound a journey in hope to gain a livelihood abroad in the Enemies quarters, for the bet­ter subsistance of the Army, which after mature deliberation had at the Counsell Table it was resolved on; and that accordingly the Lord Lisle should go. And for the better enabling of our Ar­mie to march, and for furthering that designe, most of the Coun­sell did lend good summes of money (and some melted their Plate) or gave it in to be melted for that service: which moneys so lent was accordingly received, and issued unto the Officers, upon my own knowledge, I being appointed both to receive it, and to pay it out by order of the Counsell Table: all things be­ing in a readinesse for the journey, but whither intended un­known to me. The now Lord Marquis of Ormond, our then Gene­rall, was pleased to signifie unto the Lords Justices and Counsell that if the Army went forth his Lordship would go along with it himself, and did so, taking order that a Ship should be sent about unto Duncannon Fort, with a supply of Bisket and provi­sion [Page 7]if need should be; giving unto Sir Philip Persevall Commissary Generall of the victuals, fourty pounds for the hire of the Ship so imployed: and when our Army came neer unto Carloe Castle, it was drawn into battalia, and a Counsell of Warre called, and thee resolved on, that we should march unto Rosse to besiege, and to take it in. And coming before the Town we quartered there, and the second day we planted our Ordnance for batery, which were two Demy Culverins; the next day the Enemy put over in­to the Town two thousand men, there being but two Companies in before: which supply putting in, it was not possible for us to hinder, they being on the contrary side the River to us. But not­withstanding that supply so put in, we proceeded with our bat­tery and made a breach, which we assaulted with certain of our Forces chosen out for that purpose: Sir Fowlk Hunks, and Major Morris having the command and full management of that ser­vice; Major Morris being there dangerously hurt in the Assault, and brought off, and by reason of the multitude of the defenders, who had stopt the breach with wooll-packs, and feather-beds, and other provisions, so as we could do no good in it. I had or­der from the Lord Generall to draw them off, which I according­ly did, in which service we lost some few men; the weather being extreame ill was a great hindrance to our proceedings. For du­ring the time we were before the Town of Rosse, we had scarce a fair day in fourteen, which was the time, according to my best remembrance, that we stayed.

During which time, we lived in daily hopes of the coming of our Ship with provisions, which failed by contrary winds, and never came unto us; insomuch as our store being exhausted, and spent, my Lord Generall imployed Sir Thomas Armstrong to the Lord Esmond, governor of Duncannon Fort, to see with what provisions his Lordship could furnish us with: who sent unto the relief of our A [...]my ten thousand weight of Bisket, being all he could spare us as he alledged; and withall commanded two Barks or Vessels to fall down to Rosse, that then lay by the Fort, which Vessels shot many shot into the Town, much annoying the Enemy. But the Enemy drew a piece of Ordnance to the other side of the water, with which they so battered the ships lying at ancher, that the Mariners were forced to forsake their ships, and [Page 5]to bore holes in them to sink them, by reason they could not get off their ships again, the winde being contrary, and ill weather: and that being done, the Sea-men came into our quarter, and stayed with our Army where they did very good service.

We had not lain long before Rosse before we were informed of the approach of the Army of the Enemy, under the command of Generall Preston, and Collonel Cullin their Lieutenant Generall; who at last came and quartered within a league of us, which hindred our Horse from forraging abroad, they being, as we were informed, neer upon seven thousand strong Horse and Foot, with the Forces that were in Rosse, which presently joyned with them after our remove from the Town. Which remove of ours was caused through want of provisions for our Army, not ha­ving above three dayes bread for the Souldiers, and being above threescore miles from Dublin, having a powerfull Army attend­ing on us. We raising ouir fiege, the Army of the Enemy withdrew further off to a wood and a bogge, where the Forces in Rosse came to them. That night we retyred from Rosse, we quartered about six miles from Rosse, and within two miles of old Rosse upon an Heath, from whence we might and did discover where the Ene­mie quartered. The next morning we marched towards the Ene­mie, who relying upon his strength, being two thousand more by report then our Army was, he forsook the woods and boggs, and met us in the plain field, having a bogge behinde him. We com­ing neer unto them, my Lord Generall of our Army gave me di­rection to draw into battalia, which accordingly I did, and cau­sed our Ordnance to be planted: that being done, the Lord Lisle appointed some Horse to go to discover the Army of the Enemy, and how they lay. Against which the Enemy sent out a greater number of their Horse, so as our Horse retyred back to us again in good order; the Enemy following them, and at a far distance fired upon their arrear, but did no hurt, and so returned again into their quarters; a small rising ground being between their Army and ours, my Lord Generall called me to him, saying, If we could get to that high peece of ground and possesse it, it might much advantage us in that dayes service, for we should have the Sun and the winde with us, and also plainly see the Enemies mo­tions, and how they stood in battalia. Whereupon I caused the [Page 6]Army to march in full battalia and possest that ground, the whole Army of the Enemy standing before us in a plain not a Musket shot from us; their Horse being in a great lane or high­way, ready to have issued out upon us. Whereupon I disposed of our forlorn hope of Musketiers commanded that day by Captain Atkins, along a ditch side that was betwixt our Army and the Enemies, with direction to the Captain to ply his Musketiers in continuall playing upon the battalions of the Enemy, which lay within Musket shot of us. In the mean time I caused the Ord­nance to be planted in the most advantagious places, and plant­ed the two Demy Culverins in the mouth of the Lane where the Enemies horse stood; where with the two first shot that were made amongst them, our Ordnance slue at least threescore horse and men, insomuch as the Enemies horse would not endure the second charge, nor stay the discharging any more in that place, but hastned into the field on their left hand, where rainging their men anew.

I saw the Lord Lisle Lieutenant Generall of the Horse, and Sir Thomas Lucas Commissary Generall of our Horse, preparing all our Horse ready to charge the Enemies Horse, our Ordnance con­tinually beating upon the Enemies Forces, the Enemy having no Ordnance in the field that day, which was no small happinesse to us as I conceived. Our horse being ready with their swords drawn and in their bridle hands, their Pistols in the other hand. I saw the Lord Lisle with the horse passe over a ditch into the plain where the Enemies horse were; and I saw our horse and the Enemies horse charge each other; and I saw Pistols go off and dis­charged at each other: and while I was otherwise imployed that day in the Army of the Foot, the Enemies horse and ours passed by on the right hand of our battery, hewing and flashing each other; and being so past by the right hand of our Army, a sudden stand was made by them for a little while, but were still in action exchanging blows with each other; which stand so made, as I was after informed, was caused by a shot the Lord Lisle his horse had in his knee, and the fall of Sir Thomas Lucas his horse vvith him, vvho vas dangerously hurt in his head, before he could be reco­vered; and being recovered, I savv all the horse pursuing each other tovvard the place vvhere our vvaggons and carriages [Page 7]stood. And as I was after informed, our Horse had there a strong encounter with the Horse of the Rebels; in which conflict divers prisoners of the Enemy were taken, and amongst them Collonel Cullin their Lieutenant Generall, unto whom quarter was given, and after, by order of the Lord Generall, committed unto my charge and safe keeping; of whom I took charge, and kept him safe untill I brought him to the Castle of Dublin (my then go­vernment) where I delivered the said Collonel Cullin into the hands of the then Lords Justices, viz: Sir William Parsons, and Sir John Borlacie, and in regard of my other imployments that day amongst the Foot, I was no eye-witnesse of what was further done betwixt them: onely I heard that our Horse had the better of the Enemies horse, and hat the Enemies fled and were routed; and certain I am, that the Horse of the Enemy never returned to the Army of their Foot that day any more, so long as we were in fight with them, the day of the battell.

Over which Army of the Rebels Foot, although much stronger then ours in number, it pleased God (in the absence of both ours and the Enemies Horse) to give us an happie victory, our Ord­nance doing us very good service that day. In which service and victory the Enemy lost many of their prime gentlemen of their Countrey that day; the rest that scaped fled over the bogge, and rallied again on a hill on the other side of a bogge, and hard by a wood side where part of our Army following of them, they in­stantly ran into the wood, leaving all their ammunition and baggage behinde them which we took; and the Enemy never left marching till they got over the Barrow a River, where being over, they broke down the Bridge, fearing our Army should pursue them, which as I conceived was a second happie victory, in re­gard our Army with our Ordnance and many Carriages was to passe through many great straights, woods, and stony and rockie passages, which having no hindrances but the illnesse of the wayes, we had enough to do to make our passage through them; and had the Rebels intercepted us upon those passages, certain I am he would have endangered our Army, we having not above two dayes bread or scarce so much; and by being hindred or re­tarded in our journey, we should through want have been in danger to be lost. All our Horse as soon as the victory was gained [Page 8]over the Foot of the Enemy (or in a little time after) the Enemies Horse being fled, came to us, and quartered by us; my Lord Gene­rall and my Lord Lisle after viewing the dead bodies, and giving order to the Pioneers to bury them, quartered in the place or field where the Enemy was overthrown. The next day to my best knowledge our Army marched homewards toward Dublin with­out seeing any Enemy more in all our journey, but what we saw marching on the other side of the River the Barrow toward Kil­kennie; and in our way homeward we burnt and spoyled the Ene­mies Countrey. And this being as neer as my observation taken, and my best memory can inform me, I shall conclude, that I hope this may satisfie the unsatisfied.