SInce my last, the messenger whereof is pistold by the way with my Lords Lettere and mine; these are to en­forme you that we have beene in very hot and sharpe service, making attempt to gaine a bridge to Shrewsbury which we did gaine and made the enemie fly in halfe an how­ers hot service. My Lord himselfe lead on galantly in the forlorne hope, having not patience till the bridge could bee let downe, we all in the forlorne hope crouded through the R [...]ver to our horse skirts, wee only had one man fell over there was drownd, so we pursued and tooke Major Fisher Ma­jor Manly, and many other prisoners, they iss [...]ed out of Shrewsbury and fought with us, we beat them in, and fin­ding our selves to few to besiege it, we in the night retreated [Page]and are now this day upon news received marching for York. The news to us is this enclosed, for I now am in haste.

Dated at Weme, newly come from Shrewsbury. July 9. 1644.

I Blesse God I yet live to praise him for his renewed mer­ [...]e to me and our Armie, and to write to you our conditi­on, & that you may have a true test, my General hates idlenes, I must tell you he ets us not rest night nor day, but upon on designe or other wee vvere this day sevennight at Mauche­ster, then hurried wee to Knotsford, North vvitch, and to Osvvestrie to relieve that: at vvhich place and in that service, Sir Thomas Middletons Troope and mine had the brunt of the service, and came off vvith honour: they tired our vvith of­ten charging. Sir Thomas brought up other horse to relieve them: who fell on gallantly, and did good service: and pur­sued the Enemy neere Shrewsbury, and took many prisoners of qualitie, the Lord Newports sonne a Parliament man, Mar­row hardly escaped.

The very next day my Lord Generall sent Captaine Rent to give Orders for all horse and foot to quarter on and about Sutton on the Hill, in the way to Shrewsbury, early next morning vve marched tovvards Mansford Bridge vvhere the Enemy kept Garrison: and a drawbridge over the Severne: our men fell on gallantly, and my Lord himselfe appeared in the Van of the Forlorn Hope for their encouragement, which caused them to stir bravely, and to strive to adventure beyond expression, to gain the passage in a quarter of an houres time the Enemy fled: upon which my Lord sent Cap. Keme to call the Forlorn Hope of Horse, and after other horse which hee did, and wee came so hastily on, that one Captaine Shipply a [Page]gallant man, not having patience to stay till the draw bridge was let down, ventured over the River after him, rent the Forlorn Hope, In pursuit, and my Lord was in the midst of them, and only one man next me, and not far from my Lord, fell into a hole of the River, hardly escaped drowned.

Thus wee got out, and by this time the bridge was downe, our Army crowding over. I mean the horse out of Captaine Kemes Troop came in at a house over the bridge where they kept the Court of Guard, and tooke a Lievtenant Colonels Colours which he gave his Captaine to present to my Lord, but we followed the pursuit, and between the Bridge and the Heath we tooke most of the men, and had wee not hallowed for all our horse to come up we had entred Shrewshury, with the enemie, many of their horse and foot quartering our of Towne which wee lighted on some of Marrows Dragoones: We drew up till our armie came up on a Heath on this side Shrevvsbury a mile, the enemy came in parties up Ambus­cadoes, the lanes vve beat them from them. Colonell Booth lead his Regiment of Foot on himselfe valiantly: and my Lords ovvne horse, his life Guard commanded by Captaine Tovy a gallant man pursued to pistoll shot of the Workes: Marrow came out, and Major Manly, and fought vvith us; and there vvas a hot bout for tvvo hours and above: Wee tooke Major Fisher, Major Manly Governour of Bangor, and di­vers other Officers and Souldiers.

We made good the ground within Musket shot of their Works till night: then seeing our little Armie was not able to sit downe before it: my Lord drew off and vvee retreated that night to the Heath.

A mile off and the whole Army quartered in the fields, the horse, foot and carriages on the Heath. Next morning wee matched away upon advice of the Councell of Warre to Weme: where we quartered all night, being Friday. Satur­day [Page]we marched to Whitchurch: On the Lords Day mor­ning, my Lord had Captain Keme to preach, which he did and after dinner gave him order to order a Randevouz at Nor­mans Heath which was done: where my Lord further decla­red his intentions to send the Cashire Gentlemen, and on his march to observe the commands of the Committees of both Kingdome to secure Lancashire and Cheshire to waite on P. Rupert, to call in at Cholmley house, a strong Garrison of the Enemies: My Lord with his owne Troop and Colonell Bar­tons; and Ma or Burtons, and Captaine Kemes, and Captaine Farmers, and some two Troopes more marched to view the ground, we came to it, and found it full of difficultie, unlesse we spent time on it. Yee my Lord sent them a summons by a Trumpet, which was to tell them, hee required in his pas­sage to have quater in the house for his army, for the use of King and Parliament; the Enemy scorned to answer, but shot at the Trumpeter: upon which, my Lord gave order to draw up his Cannon, and early saluted them: and finding them to cake little effect, resolved to storme it; upon information it was surrounded with a small ditch only; But the Cheshire men that knew it was a Moat deep and broad: were somwhat backward to adventure their men: My Lord told th [...]m his Honour was ingaged in it; what hee did was in affection to ex­presse his affections to them. And if they would not goe on, he would go on with his Stafford foot him self; Major Low then a gallant man lately come out of prison: hearing it went to some of the Cheshire Officers, and told them what my. Lord said: upon which they drew forth a 100 out of a Regi­ment. So Major Pinkny a most valiant honest Gentleman led on the Stafford foot, who had the brunt of the businesse: Lievtenant Colonell [...] the Cheshire, and Major Croxon, and after the signall of two piece of Ordnance, fell on to storm it, and such a storm, as I never heard the like but at Ba­sing, [Page]in half an houres time, they within cried quarter; but by reason of hollowing, and Drummes and Trumpets they could not be heard: at last our men entred the draw bridge, and took it.

In which entry Major Barton Captain Tory, and Captain Hitchcock, and Captain Harford did good service, facing their horses, and in which enery in the croud, I had like to have lost my life, or taken the more when we came in four men were so mercifull to give them their lives, till we heard brave Major P nkney was slain, shot in the belly and in the armes by two flags, who is much lamented, Captain Keme is to p [...]each, this evening at his funera, he was my Lords Major of St [...]fford foote, under Colonel Rudgeley. In the house was little riches only some good horses, 2 barrels of powder, and store of bul­lets: what there was the Souldiers had, and arms about a 100 prisoners, Lievtenant Colonell Horton, and others, 66 in all. My Lord gave them to the Cheshire Gentlemen, and the horse to Reare Garrison. It is a place if you see it miracu­lonsly gained by Gods free love, with losse but of five men, and 6 wounded, This night we came to Namptwitch, to morrow is a day of Thankigiving to God for our selves, and the great businesse of York. I have sent you the Cavaliers Pro­testation I found in the house. My love to all our friends. Pray and praise God, I rest yours.

Nontwich, the 9 of Iuly, 1644.