TRUE, But Sad and Dolefull Newes FROM SHREWSBVRY.
Expressed in two severall LETTERS: Whereof, The one was written to a Gentleman of the Inner-Temple: The other, To a friend in London, relating at large the severall Passages of the late skirmish at or near Worcester, between a Party of each Army, viz.
Ʋnder the Command of Prince Robert on the one side, and of Colonell Sands on the other.
Confirmed by a Letter sent from Prince Robert to His MAIESTIE. Septemb. 24.
With divers other Circumstances of severall Passages at that time. With the Cornets Mottoes.
Octob. 10. 1642.
Imprinted at Yorke, and now re-printed in London. ⟨Octo 19 th⟩1642.
Sad and dolefull Newes from SHREWSBVRY.
The first Letter.
I Doe beleeve you have heard of the flight between His Majesties Forces and my Lord of Essexes; but yet I thinke you have not heard the truth, or any true relations thereof; for we have them in print here with us from London: Your Diurnall sayes Prince Robert is dead, and his brother dangerously hurt, and most of the Cavaliers cut off, nay that thanks are given to God for it, but beleeve it not: For now even their friends begin to be ashamed of their lyes. And therefore I will relate the very truth of it.
Sir Iohn Byron was in Worcester with two Troops of Horse and some Foot, Prince Robert marcht away from his Majesty with 8 Troops of Horse, and came to Worcester upon Fryday, about foure of the clocke in the afternoone; and as he was marching through the Towne, Newes came that about 12 Troops of Horse, and about 500 Dragoneers were marching to the Towne: Whereupon, Prince Robert sent Sir Iohn Byron with two Troops of Horse to view [Page 4] the Enemy, and the Prince in the meane time set his men in a Battalia, and Sir Iohn Byron retreating back to the Prince, they marcht towards the Enemy and met them, upon the Top of a Hill they stood looking about halfe an houre one on another. At length, they comming nearer together, Sir Alexander Douglas discharged his Pistoll against Serjeant Major Byron, but mist him, for it was about seven yards distance; but Prince Robert commanded ours not to charge the enemy just untill they came to their Breasts, the which they did well observe; For the Front of the Parliament Troops discharging at too uncertaine a distance, did no execution; but the Front of Prince Roberts Troops comming on, discharged just at their breasts, and quite cut off the Front: Serjeant Major Byron shot a bullet into Douglas belly; Prince Robert his Brother, and Sir Lewis Dives slew each a man; Colonell Wilmot singled out Colonell Sandys, and gave him his deaths-wound, though he like a valiant Commander fought while he had one drop of bloud. The Parliaments forces endured two shots well, but at the third they were routed, and the Prince had them in chase halfe a mile. The Parliaments 500 Dragoneers were placed upon a Bridge, about a quarter of a mile off; but their Horse being routed, came to the Bridge to get over, so that then the Dragoneers all fled, but with their making too much haste, there were about 60 drowned; which fell over the Bridge. There were about 350 slaine and drowned, divers common Troopers taken prisoners; but their Horse and Armes taken from them, they were set free againe, because they were not worth their breed.
We have here prisoner one Captaine Wingate, Burgesse for Saint Albans, and he fought valiantly. We lost but foure men; the one was a Cornet to Master Hastings Troop, [Page 5] and brother to my Lord Beaumond. Prince Robert is very well; though he ventured as far as any Trooper of them all; Prince Maurice is wounded in the head, but no danger; Sir Lewis Dives was shot through the Arme, Commissary Wilmot cut in the backe, but all of them were with the King abroad the next or within two dayes after the fight.
When the Marquesse of Hartford is come, and my Lord Strange we shall march forward; We expect them on Munday at night; My Lord Strange would have been here before this, but only that he is talking with Manchester, and then we make no question but we shall be able to march through England.
Colonell Sandys behaved himselfe like a Gentleman and a soldier, for he charged upon us valiantly, and at the houre of his death, said, That we had cut off the flower of their chivalry and dyed very penitently. Prince Robert sent his Chaplaine. Doctor Wats to him, to whom he confest his disloyalty to the King and the Church, praying God and the King to forgive him. I pray you remember my love to our friends at Moregate, and tell them I am very well, and hope to be with them within these three weeks. So with my love to your selfe, &c. I rest,
Captaine Browne, Colonell of the Dragoneers ran away at the first.
The Welsh-men come in apace.
The Second LETTER.
I Have written to you the last weeke, which I presume you have received, whereby I informed you of my safe arrivall here. Since that time I have been in some part of Wales, and am last night returned here: Where the King is with his Army, the Earle of Essex is also at Worcester: Where for his first entertainment, the vant carryers of his Army were shrewdly handled by Prince Robert, who with 8 Troops of Horse routed a thousand of the Parliaments forces, killed 300 in the place, brought six Cornets with him here, taken in the field, and one Parliament man taken; Colonell Sands and other Commanders were slaine, and the rest taken or drowned in the river, and all this only with the losse of foure men on the Kings side, and Prince Maurice sleightly hurt with a sword in the head, with some others, but without danger of death. The King is here very strong, and they flocke to him in multitudes. There is at Bridgenorth some two or three Regiments of the King, where last night some of his Excellencies Army came and made a bravado, and valiantly ran the same way they came. It is expected that in a short time there will be a Battell, the King hath already defied the Earle, and it is expected, some twelve dayes will decide the quarrell.
Farwell.
A True Copy of a Letter sent by Prince Robert to his MAIESTIE.
THe Bearer will with all your Circumstances tell your Majesty our Proceedings at Worcester, I shall only say this, That upon your Majesties Commands to succour the Towne, we went thither with our Forces, and found the Rebels on both sides of the Towne, no Amunition, nor nothing fitting to entertaine so great a Force as the Lord of Essex would have brought that Night. But all things in so great a disorder, that certainly we had all been lost, had we not by a great chance met with ten Troops of their Horse, and five of their Dragoneers, which we did entirely rout, and killed most of their chiefest Officers. The Manner and the Names I leave for the said Bearer to tell you. Your Majesty will be pleased to accept this as a beginning of your Officers and my Duty; and I doubt not, as (certainly) they behaved themselves all very bravely and gallantly, that hereafter Your Majesty shall finde the same behaviour against a more considerable number. Of this Your Majesty may be very confident, as also of the endeavours of
This Gentleman hath behaved himselfe so gallantly, That I must needs humbly desire your Maiesty to knight him; which will encourage him and all others to continue the Affection for your Service.
The Circumstances related by Master Crane, who is knighted. He is (I heare) Prince Roberts Cornet.
THat at the first Charge, Prince Robert, Prince Maurice, Master Foxe, and two more, charged and defeated a Troop, whom they knew not to be enemies till they were upon them, by their Orange colour Scarfes.
That seven Cornets are taken some I saw.
That severall Officers are kill'd on their side, particularly, Douglas and Sandys; that the last repented before his Death, for having borne Armes against the King.
That severall men are taken, as Captaine Wingat of the House of Commons, and others.
That we have but three kil'd in all.
That but three of ours of qual [...]ty have been hurt; Master Wilmot in the back, and the worst of any, but yet he marches in a Coach and is merry Sir Lewis Dives through the shoulder; M. Byron (a brother of Sir Iohns) over the face. I heard he hath said, that Prince Maurice is a little hurt, but I understood him but those three.
That Captaine Browne, who commanded in chiefe as Colonell of the Dragoneers, was one of the first that ran away.
That our men are very hearty with the victory, and the spoiles of the killed (as Horses, Armes, Buff-coats, Money in their pockets) and the Enemy (as they heare) much disheartened, and not likely to make so great haste from about Worcester as they meant.
The Cornets MOTTOES.
- ‘PRo Rege & Regno.’
- ‘Exurgat & Discipabuntur.’
- ‘Pro Rege & Religione.’
- ‘Si pro Patria Merior, non Moror.’
The rest were so torne, the Mottoes could not be read.