BEing constrained by divers necessities of the soul­diers to retire about five weeks sithence out of the field, where I had been in the Rebels quarters of the County of Limerick, before I could look into the County of Tipperary, I did after some short refreshment, and the best (though but mean) provision wihch I could make for the souldier, apply my self and this Army forthwith again into the field; and being for want of Oxen and other carriages unable to draw forth any Ar­tillery, or to carry any larger proportion of bread then what the souldiers knapsacks would contain, I marched with the Army into this County, which I entered upon on Saturday the third of this instant; and having taken severall Castles therein, to the number of ten or twelve, putting to the sword the warders of such places as stood in opposition to the Armie, I passed over the River Shewer not far from the Castle of Cahir, an ancient and eminet hold of the Rebels, environed with two branches of that River, which was observed to be, in all appearance, of that strength, as it was both by them, and by the Officers of this Army esteemed impregnable: notwithstanding which, the im­portance of the place being seriously considered by us, we were occasioned to make an attempt upon it by this accident; One [Page 2]of our horsemen being plundering neer the Town, was by some of the Rebels wounded, and carried a prisoner into the Castle, from whence he was admitted to send for a Chirurgeon into our Quarters to dresse his wounds, of which we made this use; One Colonel James Heppesly, who had formerly served the King, and was (upon some assurance given me by a friend, of his doing service) admitted to come into our Quarters, being an ingenu­ous person skilled in Chirurgery, and in Fortifications, took upon him to go under a disguise into the Castle, and to dresse the wounded Trooper; which accordingly he did with so great caution and circumspection, as that he discovered perfectly the condition of the Castle in each respect, the weaknesse of the Ward, and especially some defects in the wall of the outward Bawne, which rendered it assiultable by our men, the taking whereof would probably induce the surrender of the Castle, which he collected from the observed timorousnesse of the War­ders; which sorted to so good purpose, as that falling on the place defective with a party led on by Colonel Heppesly him­self, wee carried that outward Bawne, and some out-Turrets by storm, and within a few hours after had the Castle surren­dered unto us on quarter onely for life, though upon entry of it wee found that the same was by no force of ours to be redu­ced, if the defendants had not been by divine providence depri­ved of any courage to oppose us.

The place is justly looked upon by this Armie as the most important in the whole Province, being of that strength as not to be taken from us so long as we have victuall to support a Garison therein, whereby a passe is kept open for us to make daily incursions into this Country, which hath been a princi­pall contributary to the Rebels Army.

To the performance of which Service the Souldier was en­abled with no other food then the roots under, and corn above the ground (all their cattell being driven away before us out of our reach) of the later whereof wee had great and abundant store, so as we have burned in this County above 20000 pounds worth, whereof there could be no use-made through want of hand-mils, (for which I have often and earnestly written) the water-mils being for the most part either burned or deserted.

From Cahir we marched this instant to the City of Cashell, formerly the Metropolitan Sea of this Province, where the Ci­tizens and Inhabitants amazed at the reducing of Cahir, left o­pen the gates, and fled to the Cathedrall, a large and spacious Pile seated upon a Rock neer the walls of the Town, and of late very much fortified, and at present fully manned with di­vers Companies of the Rebels, which will render any attempts wee shall make upon it very difficult; not withstanding which, we determine, by Gods assistance, to leave no meant unassayed for the reducing thereof: after which we designe [...] upon the Town of Fethard, an eminent walled Town; and from thence to march unto Clonmel, to reduce which wee have yet no great hopes, in regard wee understand that place to be very regularly fortified, and strongly manned, so as without Artillery there can be no seizable attempt made upon it. But if it shall please God to blesse us with successe on that place, wee may confidently assert the Parliaments interests in this Province to be high, and the Rebels mean and inconsiderable. Sir, The Gentry of this County by the reducing of these places, and the burning of their corn, begin to make sure that they may be admitted to a Contribution; which shall be imbraced, so far as may conduce to the better carrying on of the War, and sup­porting this Armie, and advancing (as my zeal and duty obliges me) of the Parliament Service, for which I have no other means then this of keeping the Field; from whence if I shall be driven to our Garisons by the violence of the weather, or by an over­powerfull Armie, I am utterly ignorant how the Armie now a­broad, or the sick men and others in Garison may be preserved from starving, without seasonable supplyes from the Honou­rable Houses, to whose Service I have faithfully devoted my self, remaining

THe Occurrences here are seldom worthy to be a trouble to you: And though you perceive by those that accompany this Letter, that the Lord hath been pleased to go along with our proceedings in an extraordinary manner this Summer, yet certainly if our want of means and Carriages were considered, there would in reason have been but a slender expectation of our endeavours; and now the nakednesse of the Souldiers grows so powerful and assistance to our other wants, that we shall sud­denly be disabled to contend with them, if clothes be not spee­dily sent thence for our relief: And therefore I am to request your favour in the behalf of this Army (that have undergone much hardship, and are most willing to sacrifice their lives in the Parliaments service) now destitute of Clothes and Shoes, in­somuch as within these few nights of cold weather some of the Souldiers have died of cold, which must needs be a great dis­couragement to the rest. And as I take it to be my part humbly to represent it to that honourable House, so I am confident that by your good means the same may the more seasonably be remo­ved; wherein your assistance may contribute much to the ser­vice of the State, and shall much oblige

FRom Castlegrace I gave you an account of the proceedings of the Army since my Lord of Inchiquin's last march abroad into the Field, where he hath been very active and suc­cesseful, blessed be God. He burnt the Country round a­bout, and afterwards fell on the out-wall or Bawne of the Ca­stle of Cahir, upon some intelligence that his Lordship gained of a defect in some part of it: in the gaining whereof, Colonel Courteney, Colonel Heppesley, and divers others, behaved them­selves gallantly, so as with the losse of one Captain Basse, and three or four Souldiers, we got the Bawne, and made our ap­proaches under the Castle-gates, and within a few hours after, got the Castle upon quarter for life onely, upon a Parley by them desired. This Castle was heretofore besieged twelve weeks by the old Earl of Essex, then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, with the Queens Army in those Wars, and is conceived to be one of the strongest Holds in all Munster, being also seated on an Island on the River Shewer, upon which River the strong walled town of Clo [...]el, and many other strong Castles are situated; and it opens a passage to the County of Kilkenny and those parts. My Lord hath placed in Garison the Regiment of Colonel Francis Roe, which was sent over by the Parliament with the Lord Lisle, at Cahir. From hence my Lord commanded us to march im­mediately to the City of Cashel, six large miles distant, where the supreme Councel of the Rebels lately held their meetings; and found that the sudden and unexpected taking of Gahir Ca­stle, and the burning of the Country, had so affrighted the soul­diers and inhabitants, that the souldiers had quitted the City, left open the gates, and were gotten into the Cathedral Church stan­ding on a high Rock next the City, which they had fortified for­merly; [Page 6]in all, six entire Companies, and about two hundred Towns-men, and some women; who being summoned by my Lord the first night, stood upon high terms: the next day his Lordship offered them to march with their Arms, which they refused, but afterwards would have accepted of it; but my Lord having drawn out the men ready, and conceiving the work to feasible, commanded the men to fall on, which they did reso­lutely and bravely, and in little more then an hours time the Church was taken, and all the men put to the sword, except the Governour (Lieutenant. Col. Butler) who is dangerously woun­ded; Major Butler, who was Maior of the Town, his son, and some few others who were taken prisoners. Those slain were above four hundred: and such was the goodnesse of God to us, that we lost but one Captain and eight men in this service; but indeed we have neer an hundred hurt. The Rebels are in a cruel fright, whereof my Lord intends to make the best use he can, and is now sending to summon Fitherd, a strong walled Town five or six miles hence, and within fourteen miles of the City of Kil­kenny, which hath been the nest and magazine of the chiefest of the Rebels. Blessed be the Lord for this good successe on this noble Lord and this Army, who are very entire, and very ready to do as much as men in their case can do for the service of the Parliament.

I thought good hereby to give you notice of what hath past since my Lord made his dispatch, being now three days ago, and withal to let you know that we have now received notice that the Lord Taaff with about five thousand Rebels (who dare not give us battel) have done us some mischief about Cork in our ab­sence, in burning the houses and corn about Garrigroghan, from whence they went to Awneboy. six miles westward, and burnt also there, and got some money to spare other parts; and now they lie about Bandon, and threaten it. What my Lord and the Councel will do hereupon, is not yet known to us; but without doubt they will do what they conceive best for the Service, as far forth as God shall enable them: And if we be so happie as to overtake them, I trust I shall send you a further Relation by the next, which you will have cause to blesse God for. And so I rest,