To the Honorable, VV: Lenthal Esq Speaker of the Honorable House of Commons.

UPon the twelfth of this instant I marched from Moyallo to meet the Rebells army, who that morning marched from Kintuirk towards me, with Twelve hundred horse and Seven thousand foot, but they gave themselves out to be Two thousand horse and Nine thousand foot; and both armies came in view one of another about one in the afternoon, ours being Twelve hun­dred horse and near Four thousand foot: Where­upon they instantly took a Hill of strength and ad­vantage, and drew up, which being two miles di­stant from us, we had not day-light enough to at­tempt any thing upon them, and therefore lodged our men in a convenient place about a mile from them, from whence we might observe that we could not charge them where they were, but upon dis­advantage; and being doubtful that they might stand a while the next morning upon that ground, in expectation that we would come up to them, I writ the inclosed Letter to the Lord Taaff, to invite him to fight upon a fair plain, that lay between both ar­mies, and would be indifferent to both sides: To which he gave o other answer, but by word of mouth to my Trumpeter, That he was not so little a Soldier, as to forgo any advantage of ground he could gain: And I do now finde that there is a pro­phesie that Mac Donogh should spill much English blood upon Knocknass, which heretofore hath been the name of that hill, and my Lord Taaff conceiving himself to be that Mac Donogh, in regard the estate [Page]of Mac Donogh in Conaught was made the reward of his Grandfathers service against the Rebels the last Wars (which is now his) he would not be drawn from the Hill, to which therefore we did advance; and finding (that, as they were drawn up, we should not onely have lost the advantage of the wind and sun, but have been also forced to charge upon much disadvantage to our horse, if we had gone on direct­ly on their front; we drew to the right hand of them and found a piece of ground within a convenient di­stance, to play with Ordnance upon their Right wing, where I caused two pieces to play, to the in­tent that I might discompose the form they were in; and in the mean time I directed the drawing of our men to the ditch at the foot of their Hill, that they might be ready to fall on, whilest they should be removing from their ground.

But after two shot was made (one whereof slew a Trumpeter of theirs) they perceiving that the Ord­nance would force them from that ground, present­ly came on down the hill to meet our men, and at the same instant that we brake their main Body, and left Wing, they brake a part of our left Wing of Horse, being the middle Division of three that were on that side; the other two routed those that char­ged them, and following the execution, discerned not the advantage gained by the Rebels upon those close by them, where Col: Purcel with his Horse, and Sir Alexander mac Donnel, whom they call Collae Kittagh, with his Red-shanks, slew Sir William Brid­ges; and Col: Gray then had the execution of our Forlorn-hope of Foot, under the command of Lieu­tenant Col: Crisp, who was taken prisoner, and Ma­jor Brown, who was slain with about Forty of their [Page]men that were drawn thither to secure the Ord­nance which Sir Alexander mac Donnel possessed a while (as also our Baggage) until I hapned to look back that way (and perceiving them chasing our men) I commanded two Divisions of Horse, who were the Reserve of the right Wing, to charge them, which was exceedingly well performed, and Sir Alexander and his Lieut: Col: slain, with most of all his Red-shanks, of whom I believe there was not above a fourth part that escaped. This Fight began a little before two in the Afternoon; the dispute lasted not above half a quarter of an hour, but the execution ended not in that day: for though we were killing till night, as fast as we could, yet we found Two or three hundred the next day in the Woods, as we were viewing the bodies, but could not possibly get any exact accompt of the number slain; for after I had an accompt of more then 2000. that the pursuing parties slew in their se­veral walks, I was informed of many hundreds that were slain in divers other places, so as our men be­lieve there were not less then Five thousand slain; but I do not think it possible there should be above Three thousand, because the dispute lasted not at all; and that exeept the three Regiments of Foot that came on with Sir Alexander mac Donnel, the rest made the best use they could of their heels, to the Woods and Bogs toward Kintuirk, New mar­ket and Lyfcarrol: yet we cut off Two hundred of their Horse, and killed many of their Horsemen. We took four Wagons full of Ammunition, but have not yet taken up their arms, whereof I am most confident that they have left us near Six thousand in the field, which is so much the more considerable a [Page]loss, because scarcity of arms amongst them is very great, as appears by some of their Letters, which doth discover all the secresie of that party and their designs. Wherefore I thought it my duty to present them to your Lordships, &c.

I am told by a Gentleman we have taken, that if my Lord Taaff do not make an escape, That their Supreme Councel will undoubtedly take away his life, having knowledge of his design against them, which they were first occasioned to grow jealous of by the information he gave them of my offering, and his rejecting a Cessation, which he labored to pos­sess them with, whilest he sought to gain one from me, to the end he might destroy them, and bring the sole Power into his own hand; which when they began to apprehend, they imployed Bealing one of their Councel to discourse with my Lord, about the reasons of his rejecting a Cessation, who discovered that there was no such thing: Whereupon the Su­preme Councel (seeming not to take notice of Taaffs designs) pretended a necessity to have Owen Rowe in­gage with Col: Munck and Col: Jones, and that all would be at stake, and that therefore Four hundred of Taaffs horse must instantly march to his assistance, which they sent him Orders for, but were not obey­ed: On the other side, in stead of injoyning Owen Roe to fight, they expresly forbid it him, and then resol­ved to let Col: Munck and Col: Jones take any place, or destroy any country, rather then they would in­gage his army, until they had established their own Power in the Assembly, by the countenance of it. Again, they sent for my Brother, to whom, by the advice of the Councel of War, I gave liberty unto to go upon his word, to get off that Estate he had in [Page]their Quarters, being never to be released; and they earnestly pressed him to labor with me to treat with them about a Cessation, making demonstration of great advantages that I should have by it; but for no other purpose, then to discern whether I were at all inclinable to it, being afraid of nothing more, because Taaffs Army would then be at liberty to countenance their Faction in the Assembly; wherefore they send Letters upon Letters to him, to do some considerable Service upon us, upbraiding him with the vast expence and idleness of his Army, which they use means to have written unto him by divers private hands, insomuch that my Lord Taaff was fain, for the vindication of his Honor, to de­cline his Oracle, my Lord Digbies Advice, who for­bade him to engage upon any terms against us, lest it should overthrow all his other Designs. Sir, thus it hath pleased the Lord to make our enemies grinde themselves to powder, whilest both aym at the Power to destroy us; and now, whereas we were the other day ready to perish by our wants, we have now liberty to disperse our selves in the Rebels quarters, and take what they afford, whither we have marched with hungry bellies, the Common Soldier having spent all his provision Twenty four hours before we sought, and neither Officer or Soldier ha­ving one bit of bread, or any other victual, but what Oatmeal and flesh we got in our marches: Where­fore I am now forced to invite the Countrey to come in under contribution, that I may prosecute this Victory, and at least keep the Rebels from re­cruiting their Army, if I do not reduce some of their chief Garisons, which I design, in case I can get this Countrey to bring me in provision, whilest I lie be­fore [Page]fore them: And thought this Design may be too dif­ficult to effect this unseasonable time of the year, yet if I did not invite the Inhabitants to stay at their habitations, and make provision for us, I could not possibly get one days victual; so as I should be for­ced to return home, and leave the Countrey, neither made useles to them by destruction, nor useful to us by present Supportation, or future Contribution, which we hope to force from them by this means in some considerable measure, and yet protect them no longer, then the season of the year would of it self prove a sufficient Fortification against us: If I could discern any other that might better conduce to the advantage of your Service, I should there­unto apply the endeavors of, Sir,