VVE marched from Berwick upon Monday, being the Two and twentieth day of July, and lay at my Lord Mordingtons House, Monday night, Tuesday and Wednesday; on Thursday we marched to Copperspeth, on Friday to Dunbar, where we got some small pittance from our Ships; from thence we marched to Haddington: On the Lords-Day, hearing that the Scottish Army meant to meet us at Gladsmore, we labored to possess the Moor before them, and beat our Drums very early in the Morning, but when we came there, no consi­derable Body of the Army appeared, whereupon 1400 Horse under the Command of Major General Lambert, and Colonel Whalley, were sent as a Van-Guard to Muscleborough, to see likewise if they could finde out and attempt any thing upon the Enemy; I marching in the heel of them with the residue of the Army; our Party encountred with some of their Horse, but they could not abide us: We lay at Muscleborough incamped close that Night, the Ene­mies Army lying between Edenburgh and Leith, about four Miles from us, intrenched by a Line Flankered from Edenburgh to Leith; the Guns also from Leith [Page 4] scouring most parts of the Line, so that they lay very strong Upon Monday the 29 ^th instant, we were resol­ved to draw up to them, to see if they would fight with us, and when we came upon the place, we re­solved to get our Canons as near them as we could, hoping thereby to annoy them; we likewise perceived that they had some force upon a Hill that overlooks Edenburgh, from whence we might be annoyed, did resolve to send up a Party to possess the said Hill, which prevailed; but upon the whole, we did finde that their Army were not easily to be attempted, whereupon we lay still all the said day, which proved to be so sore a day and night of Rain, as I have sel­dom seen, and greatly to our disadvantage, the Ene­my having enough to cover them, and we nothing at all considerable: Our Soldiers did abide this difficulty with great courage and resolution, hoping they should speedily come to fight; in the morning the ground being very wet, our Provisions searce, we resolved to draw back to our Quarters at Muscleborough, there to refresh and revictual: The Enemy when we drew off, fell upon our Rear, and put them into some little dis­order, but our Bodies of Horse being in some readi­ness, came to a grable with them, where indeed there was a gallant and hot dispute; the Major General and and Colonel Whalley, being in the Rear, and the Ene­my drawing out great Bodies to second their first af­front; our men charged them up to the very Trenches, and beat them in, the Major General his Horse was shot in the neck and head, himself run through the Arm with a Lance, and run into another place of his Body, was taken Prisoner by the Enemy, but rescued immediately by Lieutenant Empson of my Regiment; [Page 5] Colonel Whalley who was then nearest to the Major General, did charge very resolutely, and repulsed the Enemy, and killed divers of them upon the place, and took some prisoners without any considerable loss, which indeed did so amaze and quiet them, that we marched off to Muscleborough, but they dar'd not send out a man to trouble us; we hear their yong King looked on upon all this, but was very ill satisfied to see their men do no better; we came to Muscleborough that night, so tired and wearied for want of sleep, and so dirty by reason of the wetness of the weather, that we expected the Enemy would make an infal upon us, which accordingly they did, between three and four of the clock this morning with fifteen of their most select Troops, under the command of Major General Montgomery and Straughan, two Champions of the Church, upon which business there was great hope and expectation laid, the Enemy came on with a great deal of Resolution, beat in our Guards, and put a Regiment of Horse in some disorder, but our men speedily taking the Alarum, charged the Enemy, rout­ed them, took many Prisoners, killed a great many of them, did Execution within a quarter of a Mile of Edenburgh, and as I am informed, Straughan was killed there, besides divers other Officers of Quality; we took the Major to Straughans Regiment, Major Humilton; a Lieurenant Colonel, and divers other Officers and persons of Quality, whom yet we know not. Indeed this is a sweet beginning of your business, or rather the Lords, and I believe is not very satisfa­ctory to the Enemy, espeically to the Kirk party, we did not lose any in this business so far as I hear, but a Corner, I do not hear of four men more; the Major [Page 6] General will, I believe, within few days be well to take the Field, and I trust this work which is the Lords, will prosper in the hands of his Servants. I did not think it adviseable to attempt upon the Enemy lying as he doth, but surely it would sufficiently provoke him to fight if he had a minde to it; I do not think he is less then Six or seven thousand Horse, and Fourteen or fifteen thousand Foot; The reason I hear that they give out to their People why they do not fight us, is because they expect many Bodies of men more out of the North of Scotland, which when they come, they give out they will then engage; But I believe, they would rather tempt us to attempt them in their fast Nets, within which they are intrenched, or else hoping we shall famish for want of provisions, which is very likely to be, if we be not timely and fully supplyed. I remain,

I understand since the writing of this Letter, That Major General Montgomery is slain.

MY last acquainted you with our Advance into Scotland, you may expect to hear of some Acti­on. The people had generally deserted their Habita­tions, some few women onely were left behinde; yet we had this mercy, That their house thus forsaken, were indifferently well furnished with Beer, Wine, and [Page 7] Corn, which was a very good supply to us: Our Sol­diers were civil and orderly, which gains much upon the Countrey.

On the 26 of this instant we came to Haddington, where we received intelligence, That the Scots Army had Rendezvouzed that day, and purposed to march all that night to meet us on a Moor, betwixt Muscle­burgh and Haddington, called Gladsmoor; we drew out our Army early in the morning expecting an En­gagement; but missing thereof, and meeting with no certain intelligence where their Army was, we drew out a party of Fifteen hundred Horse, commanded by Major General Lambert, which had a Forlorn of Two hundred Horse led by Major Heyne. These advanced before the Body of our Army to give some notice where their Army lay; our Forlorn had some light skirmishes with theirs, we still prest on till we had dis­covered some Bodies of their Horse drawn up about a mile and an half on this side Leith: Upon the appear­ing of our Party, they retreated; our Forlorn ad­vanced after them, but they quickly got under the shelter of their Works; so that nothing considerable was done that day.

We quartered that night at Muscleborough, within four Miles of their Camp; we then found that they encamped between Leith and Edenburgh, and had entrenched themselves very strongly, drawing their Trench from the Leith to the foot of Cannygate street in Edinburgh; and all along the Line they had mount­ed very many peeces of Ordnance. The next morning being the 28 of July Instant, we drew out our Army, supposing that they would have given us battel, and a plain field for the deciding of our Work. Our For­lorn [Page 8] of Horse was commanded by Major Brown; a Party of Two hundred Foot led by Major Cobbet, with an Hundred Horse, were to possess the Mickle Hill on this side Edinburgh, where some of their Muskertiers lay popping at us; They quickly made themselves Masters of that Hill; which if their Army had main­tained, and planted great Guns upon it, they might have very much galled the left wing of our Army: They had no such intentions as to come to us, onely some small Bodies of their Horse appeared, but they were suddenly beaten back again; we quartered that night within less then Musket shot of their intrench­ments. It began to Rain about five of the clock in the Evening, and it proved as sad and wet a night, as ever was endured: The next morning perceiving they would not fight, and viewing the strength of their in­trenchments, the Soldiers having endured so bitter a night, we drew-off to quarters, for the refreshment of our men and horses. They have made themselves so strong lying under the command of Edinburgh Castle, and of Leith, that we could not come neer them, with­out the apparent hazard of the lose of our Army: Up­on our drawing off, they endeavored to fall on our Reer, which was done with as great advantage on their part, as might be; and yet (through the goodness of God) it proved to their loss: They had kept our Rear-guard too long pickering, till great Bodies of Horse, which we could not judg to be less then a thousand, appeared near them both on their Rear, and on their Flanck: and indeed, before they could reach the Rear of our Army, they were forced into some disorder; but one of our Rear Troops received ours, and put theirs to a stand. At length we rallied up, and dividing [Page 9] into two parts, we charged both their Bodies of Horse home, pursuing them to their very Works. Tis sup­posed we killed Fifty or Sixty of theirs, wounding more, and taking some prisoners: This gave an Alarm to the Van of our Army, who were all drawn off; but they would not come out to give us battel, though we drew up in their view. We lost some few, Captain Glad­man, with some others being wounded; the Major General himself received two wounds in his Arm and Thigh, by their Lances; he was taken prisoner, but rescued by Lieutenant Empson. They refusing to fight, we drew off to Muscleborough to quarters; the enemy taking advantage at our weariness, about the break of the day, this morning, being the 30 of this instant July, attempted to make a desperate Charge upon our quar­ters with Eight hundred of their choice Horse. This they did very resolutely; and our Guard of Horse being somewhat negligent, they routed them, and came to our very Town Gate, till our Musquettiers, and a peece of Ordnance had discharged, and done execution upon them, they were put to a stand, and received by two Troops of Colonel Lilburns Horse very gallant­ly: falling upon us suddenly, before we could well re­ceive the Alarm, they mightily disordered our Horse, and wounded many of our men: At length our men rallied and charged them home, and pursued them to their very works, which was 4 miles; and in their pur­suit, they killed and wounded many of them, taking divers prisoners. Sir Robert Montgomery their Major General, commanded their Party, with whom Colo­nel Straughan (once our Friend) was, it is thought he is killed: We have taken a Lieutenant Colonel, a Ma­jor, some Captains, and other Officers prisoners: [Page 10] The number we have slain is not yet known; prisoners are still brought in, we may conjecture they will return back above One hundred less then they came forth. This was a very great Mercy to us, and a check to them. We have one Captain of theirs prisoner, and he is much wounded, whom they value and account of very high for their Kirk: We had a Cornet killed whose Colours were also taken; it was but in part a requital of what we did to them yesterday, for we took two of their Colours. Their King came to them on Monday, and viewed their Army; His Coronation day is shortly to be solemnized. We much wonder that none of the honest Party amongst them do fall off yet to us; if they would appear, our work might receive a more speedy result: They expect more Forces out of the North, they report to the number of about Five or Six thousand. I have no more at this present, but to desire you to accept of the service of

VVE are now come near Edenburgh, before which the Army, Horse and Foot, were drawn upon Monday last: The Enemy had lined the Park Wall with Musketiers about a mile from the Town: A party of our Musketiers were sent to beat them from it, especially in regard it gave them a view of the Army; this they did, and the Enemy fled to their Body, who lay encamped upon a Hill near the City. Order was given for the drawing up a piece of Ord­nance upon Arthurs-Hill, which played upon the Ene­my, and made them give back to their Trenches, which they had made between Edenburgh and Leith, to secure themselves. The Army stood in Battalia all the night, but the Enemy not willing to leave their ad­vantages; and it not being advisable to fall upon our Enemy, far above our number, who had two Gari­sons, and a Line to defend themselves, besides the extraordinary wet that fell that night and the next morning. The Army had Order to march back to Muscleborough, which they did: The Enemy percei­ving it, a great party of their Horse issued forth to fall upon our Rere, which received their Charge, and after an hot Dispute, forc'd them Retreat into the Town. In this Skirmish Major General Lambert re­ceived a slight hurt, Captain Gladman, Captain Fenis, and some others of ours wounded; divers of theirs killed, and some taken: A party of the countrey of above Five hundred were gathered together on the Hill near this Town, but Routed by Major Haynes. This morning about four of the clock, Fifteen hun­dred of the Enemies best Horse, commanded by Ma­jor [Page 12] jor General Montgomery (being many of them drunk, had engaged to the Prince (who came to Edenburgh the other night) That they would bring him the Lord General Cromwel alive or dead) gave an Alarm to the Army, and came up to Muscleborough, under the no­tion of Friends; but being discovered, they were en­countred with, and Routed, so that not One hundred of them got back to Edenburgh. There was above Forty slain; Colonel Straughan, a Lieutenant Colo­nel, a Maior, a Captain, a Lieutanant, and divers other Officers, and many Soldiers slain, whose bodies lay scattered all the way between this and Edenburgh. Major General Montgomery was slain in the pursuit.

Muscleborough, 31 July, 1650.