I_ Know ere this you expected to have heard from me concerning our wel­come to this Towne of Henlie, where now we are, and indeed I had answer­ed both your expectation, and mine owne desire before this, could I have heard but of a­ny one that had gone from hence to London: I know you have already heard in part what friends came from Redding hither to visit us, within few houres af­ter we came here. But to give you a full and true Re­lation of what my selfe was an eye-witnesse of, from [Page 2]the beginning to the end: About nine of the clock at night we came to this Towne, where before we could get in, by reason the bridge was not quite laid down, we were enforced to stay an houre and an halfe at the least; So soon as we were come in, and our men gone to their quarters, some of us, amongst which my selfe was one, rid round to view the Towne how it lay, which when we had done; we appointed 4. Com­panies to watch that night, one towards Redding, and the other at the Bridge, at third at the upper end of the Town, and my selfe having the maine guard, it being mine for that night as I was eldest Captaine of those that watched: I divided my Company, and sent my Lieutenant, with about 40. men to guard some works which the Towne had made on the way to Oxford, I having the rest on the maine guard, which was kept in a little round house close by the Towne Hall, where the 4. wayes divide themselves, having thus ordered our men, and having placed our Ordnance, which were but 3. in all, one of our biggest pieces towards Redding road, and the other, which was our best, toward Oxford, and the third, which was but a Drake, wee planted toward the upper end of the Towne, by that time this was done, it grew neere ele­ven of the Clocke; halfe an houre after, being in com­pany with Captaine Beton, it being my place to goe the grand round, he desired to goe along with mee, we went with 6. Musketiers round about the hills which compasse the Towne, halfe an houre after twelve we came in again, and found all quiet and [Page 3]well, about two of the Clock in the morning, being in a house with the Maior, and most of our Gunners, discoursing together, news was brought that the ene­my was come, and had fired upon our Centinels, which caused an Alarme through the Towne, we all (though Gods assistance) put on resolutions to with­stand them to the utmost, they came furiously on, with a loud cry, the Towne is ours, and did no way question to have broke through all, being most of them Troopers, and Dragooneers; the number as we heare by a Ensigne whom we tooke prisoner, who was mounted for the service, was about one thou­sand horse, riding two and two on a horse; the first Centinell who made discovery of them, having gi­ven fire, presently ran away to the Court of guard, who presently were in a readinesse, and came forth and fired upon them, so as that they could not come into the Towne so soon as they made account of, but being all horse, save only ten or twelve of their Dra­gooneers which were on foote, at last they broke their way through, and came along the Lane towards the Towne, the way they came being but narrow, and not above a flights shot, or little more in length, from their first entrance, we being in readinesse to have fired upon them, durst not, by reason they drove our men before them all along the way, our Parlia­ment dog lay ready to fire upon them, which being laden with one great shot, and two cases of shot, con­taining 120. Musket bullets, at length the way being cleare of our owne men, but full of theirs, we let flie, [Page 4]my selfe being within a yard or two at most when it gave fire, and saw the execution it did; some of their horse came so desperately on, that they were even rea­dy to enter upon the mouth of the Canon, as pre­sently after the shot was given appeared, for we found 3. men, and 4. horse lie dead within lesse then a quaites throw off the mouth of the piece, and an En­signe which was found halfe dead, and halfe alive, having his Leg shot short off, and some three shots more in his body beside, yet living, who confessed the whole businesse; I think they were so bit, that they will scarce brag of their Victory, or come again in hast; the number of men which we found of theirs were but 4. which were killed outright, and 5. horse, one horse the Gunner tooke alive, and another, which by reason of their great hast in running away, as wee conceive, crowding along a narrow way, who should get first away, fell into a muddy ditch, and there was left till morning, where we tooke him out, one of these 4. men, as our Souldiers were stripping of them, spoke a word or two, and so dyed, That he was the first Captaine of the Lord Grandisons Regiment, and desired to be remembred to his Colonell, and dyed immediatly, hee having received above a dozen wounds, another as we heare was a Serjeant Major, and since we heare of sixe that were found dead in a wood, lying together on a heap, one of them a Cap­taine, and we are informed by some who came from a place called Causome, that there are divers lie woun­ded there, beside our men saw them lift up on their [Page 5]horses which they carryed away, some dead, others wounded, so that we conceive they lost thirty men at least, The whole Skirmish from the time they entred, to the time they ran away, was not a full quarter of an houre; We lost of our men but 3. in all, one of which was mine, who was first slaine, he was shot as he was standing on the left of my Company as I had drawne them up, with a Musket bullet, which went in at his left breast, and came through at his back on the right shoulder, so as he fell presently downe, with his armes spread out, not moving any part of his bo­dy, so that I conceive the shot went through his heart, he was honourably interred the next day, attended with a great number of Souldiers out of every Com­pany, another of my Souldiers, one Tho: Hyat, a Fishmongers man, who lives in your division, was shot through the body with a pistoll shot, as hee was comming from his quater to the Court of guard, hee was forced to make use of their language to save him­selfe, and to cry out, where are these Roundheaded rogues, but they pursuing of him, struck him through the hat with a Pole axe, but missed his head, I have great hope of his recovery, he hath told me since, hee hopes to live to have a revenge on them; Thus as well as I can remember, I have given you a narration of what passages hapned: Truly hee is more then blinde which could not see God mainfestly in every particular working deliverance for us, and confusion to our enemies, we may truly say, never lesse of Man seen, and more of God, for I had almost forgot to tell [Page 6]you that two Troopes of horse which were ap­pointed to be with us, left us at the Townes end, and went away to their quarters, so that we were left na­ked, onely God fought on our sides: if the enemy had got into the Towne, I believe few of us had been alive at this present, thus fearing to be over-tedious to you, I rest.