A Letter sent from Dr. Barnard, a Reverend Divine, and Parson of TREDAGH  
To Sr. Simon Harcourt's Lady in Westminster, LONDON March 18. 1641.  
And Printed by the appointment of the Right worshipful Sr. Francis Knowles Knight a Member of the Honourable House of COMMONS.  
Wherein more particularly is contained divers very memorable passages twixt the King's Armies, and the Rebels in the town of Tredagh and the country round about.  
Which may give comfort and satisfaction to all his majesty's good subjects here in England to see the powerful finger of the Almighty in preserving and giving Victory to, as it were, a handful of men, against a multitude of bloodthirsty Rebels.  
London, Printed for Nathanael Butter, 1641.   

AN ABSTRACT OF news since our relief, January 11. to the 20. of February,  
Drogedagh Feb. 23. 1641.  
AFter much misery we were releived by the Pinnace with some biscuit and ammunition, extremity of want drawing on of both, that it was not, unobserved that it came just as we returned from Church, where we had been solemnly praying for it. The Rebels h●d sunk a barque in the channel, but two or three days before the wind and tide had driven her out to sea, they had hoisted an iron chain but that hindered not their passage over it neither; 1000 of shot were sent from either side the river, and had double returns from ours, yet not one man of ours lost, with what joyful acclamations, the Pinnace and her shallop were received within the bay, what mutual salutations of shot were given, and answered, how the streets rang again with thanks and prayers to God, from all sorts, those who were eye and earewitnesses can never forget. At this relief the countenances of the townsmen apparently fell, till upon ●econd thoughts▪ towards night they seemed to be very glad, and for an expression were very kind to the soldiers, offering them drink upon every guard upon free cost, which the poor men (not used to receive so liberally, and without their officers knowledge) tw●● parts of the watch were drunk about midnight▪ 〈…〉 sleep▪ a breach was made in the wall in an 〈◊〉 orchard between St. James gate and the water, in which as was confessed, (by one hanged the next day) an officer had a chief hand in, about three of the clock 500 entered, and continued an hour or two undiscovered, till being marched upon the key they shouted; which was either in assurance of victory, or to invite the town to their promised assistance, some of them had adventured up to the Mill mount, and killed the first sentinel, others had entered upon the bridge; This shout being our first alarm, the governor run out unarmed, and was the first that caused a drum to beat, and in that haste was compelled to take the Main guard, who were his own Company, and commanded men from by guards, these were his present strength, first posted down some pikes commanded by the ensign to make good the bridge until the Musquetiers could make ready, we met the enemy upon their first entry, and finding them resisted by a guard of ours, charged home and soon compelled them to retreat. The governor immediately relieved his ensign with Musquetiers, who met not far from the bridge an other company of the rebels, but being in the dark took them by their answer to be friends, until he found the contrary by a shot made at him, which went through the brims of another's hat next him, as soon as we gave fire it proved so effectual, that they instantly scattered and were chased through the streets, leaving their dead bodies, as stumbling blocks in our way; And now my Lord Moor with what horse he could make ready came to the assistance, who chased the residue of them up the hill where they dropped apace, but where the breach was could not yet be found till they directed us by their flight, through which 100 escaped and now each captain had got together force, and environed them in each quarters, and with ease laid them on heaps in every corner, so that the slain within the walls and prisoners taken without were 200. This deliverance the worst of men acknowledged to be the hand of God, for had they marched to the next port, and cut the guard off there, who were most sleeping; A thousand of their own men were there ready to enter and we had been lost. 'Twas God's hand that their shouts gave us the first alarm to our safety and their destruction.  
In this hot skirmish we lost few, the most being but cheqed them at their first entrance unarmed, to prevent their giving notice, only three were lost in fight. This was the only night (of any neglected) which the joy of the present relief occasioned, but for the future, doubled our watches, forty horse in several divisions still riding the round, and by their often visits, a sentinel had scarce time to wink. My Lord Moor one night, and the governor another, (as supervisours of the whole) have not failed constantly since to watch in their own persons. The Enemy without on the South side of the town, seemed to be about 3000. who in several bodies stayed an hour or a after day, believing the town to be taken, expecting the opening of a port, which we perceiving, and having taken a Piper of theirs, caused him to play very merrily upon one of the plat forms, and to call out in Irish that the town was theirs; It was good sport to see them shorten the way by leaping ditches, and running themselves out of breath, who should be first taken, and so were brought in by ten.  
This extraordinary blessing deserved a special solemn thanksgiving, which we performed two days after. A fair wind inviting the Pinnace next day to return, past with as many Prayers for safety, by the soldiers on the walls, as she had been received with praises; But a small fisher boat, as a just judgement of God for the former night's work, by unskilfulness of the Pilate ran a ground, and that night, was taken by the Enemy with 14. prisoners.  
Also about 3. Miles of at Mormame town the pinnace fell into the like hazard being most falsely left by the shallops to the mercy of the Enemy, who played upon her on both sides, 100 of the Rebels under the shelter of Cart loads of furse, desperately approached so near that they got under the stern, and with crows and pickaxes began to bulge her, where neither pike nor musket could offend them. In this straight captain Studvild, (who hath much deserverved) in the adventure of relieving us twice threw some granadoes amongst them, they endured the breaking of six, but when the seventh was cast, they run away, and never attempted their design after, the number of the slain is uncertain, but by the mighty stream of blood, it is conjectured to be about 60. Whilst we saw this danger we ceased not in public to pray for her safety, whose loss was likely to be our ruin; This night, she was freed into the pool, and on the Monday morning, with a fair wind, bade us farewell.  
We had an other Friggat, which assisting the pinnace in the burning of some barks, ran the same casualty, and lay under the same advantage to the Enemy, who having made 〈◊〉 breastwork played upon her all night, but returned without any harm, save the loss of one man; Many drums were sent by the Rebels for exchange of Prisoners, till theirs here being spent, they were forced to send for more to Aragh, and yet we have more still, who have been cherished by the Townsmen as if they were Martyrs, they giving them good victuals caddoes and caps, so that they make no suit to be released▪ In 14. days, our former supplies were wasted, and a gre●● scarcity began to grow upon us; The whole design of the Rebels we saw, was to starve us, by burning all the corn and hay within two miles of us; they drew often nigh us in the dark nights, and in mockery asked our Sentinels, if we had yet eaten up our Cabbadge stalks and Horse hides: and indeed, famine was such at length with the Common soldiers, that Horses, dogs, and Cats, were good meat; some provisions (by searching) were found hid in cellars; This sufficed not▪ but we were forced to sally out, which was always blessed with some relief, and without the loss of any soldier. February the 7. we sallied out 40. musquetiers and 25. horse to secure others appointed to bring in, who were unexpectedly set upon by 400. newly come out of the North, we instantly charged them, killed 80. took two of their colours, killed a lieutenant and an ensign, and took an other, and 9 prisoners, one died as so one as he came to town, and being unbuttoned, he was begirt with a Saint Francis Girdle next his skin, not one of our men being hurt: An other time we marched out 100 foot, and a troop of horse, we were set upon by 500 but we having notice by some of their own party of their intention, we made a fair retreat through them and killed many of them, of ours not one hurt, one was shot through the doublet and shirt, and had only his skin rased.  
At length, our sto●e failed, so that from the heartiest, nothing could be heard, but intentions of desperate 〈◊〉▪ our friggats and our agents had been long in 〈◊〉 b●● heard nothing of their return, and by the continuance of contrary winds, our hopes we saw, were dashed from thence.  
Also in this extremity (besides our ordinary meetings on Wednesday) we appointed the next Friday as a day extraordinary, only to beg our bread of God; For my Subject, I took the fourth Petition of the Lord's prayer, that day we continued in the Church from morning to evening, which was blessed with much affection and tears, wherein some confident passages fell, in assuring some present extraordinary answer, might have seemed to have been without warrant.  
But see the event, that very night the wind in●●ned, and the next morning suddenly changed to as fair a wind and weather, as we could wish, and so continued. That evening we receiving notice, that our supply approached, on Sunday morning we met at Church earlier than we used in the continuance of the same subject and petition, and at the conclusion of the Sermon, a Messinger came into the Church with the glad tidings of our relief within the bar, it being so received in God's House, we took it as from God himself, and so with thanks giving to him, from whom every good gift descendeth, we went and saw the salvation of God.  
I must not forget an other deliverance, the same Sunday morning, the Enemy about 4. a clock with their whole strength, made a bold attempt with scaling ladders to the walls; 2. or 3. were fixed in one place, and some were gotten up, the sentinel missing fire at one, knocked him down with the butt end of his musket, and crying out to the guard, who was nigh my chamber window: I was the first that heard him, and the clattering of the Ladders, we instantly gave them their fill of shot, and they left their Ladders with some of their blood, the number of the slain is uncertain, they having drawn them away, but an English boy taking his opportunity escaped from them, said, he saw three lying dead in one ditch, by which may be conjectured what were slain of them; on our part not one hurt, so that in the words of the Psalmist, Psalm. 136. 24. verse. We may praise God for that one day, who gives food to all flesh, and who delivers us from our Enemies for his mercy endureth for ever.  
And yet a further deliverance, we are now quitting the town of the Papists, who have been the cause of all this evil; some of the Aldermen are parting, some have offered to go 〈◊〉 to Church, but it is thought with the same affection as the C●pernaites for the loaves. An Inventory of all their goods 〈◊〉 taken, and such of men and women, as have been suspected to side with the Rebels, have their daily passes to them, save sober souls, and of good fashion have desired to be informed i● which work I shall be glad to be employed all day and every day. A prize was also taken by the pinnace, laden with herring, biscuit, and other provision, which hath added somewhat to our score, we have 4. Companies more, so that we are in all 2000 foot and near 200. horse, more I could have writ, but the unexpected haste of the Pinnasses return, who is now ready to weigh anchre causes me to break of and pleads my excuse, for what is here confusedly written.  
FINIS.