Sir JOHN Byron's RELATION TO THE SECRETARY OF THE LAST Western ACTION. BETWEEN The Lord WILLMOTT and Sir William Waller. On Thirsday, July 13. 1643. With a List of both their Forces, and of their Losses. Printed at York by Stephen Bulkley, 1643. By special Command. Sir John Byron's Relation to the Secretary of the last: Western Action. Sir UPon the occasion of Lieutenant colonel Butler's coming to Oxford, whom I shall desire your Honour to present to His Majesty, as one that carried himself very bravely in this Action, and took three Corners of the rebels, which we sent with the rest of the Colours to Oxford, I shall make bold summarily to relate to you the carriage of this business, which deserves to be acknowledged with as much thankfulness to God as any thing that ever was done in this kingdom. According to His majesty's Command, we appeared before the Devices on Thursday about three a clock in the afternoon, with all our Horse, which were not above 17. or 1800. at the most, being much lessened in the long March, and many of them so tired, that they were not able to come up; we shot off out Ordinance from an high Hill that overlooks the Town, to let them know, that we were there for their assistance; at the same time waller appeared with his whole Army upon an opposite Hill within less than two Miles of U; he made a very great show, divers of the Country People being called thither to that purpose. But really I believe his Horse were far more than ours in number, and his Foot, beside the Country People 2500. all of them as completely armed as ever troops were. It was resolved that we should immediately march towards them, and my Lord Willmott very discreetly ordered it, That only his Brigade and mine should charge, (which both together made not above 1200. Horse,) and that the other troops (because they had lately taken an affright, and had been put to the worse by Waller's Men) should only stand as a Reserve, and not be employed till it should please God to renew their Courage with our success: as we Marched towards the rebels, they sent down some troops towards Us, which were gallantly encountered by sergeant Major Paul Smith (who led our forlorn Hope, consisting of 300. commanded Men) and forced them to turn their Backs. Sir Arthur Hasterigge seconded these with his Formidable Regiment of Lolsters, I mean his Curaffiers whom the Lieutenant general intermyned with his Brigade, and forced them to retreat, not so, but that they rallied themselves again and charged the second time, but with worse success; for then my Brigade being drawn up to second my Lord Willmott, they all ran away that could, and from that time Sir Arthur Hasterigge appeared no more in the Battle; upon this Waller drew his whole Army down the Hill, and advanced with his own Brigade of Horse, with two pieces of Cannon before it, and two great bodies of Foot on the left Flank of it, these it fell to my share to charge with my Brigade, my Lord Willmott in the mean time rallying his men together to second me if occasion should be. Ad I marched towards them up the Hill, their Cannon pl●l'd upon me at a very near distance, but with very small loss, killing but two in colonel Sanayes Regiment; The Musketeers all this while played upon our flank, and hurt and killed some; and another regiment of their Horse was watching an opportunity to charge us either in the rear or in the flank, but were hindered by Lord Craford. By this time we were come very near to Waller's Brigade, and the command I gave my men was, that not a Man should discharge a pistol till the Enemy had spent all his shot, which was punctually observed, so that first they gave us a volley of their Carbins', then of their pistols, and then we fell in with them, and gave them ours in their teeth, yet they would not quit their ground but stood pushing for it a pretty space, till it pleased God, (I think) to put new Spirit into our tired Horse as well as into our men, so that though it were up the Hill, and that a steep one, we overbore them, and with that violence, that we forced them to fall foul upon other Reserves of Horse that stood behind to second them, and so swept their whole Body of Horse out of the Field, and left their Foot naked, and pursued them near three Miles over the downs in Bristol way till they came to a precipice, where their fear made them so valiant that they galloped down as if it had been plain ground, and many of them broke both their own and their Horses necks. In my return from the chase, I took two pieces of their Cannon, and divers wagons laden with Ammunition, and then rallied together our scattered troops, which were as much broken as the Enemy, by reason of their hot pursuit, in the mean time my Lord Willmott charged their Foot with the Horse he had with him, but could not break them, and in the charge Dudley Smith was stain, and Lieutenant colonel Weston, hurt and many others, but when they saw my Horse rallied together again before them, and the Lieutenant general continuing still in the rear of them, and that the Cornish Foot began to sally out of the Town, they thought it not fit to stay any longer, they began first gently to march off, their Officers marching before them, amongst which (as I have been told since) Sir William Waller himself was, and Popham; With that I advanced toward them with those troops I had rallied, and shot at them with the Cannon I had formerly taken, their Officers thought it not fit to stay any longer, but such as had Horses rid away as fast as they could, and too fast for Us to overtake them, and the rest blew up their Powder, and threw down their Arms and betook themselves to their heels, Our Horse fell in amongst them, and killed 600. of them, and hurt many more, and took 800. Prisoners, and all their Colours, and this was the success of their great Conquererer. The Victory on our side as entire as possibly can be imagined, their Horse and Foot being totally routed, and all their Cannon being 7 brass pieces taken, and all their Ammunition. Sir, I beseech you excuse this scribbling from one that is, July 14. 1643. Sir, Your honour's most humble Servant John Byron A List of the King's Forces, and Sir William Waller's. Sir William Waller's strength. Regiments of Foot five, 2500 Men. Regiments of Horse six, 2500 One Regiment of Dragoons 0500 Cannon of brass, 0007 The King's Strength. The King's Horse 1500 Two small Pieces of brass Ordinance. All their Army absolutely Defeated. Killed upon the Place 600 Prisoners 800 Colours of Foot taken 028 Colours of Horse taken 008 Brass pieces taken 007 All their Ammunition, Baggage, and most of their Arms. Redelivered of ours that were Prisoners with them 113. and Mistress Parsons Of ours Killed very few, of note only Dudley Smith; But many Officers and Gentlemen hurt. FINIS.