A TRUE DECLARATION OF The present proceedings of the ARMY. WITH Their REASONS and RESOLUTIONS against Dis-banding, until satisfaction be given in relation to their grievances, and their due expectations answered in the establishment of JUSTICE, TRUTH, and PEACE, within these kingdoms. BEING The RESULTS of a late council of war; wherein is manifested the ground and end of their present undertakings. fireship is annexed several Reasons, why the Souldiers of the Army cast out their dissenting Officers  


Published by Command, for the satisfaction of the kingdom.  
June 12 1647.     

A DECLARATION OF The present proceedings of the ARMY, with their reasons against dis-banding, until satisfaction in relation to their grievances be fully given: and their due expectations answered, both by vindication and reparation for the present, and protection for the future against the like illegal practices.  
WHereas upon the Petition intended and agreed upon in the Army, March last, to have been presented to the general, for the obtaining onely of our due and necessary concernments as Souldiers: The Honourable House of Commons, being unseasonably prepossessed with a copy thereof, and as by the sequel we suppose, with some strange misrepresentations of the carriage and intentions of the same; was induced to sand down an Ordinance to suppress the Petition: And within two or three dayes after, upon further misinformation and scandalous suggestions of the like, or worse nature, and by the indirect practise of some malicious and mischievous persons, as we suppose, surprising, or otherwise abusing the Parliament; a Declaration was published in the name of both Houses, highly censuring the said Petition; and declaring the said Petitioners if they should proceed thereupon, no less then enemies to the State, and disturbers of the public peace.  
And whereas at the same time, and since, divers eminent Officers of the Army have been brought into question and trouble about the said Petition; whereby both they and the rest are disabled or discouraged for the time from farther acting or appearing therein on the Souldiers behalf. And whereas by the foresaid proceedings, and the effects thereof, the Souldiers of this army finding themselves so stopped in their due and regular way of making known their grievances and desires to and by their Officers, were enforced into an unusual,( but in that case necessary) way of correspondence and agreement amongst themselves, to choose out of the several troops and Companies several men, and those out of their whole number, to choose two or more for each Regiment, to act in the names and behalf of the whole soldiery of the respective troops and Companies, in the prosecution of their Rights and Desires in the said Petition; as also of their due vindication and righting in reference to the aforesaid proceedings upon and against the same: who have accordingly acted and done many things to those ends, which the soldiery do own and approve as their own acts: And whereas afterwards upon the sending down Maior general Skippon, and those other officers of the Army, that were Members of the House of Commons, to quiet distempers in the Army, fresh hopes being conceived of having our grievances and desires admitted again to be made known and considered in a regular way; and without such misrepresentations as formerly: The Officers and Souldiers of the Army did again( except some few dissenting Officers) ioyn in a representation of their common grievances: And the Officers( except as before) did agree upon a narrative account of the grounds, rise, and growth of the discontents in the Army, and their proceedings in relation thereunto, with an overture of the best expedients to remove or satisfy the same; both which were presented to the Members of the House, and from them reported to the house. And whereas the Parliament having thereupon voted and ordered some particulars towards satisfaction of some of our grievances, have since proceeded to certain resolutions of sudden disbanding the Army by pieces, which resolution being taken and to be executed before full or equal satisfaction given to the whole Army in any of the grievances; before effectual performance of that satisfaction in part, which the precedent Votes seems to promise as to some of the grievances; before any consideration at all of some others most material, as by the results, of a general council of war, on Saturday last it was in general declared, and now more fully demonstrated in particulars by a representation thereof, agreed upon by us all: we cannot but look upon the said resolution of dis-banding us in such a manner, as proceeding from the same malicious, and mischevious principles and intentions, indirect practices of the same persons, abusing the Parliament and us, as the former proceedings against us before mentioned did; and not without cruel, bloody purposes( as some of them have not stuck to declare or intimate) after the body of the Army shall be dis-banded, or the Souldiers divided from their Officers, then to question; proceed against, & execute ther malicious intentions upon all such particular Officers and Souldiers in the Army, as had appeared to act in the premises in behalf of the Army: whereas upon the late petition to the general, from the Agitators, in behalf of the soldiery, grounded upon the preceding considerations, relating to the said resolutuons of dis-banding; the general council of War to prevent the danger and inconvenience of those disturbances of tumultuous actings, with the dissatisfaction, and jealousies thereupon also grounded; were like suddenly to have produced in the Army; did advice the general first to contract the quarters of the Army; and then to draw the same to an orderly rendezvous, for satisfaction of all, and that his Excellency would immediately sand up to move the Parliament to suspend any present proceeding on the said resolution of dis-banding, to reassume the consideration of the grievances & desires sent up from the Army, and yet not to disband it in pieces, before just and equal satisfaction be given to the whole, and whereas some of the Regiments appointed for dis-banding, upon notice hereof withdrawing themselves from the quarters adjoining to the appointed rendezvous, & drawing towards the head-quarters and the rest contracting their quarters by order according to the advice of the said council of war.  
We the Officers & Souldiers of several Regiments are now met at a general rendezvous, & the Regiments appointed, as aforesaid to be dis-banded, have not appeared, nor can appear, but rather resolved not to appear at their several rendezvous appointed for their dis-banding; & divers other things have been done by several other parts, or members of the Army, necessary relating to the good concernment of the whole, in these affairs: now forasmuch as we know not how far the malice, injustice, & tyranny, will-principles, of our enemies which have already prevailed so far, as to abuse the Parliament & Army, as is afore-mentioned in the past-proceedings against the Army, may farther prevail to the danger or prejudice of ourselves, or any Officer or Souldiers of the Army, that have appeared to act any thing in behalf of the Army, or how far the same may farther prevail to the danger or prejudice of the Kinkdome, in raising a new war, or otherwise.  
therefore for the better prevention of all such dangers, preiudices, or other inconveniences that may ensue, and with all for the better satisfaction to the Parliament and kingdom, concerning our desires of comforming to the authority of the one, and providing for the good and quiet of the other, in the present affair of dis-banding, and for a more assured way whereby that affair may come to certain issue; wee humbly implore that continued presence and affistance of God the righteous judge of all.  
we the Officers and Souldiers of this Army do hereby declare, agree, and promise to and with each other, and to and with the Parliament and kingdom as followeth.  
1. That we shall cheerfully and readily disband, when thereunto required by the Parliament, or else shall many of us be willing if desired, to further service, either in England or Jreland, having first such satisfaction in relation to the grievances and desires heretofore presented, and such security that wee ourselves when dis-banded, and in the condition of private men, or other the freeborn people of England to whom the consequence of the case doth equally extend, shall not remain subject to the like oppression, injury, or abuse, as in the premises hath been attempted and put upon us while an Army; by the same mens continuance in the same credit and power, especially if as our Judges, who have in those past proceedings against the Army so far prevailed to abuse the Parliament and us, and to endanger the kingdom: And also such security, that wee ourselves, or any members of this Army, or others who have appeared to act any thing in behalf of the Army, in relation to the premises before recited, shall not after disbanding be any way questioned, prosecuted, troubled, or prejudiced, for any thing so acted, or for the entering into, or necessary prosecution of this present agreement; wee say, having first such satisfaction and securities in these things as shall be agreed unto by a council, to consist of those general Officers of the Army, who have concurted in the premises, with two Commission Officers, and two Souldiers to be chosen by each Regiment, who hath concurred, or shall concur with us in the premises, and in this agreement, or by the maior part of such of them who shall meet in council for that purpose, when they shall be thereunto called by the general.  
2. That without such satisfaction and security as aforesaid, we shall not willingly dis-band, or divide, or suffer ourselves to be dis-banded: And whereas we find many strange things suggested, or suspected, to our great prejudice, concerning dangerous Principles, interests, and designs in this Army, as to the overthrow of Magistracy, the suppressing or hindering of presbytery, the establishing of Jndependent government, or upholding of a general licentiousness, under pretence of Liberty of Conscience; and many such things: We shall very shortly tender to the Parliament a Vindication of the Army from all such scandals, to clear our Principles in relation thereunto: And in the mean time, we do disavow and disclaim all purpose or design in our late or present proceedings, to advance or insist upon any such interest, neither would we, if we might and could set up any one particular Party or interest in the kingdom, though imagined never so much our own; but should much rather study to provide for( as far as may be within our Sphere or Power) such an establishment of common and equal Right, freedom, and Safety to the whole; as all might equally partake of; that do not by denying the same to others, or otherwise, render themselves uncapable of it.  

several REASONS WHY we SOULDIERS CAST out our dissenting Officers.  
FIrst, their continuance among us must needs make them privy to our actions, and their actings being opposite to our just proceedings, must needs be inconsistent to our welfare.  
Secondly, their thus acting is contrary to the rules of Marshall discipline.  
Thirdly, they have discented from the principles by which wee have always acted,( viz.) the maintaining of our just rights and privileges.  
Fourthly, by their actions they lay open the Parliament to mal-administrations, they affirming to do iustice in the behalf of all men: yet notwithstanding our rule hath been nothing but iustice; they oppose us, pretending therein to serve the Parliament; and farther representing us to them as in a false glass, have caused the Parliament to misapprehend us, and so to render themselves enemies to both.  
Fiftly, their endeavours to render us divided, by promoting principles which( if effected) inevitably tend to our destruction.  
sixthly, their not joining with us, in the defence of our just rights, according to our first principles, doth render them either to be swayed by slavish fear; or finister respects.  
Seventhly, the separating of the known corrupted members from us, may for the future hinder the progress of some so corrupted, not yet discovered, and conduce to the peace and foreseeing of the Army.   


Edward Sexby. the Generals Regiment.  
John tailor. the Generals Regiment.  
William Allen. Lieu. Generals Regiment.  
Samuel Whiting. Lieu. Generals Regiment.  
Thomas Shepherd. Comis. Generals Regiment.  
Will. Hammond. Comis. Generals Regiment.  
Henry Githinges. colonel Sheifelds Regiment.  
Edward Star. colonel Sheifelds Regiment.  
William Joanes. colonel Fleetwoods Regiment.  
John Casby. colonel Fleetwoods Regiment.  
John Braman. colonel Rich his Regiment.  
Richard williams. colonel Rich his Regiment.  
John Thust colonel Hamond his Regiment.  
William Bridgman. colonel Hamond his Regiment.  
Robert Mason. colonel Waller his Regiment.  
Henry Anderton. colonel Waller his Regiment.  
Nicholas Andrewes. colonel Harlow his Regiment.  
Ralph Prontis. colonel Harlow his Regiment.  
halberd field. colonel Lilburne his Regiment.  
Thomas Halston. colonel Lilburne his Regiment.    
FINIS