A true AND impartial Relation of the battle BETWIXT, HIS majesty's ARMY, and that of the rebels near Newberry in Berkshire, Sept. 20, 1643.  
WITH The several Actions of the King's Army since His majesty's removing it from before Gloucester.  
Sent in a Letter from the Army to a Noble Lord.  
Printed at Oxford by L. Lichfield. 1643.   

My Lord,  
I Have omitted all the last week to give your Lordship an account of the condition of His majesty's affairs here; every day (〈◊〉 these three last) having produced little in 〈◊〉, but much in expectation. But now that the long looked for Crisis of a battle is over, I have thought it fit to inform your 〈◊〉, not only of the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 of that but also of the steps and 〈◊〉 to it being doubly obliged so to do, in 〈◊〉 to His 〈◊〉 sevice, as well as in what I owe to your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I find in as much danger of suffering by some of our own parties, 〈◊〉 the conduct of His majesty's designs with rashness and imprudence, as in the rebel's 〈◊〉 the truth of the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉. 〈◊〉 by then usual arts of 〈◊〉, by which they have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appeared able to make better 〈◊〉 of defeats, than we of victory.  
Your Lordship may be pleased 〈◊〉 understand that the Earl of 〈◊〉 having descended with his Army into the Vale of Gloucester, before the King could well draw His from the Siege up to the hills to fight with him, it was not thought fit to follow him into the enclosed Country, where the King should lose the 〈◊〉 advantage he had above him in strength of horse, but rather to make choice of such a place to in camp his Army as might be aptest for these three ends: to accommodate his Quarters; to strengthen him in provisions; and equally to intercept his flight in a fair Country; whether he should take it by the way of Worcester towards Warwick or by the way of Cyrencester towards Reading, and to these purposes, the town of Winchcomb and Sudely Castle were made choice of as the most appropriate. But after two days' lodging there, (the Queen's Regiment having in their coming to that quarter defeated one of the Earls best Regiments of Horse of Dutchmen, commanded by one Blaire) upon intelligence that the Earl was advanced as far as Teuxbury and Vpton bridge, (whereby it was made probable unto us, that he intended 〈◊〉 way) the king 〈◊〉 his Army of 〈◊〉, from whence having 〈◊〉 up a 〈◊〉 of theirs) we were quickly hurried by the news that Essex had faced about, and had in the night, with great silence secrecy, and strange diligence, almost gained Cirencester, and surprised two new raised Regiments of ours there, before we could get any certain notice of his 〈◊〉: having left (as it seems) most of his great Ordnance and baggage behind him, and amusing us with a show of Forces still in Teuxbury and Vpton, which were (as I conceive) those now remaining in Garrison at Gloucester. Upon certainty of his remove on the Thursday, our whole Army on the Saturday morning Marched after him, our Horse with such diligence, that on the Sunday night they quartered within six miles of him, he at Suningdon, we about Farringdon. Upon the 〈◊〉 morning colonel 〈◊〉, with a party of a Thousand commanded men, was sent to follow them in the rear from their quarters, whilst Prince 〈◊〉 with the body of the Cavalry drew over the directest way to meet him, and it was our good luck to 〈◊〉 his Army just: 〈◊〉 our party had overtaken it upon the open down, two miles on the Northwest side of Aubourne, the rebels descrying us drew up in 〈◊〉, leaving only a body of some two 〈◊〉 Horse upon a hill somewhat distant from the gross of their Army, which we found means so to steal upon with Vrries' party, as to charge and rout them, and taking two Coronets, and killing Forty or Fifty men, without any loss on our part; we beat them into their Foot and Cannon, upon which occasion we discovered such evident symptoms of fear and distraction in their whole Army, as that the Prince was well 〈◊〉 tempted from his temper, and was once resolved to have charged (with 3000. horse alone) their whole Army consisting of 〈◊〉. horse and 5000. foot at least, and store of Cannon. But news arriving at the 〈◊〉 that our Foot was, beyond expectation, advanced within 6. or 7. miles of us, it imposed upon his highness' prudence this caution, not to adventure upon half our strength that rest, which the next day he might be sure to fight for with double power: upon which consideration he made a stand, resolving that night only to attend them and hinder their march. We had not stood long when we discovered that the enemy prepared for a retreat, and by degrees drew away their baggage first, than their soot leaving their horse at a good distance from them.  
The Prince his 〈◊〉 hereupon was to have charged them: when 〈◊〉 their Forces should have been drawn off the Field into those Lanes, whereinto their baggage was already advanced, but their motions being so very slow, and the night drawing on, upon second thoughts his 〈◊〉 judged it the best course to try, if (by a small party he could engage their horse, which was then grown to be at a good distance from their Foot: this party he committed to the care of Vrrey, with two Regiments only near at hand to second him, keeping the body of his horse at such a distance, as might encourage the Enemy to venture on that severed part, which they did with a little too much encouragement. For (to say the truth) the Regiments that should have seconded Vrrey, not doing their parts so well as they ought, forced his party to make somewhat a disorderly retreat, and the Prince to send hasty succours to them, which the Queen's Regiment (commanded by my Lord Jermyn) was ordered to do, which his Lordship performed with much Gallantry, being received very steadily, by a strong body of the enemy's Horse, and with a composedness in the Officer that commanded them very remarkably. For his Lordship advancing before his Regiment, with the marquess de la Vieuville on the one hand, and the Lord Digby on the other (the enemy's Volley of Carabines given them smartly at less than 10 yards) being past, the Commander somewhat forwarder than the rest, was plainly seen to pry into their countenances, and removing his leavell from one to another to discharge his pistol as it were by Election at the Lord Digby's head, but without any more hurt, (saving only the burning of his face) than he himself received by my Lord Jermyn's sword, who (upon the Lord Digby's pistol missing fire) ran him with it in to the back, but he was as much beholding to his arms there, as the L. Digby to his head-piece. Immediately upon this shock, the Queen's Regiment was so charged in the rear by a fresh body of theirs, that the greatest part of it, shifting for themselves, the Lord Jermyn, accompanied with the French marquess, and the Officers only of his Regiment, thought it as safe a way as well as the most honourable, to venture forwards through their whole Army, rather than to charge back through those that had environed him, and so with admirable success (the unhappy loss of that gallant marquess excepted) he brought 4 Colours and all his Officers off safe, having made their way round, through the gross of the enemy's Foot. The L. Digby being stoned, 〈◊〉 for the present blinded with his shot, was fortunately rescued out of a Regiment of the Enemies by a brave Charge, which Prince Rupert in person made upon them with his own Troop, wherein his highness' horse was shot in the head under him, but yet by God's blessing brought him off; and so the enemy's horse being beaten up quite to their Foot, and Cannon, the night coming upon us, gave a period to that action. That night we quartered in the field some 2. miles distant from the Enemy, who by the next morning was stolen away as far as Hungerford; whereupon, the Prince conjecturrng rightly the course they would 〈◊〉, drew his horse the directest way towards Newbury, assigning the Foot also their rendezvous there that night, where, luckily they met in the Evening, at the same instant that the Earl of Essex his Army appeared within a mile of the town, with little thought (as I conceive) of finding his intended quarter so prepossessed: upon sight of our Army they retreated into certain hedges & Fastnesses, a mile and half distant from Newbury westward. The Rebels thus happily overtaken in their flight, consultation was held of the way to prevent their farther evading us, and it was resolved on for the best, to draw all the King's Army that night into a large field on the other side of Newbury, adjoining to those closes where the Enemy had made this haul, 〈◊〉 the end we that might be in readiness to press upon the first motion of theirs. The night was past in much 〈◊〉, but with opinion on our part, that they were Marched away. The next morning being Wednesday the 20. of Sept. by break of day, (in stead of the flight which upon all their former proceedings, we had reason to expect) we discovered them settled in the most advantageous way imaginable of receiving us, whether invited to it by the extraordinary advantages of the place, or engaged to it by the despair of escaping us by a Retreat, I know not, but there we found them, their Foot, their Horse, and their Cannon planted with much skill, not only for mole sting us, and preserving themselves, but even for temptation to us to assail them upon those disadvantages. For having lodged their Baggage and principal Reserve both of Horse and Foot, upon a Hill side under a Wood near Hampsted, fenced by hedges & dithes inaccessible, but by such and such passes, and having 〈◊〉 another principal part of their strength betwixt that and a place called Enbourne, in strong hedges, and houses, with apt 〈◊〉 on both sides, for bravadoes sake, or to invite us, they had drawn out into Battalia into a little Heath on the southside of 〈◊〉 three bodies of Foot, both lined and flanked with strong 〈◊〉 of Horse, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 favour of 〈◊〉, so as that upon all occasions they might 〈◊〉 power out thither from their Holds what new strength they pleased, or, if beaten, might have a safe Retreat, into the adjoining 〈◊〉, which nature and they had both so well secured, they being so 〈◊〉 placed for fight, and so 〈◊〉 for sub●●●tence, we having Newbury at our backs to sustain us, and so many more 〈◊〉 than they to cut off provision. It may well accur to 〈◊〉 Lordship to question why (since it doth to so many more to 〈◊〉 that) we did not endeavour to combat them: so by their necessities as to oblige them for want of sustenance to retreat over some 〈◊〉 equal 〈◊〉, rather than to assail them upon such dangerous odds of situation. The answer to this objection by way of excuse, that we were in some sort to lead on, and engaged by the tempting prospect of that little Battalia I mentioned upon the 〈◊〉; and by way of justification I am to tell 〈◊〉, that there was within the enemy's Dominion a round hill not suspected nor 〈◊〉 by us the night before, from whence a battery would command all he plain before Newbury, where the King's Army stood, 〈◊〉 that unless we 〈◊〉 ourselves of that hill, there was no holding of that 〈◊〉, but the King must have retreated with his Army thence, the dishonour of which, I believe you will easily consent aught to outweigh the hazard of attempting them, and (to say the truth') even without their having that 〈◊〉, the King's person was exposed all day to much more hazard of the Cannon than was fitting, the Re●e●e's im●loying it very freely where ever by any signs they could discover his 〈◊〉. This hill and that heath I mentioned, were the 2 eminent scenes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that day's action, from 7 a c'ock in the 〈◊〉 till 7 at night, except only one attempt made by them from their grand Reserve upon a pass on our right hand near the River 〈◊〉 by the King's Life-guards, in which they were repulsed. The issue of the battle on the heath (first begun and quickly ended) was a 〈◊〉 routing of their horse, the possessing of 5 pieces of Cannnon there, though able to bring off but one of them, the forcing the Foot to retreat into their strength, though unbroken, for (Give their due) they showed themselves like good men, and lastly the gaining and holding the place.  
This action was done 〈◊〉 by our horse, for (to say truth) our foot having found a hillock in the Heath that sheltered them from the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, would not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a foot from 〈◊〉. The General and Prince Ruherts personal presence and conduct, 〈◊〉 much to the good success, as also the Lieut. general Willmots'. chief Officers of horse, that bore a principal part in the action itself, were my Lord of Carnarvan, colonel Gerard, Sir Charles 〈◊〉, the Earl of Northampton, the Lord Chandois and Daniel 〈◊〉. To name them all that did eminently there, were to give you a Catalogue of all our gentlemen of quality there present: for there is scarcely any that did not behave himself remarkably. Persons of note killed there, were the Earl of Carnarvan, the Earl of Su●derla●d, Col. Morgan, 〈◊〉. Col. Fielding, and some 〈◊〉 Volunteers, whose names I cannot collect, 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉, Sir George 〈◊〉 eldest Son, a 〈◊〉 and an ingenious young man; Persons of note 〈◊〉; of prime Officers, the Lord 〈◊〉, Sir Charles 〈◊〉, Col●nell Charles Gerard, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ivers. Of lower Officers abundauce, but none that I hear eit●er of them or these dangerously. Of Volunteers, the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉, and Mr. John Russel, Mr. Edward Sackvild, Mr. Henry 〈◊〉, George Porter, with many more.  
The action of the hill was carried with as much bravery both by our Horse and Foot as on the Heath by the Horse alone, the Foot Commanded by Sir Nicolas Byron, the Horse by Sir 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, who after six hours (the 〈◊〉 dispute that hath been seen) gained it from my Lord of Essex his own guards that had possessed it, enjoyed it 〈◊〉 many 〈◊〉, and in the end (the Enemy 〈◊〉 up his rest to regain it, after as hot a fight as at their taking it) repulsed him, and kept it still.  
Officers of note hurt there, were colonel 〈◊〉, George 〈◊〉, and Ned Villiers, and the Lord Viscount Flakland (volunteering it with too much bravery) unfortunately killed I may have omitted many persons as eminent in their actions that day, as some of these I have named, 〈◊〉 it being so end less a task to nominate all, I have only 〈◊〉 such as I conceive to be of your lordship's acquaintance.  
Your Lordship doth not expect that I should tell you of noble men killed on the other side, nor much of 〈◊〉, but of such things as they call Officers, their Prisoners assure us concurringly that the most and principal of them are slain, The night coming upon us soon after the enemies final repulse from that hill, the King drew all his Army up to the top of the heath, keeping possession both of that, and of the hill till towards night, at which time, 〈◊〉 Horse and Foot, being extremely tired, and 〈◊〉 probably informed that the 〈◊〉 had retreated with their carriages, and a principal part of their Army, it was thought sit to draw his Horse into 〈◊〉 on the other side of the River, and His foot into the town, principally ro refresh them, and to enable them for the next 〈◊〉 pursuit, but in part (for I will 〈◊〉 nothing from your Lordship) to make a Bridge to a flying enemy, lest in deed too great a despair of 〈◊〉 might have made them 〈◊〉 a second fight in that disadvantagions place, where having not (to tell you the truth) Powder enough left for half such another day, having spent four score 〈◊〉 in it, threescore more than had served the turneat Edge hill, nor could we be assured that the supply from Oxford of 100 Barrels more could come to us till the next day at noon.  
Thus my Lord have I given your Lordship as true an account as I can, of God's blessing upon the justice of His majesty's 〈◊〉 that day, which (considering the disadvantage we fought upon) may well be counted in it 〈◊〉 a happy success, but in the affects it hath since had in our pursuit of my Lord of Essex, our defeating in that pursuit, his two best remaining 〈◊〉 of Horse, our dissipating in so great a measure his Army, and 〈◊〉 ding the Rebels back with so much terror, to their nest (London) may well be reputed a great victory; and yet I am confident that our having gained 〈◊〉 Field, Colours, Cannon, store of Prisoners, from them, beaten them from all places, that we under took, 〈◊〉 them from all that they attempted, our having execution on them in their flight, and all this with the loss of half their numbers, all the 〈◊〉 ensigns of a battle gained; will not have kindled lighter 〈◊〉 with us in joy and thanksgiving, then with the remaining rebels in hopes yet farther to abuse the people, by passing still upon them deliverancies for Victories.  
From Newberry this 22. of Sept, 1643. Your lordship's most humble Servant.