Sir Willam Balfores LETTER of March 30. 1644. TO HIS EXCELLENCY The Earl of Essex Ld GENERAL.  
It is his Excellency's pleasure that this Letter be forthwith Printed.  
Jo. Baldwin Secretary to his Excellency.  
LONDON, Printed for Laurance Blaiklock. 1644.   

Sir Will. Balfores LETTER of March 30. 1644. To His EXCELLENCY the Earl of Essex Lord GENERAL.  
May it please Your Excellency.  
BEcause of our being constrained these nights (by past) to want sleep, and this last night Horse and Man to lie upon the heath betwixt Alford and Winchester, and all this da● in like manner spent upon the fields before Winchester, (so that being drowsy for want of sleep) I shall beg leave of your Excellency for using a short discourse, for the present to let your Excel: know, That it hath pleased Almighty God to grant us a great Victory over our enemies, beyond all expectation; We having taken a resolution (by reason of your Excellencies and the Committee of both Kingdom's commandments) to be wary, and cautious to engage ourselves in a fight with the enemy but upon advantage; Yet we finding them resolved to put us to it, on Friday the 29 of this instant, by their bringing their whole Army upon us, to beat out first some Musquetiers out of the hedges a pretty distance from our quarters, and thereafter to Alarm our quarters: I caused all our Horse to draw out in a little Heath before our quarters, and the Foot to be drawn up in Battle in a large spacious field within our quarters in a Heath. The enemy coming towards us, were received with such dexterity & valour, that it pleased Almighty God (after a long cumbate all the day long, from nine a clock in the morning to night) to give us an unexpected great Victory, by beating both their Horse and Foot out of the Heath before our quarters, and following the victory not only to their quarters, but put them by Alford, and followed them within 4. miles of Winchester; their whole body of foot which they have been so long a composing (I assure your Excellency) totally routed, & so broken, that Hopton cannot make up his Foot Army I am confident most part of this summer; their Foot were so dispersed up and down through all the fields, that they swear they will never serve again: The Lord John brother to the D. of Richmond, who commanded their Horse, is killed for certain, with many Officers, as Col. Butler, Col. Grace and others; Sir John Smith, Cary, with Stovell dangerously wounded, who is also our prisoner, Col. Peard and Seamore, and 5. or 6. more Commanders prisoners, and as many ordinary soldiers as we desired to take. Of ours only Col. Meldrum shot in his arm, and wounded in the head, but not dangerously or mortal; Major Bozwell also wounded in the belly that he cannot live: So that all agrees that there was never so great a Victory; neither so few slain men: the enemy's Horse held up the Foot, and made them stand to it, and fight by force, beating and cutting them with their swords. We are more than obliged to our good God for so great a Victory, God make us thankful for it.  
March 30. at 2. a clock in the morning. Your Excellencies most humble Servant, W. Balfore.  
General Ruthen was in the fight and as is reported wounded.