A LETTER From William Basill Esq; Attorney-General of IRELAND, TO The Honourable, William Lenthall Esq; Speaker of the Parliament of England, Concerning a Great VICTORY Obtained by the Parliaments Forces AGAINST The Rebels in Meleek Island, On the Five and twentieth of October, 1650.  
Together with an Order of Parliament for a public Thanksgiving within the City of London and Liberties thereof, on the next Lordsday, being the First of Decemb. 1650.  
Die Martis, 26 Novembr. 1650.  
ORdered by the Parliament, That this Letter and Order be forthwith printed and published.  
Hen: Scobell, Cleric. Parliamenti.  
London, Printed by Edward Husband and John Field, Printers to the Parliament of England, 1650.   

Right Honourable,  
YOur Honour may please to understand, That upon the Sixth of October last, Colonel Axtel Governor of Kilkenny, drew what forces could well be spared out of this place and other adjacent Garrisons, viz. Eight hundred Horse and Foot, and marched toward the King's County, both to supply and settle our Garrisons in those parts, lying upon the Shannon side; and being Frontiers upon the Enemy, as also to put them into a tenable and defensive posture, as well to prevent the Enemy from Quartering there, as to secure our own Quarters from their Incursions. Before he came thither, he had certain Intelligence, That upon our Northern Forces drawing themselves from Athlone, the Enemy in Connaught taking that advantage, came over the Shannon River, their number was Three thousand Foot, and about Three hundred Horse, all under the command of Clanrickard (whom Ormond hath lately made his Deputy) and had Besieged Kilkolgan a Garrison of ours; and the night before had taken Forbawn-Castle, being one other of our Garrisons, which blocked up a Pass, which is an Inlet to Kilkolgan; Colonel Axtel with a small Body faced the Pass, and drew back his main Body to attempt another Pass, whither when he came, he found it strongly fortified with Breastworks, and Manned with Horse and Foot; beside, there was a deep River (though but narrow) between him and the Enemy: They had an hours Dispute, each being drawn up in full Bodies on either side the River: There were killed of the Enemy One hundred and fifty Horse and Foot; we only lost one Lieutenant, and had not above five or six common Soldiers wounded. In respect of the depth of the water and steepness of the Banks, ours could not get over, but retreated about half a Mile, to invite the Enemy to draw over into a Champion ground, but they declined it. Immediately upon this, there came an additional strength to the Enemy; for young Preston, with those which marched out of Waterford with him, and others whom he had raised since, together with Irish Forces out of Conaught, conjoined with the Enemy, so that in all they were in number upward of Four thousand Foot and Five hundred Horse. They marched with their whole Body over the Forbawn River, and came within two miles of Berr, a Garrison of ours, wherein two great Battering Guns were lodged, Colonel Axtel not thinking it fit to engage so great a Body with so small a party, retreated into Ossory, both to procure a conjunction with more Forces, and a further supply of provision. In the interim the Enemy summoned Berr, and took in three of our Garrisons near thereunto, viz. Cary Castle, Streamstown Castle, and Clogan; Colonel Axtel being conjoined at Roscrea with an additional strength out of the counties of Tipperary and Wexford (who for that purpose had notice to Rendezvouz at Roscrea, upon the One and twentieth of October) in all consisting of Thirteen hundred Foot, and One thousand Horse and Dragoons, advanced toward Berr; whereupon the Enemy raised their Camp, and retreated to Meleek Island, bordering upon the Shannon, into which there is only one Pass, with Bogs on each side; and that was also fortified in three several places, one behind another, as Reserves to each other, which were all to be forced, before any entry could be obtained into the Island. Upon the Five and twentieth of October, half an hour before night, our Forces made an attempt upon the Enemy, and after a small Dispute beat them off from the first and second guard on the Pass; but at the third the Dispute was so hot, that they came to Butt-end of Musket, and God being pleased to give our Forces an entrance into the Island, the whole Body of the Enemy was presently Routed: They left all their Arms, we took Two hundred of their Horse, all their Wagons, Oxen, Tents, Provisions, and whatsoever else they had in their whole Camp; among which were clanrickard's own Wagons and Tent (he himself the day before having gone over the Shannon, to give order for the rest of his Forces to march toward Limbrick) being confident that the Army which he had left in the King's County, together with those whom he expected would have gathered to their assistance, would have been able to carry all before them in these parts. The number of what Men the Enemy lost, is not certainly known; for beside those who were killed, Multitudes were drowned: Five hundred of them were forced into the Shannon by one party of our Horse in one place, and there were all drowned in one company together. The Irish Report, That there was not above Three hundred of the Enemy which escaped, and that most of those were such as swum over the Shannon: which agrees with the Relation of a Trumpeter, who was the next day sent by their Major General Taaff, to inquire after prisoners, who confessed that all but Three hundred were lost; we lost only one Captain, viz. Captain Goff, with Eight common Soldiers and twenty wounded. The next day the Enemy quitted all the before mentioned Garrisons taken from us, fired them, and fled away into Conaught. This being done, Colonel Axtel on Friday last, being the First of November instant, with part of the Forces returned to this place (these parts being much infested in his absence with a party of Horse and Foot, consisting of about Five hundred, under the command of Dungan, Pierce Rea and Cavanagh) and the same night with a party of Horse and Foot drew out toward Thomastown, where he heard the Enemies last mentioned Forces were gathered together, being about Seven Miles distant from this place; the other part of the Forces marched out of King's County unto my Lord Deputy, who hath besieged the Castle of Nenagh in Lower: Ormond about four Miles from the Shannon, having drawn off the Forces from before Limbrick, the unseasonableness of the Wether not admitting our Army to lie in the field so long as the gaining of a place of so great strength will require. I have not else at present to trouble your Honour withal, only to let your Honour know, That the late sad Visitation of Sickness, want of Clothes, cold and wet Wether, and Hard Duty, have weakened our Army; and therefore humbly offer unto your Honour's consideration, the Necessity of sending Recruits of Horse and Foot, and of having a provision of Money here by the beginning of March, whereby the Army may be (with the first season of the year) enabled to take the field for Conaught. I humbly crave your Honour's pardon for this boldness of,  
Kilkenny, 4 Nou. 1650. Right Honourable, Your Honour's most humble Servant, William Basill.  
Since writing, News is come, That Nenagh Castle is Surrendered; and that my Lord Deputy will suddenly take up his Winters-quarters in the City.   

Die Martis, 26 Novembr. 1650.  
Resolved by the Parliament,  
THat public Thanks be given by the respective Ministers in the several Parish Churches, Chapels and Places of Public Worship within the City of London, and Liberties thereof, and within the late Lines of Communication, on the next Lord's day, being the first day of December, 1650. for God's great mercy in giving a Signal and Seasonable Victory to the Parliaments Forces in Ireland, against the bloody Rebels there, on the Five and twentieth of October last, and mentioned in this Letter: And it is Ordered, That the Lord Major of London do take care that timely notice hereof be given to the Ministers of the several Parishes within the said City of London and Liberties thereof; And that the respective Justices of Peace within the late Lines of Communication, do take care that timely notice hereof be given to the Ministers of their several and respective Parishes within the said late Lines of Communication.  
Hen: Scobell, Cleric. Parliamenti.  
FINIS.