THE COPY OF A LETTER Sent from Shirbourne relating the skirmish between the Earl of Bedford and the cavaliers there.  
I Have now lighted on a fair opportunity to return you kind greetings by this Gentleman, who (I believe) is like to be one of the first that can give you a true information of what befell at Shirbourne on Saturday last, where (with grief of heart) he beheld the sad work of that day, which from his mouth I took as near as I could possibly, lest his short abode in London (as he telleth me) should not give him time to visit you himself, (his haste and business you may well guess) not brooking any delay or loss of time.  
Upon Friday last (I take it the first day of September) the Earl of Bedford marched to Shirbourne, with about five thousand horse and foot under his command, unto whom fifteen hundred more from Dorchester (but came out of Devonshire) did join themselves, having in their march thitherward, by their over careless looking to their powder, blown up four of their poor soldiers, and hurt ten more, which they sent back again to Dorchester. With this power of about six thousand men in all, the Lord general pitched his camp within a mile and a half of Shirbourne, behind a hill, in the evening upon friday sending out some sallies of horse to scour and view the coasts, that he might be secured from danger at his back, while he wholly bent his forces upon the good work in hand, that night some of his soldiers being weary of lying in the open field two nights together, and having eaten nothing upon Wedendsday, and on Thursday but one meal, and their provision being not so good altogether as was to be desired, did get away from him, but not any considerable number, upon Saturday in the forenoon he marched with all his forces towards Shirbourne town's-end, and in the way the ordinance from the Castle, being discharged against him somewhat endamaged him, some few of his horse being then lost, but no number considerable, then marching to the town, at the town's-end divers musketeers out of ditches and pits played very hotly upon his men upon all sides on a sudden, and annoyed them very much, but not so much as some have reported, who report not always according to truth, but according to their malignant wishes and desires, from which God deliver us, the truth is, that it was God's pleasure to suffer some men on our side to be slain, about two hundred, but not many above that number. The cavaliers having hidden themselves for the most part in pits and ditches, whence they did this mischief, for had they appeared, I believe they had not carried it with so little loss as the hurt only of four of their men, for they say they lost none, & this was the passage of that sorrowful day, which with grief of heart I have acquainted you with, lest you should be deluded with other false relations more to our prejudice then the loss of that day. The night being come, very many soldiers got them away being weary, but we doubt not but they will return speedily when they have poor souls a little refreshed themselves, than they will be better able and more serviceable than ever before; the next day being the Sabbath, the cavaliers in the Castle did not much stir that I hear of, but our men got them away apace, and crawled of all four through the corn, at last the general caused the horse to encompass them to keep them in, and then the cavaliers from the Castle did some hurt among the horse, but the next day my Lord finding his numbers much decreased, for he had but a thousand or less now left, resolved to return to Dorchester where he is at this present, but he burned two houses at the town's end before he went, and a rick of hay, which with the corn that is trampled will be a thousand pounds' loss to the cavaliers and their adherents, that ungodly Lunsford and his Brother is here among them, God deliver us from such bloody butchers, and send us peace if it be his will. This marquess is now three thousand strong, but I doubt not but the wisdom of the Parliament will soon rid us of him and his ungracious cavaliers: I have no more to write, but shortly you shall hear from me, in the mean time be not disheartened, for I am confident my next letter will afford you more comfortable tidings, for we daily expect such strong supplies as will soon send these bloody cavaliers packing from the rest.   

London, Printed for Thomas Warren. 1642.