THE COPIES OF PAPERS FROM THE ARMY DELIVERED By the Officers and Soldiers to his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax. Also, how they have set a Guard upon the King, and their civil usage to the Commissioners, and Captain Titus the Kings M jesties Querrie sent up to the Parliament with a Letter. London Printed for R. Simpson, 1667. NEWS FROM THE ARMY Worthy Sir, I Have sent you here enclosed a Copy of the Votes of the Officers at a Council of War, and the Petition of the common Soldiers, delivered by their Adjutants from the Regiments to the General, since which, the grand Committee of Soldiers have received some further Propositions, which when they are perfected, I will advertise you further of. There were a party of Soldiers sent from hence to Holmby, who had Instructions for setting of a a Guard about Holmby, to secure his Majesty's Person; and we have received advertisements of their performing the same with much modesty, and offering nothing but what becomes loyal Subjects to His Majesty, and they carry themselves very civilly to the Commissioners, who are there by order of both Houses of Parliament with the King, we here that the Commissioners have sent up Captain Titus, one of his Majesty's Que●ries, with Letters to the Parliament, to acquaint them therewith. Colonel Graves some say is gone, but of that you will be better satisfied from Captain Titus, who can acqu●int you with the small matter of hurt which was at the fray there, which perhaps some ill affected personr will make a great matter of. The Souldiers are in great expectation what the Parliament will do; some things they have to propound, for aught I see, they will wave part t●ll they here from the Parliament. This is all at present from Your servant, R. CORBET. edmond's Bury, 3 of June, 1647. To his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax Knight, Commander in Chief of the Parliaments Forces. The Opinion and humble Advise of the Council of War, convened at Bury, Saturday 29. May. 1647. In relation to the Votes of Parliament, communicated to us by your Excellency and the desires of our advice thereof. Humbly Sheweth, 1. THat upon the reports come to all quarters of the Army concerning the Votes and proceed of the House May 21. As also of those on Tuesday, May 25. we find the generality of the Army (as we are ourselves) much unsatisfied in the one, and something amazed and startled at the other. the first Votes (of Friday) coming much short of satisfaction as to the grievances of the Army then reported to the House, and not taking any notice at all of some that were most material, & the latter (of Tuesday) importing a resolution suddenly to disband the Army by piecemeal, before equal satisfaction be given ●o the who●e in any of the grievances, or so much as any consideration had of some others most material: And also before any effectual performance of that satisfaction with the Votes of Friday seemed to promise as to some of the grievances, all which we shall be ready (upon a little time given us) to represent to your Excellency, more distinctly and in particular. 2. That the said distraction, and the jealousies occasioned upon the same proceeding, as we flare, and some effects already appearing do find, may unhappily produce dangerous disturbanc●s and tumultuous actings amongst several p●rts of the Army, as they now lie dispersed and remote from the Head quarters, especially amongst those Regiments whose principal Officers, by neglecting or disserting their Soldiers in in their necessary concernments or just grievances, have disobleiged their Soldiers, and lost their interest with them, in so much a● such Officers are in some sort forced to withdraw from their charges, and can scarce with safety come at them, & to prevent the inconveniencies or ill consequences which such disturbed or tumultuous acts might produce either to the countries where the Army quarters or to the kingdom, We humbly advise your Excellency without delay, to draw the Army unto a closer posture of quarters, till upon further satisfaction the Army may be quietly and orderly disbanded. II. That upon the same dissatisfaction and jealousy we find an extreme earnestness, and violent propensity among the Soldiers to a general Randezvouze and we verily believe, that the first attempt to disband any one Regiment, before equal satisfaction to all, and assurance against those things they have cause to fear, will occasion them all to draw together, and Kandevouze of themselves, as it were upon an Alarm etc. III. Since that course of disbanding the Army by piece meal, before the satisfaction intended be performed equally to the whle, seems something strange and unusual. FOUR That they would be pleased to resume the things voted on Tuesday last, as also to resume the grievances of the Army, together with the things proposed in the Narrative from the Officers, and to give satisfaction, or at least some resolution to each of them, and that they would not think it fit to put that temptation, those jealousies, and that dishonour upon the Army, as to take it disbanded in scattered pieces, before satisfaction be equally given to the whole. To his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax, Knight, Captain, General of the forces raised by the Authority of Parliament. The humble Petition of the Soldiers of the Army, presented to his Excellency at a Council of War, held at St. Edmunsburye on Saturday 29 May 1647. Humbly Sheweth, THat we your Petitioners considering the late Orders for disbanding the Army without redresing our grievances, vindicating the Army, or calling to account such persons who have been intenders contrivers, and promoters of our destruction which (being b●● reasonable) we humbly conceive we may justly expect and should not be denied before our disbanding, considering also the strange unheard of and unusual way of disbanding us a part one Regiment from another, contrary to the examples of other Armies disbanding in this kingdom: which posture renders 〈◊〉 … ous to the kingdom, to whom for some of our Accounts (though humble and just) we have already been declared enemies, and to whom (for aught we know) the rest of our doing, may be presented with the same constructions. We your Petitioners humbly beseech your Excellency, you would be pleased to appoint a Randezvouze speedily for the Army, and also to use your utmost e●eavours that it be not disbanded before our sad and pressing grievances be heard, and fully redressed; which if not done before disbanding, we humbly conceive we shall be enforced upon many inconveniencies which will (of necessity) arise, when we (though unwilling) shall be necessitated (for avoiding of destruction like to fall on the whole Army, if not prevented) to do such things ourselvess which if your Excellency (out of your wisdom and prudence), shall prevent, by granting our just desires in a way of Order, we shall abundantly rejoice in it, and be (with cheerfulness) enabled by it, to subscribe ourselves, Your Excellencies, and the Kingdom's innocent and faithful servants, whose names are hereunto annexed, being Agitators in behalf of the several Regiments. Adjutators of the General's Regiment of Horse. Edward Sexby. Edward Taylor. Lieutenant Generals Regiment. Wi●liam A●len Sam: whiting Commissary General's Regiment. Tho: Shepherd Anth. Nickson, Colonel Fleetwoods' Regiment. Edward Twig, Thomas Jones, Colonel Whaleyes Regiment. Thomas Kendal, William Young, Colonel Sheffields' Regiment, Edward Star, Edward Gethings Colonel Butler's Regiment John Willoughby, Tobias Box, Colonel Sir Robert Pies Reg●m●nt Thomas Brown, Barth. W●llock. Colonel Grave● his Re●●ment George Steuson, Richard Salter. Colonel Riches Regiment. Nicholas Lockyer, John Braman, O● the general's Reg●ment of Foot. Edward Vaughan, Joh● Newson, colonel Wa●●ers Regiment Robert Mason, Henry Anderton, Colonel's Harrows Regiment. Nicholas Andrews Ralph Apprentice, Colonel L●●●urnes Regiment. Herbert Field Thomas Walston, Colonel Hewsons' Regiment. Edward Garn, Daniel Hincksman Colonel Lambarts Regiment. William Baker,