A LETTER FROM The Lord Lieutenant OF IRELAND, TO The Honourable William Lenthall Esq Speaker of the Parliament of England, Relating the good Successes God hath lately given to The Parliament Forces there.  Die Lunae, 25 Februarii, 1649. 
ORdered by the Parliament, That this Letter be forthwith printed and published.  Hen: Scobell, Cleric. Parliamenti. 
London, Printed by Edward Husband and John Field, Printers to the Parliament of England. 1649.   

For the Honourable William Lenthal Esq Speaker of the Parliament of England.  
Mr. Speaker,  
HAving refreshed our men for some short time in our Winter-quarters, and health being pretty well recovered, we thought fit to take the Field, and to attempt such things as God by his Providence should lead us to upon the Enemy: Our Resolution was, to fall into the Enemy's Quarters two ways, the one party being about fifteen or sixteen Troops of Horse and Dragoons, and about Two thousand Foot, were ordered to go up by the way of Carick into the County of Kilkenny, under the Command of Colonel Reynolds, whom Major General Ireton was to follow with a Reserve; I myself was to go by the way of Mayallo over the Blackwater, towards the County of Limerick, and the County of Tipperary, with about Twelve Troops of Horse, and three Troops of Dragoons, and between Two and three hundred Foot. I began my march upon Tuesday the Nine and twentieth of January from Youghall, and upon Thursday the One and thirtieth, I possessed a Castle, called Kilkenny, upon the edge of the County of Limerick, where I left Thirty Foot: From thence I marched to a strong House belonging to Sir Richard Everard (called Clogheen) who is one of the Supreme Council, where I left a Troop of Horse and some Dragoons: From thence I marched to Raghill Castle, which was possessed by some Ulster Foot, and a Party of the Enemy's Horse, which upon Summons (I having taken the Captain of Horse Prisoner before) was rendered to me. These places being thus possessed, give us much command (together with some other Holds we have) of the White-Knights and Roches Country, and of all the Land from Mayallo to the Shewer-side, especially by another Castle taken by my Lord of Broghill, called Old-Castle-Town, since my march, which I sent to his Lordship to endeavour; as also a Castle of Sir Edward FitZ-Harris, over the Mountains in the County of Limerick, I having left his Lordship at Mayallo, with about Six or seven hundred Horse, and Four or five hundred Foot, to protect those parts, and your Interest in Munster, lest whilst we were abroad, Inchiquin, whose Forces lay about Limerick and the County of Kerry, should fall in behind us; his Lordship drew two Canon to the foresaid Castle (which having Summoned they refused) his Lordship having bestowed about ten shot upon it, which made their stomaches come down, he gave all the Soldiers Quarter for life, and shot all the Officers (being six in number) to death; since the taking of these Garrisons, the Irish have sent their Commissioners to Compound for their Contribution as far as the Walls of Limerick. I marched from Raghil Castle over the Shower with very much difficulty, and from thence to Fethard, almost in the heart of the County of Tipperary, where was a Garrison of the Enemy; the Town is most pleasantly seated, having a very good Wall with round and square Bulwarks, after the old manner of Fortification; We came thither in the Night, and indeed were very much distressed by fore and tempestuous wind and rain: After a long march, we knew not well how to dispose of ourselves, but finding an old Abbey in the Suburbs, and some Cabins and poor Houses, we got into them, and had opportunity to send them a Summons; they shot at my Trumpet, and would not listen to him for an hours space; but having some Officers in our Party which they knew, I sent them, to let them know that I was there with a good part of the Army; we shot not a shot at them, but they were very angry, and fired very earnestly upon us, telling us, That it was not a time of night to send a Summons: But yet in the end, the Governor was willing to send out two Commissioners, I think rather to see whether there was a force sufficient to force him, then to any other end: After almost a whole night spent in Treaty, the Town was delivered to me the next morning upon Terms, which we usually call Honourable, which I was the willinger to give, because I had little above Two hundred Foot, and neither Ladders nor Guns, nor any thing else to force them that night, there being about seventeen Companies of the Ulster Foot in Cowhel about five miles from thence, they quit it in some disorder, and the Sovereign and the Aldermen since sent to me a Petition, desiring that I would protect them, which I have also made a Quarter. From thence I marched towards Callan, hearing that Colonel Reynolds was there with the Party beforementioned; when I came thither, I found he had fallen upon the Enemy's Horse, and routed them, being about One hundred, with his Forlorn, took my Lord of Ostories Captain Lieutenant, and another Lieutenant of Horse, Prisoners, and one of those who betrayed our Garrison of Iniscorthy, whom we hanged: The Enemy had possessed three Castles in the Town, one of them belonging to one Butler, very considerable, the other two had about One hundred, or One hundred and twenty men in them, which he attempted, and they refusing Conditions seasonably offered, were put all to the Sword; indeed some of your Soldiers did attempt very notably in this Service, I do not hear there were six men of ours lost. Butler's Castle was delivered upon Conditions for all to march away, leaving their Arms behind them, wherein I have placed a Company of Foot and a Troop of Horse, under the Command of my Lord Colvil, the place being six Miles from Kilkenny; from hence Colonel Reynolds was sent with his Regiment to remove a Garrison of the Enemies from Knocktofer (being the way of our communication to Ross) which accordingly he did; we marched back with the rest of the body to Fethard and Cashel, where we are now quartered, having good plenty both of horse meat and man's meat for a time; and being indeed, we may say, even almost in the heart and bowels of the Enemy, ready to attempt what God shall next direct; and blessed be his Name only for this good success; and for this, that we do not find that our men are at all considerably sick upon this Expedition, though indeed it hath been very blustering weather. I had almost forgot one business, the Major General was very desirous to gain a Pass over the Shower, where indeed we had none but by Boat, or when the weather served; wherefore on Saturday in the evening he marched with a Party of Horse and Foot to Arfinom, where was a Bridge, and at the foot of it a strong Castle, which he about four a clock the next morning attempted, killed about thirteen of the Enemy's Outguard, lost but two men, and eight or ten wounded, the Enemy yielded the place to him, and were possessed of it, being a very considerable Pass, and the nearest to our Pass at Cappoquin over the black water, whither we can bring Guns, Ammunition, or other things from Youghal by water, and over this Pass to the Army: The County of Tipperary have submitted to One thousand five hundred pounds a month Contribution, although they have six or seven of the Enemy's Garrisons yet upon them. Sir, I desire the charge of England, as to this War, may be abated as much as may be, and as we know you do desire out of your care to the Commonwealth; but if you expect your work to be done (if the marching Army be not constantly paid, and the course taken that hath been humbly represented) indeed it will not be for the thrift of England, as far as England is concerned in the speedy reduction of Ireland: The money we raise upon the Counties, maintains the Garrison Forces, and hardly that; if the active force be not maintained, and all contingencies defrayed, how can you expect but to have a linger business of it? surely we desire not to spend a shilling of your Treasury, wherein our Consciences do not prompt us: We serve you, we are willing to be out of our trade of War, and shall hasten (by God's assistance and Grace) to the end of our work, as the labourer doth, to be at his rest; this makes us bold to be earnest with you for necessary supplies, that of money is one, and there be some other things which indeed I do not think for your service to speak of publicly, which I shall humbly represent to the Council of State, wherewith I desire we may be accommodated. Sir, The Lord who doth all these things, gives hopes of a speedy issue to this business, and I am persuaded will graciously appear in it; and truly there is no fear of the strength and Combination of Enemies round about, nor of slanderous tongues at home, God hath hitherto fenced you against all those, to wonder and amazement, they are tokens of your prosperity and success; only it will be good for you, and us that serve you, to fear the Lord, to fear Unbelief, Selfseeking, Confidence in an Arm of Flesh, and opinion of any Instruments that they are, other then as dry bones: That God be merciful in these things, and bless you, is the humble prayer of, Sir,  
Your most humble Servant, O. CROMWELL. Castletown, 15 Febr. 1649.  
FINIS.