A Brief RELATION OF THE Surprise of the FORTS OF WEYMOUTH, The SIEGE of MELCOMBE, The Recovery of the FORTS, And Raising of the SIEGE.  
By P. J. Minister to the Garrison.  
London, Printed for Luke Fawn, at the Parrot in Paul's Churchyard. 1644.   

A Brief Relation.  
SUch hath been the goodness of God to us, that 'tis pity it should pass without a memorial, and record; and the rather that others may not only bless God with us, but may be encouraged to a future dependency on the same power that saved us, if they shall fall into the like distress. We desire not to detract any thing from the many acts of divine power and goodness, whereby God hath manifested himself in other places; but certainly there were not since these wars begun, a people more strangely saved by the Lord.  
In the beginning of February, we were in as sweet a quiet and security, as any Garrison in the Kingdom; no enemy near us, but one at Portland, and that not very considerable, being but about three or four hundred men. It pleased God, that on a sudden, our Forts and quiet were lost, one of the Forts commanded the Harbour, the other the Town. Some of the Townsmen having a long time been hatching a conspiracy with Sir Lewis Dives, and the Portlanders, now brought their designs to execution.  
On Sabbath day, the ninth of February, about midnight, they did lead our enemies by such secret ways, that they were upon our Sentinels suddenly, and undiscovered, and entered the Forts without any thing worthy the name of resistance; and now a late Alarm was given by the Drums, and the shouts of our Enemies. We finding such dangerous guests possessed of those places (which above a half years pain and swear, had endeavoured to make our security) resolved upon a sudden assault, which we attempted, but were repulsed with the loss of the lives of some men, and the blood of more, though not many. Major Sydenham the Governors' Brother (whose memory may not be buried with him) here received a mortal wound, of which he died the day following; his death was no small joy to our enemies, to whom he was a perpetual vexation and terror, and no small grief to us, who had our eyes too much upon him; also Captain Salanova was wounded, and Captain Allen, with some others.  
In the morning following, we saw little but discomforts, our own Guns, Powder, Shot, Forts, Gunners, and in a manner, every thing but our God, against us. In this condition (when some of our friends deserted as lost men, and our enemies looked upon as conquered) some of us made it a ground of our Belief, That God would be our Saviour, because he had taken other saviours from us. We had not so much as one Ship left us, but what lay under the command of our enemies.  
About Noon, Sir Lewis Dives (who was expected sooner, and as some say, should at the same hour, have fallen upon Melcomb) came up with Horse and Foot to aid the Popish Knight Sir Walter Hastings, in keeping what villainy and treachery he had gained from us, and to see if they could gain what was yet left us.  
In the Evening we left Weymouth, which we could not any longer make good, and betaking ourselves to Melcomb, drew the Bridge, which lies betwixt the Towns. This place of Melcomb, our enemies tamely yielded as untenable; and we had scarce bestowed a Fortnight's work on it since we possessed this Garrison, yet God made it tenable, and so our adversaries found it. All this day they spent their great and small shot lavishly upon us, from the Forts, and some of their Gunners engaged themselves to level us with the ground; but the Weapons formed against us, did not prosper: For our Houses stood, and little of our blood was spilt. After they saw the multitude, as of great Bullets, and Iron Bars, hot and cold, sent against us, did us not the mischief they intended, they abated somewhat of their successelesse fury. Our Horse sallied out some times, and fetched us in some Provisions and prisoners.  
On Tuesday, Captain Martin came in the Ship, called the Providence, from Pool; the fight of any friend was an encouragement, and he was the welcomer, because he brought along about fourscore of our men who were upon service abroad, at the time of the surprise, and might not well adventure by the Land passage to us.  
On Wednesday, came the Admiral into the Road, Captain Batten and another of the Parliaments Ships, to whose helpfulness, both in easing us of our Prisoners, of which, we had above 200, and aiding of us with near 200 men, we must acknowledge ourselves very much indebted. It was a merciful providence of God, that the Wind served at that time to bring them hither.  
On Thursday our enemies began to fire us; and by small Iron Slugs heated in a Forge, which they shot out of their Muskets, set fire on a Thatcht-House, over against the Chappell-Fort; from whence they shot about the House continually, to hinder us from quenching the flames, but without the least hurt to any man. This fire was soon put out, it only consumed two Houses, blessed be God: Upon this we fell (though unwillingly) to the like course, and fired a house in the Chappell-Fort; but being little delighted with such sad spectacles, we sent to the enemy, that there might be no more such work on either side; they sent us word, They scorned to Parley with us, and would do what they pleased.  
The day after, they fired again on the other side the Town, over against the North-point Fort, yet that also we quenched without the loss of one drop of blood. Upon this, we fired seven or eight of the Houses in Weymouth; and whiles they endeavoured to rescue their Houses from the flames, one was shot dead that betrayed us, and two others were wounded; After this there was no more burning on either side.  
On Saturday came to us our friend, Lieutenant Colonel Haynes, with about 100 Horse, which was an addition to our strength and courage.  
The next Morning, the Governor (whose valour and unwearied industry, we have cause bless God for) went with Lieutenant Colonel Haynes. and all the Horse, and opportunely met with a Troop of the enemy's Horse (near Rodipole) routed them, took 45 prisoners, about 60 Horse, slew 7. or 8. of them; took a Captain, and a Cornet: And this was done without the loss of one man, Major Brown, and the Governors' Brother being only slightly wounded. The Governor and some of our party, chased the little remnant of them that escaped up to the Gates of Weymouth: Hereupon, somewhat of the insolency of our enemies was abated, so that we might exchange prisoners, and have a reputation with them.  
In the beginning of the second week of our trouble, our enemies lying at some further distance then formerly, we had the opportunity to go abroad with the Horse, to fetch in Provisions. We brought in 900 Sheep, and took a Captain, who expected not to find our walk so large as we made it, and stumbled upon our men, thinking them to be of his own party. In both Towns there was every day a new expense of shot and blood on both sides; but considering the many advantages they had continually upon us, it did daily cause in us an admiration, that our loss should be so little. Every night we were molested with the loud blasphemies, and revile of our enemies; but the worse we found them, the greater was our hope of deliverance from them.  
About the end of this week, came down the Lord Goring from Salisbury; and on the Sabbath-day, all day faced us with his Horse and Foot. No summons came from any of them, whether from a despair of any inclination in us to surrender, or from what other cause it might proceed we know not.  
This night they made a Work at the North end of the Town, which when the Governor discovered on Monday morning, he resolved to take out a party of Foot and Horse, and to see if they might be removed to a further distance from us; but before they could be got together, our great shot killed some of them, and the rest did not stay; so that we with case, took all their working-tools and the work, with a few Horse; their Body of Horse standing on a Rising ground, not far off, and looking on.  
On Tuesday morning, we went out with our Horse and some Foot, and met with a party of their Horse, going with some Provisions to Weymouth; we beat them from their Carriages, brought some of them into Melcomb, and had pursued them, had not another party been too near our Rear. We burned a House at Radipole, a mile from the Town, where we suspected they would lodge some Musketeers, which might have done us no small hurt.  
Those in Weymouth seeing their Horse worsted, and flying before us, hasted out a hundred Foot for their relief; the Governor being then in the field with the Horse, and having intelligence of the motion of their Foot out of Weymouth, resolved to fall over the Bridge, upon the Town, and to attempt the recovery of the Chappel-Fort; which suddenly drawing out several Squadrons out of every Company, he effected. Major Wilson and Captain Langford, led on the party; the enemy not discovering our men, till they were upon the outworks, ran into the Chapel, and after a shot or two, cried quarter. Thus had we now again regained the command of the Town of Weymouth; took in the Fort and Town above 100 prisoners, one Lieutenant Colonel, one Major, three Captains, besides other Officers; we took about 40 Load of Provisions of all sorts, which they had brought in the Lord's day before; we slew here, their Marshal, and Philip Ash, the fourth of the confedrates, who had conspired our ruin, which received his reward; besides three or four other men. At this time our Provisions for Horse, were almost exhausted, so that if God had not supplied us out of our enemy's store, we had been driven to great extremities.  
This invaluable mercy, was the first step to our recovery: Our enemy could not now harbour so near us as before, nor relieve their friends in the North-point so easily, being to pass by us; besides, this Fort overlooking Melcomb, did us far more mischief than the North-point. We relieved here some honest men that were their prisoners, which made it more a mercy, and took some of the profidious Townsmen, who after taking the Covenant with us, were got into Arms against us. Amongst other Pillage in the Town of Weymouth, we took Captain Kaines a Papist, his Portmantle, wherein we had a parcel of Holy-Beads, a Commission for a Ship to play the Pirate with at Sea, which lay blank at Dunkirk, till by Master Henry Jermins' Letters (which we have also) he had his name put in. Our enemies upon this loss, began to think of packing up, but Sir Lewis was loath to leave us so; and therefore importunes the Lord Goring (who for aught we can hear, had no great stomach to the business) to try an onslaught upon us.  
On Thursday, they marched with their Horse, Foot, and Carriages, from Dorchester, towards us; but do so guard all ways, that no intelligence must come near us.  
Here fell in another strange providence of God for us. One of our men who had been taken prisoner, two or three days before (though very strictly watched) broke from them, and got safe to our Horse then in the field; by him we had notice of all their intendments; whereupon we put ourselves into the most prepared posture we could, to receive them. We quit the West-guard of Weymouth, and made a Barricado below in the street beneath the Chappel-Fort, planted a Gun there, and ordered all the other Guards, so as might serve best for the repulse of them that were coming against us. About one or two of the clock the night, (it being light) on they come, the most considerable part of them on the Westside, where entering the work (which we quit) so easily, they thought all their own, and gave a loud hoop (which ended in heavy groans with some of them not long after.) They had not come in a Body far down the street, but their presumption was confuted, and they wished themselves further off: A long time shot was going on both sides; but at last seeing they got nothing but wounds, by staying, they began to run away, and be quiet, leaving five dead men in the streets: One Lieutenant, so wounded, that he could not get off, and some common soldiers. The people saw them carry away some of their Gallants, and since that, they buried some they carried away at Dorchester, and other places. On the other side from the North-point, the Irish Rebels; and others of their fraternity sell on, and the Barricado made that way, lying below the Houses under the Hill, the enemy broke in within the Barricado through the Houses, and put our men to a somewhat disorderly retreat thence; but they fell back to a second Barricado, where a Gun was planted, which they had been in a way to desert too, but that the Governor came seasonably in, and commanded them to make it good; so they fired the Gun upon the enemy, whereupon they fled back and were followed by a party, taken off from the main Guard, to the further Barricado formerly quitted. Here we wounded another of them that betrayed us, who died of his wound a day or two after. The Governors' Horse was here shot in the Head. Those on the North end of the Town, did only lie behind a bank, firing at a distance, and came not up, yet left some of their blood behind them. So after about two hours fight, they very silently stole away, that we might not fall upon their Rear. They retreated to Wike, about a mile from the Town, and having stayed a while to use some Chirurgery about their wounds, and to take their friends out of our Forts a long with them; at last they marched away, cursing and swearing. We were struck with much wonder, to see them leave our Forts, and could not study the meaning of it: But away they went, and left us our Holds and Guns, not past three or four of them spikt; our Corn stacks unburnt, our Ships unspoiled, and departed with as little mischief doing, as if they had been our veriest friends. Oh that we could praise the Lord, for his goodness, and for his wonderful Works, that he doth for the children of men. Had we enjoyed our old quiet, we had not seen so much of God as now we have; and many of us would not for the world have wanted the experiences we have now gained.  
We have not lost since our assault upon the Chappel-Fort, any Officer, not so much as a Corporal, and not above 20 men; our enemies report their loss of men, one way and another, taken, slain, and wounded, 4 or 500 men.  
Thus God relieved us without the help of an Army, and therefore we desire he may have the greater glory. Since we have been repossessest of our own, we have examined the Survivers of them that were Agents in the contrivement of our destruction; and upon Saturday, March the first, Captain Cade, an Alderman of the Town, Thomas Samwayes a Tailor, John Mils, Walter Bond, were tried by a Council of War, and sentenced to be hanged: A fit reward for their Fact, than the 500 pound, one of them confesses, Sir Lewis was to give them. Cade and Mils, and an Irish Rebel, were hanged at the North-point on Monday morning, the other two be reprieved to make a further discovery of their partners. There be not many of the villains left, but their sin hath found them out.  
We have ground to hope for a Discovery of the rest. We hope this place shall be so weeded of such inhabitants, that we shall not come under the like dangers. We desire other places, and amongst them, the great City of the Kingdom, may learn by us to take heed how they keep false men, and malignant spirits amongst them, who do but wait when they may be employed upon the like Designs.  
The God that hath delivered many other places of late, and now us, still turn these men's counsels into foolishness, and disappoint the devices of the Crafty, so that their hands may not bring about their enterprises. We desire our friends may not look upon any valour or activity of ours, as our deliverers; but merely upon that God who gave us whatever courage or success we had: To whom, and not to us, be glory for ever. Amen.  
FINIS.