NEWS FROM YORK.  
Being A true Relation of the proceed of Sir Hugh Cholmley since his coming to Scarborough: with the reasons why he did not march to Tadcaster, as was desired by the Lord FAIRFAX.  
Directed in two several Letters to the Speaker of the Honourable House of Commons, with his advice of the affairs of the County.  
Together with the opinion of his Officers concerning his repair bacl to Scarborough.  
LONDON, Printed for Richard Best. 1642.   

Several Letters.  

SIr, I perceive by a letter I received from Mr. Pym, the dividing of my Forces from the rest of the Army, is by the House apprehended to be very prejudicial to the service of the Kingdom, as that this place is conceived not to be very useful. The former of which particulars trencheth so much upon my discretion and honour, as for my vindication I must crave your favour in presenting this enclosed to the House, containing my whole deportment since I came hither; which if it prove to my justification, I shall humbly crave their sense so upon it; if otherwise, that I may be called to make answer to any particular may stick with them, and receive according to my demerits: for if I have failed in my duty, I am unworthy to be employed longer in public service: if not, I trust they will not think it reasonable I should lie under so heavy a censure. I hope my retreating to Scarborough will appear to be upon good grounds, & only to discharge the trust upon me; and that my not obeying my Lord Fairfax Orders, can be no great crime, since I protest I did not then, nor of a good time after, know the power he hath over us: for I should not then so much have scrupled, in respect his command had been a security to me for any inconvenience which might have happened: nor can I remember I ever dissented from what he propounded, saving this last, to cast myself and Forces into the West Riding so remote from my charge, For those several orders mentioned in the printed papers, to which it is said, I found such impediments, I could not obey them, had but the times been mentioned, or copies of them produced, I could have answered; and till than I must put them in balance with the seven hundred men (is said in print too) that I retreated with to Scarborough. Sir, if the affairs of this Court● are not in so good a condition a● a few weeks ago there was hopes for, I humbly beseech the House, the blame may not be (as it 〈◊〉 some would have it) wholly imputed to my neglect: For to 〈◊〉 plainly and clearly, I think it proceeds from this cause, that ●● drew not near to the City of York, and made some attempt upon it, (wherein I shall make my forwardness manifest) and if we had not prevailed before my Lord of Newcastles approach near us, yet we had been united in a body to have opposed him. For the other point, touching this Castle, I offer the opinion of all my Captains, which I do merely that it may be considered how fare it may be useful; not that I would thereby make advantage to continue this command: For since I am so unfortunate, as the care of the place makes my actions subject to misconstruction, and that I am so little thought upon, as there is neither course taken for supply of money or ammunition, nor that I can receive commission or instruction for my better direction, I shall most humbly beseech the House to discharge me of this trust. And however I have erred, I have not failed in my pains and faithfulness since I came hither. Nor as I did not seek the employment, so was I not drawn into action by private ends, but out of desire to contribute my poor endeavours to the settling the truth of the Gospel, liberty of the Subject, and peace of the Kingdom, which I shall wish and hearty pray for, and that with as much honour as possibly may be to his Majesty. For if there be not a good understanding between him and his Parliament shortly, so that these unhappy distractions may be composed, to my judgement the Kingdom is in danger to be ruined. I shall not need further to relate how affairs stand here, in respect the bearer my Lieutenant Colonel, can inform in every particular; and therefore will only add my desire to be in your esteem, as I shall ever approve myself, Sir,  
Your most humble Servant, H. Cholmely.   

Another Letter.  
SIr, before my coming to Scarborough, or that I could draw any considerable forces hither, a great part of my Regiment was disarmed; and this place being at an out Angle, I did not without difficulty in three weeks draw together four hundred 〈◊〉, and being much importuned by Sir john Hotham to march towards York, I acquainted my Captains with it, who jointly presented their opinions and advice in writing to dissuade me, in respect of the weak condition I should leave this place, and the strength of the enemy at York, who was then reputed two thousand: Yet conceiving my advancing into the Country, would be much for the service of the public, leaving only one hundred and twelve men or thereupon in the Castle; I marched from hence with under three hundred foot, and quartered at Stamford bridge within five miles of York: then two hundred and twenty men more came to me from Sir john Hotham, and these with two troops of horse was my whole strength, and with them, as I was desired, I endeavoured to cut off all supply from the City, but finding an impossibility to do it at that distance we were, I moved both my Lord Fairfax and Sir john Hotham that we might quarter ourselves within the Suburbs of the City, and having as I thought by a letter I writ to my Lord Major set the minds of many of the Citizens not to endure a siege, I resolved myself, though none joined with me to fall upon some part of the Suburbs, and for that purpose sent for a great Ordnance to Scarborough, and when she was within two miles of my quarters at Stamford bridge, I was forced to send her bacl again, in respect I received a letter from Sir Christopher Wray, Captain Hotham and Captain Hatcher that they were advanced towards the Teas, to stop the Earl of Newcastles passage into Yorkshire, and desired me to march up to them, which as I was preparing to do, comes another letter from them for my stay, where I was at Brigge till I heard further from them, and though perhaps they after writ some letters which came not to my hands, yet upon the first from my Lord Fairfax desiring my march to Thirske, the next morning I broke up in quarters, and marched to Malton, where I met Colonel Boynton, who being commanded to march two days before me, was retreated thither, in respect the enemy advanced so fast, he could not come to join with Captain Hotham; and hither to Malton my Lord Fairfax writ to Colonel Boynton, and myself, that we would march bacl into the East, and by passing some Ferries come up to his quarters at Tadcaster, which I profess I was resolved to do, but I found all my Captains of a contrary opinion, and to dissuade me from that course, and then I began more seriously to think of the business, and resolved it was fit for me to repair to Scarborough with some forces for these reasons: First, my order was to repair with my Regiment to Scarborough, and principally to secure the Castle and Town, and to continue or remove from time to time, as I should receive directions and order from the Parliament, the Lord General, or Committee for the safety of the Kingdom. Secondly, I had left the Castle with a weak garrison, ill fortified, not a Platform or Ordnance mounted within the walls, unvictualled, ill provided with ammunition, there being but eleven barrels of powder. Thirdly, though I was willing to march to any place to oppose the enemy's passage into the Country, or to give him battle, and bring the business to an issue; yet I thought it not fit to be cast into a part of the Country where I might not upon any occasion resort to my charge, nor was there any certainty, if the enemy once got into York when we should encounter with him. Fourthly, when I marched from Scarborough, I left no enemy at my back, my party was matters of the field, I could resort to my charge upon every occasion; he case was now otherwise, should I have gone with my forces as was desired into the West, I should have left a powerful enemy behind, that might have marched hither without opposition, and as my Captains conceived might have taken the Castle without much difficulty in the condition it then was. Fifthly, my march from Scarborough was against the consent and opinion of my Captains, and though I had craved the Committees approbation for my doing so, and their further directions, I could never obtain it: so that having marched from thence against my Captain's consent, & not to retire when they conceived it of such necessity; I thought it would be interpreted beyond the bounds of my order or discretion, and not suiting with the discharge of the trust imposed on me. Sixtly, I had not money to pay those forces with me a week, nor had left for the garrison much longer. So for these reasons I thought fit, and resolved to repair to Scarborough with some forces, which were under three hundred foot, and forty horse; yet had I such care as well in respect of the public, as to satisfy my Lord Fairfax his desires; I declared mine opinion, it was fit for Colonel Boynton to march with all his forces to the Lord Fairfax, and he being very ready, and resolved to do so, I designed Captain Mildem●y, and Captain Al●reds troops which were with me, with the two hundred and twenty foot sent me from Sir john Hotham to march with him; and in respect we were informed the enemy had drawn some forces on the other side of the river of Darwent, opposite to where Colonel Boynton was to quarter the first night; I did send my carriages, and the foot being in number as I said under three hundred, from Malton the direct way to Scarborough, but myself with my forty horse, marched the first day along with Colonel Boynton, and then apprehending there would be no great danger between that place and the Ferry whither they were directed; I marched the next day to Scarborough, which I think was so far from a disservice, as it was advantageous in these particulars, I strengthened the garrison, I brought a supply of as many barrels of powder as I had left in the Magazine, as likewise two pieces of small Ordnance, of which there was great need at the Castle: I have fortified the place in much better manner than it was: And lastly, by returning thither I got a supply of money from the adjacent parts, without which, we could not have subsisted till this time; and though by these reasons I was induced to retreat, it was not with an intention to immure myself in the Castle, but resolved as soon as I had fortified the same, and left it in better security to march to my Lord Fairfax with my troop, and such a number as could be spared from the Castle, and might be mounted for Dragooners, which I had performed before this, but that I was drawn another way by commands from the Lord Fairfax.  
Now this resolution being duly considered, I hope it will not appear I have been remiss in performing my duty to the public, or the service and trust committed to me, nor yet that the Lord Fairfax in the managing of his affairs, could receive much prejudice by my retreat, considering how few I drew▪ with me, except the presence of my own person should be more considerable than my merit, or the printed paper makes me.  
Hu. Cholmley.   

IT being propounded unto us by our Colonel Sir Hugh Cholmeley to declare our opinions touching the proposition for our marching from Malton to Tadcaster to join with the Lord Fairfax: We considering that the Castle of Scarborough was left with a weak Garrison, unfortified, unprovided of ammunition or victuals. And as the place seems to our judgements to be of great importance, so we had reason to think the enemy had a special eye towards it; That if all our forces should have been drawn so remote from Scarborough, the enemy might have advanced thither without opposition, and have been master of the town and place without any great difficulty. And therefore we gave our opinions and advices; that it was fit & requisite our Colonel should retreat to Scarborough with three hundred foot which was all the forces belonging to that Regiment, except those which were in the Castle, to fortify and secure the place better than it was at that present, or else we conceived he could not discharge the trust that was reposed in him: And for the strength of the Castle, we conceive, the same being well fortified, and victualled, that a Garrison of three hundred men will be able to defend it, against any force that can come to oppose it.  
And we do further conceive, the same to be a place of very great consequence, for these reasons.  
1. He who is Commander of the Castle hath a great power over the adjacent parts of this Country.  
2. Considering, as affairs now stand, it is the only Port to land men or ammunition to supply the enemy, and that if the enemy were possessed thereof, it lies so opposite to Holland, or Denmark, that he might take opportunity to send men or provisions from thence hither in despite of any Navy upon the Sea.  
3. That from this place, Ordnance or Carriages, may pass in the depth of winter to York without difficulty, which cannot be done from Newcastle both in respect of the distance and illness of the ways.  
4. This Fort lies more conveniently than any other in the Kingdom for Pinnances that may upon every occasion make out and hinder the bringing of Arms or Ammunition from Holland or Denmark.  
Subscribed by Lancelot Alured Lieutenant Colonel. George Orme Sergeant Major. Brown Bushel, John Colborne, Richard Medley Captains.   

When my Colonel was at Malton with his Forces I was at Scarbrough entrusted with the Castle, so that I was not then present to give my opinion for his retreat. At his coming hither there were but eleven barrels of powder in the Castle, one hundred and twelve men, divers of which unfit for service, not victuals for ten days to keep them, nor any one piece of Ordnance mounted within the Castle, and therefore I conceive it was very necessary for him to retire hither, for supplying all these and other defects.  
Subscribed by John Legard Captain.   
FINIS.