THE RIDER OF THE WHITE HORSE And His ARMY, Their late good Success in YORRE-SHIERE.  
OR A true and faithful Relation of that famous and wonderful victory at Bradford, obtained by the Clubmen there, with all the circumstances thereof.  
And of the taking of Leeds and Wakefield by the same men under the command of Sir Thomas Fairfax, with the manner and circumstances thereof from good hands.  
Seriously commended to the High Court of PARLIAMENT, and all that are of GOD'S side for their encouragement.  
LONDON, Printed for Thomas Vnderhill, 1643.   

BRADFORDS' Deliverance.  
AFter the Lord Fairfax his Excellency had retired from Tadcaster, the Lord of Newcastle possessed himself of Pontefract, so making himself Master of our Western parts, blocked up all passages between us and our strength, and then manifested his resolutions to sesse the whole County, but to exact extraordinary sums of those who had subscribed the Parliaments Propositions. We could expect nothing now, but that those Towns should first suffer, who had been most forward to assist the Parliament: Leeds, Bradford and Halifax were principally aimed at. In Leeds the malignant humour being predominant, easily converted the Town into their temper. Bradford was the next place in their way, the Town most unable to resist them; and indeed who ever considers their dangers, weakness and discouragements, must judge their attempt as worthy admiration as their success. The main body of the Popish Army was within a days march of Bradford, some amongst them grievously exasperated by a dishonourable repulse from this Town not long before. So fare were we from expecting help from the Lord Fairfax, as we thought it scarce possible to seek it: Our malignant spirits before charmed, now appeared, breathing forth nothing but threaten against those who had been most active for the Parliament: and their apparition was so terrible, as it affrighted many of the best affected persons out of the Town; and thereupon, out goes our Royalists to bring in the King's Catholic Army. Some religious persons in the Parish, considering what danger might result both to their consciences and Country from such cowardice and treachery (instigated by fear of perjury, if they should contribute any assistance against the Parliament, and care of their lives and Estates, evidently endangered by a bare refusal without resistance) resolved to stand upon then guard, invited all the well affected in the Parish to assist them, and entered the Town. When our Malignants were returned with a Letter from Sir William Savile, wherein he manifested an intention to burn and plunder, if we did not contribute to the maintenance of the Popish Army. To which no other answer was returned, than the apprehension of those who brought it, and had subscribed it; All courageous attempts, yea desperate in the account of many, who saw neither wisdom nor strength sufficient to manage them; There wanted both the head, body and sinews of war, we had never a Gentleman in the Parish to command us, nor would any stranger be persuaded to undertake the charge. All our trained Soldiers with their Arms, were with the Lord Fairfax, and the most of those who were fitted for service as volunteers. Nor could it be expected, that the well affected of our poor Parish, could pay a Garrison any long time, and none would carry one day without pay. Our neighbours perceived this, and therefore judging our attempt desperate (as in the eye of reason it was) and fearing the issue would be our ruin, refused to help us, lest they should perish with us. Nor wanted we discouragements from our own men, to instance in no more; the very night before the Enemy assaulted us, the greatest part of them left us. This was on Saturday, Decemb: 17. The next morning about 9 of the Clock the Enemy was discovered, approaching the East end of the Town: They were marshalled in two Bodies, the Van was commanded by Colonel Evers (eldest Son to the Lord Evers) wherein were 3 Troops of Horse, 2 Companies of Dragooners, 100 Foot, 20 Pyoni●rs, 2 Drakes, the train of Artillery, commanded by Major Carew a Dutch man. The Re●e was commanded by Sir Francis Howard, wherein were his own and Captain Hiliards Troops, 6 Companies of Colonel Eddringtons Dragooners, and a 100 Foot. Colonel Goring came along with them, and some say the Earl of Newport; but whether they had any charge or no in this expedition I hear not. All these our York-shiere Gentlemen had procured of the Lord of New castle, as though Sir William Savils Regiment, Sir Marmaduke Langdale, Sir Thomas Gleman and Sir john Gothericks' Troops, Sir Ingram Hopton, Captain Nevil, Captain Batt. Captain Bins' Companies had not been sufficient to have swallowed our despicable Town: I should now show how our men were marshalled, but 'tis a hard matter to marshal those who had neither Commanders, Colours, nor distinct Companies. The night before, we had borrowed a Commander of Hallifax, we had near upon 40 Muskets and Calievers, in Town about 30 Fowling, Birding and smaller Pieces, and well nigh twice as many Club men. These our Captain disposed in several parts of the Town, 10 or 12 of your best marks men upon the Steeple, and some in the Church; Who being next the Enemy, awaited not their warning piece, but at the first fight gave fire upon them bravely. The Enemy who expected a surrender, rather than resistance, being herewith something daunted; and perceiving how advantageous the Steeple was to us, presently possessed themselves of some Houses not fare from the Church, very convenient for the shelter of their men, and planting of their Ordnance, and from thence sent out Sir john Gothericks' Troop, who partly to divert us from hindering them planting their Canon, and partly to hinder the Parish from coming in to our aid, passed through some Parish villages on the one side of the Town, rob a Woman, most cowardly slew two naked Men, and so came within fight of our Sentinel at the West end of the Town, Our Musquetiers there discharged at them, shot 2 or 3 Horses, whereof one of them lightly wounded was brought into Town; and in a short space (partly by our shot, partly by the approach of some Clubmen from Bingley) they were forced to retire back to their strength. In the mean time their Canons were planted in places most convenient for battering the Steeple, (which did most annoy them) and scouring of Kirkgate, down which, our men must upon necessity march to resist them; This done, Major Carew draws down some Foot, and therewith takes two Houses within 30 yards of the Church, and this he did without any other impeachment then from the Steeple; We having not any strength to sally out upon them, from these Houses they played upon the Church very hotly, and the Church upon them: Our Steeple had a notable advantage of them, which our Musketeers there especially improved against them, for when any Buff or scarlet Coat appeared, they laid 2 or 3 of their Pieces in one hole, and discharged at once upon them with good success, and thereby deterred the rest from relieving their men in the Houses, and thus they continued till high-noon, about which time there came to our aid from Hallifax some Fire-men and many Clubbs, such of these as came to fight, were forthwith drawn down to service, some of them were placed in the Church, others in Lanes near the foresaid Houses; The Church and Lanes kept the Houses in play, and the Steeple hindered the Enemy from relieving the Houses. But this was not the way to repel the Enemy. The largeness of the Church windows, and smallness of the Houses, made their assault secure, and our defence dangerous, which our men perceiving, resolved to win or lose all at once; watching an opportunity betwixt the discharge and charge of the Enemy, they sallied out of the Church, and being seconded by those in the Lanes, rushed in upon the Houses, burst open the doors, slew those that resisted, took those who yielded; the rest fled into the next Field, whither some few of ours followed, (the greatest part being employed in conveying the Men and Munition which the Enemy had left behind them) and in the Field the skirmish was hotter than ever; Our men were too eager to keep Rank or File, though they had known how to keep it, and indeed their disorder was an advantage to us, for mixing themselves with the Enemy, they fought securely in the mouth of the Enemy's Canon, and in the eye of one Body of their Forces, both placed in the Field above them; the Enemy not daring to discharge, lest with them they should slay their own Men, (otherwise, they having 10 Fire-men for one, might have cut us off in an instant) nor could ours use their Muskets otherwise then as Clubbs. To speak ingeniously, their Commanders exasperated by the cowardice of their common Soldiers, manifested great courage, but they smarted for it; our Sythes and Clubbs now and then reaching them, and none else did they aim at: One amongst the rest in a Scarlet Coat, our Clubmen had got hold of (and he in all probability, as some credible reports give us occasion to believe, was Colonel Goring) and were spoiling him. Their Horse fearing the loss of such a Man, became more courageous than they intended, leapt over the hedge, and road full upon our Men, forcing them to give a little ground; too Much (alas that they had known him) to lose such a Man, but they quickly recovered the ground' tho they lost the Man; doubled their courage, would neither give nor take quarter; (nor was this their cruelty, as the Enemy complains, but their ignorance) and in the end forced both Man and Horse to leave the Field; and yet could not we keep it, for we being separated from theirs, the Musketeers had liberty to play upon us; and indeed they reigned such a shower of lead amongst our men, as forced them to retreat for shelter to the next hedge, and so hindered them from pursuing, till they had removed their Canons. Their Ordnance all this time played upon us, one of them ranged an 8 pound Bullet; yet see the Lords mercy to us: that which was planted against the Steeple never hit it; another intended for the scouring of Kirhgate, ' tho planted in as advantageous a place as they desired, ' tho the Street was continually crowded with people; yea, though many of their Bullets hit the Houses, and some the Street, yet was no body at all hurt therewith; they bored indeed 3 or 4 Houses, yet (which is observable) did most harm to a Malignants; and thus the terror of the Lord, and of us falling upon them, sending their Foot and Artillery foremost, away they went. (using their feet better than they used their hands) and about 50 of our Clubbs and Muskets after them; Which courage in ours, did most of all astonish the Enemy; who say, no 50 Men in the world, except they were mad or drunk, would have pursued a Thousand: Our men indeed, shot as they were mad, and the Enemy fell as they were drunk, and so we will divide it. Some discharged 10 some 12 times in the pursuit; and having the whole Body of the Enemy for their butt, it may easily be imagined what good execution they did in a miles march (for so fare they pursued them) even to the Moor, where fearing to be environed by their Horse, they retired, some of them so wearied with this 8 hours hot service, as they could scarce return to the Town, One thing I cannot omit, a hearty Round-head left by his comrades, environed with the Enemy's Horse, discharged his Musket upon one, strooke down another's Horse with the thick end of it, broke a thirds Sword, beating it bacl to his throat, and put them all to flight; which (though as the rest wonderful) I dare pawn my credit to be true. And thus ended our skirmish; wherein there was  
Slain of theirs, Sir john Harper, (as one Savile taken at Halifax confesseth,) Captain Wray (in whose pocket was found good store of gold, and a Commission directed to Major Williams, which made us think him to be the Man) and Captain Bins (whom they carried to Leeds scarce dead, and buried two days after) and many common Soldiers, more I am persuaded than we shall ever know of, Of ours, I cannot hear of two that perished by the Enemy in the fight.  
Sir john Gothericke got a bastinado, had his Horse killed with a Sith, and about a 100 common Soldiers were wounded, as we are informed from Leeds where they are Billeted: Of ours, about 12. all curable except one or two.  
Taken of theirs, Sergeant Major Carew, (a Man of great account, borne in the Low-Countries of English Parents) 26 Common Soldiers, about 10 Horses, 180 weight of Powder, and about 40 Muskets; and thus God supplied our wants out of the store, giving us as many more Muskets as we had, and well-nigh as much Powder as we spent.  
This was the issue of the fight, wherein nothing can be seen but God, and the wonderful effects of his glorious Attributes: Let us and our Enemies both see it, that they may fear and shame, that we may trust and praise our God, who hath manifested himself to be the Lord of Hosts.   

A true Relation of the passages at Leeds, on Monday the 23. of january, 1642.  
SIR Thomas Fairfax, son to the Lord General Fairfax, marched from Bradford (six miles distant from Leeds) on Monday morning with 6. Troops of Horse, and 3. Companies of Dragoones under the command of Sir Henry Fowls Knight, his Lieutenant General of the horse, and near a 1000 musketeers, with 2000 Clubmen, under the command of Sir William Fairfax Colonel, and Lieutenant General of the Foot. One company of these being Dragoones under Capt. Mildmay, and about 30 musketeers and 1000 clubmen, marched on the Southside of the River of Air to Hunslet-more above half a mile from Leeds, on the Southeast side towards Wakefield: and the rest on the North-side Air by Aperley-bridge (20. yards of Christall-bridge being broke down by the enemy) to Wood house-more. On the westside Leeds about a mile thence; where they commending the cause to God by prayer, Sir Thomas dispeeded a Trumpeter to Sir William Savile, who commanded in chief in Leeds, requiring in writing that Town to be delivered him for the King and Parliament; which Sir William disdainfully answered and said, he used not to give answer to such frivolous tickets, being confident (it seems) that with the strength he had he could keep the Town, wherein were about 2000 men. viz. 1500. foot, and 5. Troops of Horse and Dragoons and two Demiculverins.  
Sir Thomas approached nearer the South-west-side of the Town with his Forts that came on the North-side air, and coming within view of the Town with banners displayed (about 36. Colours) sent another Trumpeter to Sir William, who shortly after by a Trumpeter assured him he should get nothing but by fight, whereupon he drew out of his companies 5. Colours of his expertest Soldiers, and appointed them to march down with Sergeant Major Forbes, Captains Briggs, Lee, Francke and Palmer, with his Dragoones on foot, towards the water along the trenches, drawn two yard's breadth and height from M. Harrisons new Church along the Southside of the Town to the water, an inner trench being divided and drawn on the inside that long trench near the waterside, compassed about the declivity of the Hill a little above the water. Near to and above which about a 100 musketeers were drawn out of the Town, and about 2 of the clock in the afternoon, gave fire from the inside of the works upon Sir Thomas his musketeers, who approaching nearer shrouded themselves under a hill at the South head of the great fields before the great long Trench, and let fly at the said Sentry with no loss at all to either side, they within the Trenches shooting too high, and the other at the Trenches; mean while Sir Wm. Fairfax, Sir Tho Norcliffe, and other Captains leading their Companies to the Westside of the new Church, and the Troops of Horse attending the enemy's out-roads in the lanes and fields on the west, and north parts; and the forts of the southside air, approaching the Bridge, forced the Guarders to quit the works at the first sentry, placed on the outside the Houses towards Beiston, broke through the works, and shot at the other strong sentry at the Bridge end, where the Forts discharged upon them without any loss to either side, but seeing the very near approach of the Dragoons, Musketeers and many Club men and fearing the speedy forcing that place they instantly fetched to the bridge the Demiculverin. And after about an hours time spent in vain shooting between the Forts within and without the works on the south side of the Town, as aforesaid. Sergeant Major Forbes most bravely leading on his companies in the plain fields before the great Trenches, his Lieutenant Horsfall of Halyfax, Captain's Lee, Brigg and Francke contended which should next follow, and Captain Chadwicks Lancashiere soldiers accompanied: Th'enemy shot most vehemently from the Trenches, yet killed none.  
It was perceived by the Forts on the Southside Air, that if they could get some musketeers over the fields to the water side without danger by the Cannon, and musket from the bridge, they could force the great Sentries from their works on the other side the river (in regard they had made no other defence against the southside water) and so open an easy passage to Ser-Major Forbs & his forces; whereupon by single persons they got to the waterside, and hide them in a little lane (james Nayler one of the Dragooners being first) whither they had no sooner got, than the Demiculverin from the bridge played near them, and about 4. muskets from that little lane, and 2. from under a stump of a tree, a little above by the waterside, discharged amongst the Sentry, and one man being there slain, the rest perceived their error, and in conclusion fled apace out of the lower Sentry, which being espied by those on the southside air (Sergeant Major Forbes and his company not discerning them, for the height of their works hindered) a great shout from those on the southside of the water, discovered it to the Sergeant Major, who with his forces coming down towards the waterside was helped by Lieutenant Horsfall, who lending him his shoulder to climb the top of the works, be most furviously and boldly entered the works single, him his said Lieutenant (wading through the riverside below the work) next followed most resolutely, them the rest followed, and M. jonathan Scholefield (the Minister at Croston chapel in Halifax Parish near To●merdeu) in their Company begun, and they sung the 1 verse of the 68 Psalms, Let G●darife, and then his enemies shall be scattered, and those that 〈◊〉 him flee before him. And instantly after the great shout on the southside river, still informing of the enemy's flight from the upper and next Sentry (where about a 100 were) Sergeant Major entered that also, and M. Scholefield begun, and they sung another like verse. So these works being gained, the enemy fled into the Houses, and shot again furiously at those who had entered their works, who pursuing their victory, went up along the inside the works to the third sentry at the lane near M. Metcalses house, where fierce shot being made from a new house and all about, two men of Sergeant Major Forbes company were shot dead, here Captain Lee entering that sentry from the lane, leading from Chrystall-bridge, was shot in the leg above the ankle, some bones being broken and took out, he is likely shortly to recover. The victory they pursued, though with great difficulty; Captain Briggs drawing towards the old-church, was from an House shot under the chin near the throat, and in the arm, though not mortally, as is hoped. The Enemy flying along a street or lane, from the 2. sentries near the water into the heart of the Town, where the other Demiculverin lay to guard that passage, Sir William met them, and enquiring the cause of their flight, was answered that their works were entered, he called on them, go beat them out, promising to lead them, yet they denied: which he seeing, and that 12. musketeers, drawn on both sides that lane by Mr. Scholefield had gained that Cannon by killing the Cannoneere (though with loss of a grey coats, the one whereof being shot, did fight beyond the strength of a man) he and the rest, perceiving the Town lost, about an hour after the first sentry was entered) fled away, thinking to get over the bridge towards Wakefield, and some of them (upon occasion of the club-mens' beating bacl from that sentry by shot from any house near the bridge end) got, to the number of 40, by the southside water, down toward Hunslet, but were many of them taken, amongst whom Captain Thirlwell Sir William seeing that way blocked, with many others fled amain back to the old-Church, by the southside whereof by fine force they made way through clubs and fouling pieces along the north-side air towards Pomfret. Sir William being near drowning in the passages. Many Ancients, Drums and foot taken, and some slain here, viz. Captain Widrington, Maud of Wake-field, Hunsworth of Leeds, and others, captain Errington was drowned, so were M. Robinson vicar of Leeds and others, viz M. Calvery of Calvery, and M. jackson of Leeds; and 460. common soldiers taken, with about 14. barrels of Gunpowder, great store of match, 2 cannons and many muskets. So the Town being taken about 4 a clook, notice hereof came to Wakefield about 6, the Garrison there about 12 quitted that place, and the Malignants thereof, M Nevile, Paulden, Reyser and the rest conveyed what goods they could to Pomfret, whence also the next night they fled away with 30. carriages, and all except about 200. who keep the castle; and captains Birkehead and Wilson with about 200 muskets and near 1400. clubmen from about Almurbury, and 3 Troops from Leeds, entered vacant Wakefield the same Tuesday, and that night, and captain Radcliffe, and near as many musketeers and clubmen on the next day from Quick, &c  
As the musketeers and club men retreated from the waterside after the first a sentries were wone, the cannon from the bridge played amongst them, and as they went on in the lane, leading to Beiston, it beat down the bars of a tenter which flew amongst them; and the next shot from it crushed the top of an house, yet did no more harm; These of Halifax Parish, viz. one Michael Woodhead was shot upon his tin-buttons, and his doublet burst near his heart, and the bruised bullet fell down into his breeches and no more hurt; john Milnes man, had his coat, doublet, and 2 shirts shot through to his collar bone on his back, whence the bullet rebounded and no hurt, but a little rotting of the flesh since; one Lily, M. Tho. Lister's man, had a bullet shot into the hilt of his sword, whereby the hilt was drawn out almost as small as wire where the bullet light and no hurt.  
About 20 slain, 10. of Sir Tho: Fairfax part, whereof Sir Tho Norcliffe lost 2 men, as they entered Leeds near new-church: The works cost about 500 lb The 460. prisoners are all discharged (save about 20) upon oath taken never to serve against King and Parliament; and Leeds and Wakefield strongly guarded.  
FINIS.