A True and Exact RELATION Of the taking of COLCHESTER, Sent in a LETTER From an Officer of the ARMY, (who was present during the siege in that service,) to a Member of the House of Commons.  
With a List of the Ordnance, Arms, and of 3076. private soldiers there taken: Also a List of the names of most of the Officers of note, and an account of the Cause of giving no Quarter to Sir Charles Lucas, and Sir George Lyle.  
LONDON, Printed by Robert White for john Partridge. 1648.   

SIR,  
AFter a long and tedious Siege, (in as wet a season as hath been known) an enemy of a desperate and high resolution, have at last brought themselves to a low and miserable condition, and some of them being made examples of Justice, the best of the Conditions of the rest, is Imprisonment; it was their wilful obstinacy, and haughtiness of spirit, that lost them the opportunity when they might have had honourable Terms.  
Three times were the Enemy in Colchester invited to a Treaty by the Lord General, twice had conditions sent in, but scorn and reproach was the return, and the Trumpeter the last time (as appears by writing under the hands of the Lord Goring, Capell, and Lucas) threatened to be hanged if he came any more upon such a message: Though this night have provoked, and taken off all inclinations of mercy towards them, yet endeavours were not wanting on our parts to undeceive many of the poor, deceived and deluded soldiers, from whom their Officers concealed all overtures of a Parley, or Conditions. Arrows were shot several times into the Town, to let the soldiers know the Conditions offered, and that yet they might have Passes to go to their several homes, and above 300 soldiers came from the Enemy upon that account, and received their Passes accordingly.  
When Captain Storm without, and Captain Hunger within, were both prepared to join Forces together to break through their stone walls, than the Enemy was not so high before, but they were as low now, and sent (assoon a our Canon had made a breach in the wall) for a Parley, and prevailed with the Committee their prisoners, to intercede for it, and likewise the Townsmen to mediate on the behalf of the Town, but they had slipped their time: Our soldiers were exasperated with the loss of the blood of their fellow soldiers, (many being slain with chewed and poisoned bullets;) yet his Excellency, that all might not suffer alike, sent in these Conditions following, viz. That all private soldiers, and Officers, under Captains, shall have Passes to go to their several homes, engaging themselves not to bear Arms hereafter against the Parliament; and all Captains, and superior Officers, and Gentlemen, to submit to Mercy. And understanding these Overtures, (as the former had been) were concealed from the private soldiers, we conveyed conditions in writing to them by annexing them to the Tail of a Paper Kite, which the wind blew into the Town, (a truer story than the Cities Colchester Bull,) which falling among the soldiers, a horseman endeavouring to get it from the foot to carry it to the Generals, occasioned a muterlie, the foot crying out, They would know what those written Papers meant that were annexed to it, which being read unto them, and perceiving good Conditions intended to them, made such an impression upon their spirits, that they told their Officers, Either instantly make Terms or else they would desert them, or deliver them up to the mercy of our souldierss  
Immediately after the Lord Goring, etc. sent out for a Parley upon Terms of mercy, and Quarter offered, for the surrender of the Town, and accordingly sent forth their Commissioners, whose chief time was spent in explaining the meaning to submit to Mercy, which being explained by our Commissioners, (and admitted of by theirs,) that it was meant thereby, That it was in the General's power to save any of those who did so submit to Mercy, or to put them to the sword: The Articles being signed upon Monday August 28. 1648. The Town was Surrendered, and the three Generals, all Officers, and Gentlemen render themselves at Mercy, and the private soldiers and inferior Officers upon quarter. The same day examples of Justice was done upon Sir Charles Lucas, and Sir George Lyle, the former was conceived (and too true) to be the cause of the ruin of this place, his interest in the Town drawing the Army thither. He was the head of all those that did rise in this County, and so brought the odium of the country upon him, and at last grew harsh to the Towns people, (a thing contrary to his wont disposition) when they complained for want of bread, not regarding what misery he brought upon that place where he was born; besides, It was affirmed unto him by four persons at his death, That he put two men to the sword with his own hands in cold blood, long after quarter granted,  
The other, (as was informed) was a great cause of burning of the houses about the Town, and a person bend to much mischief.  
This is the first example of Justice that ever was showed in this kind (since the first and second war) by the Parliaments party, though it be according to the rules of war (in submitting to Mercy;) the example hereof was given by the King's party in the West, when 14 country men, that among others submitted to Mercy, were all hanged up together.  
For those Officers and soldiers who were employed by the Parliament, and deserted their truth, they are to be tried by a Council of War, and some of them to be made examples for their Treachery.  
Colonel Fare was the third man assigned to suffer with these two, but being concealed he could not then be found, though since he is taken, whom the Country cries out much upon, because he drew many an innocent man of the Trained band under the pretence to muster, not knowing they should engage in matter of blood, he never discovering unto them what his intentions were of engaging them in a War against the Parliament.  
The fourth man that was brought to the place of Execution with the other two that suffered, was Sir Bernard Gascoigne an Italian, who after he had declared himself a Papist, and preparing for death, was reprieved. The cause of his being one designed for example, was, his extroardinary forwardness in appearing in person in Kent with the Lord Goring, in putting that County into a posture of Arms, in persisting in that way here in Essex, and being a man of great action during the siege; and besides, that it might be an example for strangers and foreigners how they presume in an other Nation, to take that boldness and confidence, as to cast themselves out of their protection by engaging in unwarantable actions: The carriage of this person, as a soldier was fair towards our party, and so mercy obtained for him.  
I or the L Goring whom the people cry so out upon for justice against him and the like against the L. Capell, and the L. Loughborow, the Gen. and Counsel of War in a special manner, left them to the mercy of the Par. that the expectation of the people may be satisfied, in the Parl. doing justice upon some, (a thing they have long looked for) all the rest who have likewise submitted to mercy, are likewise left to the mercy of the Parliament, if they think fit to proceed against them in a way of justice. These men had not come to this sharp account, but that God had hardened their hearts, which were full of bitterness of spirit, against this handful of men, that did besiege them, hoping (according to Sir Anthony, St. Legers Letter to one of the Captains in Colchester) to extirpate and destroy all those that were honest Christians, under the notion of Independents, etc.  
The Town hath suffered aswell as the men, being ruined in its buildings, Provisions, People, & Trade; what fair streets are here of stately houses now laid in ashes? How eminent are their graneries of Corn, (which before the enemies came, exceeded all parts of England) And their Cellars and storehouses of Wine and fruit, where there was plenty before, are empty now; they who had houses to live in, now live desolate for want of habitation, and those who had formerly their tables furnished with variety of dishes (besides their usual dainties of Oysters and Ringo Roots) have for a long time fed upon Horses, Dogs, and Cats, Starch, Bran, and Grains, and that with much greediness, and many starved to death by hunger.  
The chief Minister of this place, Mr. Harmar, that not long before stirred up the people against the Army, branding them with the names of Heretics, and Schismatics, and the people of the Town who affronted and abused our soldiers when they quartered there, now both Ministers and people have longed for their deliverance by the hands of those whom they so much despised before.  
What place in the Kingdom like this drove such a Trade with London in all the former Wars, but since they Traded with Cavaliers, and admitted them so freely into their Town, what place hath been more debarred thereof? Let this be a warning to London how they embrace those whom God fights against, and how they hereafter cast off those whom God owns.  
If it be asked why the L. Goring etc. held out so long? it is answered, (as some of their party have confessed) that they did it to the end, th● Parliament might be cudgeled with a Reformado party, and that the General and those Forces with him might be here so engaged, as not to be able to resist the King's friends from risiing in a body, in any part of the Kingdom.  
And if it be wondered why we lay so long before that place, I can only offer this as my own observation, that we were too few to storm the place, they being between five and six thousand when we sat down before it and we but 1500. foot of the Army, besides part of two Regiments of the Essex Trained-bands, our strength was better in horse, and besides, it was held a thing advisable (since we had an enemy) rather to tempt him to stay at such a distance (as this is) from London, then to follow them, and be far off, and so unable to help the Parlia. if they stood in need, and besides, the soldiers being kept in continual action, in making of works, and approaches, would keep them more in health, and make them better soldiers, and our Army now at present is stronger than when we at first sat down before this place.  
The like Line, Regular works, Fortifications, and Approaches, have not been made in any part of the Kingdom since the first wars began.   

There were taken in Town 26. pieces of Ordnance, great and small, about five thousand Arms, (many of them broken) three thousand sixty and seven private soldiers, and of Officers above three hundred. I am not prepared to give you a particular of the several persons, only of some of the remarkable of them, viz.  

The Earl of Norwich.  
Lord Capell.  
Sir Charles Lucas.  
The Lord Louborough.  
Col. Sir William Compton.  
Sir George Lyle.  
Col. Sir Bernard Gascoign.  
Sir Abraham Skipman.  
Colonel William Maxey.  
Colonel Sir Hugh Orelie.  
Colonel Fare.  
Colonel Ayloff.  
Colonel Bard.  
Colonel Hamond.  
Colonel Till.  
Colonel Heath.  
Colonel Tewk.  
Colonel Chester.  
Colonel Gilburt.  
Colonel Culpepper.  
Sir Henry Appleton,  
Sir Richard Mauleverer.  
Sir Lodowick Dyer.  
Colonel Sayer.  
Colonel Slingsbie.  
Colonel Sir Charles Hastings.  
Colonel Lancaster.  
And divers other Knights and Colonels, Lieutenant Colonels, and Majors.  
Gentlemen of quality, and Reformado Officers, 183.  
Colonel Cook.  
Col. Sir William Campion.  
Lieutenant Col. Hatcher.  
Major Sturt, and others of quality slain in the fight the first day, and during the Siege.   
T. S.  
FINIS.