A true RELATION Of a late Skirmish at HENLY upon THAMES: WHEREIN A great defeat was given to the Redding Cavaliers, lately assaulting the aforesaid Town of HENLY.  
BEING The true Copy of a Letter sent from one Captain Samuel Turner, then in the said service, to his brother in LONDON.  Si Deus nobiscum, Quis contra nos? 
London Printed for Henry Overton, and are to sold at his Shop in Popes-Head-Alley. Jan. 26. 1643.   

A true RELATION OF A Late Skirmish at HENLY upon Thames.  
Loving Brother,  
I Know ere this you expected to have heard from me concerning our welcome to this Town of Henlie, where now we are, and indeed I had answered both your expectation, and mine own desire before this, could I have heard but of any one that had gone from hence to London: I know you have already heard in part what friends came from Redding hither to visit us, within few hours after we came here. But to give you a full and true Relation of what myself was an eyewitness of, from the beginning to the end: About nine of the clock at night we came to this Town, where before we could get in, by reason the bridge was not quite laid down, we were enforced to stay an hour and an half at the least; So soon as we were come in, and our men gone to their quarters, some of us, amongst which myself was one, rid round to view the Town how it lay, which when we had done; we appointed 4. Companies to watch that night, one towards Redding, and the other at the Bridge, at third at the upper end of the Town, and myself having the main guard, it being mine for that night as I was eldest Captain of those that watched: I divided my Company, and sent my Lieutenant, with about 40. men to guard some works which the Town had made on the way to Oxford, I having the rest on the main guard, which was kept in a little round house close by the Town Hall, where the 4. ways divide themselves, having thus ordered our men, and having placed our Ordnance, which were but 3. in all, one of our biggest pieces towards Redding road, and the other, which was our best, toward Oxford, and the third, which was but a Drake, we planted toward the upper end of the Town, by that time this was done, it grew near eleven of the Clock; half an hour after, being in company with Captain Beton, it being my place to go the grand round, he desired to go along with me, we went with 6. Musketeers round about the hills which compass the Town, half an hour after twelve we came in again, and found all quiet and well, about two of the Clock in the morning, being in a house with the Mayor, and most of our Gunners, discoursing together, news was brought that the enemy was come, and had fired upon our Sentinels, which caused an Alarm through the Town, we all (though God's assistance) put on resolutions to withstand them to the utmost, they came furiously on, with a loud cry, the Town is ours, and did no way question to have broke through all, being most of them Troopers, and Dragooneers; the number as we hear by a Ensign whom we took prisoner, who was mounted for the service, was about one thousand horse, riding two and two on a horse; the first Sentinel who made discovery of them, having given fire, presently ran away to the Court of guard, who presently were in a readiness, and came forth and fired upon them, so as that they could not come into the Town so soon as they made account of, but being all horse, save only ten or twelve of their Dragooneers which were on foot, at last they broke their way through, and came along the Lane towards the Town, the way they came being but narrow, and not above a flights shot, or little more in length, from their first entrance, we being in readiness to have fired upon them, durst not, by reason they drove our men before them all along the way, our Parliament dog lay ready to fire upon them, which being laden with one great shot, and two cases of shot, containing 120. Musket bullets, at length the way being clear of our own men, but full of theirs, we let fly, myself being within a yard or two at most when it gave fire, and saw the execution it did; some of their horse came so desperately on, that they were even ready to enter upon the mouth of the Canon, as presently after the shot was given appeared, for we found 3. men, and 4. horse lie dead within less than a quoits throw off the mouth of the piece, and an Ensign which was found half dead, and half alive, having his Leg shot short off, and some three shots more in his body beside, yet living, who confessed the whole business; I think they were so bit, that they will scarce brag of their Victory, or come again in haste; the number of men which we found of theirs were but 4. which were killed outright, and 5. horse, one horse the Gunner took alive, and another, which by reason of their great haste in running away, as we conceive, crowding along a narrow way, who should get first away, fell into a muddy ditch, and there was left till morning, where we took him out, one of these 4. men, as our Soldiers were stripping of them, spoke a word or two, and so died, That he was the first Captain of the Lord grandison's Regiment, and desired to be remembered to his Colonel, and died immediately, he having received above a dozen wounds, another as we hear was a Sergeant Major, and since we hear of six that were found dead in a wood, lying together on a heap, one of them a Captain, and we are informed by some who came from a place called Causome, that there are divers lie wounded there, beside our men saw them lift up on their horses which they carried away, some dead, others wounded, so that we conceive they lost thirty men at least, The whole Skirmish from the time they entered, to the time they ran away, was not a full quarter of an hour; We lost of our men but 3. in all, one of which was mine, who was first slain, he was shot as he was standing on the left of my Company as I had drawn them up, with a Musket bullet, which went in at his left breast, and came through at his back on the right shoulder, so as he fell presently down, with his arms spread out, not moving any part of his body, so that I conceive the shot went through his heart, he was honourably interred the next day, attended with a great number of Soldiers out of every Company, another of my Soldiers, one Tho: Hyat, a Fishmonger's man, who lives in your division, was shot through the body with a pistol shot, as he was coming from his quater to the Court of guard, he was forced to make use of their language to save himself, and to cry out, where are these Roundheaded rogues, but they pursuing of him, struck him through the hat with a Pole axe, but miss his head, I have great hope of his recovery, he hath told me since, he hopes to live to have a revenge on them; Thus as well as I can remember, I have given you a narration of what passages happened: Truly he is more than blind which could not see God mainfestly in every particular working deliverance for us, and confusion to our enemies, we may truly say, never less of Man seen, and more of God, for I had almost forgot to tell you that two Troops of horse which were appointed to be with us, left us at the Town's end, and went away to their quarters, so that we were left naked, only God fought on our sides: if the enemy had got into the Town, I believe few of us had been alive at this present, thus fearing to be over-tedious to you, I rest.  
Your ever loving Brother, Samuel Turner.  
FINIS.