A LETTER From Sir William Waller, A Member of the House of Commons, To the Right Honourable, ROBERT Earl of ESSEX his Excellency; OF A GREAT VICTORY he obtained at Malmsbury, 23. Martii, in the County of WILTS:  
With the Names of divers of the Commanders in chief that he took, with 300 foot, a Troop of horse, and many Pieces of Ordnance.  
Also a true Relation of Sergeant Major Burghells' valour, who went into the Enemy's quarters at Sherston, routed them, took twenty five prisoners, one Captain, two Lieutenants, one quartermaster, killed eight, and took forty or fifty Horses and Arms, without the loss of one man.  

Ordered by the Commons in Parliament, That this Letter be forthwith printed and published:  
H: Elsing, Cl. Parl. D. Com.   
London, Printed for Edw. Husbands, and are to be sold at his shop in the middle Temple. March 28. 1643.   

A Letter from Sir William Waller, a Member of the House of Commons, to the Right Honourable, Robert Earl of Essex his Excellency.  
My most honoured LORD;  
I Have had the honour to receive two Letters from your Excellency; This met me at Malmesbury, where I was engaged in a hot service for so long as it lasted. I sat down before the place yesterday a little after Noon: At my first coming their horse shown themselves in a bravado under the side of a Wood, about a quarter of a mile from the town, but upon the first proffer of a charge they retired hastily towards Cicester-way before we could come up to them; where upon we fell to work with the Town, which is the strongest in land situation that ever I saw: In the skirts of the outer Town there were Gardens walled in with dry stone wall, from whence the enemy played upon us as we came on, but with in half an hour we beat them out of those strengths, and entered the outer or lower Town with our horse and foot and kept possession of it, she enemy withdrawing into the upper, where they had been at, cost to fortify; We fell on upon the the west Port, in which they had cast up a breast work, and planted a piece of Ordnance: The street so narrow at the upper end next the work, that not above four could march in breast; this business cost hot water: As we fell on we advanced two Drakes, and under that favour our musqueteers possessed themselves of some houses near the Port, from whence we galled the enemy very much; If our men had come out roundly we had then carried it, but the falling of some cooled the rest; And so the first assault failed, after a fight of near half an hour, whilst we were preparing to renew the assault, the enemy shown himself near the Town, with seven, or (as some say) ten troops of horse; whereupon Sir Arthur Hazelrig fell out upon them with eight troops, but upon his approach they retired speedily. In the mean time before his return that night, we gave on again upon the Town, and had a very hot fight, which after an hours continuance at the least, we were fain to give over for want of Ammunition, the main part whereof was unluckily stayed behind by a mischance of the carriage, and could not come up till the next morning: I was in such want of powder, and especially ball: that if the enemy had fallen out upon me, I could have maintained a very small fight, and I had no notice here of from the Officer, until I was reduced to this strait; Whereupon I thought fit to draw off the Drakes that night, or rather morning, for it was near two of the clock; The better to effect this, and to prevent the hazard of the Enemy's sally, I caused all the Drums to beat, and Trumpets to sound, drawing both horse and foot out into the streets: As in preparation to an Assault, with all the strength I had; which gave the Enemy such apprehension, that immediately they sent out a Drum, and craved a Parley. They yielded upon quarter, and gave me entrance about seven or eight of the clock that morning. They were about three hundred foot, and a Troop of horse, but the horse I related formerly shifted for themselves upon our first coming. We have prisoners, Colonel Harbert Lunceford, Colonel Cook, Lieutenant Colonel Dabridgecourt, Sergeant Major Finch, six Captains, six Lieutenants, six Ensigns, one Cornet, and four quartermasters, besides ordinary Soldiers, part whereof we mean to send to Gloucester, the rest to Bristol.  
This morning, in the name of God, I purpose to march to Cicester, where there are seven hundred Foot, and three hundred Horse and Dragoones.  
I must not omit to represent. Major Burghells' merit to your Excellency, who on the 19 of this present, having information at Bath, that there was a party of two hundred and forty Horse, Plundering Sir Edward hungerford's house; drew out a hundred Horse and marched thither but finding they were gone from thence and quartered at Sherston a place about three miles from Malmesbury; he pursued them thither, and about twelve of the clock that night, falling into their quarters, Routed them, took twenty five Prisoners; whereof there was one Captain, two Lieutenants, and one Quartermaster, six or eight slain upon the plaee, and three dead since, between forty and fifty horses taken, with some Arms, without the loss or hurt of any one man of our own. I shall upon all occasions certainly advertise your Excellency of what passeth here: I commit your Excellency to God's heavenly protection, and rest,  
MY LORD, Your Excellencies d … humble servant, WILLIAM WALLER. MALMSBURY, 23 Martii, 1642   
FINIS.