A true RELATION Of the several passages which have happened to our Army since it advanced towards GLOUCESTER, WITH The manner of the relief of the same, Related in a Letter from a Friend in the Army, to an Honourable person here in the City. Likewise An Abstract of several remarkable passages, which happened at Gloucester between the Town and the Enemy, in the time of the Siege, collected by an Eyewitness. This is Licenced, and entered into Stationer's Hall Book, according to Order. LONDON, Printed by G. Dexter, for Stephen Bowtell, at the sign of the Bible in Popes-head-Alley. Anno 1643. Sept. 14. A true Relation of the several Passages which have happened to our Army, since it advanced towards GLOUCESTER. SIR, Colonel Harvy is for present so busied in serving of you, as that he cannot serve you in this way of giving an account of his service and therefore to neglect the City he will not: His desire is, that by my pen, your Honour with the Court of Militia may receive knowledge of the duty he adventures and spends himself in for the Kingdom's good. Thus then briefly, of the Occurrences in his march from Ockingham to Tame, which in the way befell his Cornet, who came off from the Enemy by whom he was set upon, his last Letter to you gave a sufficient relation: what Occurrences since that, worthy your knowledge, have come to hand, shall now offer themselves nakedly to your view: Thus therefore, from Tame, the 31. of August, we advanced to ●usset, thorough and in a fair Champion: beyond B●siter found the Lord General with his whole Army drawn up on a very fair green, where Colonel Manwarings Brigade (consisting of the City Trained Bands and Auxiliaries) first met the Lord General, at which meeting, there was such expressions of joy; the Londoners by their shouts and the Lord Generall by his Courteous behaviour, Riding with his Hat off, bowing to them, which would have ravished any heart almost to have seen it: And the like to Colonel Harvies Brigade. His whole Army being thus drawn up it was indeed a very powerful strength; he may justly boast it likely enough (God succeeding us) to compass great designs by. A Trumpeter of the Kings came the day before (Thursday I mean) pretending his business to be only the procurement of a pass for some Lady, though many presumed his intent might be to view the Army: when therefore the London Brigade under Colonel Manwarings command was drawn up, the Trumpeter brought blindfolded, had leave to take sight of those Companies only, the Lord General assuring him these were only the Londoners, added to, and no part formerly of his Army, and then sent him out of us. He was carried blinded into the field. This was all the news of that day, besides that in the evening the Horse under my Colonels command received an Alarm again near Somerton, where they were to Quarter that night, being faced by 2000 of the King's horse: all the hurt we received by this was only some hours kept from refreshment, they not daring to adventure on us, and we not able to fall upon them, the hill they had being too high for us to charge upon in the night, and a strange Country; especially from Frithwell two miles off that Somerton, the place our foot Quartered in that night: we marched on Saturday morning towards Awtlebury, and in a field near to it found the whole Army drawn up, which (a while after we had taken our place with our horse) were commanded off a little way from us, as a reserve to Colonel Middleton, who had been engaged all that day thitherto with a Party of the Kings, the same we believe that faced us the night before; of which when Colonel Middleton took a Lieutenant Colonel Prisoner, they wheeled off, refusing to Skirmish with us; we therefore drew off to Hookenorton, where quartering that night, we continued our march on the Sabbath day to Cornewell in Oxford-shire; and as we were on our march the next morning towards Stowe of the Old, the enemy appeared in a bottom near Emlard, we being then upon Adlestrap-hill, from whence Colonel Harvy fired his Demi-Culverin three or four times successively: with the first and last shot we conceive we did some execution: upon this the Enemy retreated, Colonel Middleton pursuing faced them again within twice musket shot, drew out a forlorn hope, who at great disadvantage charged upon the enemy, and with the loss of one, shot dead, and some six or eight taken prisoners, came off, the Enenemy retreating. Two or three hours after, about two of the Clock in the afternoon, they faced the London Brigado, who were that day part of the Van Guard, under Colonel Manwaring command, but upon the discharge of a great Gun or two, they wheeled off, and the whole Army therefore held on their march quartering that night in the hilly open fields beyond Stow of the Old. Next morning, then after a cold lodging without any refreshment (for the Soldiers could not the day before, in all their hard march, get any considerable modicum of bread and beer) we renewed our march, and held on our way, without any interruption from, or indeed news of the Enemy; till towards evening, from the top of Prestbury hills, two miles short of Chetnam, yet within sight of Gloucester, we discovered in the bottom, a mile from us, several bodies of the King's Horse. On the nearest of them my Lord General bestowed a demyculverin, at the noise if not execution thereof, that party wheeled: anon after we perceived a great smoke and fire near Gloucester, the sight at first a little troubled some, and my Lord General at adventure (that the Town might have notice of our approach) fired four of his great Guns, at which the other bodies of the Enemy retreated also: Our Army being then to march down, my Lord General himself led on the forlorn hope, to clear the way for his Army to pass down the hill, and by going down some steep place, sprained his leg: this done, the Army marched for Quarter to several Villages adjacent, Colonel Harveyes foot, the London Redcoats, and Kentish Regiment, drawing off towards Southam, a little Village not fare from the foot of the hill, sidewards, which when we were within two or three bow-shoots of, my Colonel himself, with Colonel Sir William Springate, Major Shepherd, and his own Cornet, with myself and some few others, outmarcht the foot, the rather indeed that my Colonel might (according to his wont vigilancy) view the Avenues before the darkness of the night should overtake him; which while he, with Major Shepherd, were about, Major Bourne and Captain Buller with their Troops (mistaking us for Cavaliers) dismounted at our Quarter, & by a Pistol shot (before we could make them understand who we were) wounded sorely, we fear mortally, Cornet Flesher, and we strongly presume had Pistolled more of us had not my Colonel seasonably returning, made known himself, and so rescued us. This is all we have to acquaint you with, save that the siege being raised, & the King's forces fled toward Bristol, we are with the whole Army about Chetnam, ready to serve our Country as God shall direct us. Septemb. 6. 1643. POSTSCRIPT. THis night Colonel Manwarings Brigado could not march down the hill, and therefore was forced to quarter that night upon the hill, the next morning they marched down the hill into the Vale, his Excellency quartered at Chetnam, and the rest of the Army in the adjacent Parishes. The enemy having raised his siege on Tuesday in the afternoon, and gone the way that leads to Bristol, we rested the Thursday: the next day being Friday, his Excellency marched into Gloucester, with so many of his Army as it could contain, and the rest of the Army quartered in the adjacent Parishes. An Abstract of several remarkable passages which happened at Gloucester, during the siege, collected by an eyewitness thereof. THe close siege began the tenth of August 1643. and was raised the fifth of September, during which time there were between three and four hundred great Shot, and above 20. Granado's, and as many fiery Bullets; which Granado's and fiery Bullets did no execution, save only that one woman was killed, and about three others with the great Shot; neither were there any maimed, but some few lightly hurt. Most that were killed with their Musket-shot, was by looking over the Wall at Friar's Orchard, to see their Works. The whole number that was killed on our part in the City we cannot guess to be above forty: the loss on their parts we cannot exactly set down, One that dwelled in the Suburbs saw the Last, and made report. but by their own relation there was a List of 900 and odd of sick and maimed Soldiers, beside those that were killed, which (by the report of the Country, that saw them carried away) were many, some thousands. Many likewise ran away, and more would if the Horse had not kept them in. These relations are within compass. Relief was not heard of until August 29. that was only this: A Messenger of ours saw a Letter at Warwick, which was written from Sir Samuel Luke to the Governor of Warwick-castle, dated at Twwerd, August 22. to this effect, That he should send two Messengers to Gloucester, to encourage us to stand out, and that we should have relief very speedily; but we perceived none until we saw their Carriages drawn from the Leaguer then firing their Huts they marched off with their Colours: thereupon our Soldiers perceiving the enemy's Trenches to be clear, they got over the Town wall and spoiled their Gallery, and set fire on some of the Cannon baskets. A message shot into the City of Gloucester upon an Arrow. These are to let you understand your God Waller hath forsaken you, & hath retired himself to the Tower of London: Essex is beaten like a Dog: yield to the King's mercy in time, otherwise if we enter perforce, no Quarter for such traitorly Rogues. The ANSWER. Waller is not our God, in that you lie, Our God still lives from all Eternity. Though Essex beaten be as you do say, Rome's Yoke we are resolved not to obey. But for our Cabbages that you have eaten, Be sure ere long you must be sound beaten. Quarter we ask you none if we fall down, King Charles shall lose true Subjects with the Town. So saith your best Friend if you make timely use of him. An Epigram upon two Lawyers, Bell and Hill, who were sent into Gloucester to persuade them to yield. TWo pettifogging Lawyers came of late, In love, to tell us of our present state, And seemed to be affected with our straits, Thinking to work us out with their deceits: One speaks as if he had been sound feed By the Pope's agents; and tells us in our need No hope of help; all passages were blocked, We must deliver, or be sound knocked. The other says, Armies of strength appear, Yet for his life he could not tell us where: Storm us they would, and that in several places, Although as yet they dare not show their faces. If storming would not do, than famine shall, We having Beef, they eating Cabbage all. If none of these will perfect their desere, Then without question they'll get all by fire, Being sure to do it by some grand Granado, As erst the Spaniard did with his Armado. The verdict past, amongst the cursed crew Men, women, children, they must taste of rue. If we refuse to give them entrance, Then all alike after their pipe must dance. This was the Message: Th' answer thus in short: Neighbours, as for your love, we thank you for't, But for your bugbear threats so huge and big, If sevenscore Cannons can but kill one Pig, We then have cause to fear nothing but sin Can make a breach to let such Rebels in: We trust in God, whose power, can make you quail, Although you make so sure for to prevail. Come when you will, and enter where you can, Be sure we'll fight it out to the last man, And if for to provaile it be your fate, You'll find we sold our lives at a dear rate. Bell. All know fall well That every Bell Is useless till't be hanged, And none, I hope, Denies a rope To have his sides well banged. Hill. This Hill was seen In sinner green Fresh, fair, and flourishing, Now, Proteus-like, 'Tis altered quite, 'Tis fading, perishing. FINIS.