A Copie of a Letter of the taking of LEICESTER On Wedneſday the 18. th of June, 1645.
With the Copie of the Articles, and the manner of Storming it the day before: A List of what was taken in LEICESTER,
And all their Ammunition and Proviſions, of Bagge and Baggage.
The Lord of Loughborough to goe to Aſhby de la Zouch, and the reſt of the Officers and Souldiers to Lichfield.
The ſeverall marches ▪ of the King ſince hee was Routed, and his numbers, and how purſued by Sir JOHN GELL, and 200 Horſe by him taken from the King.
Brought from the Army, and commanded to be forthwith Printed and Publiſhed.
⟨June ee 20th⟩ LONDON, Printed by THO: FORCET, 1645.
VPon the routing of the Kings Army, Sir John Gell gathered together all the forces of Derbiſhire, Notinghamſhire, and the adjacent parts that hee could, and on Munday the 16. th of Iune, 1646. They met with ſome of the Kings horſe and tooke 200. And another party met with ſome of the Newarkers, and fell upon them, and routed them, tooke 60 Horſes, 42 Priſoners, and 80 Armes. The Scots wee heare are at Cheſterfield, and Sir William Brereton at Stafford marching this way.
3On the ſaid Munday Iune the 16. Sir Thomas Fairfax lay before Leiceſter and ſent in a Summons to the Towne, to require the Governour to ſurrender it to him for the uſe of the Parliament; and putting it to them to conſider how the King was routed, and ſhewing them what uſe they might make of that Clemency, with divers other very gallant expreſſions to the ſummons, to advertiſe them how much better it was for them to ſurrender then to force him to take it by ſtorming.
To this ſummons the Enemy ſent a negative Anſwer, poſitively this, that they would not ſurrender it; whereupon Sir Thomas Fairfax called a Councell of Warre to conſult about the Storming of it, which was ſoon concluded on; that they ſhould prepare all things in readineſſe to round it the next day: which was done with all expedition not looſing any time.
So they fell preſently to raiſing of Batteries, and doing all things that were neceſſary for the ſtorming thereof according as they had appointed, and continued providing every thing that had appointed, and continued providing every thing that was requiſite for the doing thereof, to be in a readineſſe to batter it the next day, and ſent into the Country thereabouts for ſuch helpes as were neceſſary for the worke, which went on with great ſpeed both night and day; ſo deſirous wee are to have a ſpeedy end of the worke that there may be an end of theſe warres if poſſible.
On Tueſday the 17. th of June, wee drew downe our Ordnance and playd with our Pieces againſt the Towne, we ſtormed it playing with our Ordnance very hot on the Newarke ſide, which we conceived was their greateſt3 ſtrength? And in ſhort time we made a breach in their workes, which ſtrucke ſuch a terror into the hearts of the Enemy, that the Governour ſent to us to deſtre a Parley, and offered to ſurrender upon very faire termes; as upon capitulation ſhould be agreed upon.
To this requeſt (Sir Thomas Fairfax being willing to ſave the ſpilling of innocent blood as much as may be) he aſſented: and promiſed ſpeedily to ſend in Commiſſioners for the treaty, and called a Councell of warre and it was agreed that Collonel Pickering, and Collonel Reinſoorough ſhould go into Leicester to treat with the Governour about the ſurrendring the ſaid Garriſon to Sir Thomas Fairfax. And accordingly a ſafe conduct was deſired for them, which being ſent they went to Capitulate with the Governour about the ſurrender thereof.
In the meane time Sit Thomas Farfax was not idle, nor did he looſe any time; but went on providing and furniſhing himſelfe with Pittars, Carts, Hay, Granadoes, Ladders, and all other things neceſſary for ſtorming; reſolving to fall on at their returne, in caſe that they ſhould not agree, not knowing how things might fall out, during which time there was both great paynes and care taken by all in their places for the going on in the ſayd worke.
In the meane time we had Intelligence that the King was on Munday the 16 of Iune at Sheffield; that he came from Aſh by de la zouch thether with about 2000 horſe, or more, the day before, viz. Sunday night, and matched that morning (viz. Munday morning) to a4 Randez vouſe neere Dudley Caſtle, where with the Lichfield, and Dudley horſe, and others that come in to their Randez-vouſes, the King had above 3000 horſe as is conjectured by the Country people which ſaw them.
About 11 of the clocke on Munday morning, they marched from thence to Sturbridge, where he had ſome more Horſe came in, ſo that in all it is conceived that hee is nigh 4000. Divers of which hee hath been faine to rectuite with freſh Armes from Lichfield, Dudley, and other Garriſons the reabouts.
The King it is believed will for Worceſter, and there joyne with what Forces Gerhard can releeve him with, and ſome more Forces that hee lookes for out of the Weſt; but Collonel Gerhard hath met with a rout alſo in Shropſhire, where he loſt almoſt 400 men, by fighting with the Countrey forces, and the Governour of Worceſter was killed, and divers other Officers of note were ſl•ine, and taken.
All the reſt of that day, viz. Munday the 16 of Iune, our Commiſſioners were in Capitulation with the Enemy in Leiceſter, and the Army went on preparing for a Storme, having no Anſwer that night, and looking for their returne the next Morning very earely, were reſolved to fall on if they had not agreed with the Enemy.
On Wed•eſday Iune the 18. about two of the clock, the Commiſſioners, viz. Collonel Reinsborough, and Collonel Pi•kering, returned with a Concluſion of the delivery of it up upon theſe Articles following.
With theſe Articles the Commiſſioners returned to Sir Thomas Fairfax, certifying further how ioyfull that poore Towne of Leiceſter was at the hearing of the ſaid agreement, and that they ſhould be rid of the C•valiers.
Thus you ſee the Lord doth wonderfully for us, above the reach of m•ns wiſdome. Truly we cannot but much admire the goodneſſe of Almighty God to us, in doing ſo great things for us, we cannot aſcribe it to any but to the hand of God Almighty, who is the Lord of Hoſts.
8And it is to be admired to ſee the cariage of our Generall, and indeed all the Officers, how lovingly wee agree, how full of Courage all men are, both Officers and Souldiers when we are in array, what heavenly expreſſions, there is from all; and our Generall doth carry himſelfe in ſo excellent a manner that it rowſed up the Courage of all that ſee him; and the like alſo did Maior Skippon, who by reaſon of his wound could not be here in the taking of Leiceſter, but we hope that hee will recover; for in all Deſignes, by his wiſdome and Valour, his very name is a terrour to the Enemy.
And all their Ammunition and Proviſions, with bagge and baggage.
(EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A80465)
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