A LETTER From the Right Honorable, The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, TO The Honorable William Lenthall Eſq Speaker of the Parliament of England, Concerning The Taking in and Surrendring OF
ORdered by the Parliament, That this Letter be forthwith printed and publiſhed, and Read in all Churches and Chappels in and about the City of London, late Lines of Communication, and Bills of Mortality.
London, Printed by John Field for Edward Huſband, Printer to the Parliament of England. 1649.
ORdered by the Parliament, That the ſaid Letter be forthwith printed and publiſhed, and that the ſame be ſent to the Lord Mayor of London, and that the Lord Mayor do take care, that the ſaid Letters be ſent and diſperſed to the ſeveral Miniſters of the ſeveral Pariſhes in and about the City of London, late lines of Communication and Bills of Mortality.
Ordered, That publique Thanks be given to Almighty God on the next Lords Day, in all the ſeveral Churches in and about the City of London, and within the late lines of Communication, and Bills of Mortality, for his great Mercies, in giving us theſe ſeaſonable and great Victories in Ireland; And that this Letter of the Lord Lieutenant General be then publiquely read in all the ſaid ſeveral Churches in and about the ſaid City, and within the lines of Communication and Bills of Mortality.
THe Enemy being quartered between the two Rivers of Noer and the Barrow, and Maſters of all the Paſſages thereupon, and giving out their Reſolution to fight us thereby, as we conceived laboring to get reputation in the Countreys, and acceſſion of more ſtrength; It was thought fit our Army ſhould march towards them, which accordingly upon Tueſday the fifteenth inſtant was done. The Major General and Lieutenant General (leaving me very ſick at Roſs behinde them) with two Battering Guns, advanced towards Eniſtery, a little walled Town about five miles from Roſs, upon the Noer, on the South-ſide thereof, which was poſſeſſed by the Enemy; but a party of our men, under the command of Colonel Abbot, the night before approaching the Gates, and attempting to fire the ſame, the Enemy ran away through the River, leaving good ſtore of Proviſions behinde them: Our Commanders hoped by gaining of this Town, to have gained a Paſs, but indeed there fell ſo much ſudden wet, as made the River unpaſſable, by that time the Army was come up: Whereupon, hearing the Enemy lay about two miles off upon near Thomas Town, a pretty large walled Town upon the Noer, on the North ſide thereof having a Bridge over the River; our Army marched thither, but the Enemy had broke the Bridge, and Gariſoned the Town, and in the view of our Army marched away to Kilkenny, ſeeming to decline an Engagement,4 although I believe they were double our numbers, which they had power to have neceſſitated us unto, but was no ways in our power (if they would ſtand upon the advantage of the Paſſage) to engage them unto, nor indeed to continue out two days longer, having almoſt ſpent all the bread they carried with them: Whereupon (ſeeking God) for direction, they reſolved to ſend a good party of Horſe and Dragoons under Colonel Reynolds to Carrick, and to march the reſidue of their Army back towards Roſs, to gain more bread for the proſecution of that deſign, if by the bleſſing of God it ſhould take. Colonel Reynolds marching with twelve Troops of Horſe, and three Troops of Dragoons, came betimes in the morning to Carrick, where dividing himſelf into two parties, whileſt they were amuſed with the one, he entred one of the Gates with the other; which the Soldiers perceiving, divers of them and their Officers eſcaped over the River in Boats; about a hundred Officers and Soldiers taken Priſoners, without the loſs of one man of our part: In this place is a very good Caſtle, and one of the ancientſt Seats belonging to the Lord of Ormond in Ireland; the ſame was rendred without any loſs alſo; where was good ſtore of Proviſions for the refreſhing of our men. The Colonel giving a ſpeedy intelligence of Gods mercy in this, We agreed to march with all convenient ſpeed, the reſidue of the Army up thither, which accordingly was done upon Wedneſday and Thurſday, the 21 and 22 of this inſtant; and through Gods mercy I was enabled to bear them company. Being come thither, we did look at it as an eſpecial good hand of Providence to give us this place, inaſmuch as it gives us a paſſage over the River Sewer, to the City of Waterford,5 and indeed into Munſter, to our Shipping and Proviſions, which before were beaten from us out of our Waterford Bay, by the Enemies Guns. It hath given us alſo opportunity, to beſiege or block up Waterford: And we hope our Gracious God will therein direct us alſo. It hath given us alſo the opportunity of our Guns, Ammunition, and Victuals; and indeed Quarter for our Horſe, which could not have ſubſiſted much longer; ſo ſweet a mercy was the giving of this little place unto us, having reſted there a night, and by noon the next day gotten our Army over the River, leaving Col: Reynolds with about One hundred and fifty Foot, his own ſix Troops of Horſe, and one Troop of Dragoons, with a very little Ammunition, according to the ſmalneſs of our marching ſtore: We marched away towards Waterford upon Friday 23, and on Saturday about noon came before the City; the Enemy not being a little troubled at this unſuſpected buſineſs (which indeed was the meer guidance of God) marches down with great fury towards Carrick, with their whole Army, reſolving to ſwallow it up; And upon Saturday the Four and twentieth, aſſaults the place round, thinking to take it by ſtorm; but God had otherwiſe determined, for the Troopers and the reſt of the Soldiers with ſtones, did ſo pelt them, they continuing very near four hours under the walls, having burnt the Gates, which our men Barocado'd up with ſtones; and likewiſe digged under the walls, and ſprung a ſmall Mine, which flew in their own faces; but they loſt above forty or fifty men dead under the walls, and have drawn off, as ſome ſay, near Four hundred more, which they buried up and down the Fields, beſides what are wounded, and as Inchiquin6 himſelf confeſſed, in the hearing of ſome of their Soldiers lately come to us, hath loſt him above One thouſand men: The Enemy was drawing off his dead a good part of the night; they were in ſuch haſte upon the aſſault, that they killed their own Trumpet, as he was returning with an Anſwer to a Summons ſent by them; both in the taking and defending of this place, Col: Reynolds his carriage was ſuch, as deſerves much honor. Upon our coming before Waterford, I ſent the Lieutenant General with a Regiment of Horſe, and three Troops of Dragoons, to endeavor the reducing of Paſſage-Fort, a very large Fort, with a Caſtle in the midſt of it, having five Guns planted in it, and commanding the River better then Duncannon, it not being much above Muſquet ſhot over where this Fort ſtands, and we can bring up hither Ships of Three hundred Tuns, without any danger from Duncannon; upon the attempt, though our materials were not very apt for the buſineſs, yet the Enemy called for Quarter, and had it, and we the place: We alſo poſſeſſed the Guns, which the Enemy had planted to beat our Ships out of the Bay, two miles below. By the taking of this Fort, we ſhall much ſtreighten Duncannon from proviſions by water, as we hope they are not in a condition to get much by Land; beſides the advantage it is of to us, to have proviſions to come up the River. It hath pleaſed the Lord whileſt theſe things hath been thus tranſacting here, to adde to your intereſt in Munſter, Bandon-Bridge, the Town as we hear upon the matter, thruſting out yong Jepſon, who was their Governor, or elſe he deſerting it upon that jealouſie; As alſo Kingſale, and the Fort there, out of which Fort Four hundred men marched upon Articles when it was ſurrendred, ſo that7 now by the good hand of the Lord, your intereſt in Munſter is near as good already, as ever it was ſince this War begun. I ſent a party about two days ago to my Lord of Broughil, from whom I expect to have an Accompt of all. Sir, what can be ſaid to theſe things? is it an Arm of Fleſh that doth theſe things? is it the Wiſdom and Councel, or Strength of men? it is the Lord onely; God will curſe that man and his houſe, that dares to think otherwiſe. Sir, you ſee the Work is done by divine leading: God gets into the hearts of men, and perſwades them to come under you. I tell you, a conſiderable party of your Army, is fitter for an Hoſpital then the Field: If the Enemy did not know it, I ſhould have held it impolitique to have writ it: They know it, yet they know not what to do. I humbly beg leave to offer a word or two; I beg of thoſe that are faithful, that they give glory to God; I wiſh it may have influence upon the Hearts and Spirits of all thoſe that are now in place of Government, in the greateſt Truſt, that they may all in Heart draw neer unto God, giving him glory by holineſs of life and converſation, That theſe unſpeakable Mercies, may teach diſſenting Brethren on all ſides to agree, at leaſt in praiſing God. And if the Father of the Family be ſo kinde, why ſhould there be ſuch jarrings, and heart-burnings amongſt the Children? And if it will not yet be received, that theſe are Seals of Gods Approbation of your great change of Government, which indeed was no more yours, then theſe Victories and Succeſſes are ours: with us ſay even the moſt unſatisfied heart, That both are the Righteous Judgments, and Mighty Works of God; that he hath pulled down the Mighty from his Seat; that calls to8 accompt innocent blood; that he thus breaks the Enemies of his Church in peeces; and let them not be ſullen, but praiſe the Lord; and think of us as they pleaſe, and we ſhall be ſatisfied, and pray for them, and wait upon our God; and we hope we ſhall ſeek the Welfare and Peace of our Native Countrey; and the Lord give them hearts to do ſo too. Indeed I was conſtrained in my Bowels to write thus much: I ask your pardon, and reſt
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