To the honourable, Major Generall Skippon, Field-Marſhall for Ireland, Lievtenant-Generall Cromwell, Commiſſary-Gene­rall Ireton, and Colonell Fleetwood:

THat whereas according to the direction received from you, the two Votes of the honourable Houſe concerning Indempnity and Arrears, have been faithfully communicated to the Soul­diery under our reſpective Commands; and thereupon there have been returnes made from the ſeverall Regiments, of the grievan­ces that yet ſtick upon them; out of which there hath been drawn up by the Officers, and conſent of private Souldiers (for more brevity) a Summary of all ſuch heads, wherein the returns from all did agree: All which have been preſented, and ſhewed unto you; by which it doth ap­peare, that in the Army there are ſundry diſcontents, which we are ſorry to ſee. Now for the clearer diſcovery (according to our beſt obſer­vations) of the originall grounds, together with the riſe and growth of theſe diſcontents, and the occaſions that have happened to increaſe the ſame; as alſo of our owne and other Officers proceedings, in rela­tion thereunto: We do here humbly tender this faithfull and true ac­compt, as followeth.

THat we have long found our Souldiers and inferiour Officers (as we have alſo been our ſelves) generally much troubled, That ſince the Kingdome was (through the goodneſſe of God) cleared, and free for the Parliament to raiſe money in, the Army ſhould yet not be ſup­plied with pay to enable them to diſcharge Quarters, but compelled to be burthenſome to friends, beholden to enemies, and oppreſſive to all, for their neceſſary ſubſiſtance, which, in the way of Free-Quarter (beſides the unequall burthen to thoſe parts where the Army hath been occaſioned to lie) hath put the Kingdome to almoſt double the charge, (dammage or debt) that it would have been, if n•o••ys had been time­ly raiſed to enable the Souldiers to pay Quarters. And the conſiderati­ons of this to the Souldiery hath been the more grievous, in regard of2 the advantage which the envy and malignity of many againſt this Army hath thereby had to bring the ſouldiers under ſcorne, con­tempt and odium with the Countrey, and to render the reproa­ches and calumnies caſt upon the Army the better accepted with the people.

We have found them alſo verie ſenſible (both from their owne reaſon and the experience of others) how tedious, chargeable, difficult and uncertaine it is for Souldiers after disbanding to get their particular accompts audited, and Debenters for Arreares, and much more to get the money, and therefore having not out of their ſmall wages got mo­ney enough before hand to maintaine them in proſecution of that bu­ſineſſe, nor the ſum of their Arrears ſo conſiderable as to countervaile the expence of time and money in their neceſſary attendance at London or elſewhere about it, every man for himſelfe; they have been apt to ac­compt for as good as loſt whatever part of their Arrears they ſhould not (before disbanding) either receive or get debenters for, and a certaine appointment where and how to have the ſame.

That the many examples before our eyes of bitter and rigorous pro­ſecutions at Law againſt Souldiers for things done in the War have oc­caſioned us and them with ſome amazement and anxiety to fore-thinke if the Parliament ſitting, and the Army yet ſtanding ſuch things were dared and done, what meaſure we were like afterwards to find in caſe (ſufficient proviſion being not made before-hand for indempnity in ſuch things) we ſhould be left to the ſence of a Countrey-Jury or Judge at Law concerning the exigence of war and duty of a Souldier, eſpecially conſidering how many of thoſe under whoſe verdicts it were like to fall are either Malignants or Newters, and the latter (though in other things indifferent, yet in the matter of the war diſaffecting the Parlia­ments proceedings) doe diſtaſte none ſo much as Souldiers looking up­on them as their immediate diſturbers, and the ſame conſideration makes the Souldiers alſo feare that upon all future occaſions of preſſing they ſhall bee moſt aimed at by diſ-affected or maligning Neighbours, if that buſineſſe be left to their diſcretion. We have found them al­ſo ſenſible of the neglect appearing in moſt Countreyes towards maim'd Souldiers and the wives and children of men ſlaine in the warre.

We have alſo found in the apprehenſions of many ſome diſſatisfacti­on in relation to thoſe publike ends, for which principally both in the3 Parliaments invitations, and their owne intentions, they were induced to ingage in this warre.

In all theſe reſpects premiſed, wee have found the Souldiery very earneſt to have their grievances and deſires in theſe things repreſented to the Parliament by way of humble Petition, and (as there is right and reaſon enough in the things themſelves, ſo) we know nothing that might abſolutely debarre us, or render it unlawfull for them or us to have uſed that liberty of petitioning which belongs to us in common with all other members of the Common-wealth: But yet conſidering how ſubject to ill reſentment or miſconſtruction a Petition from an Army might be, and with what jealouſie all our actions and proceedings in this Army have by many been looked upon, and how watchfull and ready many have been to make miſrepreſentations and raiſe miſappre­henſions of the ſame. We did apply our ſelves to diſſwade from peti­tioning at all, or at leaſt to put it off as long as we could, in expectation of what the Parliament of themſelves would doe in thoſe things that might prevent the need of petitioning. Thus we delayed ſo long, till at laſt the Souldiers grew jealous of their Officers, and began to con­ceive, that the Superiour Officers (their Arreares being more conſidera­ble, and more worth their expence of time, and money in attendance for them, and they better able to proſecute the ſame for themſelves, as alſo to ſave themſelves from moleſtation or preſſing, after disbanding) did neglect thir Souldiers concernments and mind only their own, in­ſomuch as having been long put off in their deſires of petitioning, the Souldiers of divers Regiments ſent ſome of themſelves at the firſt con­veneing of Officers at Walden, to know whether the Officers (having long underſtood the common grievances before) would effectu­ally fall upon ſome Petition in their behalfes, and to let them know, that otherwiſe they muſt ſpeedily fall upon ſomething by themſelves to make knowne their grievances and deſires while they had time.

Hereupon to prevent the Souldiers acting of themſelves in any irre­gular way, or intermedling with any thing which might breed offence or inconvenience, finding there had been many draughts of Petitions car­ried about in the Army which did extend to things of divers natures, and ſome beyond the proper concernments of Souldiers; the Officers then convened took one draught which they found leaſt obnoxious that way,4 and leaving out••••ltering ſuch paſsages as they thought might (for〈…〉) prove d••••ſtfull or inconvenient, they brought it to〈…〉Petition, whereof a copie is hereunto annexed, (not touching〈…〉any thing but the due and neceſsary concernments of Souldiers) and this they directed to the Generall, ſo as, if any thing〈…〉eſcaped their conſideration, it might through his hand receive a further examen and correction, ere it ſhould come to the Parliament. And thus to concurre with the Souldiers in ſuch a Petition, we were in­duced the rather becauſe (there being ill-affected ſpirits in all places, rea­dy to ſtirre up diſcontents in the Army againſt the Parliament) we doubted, that if we did not thus give ſome vent to their juſt grievances and deſires, in thoſe things which generally concerne the Souldiery, ſuch ſpirits might (upon the Souldiers generall diſcontents therein, and the Officers declining them) have a great advantage to ingage the Souldi­ers, by thoſe things, in an implication of other matters: And we knew no better way to prevent ſuch diſcontents from being blowne up into any mutinous diſtemper, as by giving timely vent to their common and juſt deſires in a regular way, and thereby to keep them within the bounds of due order and relation to their Officers in all they ſhould do; and we are confident that what was (chiefly to this end) then agreed on by the Officers in the buſineſſe of the Petition, if it had been permitted to go on, and not found ſuch an abſolute check and reſtraint as it did, would have proved anſwerably effectuall to have prevented all further inconveniences, and (with a reaſonable anſwer from the Parliament) would have rendred the Souldiers eaſily ſatisfiable with what the Parlia­ment would do in the things petitioned, and would have inabled the Officers the better to keep them in all due order.

Having upon theſe grounds agreed upon the ſaid Petition, moſt of the Officers then at Walden took a copie thereof to their quarters to let the ſouldiers underſtand what was agreed upon for their better ſatisfaction, intending after they had done that, to have preſented it to the General, but before that could be done, ſome that were then at Walden (whom whoever they be, we can judge by the carriage and ſequele of the bu­ſineſſe, to be no better then malicious Incendiaries indeavouring to be­get miſ-underſtanding betwixt the Parliament and their Army) having ſurreptitiouſly got a copie of the Petition intended, did unſeaſonably pro­poſſeſſe the Parliament therewith, and that (as we cannot but imagine by the effect) with ſuch miſrepreſentations of our intentions and pro­ceedings5 therein, as to delude the Parliament into high ſuſpitions of ſome dangerous deſigne in it, inſomuch as the honourable Houſe of Commons was induced firſt to ſend order to the Generall for ſuppreſ­ſing the Petition, and to ſummon divers ominent Officers of the Ar­my to appeare at their Bar about it, and after that a Declaration in the name of both Houſes againſt all that ſhould proceed therein, was ſent downe, with order to the Generall for the publiſhing of it through the Army, of which Declaration here is alſo a copie annexed.

The ſaid Declaration cenſuring the Petition as dangerous, tending to put the Army into diſtemper and mutiny, to obſtruct the reliefe of Ireland, and to put conditions upon the Parliament, and declaring the Petitioners if they ſhould proceed therein no leſſe then enemies to the State and diſturbers of the publike peace; we confeſſe, both we and our ſouldiers could not but look upon it with great trouble and amaze­ment, we could not apprehend or imagine wherein the Petition tend­ded to put the Army into mutiny or diſtemper (being by us intended and conceived as the ſureſt way to prevent the ſame for the reaſons before expreſſed) nor wherein it tended to obſtruct the reliefe of Ire­land, being rather the way, as we conceived, of gaining that juſt ſatisfa­ction to the ſouldiery which might incourage both this Army more una­nimouſly, and all other ſouldiers more cheerfully to ingage in any fu­ture ſervice for the Parliament, when they ſhould find a due conſidera­tion in the Parliament as farre as they were able, for ſervices paſt; nor wherein it tended to put conditions upon the Parliament, when as the things it deſired were ſuch as the Parliament had long ſince volunta­rily (without any bodies capitulation) promiſed and offered to all that ſhould engage in their ſervice or elſe declared to be a generall right, neither could we underſtand why our deſiring of things (though not due, if yet they were but reaſonable, and offered by way of hum­ble Petition, with ſubmiſſion and reference of it to the Parliament, as we profeſſe our deſires were) ſhould be apprehended as a putting of condi­tions upon the Parliament, more then all other Petitions have been, from Counties, from Corporations, and eſpecially from the City of London, being a Body more numerous, more cloſely compacted, more neere to the Parliament, and more plentifully furniſhed with money, and all things elſe to back and carry on their deſires, then the Army is: neither could we bethink our ſelves of any paſsage in the Petition that might be any ground of offence, except that clauſe concerning the Royall Aſſent; for which we clearly profeſſe, that the aſſurance we deſired for indempnity, was an Ordinance of Parliament, and our intention in that clauſ•was but this, That what Ordinance ſhould be paſt for indempnity, might be propoſed amongſt thoſe other things, to which the Parliament would of themſelves deſire the Royall Aſsent; and that being denied, we ſhould and ſhall acquieſse in the authority of Parliament for that, as we ſuppoſe the Parliament alſo will for thoſe other things. And wee could not ſee, how that clauſe (weighed as it ſtands) can reaſonably be underſtood to import any more.

Nevertheleſse we have that honourable eſteem of the wiſdome and gravity, and that regard to the authority of the Parliament, as that though we (looking only upon th•••••tion cenſured, and upon our own clear intentions in it) cannot ſee the ground of ſuppreſſing the Pe­tition, or paſſing ſuch a cenſure upon it, yet we are induced to believe, that the Parliament either had ſuch miſrepreſentations of our carriage a­bout it, and ſuggeſtions of dangerous deſignes therein as (if true) might juſtly raiſe them into an high reſentment thereof, and jealouſies thereupon, or els were ſome other way abuſed or ſurprized in the pro­poſall or paſſing of ſuch a Declaration againſt it: But ſince the Parlia­ment hath not, either in the Order for ſuppreſſing it, or in the Declara­tion, expreſt any particular ground of their〈◊〉and cenſure, either from any paſ­ſage in the Petition it ſelfe, or from their informations concerning the carriage of it; we find, that both common Souldiers, and other that look ſingly upon the ſaid Order and Declaration as they ſtand directed againſt the Petition it ſelf, the matter whereof they account to be undeniably juſt and due, are carried away with this apprehenſion, that in the one they are denied and debarred the common libertie of petitioning, and in the other are judged no better then traytors, for but going about to deſire what they conceive their due, and dearly earned; and are apt to include themſelves in a bondage below an equall to the worſt of•••ives, if in any caſe whatſoever they have no way left or al­lowed to repreſent to their Officers, and by them to their Generall, their grievances and deſires in〈◊〉concernes them meetly as Souldiers, though it be at a ſeaſonable time, when there is not preſent action to imp•de or diſturbe thereby, and though in a re­gular, quiet and ſubm•ſſive way, as this in their conceptions and intentions was: Theſe laſt particulars (ere we paſſe them over) we cannot but denote, as being, to our beſt ob­ſervations, the maine root and bottome of what later diſcontents, or unuſuall proceed­ings have ſince appeared amongſt the Souldiers; to give accompt whereof, we ſhall in diſcharge of our duties, clearly proceed as followeth.

The Souldiers (as is premiſed) finding, o•at leaſt conceiving themſelves debarred from the uſuall and regular wayes of making known their grievances and deſires, and finding the Officers generally diſcouraged from acting or medling any further for them in that way, have fallen into other wayes of correſpondence and agreement a­mongſt themſelves, for promoting, as they conceive, their juſt and neceſſary deſires, and for their vindication in what they had formerly done, as they thought, upon juſt grounds; and have to that purpoſe appointed, or choſen, out of themſelves, a certaine number for every Regiment, or Troope and Company, to agitate for thoſe ends, in behalf of them all.

And thus in purſuance of thoſe grounds (which they thought juſt & neceſſary) many things have been propoſed amongſt them, written and done, which to others may appeare irregular: and particularly we find, there was indeed ſuch a letter (as the Parliament has had no­tice of) ſent to the Generall, Major General, and Lieu. Generall, from the Soldiers of eight Regiments of Horſe; but we cannot find, that that, or ought elſe has been done by thoſe their agents which hath not been with the conſent or allowance, or approbation of the generality of the Soldiers. And we find it hath been alſo agreed and reſolved amongſt them, to ſend up to the Parliament by their ſaid A­gents, all the heads of the former Petition already; onely in forme (directing the ſame immediatly to the Parliament) and wee per­ceive there have not wanted ſome in all quarters (upon their disſatiſ­faction in thoſe things) ready to engage them in an implication of things of other nature, which though not evill in themſelves, yet did not concern them properly, as Soldiers.) And that purpoſe of ſending up their deſires to the Parliamiament, had (as we find) been done or attempted ere now, but that (upon the ſending downe of your ſelves from the Houſe of Commons, to quiet diſtempers in the Army) thoſe appointed to goe up, were ſtopt, upon expectation of what you might bring down from the Houſe towards their ſatisfa­ction; or, in hope, at leaſt, to have their grievances and deſires in reaſonable things again admitted into ſome regular way of being made known, and that with clearneſſe, and candid dealings on your parts, and without ſuch miſrepreſentation, as by others (the precedent officious informers) had formerly been put upon them. And ſince this expectation bred amongſt them, we have not found any procee­dings amongſt them in other wayes, that might be counted diſorder or diſtemper.

Now for the effect of thoſe two votes of the Houſe on Friday, April 30. ſent down by your hands, which according to our duty have been faithfully imparted to our ſeverall Troops and Companies, we gene­rally find as followeth.

1 That the Ordinance for indempnity (mentioned in the firſt Vote) will clearly ſatisfy as to that point, if once paſt and full to the purpoſe, as we preſume it will be.

2 That upon the ſecond Uote concerning arrears, we cannot find or expect the like effect, and that amongſt diverſe other rea­ſons) principally for this; becauſe all the aſſurance the Uote gives concerning arrears to be paid at disbanding is this, viz [That the houſe has reſolved that a conſiderable part of the arrears, ſhall be paid at disbanding] and no mention being made what proportion; but thoſe words, [the houſe has reſolved] ſeeming to referre to ſome proportion formerly reſolved; It is generally vnderſtood to imploy any other then that of ſix weeks pay.

Now that Uote for ſix weeks pay at disbanding, as it came forth at a time of much diſadvantage in reſpect of the diſcontents prece­ding, ſo in the effect and circumſtances of it, It conduced much to heigthen increaſe and fix the ſame; the ſumme being generally lookt upon as very inconſiderable, in relation to the great arreares incurr'd, not under the new Modell alone, but alſo in former Ar­mies and ſervices of the Parliament. For the Officers of this Army generally, and amongſt the horſe, moſt of the Souldiers and very ma­ny of the foot are ſuch, as have been engaged for the Parliament on where or other from the beginning of the warre, and have their arrears incurr'd under the Modell, ſuperadded to what arrears all former Armyes and forces (where they have ſerved) were in, at their ſeverall reducements or disbandings. And that ground which moved the Souldiery from affection to the cauſe, to be content with leſſe of arreares upon former reducements in times of neceſſity, viz. (becauſe the Parliament could then doe no more,) that ground (wee ſay) doth with ſome, ſeem now to be ſomething impaired ſince the Parliament hath had the Kingdom now a good while wholly under their power.

We find ſome other things that have concurred not a little to increaſe diſcontents, from the carriage of ſome of the Commiſſio­ners that came downe hither for the Iriſh ſervice; as particularly their impriſoning and ſending up to London a Commiſſion-Officer of the Army, (Enſigne Nichols) which (whatever the ground may be) yet being without any concurrence of the Generall, or thoſe left to command in his abſence, and their own authority not appearing, nor any produced by them) ſeemes an abſolute breach both of the ſubjects liberty, and Soldiers uſuall right, and an affront to the au­thority appoynted by the Parliament over the Army. And this par­ticular, together with many other carriages of ſome of them, ſeeming to concurre all to one end, viz. the pulling of the Army in peeces, and provoking it to diſtempers by their violent wayes, rather then the ſervice of Ireland ſhould be ſupplied, or the quiet of this King­dome aſſured in any other way, wherein this Army might paſſe with­out a diſhonour.

Laſtly, we find that diſcontents, diſcouragements, and ſome ani­moſities, have been much occaſioned and increaſed in the Army by the high indignities, the manifold reproaches and calumnies of all ſorts moſt unworthily caſt upon the Army, in falſe reports raiſed, and induſtriouſly divulged in Sermons, in printed bookes, (licenſed and paſſing without check to bee publiſhed through the world) and in petitions accepted, (moſt of them) with thanks. And here we cannot but take notice of the ingratitudes & unworthy requitals ap­pearing eſpecially from a great party in that City (whoſe Trade ſince this Army began to open it) hath been advantaged above a million thereby; and yet they have not onely long with-held their contri­butions appoynted by the Parliament for this Army, (which hath occaſioned a great part of its arreares:) but have in all other wayes indeed contributed their endevours, to have it paid with diſhonour, and unworthily turn'd off. And though all reproches and indignities have been born by the Army with patience and abſolute ſilence hi­therto, (not to be exampled, we think, in other armies; yet it cannot but trouble men, when they have followed the work of the kingdom with diligence and faithfulneſſe; and have (at leaſt) endevoured to do the whole Kingdom good, and to doe no man any wrong or damage where ere they have come (that the Being of an Army could avoyd;) they ſhould yet by ſpite and falſhood (even from that party that reaps the advantange of all what they have done) bee rendred the ſcorne and hate of men, while (to avoyd the Kingdomes diſquiet) they have been ſilent in their owne behalfe.

We have thus (we hope) diſcharged our duty in a faithfull & clear account of the generall diſcontents (not to trouble you with the nu­merous particularities) that we find in the Army, together with the grounds, occaſions, and growth of them, and of our own proceedings in relation to them, we hope the full diſcovery of the bottome, if the ſoare may give the leaſt advantage to the cure: towards which, if we may offer any thing as we have done for the other: we hum­bly conceive that nothing can ſo fully reach, and ſurely remove the ground of thoſe diſcontents, and prevent all further inconveniencies hereupon, as theſe things following.

That if the order for ſuppreſſing the Petition, or the cenſure paſt in the declaration againſt it were not (in the Parliaments ſenſe and intention) meerly in relation to the act of petitioning, or the mat­ter petitioned, but chiefly upon information of ill carriages, or ſug­geſtions of ſome deſigne in the managing of it; The Parliament would bee pleaſed to declare ſo much, and to cleare their owne ſenſe and intentions, as to the juſt liberty of Soldiers in repreſenting their grievances and deſires (as Soldiers) to their officers, and by them to their Generall, in a quiet and regular way, and alſo as to the right or reaſonableneſſe of the things petitioned.

2 That if the Parliament have ben by falſe informations abuſed, or o•herwiſe ſurpriſed, or indirectly dealt withall by any perſons what­ſoever, in what hath there paſſed in relation to that buſineſſe, they would be pl•aſed to vindicate a•d cleare the ho•o•of the Parliament from the evil pract•ſes and deſt•uctive deſigns of a•l ſuch men & cauſe them to be diſcovered and deal withall according to their demerits.

3. That, next, ſince the Pa•l•a•ent is already (though by ſome an­ticipation) poſſeſt with the effect of the petition they would be plea­ſed to take the matter of it into timely conſideration, and give there­in what ſatisfaction they may.

4. That the Parliament would diſcountenance all unjuſt calum­nies againſt the Army, and give way, that before it bee disbanded, and diſperſt, the army may agree upon, and publiſh a ſober and tem­perate vindication of themſelves, from the many ſcandals caſt upon them, firſt preſenting and ſubmitting the ſame to the Parliaments approbation.

And thus, notwithſtanding all diſcontents, and paſt provocations, we dare be confident for our Soldiers, and the body of the Army, that they will be ſway'd and ſa•isfied with juſtice and reaſon, will ſuffer much in their own particulars for the quiet and w•ale of the publick, and will be ever faithfull and ſerviceable to Parliament and Kingdome.

We have in all this diſcharged our conſciences and duties to God, the Parliament and Kingdome, as well as to the Army, for the pre­vention of any further inconvenience on all hands. And the Lord is whoſe hands all iſſues are, direct all counſe•s hereupon for the beſt.