A Full and Exact RELATION Of the Storming and Taking of Dartmouth, VVith above Five hundred Priſoners, Sixty peece of Ordnance, great ſtore of Ammunition and Ships belonging to the ſaid TOWN.
As it was ſent to the Honorable William Lenthal Eſq; Speaker to the Honorable Houſe of Commons.
Together with an Order of both Houſes of Parliament, for Thurſday come Fortnight to be a day of Thankſgiving within the Lines of Communication, and ten miles about; and Thurſday come three weeks in all other places in the Countrey.
ORdered by the Commons aſſembled in Parliament, That this Relation and Order be forthwith printed and publiſhed:
London, Printed for Edw. Husband, Printer to the Honorable Houſe of Commons, and are to be ſold at his Shop at the Sign of the Golden Dragon in Fleetſtreet, neer the Inner-Temple, January. 23. 1645.
IF I write confuſedly, I ſhall humbly crave your pardon; for we have been up all night, and things are not yet in a ſetled order: In my former Letters I acquainted you how the army was engaged before Dartmouth (a place of as great, if not greater concernment then Exeter) it required ſome few dayes time to bee throughly informed of the ſtate of the town; after which, it was unanimouſly reſolved to ſtorm the town (for we finde more loſſe of men by lingring ſieges, then ſudden ſtorms) every Commander was allotted to his poſt, and they as faithfully4 and valiantly performed their duties; every man gaining the command of every Fort or place that fel to his lot, with all the Ordnance, Arms and Ammunition: The ſtorm begun about one a clock this morning; after the Enemy had diſcharged their Canon once, our men got under the ſhot, and poſſeſſed the Canon, and turned them againſt the Enemy (for we had no pieces at all of our own, the weather not admitting any to be brought) after the Line was cleared, and ſome works taken, we became Maſters of the whole Town, and then of Tunſtal Mount and Church, Mount Boon, Mount Paradiſe, and the old Caſtle, in which caſtle were five great Iron Guns, which command the River. In the ſtorm our men poſſeſſed themſelvs of about ſixty piece of Ordnance, the two great Forts not yet taken (being a mile from the Town) for theſe two Forts, if5 they accept not of quarter vvhile they may have it, in the opinion of the General and Lieut. General, and Commanders, wee may reduce them by force in forty eight hours, & batter them in pieces with their own great Guns, which we have taken in Town, one whereof is a braſſe Demy canon; Truly I never ſee men fall on more cheerfully and merrily; Mr. Dell, and Mr. Peters preached to them, & put much life into them, and God was wonderfull mercifull unto us, for we had but one man ſlain, and but few wounded, though the Forts plaid moſt fiercely on the Soldiers; the Commanders & Forces that were engaged in the ſtorm, were, Col: Hamond and his Regiment, Col: Lambert and his Regiment, Col: Forteſcue and his Regiment, Lieut. Col: Pride with Col: Harleys Regiment, and a good party out of the Generals, & Col: Ingolsbies Regiments,6 and laſtly, two hundred Seamen, & ſome Dragoons. And though the Town was entred thus by ſtorm, yet very little prejudice was done to the town, the Soldiers being fair conditioned beyond expectation, they grumbled a little that they had not the Reward promiſed at Briſtol, to ſave that town from plundering, which City deſerves to feel the ſmart of plunder, for their unthankfulneſſe for ſo great favours they found from the Army. The Meſſenger is in haſte to be gone; and for further particulars the Houſe will ſuddenly receive an account. It hath pleaſed God wonderfully to bleſſe the Army in this Expedition further VVeſt, not onely to ſcatter the Enemies Horſe, but to hinder the relief intended for Exeter; and interrupted, nay quite broke the yong Generaliſſimo in his new leavies, relieved Plymouth, and inforced the Enemy into7 Cornwall, leaving a force ſufficient to beſiege Exeter: If the Army had formerly advanced, leaving that City unbeſieged, as it was much deſired, I think the ſervice would not have been of ſo much advantage, as to take this ſeaſon; whileſt you have Commanders that are faithfull, if you let them put Deſignes in execution, when their own Conſciences and Iudgements leads them to it, I hope you will have no cauſe to repent it: But it is hard to pleaſe all.
IUſt now the Enemy beats a Parley in the Forts, ſo you may be aſſured we may have them on any terms; The Generall ſent the Comptroller to Summon the two men of War in the River, who yielded immediately, the one was one Captain Johnſons Ship of Newcaſtle, ten piece of Ordnance; the other of fourteen piece of Ordnance: at Townſall Fort we took ſix ſcore priſoners, about four hundred more in the Town and other Works. I humbly take my leave, and remain Your moſt humble Servant, J. R.
Dartmouth,Ian. 19. 1645. four in the morning.
The Meſſenger is a diligent man, and willing to come, I leave him to your conſideration.
THe Lords and Commons in Parliament aſſembled, do Order and appoint this day Fortnight for a day of Thankſgiving for taking in of Dartmouth, to be kept within the Cities of London and Weſtminſter, Lines of Communication, and Ten miles about, And this day three weeks for all other places in the Countrey.
(EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A84953)
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