A Letter to the Honorable VVilliam Lenthal Eſq; Speaker of the Honorable Houſe of Commons.
BEing conſtrained by divers neceſſities of the ſouldiers to retire about five weeks ſithence out of the field, where I had been in the Rebels Quarters of the County of Limrick, before I could look into the County of Tipperary; I did after ſome ſhort refreſhment, and the beſt (though but mean) proviſion which I could make for the Soldier, apply my ſelf and this Army forthwith again into the field: And being for want of Oxen, and other carriages unable to draw forth any Artillery, or to carry any larger proportion of bread then what the Soldiers Knap-ſacks would contain, I marched with the Army into this County4 which I entered upon on Saturday the third of this inſtant; and having taken ſeveral Caſtles therein, to the number of ten or twelve, putting to the ſword the VVarders of ſuch places as ſtood in oppoſition to the Army; I paſſed over the River Shewer, not far from the Caſtle of Cahir, an ancient and eminent hold of the Rebels, environed with two branches of that River, which was obſerved to be in all appearance of that ſtrength, as it was both by them, and by the Officers of this Army, eſteemed impregnable: notwithſtanding which, the importancy of the place being ſeriouſly conſidered by us, we were occaſioned to make an attempt upon it by this accident; one of our horſe-men being plundering neer the Town, was by ſome of the Rebels wounded and carried a priſoner into the Caſtle, from whence he was admitted to ſend for a Chirurgion into our Quarters to dreſs his wounds, of which we made this uſe: One Col. James Heppeſly, who had formerly5 ſerved the King, and was (upon ſome aſſurance given me by a friend, of his doing ſervice) admitted to come into our Quarters, being an ingenious perſon, skilled in Chirurgery, and in Fortifications, took upon him to go under a diſguiſe into the Caſtle, and to dreſs the wounded Trooper, which accordingly he did, with ſo good caution, and circumſpection, as that he diſcovered perfectly the condition of the Caſtle in each reſpect, the weakneſs of the VVard, and eſpecially ſome defects in the wall of the outward Bawn, which rendred it aſſaultable by our men, the taking whereof would probably induce the ſurrender of the Caſtle, which he collected from the obſerved timorouſneſs of the VVarders; which ſorted to ſo good purpoſe, as that falling on the place defective, with a party lead on by: Col. Heppeſly himſelf, we carried that outward Bawn, and ſome out Turrets by ſtorm, and with in a few hours after had the Caſtle ſurrendred unto us, on Quarter only for life, though6 upon entry of it, we found that the ſame was by no force of ours to be reduced, if the Defendants had not been by Divine Providence deprived of any courage to oppoſe us.
The place is juſtly looked upon by this Army, as the moſt important in the whole Province, being of that ſtrength, as not to be taken from us, ſo long as we have victual to ſupport a Garriſon therein, whereby a paſs is kept open for us to make daily incurſions into this countrey, which hath been a principal contributary to the Rebels Army.
To the performance of which ſervice, the Soldier was enabled with no other food then the roots under, and corn above the ground (all their cattel being driven away before us out of our reach) of the latter whereof we had great and abundant ſtore, ſo as we have burned in this County above 20000. l. worth, whereof there could be no uſe made through want of hand-Mills (for which I have often and7 earneſtly written) the water-mills being for the moſt part either burned or deſerted.
From Cahir we marched this inſtant to the city of Caſhel, formerly the Metropolitans See of this Province, where the Citizens and Inhabitants (amazed at the reducing of Cahir) left open the gates, and fled to the Cathedral, a large and ſpacious Pile, ſeated upon a rock neer the wals of the Town, and of late very much fortified, and at preſent fully manned with divers companies of the Rebels, which will render any attempts we ſhall make upon it very difficult; notwithſtanding which, we determine by Gods aſsiſtance, to leave no means unaſſayed for the reducing thereof; after which, we deſign to fall upon the Town of Fethard an eminent walled Town, and from thence to march unto Cloumel, to reduce which, we have yet no great hopes, in regard we underſtand that place to be very regularly fortified, and ſtrongly manned, ſo as without8 Artillery there can be no feiſible attempt made upon it: But if it ſhall pleaſe God to bleſs us with ſucceſs on that place, We may then with confidence aſſert the Parliaments Intereſt in this Province to be high, and the Rebels mean, and inconſiderable. Sir, the Gentry of this county, by the reducing of theſe places, and the burning of their Corn, begin to make ſuit, that they may be admitted to a contribution, which ſhall be embraced ſo far as may conduce to the better carrying on of the War, and ſupporting of this Army, and advancing (as my zeal and duty obliges me) of the Parliaments ſervice: For which I have no other means, then this of keeping the field: From whence if I ſhall be driven to our Garriſons by the violence of the weather, or by an over powerful Army, I am utterly ignorant how the Army may be preſerved from ſtarving, without ſeaſonable ſupplies from the Honorable Houles to whoſe ſervice I have faithfully devoted my ſelf, remaining, Sir,