A true Relation of the great Fight, and Routing the Kings forces on Routon Heath, Sept. 24.

IT pleaſed God upon Saturday morning, Sept. 20. 1645. about break of day to de­liver into the hands of the Cheſhire forces, though few in number, under the command of Col: Michael Iones, and Adjutant Louthian, The Suburbs of the city of Cheſter, formerly accounted for to Sir Wil: Brereton; in which expedition (though by ſtorm) we loſt but one man; the Enemy fired moſt part of the Suburbs; Cow-lane, St. Johns lane, and the ſtreet without the North gate; our care was to haſten to the taking of the City, without which the diſeaſed county could never be cu­red. Vpon the Lords day we brought in our Artillery, fixt a battery, & upon Monday made a great breach in the wall, reſolving to ſtorm it at night, which we endeavoured in 3. or 4. places, but the Ladders proved too ſhort, and the breach too high on the inſide, ſo they made their retreat with the loſſe of two men, and ſome wounded. The Suburbs were en­tred by Captain Gimbert, the breach by Cap­tain Finch, both of them ſtout and truſty men; though God deferred that mercy we5 hoped for, in gaining the City, he gave us a better, the utter Routing and ſpoiling of the Kings Army; which was thus performed.

Our Intelligence upon Monday Sept. 21. was, that the King was at Chirke Caſtle, in­tending for Cheſter: Upon Tueſday, two truſty men were ſent to ſeek Major Gen. Poyntz, who was appointed to follow the King, but we heard nothing of him; they meeting with him at Whitchurch, and acquainting him with our preſent condition (who were like to be Stormed that night) he haſtned away, marched all night, though tired with long marches before: About ſix a clock Wedneſday morning, he advanced within a mile of the Enemy, three miles from Cheſter, the one not knowing of the other; upon notice, both ſet themſelves in a poſture; Generall Poyntz upon Hatton Heath, divided from the Ene­my on the Milne Heath by a Lane, they being betwixt him and the City: he firſt charged them though upon a diſadvantage, becauſe the Enemies whole body was not come up, but had a repulſe, in which that gallant Gentleman Col: Graves was ſore wounded, & Col: Bothell, but not ſo dangerouſly; about6 20. men ſlain, many wounded; but we hear the Enemies loſſe was greater, however, upon the retreat, it was noiſed that Gen: Poyntz was utterly Routed, which vvas ſad nevvs to our Forces in Cheſter; who upon conſultation, at firſt thought it fit to quit the Suburbs, leaſt the Army miſcarrying, all ſhould be loſt; but upon Intelligence that Poyntz kept his ground and ſtood in a body, they re­ſolved to keep what ground they had gotten for the gaining of Cheſter, and to aſsiſt Gene­tall Poyntz with Horſe and Foot, which he ſent for, and they promiſed: The ſignall of their march from the Suburbs, was the diſcharge of two piece of Ordnance, at which there was great ſhouting in Generall Poyntz campe, who without us could nei­ther charge the Enemy, nor make good their Retreat if need ſhould require: God in his good Providence deferred the work to that time of the day, that we might finde the fruit of many Prayers made for us, it being the monethly Faſt, and by this acceſsion to vindicate our innocency, who were aſperſt for a factious county, and mutinous Souldiery, though vve can profeſſe it be­fore7 God and the vvorld, that vve knovv not that county where the Gentry and Com­manders are more firmly ſemented in the band of true affection then this, nor a Soul­diery more obedient to commands, conſtant upon duty, and now free from mutinies. Ma­ny of the Gentlemen of the county reſorted to us, gave their beſt aſsiſtance for the carry­ing on of this Work, upon whoſe ſhoulder no ſmall burden lies to regulate theſe trou­bled affairs: It vvas agreed by them, that Col. Iones, a dextrous and reſolute Souldier, ſhould go out with the command of Horſe & Foot, 350. and 500. The Foot were led by Col. Iohn Booth governor of Warington, who was very forward in that Expedition: Adjutant Gen: Louthian a man of known worth, was to keep the ſuburbs; a work of great truſt & courage.

When theſe forces joyned with Gen. Poyntz there was great joy in the camp, the Enemy formed themſelves into a body upon Routon Heath, two miles from Cheſter, and ſtood in Batalia, being about 5000. as their own par­ty confeſſe, having drained their Garriſons: We haſtned towards them in the beſt poſture we could, the Horſe was the Battell, becauſe8 many, the wings were Foot becauſe few; they had the Wind and Sun; we had God with us, which was our Word, counterpoi­ſing all diſadvantages, and countermanding all ſtrength; a little before 5. a clock, we joy­ned in a terrible ſtorm, firing in the faces of one another, hacking & ſlaſhing with ſvvords neither party gain'd or loſt a foot of ground, as if every one vvere reſolved there to breath their laſt: Whilſt the diſpute vvas ſo hot and doubtfull, our Muſquetiers ſo galled their horſe, that their Rear fled, perceiving their loſſe by them, upon whom they made no Execution: Their Van perceiving that, faced about, and fled alſo: We had nothing then to do, but to purſue and make Execution, which we did to purpoſe, for though the ways were ſtrewed with Arms, Portmantles, Cloak-bags, and Horſe, vve left thoſe to any that vvould pillage, and fell to Execution: Some part vve chaſed to Holt bridge, the moſt tovvards Cheſter; ſome ſay the King vvas in the field, others that he vvent out with a par­ty, next after mentioned; but certain it is, he vvent out from the City by the North gate, and thither retreated, for that gate is vvithout our Works.

A memorable ſervice was performed by the Shropſhire Forces, at the appoint­ment of Livetenant Louthiane, who were part of them that kept the ſub­urbs. When Collonel Iones was marcht out to ioyne with Generall Poyntz, there iſſued out after him through the North-gate (with which party its affirmed the King went) about ſixe hundred horſe and three hundred foote of the Kings and Queens Regiments and General Gerrards Lifeguard. Adjutant Louthiane ſent after them about two hundred of the Shropſhire horſe, com­manded by Livetenant Collonel Coote in chiefe, the ſecond diviſion by Collonel Prince, the laſt by Ma: Fenwicke and two hundred foote commanded by Captain Daniell, theſe gallantly performed what they undertooke, routed and chaſed the e­nemy, ſlew the Earle of Leichfield and o­thers, tooke divers principall officers and followed the execution foure miles.

After we thought the worke was ended,10 the enemy made head againe, and they that eſcaped in the field and about Che­ſter, ioyned in another body, fell upon part of our forces with advantage (for they were deſperate ſeeing they had loſt the day) drave them to our mud walls, where the guards made execution on them, and ſome ſmall meaſure upon ours in the reare, through miſtake: ſo they fled towards Bridgetrafford being ignorant of the Foote, where they were driven into deepe dit­ches, and boggy places. The Country men ſet on them there, tooke one hundred horſe and ſixty perſons. Others fled into the forreſt where they are met with.

Whilſt wee were thus engaged in the field the enemy taking advantage of the ſmall number left in the ſuburbs attempted the regaining of them in many places; but were every where gallantly repulſed with loſſe by adjutant Louthiane.

We cannot give a particular account of the number of the ſlaine, which were11 many, neither know wee our owne loſſe, but that it is very ſmall. Wee have taken the Earle of Portlands brother, with many conſiderable perſons: Knights, and offi­cers, above one thouſand priſoners; And its probable that of the five thouſand they ſay was in the field, the King will hardly rally one thouſand, wee deſire the honour of this victory may be given to God alone, to whom alone it is due, his Inſtruments behaved themſelves gallant­ly, the Cheſhire Horſe were kowne moſt couragious, we deſire not vainely to glo­ry in any thing God hath done by us, but let the world ſay whether wee have been backward in the worke committed to us as ſome have ſuggeſted.

Let Souldiers iudge what it is for ſo ſmall a force to maintaine the leaguer at Beeſton, take and keep the outworks of Che­ſter, to aſſiſt others a farre off, and theſe in the field, and runne all hazard, rather than quit a foot of what we have gained. Nei­ther12 will we fixe here: Theſe are but the beginning of action to us, ſince our new moddle, ſo ſucceſſefull, ſo much diſpiſed.

Vpon Parliamentary ſupplyes already Pe­titioned, we truſt in him, whoſe ſoul­diers we are, to give as good account of our after proceedings, both in reducing this County and aſiſting the neighbour­hood.