Colonell Mittons Reply TO Lievtenant-Colonell Reinkings Relation OF The taking of Shrewesburie: Which was printed without Licenſe, though ſaid (in the Title thereof) to be publiſhed by Authority
THE laying of a deſign for the taking of the Town of Shrews bury, was in agitation ſeverall wayes, both by the Committee, and my ſelf, they ſent unto Of weſtrey for me to Wem to conſult about it; M. Huſon (a Miniſter) was the onely man that firſt adviſed us to this way, wherein God gave us the towne: after ward one Captain Willier ſeconded him therein.
The firſt attempt we indeavoured to make upon the town, was the 14 of February, but the darkneſſe of the night (and the ill mannaging of the march) by Lievtenant. Col. Reinking retarded the buſineſſe ſo much, that we were faine to retreat for that time.
Next day being Saturday, in the afternoon, the reſt of the Gentlement of the Committee and my ſelfe fell in councell how to go on with the deſigne againe, and ſent for Lievtenant Col. Reinking, M. Huſon, Captain Willier, and others to advice with us.
We did agree to go the next night; being the Sabbath, to ſurprize the Caſtle,2 being much troubled, leaſt any of the well-affected in the Town〈◊〉ſuffer by reaſon of our former attempt.
They that ſhould have gone with me, were the foreſaid Lievtenant-Colonell, M. Huſon, and Captain Willier, we had likewiſe ſent unto Major Fennicke, who was then Governour of Morton Corbet, to go along with us, with what ſtrength he could affoord, to ſecond us with the reſt of the Forces from Wem, and my Horſe; the place were we ſhould have ſcalled the Caſtle-wall, required ladders five yards long, the ladders we had the night before were ſo heavy, that they could not be carried under foure men to one of them; whereupon I ſent for the Joyner (that lives in Wem) to me, and gave him order to make ladders of that length, with two of his feaſoned railes, which were ſo light, that one man might carrie one of them a mile with eaſe. But as we were ready to give order to march, word came from Shrewsbury, that they kept out Scouts towards Wem: therfore we thought fit to proceed no further at that time, and ſent likewiſe to countermand Major Fennicke, who was to meet us upon our march.
I ſtayed with them (as I remember) at Wem, till Tueſday in the evening: Vpon the Monday before I went, we did agree to fall upon their Garriſon at Atcham (having great hopes we ſhould gaine it) and did intend to fortifie it ſtrongly, it being a place upon the river of Severne, within two miles of Shrewsbury, which would much annoy the town: but P. Maurice being at Cheſter, wee conceived our ſtrength was not ſufficient to defend the place, till we had made it tenable, and did agree to ſend to Sir William Brereton to borrow ſome of his Auxiliaries, and ſo for that time I took my leave of the reſt of the Gentlemen of the Committee, and went to my Garriſon to Oſweſtree, they promiſing me, and (Colonell Hunt in particular) deſiring that if I had any deſigne, I would make them acquainted, and when they were to go upon any they would acquaint me.
Vpon the Friday following they ſent me a Letter to Oſweſtree (about foure in the after-noone I received it) mentioning their march upon a deſigne that night, wherein they deſired me to have an eye upon Prince Maurice, leſt he ſhould ſend ſome partie to fall upon them, and wherein they wrote, that they would have a regard to my honour in the firſt place.
Between 7 and 8 of the clock, Capt. Iohn Betton being with me I ſhewed him the Letter, ſo hee and I adviſing together, wee reſolved ſpeedily to be gone, not making any one acquainted which way we went: I ſent to Lievtenant-Colonell Pope, to come along with us, who brought with him two3 or three of his Troop, and I my ſelfe had only one man, but ſent to all my Horſe to follow, which they did with great ſpeed: wee met them upon their march upon the old heath, a mile from the Suburbs, though Lievtenant-Colonell Reinking ſets forth, that they were in the Suburbs before I came in unto them: and whereas he ſaith, that he had only two light marches, I cauſed them to put out thirtie and above, asking them if they would ſurprize the towne with light matches: Colonell Lloyd, when I ſhewed him the light matches, being alſo much diſpleaſed.
Vpon my firſt coming in, I went (as Lieutenant-Colonell Reinking reports) to the Gentlemen of the Committee, and ſaluted them, and asked them the reaſon why they had not ſent me more timely notice of the deſigne, they anſwered (and Mr. Charlton in particular) that they did only intend to have a ſcrip at Shrewsbury, as they paſſed by: but their greateſt hope was to poſſeſſe themſelves of Atcham.
I kept conſtantly with the Horſe, ſometimes with the Gentlemen of the Committee, ſometimes with others: they that came with mee from Oſweſtree and I, being not one from the other all night, according to our promiſe that wee made to one another: this meane while Lievtenant-Colonell Reinking went on with the Foot, as he ſets forth, (leaving all the Horſe behind him upon the Heath) I being in the Van of them with Capt. More, the All-arme was given unto the towne: whereupon (as Mr. Huſon told mee and others) that Leivtenant-Colonell Reinking would have gone back, had it not been for him: and thereupon he himſelfe took a ſledge, and went to the Paliſadoes, by whoſe encouragement, and Capt. Williers, they went on againe, and made their way thorow them: The meane while I went on with: the Horſe into the Suburbs, where we found the Lord Colvill, and where-we ſtayed neare a quarter of an houre before the Foot could break an iron chaine to let us paſſe to the gate. From thence I marched ſtrait to the gate, where we ſtayed neare upon a quarter of an houre before it was opened, which being done much about the break of day, I entred with the Horſe the firſt my ſelfe, one would have entred before mee, but I wiſhed him to forbeare, which hee did till I entred: wee went direct to wards the maine guard, our Foot being beaten back by them, they verie earneſtly cryed for the Horſe, wee made all haſte poſſible unto their releefe, (thoſe that came with mee from Oſweſtree being ſtill with mee) and Captaine More one of the Committee, when wee came into the Hay-ſtreet, wee thought to have entred upon them thorow a narrow paſſage betweene ſome Drapers ſhops, but were beaten thence, and4 they killed one of our horſes: whereupon Captaine Iohn Betton••d us〈◊〉along the Hay-ſtreet, and ſo by Chads Church, by which meanes wee ſurrounded them: and then, and not till then, they fled.
As foon as they were diſperſed, I called for an old Gentleman (my Vncle) that lodged the next houſe to that guard: while I was talking with hion qume of the Committee, and Lievtenant-Colonell Reinking went to the Caſtle ſhinking to have it delivered unto them, and did agree upon termes with them thereon: but when they came to ſurrender it, they asked. To whom they ſhould deliver it? the Committee told them. to L. Col. Reinking they asked, whether I was not there: the Committee anſwered, I was in Towne; they replied, They would not deliver it till I came: where upon the Committee ſent M. Charlos Langford, who came in great haſt to me: I went preſently with him, and had it delivered unto me: I my ſelfe went to the gate of the Caſtle, and with my own hands (as they paſſed out) wrote, the names and quality of all the Souldiers therein, and gave the liſt of them to Colonell Lloyd.
So when they were all gone out, and ſent with a guard to the ſtone bridge, (excepting the Iriſh, upon whom I put a difference in the lift that I gave Gelonell Lloyd) I entred the Caſtle firſt, divers others of the Gentlemen of the Committee being there, and followed me.
So it will here plainly appeare, that (upon my coming) the order he ſtandeth. upon, to be Commander in chiefe, was in valid, I being the ancienteſt Colonell in that County, having a Commiſſion for three Regiments, as alſo that I came in to them a mile before they came into the Suburbs, and that Lievtenant-Colonell Reinking had more then two lighted matches, and that I took the command of the horſe upon me, and that I led up the horſe to beat the maine guard, which were not beaten away, till the Horſe ſurrounded them, and that the Caſtle was ſurrendred unto me.
Theſe things I never intended to have publiſhed, but that Lie•••nant-Colonell Reinking put forth a pamphlet upon Saturday laſt (as I conceive) to my diſhonour: I having formerly written to, and reported in the Houſe of Commons, contrarie to what he cauſed to be printed.