VPon Saturday last, I received a De­claration of Parliament, with a Commission from his Excellencie the Earle of Essex, to command in chiefe, over the Forces of the North, and other adjacent Coun­ties, which great honour and Trust, farre above any ambition or merit, by your Lord­ships conferred on me, I shall exercise withall care, and fidelity, not doubting but that your Lordships will enable me therein, with such other Supplies as the necessity of the Service shall require, and that represented from hence.

The State of the affaires in these parts, since my last dispatch of the first of this month, stand in this manner, the Earle of Newcastle is come to Yorke, and Joyned his forces to the Earle of Cumberlands, ma­king in all as I am informed about 8000 men horse and foot, of which there is about 2000 Horse and Dragonneers, strength far too potent to be resisted by the small power which I have here, wherof I send a list inclosed; our strength was once estimated by our selves far greater then now it appeares, for upon the Earle of Newcastles comming over the Tees, Sir Ed­ward [Page] Loftus with all the Richmond shire men, and Sir Henry Anderson with all the Cleveland men and the rest of the North riding, which were estimated at 1000 men, did all returne to their owne Houses, save about 130 men brought hither by Sir Mathew Boynton, some other Gentlemen, and our Troope of Horse, raised by Sir Henry Forlis, and about 40. Horse more, brought hither by Captaine Anderson; And besides this defect, our numbers are decreased by Sir Hugh Cholmley, to whom I have sent diverse Orders to match Northward, to joyn with Captain Hotham, and the rest in resisting the Earle of New­castles entry, before he came into Yorkshire, and since his entry, to come to me, and the rest of the Armie at Todcaster, but he found such impediments as hee could doe neither: And now I heare, he is gone to Scarborough, and taken his Forces with him, which were about 700 Men, and Colonell Boynton, whose Regiment consisted of 800 Foot, is likewise mar­ched towards Hull, although I sent him divers Or­ders to march up hither to assist the forces at Todca­ster, giving me neither reason of his not comming to me, nor of his march towards Hull, and I under­stand that Sir Iohn Gell had raised 800 men in Darbi­shire, sent unto him to march hither, to our Suc­cors, but I have received an Answer from him, that he is not able yet to stirre from thence; from Sir Anthony Irby, nor the Lincolnshire men, I heare nothing, though I have sent to them expresse Mes­sengers, so our whole strength here, (upon returne of the formerly sent into the North) consisting of 21 Companies of Foot, and 7 Troopes of Horse, [Page] and one Company of Dragoneeres, wee did send of them two Companies of Foot to secure Selby, and one Company to secure Cawood-Castle, and quarte­red the rest, part of them at Weatherby, under Com­mand of Captaine Hotham, whom I have nominated to be Lieutenant Generall of the Army, and the rest at Todcaster, under my owne command, and upon Tuesday receiving intelligence that the Earl of New­castle with his whole forces intended to fall upon our Quarter at Todcaster, I sent to Captaine Hotham, to bring up the forces at VVeatherby, which being done, and the Earle of Newcastles Army come in sight, we drew our men into the uttermost part of our Quarter, where we had raised some breast-works for our Musquetiers, and there the fight began about 11 of the clocke; and so continued in sharp dispute untill about 4 of the clock in the evening; in which time there was at least 40 Thousand Musquets shot discharged, on both sides, and great numbers of cannon shot.

The Enemy had once won part of the Towne and beaten our men, and placed some of their Companies in two or three houses, which did much indanger us, but in the end our men with great corage forced them out again, recovered and burnt the houses, and kild many of the Enemies men that were there placed, and in conclusion, forced the whole Army to retreate, leaving very many of their men dead, and very great numbers wounded, the certaine numbers, nor quali­ties of the persons we could not take, but it is gene­rally said by the Countrey people that there were at least 100 found kild and burnt, and we tooke 17 pri­soners [Page] in the fight, & on our part we lost 6 men, and Captaine William Lyster, a valiant and gallant Gen­tleman who was shot with a Musquet bullet in the head, and we had about 20 more wounded, and lost not one Prisoner in the Battell, though divers of our men being negligent of their duty stayed behind us when we quit the Quarter, and so were taken the next day there, by the Enemies, and made Prisoners; in this fight our men behaved themselves with very great resolution, far beyond expectation, in so much as I conceive we might have maintained the place still if we had bin furnished with Powder and shot, but ha­ving spent in a manner all our whole store of Bullet, Match, and Powder, I advised with the Comman­ders, and by generall consent it was though fit, to rise with our Forces, and march to Cawood; and Selby, to secure those places, and there receive supplies of Ammunition and men, which was accordingly done, and now I am at Selby, with part of the Army, and the rest with Captaine Hotham at Cawood; And yesterday I sent my sonne Sir Thomas Fairfax with five Companies of Foot, and two Troops of Horse to Leedes, intending he should continue there to se­cure that place, and the other Clothing townes, against the Earle of New-Castells forces, if it were possible; But the Enemies forces were laid so strong in the way, as he could not passe, so he onely beat up a Quarter of the Enemies in a small Village, tooke five Prisoners, and retreated to Selby.

Thus my Lords I have briefly represented the condi­tion of this Army at present, which I must confesse I feare will very suddenly grow worse, if not utterly [Page] broken up, and that especially for want of money, I having not above a weekes pay provided before hand, and no visible meanes left to raise maintenance for them unlesse I should give the Soldiers free quarter upon the Countrey, a cure in my conceit as dange­rous as the disease, and peradventure not possible to be effected, If the Enemy be still master of the field, and cut off our men as they goe abroad to levy Suste­nance▪ which they may doe, and yet not able to beat up our Quarters. I have hitherto supported this Ar­my by the Loanes and Contributions for the most part of the parishes of Leedes Hallifax and Bradford, and some other small Clothing-townes adjacent, be­ing the only wel affected people of the Country, who I much feare may now suffer by this Popish Army of the North meerely for their good affection to the Religion and Publique Liberty▪ Out of the rest of the Countrey I was not able to draw any considerable helpe, the Enemy having Garrisons in so many pla­ces, who threatned to ruine any that should assist the Parliament and the cause with mony or rather helps. My Lords in sum the State of this Countrey is thus, The Enemy is mighty, and master of the field, plentifully supplyed from his Majesty and the Po­pish and malignant party, with moneys and all ne­cessaries, the well affected party as now it is divided not considerable, the ayds from Lincolnshire Darby­shire and other Counties very uncertaine, the want of moneyes here, such as will force us to disband with­in 10 dayes, and if the Enemy become absolute Mast­er of Yorkshire, they will force contribution, and suc­cours from the Countrey, which will raise a very for­midable [Page] Army and put [...] perill, if God doe not miraculously defend it, I beseech your Lordship seriously to consider it, and send such spee­dy supplyes of men, and money as may Enable me to goe foreward in the service, which I shall not faile to doe with a constant fidelity. Your Lordships have heretofore assignd two thousand Pounds, for our succour; but the most part of it is still at London where it lyes for want of Exchange or convoy, and therefore what shall now be sent, must come either by sufficient convoy of Forces by Land, or else by sea to Hull, and so hither to mee: the Scottish Officers are now come hither, yesterday, but now we are so streightned, that wee can have no men resort to us, to put under command, nor have we money to pay them. The further relation of these Affaires, I shall leave to Captaine Hatcher, who followes these Letters purposely to give true Rela­tion to the House of these Affaires, and hath bin an eye witnesse of most of the passages, in this County▪ from the first raising of Armes; to whose further expression, I shall leave it, with this addition onely, That if the Countrey or cause suffer, your Lord­ships will discerne by this Relation, in whom the default hath bin, and impute it accordingly: For nothing hath bin omitted possible to bee effected by