A True RELATION OF THE Chiefe Passages IN IRELAND, From the 25th of April, to this present.
I Thanke you for your intelligence, which to repay, I have sent you the truest, and certain'st of ours, for which we have great cause to glorifie God. As soone as more forces come over, I am againe the third time to march forth with the Army.
[Page 2] Aprile the 25. THE Lord More with one hundred and fifty Troopers, and a hundred Dragooners, went towards the Nauan, burnt the Rebels quarters round about it, came within Musquet shot of the Town; took my Lord Gormastownes best horse, with saddle and furniture, and his man as he was scouting abroad.
The 26. Captaine Murrow in comming from, and returning unto Tradarth, killed forty Rebels.
The 27. Sir Henry Titchburn sallied out of Dundalk with two hundred Musquettiers, and a hundred horse, besides Pikemen, came to a little Wood, called Babes Wood; and perceiving some Rebels to bee therein, encompast it with his horse and Pikes, and sent in the Musquettiers, who killed many of them in the Wood; some like Blackbirds got up into trees, were there shot and killed, the rest that fled out were most of them killed by the horse: They killed within and without the Wood above a hundred and fifty.
The 28. Forty Troopers and threescore Dragooners sallied out of Tradarth into the County of Lowth, and about a place called Clonmore, they killed above forty Rebels. The same day they pillaged Barnwell of Rabescuts house, whence they brought abundance of good pillage.
[Page 3] The 29. Markham the Vintner, and Hill his Kinsman, and about ten Troopers more, with twenty Carrs went abroad to get pillage hay; and betwixt Rickhenhore and Kilsouhan, which is some 7 miles hence, were suddenly set upon by Dudly Bern, who had at least threescore horse and a hundred foot; they killed Markham, and his man, and Kinsman, and foure or five Troopers, besides ten or twelve Carmen.
The 30. About one a clock in the morning, Lieutenant Colonel Gibson with his Regiment went to Bullock and Bray, killed some, and brought into the City eighteen Rogues, who are committed to Prison. The same day three or foure hundred Rebels came before Mellifont, three or foure miles from Tradarth, where Lord More had left on Tuesday before a Garrison of fourescore foot, and about thirty horse; the Rebels plaid hotly upon them untill the horse were ready within; but as soone as the horse were in readinesse, they with the foot sallied out, and killed about thirty of the Rebels.
The same day also six or seven of our Souldiers went from their Garrison of Dunsohla Castle, about foure miles hence, abroad pillaging; entering into a protected house; the woman of the house gave intelligence thereof to some Rogues neere hand; who came suddenly upon them, killed three, left one for dead, the rest escaped.
April the twenty seventh, being Wednesday, [Page 4] my Lord Lile, Lord Digby, Lord Folliot, Sir Charles Coot, Sir Richard Grinfield, Sir George Wentworth, and other Captaines, went with foure hundred Troopers, and a hundred and twenty Musquettiers, and fourescore Dragooners, and thirty Firelocks, on horseback, under Lieutenant Coale, marched forth; and on Friday following releeved Castle Iordan; on Saturday they burned Phillipstowne, and tooke the Fort, killed some, and hanged foure and twenty Rogues.
May the first. The day following being Sunday, they releeved Castle Geshil with Victuals and Ammunition: Here they found no resistance, they returned back the same day to Phillipstowne, and from thence to Castle Iordan, where they lay that night.
May the second. The next day they marched to Trim, a towne of great importance, on the River of Boyne, which place they suddenly surprised with the losse of one Firelocke, and some six or seven common Souldiers wounded. Of the Rebels were slaine about threescore. The Lord Lile, Sir Charles Coot, and the rest of the Captaines stay still in Trim, having yesternight sent a Convoy of fifty horse with Letters to the Lords Justices, desiring some forces to be sent unto them, to leave there in Garrison.
From Munster wee heare that Rathgogan Castle which hath beene a long while besieged, is lately relieved by Captaine William Iephson, and Lievetenant Downing; at their returne Sir Edward Fitz-Harris [Page 5] intended to have intercepted them with five hundred of the Lord Roches Tatterdemallions, but Captaine Iephson drew them from their strong fastnesses into the plain champion, where he killed their Captaine, and two hundred and forty common souldiers, and took the Lievetenant and Ancient prisoners.
The fifth of May Newes came from Dundalk to the Lords Justices by Captaine Cadogan (who came thence through Maday with ten Horse-men only) that the Newry was not only retaken by the Lord Conway, and Munroe the Scots Commander, from the Rebels, but also that the Towne and Castle of Carlingford was taken by a Ship that came from Knockfergus, their pollicy was to put up the Spanish colours, which the Rebels discerning, sent a fisherboate with ten or twelve of their Commanders to goe aboard the Ship, supposing that some Ammunition was come unto them; but the Captaine of the Ship instead of shewing them any such Commodities, clapt them up under decks, and so landing his Musketiers, they took the Towne, which they of the Castle soone perceiving, fled away, and left both unto our forces.
The Narrow-water Castle was likewise soone after taken, in which they found the old Viscountesse of Evagh, daughter of the old Arch Rebell Hugh Earle of Tirone, Sir Edward Trever, Sir Charles Poynes, Captaine Henry Smith, and severall others that were taken prisoners at the [Page 6] beginning of this insurrection, and close kept in the Castle of the Newry, were all relieved, and are now going at their liberty.
Victualls grow very scarce and excessive deare, which hath forced us to send the greatest part of our forces into the Countrey to garrison, untill we are enabled to march forth; for the enemy is yet very strong, especially towards Wexford, Waterford, and Kilkenny, which Townes he fortifieth, and meanes to defend to the utmost of his power.