I Wrote to you in my Letters the last Week, and the Week before, of Colo­nell Munck's going abroad with 600 Mus­kettiers, and 300 Horse; but as I hear now, there were but 500 Muskettiers, and 200 Horse, without any Pike-men: The last Saturday at night, the Horse came home, and the last Sunday the Foot; They went into the Queens-County, and into the County of Catherlough, and have re­lieved [Page 4] the Castles of Athy, Marriburrow, Cather­lough, Munster-Even, and Ballinekill. The Rebells at Kilkenny having notice of their coming abroad (for there is nothing resolved on, or done here, but they have speedy intelligence of it) Colonell Preston, who is my Lord Viscount Gormanstons Un­kle, and made Generall of Leinster, chose out 700 of his best Muskettiers, 500 Pike-men and about 300 Horse, all very compleatly armed: and as our men came from Ballinekill towards Athy, they followed them, Preston himself being present with them; and Colonell Cullen, and Colonell Plunket, chief Commanders too in the Rebells Army, came also along with Preston as Voluntiers, being resolved to cut off all our men, without sparing so much as one of them: When our Souldi­ers espyed them, following them, they still marched forwards towards Athy as fast as they could, seek­ing out in their way a fit place wherein to fight with the enemy; but the Rebells followed so fast after them, that when our men were a little be­yond Tymahoe, towards Athy, a Castle wherein the Rebells had a Garrison, our men could go no further, but made a stand: The Rebells shot abun­dantly at them, but it happened to be out of Mus­ket shot; for the Bullets were after found lying very thick, and in abundance upon the ground, But when they came within shot, our men did so well behave themselves, and gave fire so thick upon them, that many of them fell, and the rest [Page 5] presently betook themselves to their heels; the most of them fled into the Castle of Tymahoe, into which Preston himself made as much haste as the rest: but our men could not then pursue them, by reason they must then have gone close by that Castle; and neer to it on the other side was a Bog, so that they must have gone half a mile about; which was the way they came, to shun that Castle: and having so far to march after as to Athy, which was five or six miles distant, there being no other place to lodge in, they contented themselves with the Victory, and beating them out of the Field, and so marched away. This Castle of Ballinekill is but a little Garrison, and yet lying within seven or eight miles of Kilkenny, the chief place of their Randevouz, doth vex the Rebells extremely that they cannot take it in. There was not one of our men killed in this Fight, and but one lost in all the Journey; some two or three wounded and slightly hurt: There were about 100 of the Enemy slain, and very many of them were wounded and hurt. Our men took up two or three hundred of their Pikes which they threw away in the Fight, but few Muskets, for those they took care to gather up, and carry away. Our men took in that Fight one Cap­tain Crispe, an English Papist, who dwelt about Ril­kenny, and was of great esteem amongst them; he was very forward in the Fight, and beat and cudgelled his men to go on, but it did not serve his turn; he is now in the Castle of Dublin. This Fight [Page 6] was most performed by our Foot, the Horse on either side not coming together to charge, the place where they fought consisting much of Inclo­sures, where Horse could not well come to serve. This businesse hath gladded us much, and hath dis­comforted them, That such a handfull of men should be able to go almost 50 miles up into the Land, to and fro, from Garrison to Garrison, in de­spite of the enemy, and so close to the Body of their Army: And this was the first exploit of Pre­stons, since he was made their Generall; I hope God will never give him better successe. This is the truest Relation I can hear of this Businesse, which I have been diligent to enquire of from those who were in the action, and present in the whole Journey: God make us truely thankfull. Sir Richard Grenvill out of Trim, last Friday at night, sallyed out upon the Rebells at Kilcock, and upon Saturday morning came upon them there, where they kept a very plentifull Market, and took all their Corn and Victualls that was there, some say, two hundred Cowes, some more, and by the way took Owgan of Racoffy his wife and children; his wife is sister to the Lord Viscount Gormanston. Our men burnt five thousand pounds worth of Corn in their Journey to Athy, of the enemies. Sir Arthur Los­tus went lately towards Wickloe, and of that side Dublin, and burnt a great many Towns some miles together, and killed some Rebels, and brought home much Booty: And Captain Charles Bolton, my Lord [Page 7] Chancellors son, with 120 Muskettiers, went to­wards Field-Towne, where the enemy lay, whom they durst not to encounter with, but fled: he burnt [...] a Town, and seven miles about, Corn and all, and came home. Captain Phernstie, in his passage from the Garrison of Trim, burnt the enemy, as is said, 18 Towns more; so that the Lords of the Pale have no shelter now about us. If we had but some Pro­visions and Succours sent us now in the Spring, we would hope to do very much in the Cause: I pray put to your helping hand, to solicite the Parliament for us.