THE BATTAILE ON HOPTON-HEATH IN STAFFORDSHIRE, Betweene His MAJESTIES Forces under the Right Honourable the Earle of NORTHAMPTON, and those of the Rebels, March 19.
Together with A Letter from the Lord COMPTON now Earle of NORTHAMPTON.
Printed by H. Hall. M.DCXLIII.
THE BATTAILE ON HOPTON-HEATH.
IT is too manifest what poore shifts the Authors of this re [...]llion have used to bring about their designs: among whom none have beene more busie then Sir William Brereton and Sir John Gell, two that (one would think) have conspired together to be beaten as often as they unite their mutuall forces. Witnesse Ashby de-la-zouch and other places where they shamefully have beene worsted by that noble couragious Colonell Hastings. Though I must tell you both Brereton and Gell for their personall valour are as notorious Cowards as any in the saw-pit. I confesse indeed, Gell dare fight, provided his enemy have beene seven yeares dead; his valour having lately shewed it selfe against the Coffins and Monuments of some dead men, whose living fac [...]s he durst not looke upon, as if his businesse lay (like that devil's in the G [...]spell) among the Tombes and Sepulchres. And Brereton is as valiant as hee, if lying downe in a ditch, standing behind a hayricke, or riding a full mile from the field, may goe for valour, of which three performances his owne Souldiers confesse him guilty. And yet these two Champions (to shew they are perfect Cowards) are alwayes raising quarrels, and seducing His Majesties subjects to kill one another; As in many other, so in this battaile on Hopton Heath, an impartiall Relation whereof you here have by an expresse from farre better hands.
Upon Friday last having intelligence of the Enemies intentions to approach hither, we marched towards the way wee conceived they would come, and having notice of about two hundred of them quartered in a Towne called Heywood in Staffordshire neare to our passe, we fell upon them, and after a short skirmish beat them from their hold, took and killed above the one halfe of them, the rest escaping by by-wayes so that we could not follow them, onely quartered there that night Sunday being at Stafford, about twelve of the clock we had intelligence of Sr W. Brereton and Sr John Gells being met with all their forces, being about 3000 Horse and Foote, placed upon a Heath called Hopton Heath neare a Towne called Weston some two miles from Stafford. We drew out our Horse and Dragooners being about 900. And the Heath seeming faire resolved to charge them, the breadth of it being more then Musketshot from inclosure on each side. As we advanced we discovered Musketeers placed within a walled Close, and some Musketeers and drakes in hedges on our right wing. Against which we sent some of our Musketeers but those being too few to beat them, by order of counsell we advanced with our whole body of Horse (leaving onely a Reserve) towards their body, and upon our advancing their Musketeers ran from the hedges, we chargeing their body their Horse presently ran, and we forced them to quit their Cannon. But our men following the Execution beyond command, and our Musketeers not comming up, they got some of their Cannon againe, yet we brought off 8 peeces. And then rallying up our horse againe as soone as we could, we charged some other Horse which they had neare their Foot, which presently retreated and ran, and then [Page 3] Sir Thomas Byron at the head of the Princes Regiment chargeing their Foot broke in among them, but they having some Troops of Horse neare their Foot, fell upon him, and then he received his hurts, bleeding so that he was not able to stay in the field. But by reason of the night and our Horses being weary we stood about a Musket-shot from them, and after a time our men being weary, we drew somewhat further off, keeping strong parties nearer them. The next morning by breake of day we made ready to fall on againe, but finding no Enemy, we then understood that they had marched away in the night about an hour after our parting with them, there we found carriages, with Ammunition and other things, & the fore carriages of their Cannon, which makes us beleeve they have throwne the rest of their Cannon into some pooles thereabouts. In this fight (and in that former skirmish on Friday) we took and killed above 300, and wounded at the least 500 more (for our Horse charged their Foot which occasioned so many wounded) as their owne men confesse whom since we tooke prisoners. We have taken above 300 of their Horse, 8 peeces of Cannon, with a great deal of other Ammunition. Gell is certainly hurt but not killed, yet they say he was hurt by chance by one of their owne souldiers as they went away in the night, and we are apt enough to beleeve it, for he is not too forward to come into danger.
But now we must from the sadnesse of our soules acquaint you with the great losse both His Majestie and the whole kingdome have susteined in this action by the death of a most Loyall and hardly to be equalled Subject, the most noble and most valiant Earle of Northampton, who upon the first charge with out horse, being engaged upon Execution neare their foot, his horse was shot, so that he was constrained to alight, and being encompassed with enemies he fought on foot a long time, killing (as they themselves confesse) a Colonel of foot, and striking another [Page 4] Captain into the brest with his Poleax, besides other common souldiers whom he wounded and slew, untill such time as he was overborne by multitudes, and then being knockt downe with a musket and grievously wounded, and his head-peece taken off, was offered quarter (as they say) but he answered that he scorned to take quarter from such base rogues & Rebels as they were; and so fought it out a long while after, till such time as he was shine by a blow with a halbert, on the hinder part of his head, receiving at the same time another deep wound in his face. Which done, they hurried him away so as we all thought he had been taken prisoner▪ for we could not find his body.
The sadnesse of this accident would not have left our greatest Victory without misery, but yet the grearnesse of his example cannot but make all those that are desirous of honour to follow him in his steps; though none can come nearer him then his brave sonnes, and especially the Lord Compton: In whom we find much gallantry and valour in this last action (wherein he received a shot in the legge, but no waies dangerous, and his horse also shot under him.) So that should we not say, that there is none more fitting, or deserving to serve HIS MAJESTY and the Kingdome in those Commands, and Honourable imployments which his Father enjoyed, then this young Lord, wee should both wrong his Lordship, and our owne judgements. Wee are assured he will be found to be the inheritor of his Fathers Loyalty and Vertues, and endeavour by serving His Maiesty, to revenge his fathers death, and equall him in glorious actions. In which we shall be ready to follow him, and are preparing for that purpose. We had 25 slayne, the cheife whereof were Captaine Harvy of my Lords own Regiment, Captain Baker lately a scholler in Oxford, Ensigne Bowyer, Captain Middleton of Colonel Hastings Regiment, Leiutenant Greene, Coronet Billing and Coronet Hall, who all carried themselves as gallantly as men could do. There were about some twenty hurt, the most whereof were Officers; as Sir Thomas [Page 5] Byron, Colonell Stanhope, Colonell Wagstaffe, Captaine Knotsford, Captaine Richard Bagot, Captaine Harvey Bagot, Captaine John Clarke, Captaine Thomas Harwood, Master Spencer Lucy, Lieutenant Leving, Coronet Mettham, Coronet Washington, and Master Lancaster, besides my Lord Compton's shot in the legge, not a man of these but expressed admirable valour, the service for the time being very hot, and the enemies being above three times our number, &c.
There can be little added to this expresse Relation, wherein though it pleased God so to defeat the Rebels, yet our losse is invaluable in the death of this noble Earle; who as he was early up (being one of the first defenders of this righteous cause) so he continued at such a height of courage and magnanimity, as drew all good mens eyes on his honourable actions. Whether the Rebels offered him quarter, or whether he refused it when it was offered, is not certaine, for we have it onely from themselves, who no doubt will make their best excuse for murthering so incomparable a Lord. Nor is it improbable that he scorned their quarter, preferring a present honourable death before that vile, wretched, unprofitable captivity, whereof he was assured, were he once their prisoner. For as he spent his noble endeavours in defence of his King and Country while he lived, so he valued not his life when it would be serviceable to none but Rebels. He hath beene often heard to say, that, If he out-lived these Warres, he was certaine never to have so noble a death. And had we wholly lost him, it would have fill'd us with too much sorrow, but that we have such excellent Copies of him in his rare sonnes, and chiefly in the gallant young Earle himselfe, who hath so much of the father in him, that he only wants time and opportunity to make him more like him. And this you will partly gather by this ensuing Letter which my Lord writ with his own hand to the noble Countesse his Mother, two dayes after his Fathers death.
ON Sunday last we got the day of the Rebels, but our losse (especially your Honours and mine) is not to be expressed. For though it be a generall losse to the Kingdome, yet it toucheth us nearest. But Madam, Casualties in this world will happen, & in such a cause who would not have ventured both life and fortune? pray'e Madam, let this be your comfort, that it was impossible for any to do braver then he did, as appeares by their owne Relation. I sent a Trumpeter to know what was become of my Father, hee brought me a Letter from Sir Iohn Gell and Sir VVilliam Brereton, assuring mee of my Fathers death, making strange demand for his body, such as were never before heard of in any warre, as all their Ammunition, Prisoners, and Cannon which we had taken. I sent them word backe, that their demands were unreasonable, and against the Lawes of Armes, but desired them to give free passage to some Chirurgeons to embalme him, or to let their Chirurgeons doe it, and I would satisfy them for their paines. their last Answer I have sent in Philip VVilloughby's Letter which is, that they will neither send the body nor suffer our Chirurgeons to come to embalme it, but will see their owne Chirurgeons doe it. Their Relation was, that He was assaulted by many together, and with [Page 7] his owne hand killed the Colonel and others also, but was unhorsed by the multitude, his horse being shot: But his Armour was so good that they could not hurt him, till he was downe, and had undone his head-peece.
'Pray'e Madam, be comforted, and think no man could more honourably have ended this life (fighting for his Religion, his King, and his Country) to be partaker of heavenly joies. We must certainely follow him, but can hardly hope for so brave a death. Thus humbly craving your blessing, I shall remaine till death
[Page 8] Let the Reader now judge, if the genius and spirit of the Father be not eminent in the sonne, and whether that hand that wrote this Letter doth not promise as great hopes for the good of this Kingdome as any whomsoever of his age and quality. Next you may see the Barbarousnesse of these Rebels towards the Corps of the dead, who as they have made sale of their Allegiance and Loyalty, so now have shaken hands with all common honesty, practising those inhumanities the very Turks scorne to descend to; For the Mahometans if they kills Commander that is an Enemy, doe not only embalme the corps, but give it safe convoy to the enemies quarters, that the freinds of the dead may give it buriall, as the noble Earle of Craford and others that have beene in the warres betwixt the Polonian and the Turke,can testify to be true. And doubtlesse if the Turkes knew what breach of faith given, what robbing, stripping naked, nay murther (after Armes delivered up by composition) hath beene committed on His Majesties souldiers, it would further harden them against Christianity; unlesse they consider that these things were done not as they are Christians, but as the worst of Rebels. And let them not for shame object, that wee loose men of eminencie, but they do not, lest wee tell the world the reason. For as the Commanders of these rebellious Forces are made up of all Religions and Trades, so those few men of quality that are on their side, are driven by their guilt into ditches, and saw-pits, any whither out of the reach of danger, as not daring to leave the world with all their sinnes about them. Therefore were it any cause under Heaven but this, that is, were not Religion, Honour, Learning, Lawes, Nobility, Gentry, Honesty, and all at stake, these Noble Lords and Gentlemen would not make their bloud so cheape, as to spend it on such unworthy enemies, who as they have endeavoured to murther both King and Queene, so labour the ruine of every English Gentleman.