A LETTER FROM His Excellency the Lord Fairfax to the House of Peers, upon Munday being the fifth of JƲNE, 1648. concerning all the proceedings in KENT: WITH Severall Papers found in the pockets of some that are now taken Prisoners, discovering the whole Designe, And the manner how it should have been put in Execution.
ORdered by the Lords in Parliament assembled, That the Lord Generalls Letters, with the Papers, be forthwith printed and published.
Imprinted at London for Iohn Wright, at the Kings Head in the Old Bailey. 1648.
For the Right Honourable, EDVVARD Earle of MANCHESTER, Speaker of the House of Peeres, Pro tempore.
I Shall according to my last give your Lordship this further Account of our successe at Maidstone, Upon Thursday in the Evening about seven of the Clock, after very long Marches we got neare the Towne, and a Troope of Dragoones was sent to make good a Passe whilest the Towne was viewing at what place our men might best enter, it being resolved upon to force our passage in case of resistance, the gaining of that Towne over the River being of great advantage to our Affaires; but before there could be a view taken of the Towne the Dragoones had ingaged the Enemy, and forc't them from that ground which they [Page 2] kept, the Dragoones being very forward to ingage pursued, and so the Enemy drew forth a considerable Party of Horse and Foot to mainetaine a Passe against us, which necessitated the drawing downe of the greatest part of the Foot, with some Horse, and though that part of the Towne was of the greatest difficulty to enter, yet through the goodnesse of God our men made their entrance, and became masters of the Town, after foure or five houres hot service, the Town being very strongly barricadoed, and through the darknesse of th [...] [...]ight, and our ignorance of the Towne, they disputed the Barricadoes and places of advantage with our men, playing hard with their Cannon upon them, in which service both Horse and Foot did exceeding well; and particularly, I cannot but take notice of the valour and resolution of Colonell Hewson, whose Regiment had the hardest taske; Major Carter his Major being hurt, and Captaine P [...]ic [...] a deserving and faithfull Officer slaine, the best of their men were there, whereof many were Cavaliers and London Apprentices, they lookt upon the consequence of that place to be very great, and therefore did resolve to make what resistance they could, the old Lord Goring being that day proclaimed Generall at the Head of their Army, upon the Hill neare Aylesford, where we saw their Body drawne up, which as their Prisoners since doe confesse, and they themselves gave out consisted of 8000. besides those in Maideston and Aylesford, in both which places there were [Page 3] about 3000. men; those of Aylesford comming as a fresh supply to relieve those ingaged in Maidston. There were neare 300. slaine, and about 1300. Prisoners, many of them being taken next morning early in the woods, Hop-yards, & Fields, whither they fled in the time of the Fight; amongst which were Gentlemen of good quality, Sir Gamaliel Dudley, Sir William Brockman, Squire Scot, Major Price, and others, a List whereof is preparing to be sent. There were about five hundred Horse, three thousand Arms, nine Foot-Colours, and eight peices of Canon, with store of Ammunition also taken in the first charge which our Forlorne Hope gave the Enemies Horse (wherein our Horse carried themselves very gallantly (as I since heare) Sir John Many, and divers others of quality were slaine. After it pleased God to give us this great mercy in the gaining the Towne, their men received so great discouragement that the greatest part of their Army left them, and were dispersed, and a great number of Officers and Gentlemen since fled to shift for themselves; their word at the ingagement was, King and Kent, our's, Truth. Having thus possessed our selves of the Passes at Maidston and Aylesford, the Enemy being much confused with our successe, and their owne men discerting them, they at last Marched over Rochester Bridge towards Blacke Heath with about three thousand Horse and Foot, most of which were Cavaliers, Apprentices, and Watermen; our men not being able to make so speedy [Page 4] a March after them as was necessary, I sent Col. Whaley with a Party of Horse and Dragoones after them, upon whose approach they have left Kent, and are fled over the water into Essex, by Woolwich and Greenwich; Col. Whaley is in pursuit, and I doubt not but he will give a good account of that service.
I have sent Col. Rich with a Party of Horse and Foot to relieve Dover, where I trust we shall finde the same presence of God as hitherto hath been. My Prayer to the Lord is, That this great Mercy may be further improved to his glory and this Kingdomes good; I thought fit to present unto your Lordship these Papers inclosed taken from the Enemy, whereby you will perceive the depth of their Plot and their engagements to pursue what they have undertaken: I remaine;
I have secured the Mayor of Rochester, whose hand is to the Commissions granted for raising of Forces.
The Copies of severall Papers taken in the Pockets of some prisoners taken at Maidstone, in Kent, Thursday.
COmmander in chiefe.
To be divided into Briggades, Regiments, and Companies, and to have necessary Commanders and Officers over them. All other Officers, Quarter-masters, Scout-masters, Muster-master, Engineer, &c.
Pyoneers and their Commanders, and necessary provisions, of Shovels, Spades, Mattocks, Wheele-Barrowes, Edge-Tooles, &c. To make defences against Horse, and Brestworks, for Musqueteers, &c.
Quere, Drakes, and Feild-Peices.
To fortifie the Blockhouse at Graves-end.
And what course shall be taken that we may be supplyed out of Essex, when need is.
And to endeavour supplies out of Sussex.
Quere, whether not necessary to Fortifie Rochester, with a Line and Forts.
To take away all Armes from the adverse party, and to secure the Persons of such as are most powerfull and dangerous.
If the Enemy be stronger then wee, then to take course for retreat beyond Medtray.
To fortifie Bridges, and which to break down, those Bridges which are not fit to be Fortified, and to stop up the Fordes.
Quere, whether Fortifie Tun-Bridge Castle, and the the Bridge there.
A select counsell of Warre, not of very many to avoid confusion in debates, and to prevent discovery of secrets.
Another Counsell or Committee to heare, and dispatch ordinary things, that the Councell of Warre be not troubled with overmuch businesse.
Quere, how to order all affaires when we go up with our Petition and to secure Maidstone, &c. When we are gone, to take speciall Order for intelligence.
To appoint an Officer, or Commissary, to deliver out Armes, who must not deliver till he is well informed to whom, and to take notice of their names.
The Trained-Bands of Maidstone, have lent two Auxiliaries, &c. Eighty Armes, who desire to have them againe, and that the Auxiliaries be otherwise furnished.
To appoint Colonels, Captaines, and Officers, over all the Trained Bands, and to consider touching voluntaries and Auxiliaries.
VVE oblige our selves by the faith of Christians, and the honour of Gentlemen, not to discover or betray any debates or conclusions concluded or resolved upon by the Subscribers hereof; and further, faithfully and resolutely to deliver our Judgments and endeavour in eff [...]ctuating of these results.
- 1 THere is no credit to be given to words or promises but to the reall performances of your desires and that speedily
- 2 You cannot imagine that your County shall be free from their power, and other Counties subject to the same.
- 3 Treaties and promises are to the end onely for you to surcease the prosecution of your affaires, untill they can make ready a power to suppresse you.
- 4 You can have no better security than their Votes, and all men know they change them dayly, and the slaughter of the Surrey men and the justification thereof by a Vote of theirs, and the hanging of Captaine Burley doth evidently shew what is to be expected by any who oppose them. Nothing can [Page 8] secure you but the restoring of the King, and the Lawes.
- 6 Their power at this present is imployed in the suppressing of other Countries who have the same ends with you. And their Army for the maine part thereof, is divided into severall remote parts, as Wales, Cornwal, the North, Suffolk. &c. So that you can never have so oppertune time to effect your desires, and therefore to lose this time is to lose your businesse and to be destroyed.
- 7 A Letter to be sent to the Londoners, for their concurrence, & to permit them an admission through the City, as they had unto Essex and Surrey, in which Letter recite all the Indignities the Houses and the Army have put upon the City from time to time, as the changing of their Militia, taking from them the Tower and leaving it now empty, the slaughter of their apprentices, their Imprisoning of the [...] Mayor and Aldermen, the Demolition of their wo [...]ks, the rejection of their Remonstrance, their Triumphant Marching through their City, their distrusting of the City to guard the Houses, making of Ordinances to take away their Votes in chusing of City Officers, and their late Ordinance for the Militia to the City, left at their pleasure to revoke when they will.
Things are brought to that passe, that the treasure of the Kingdome is exported, none brought in, trade utterly decayed, dearth increaseth, a Foraigne Nation will come in unlesse some other speedy way be taken for the speedy restoring of the King, which this City, by concurring with their Neighbours, at this [Page 9] time may doe, otherwise all the miseries that shall ensue, must be imputed to them.
This Letter will be of no effect unlesse one of these two courses be taken, either to have it delivered and read in a Common Hall, where all the Citizens are assembled, or if that cannot be, to have it printed and dispersed through the City, and the Letter must be directed to the Lord Mayor and Commonalty of the City of London.
Send to the Prince for Commission for a Commander in chiefe, and some other Officers, and have a standing Councell, composed of 4 persons of every of the associated Counties, a standing Army, a Commander in chiefe, Assessments upon the Country to maintaine them, and therein a sparing of the Common people what possible may be.
ORdered that Sir William Compton Knight, take the Command of a Regiment of Horse, consisting of five hundred, as Colonell of the said Regiment.
- Phil. Maude Mayor,
- Robert Trewe,
- Francis Clerke,
- John Durell,
- Edward Hales,
- James Darell,
- George Newman.
REceived then of Iohn Lambe Esquire, the sum of Ten Pounds, as so much by him lent to the Gentlemen Petitioners, to bee repaid him againe within a Moneth, witnesse my hand.
THese are to desire you to permit and suffer the bearer hereof Master Iohn Lambe quietly to passe to Rochester, and from thence to London with his Horse and man, and from thence to returne againe without any Molestation.
- Thomas Stanley,
- Iohn Best,
- Ambr. Beale.