TUesday the Armie marched forth, be­ing about 5500 horse and foot, and 8 Field Peices, under the conduct of the Lord Lieutenant Generall, with a designe of supply to relieve the Lord President of Connaught, the first night we quartered at Pierstowne, where we had notice that Sir Richard Greenfield had besett certaine Rebells in a strong Castle, having lost many men before it, but for want of Ordnance could not take it, whereupon was sent him 3 of our best Field-peices for his assistance.

On Wedensday the 15, we came within 2 miles of Trym, in these two dayes march we passed through an even Champion and rich soile, by many pleasant seates, too good for so barbarons and wretched a people as in­habited it. June the 16. our men having made a breach in the Castle, assaulted it, but found the Enemie des­perately resolute, reviling and calling them English doggs, Parliament Rebells, Puritan rogues, and holding up some of their best apparell and linnen at their sword points, and topps of Pikes, and setting fire unto them burnt them in our sight, saying, look you here you pil­laging Rascals there is pillage for you, and when our Gunners shot, they cryed shoot home you rogues, Cap­tain [Page 4] [...] granadoes, part of the house took fire, which some of them seeing, resolutely burnt their armes goods, and and fastly themselves therein, others cryed for quarter, but none being granted but to the women and children, they resolutely defended themselves, and kept our men almost two houres at the breach at push of pike, throw­ing stones, slates, and hot liquor, in great abundance on them, spoyling many, yet our men encouraged by the example of Captain Statu [...], seconded him and [...]st­antly forced an entrance, killing many in the [...], and found many that had bin killed by our shot, drawn into severall corners, the rest crying out, and begging for quarter, were brought out and stripped by our men and immediatly slain, being guessed in the totall at 140 persons, besides the women and children who had their liberty, we lost about 30 men, and many wounded, a­mong whom Lieutenant Colonell Kirk is chief, of whose recovery there is great doubt; lastly, having burnt the Castle, we lest it, and on Thursday marched through Trym a walled Town, standing preasantly on the Boyn, now fortified by Sir Richard Greenfield the Governour; thence we marched five miles to a strong and pleasant Town called Athboy, burnt, and forsaken by the enemy, that might we lay about Del [...]in Castle, likewise forsa­ken by the enemy: about this part of the country wee recovered good store of cattle, and other booties. On Saturday the 18 day, we marched to Rathconnell twelve miles; on Sunday the 19 day we marched through Mol­lingar, burnt and forsaken by the enemie, in it we found beer, corn, and wooll, hid under ground; this day a foot­man met us with a Letter from the Lord President, that [Page 5] night wee came to Ballimere 12 miles, 9 miles from Athlone, we found the Town and Church newly burnt, and a very strong Fort which the enemy had made, for­saken, to our no small wonder at their cowardise; the next day our Generall went to Athlone, accompanied with divers Commanders, taking with him a Convoy and the succours for the Lord President, being 18 com­panies of foot, and one troop of horse, with two Field­pieces, and store of Ammunition: there met him yong Sir Church Coot, whose wisdom and courage, by Gods mercifull blessing, had been the preservation of the En­glish in that part of the country, as his deceased Fathers industry and valour had bin in this; great was the joy the Townsmen were in upon the arrivall of our succour. In our return another way, we found two dangerous passa­ges fortified and forsaken, the enemy supposing that we would have come that way from Dublin; for though they seemed to have Intelligence of our design and for­ces, as they often have had, yet they knew not but we would march the usuall and direct rode way, which if we had done, it had cost us the lives of many of our best men, they having placed their forts and redoubts accor­dingly, sometimes they came out of the Bogs, and slew the straglers in the Reare, and many of our men were in this journey lost by marching disorderly, and stragling to pillage, the enemie still watching his advantages. The 24. being Friday, we came to Kilcock; 12 miles from Dublin, from which place a troop being sent with some carriage to quarter at Menooth, a mile from the army, passing through the narrow pace in the wood, cer­tain companies of the enemie set upon them, slew one or two men, wounded divers horse, put the rest to flight [Page 6] and took the carriage, which they conveyed to Welshes Castle their place of retreat, where we hope shortly to find them to their cost. The 25. we passed through Me­nooth, in which stood a most stately house of the Earl of Kildares lately burnt, the Garrison placed therein, ha­ving their Sentinell stabb'd, the house betrayed by the Earls Bailiff an Irish man, who suddenly set fire on it and let in the Enemy, but Lieutenant Boughton with the Garrison of 34. Musquetiers beat them out, and seeing the roof falling over his head, made a desperate sally, and valiantly retreated, maugre their continuall as­saults and skirmishes; to the next Garrison 4 miles off at Leslipp, on Saturday night we arrived safely (blessed be God) at Dublin, though the Papists there had raised reports back'd with particulars, that we were all cutt off and defeated, we are preparing for another Journey for the performance of some great designe, (if want of mo­ney here and Union in England hinder not) on which I doubt not you will pray with us, that God will please to continue his gratious blessings, and prosper it. Amen.

For other Intelligence there is little at present, onely that Sir Francis Hambleton and the Ladie Craig having kept their castles as long as they were able, through want of victualls and Ammunition were compelled to take quarter of Phel. O Relly, all that were with them being about 800. Persons, being according to the agreement safely conveyed to the next English Garrison, some of them being arrived here.

We are sending some Culverin and other necessaries for war as is said for Munster, but I suppose to meet our Armie at Wexford; we have a report that the Irish in [Page 7] the North have had a great defeat by our forces, and al­so in Munster, and that the Lord of Ikerins is slaine, the first is confirmed that S. Robert Steward fought with 600 two houres and defeated them, slaying 5000. at the least: this is now written for certaine.

A Partie of 1500. went hence, took in 3 Castles, slew 400. men, brought 70. prisoners, this done chief­ly by meanes of the Ordnance, not without the losse of some 30. of our men. This we esteme very good ser­vice.