I shall make so neare us I can a true, though long relation of the battell sought be­tweene the Kings Army and our Army, under the conduct and command of my Lord Generall: on Saturday October 22. our For­ces were quartered very late, and did lie remote one from the other, and my Lord Ge­nerall did quarter in a small Village where this Battell was fought, in the field called great Kings field, taking the name from a Battell there fought by King John as they say: on Sunday the 23. of October about one of the Clocke in the after noone, the Battell did be­gin, and it continued untill it was very darke, the field was very great and large, and the Kings Forces came downe a great and long hill, hee had the advantage of the ground and wind, and they did give a brave charge, and: did fight very valiantly; they were 15. Regi­ments of Foot, and 60. Regiments of Horse, our Horse were under 40. Regiments, and our Foot 11. Regiments: my Lord General did give the first charge, presenting them with 2. pieces of Ordnance, which kil­led many of their men, and then the enemy did shoote one to us, which fell 20. yards short in plowed Land and did no harme, our souldiers did many of them run away, to wit, blew Coats, and gray Coats, being two [Page 4] Regiments, and there did runne away, 600. horse, I was quartered five miles from this place, and heard not any thing of it, untill one of the clocke in the af­ternoone, I hasted thither with Sergeant Major Duglis troope, and over-tooke one other troope, and when I was entring into the field, I thinke 200. horse came by me with all the speed they could out from the battell, saying, that the King had the victory, and that every man cried for God and King Charles. I entreated, prayed, and perswaded them to stay, and draw up in a body with our Troopes, for we saw them fighting, and the Field was not lost, but no perswasions would serve, and then I turning to our three troopes, two of them were runne away, and of my Troope I had not six and thirtie men left, but they were likewise runne away, I stayed with those men I had, being in a little field, and there was a way through, and divers of the enemy did runne that way, both horse and foote, I tooke away a­bout tenne or twelve horse, swords, and armour, I could have killed 40. of the enemy, I let them passe dis­arming them, and giving the spoile to my Troopers; the Armies were both in a confusion, and I could not fall to them without apparent losse of my selfe and those few which were with me, the powder which the Enemy had was blowne up in the field, the Enemy ran away as well as our men, God did give the victory to us, there are but three men of note slain of ours, namely my Lord Saint John, Collonell Essex, and one other Captaine, whose name I have forgot; Captaine Fle­ming is either slaine or taken prisoner, and his Cornet, he had not one Officer which was a souldier, his Wag­gon and money is lost, and divers of the Captaines [Page 5] money and Waggons are lost, to great value, our foote and Dragooneers were the greatest Pilla­gers, wee had the Kings Standard one houre and a halfe, and after lost it againe: Wee did lose not above three hundred men, the enemy killed the Waggoners, women, and little boyes of twelve yeares of age, wee tooke seventeene Co­lours, and five pieces of Ordnance, I beleeve there were not lesse then three thousand of the enemy slaine, for they lay on their own ground, twenty, and thirty of heapes together, the King did lose Lords, and a very great many of Gentlemen, but the certaine number of the slaine cannot bee knowne, we did take my Lord of Lindsey, Gene­rall of the Foote, being shot in the thigh, who dy­ed the Tuesday morning following, and his body is sent away to be buryed, the Lo: Willoughby his son was taken, Lunsford, Vavasour, and others, being prisoners in Warwick Castle; on Munday there did run from the Kings Army 3000. foote, in 40. 50. and 60. in Companies, wee kept the field all Sunday night, and all Munday, and then marched to our quarters, and on Munday the ene­my would have given us another charge, but they could not get the foote to fight, notwithstanding they did beate them like dogs, this last Relation of the enemy I received from one which was a prisoner and got away.

[Page 6] Banbury is taken by the King, there was 1000. Foote in it, the Captaines did run away, and the souldiers did deliver the Towne up without dis­charging one Musket. It was Gods wonderfull worke that wee had the victory, we expect to march after the King. The day after the Battle all our Forces, horse and foote were marched up, and other Forces from remote parts, to the num­ber of 5000. horse and foote, more then were at the Battle, now at my writing, my Lord Generall is at Warwick, upon our next marching we doe expect another Battle, we here thinke that the King cannot strengthen himselfe, for the souldi­ers doe still run daily from him, and I believe if we come to fight, a great part of them will never come up to charge. The Kings guard were Gen­tlemen of good quality, and I have heard it, that there were not above 40. of them which returned out of the field, this is all I shall trouble you with, what is more, you will receive it from a better hand then mine: Let us pray one for another, God I hope will open the Kings eyes, and send peace to our Kingdome. I pray remember my love to all my friends, if I could write to them all I would, but for such newes I write you, im­part it to them, my Lieutenant and I drinke to you all daily, all my run-awayes, I stop their pay, some of them for two dayes, some three dayes, and some foure dayes, which time they were [Page 7] gone from mee, and give their pay to the rest of the souldiers, two of my souldiers are runne away with their Horse and Armes: I rest, and commit you to God,

The Rebellion in Ireland, and our Battle were both the 23. of October.