VPon Munday being Iuly 14. 1645. were divers Letters brought to the Honoura­ble House of Commons by Lieut. Col. Iohn Lilburn, to severall Members there­of from Sir Thomas Fairfaxes army, and after the delivery of them he was called into the House to give an account of what he knew concerning the late engagement neere Lam­part, and the question being demanded by the Hon. Spea­ker, if he were at the late ingagement with Goring, he an­swered, yea, and being commanded to declare what he knew concerning it, he proceeded to this effect: May it please this Hon: Assembly, to afford me the liberty and I shall declare unto you nothing but that which J saw, and upon good ground I know to be true, and shall acquaint you with the Generals proceedings with his Army for 4. or 5 dayes before the Ingagement: that night the Generalls headquarter was at Bemaster which is not farre from Lime, Lieut. Gen. Cromwell (by the Generals command) sent out a Party of about 120 Horse under the Command of Captaine Pat­tison to Crookhorne some 5 miles from the head quarters, to discover if it were possible the motions of the Enemy, and marching according to his command sent a small party in­to the Town, Commanded by Captaine Whiting by which was taken an Irish Cornet and some other Prisoners, and be­ing [Page 2] brought unto Sir Thomas quarters, and upon the intel­ligence received from them. The Generall Comman­ded Orders to be issued out to Collonel Charles Fleetwood, to draw out his Regiment with another that quarterd with him at Brood Winsor, and to be upon their march the next morning by 4 a clock after the Enemy, and having the next day, an additional strength joyned to him of horse and Dra­goons, hee pursued them to Peverton Bridge where after a small Skirmish he tooke some Prisoners, and that night our head quarters were at Crook-horn, and the next day being the Lords day, we stayed there. And upon Munday Iuly 7 our Rendesvouz was at Peverton where was a Con­junction of Generall Major Masseys forces and Collonels Welden to the Generals, Goring having got beyond the River upon which Bridgewater stands lay in safety that we could not come to him having 4 Garrisons and guards upon Load Bridge, & all other passages upon the river: the Gen▪ having viewed many parts of the River marched downe towards Ilchester with a considerable body of Horse and Dragoons, to see if it were fesable to force a Passage there, but it be­ing not to be done without an extraordinary hazard, Goring having fortified both the County Jayles which stood just upon the Passe, and upon a large debate at a Counsell of Warre in the field, it was concluded to march that night to Evill 4 miles from Sherburne, and there to get a Passe, of which Goring understanding betimes in the morning, quitted his hould at Ilchester, and drew downe with his whole Army to Lampart upon which the Generall marched that day to Ilchester and there kept his head quarters, Ordering Major Gen. Massey with about 5000 Horse Dragoons to march up toward Ilmaster, which lyes within 6 miles of Taunton, to straiten the Enemy in their quarters and to take ad­vantage of them if it were administred and the next day the Gen. Major having intelligence that a good party of the Enemy were Grasing their Horses within 2 miles of them, fell upon thē, and took about 300 Horses, and about 200 Prisoners, cut Goring in the Eare, [Page 5] and slew his Quartermaster Generall▪ with divers others▪ (at which time Collonel Cooke was shot through the mouth) and forced the remaining party of the Enemy to retreat to Lampart. The same day the Generall marched to Long Sutton, where at the further end of the Towne next Lampart, he drew out both horse and foot, wherein the fallow Field & passe, was some small skirmishes betwixt us and the Enemy, some Prisoners of theirs was taken: toward the Evening we heard the Musquets goe off very thicke towards Major Generall Masseys quarters, which were on the other side of the River, and the Generall not well knowing how it went with him, ordered Col. Mountague who then was quartered at Martack (in Masseys teare) to march up with the greatest part of his Brigade of foot to his assi­stance and that night quartered his other two Brigades of foot (which are commanded by Collonel Ransborow, and Col. Welden) in Long-Sutton and the rest of the horse hard by them, the next mor­ning called a Councell of Warre to consider what was fittest to be done, and being ready to take horse, Mr. Hollis and one other Club Commissioner, delivered a Petition to the Generall from the Club-men of Dorsetshire (who are very vild and malignant) to desire Iu­stice against the Governour of Lime, in which Petition they speake very high language, and while hee was a talking with them came in an alarum that the Enemy were drawne out of Lampart and ad­vancing both with horse and foot, upon which the Generall presently ordered all his Forces that were on that side of the River with him to bee drawne out, and having sent Orders to Generall Major Massey to send him over some of his Forces with him, being not very long in the field, divers Countrymen came to the Generall and told him Goring was sending away his Carriages to Bridge-wa­ter, divers of them being upon their march; Upon which the Gen: caused all things to be set in order for the Battell, and ordered Colonell Ransborow to draw out about 1500. musketiers for commanded partees to disposesse the Ene­my of the hedges which they had lined very thicke, that so the Passe might be gained which was but very narrow be­twixt us and the Enemy, the Cannoners ordered their Guns, the muskets and Cannon playing very hot, the Can­noniers [Page 6] playing their parts as gallently as ever I saw Gun­ners in my life, who made the ground very hot for the E­nemy to stand upon: It coming to Major Bethels turne to charge with his forelorne of horse, which consisted of 3. Troops of Col: Wales Regiment, Viz. Maior Bethels, Cap­taine Evinsons, and Capt. Groves: Maior Desborow with 3. Troops of the Generalls own Regimēnt being to second them, Bethell upon command given, led on his own troop through the water which was deepe and dirty and ve­ry narrow, the Enemy having a very large body at the tope of the lane, many times over his number, charged them with as much gallentry as ever I saw men in my life, force­ing them with the sword to give ground, which made way for Capt. Evinsons Troope to draw out of the lane, and front with him, driving the enemies great body and their reserve up the hill, but a very great fresh body of the Ene­mies horse coming upon them, forced them to retreat to Capt. Grove who was their reserve, who drawing his men close, received the enemy with much bravery & resolution, and gave liberty to his friends to rally and front with him who all three charged the enemies numerous bodies very furiously and routed them quite, which made way for our musketiers to run up the hedges and gaule the enemy; and for Major Desborow to draw his 3. Troops out of the lane and front with Bethell, upon which 6. Troops, divers mighty bodies of the enemies came, and haveing disputed it soundly with their swords, the foot marching up furi­ously, and the other Troops ca [...]ered up; God tooke away the enemies Courage, and away they run: Of which charge of Major Bethels, I heard the Generall, Lieutenant general, and all the chiefe Officers that saw it, say, it was one of the bravest that ever their eies beheld, and being routed, the greatest part of them tooke toward Bridge-water, after [Page 7] whom Maior Bethell, and Maior Desborow persued a full gallop with a good body or horse very neer Bridg-water, the enemy severall times at the Bridges faceing about, and charged the persuers, where good store of themselves and horses were forced into the Ditches: Another part of the Enemy where Goring was himselfe, being about 1000. horse and some foot with 2. Peeces of Ordnance and 4. or 5. Waggons tooke into Lampert Town which at the low­er end hard by the Bridge they fired on both sides of the Town, that so none might pursue them; Yet notwith­standing Leiutenant Generall Cromwell carered after them with a body of horse, and rid through the fired street in much danger, and tooke there 2. Guns, some Carriages and many prisoners; Goring and that partee as is supposed be­ing fled to Exeter: The number of the enemy that was taken that day was conceived to be about 2000. and about 1500. of their horse, and of men of quallity there was ta­ken there, Leiutenant Generall of their Ordnance, 3. or 4. Horse Colonels, besides divers other Officers, and good quantities of Armes; but being the list was not brought in to the Gen [...]rall; I am not able to give you a more par­ticular account, and of our friends I could not conceive there was above 30. slain; and for wounded men, I think the most was in Bethels Troope, who had about 14. or 16. gallant and honest men wounded, and himselfe in the pur­suite had his Thumbe and his 2. fore fingers shattered with a Pistoll bullet.

The Speaker demanding if he had any Letters from the Generall, was answered, He staid at the Generalls Quar­ters for his Letters which were a writting, but hasty busi­nesse coming in, the Generall presently tooke Horse and went to the Rendezvouz which was in the way to Weston 2. miles on this side Bridgewater where the head quarters were to be on Friday night, when I came from him, and Gen. Ma­jor Masseys quarters, being 2 miles from Bridgewater on the [Page 8] other side of the river, & great store of Club-men being up, amongst whom were 500 Musketiers, that keepes a passe that stops Gorings men from marching to Bristow with their Carriages, them Club-men being very right for the Parliament, having upon the Rout taken di­vers Horse and Armes from Gorings men, the Gen. had begirt a pet­ty Garrison of theirs standing upon a strong hill called Bridges, as J remember, with Col▪ Okeys Dragoons which I beleeve is his owne.

He further said: Now may it please this Hon. Assembly to give me leave to speake two or 3 words of my owne thoughts which I desire to doe, if without offence J may, which J shall reduce into these heads. J humbly conceive if you will be pleased to doe but three or 4 things, Sir Thomas will be able in a few moneths to render you a good account of the whole West, and make it a peaceable place.

The first is, to have a speciall care to pay his Souldiers, that so they may constantly be able to pay their Quarters, the doing of which hath infinitly gained the Countrey, and if continued will speedily make them a people in many thousands to doe you faithfull service, for I can assure you the Pressures of the Ene­my towards them were unsupportable, who had not onely free quarter of the best that could be provided but also had a dayes pay layd under their trenchers, of which if they missed they were ready to kill their Landlords, or to plunder them. Yea in many places where they enjoyed the 2 former they performed the latter also, insomuch that when we came amongst the people and demanded when we were to march away what we had to pay for our quarters, the people wondred at us, what kind of men we were or what we meant by such a question. Divers of them telling us they never knew what it was to finger Souldiers money; so that I am confidently perswaded, the readiest way to make the people yours, is to inable the Souldiers to pay their quarters.

2. Thing is constantly to recrute the Army▪ that thereby they may be the better inabled with speed to reduce the Garrisons, and to keepe up their reputation amongst their Enemies to be a formidable Army. 3. To give incouragement to men that serve you upon principals of honour and honesty. 4. To provide a good and present supply of Stockings, and Shooes, for the poore Common souldier, who are mightily in want for those necessaries by their long and continued marches.