NEVVES FROM YORKE.
Being A true Relation of the proceedings of Sir Hugh Cholmley since his comming to Scarborough: with the reasons why he did not march to Tadcaster, as was desired by the Lord FAIRFAX.
Directed in two severall Letters to the Speaker of the Honourable House of Commons, with his advice of the affaires of the County.
Together with the opinion of his Officers concerning his repaire backe to Scarborough.
LONDON, Printed for Richard Best. 1642.
Severall Letters.
SIr, I perceive by a letter I received from Mr. Pym, the dividing of my Forces from the rest of the Army, is by the House apprehended to bee very prejudiciall to the service of the Kingdome, as that this place is conceived not to be very usefull. The former of which particulars trencheth so much upon my discretion and honour, as for my vindication I must crave your favour in presenting this inclosed to the House, containing my whole deportment since I came hither; which if it prove to my justification, I shall humbly crave their sense so upon it; if otherwise, that I may be called to make answer to any particular may stick with them, and receive according to my demerits: for if I have failed in my duty, I am unworthy to be imployed longer in publick service: if not, I trust they will not think it reasonable I should lye under so heavie a censure. I hope my retreating to Scarborough will appear to be upon good grounds, & only to discharge the trust upon me; and that my not obeying my Lord Fairfax Orders, can be no great crime, since I protest I did not then, nor of a good time after, know the power he hath over us: for I should not then so much have scrupled, in respect his command had been a security to me for any inconvenience which might have happened: nor can I remember I ever dissented from what he propounded, saving this last, to cast my selfe and Forces into the West Riding so remote from my charge, For those severall orders mentioned in the printed papers, to which it is said, I found such impediments, I could not obey them, had but the times beene mentioned, or copies of them produced, I could have answered; and till then I must put them in ballance with the seven hundred men (is said in print too) that I retreated with to Scarborough. Sir, if the affaires of this Court [...] are not in so good a condition a [...] a few weeks agoe there was hopes for, I humbly beseech the House, the blame may not be (as it [...] some would have it) wholly imputed to my neglect: For to [...] plainly and clearly, I thinke it proceeds from this cause, that [...] drew [Page] not neere to the Citie of Yorke, and made some attempt upon it, (wherein I shall make my forwardnesse manifest) and if wee had not prevailed before my Lord of Newcastles approach neere us, yet we had been united in a body to have opposed him. For the other point, touching this Castle, I offer the opinion of all my Captaines, which I doe meerly that it may bee considered how farre it may bee usefull; not that I would thereby make advantage to continue this command: For since I am so unfortunate, as the care of the place makes my actions subject to misconstruction, and that I am so little thought upon, as there is neither course taken for supply of money or ammunition, nor that I can receive commission or instruction for my better direction, I shall most humbly beseech the House to discharge me of this trust. And however I have erred, I have not failed in my paines and faithfulnesse since I came hither. Nor as I did not seeke the imployment, so was I not drawn into action by private ends, but out of desire to contribute my poore endeavours to the setling the truth of the Gospel, liberty of the Subject, and peace of the Kingdome, which I shall wish and heartily pray for, and that with as much honour as possibly may be to his Majesty. For if there be not a good understanding between him and his Parliament shortly, so that these unhappy distractions may be composed, to my judgement the Kingdome is in danger to bee ruined. I shall not need further to relate how affaires stand here, in respect the bearer my Lieutenant Colonel, can informe in every particular; and therefore will only adde my desire to be in your esteeme, as I shall ever approve my selfe, Sir,
Another Letter.
SIr, before my comming to Scarborough, or that I could draw any considerable forces hither, a great part of my Regiment was disarmed; and this place being at an out Angle, I did not without difficulty in three weekes draw together foure hundred [...], and being much importuned by Sir Iohn Hotham to march towards Yorke, I acquainted my Captaines with it, who joyntly [Page] presented their opinions and advice in writing to disswade me, in respect of the weake condition I should leave this place, and the strength of the enemy at Yorke, who was then reputed two thousand: Yet conceiving my advancing into the Countrey, would be much for the service of the publicke, leaving onely one hundred and twelve men or thereupon in the Castle; I marched from hence with under three hundred foot, and quartered at Stamford bridge within five miles of Yorke: then two hundred and twenty men more came to me from Sir Iohn Hotham, and these with two troopes of horse was my whole strength, and with them, as I was desired, I endeavoured to cut off all supply from the City, but finding an impossibility to doe it at that distance we were, I moved both my Lord Fairfax and Sir Iohn Hotham that we might quarter our selves within the Suburbs of the City, and having as I thought by a letter I writ to my Lord Major set the mindes of many of the Citizens not to endure a siege, I resolved my selfe, though none joyned with me to fall upon some part of the Suburbs, and for that purpose sent for a great Ordnance to Scarborough, and when she was within two miles of my quarters at Stamford bridge, I was forced to send her backe againe, in respect I received a letter from Sir Christopher Wray, Captaine Hotham and Captain Hatcher that they were advanced towards the Teas, to stop the Earl of Newcastles passage into Yorkshire, and desired me to march up to them, which as I was preparing to doe, comes another letter from them for my stay, where I was at Brigge till I heard further from them, and though perhaps they after writ some letters which came not to my hands, yet upon the first from my Lord Fairfax desiring my march to Thirske, the next morning I broke up in quarters, and marched to Malton, where I met Colonell Boynton, who being commanded to march two dayes before me, was retreated thither, in respect the enemy advanced so fast, he could not come to joyne with Captaine Hotham; and hither to Malton my Lord Fairfax writ to Colonell Boynton, and my selfe, that we would march backe into the East, and by passing some Ferries come up to his quarters at Tadcaster, which I professe I was resolved to doe, but I found all my Captains of a contrary opinion, and to disswade mee [Page] from that course, and then I began more seriously to thinke of the businesse, and resolved it was fit for me to repaire to Scarborough with some forces for these reasons: First, my order was to repaire with my Regiment to Scarborough, and principally to secure the Castle and Towne, and to continue or remove from time to time, as I should receive directions and order from the Parliament, the Lord Generall, or Committee for the safety of the Kingdome. Secondly, I had left the Castle with a weake garrison, ill fortified, not a Platforme or Ordnance mounted within the walls, unvictualled, ill provided with ammunition, there being but eleven barrells of powder. Thirdly, though I was willing to march to any place to oppose the enemies passage into the Countrey, or to give him battell, and bring the businesse to an issue; yet I thought it not fit to be cast into a part of the Countrey where I might not upon any occasion resort to my charge, nor was there any certainty, if the enemy once got into Yorke when we should encounter with him. Fourthly, when I marched from Scarborough, I left no enemy at my backe, my party was matters of the field, I could resort to my charge upon every occasion; he case was now otherwise, should I have gone with my forces as was desired into the West, I should have left a powerfull enemy behinde, that might have marched hither without opposition, and as my Captains conceived might have taken the Castle without much difficulty in the condition it then was. Fifthly, my march from Scarborough was against the consent and opinion of my Captaines, and though I had craved the Committees approbation for my doing so, and their further directions, I could never obtaine it: so that having marched from thence against my Captains consent, & not to retire when they conceived it of such necessity; I thought it would be interpreted beyond the bounds of my order or discretion, and not suting with the discharge of the trust imposed on me. Sixtly, I had not money to pay those forces with me a weeke, nor had left for the garrison much longer. So for these reasons I thought fit, and resolved to repaire to Scarborough with some forces, which were under three hundred foote, and forty horse; yet had I such care as well in respect of the publicke, as to satisfie my Lord Fairfax his desires; I declared mine [Page] opinion, it was fit for Colonell Boynton to march with all his forces to the Lord Fairfax, and he being very ready, and resolved to do so, I designed Captaine Mildem [...]y, and Captaine Al [...]reds troopes which were with me, with the two hundred and twenty foote sent me from Sir Iohn Hotham to march with him; and in respect we were informed the enemy had drawne some forces on the other side of the river of Darwent, opposite to where Colonell Boynton was to quarter the first night; I did send my carriages, and the foot being in number as I said under three hundred, from Malton the direct way to Scarborough, but my selfe with my forty horse, marched the first day along with Colonell Boynton, and then apprehending there would bee no great danger betweene that place and the Ferry whither they were directed; I marched the next day to Scarborough, which I thinke was so far from a disservice, as it was advantagious in these particulars, I strengthened the garrison, I brought a supply of as many barrells of powder as I had left in the Magazine, as likewise two peeces of small Ordnance, of which there was great need at the Castle: I have fortified the place in much better manner then it was: And lastly, by returning thither I got a supply of money from the adjacent parts, without which, we could not have subsisted till this time; and though by these reasons I was induced to retreat, it was not with an intention to immure my self in the Castle, but resolved as soone as I had fortified the same, and left it in better security to march to my Lord Fairfax with my troope, and such a number as could be spared from the Castle, and might be mounted for Dragooners, which I had performed before this, but that I was drawne another way by commands from the Lord Fairfax.
Now this resolution being duly considered, I hope it will not appeare I have been remisse in performing my duty to the publicke, or the service and trust committed to me, nor yet that the Lord Fairfax in the managing of his affaires, could receive much prejudice by my retreat, considering how few I drew▪ with me, except the presence of my own person should be more considerable then my merit, or the printed paper makes me.
IT being propounded unto us by our Colonell Sir Hugh Cholmeley to declare our opinions touching the proposition for our marching from Malton to Tadcaster to joyne with the Lord Fairfax: Wee considering that the Castle of Scarborough was left with a weak Garison, unfortified, unprovided of ammunition or victualls. And as the place seemes to our judgements to be of great importance, so we had reason to thinke the enemy had a speciall eye towards it; That if all our forces should have beene drawne so remote from Scarborough, the enemy might have advanced thither without opposition, and have beene master of the towne and place without any great difficulty. And therefore we gave our opinions and advices; that it was fit & requisite our Colonell should retreat to Scarborough with three hundred foot which was all the forces belonging to that Regiment, except those which were in the Castle, to fortifie and secure the place better then it was at that present, or else we conceived he could not discharge the trust that was reposed in him: And for the strength of the Castle, we conceive, the same being well fortified, and victualled, that a Garrison of three hundred men will be able to defend it, against any force that can come to oppose it.
And we do further conceive, the same to be a place of very great consequence, for these reasons.
1. He who is Commander of the Castle hath a great power over the adjacent parts of this Country.
2. Considering, as affaires now stand, it is the onely Port to land men or ammunition to supply the enemy, and that if the enemy were possessed thereof, it lies so opposite to Holland, or Denmarke, that he might take opportunitie to send men or provisions from thence hither in despite of any Navy upon the Sea.
3. That from this place, Ordnance or Carriages, may passe in the depth of winter to Yorke without difficulty, which cannot be done from Newcastle both in respect of the distance and ilnesse of the wayes.
4. This Fort lies more conveniently then any other in the Kingdome for Pinnances that may upon every occasion make out and hinder the bringing of Armes or Ammunition from Holland or Denmarke.
When my Colonell was at Malton with his Forces I was at Scarbrough intrusted with the Castle, so that I was not then present to give my opinion for his retreat. At his comming hither there were but eleven barrells of powder in the Castle, one hundred and twelve men, divers of which unfit for service, not victualls for ten daies to keepe them, nor any one peece of Ordnance mounted within the Castle, and therefore I conceive it was very necessary for him to retire hither, for supplying all these and other defects.