ACcording to my promise I shall labour briefely to informe you of what hath happened in these Nor­therne parts of Ireland since my comming over; wherein I shall indeavour, not willingly to vary from the truth in the least circumstance, that you may beleeve what I write without doubting, and may report it without blushing.

On Thursday the 28. of Aprill 1600. of the Scottish Army, 500. of the Lord Viscount Conwayes Regiment, 500. of Colonell Chi­chesters, 400. of the Lord of the Ardees Forces, and 400. of the Lord Clandeboyes, 3. Troopes of Armed Horse, the Lord Conwayes, Co­lonell Chichesters, and the Lord Cromwells, and part of the Lord Grandisons, t [...]gether with some 4 or 5. Troopes of light Horse, all these Forces met together, and encamped at a place called Drum-Boe, neere Belfast, in the County of Antrem; Sir John Clatworty promised to come with 400. men, but he could not get so many men to m [...]ke his Regiment compleate, all these Troops made some 300. Horse.

On Friday the 29. of Aprill, this Army marched onwards all to­gether towards the Nury, and when they came a little beyond Lis­n [...]garney, they discryed a partie of the Rebels Horse, which shewed them at the edge of the Woods of Kilwarlin, upon which our Horse made directly towards them over the fields, the foot marched along the high way; when our Horse came within twice Musket shot of [Page 2]them they made a stand, in the meane time the foote marching along the high way, perceived a party of the Rebells in a Fort which they had made at the entrance of Kilwarlin woods, which it seemes they bad made, thinking thereby to blocke up the way; this Fort plaid upon our Foote with their Muskets. Colonell Chichesters Regi­ment being then in the Front he drew out certaine companies, and made them to give fire by rankes upon the Fort, they remained this Skirmishing untill our Horse with much difficultie in regard of the wayes which were blockt up with Trees came into the woods ano­ther way, and got betwixt the Fort and the wood, the Rebels see­ing the Horse come behind them fled, our horse being divided into severall parties went severall wayes pursuing of them, one party of our Horse some 40. met with some 400. of them, and fought with them, put them to flight, and killed some 30. of them, the rest of our Horse chased them in the woods as farre as they were able to follow them for Thickets and Bogs, some of them would atempt to give fire at the Horse standing behind Trees and Bushes, but as soone as they but offered to make towards them, they durst not stand, but runne away after the Horse had chased them a pretty while, this way a company of the Scottish Souldiers came into them, Lieutenant Dullen who is Lieutenant to Colonell Chichesters Troopes spake to those Musketeres to follow the Rogues which were running in the woods where the troopes could not follow them, the most of them would not goe, I will not say durst not, they pretended they wan­ted powder; But afterwards before our faces they shot at least 40. shots at Randum in the woods; at this Shirmish there were in all kild and taken prisoners some 80. of the Rebells, wee lost but one man, who was one of Colonell Hills Light Horse men, and one of the Lord Cromwells Troopes had his Horse kild under him, and some two Light Horse men were slightly wounded; this night the Army incamped in the middle of the woods of Kilwarlin, which is held to be the place of their strongest hold, yet the Rebells had not so much Gallantry in them as to give us an Alarum.

The next day being Saturday the 30. of Aprill the Army marched onward in their way to the Nury, through Drommore, which is so consumed with fire, and ruinated, that there was not a house left standing except the Church. This night wee incamped at a place [...] eight miles of the Nury called Logh Brickland in the middle of this Logh there is an Land in which were some of the Rebels, with [Page 3]divers English and Scots which were prisoners with them there, and a great deale of provision, there was a house upon this Iland, upon which one of our field peeces playd, and we shot at them with Mus­kets; sometimes they would shoot againe, but hurt none of our men; there came a Bullet through Colonell Chichesters hare as he stood a­mongst his Souldiers, but hurt him not: All that our Army could doe could not make them yeeld, for our shot could not come to hurt them in regard that they had digged a Cave under ground where they did remaine; so as that it was impossible to hurt them with shot, as to shoot downe the Iland, this night there was a strict watch set round about the Iland least the Rogues should steale away by night, the next morning being Sunday the first of May, the Boate which belonged unto the Logh being ignorantly left a float by the Rebels by the side of the Iland, it became the onely meanes of their ruine, for six Hilanders undertooke to swim for the Boate to fetch it over, whilst they were swimming, our Army playd so hard upon the Iland with Musket shot, that not a Rebell durst peepe out of the Cave: Of these six Hilanders, two returned not being able to swimme over, two striving beyond their strength were drowned, and onely two got over, who swimming with their Swords in their hands cut the Boate loose, and brought it over, which was manned with Mus­keteres, which tooke the Iland, releast the prisoners, and cut off the Rebels.

After this was done, the Army marched on to the Nury, the Horse rid fast before, and when they came within sight of the towne they pursued the Rogues flying out of the towne, and running as fast as their nimble feet could carry them away; upon this a Troope of Light Horse were sent out, which were under the command of Cap­taine Winsor, and cut off about 100. of the Rogues as they fled, the rest of the Troopes drew neare unto the towne, and making a stand on a little hill about a quarter of a mile from the towne, one Master Reading came riding out of the towne to them, who had beene pri­soner with them ever since the beginning of this Rebellion, and hee brought us word that the Rogues were all fled out of the towne ex­cept some of the ancient towne dwellers, and that they willingly yeelded the towne, but that the Castle stood out still, in which were divers prisoners of the English, among the rest Sir-Edward Trevers, Sir Chales Poynes and his sonne came out to meet us who were ta­ken prisoners at the first surpisall of the Nury. Colonell Chrichesters [Page 4]Troope drew nearer the towne and stood close by the Church, within Musket shot of the Castle untill the foote came up, which was for the space of two houres, when the generall Major came, they sent away the Troopes to quarter, halfe a mile out of the towne, and set a strickt centrey at the townes end that none should come in but those whom he permitted; what was gotten the Horse got no share of, al­though they best deserved it, the Lord Maginneses Lady was now in the Nury.

The next d [...]y being Monday the Generall Major Mount Roe, and the Lord Conway, and Colonell Chichester resolved to come to a parly with the Castle, not that they held it any difficultie to take it, but in regard of those prisoners which they had within the Castle, least if they had f [...]llen upon it in the severest way, the Innocent had been destroyed with the Guilty. This made the Rogues to stand upon their tearmes, and to refuse many gratious proffers of mercy, and kept them all this day in dispence, refusing to yeeld, the next day being Tuesday the third of May, Generall Mount Roe sent word unto the Captaine of the Castle, that notwithstanding the prisoners he had of ours with him, if he would not yeeld, since there was no remedy, he would blow up the Castle, the Captaine of the Castle returned him answer, that if he blew him up, we would be forced to borrow some of his powder; this peremptory answer made all to be prepared for to set upon the Castle, at last when the Captaine of the Castle saw that they were like to goe to it in good earnest, he yeelded upon quarter for himselfe and some more. After this Ca­stle was surrendred, they found but halfe a Barrell of Powder, 60. Muskets, and of them not above a dozen fixt; they had two murthe­rers which they put out onely to make a shew, which were found without Chambers, and so foule and rusty that none of them durst h [...]ve shot them off; such little proofe is commonly in great bragges when they come to the triall, what other things of worth were found in the Castle were altogether concealed from the English, except some who had great friends.

On Munday the fift of May ten out of every Troope were sent to Dundalke to the English Army, the next day Sir Henry Titchborne came along with them to the Nury with a guard of three Troopes of Horse, and stayed some three houres at the Nury and returned.

The common Souldiers without direction from the Generall Ma­jor tooke some 18. of the Irish women of the towne, and stript them [Page 5]naked, and threw them into the River, and drowned them, shooting some in the water; more had suffered so but that some of the com­mon Souldiers were made examples on and punished.

On Thursday the 6. of May, the Lord Conwayes Troope, Colo­nell Chichesters, and the Lord Cromwels with part of the Lord Gran­disons, went out towards Armagh, and by the way they saw above a thousand of the Rebels which stood in a Bogge, but durst not stirre out to inco unter with our Troopes nor the Troopes could not come at them for the Bogge, although they fame would have charged them, therefore they returned backe to the Nury, thinking to fall upon them the next morning, and bring some foot with them, but they heard the next day that they were fled, and that Sir Philem O. Neale was among them. Some of the prisoners that made an escape from them, reported that Armagh is burnt, and that the Rogues are fled from thence towards Chalimount.

On Friday being the sixt of May those of the Rebells that were in the Castle which had not Quarter, and divers of the ill affected Irish in the towne were shot to death on the bridge, some three score or more; there was a great Iron Battering peece taken in the Nury which was left on an old Turret in the towne, throwne off the Carria­ges, which I forgot to name before.

On Saturday, the seventh of May, they provided to March back again, leaving behinde in Garrison at the Nury about 300. men well armed, under the command of Lieutenant Colonell Sinkcleare, pro­mising to send him some 500. more from Carrickfergus, with all the speede possibly could be made, being some of the rest of Livete­nant Collonell Sinckcleares Regiment, which came over since the Army went abroad; Generall Major Mount Roe left private directi­on (as I heard) with Livetenant Collonell Sinkcleare to banish all the Irish out of the towne, as soone as he was gone.

The Army marched home through Maginneses, and Mr. Cartons Country, and marched in three Divisions, burning all the houses and corne before them, and brought away the spoyle of the countrey be­fore them, and cattle in great abundance, there was much goods left behinde, and provision which they could neither destroy nor carry away, being hid under-ground in the backside of every house, the devision that Collonell Chichester commanded, burnt Mr. Cartons, and Ever Maginneses owne dwelling houses. Sunday at night was uch stormy wether, that some thirtie of the souldiers and others [Page 6]which followed the campe perished with meere cold; and no won­der, for it kild some fifteene horses which were found dead the next morning: Colonell Chichesters troope marching a pretty space be­fore the Army, tooke divers prisoners, and killed divers of the Re­bells upon their March.

On Tuesday the 10. of May, the Army met together and in­camped in the middle of Mr. Cartons woods, when they came alto­gether, there were at least 800. baggage horses (as they call them) load on with the spoile of the Countrey, and I thinke I speake within compasse if I say 3000. Cowes; but by the way as they came this day through the thickees of Mr. Cartons Woods, the Lord Conwayes troope, Collonell Hills, and Captaine Matthewes, and some other troopes of Light-horse; the Rogues shot at them from behinde trees, and killed the Livetenant to the Lord Conwayes troope, Lievetenant Fishers Led-horse, and him that led him, and got in betwixt the troopes and the Baggage horses, and cut off some of the men that went along with these horses, and had cut off more, but that Cap­taine Trevers rid backe againe with some of his troope, and relieved them.

On Wednesday, the Army marched through the rest of Mr. Car­tons woods with all the aforesaid load on horses and cowes, marching all together, but spreading the foot abroad in the woods, to burn the Cabbins which were built there, and to cleare the woods before them: They found no opposition this day, at night they encamped at Drumboe.

The next day when the Cowes were to be divided, many of them were stollen away into the Ardees, and Clandeboyes the last night, and the goods so sneakt away by the Scots, that the English troopes got just nothing, and the English foote very little, which gave them too just a cause to mutany, in so much as I thinke it will be hard to get them out to march with the Scots againe, who will have both the credit and profit of whatsoever is done or had.

In the absence of the Army, there were six score Musketeres lef to Garrison at Malone, which was set upon by the Irish, and th [...] most of it burnt; these valiant Scots set to keep the towne, when ie was set upon, fled, and did not so much as face the Rebells, some 800. of the Scots which lay in the Trench some sixe mile of Carrick­fergus, in the absence of the aforesaid Army, went out to plunder, and being set upon by some horse, and foote of the Rebells, not [Page 7]much above their number, I will not say fled from them, but retrea­ted so fast, as that they were forced to blow up a barrell of powder they had with them, and blew up some eight of their men with it, and as I heare credibly, lost above a hundred Armes, they carry the matter very privately here, but this is truth. The Earle of Antrem is now at Glanarme, a place twelve miles off Carrickfergus, and would faine be received into this towne: what Generall Mount Roe, and the Lord Conway will doe in it, I know not; Gene­rall Lasly will be over here within this weeke, as he hath sent word unto Generall Major Mount Roe. I have no more to write, but desire to remaine,