A TRVE RELATION Of the late Occurrences in Jreland in two Letters; One brought over by a Noble Gentleman, Sir Hards Waller, of a sharpe Skirmish there happened the 29. of Iune last, betwixt the Right Honourable the Lord Inchguin, Captaine William Jephton, and Sir William Courtney, of the English party, and the Rebels on the other side in the Province of Munster, Dated from Ireland the 8. of this instant Iuly.
The other Dated the fourth of Iulie from I.H. to his Uncle W.E. wherein Relation is made of three severall Defeats given to the Rebels by the Lord of Kelonmikie, the Lord of Broughall and others.
With the taking of 6. Ensignes, 8. Drums, and Armes for 500. men, with great store of Bootie.
LONDON, Printed by A.N. for Edw. Blackmore.
Iuly 18, 1642.
A true Relation brought over by a Noble Gentleman Sir Hards Waller by name, of a sharpe Skirmish which there happened on the 29. day of June 1642. Betwixt the Right Honourable the Lord Inchguin, Captaine William Iephton, and Sir William Courtney, on the English party, and the Rebels on the other side, in the Province of Munster.
IT happened that the Enemy lying within seven or eight miles of our English quarter at Downarayle aforesaid; and consisting of about twenty five hundred foot, and a Troope of Horse, had a Designe (as wee knew by good intelligence) to confront our Forces there, if not to fall foule with us. The said Lord Inchguin with the advise of the other Commanders, resolved by way of prevention, to march away towards them all night from Downarayle, which enterprise they so dexterously pursued, that with five hundred Musquetiers, and two hundred Horse; they were ready to give them a Breakfast the next morning very early: and albeit those Rebels had gotten some private advertisement of our comming, and had therefore stood all that night to their Armes. Yet did our said Commanders find the meanes to approach them; and to trye their mettle, began to salute them with a Volley of shot, which seconded by our forward [Page 2] Troopes did so daunt them at the very first encounter, that they presently were Rowted, and betooke them with all possible diligence to their heeles, towards a Wood and Bogge, about halfe a mile off from that place. And our valiant Troopes then pursuing them, did through Gods especiall favour lessen their number by about sixe hundred men, and tooke some of their Commanders Prisoners, with five of their Colours; they have hereby also augmented their store of Armes with many Musquets, and many more Pykes in this Conflict which I may say, was a very sharpe one on their side, but miraculously favourable on ours. As having lost but one man, nor any hurt but one Sergeant, (thankes to the Lord of Hoasts.) This and the like strange Victories wee now and then obtain against the Rebels, doe give us no small heart and courage amidst the great wants we often undergoe in this now almost desolate Countrey; And makes our men goe on with such incredible resolution, as we reade of the old Romans amongst the Barbarous Nations, without being any more daunted with the present distractions betwixt the King and Parliament, then were those Romans abroad, when their Emperours and Consuls brought the Scene of warre within the Walls of Rome.
It hath pleased God neverthelesse to temper our late Triumph with some sorrow. For upon the fourth of Iuly last, our most Noble and never-enough lamented Sir William Leger, President of this Province is departed this life, dying in his bed, of an infirmity which his Phisitian sayes was occasioned by this restlesse care and study in his Charge.
Wee daily are put in hope of fresh supplyes out of England but they are so long a comming, that wee begin to [Page 3] doubt there is some power doth maligne the maine Designe, God send us some good newes of an Accommodation of the great Differences in England; And then wee shall have a redoubled courage against all dangers and difficulties here.
To my loving Vncle Master VV. E.
HAving the conveniency of sending by this Bearer, I am bold to write of our last Occurrences in these parts.
The 29 of June, wee marched with our English forces being four hundred foot, and four Troops of Horse towards the Enemy, and having discovered them, wee found them to be three thousand Foot and Horse, and yet we gave them battail, and such was the goodnesse of God unto us that wee forced them to retreat into a Town, where continuing our pursuit beat them out again, and forced them utterly to flight, in this service our Horse and Foot killed six hundred of them, took their Ammunition [Page 4] and Waggons, & having pillaged their Town, we burnt it to the ground, and brought away six Ensignes, eight Drums, and took Arms for five hundred men, had we been furnished with sufficient forces, wee might have saved the Town and left a Garrison in it, which (through Gods assistance might have much advanced the service.
The 30 of June, my Lord Keloumikie, (son to the Earle of Gork) his Horse being in number but 38, marcht out of Bandonbridge, and in the compasse of six miles brought in a thousand sheep and foure hundred head of Cattle, but in their return, the Rebels (being one thousand strong) were got between our men and the Towne, yet they kept their pray, brought it into the Town, and kild threescore and ten of the Rogues with the losse of two men.
The third day of July, my Lord of Broughall marched out to relieve Sir Philip Percivals Castle, with his owne troop onely, and two hundred and fifty foot, and was encountred by a thousand of the Rebels horse and foot, who after a fierce assault kill'd one hundred of the Rebels, and relieved the Castle, and in their returne skirmished againe with the Rogues, and kill'd one hundred and fifty more of them, with the losse of two men onely, blessed be God who putteth courage into the hearts of our men, teaching their hands to warre, and their fingers to fight, and giveth them victory, wee have taken of late many brave Castles with much provision.
Surely according to these experiments of Gods wonderfull assistance to our poore forces, it may well be hoped that if we had money to pay our Souldiers, five thousand foot with a proportionable number of horse would enable us to bid our friends welcome, and to repell enemies, and therefore I earnestly beg of God to compose the unhappy [Page 4] distractions of England, that the wished, and long expected assistance may come.
This morning wee have intelligence that my Lord President of Munster is dead, and now my Lord of Corke sends a ship to certifie the State of England, by which this is conveyed, I have not time, and therefore crave pardon for not expressing the passages more at large.
Thus with my duty and best respects to you, and the rest of my friends I remayn;