<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2010-05-03</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Mona Logarbo</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B100412.pdcc.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="A89124">
<STC T="W">m1992</STC>
<STC T="T">e54_16</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99868770</BIBNO>
<VID>155243</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>A Copy of A LETTER SENT From Sir <HI>Tho. Middleton,</HI> to the Ho|norable, <HI>William Lenthall</HI> <ABBR>E&s;q</ABBR> Speaker of the Hou&s;e of COMMONS.</P>
<P>Concerning the rai&s;ing of the Siege at OSVVESTREE, <HI>Iuly</HI> 3. 1644.</P>
<P>By the Forces Commanded by the
<LIST>
<ITEM>Earl of <HI>Denbigh.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Sir <HI>Tho. Middleton,</HI> and</ITEM>
<ITEM>Sir <HI>Will. Brereton.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>Wherein was divers of our Enemies, men of Quality, taken Pri&s;oners; 7. Carriages, 200. Com|mon Souldiers, 2 Peeces of Artillery, 100. Hor&s;e.</P>
<P>Al&s;o &s;everall other Letters to per&s;ons of Quality in Confirmation of the &s;aid Victory.</P>
<P>Together with a Li&s;t of all the Pri&s;oners and Car|riages that were taken.</P>
<P>Printed according to Order.</P>
<P>London, Printed for <HI>Edward Husbands.</HI> Iuly 10. 1644.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="3" REF="2">
<HEAD>To the Honorable, <HI>William Lenthall</HI> E&s;quire; Speaker of the Hou&s;e of COMMONS.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>HONO&V;RED SIR,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>NOt to trouble you with vain Relations, whereby to hinder the other &s;erious imployment for the Kingdoms good; May it plea&s;e you to be adver|ti&s;ed, That the Town of O&s;&s;e&s;tree, late taken by the Forces of the Parliament, under my Brother Colonel <HI>Mittons</HI> command was upon Saturday la&s;t begun to be begirt, and &s;ince &s;trictly be&s;ieged by the Kings for|ces, con&s;i&s;ting of about Fifteen hundred Hor&s;e, and Three thou&s;and five hundred Foot, under the com|mand of Colonell <HI>Marrow;</HI> And that thereupon, in pur&s;uance of a Councell of War's determination, oc|ca&s;ioned by an earne&s;t and importunate Letter from my Brother Col. <HI>Mitton,</HI> directed to me, for &s;peedy re|lief and rai&s;ing of the &s;iege of the &s;aid Town; I did upon the Lords day la&s;t pa&s;t, with &s;uch Forces of Hor&s;e and Foot as I then had with me, and the Foot Forces of Che&s;hire, all of us then at Knotsford, up|on a determinate re&s;olution to have marched for Man|che&s;ter, and then for the &s;ervice in the North: Accor|ding to enjoynment of the Committee of both King|doms, returned and readvanced with all my &s;aid For|ces, unto a place called Spur&s;tow heath, where that night we quartered, and thence advanced upon Mun|day morning towards Whitchurch; we quartered that night likewi&s;e in the open Fields, at a place called the Fens in Flint&s;hire, where ye&s;terday we marched to|wards
<PB N="4" REF="3">El&s;more, and &s;o to the &s;aid town of O&s;we&s;tree, where the Enemy endeavoured by battering and &s;tor|ming of the &s;ame, violently to have carryed it; about Two of the clock in the afternoon we came in &s;ight of the Town, and within Three miles of it, where the Enemy having got Intelligence of our Approach, were prepared to receive us, the chief Forces of our Enemy con&s;i&s;ting of the mo&s;t valiant Commanders and Soul|diers, drawn out of the garri&s;ons of Che&s;ter, Che&s;hire, Shrewsbury, Shrop&s;hire, Ludlow, Denby&s;hire, Flint|&s;hire, and other places. The Enemy had taken the pa&s;|&s;age of water neer to Whittington, and very furiou&s;ly a&s;&s;aulted and charged us, but were repul&s;ed and forced to retire, through the courage of our Hor&s;e, who mo&s;t couragiou&s;ly entertained the Enemy, three &s;everall times the skirmi&s;h was doubtfull, either &s;ide being for|ced &s;o often to retreat, but in the end our Foot Forces coming up, relieved the Hor&s;e, beat back the Enemy, and pur&s;ued them with &s;uch force, that the Hor&s;e thereby encouraged, which indeed was formerly wea|ry, joyning with the Foot; they put the Enemy to an ab&s;olute flight, in which we pur&s;ued them Five miles towards Shrewsbury, to a place called Felton heath, and where likewi&s;e wee remained after their flight a|gain thence Ma&s;ters of the Field: In the skirmi&s;h with the Enemy, and in the pur&s;uit, we lo&s;t &s;everall of our Hor&s;e, &s;ome of our Troopers, but never a Footman which I am yet informed of, many of the Troopers are hurt, but I hope they will recover; I lo&s;t one Ca|ptain <HI>Williams,</HI> and one captain Lieutenant <HI>Fclether,</HI> a very couragious man, being Captain Lieutenants to Colonell <HI>Barton,</HI> in my Brigade was dangerou&s;ly &s;hot, but I hope not mortally. As for the Enemy, they lo&s;t
<PB N="5" REF="3">many &s;tout men, had many of them taken pri&s;oners, the number whereof the inclo&s;ed will manife&s;t, &s;ome of them being of great quality; As, the Lord <HI>New|ports</HI> elde&s;t Son: And be&s;ides, in their flight &s;uch was their ha&s;te, that we found in the way of our pur&s;uit of them, the high way, as it were, &s;trewed with &s;tore of Bread, Chee&s;e, Bacon, and other good provi&s;ions, clothes, and el&s;e, &s;uch nece&s;&s;ary appurtenance to an Army, be&s;ides &s;ome whole Veals and Muttons new kill'd. The Enemy before the relief came, had taken the Church, being the &s;tronge&s;t hold about the Town, upon the approach of the relief they &s;uddenly de&s;erted it, and &s;ent their two battering peeces unto Shrew&s;|bury. In the way al&s;o were taken by our Forces, &s;even Carts and Waggons loaden with provi&s;ions, as Beer, Bread and other nece&s;&s;aries, whereof one was loaden with Powder and other Ammunition, the Town of O&s;we&s;tree I finde to be a very &s;trong Town, and if once fortified, of great concernment, and the Key that lets us into Wales.</P>
<P><HI>SIR,</HI> I had to my ayd three Regiments of Foot, viz. Col. George Booths Regiment, a gallant Regi|ment led by him&s;elf on foot, to the face of the Enemy; Another by Col. Manwaring, and the third by Col. Croxon, all of them &s;tout and gallant Commanders, and the re&s;t of the Officers and Souldiers full of cou|rage and re&s;olution. Major Louthien, Adjutant Ge|nerall, that brave and faithfull Commander, to whom I cannot a&s;cribe too much honour, brought up the Reare that day.</P>
<CLOSER><SALUTE>SIR,</SALUTE> <SIGNED>I re&s;t Yours, THO: MIDDLETON.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="list of prisoners">
<PB N="7" REF="4">
<HEAD><HI>Pri&s;oners taken at</HI> O&s;we&s;tree; <DATE>Iuly 3. 1644.</DATE></HEAD>
<LIST>
<ITEM><LIST>
<HEAD> Captains of a Troop of Hor&s;e.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Francis Newport, heir to the Lord Newport.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Captain Swynerton.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>20. Wel&s;h and Shrop&s;hire Gentlemen.</ITEM>
<ITEM>1. Coronet of Hor&s;e, <HI>which had no command.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Lieutenant Norrell.</ITEM>
<ITEM>1. Quarterma&s;ter.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Corporalls.</ITEM>
<ITEM>32. Troopers.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Peeces of Artillery, to come up to the walls to &s;ave the Mu&s;quetiers.</ITEM>
<ITEM>7. Carriages, whereof one of Powder.</ITEM>
<ITEM>200. Common Souldiers, mo&s;t of them Wel&s;h.</ITEM>
<ITEM>100. Hor&s;e.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Great &s;tore of Arms found in the corn and ditches.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>There is &s;ince taken Major Mauley, and Major Whirney, under the walls of Shrewsbury; we doubt not but to give a very good account of our &s;ervice there, and that &s;peedily.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<HEAD>For the much honoured, the Lady <HI>Middleton.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Madam,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>I Shall trouble you with the &s;ight of this paper, wherein you may plea&s;e to ob&s;erve Gods Provi|dence to us; on the Lords day la&s;t we marched from Knotsford to Bundbury, fourteen miles from Bun|bury in Che&s;hire, to <HI>Fens Hall</HI> in Flint&s;hire, eleven miles on Monday, on Tue&s;day we marched to O&s;e|&s;try: in the narrow lanes they layd their Ambu&s;ca|does, three miles &s;hort of the Town, kept all pa&s;&s;ages and lined all hedges to the Town, hedges thicke, and lanes &s;trait, from which our men beate them, though their hor&s;e charged our men very furiou&s;ly, followed them up to the Town, to their maine body, fighting all the way for three miles, in the meane
<PB N="6" REF="4">time their Carriages were drawn away, and their Foot Marched away in a Body, our men pur&s;uing tooke the&s;e pri&s;oners, but they being &s;trong in hor&s;e hinde|red, that Execution that might have been done upon them: I can a&s;&s;ure you, the Town of O&s;we&s;trey will be of great concernment to this Kingdom, and I hope this Enemy is well queld by rai&s;ing of this Siege, though they were one thou&s;and five hundred Hor&s;e, three thou&s;and five hundred Foote; but I hope your Countrymen are gone for the mountaines, and will not ea&s;ily be drawn back for the &s;ame &s;ervice, &s;o with Remembrance of my &s;ervice,</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your Ladi&s;hips faithfull &s;ervant, <HI>W. D.</HI></SIGNED>
<DATELINE>O&s;we&s;trey, <DATE>Iuly 3. 1644.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<OPENER><SALUTE>Sir,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>I Shall give you a &s;hort account of our pre&s;ent con|dition: by Gods Providence, We have won <HI>Munsford</HI> Bridge, beate the Enemies muskettiers there|from, have brought all our carriages over; are now within three miles from Shrewesbury, our forlorne hope, and the Enemies are at the pre&s;ent engaged, we are all now marching up with the whole Body. My Lord <HI>Denbigh,</HI> my Major <HI>Gell,</HI> Sir <HI>Tho. Mid.</HI> and the forenamed <HI>Che&s;hire</HI> Gentlemen, are all at the pre&s;ent Advancing up; this was the de&s;ign mentioned in my former letter, dated at <HI>O&s;we&s;try,</HI> but not &s;ignified: In briefe the Drums and Trumpets command me away, and cea&s;e for the pre&s;ent, So I re&s;t</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE>Muntesford Bridge, <DATE>3. in the afternoon, of 4 Iuly 1644.</DATE></DATELINE>
<SIGNED>Yours T. B.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB N="8" REF="5">
<OPENER><SALUTE>Noble Sir,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>THe&s;e inclo&s;ed will &s;hew you the State of York|&s;hire, thankes be to God, much altered with us in a day, for ye&s;terday, a Commander and Kin&s;man of mine of Lichfield, our Enemy, &s;ent me a jeering letter, to adverti&s;e me that the Prince had taken old <HI>Le&s;ly</HI> Sir <HI>Tho. Fairfax,</HI> 48. peeces of Cannon, thirty thou&s;and Armes, and had routed, &s;laine, and taken all the re&s;t of our friends. This was with great triumph blazed, with Bonfires, Bels, and Ordnance; in this Letter the Lo: <HI>Fairfax</HI> him&s;elf was taken. The Earl of <HI>Denbigh</HI> at Manche&s;ter was by a Coun&s;ell of War to retreat to <HI>O&s;we&s;trey,</HI> to rai&s;e the &s;iege there laid by Col. <HI>Marrow;</HI> &amp; 4000. at lea&s;t, but before my Lord could all out reach it, marching with incredible &s;peed, Sir <HI>Tho. Middleton</HI> with le&s;&s;e then two thou&s;and vvas in fight, and vvith exceeding hot &s;ervice <HI>Marrow</HI> vvas rai&s;ed, his foote routed, his carriages taken; he had but one peece, and that he &s;ent away before, hearing of my Lords approach, my Lord thereupon, without &s;tay Marched toward Shrewsbury, vvhich he hath begirt as vve heare, vvith about five thou&s;and men. Sir <HI>John Meldrum,</HI> and Sir <HI>Will. Brereton</HI> are by this time about Yorke, and the fre&s;h &s;upply of Scotch, vvhich I hope vvill yeeld us dayly increa&s;e of good nevvs, of vvhich God-vvilling, I &s;hall not faile to acquaint you, as I po&s;&s;ibly may. I thought to have vvritten to the Lord Generall, my right vvorthy good Lord, the Earl of <HI>E&s;&s;ex,</HI> but I pre&s;ume you vvill impart the&s;e unto his Excellency. Noble Sir, I be&s;eech you e&s;teeme me as I really am,</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE>Staff. <DATE>Iuly 6.</DATE> about 8. Evening.</DATELINE>
<SIGNED>Your faithfull Servant, Lew. Chadwick.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
