proceed to their charges in the Army,' and endeavour to quiet all distempera there, was passed on the 30th of April: day of the Three Troopers and Army Letter, and directly on the back of that occurrence. They went accordingly, perhaps on the morrow, and proceeded to business; but as nothing specific came of them, or could come, till the 8th of May, that day is taken as the date of the Deputation. Here are Three Letters from them; one prior and one posterior; which, copied from the Tanner мss., have got into print, but cannot throw much light on the affair. 1. "To the Honourable William Lenthall, Esquire, Speaker of the Commons House: These.' "Saffron Walden,' 3d May 1647. "SIR,-We have sent out orders to summon the Officers of the several Regi"ments to appear before us on Thursday next; to the end we may understand "from them the true condition and temper of the Soldiers in relation to the Dis" contents lately represented; and the better to prepare and enable them,—by "speaking with them, and acquainting them with your Votes,2-to allay any Dis" contents that may be among the Soldiers. "We judged this way most likely to be effectual to your service; though it ask some time, by reason of the distance of the quarters. When we shall have anything worthy of your knowledge, we shall represent it;—and in the mean time study to approve ourselves, "Your most humble servants, "PH. SKIPPON. 2. "To the Honourable William Lenthall, Esquire, Speaker of the Commons House: These.' "Saffron Walden, 8th May 1647. SIR,-According to our orders sent out to the Officers of the Army, many of "them appeared at the time appointed. The greatest failing was of Horse Officers; "who, by reason of the great distance of their quarters from this place (being "some of them above three-score miles off), could not be here: yet there were, accidentally, some of every Regiment except Colonel Whalley's present at our "Meeting;-which was upon Friday morning, about ten of the clock. "After some discourse offered unto them, About the occasion of the Meeting, "together with the deep sense the Parliament had of some Discontents which were in the Army, and of our great trouble also that it should be so,—we told "them, We were sent down to communicate the House of Commons' Votes unto "them; whereby their, 'the Parliament's,' care of giving the Army satisfaction might appear: desiring them 'furthermore' To use their utmost diligence with 1 Commons Journals, v. 158: see antea, vol. i. p. 223. 2 Votes passed that same 30th of April: That the Soldiers shall have Indemnity; that they shall have Pay,-and in short, Justice (Commons Journals, v 158). 'Thursday next' is the 6th of May. 3A Letter from Major-General' (elsewhere called Field-Marshal) 'Skippon, Lieu. tenant-General Cromwell and Commissary-General Ireton, was this day read' (Commons Journals, 4th May 1647). 4 Friday, yesterday; not 'Thursday,' as at first proposed. "all good conscience and effect, by improving their interests in the Soldiers, for "their satisfaction; and that they would communicate to their Soldiers the Votes, together with such informations as they received then from us, to the end their "distemper might be allayed.-After this had been said, and a Copy of the Votes "delivered to the Chief Officer of every respective Regiment, to be communicated as aforesaid,-we desired them To give us a speedy account of the success of "their endeavours; and if in anything they needed our advice or assistance for furthering the work, we should be ready here at Saffron Walden to give it them, 66 upon notice from them. "We cannot give you a full and punctual account of the particular distempers, "with the grounds of them: because the Officers were desirous to be spared therein by us, until they might make a further inquiry amongst the Soldiers, "and see what effect your Votes and their endeavours might have with them. We "desire as speedy an account of this business as might well be; but, upon the "desire of the Officers, thought it necessary for the service to give them until Saturday next' to bring us an account of their business, by reason the Regi66 ments were so far distant. 66 "As anything falls out worthy of your knowledge, we shall represent it; and "in the mean time study to approve ourselves, "Your most humble servants, "PH. SKIPPON. "OLIVER CROMWELL. "CHARLES FLEETWOOD."2 3. "To the Honourable William Lenthall, Esquire, Speaker of the Commons House: These.' "Walden, 17th May 1647. "SIR,-We having made some progress in the Business you commanded us upon, we are bold to give you this account. Which, although it come not with "that expedition you may expect and your other affairs require, yet we hope you "will be pleased to excuse us with the weight of the Affair: in comparison whereof nothing that ever yet we undertook was, at least to our apprehension, equal; "and wherein, whatever the issue prove, our greatest comfort is, That our con"sciences bear us witness we have, according to our abilities, endeavoured faith"fully to serve you and the Kingdom. "The Officers repaired to us at Saffron Walden upon Saturday last, according to appointment, to give us a return of3 what they had in charge from us at our last Meeting; which was, To read your Votes to the Soldiers under their "respective commands for their satisfaction, and to improve their interest faith"fully and honestly with them to that end; and 'then' to give us a perfect account "of the effect of their endeavours, and a true representation of the temper of the Army. "At this Meeting, we received what they had to offer to us. Which they de"livered to us in writing, by the hands of some chosen by the rest of the Officers 1 This day week; the 15th. 2 'Letter from the General Officers,' 'from Walden, of 8th Maii 1647, was this day read' (Commons Journals, Tuesday, 11th May 1647). The Letter seems to be of Cromwell's writing. to.' "then present, and in the name of the rest of the Officers and of the Soldiers "under their commands. Which was not done till Sunday in the evening. At "which time, and likewise before upon Saturday, we acquainted them all with a 'Letter from the Earl of Manchester, expressing That an Act of Indemnity, large ' and full, had passed the House of Commons;1 and that two weeks' pay more was voted to those that were disbanded, as also to them that undertook the ser"vice of Ireland. And, thinking fit to dismiss the Officers to their several com. "mands,—all but some that were to stay here about further business,—we gave "them in charge To communicate these last Votes to their Soldiers, and to im. "prove their utmost diligence and interest for their best satisfaction. "We must acknowledge, we found the Army under a deep sense of some sufferings, and the common Soldiers much unsettled; whereof, that which we have "to represent to you will give you a more perfect view. Which, because it con"sists of many papers, and needs some more method in the representation of "them to you than can be done by letter, and forasmuch as we were sent down by you to our several charges to do our best to keep the Soldiers in order,—we are not "well satisfied, any of us, to leave the place nor duty you sent us to, until we have "the signification of your pleasure to us. To which we shall most readily con"form; and rest, "Your most humble servants, "PH. SKIPPON. "OLIVER CROMWELL. "CHARLES FLEETWOOD."? No. 10. WELSH DISTURBANCES IN 1648. [Vol. i. p. 272.] 1. SOME charge of Welsh misbehaviour, perhaps treachery, in the late May revolt; charge which, if founded, ought to be made good against 'Edwards!' Colonel Hughes has been Governor of Chepstow, from the time when it was first taken in autumn 1645; and, we may infer, has returned to his post since Ewers (25th May 1648) retook the Castle. Of Edwards, and his misdeeds, and his accusers, no other clear trace has occurred to me. But in Moyne's Court, Monmouthshire, the seat of this Colonel Thomas Hughes, the following old Note had turned up, and was printed in 1791. 1 Commons Journals, v. 174 (14th May 1647). 2 Tanner ass. (in Cary, i. 205-16.) › Commons Journals, iv. 321 and v. 115. 'To Colonel Hughes, Chepstow Castle.' COLONEL HUGHES, Before Pembroke,' 26th June 1648. It's of absolute necessity that Collington and Ashe do attend the Council of War, to make good what they say of Edwards. Let it be your especial care to get them into Monmouthshire thereunto. What Mr. Herbert and Mrs. Cradock hath (sic) promised to them in point of indemnity, I will endeavour to have it performed; and I desire you to certify as much to them for their encouragement. I pray do this speedily after receipt hereof, and I shall remain Your servant, OLIVER CROMWELL.* 2. A short Letter to the Committee of Carmarthen. The ancient Iron-furnaces' at Carmarthen, the 'Committee' sitting there, the 'Paper' or Proclamation from the Leaguer: these, and the other points of this Letter, will be intelligible to the reader. my For GENTLEMEN, noble Friends the Committee of Carmarthen: These. The Leaguer before Pembroke, 9th June 1648. I have sent this Bearer to you to desire we may have your furtherance and assistance in procuring some necessaries to be cast in the Iron-furnaces in your county of Carmarthen, which will the better enable us to reduce the Town and Castle of Pembroke. The principal things are: Shells for our Mortarpiece; the depth of them we desire may be of fourteen inches and three-quarters of an inch. That which I desire at your hands is, To cause the service to be performed, and that with all possible expedition; that so, if it be the will of God, the service being done, these poor wasted countries may be freed from the burden of the Army. In the next place, we desire some D cannon-shot, and some culverinshot, may with all possible speed be cast for us, and hasted to us also. We give you thanks for your care in helping us with bread and [word lost]. You do herein a very special service to the State; and I do most earnestly desire you to continue herein, according to our desire in the late Letters. I desire that copies of this Paper1 may be published throughout your county, and the effects thereof observed; for the ease of the county, and to avoid the wronging of the country men. *The Topographer, edited by Sir E. Brydges (London, March 1791), iv. 125-9. 1 Some Proclamation seemingly,-of the conceivable sort. Not doubting the continuance of your care to give assistance to the Public in the services we have in hand, I rest, Your affectionate servant, O. CROMWELL.* 3. In the Town Archives of Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, are the following three Papers; footmarks, still visible, of Oliver's transit through those parts. Twelfth July, date of the first Paper, is the morrow after Pembroke surrendered. (a.)" To the Mayor and Aldermen of Haverfordwest. "We being authorised by Parliament to view and consider what Garrisons and "Places of Strength are fit to be demolished; and we finding that the Castle of "Haverford is not tenable for the services of the State, and yet that it may be "possessed by ill-affected persons, to the prejudice of the peace of these parts: "These are to authorise you to summon-in the Hundred of Roose and the inha"bitants of the Town and County of Haverfordwest; and that they forthwith de"molish the several walls and towers of the said Castle; so as that the said Castle may not be possessed by the Enemy, to the endangering of the peace of these "parts. "Given under our hands, this 12th of July 1648. "ROGER LORT. JOHN LORT. THOMAS BARLOWE. "We expect an account of your proceedings, with effect, in this business, by "Saturday being the 15th of July instant." To which Oliver appends: If a speedy course be not taken to fulfil the commands of this Warrant, I shall be necessitated to consider of settling a Garrison. OLIVER CROMWELL. (b.) "For the Honourable Lieutenant-General Cromwell at Pembroke. "HONOURED SIR,-We received an Order from your Honour and the Commit"tee, for the demolishing of the Castle of Haverfordwest. According to which we have this day set some workmen about it: but we find the work so difficult "to be brought about without powder to blow it by, that it will exhaust an 'huge' 66 sum of money, and will not in a long time be effected. "Wherefore we become suitors of your Honour that there may a competent quantity of Powder be spared out of the Ships, for the speedy effecting the work, " and the County paying for the same. And we likewise desire that your Honour "and the Committee be pleased that the whole County may join with us in the "work; and that an Order be considered for the levying of a competent sum of 'money on the several Hundreds of the County, for the paying for the Powder, and defraying the rest of the charge. Brayley's Graphic and Historical Illustrator (London, 1834), p. 355. Original in the hands of Richard Williams, Esq., Stapleton Hall, Hornsey.' |