nalf of our men come up, desired a little patience; he gives out the word, "March!"'—not having any patience, he, at this moment! And so the Battle of Preston, the first day of it, is begun. Here is the General's own Report of the business at night. Poor Langdale did not know at first, and poor Hamilton did not know all day, that it was Cromwell who was now upon them.* Sir Marmaduke complains bitterly that he was not supported; that they did not even send him powder,-marched away the body of their force as if this matter had been nothing; 'merely some flying party, Ashton and the Lancashire Presbyterians.' Cromwell writes in haste, late at night.

LETTER XL.

For the Honorable Committee of Lancashire, sitting at Manchester. (I desire the Commander of the Forces there to open this Letter if it come not to their hands.)

It hath pleased God, this day, to show His great power by making the Army successful against the common Enemy.

We lay last night at Mr. Sherburn's of Stonyhurst, nine miles from Preston, which was within three miles of the Scots quarters. We advanced betimes next morning towards Preston, with a desire to engage the Enemy: and by that time our Forlorn had engaged the Enemy, we were about four miles from Preston, and thereupon we advanced with the whole Army: and the Enemy being drawn out on a Moor betwixt us and the Town, the Armies on both sides engaged; and after a very sharp dispute, continuing for three or four hours, it pleased God to enable us to give them a defeat; which I hope we shall improve, by God's assistance, to their utter ruin: and in this service your countrymen have not the least share.

We cannot be particular, having not time to take account of the elain and prisoners; but we can assure you we have many prisoners, and many of those of quality; and many slain; and the Army so dissipated 'as I say.' The principal part whereof, with Duke Hamilton

* Sir Marmaduke's Letter.

† Means the no: least.'

is on south side Ribble and Darwen Bridge, and we lying with the greatest part of the Army close to them; nothing hindering the ruin of that part of the Enemy's Army but the night. It shall be our care that they shall not pass over any ford beneath the Bridge,* to go Northward, or to come betwixt us and Whalley.

We understand Colonel-General Ashton's are at Whalley; we have seven troops of horse or dragoons that we believe lie at Clithroe. This night I have sent order to them expressly to march to Whalley, to join to those companies; that so we may endeavor the ruin of this Enemy. You perceive by this letter how things stand. By this means the Enemy is broken; and most of their Horse having gone Northwards, and we having sent a considerable party at the very heel of them; and the Enemy having lost almost all his ammunition, and near four thousand arms, so that the greatest part of the Foot are naked ;-therefore, in order to perfecting this work, we desire you to raise your County; and to improve your forces to the total ruin of that Enemy, which way soever they go; and if you shall accordingly do your part, doubt not of their total ruin.‡

We thought fit to speed this to you; to the end you may not be troubled if they shall march towards you, but improve your interest as aforesaid, that you may give glory to God for this unspeakable mercy This is all at present from

Your very humble servant,

OLIVER CROMWELL.§

Commons Journals, Monday, 21o Augusti, 1648: 'The Copy of a letter from Lieutenant-General Cromwell, from Preston of 17° Augusti, 1648, to the Committee of Lancashire sitting at Manchester, enclosed in a Letter from a Member of this House from Manchester, of 19o Augusti, 1648, were this day read. Ordered, that it is referred to the Committee at Derby House to send away a copy of Lieutenant-General Cromwell's Letter to the

There is such a ford, rideable if tide and rain permit.

that' in the Original.

The punctuation and grammar of these sentences might have been improved; but their breathless impetuosity, directness, sincere singleness of purpose, intent on the despatch of business only, would have been obscured in the process.

§ Lancashire during the Civil War (a Collection of Tracts republished by the Chetham Society, Manchester, 1844), p. 257. The Letter is in many old Pamphlets of the time. Langdale's Letter is also given in this Chetham Book, p. 267

General and the Lord Admiral.'-The enclosing 'Letter from the Member of this House at Manchester,' short and insignificant, about 'dispensations,' 'providences,' &c., is also given in the old Pamphlets, and in this Chetham Book now before us. He signs himself W. L.;' probably William Langton, the new Member for Preston.

LETTER XLI.

CROMWELL, on this Thursday Night, does not yet know all the havoc he has made. Listen to stout Sir James from the other side; and pity poor men embarked in a hollow Cause, with a Duke of Hamilton for General!

'Beside Preston in Lancashire,' says the stout Knight, 'Cromwell falls on Sir Marmaduke's flank. The English' of Sir Marmaduke ‘imagined it was one Colonel Ashton, a powerful Presbyterian, who had got .ogether 3,000 men to oppose us, because we came out of Scotland without the General Assembly's permission. Mark the quarrel. While Sir Marmaduke disputes the matter, Baillie, by the Duke's order, marches to Ribble Bridge, and passes it with all the foot except two brigades.' Never dreaming that Cromwell is upon us! 'This was two miles from Preston. By my Lord Duke's command, I had sent some am munition and commanded-men to Sir Marmaduke's assistance but to no purpose; for Cromwell prevailed; so that our English. first retired, and then fled. It must be remembered that, the night before this sad encounter, Earl Calendar and Middleton were gone to Wigan, eight miles from thence, with a consider. able part of the cavalry. Calendar was come back, and was with the Duke,' while the action took place; 'and so was I: but upon the rout of Sir Marmaduke's people, Calendar got away to Ribble, where he arrived safely by a miracle, as I think; for the Enemy was between the Bridge and us, and had killed or taken most part of our two brigades of foot,' which was all that Baillie had left there.

'The Duke with his guard of horse, Sir Marmaduke with

many officers, among others myself, got into Preston Town; with intention to pass a ford below it, though at that time not rideable. At the entry of the Town, the enemy pursued us hard. The Duke faced about, and put two troops of them to a retreat; but so soon as we turned from them, they again turned upon us. The Duke facing the second time, charged them, which succeeded well. Being pursued the third time, my Lord Duke cried To charge once more for King Charles! One trooper refusing, he beat him with his sword. At that charge we put the enemy so far behind us, that he could not so soon overtake us again. Then Sir Marmaduke and I entreated the Duke to hasten to his Army: -and truly here he showed as much personal valor as any man could be capable of. We swam the Ribble River: and so got to the place where Lieutenant-General Baillie had advantageously lodged the foot, on the top of a Hill, among very fencible enclosures.

' After Calendar came to the infantry, he had sent 600 musketeers to defend Ribble Bridge. Very unadvisedly; for the way Cromwell had to it was a descent from a hill that commanded all the champaign; which was about an English quarter of a mile in length between the Bridge and that Hill where our foot were lodged. So that our musketeers, having no shelter, were forced to receive all the musket-shot of Cromwell's infantry, which was secure within thick hedges; and after the loss of many men, were forced to run back to our foot. Here Claud Hamilton, the Duke's Lieutenant-Colonel, had his arm broke with a musket-bullet.

'The Bridge of Ribble being lost, the Duke called all the Colonels together on horseback to advise what was next to be done. We had no choice but one of two: Either stay, and maintain our ground till Middleton (who was sent for) came back with his cavalry; Or else march away that night, and find him out. Calendar would needs speak first; whereas by the custom of war he should have told his opinion last, and it was, To march away that night so soon as it was dark. This was seconded by all the rest, except by Lieutenant-General Baillie and my self. But all the arguments we used,—as the impossibility of a safe retreat, from an enemy so powerful of horse; in so verv

foul weather, and extremely deep ways; our soldiers exceedingly wet, weary, and hungry; the inevitable loss of all our ammunition, could not move my Lord Duke by his authority to contradict the shameful resolution taken by the major part of his officers.

'After that drumless march was resolved upon, and but few horse appointed to stay in rear of the foot, I inquired, What should become of our unfortunate Ammunition, since forward with us we could not get it? It was not thought fit to blow it up that night, lest thereby the enemy should know of our retreat, or rather flight. I was of that opinion too; but for another reason: for we could not have blown it up, then, without a visible mischief to ourselves, being so near it. It was ordered it should be done, three hours after our departure, by a train: but that being neglected, Cromwell got it all.

'Next morning we appeared at Wigan Moor; half our number less than we were ;-most of the faint and weary soldiers having lagged behind; whom we never saw again. Lieutenant-General Middleton had missed us,' such excellent order was in this Army; 'for he came by another way to Ribble Bridge. It was to be wished he had still stayed with us. He, not finding us there, followed our track: but was himself hotly pursued by Cromwell's horse; with whom he skirmished the whole way till he came within a mile of us. He lost some men, and several were hurt, among others Colonel Urrey* got a dangerous shot on the left side of his head; whereof, though he was afterwards taken prisoner, he recovered. In this retreat of Middleton's, which he managed well, Cromwell lost one of the gallantest officers he had, Major Thornhaugh; who was run into the breast with a lance, whereof he died.

'After Lieutenant-General Middleton's coming, we began to think of fighting in that Moor: but that was found impossible, -in regard it was nothing large, and was environed with enclosures which commanded it, and these we could not maintain long, for want of that ammunition we had left behind us. And therefore we marched forward with intention to gain Warrington

* Sir John Hurry, the famous Turncoat, of whom afterwards.