WE now lye close to the Enemy, who hath so intrenched himself, that it doth not appear to us yet how to attempt him. Wee have by the blessing of the Lord on Thursday last landed about 14 or 1500 men at th [...] North-Ferry in Fife and have drawn a line crosse the Isthmos of the land, to which a way is made in 24 houres, to transport our Army (if it be faire). Our men took about 7 ships laden with Salt and Coale upon the place, and neer 20 peece of Cannon, the Major General is gone thither with about 1600 Foot, and 1200 Horse, I have sent to him about 1000 Horse and Foot more, so that with what he hath there to defend the works, I hops besides hee will bee able to take the field with 5000 Horse and Foot. Maj. Gen. Harison came up very seasonably with Ingoldsbys Regiment, and three Companies more, and about 1200 Horse and Dragoons, which truly we judge to be a seasonable providence (considering we must now divide) he being very near Edenburgh, that day we tooke the said place. We shall consider which way to dispose of the rest of his Forces, and I thinke it will be fit, the Lord having led by his Providence to follow it close. We lost Newarke for want of ships in Dunbarton-Firth, they taking it by the help of a ship with her Canon, after we had held it three dayes, Gen, Dean [...] having Ordered two men of War to go from Leith about Scotland thither, our men had good Quarter, whiles they were doing this, we took Callender house in the view of their whole Army by storme, without the losse of above five men,
I Received yours of July 12. and communicated to my Lord what was not in yours to him; Being returned to our old Quarters neare Falkirke, on the fourteenth day of July we battered, and then stormed Calander House, within two miles of the Enemies whole Camp, which was at Torwood five miles from Sterling, we twice offered them that kept it, mercy to surrender it, but they refused; they killed us a Captaine who was only a looker on, and likewise our Master Gunner; we tooke it the same day we began to batter it by storme, and our Men put [Page 2]sixty in the House to the Sword, some others dyed of Wounds, and about sixteen being wounded had their lives; the House is very strong, with a Moate about it, and a great Wood by it.
It hath devoured many of our men, and God hath now requited them, their great Army never offered to send man to their releife; such stout men are the Scotch Boasters.
The same day at night we sent a Party in Boates and Ships over the Fryth, from Blacknesse to surprize North-ferry on Fife side; at the first we sent one thousand four hundred Foot, and two hundred Horse, and one Troop of Dragoons, it pleased the Lord to goe along with them so as within two houres after their landing they tooke the place called, North-ferry, which is a Peninsula, in which was a Fort with five great Guns, and in a Bay neare it four ships laden with Coales, and Salt; in some other Forts neare it we tooke as many Ordnance as made up those five to be seventeen, which were planted by the Fyrth side to gall our ships, this North-ferry is even against the strong Island of Enisgarvy, we have sent over the sixteen, and seventeen dayes of July, five hundred Foot more, and five Troops of Dragoons, if by the Lords mercy we can make this place good, Enisgarvy must yeeld for want of fresh water, and then we have a brave way to possesse our whole Army into Fife if we see occasion. I hope the Lord hath now begun to worke for us to purpose, the Lord give us humble and beleeving hearts, and I feare not but the Lord will soone bring downe the hearts of our proud and cruell Enemies, and make a gracious returne to the earnest prayers of his people.
At Glascoe we found some good people fully owning us, and disowning their Lords, and Ministers. The Ministers that are good, are as yet upon a Reserve, to see what Game they can play with us after the Malignants be downe; thus farre some owned us, as they were content to dispute no more about this invasion; only they desire a little better to know us, as to our Religion. I suppose if the Lord please to give our Enemies into our hands, we shall have the best Party here not only to joyne with us, but to rejoyce with us, who finde they have already had too much King. The North-ferry is ours, against Queenes-ferry, neare Blacknesse, and Enisgarvy is betwixt them. The Lords dispensation against this people is exceeding severe, where our Army goeth, though, we doe what we can to restraine straglers, yet very little is lost either within doores, or without, that were not the people exceeding cruell to us, our compassions of their miseries would not suffer our hearts to be [Page 3]any day without pangs of sadnesse, who can see nothing but a present and perfect Famine to follow us; in two or three dayes we make large Corn fields to become a Heath, and the Enemy eats almost as fast as we.
O that our malignant Capon-eaters were but here, to see the price of the Scotch lust after a King, and what desolations are like to be the fruit of his entertainment. We hope the Lord in mercy will shorten these Wars to preserve food for a Remnant; we are now in daily expectation of Gods gracious appearance with us, to drive them out of their Holes, and to make them fight, or fly; help us with prayers:
We lye within a mile and a halfe of the Enemy, and view one another every day, but can neither come at them, nor come betwixt Sterling, and them, but I hope now we have got a back doore in Fife.
YOu must not expect from me an account of passages in the Army, having been wholy with that party that entered Fife, neither was I able by the last, having scarse been master of a moments time to eat or sleepe: Truly the Lord is now breaking out of the Clouds in his brightnesse, and experimenting us, as of his love and continued presence with us; so that his time and way of the Discoverie thereof is the best; how were we tugging these ten Moneths, and still reaped nothing but disappointments? There are these three things very observable; first, that the Lord should direct his poore servants to pitch upon a place of such fitnesse for its end in every kind. Secondly, that Major Gen: Harison with his forces should come up and that by the way of Edenburgh, whereas indeed we expected that what forces had come from him should have come by the way of Carlisle, & Hambleton, which had been nothing so well. Thirdly, that the Lord should favour us with such a season of wind and weather for foure dayes together the wind serving a like to passe and repasse; our men had notice [Page 4]upon Saturday, of Sir Iohn Brownes being at Dumfermlin within three miles of them that night with a considerable party of Horse and Foot, whereupon hee was resolved in case the forces of ours that were expected should come over in any time, to march out to meet them, which accordingly by the Providence of God fell out, for Col. Okeys Regiment of Horse, and part of Col. Ingoldsbies of Foot were over early yesterday morning, and others following as fast as Boates could carry them; Whereupon the Major Gen: with about six Regiments in all; of Horse, Foot, and Dragoones marched out, and placed his Foot obscure on the side of a hill, and advanced further towards the enemy with his horse, who also were on their march towards him, with full resolution to engage; there was some small charges with parties, but the Major Gen: retreated to his foot, using that onely as a meanes to draw them forward; and being come to his foot, each in Battalia charged other, the hottest service was between the left wing of ours, and the right wing of theirs, where Col. Okey commanded the Major Generalls Regiment of horse, and part of his owne, where the service was very hot at the swords point, and specially with Col: Okeyes men, who had the left to the left, and were very hardly put to it, both in front and flanck, but were seasonably relieved by Captain Bramstons Dragoones, who gave very good fire on the enemy, and to good purpose, the businesse began about three in the afternoone, and continued in its heat a quarter of an hour.
Our Word was Providence, theirs Scotland, it seemes they were sensible that Scotland lay at this bout much at the stake; Their Army is retreated over Sterling, & ours on the advance, the Lord make you and us humble and thankfull
The horse being beaten, their foot presently threw away their arms; I cannot give you the particulars of the businesse as yet, being the last night commanded away by the Major Gen: to my Lord, our men had the pursuit of them for six miles, their number was about 5000 like to ours; they were their picked men both horse and foot, there were about 2000 of them slaine, and seven or eight hundred taken,
Col: Scot, or Petty-Scot is slaine, and Col: Buchanan (a man of great eminencie and estate amongst them) is taken prisoner, as also is Sir John Brown their Commander in chiefe: Of their foot not 200. escaped, and those that are prisoners the most of them are so desperatly wounded they will hardly live; all their foot Colours are taken, [Page 5]and many of their horse, the most of their foot are High-landers, the rest of their Army are in a mighty confusion, and retreated over Sterling; we lost onely one Cornet, and I thinke not more, my paper will hold no more, the Lord be praised for this:
AFter our waiting upon the Lord, and not knowing what course to take (for indeed we know nothing but what God pleaseth to teach us) of his great mercy, we were directed to send a party to get us a landing by our boats whilst we marched towards Glascow. On Tuesday morning last Col. Overton with about 1400 Foot, and some Horse and Dragoones landed at the North-Ferry in Fife: We with the Army lying near to the enemy (a small River parted us and them) and we having consultations to attempt the Enemy within his Fortifications, but the Lord was not pleased to give way to that Councell, purposing a better way for us. The Major Generall marched on Thursday night with 2 Regiments of Horse, and 2 Regiments of Foot, for better securing the place, and to attempt upon the enemy as opportunity should serve: He getting over, and finding a considerable body of the Enemy there, (who would probably have beaten our men from the place, if he had not come) drew out and fought them) he being 2 Regiments of Horse, and about 400 of Horse and Dragoons more, and 3 Regiments of Foot, and about 4 or 5 Regiments of Horse: They came to a close charge, and in the end totally routed the enemy, have taken about 40 or 50 Coullers, killed near 2000. some say more, have taken Sir John Brown (their Maj. Gen. who cammanded in cheefe) and other Colonels and considerable Officers, killed and taken, and about 5 or 600 prisoners. The Enemy removed from their ground with their whole Army, but whither we certainly know not. This is an unspeakable mercy, I trust the Lord will follow it, untill he hath perfected peace and truth: We can truly say, we were gone as far as we could in our Councells and Actions; and we did say one to another, we know not what to do. Wherefore it is sealed upon our hearts, that this, as all the rest is from the [Page 6]Lords goodnesse and not from man. I hope it becommeth me to pray that we may walke humbly and selfe-denyingly before the Lord, and beleevingly also. That you whom we serve, as the Authority over us, may do the worke committed to you with uprightnesse and faithfulnesse, and throughly as the Lords: That you may not suffer any thing to remaine that offends the eyes of his jealousie that Commonwealths may more and more be sought and justice done impartially. For the eys of the Lord run to and fro, and as he finds out his Enemies here to be avenged on them, so will be not spare them for whom he doth good, if by his loving kindnesse they become not good. I shall humbly take the boldnes to represent this Engagement of Davids in the 119 Psal. the 134v. Deliver me from the oppression of man, so will I keep thy precepts. I take leave and rest,
The carriage of the Maj. Gen. as in all other things, so in this is worthy of your taking notice of. as also Col. Okey, Col. Overton, Col. Daniel, Col. West, Col. Lidcot, Col. Syler; and the rest of the Officers.