The taking of VVexford: a letter from an eminent officer in the Army, under the command of the Lord Leiutenant of Ireland relateing the number put to the sword, and the manner of the taking the said town, with 71 peices of ordnance, 40 ships, 1300 prisoners, with store of arms, ammunition, mony, plate and jewells, and the advance of the Lord Leiutenants army to Rosse. And the engagement between Colonell Monroe and Colonell Oconelly, who was slain in the service.

The Taking of VVexford, a Letter from an emminent Officer in the Army under the com∣mand of the Lord Leiutenant of IRELAND

SIR,

I Doubt not but you have long since heard of the goodnesse of God to our Army at Wexford, the second of October we sate downe with our Army before Wexford, and found from the Enemy a seeming Complement, Commissio∣ners being oppointed to treat for surrender, but so soone as they had got reliefe of men from Ormond, they rejected all tearms, all this while we continued without attempting any thing, untill on the 9th. instant, we removed to the South side of the towne, the 11th. we framed our Batteries against the Castle, which stands

close by the Works, & commands a great part of the Line; In this we made two good brea∣ches; after which the Governour of the Castle and three more were sent forth to treat; the Governour We dealt with a part, who was sufficiently affrighted, that we easily perswa∣ded him to march out with his men, and let ours enter, the Commissioners for the towne had in the interim delivered their Propositions to my Lord Leiutenant; who found them so unreasonable; that they were instantly by him rejected and only a briefe returne made, offe∣ring security from the violence of the soldier to the lives and goods of all, they ingageing not to take up armes against the Parliament, but see our just God who will not let the wicked go unpunished.

No sooner had our men, that possest the Castle advanced our Standard, but instantly the Rogues generally deserted the Line, and left our Souldiers at liberty to use their scaling lad∣ders without giuing the least opposition, nay, and before their Commissioners could returne into Towne to tell them of the offers of mercy the whole work was accomplished. In the

towne were 1700. men at the least, some say, three thousand, of whom we have a generall belief that there escaped not above foure hun∣dred at most: many were drowned endea∣vouring to get over the River, and two boates sunke in which is said the Governour to have bin, of ours not above 1 or two killed, in the town we found 51. peices of small ordnance, & 20 aboard the ships, good store of powder and ammunition, about forty good vessells in the Harbour, 3 or 4 whereof, will be fit for State-service, money, plate, and Jewells was much removed out of town, but other plunder there was good store: tallow, hydes, salt, and such grosse commodities are reserved for the state; but all other things at the souldiers devotion. Ormond is now joyned with Inchequin, both are about Rosse, their number we compute to be about 2000. horse and 3000 Foot, which is certainly the utmost they can make, their main expectation is upon a conjunction with Owen Roe; the Garrison of Youghall under the com∣mand of Sir Peircie Smith lately declared for the Parliament, but for want of seasonable reliefe it was againe reduced by Inchequin, We begin

our march to morrow to the Garrison of Rosse 12 miles hence, which we hope to obtein on composition; upon Ormonds advance towards Wexford, colonell Jones was sent with horse and dragoones to impede his march; Ormond hearing of it retreated, Jones pursued no farther then Enisorthy, from thence he inclined to Rosse, and early in the morning lodged himselfe un∣der the enemies works, sent out a party to enter the town under the notion of friendship, who past unsuspected, and had doubtlesse carried the businesse, but that one amongst them fell upon the sentinel, and so alarm'd the town.

We have lately had some losse in the North, Colonell Oconelly with a party of horse about 100 marching from Belfast to Antrim, was set upon by George Monroe with a bigger force, routed our men, Col. Oconelly and Capt. Rooper with about twenty others slaine, about the same number taken prisoners, the rest escaped; The report of the country people comming out of the Enemies quarters is, that they intend to give battle to our army within ten dayes, that all their Forces are drawing towards Rosse, or those parts joyned with Owen Roe Oneale for

that purpose, their forces besides his are reputed 6. or 7000. horse and foot, Shirlock the chiefe of the Tories with 80. horse is laid betwixt Cat∣terlaugh and the Liffe to stop the running away of their men, who comes daily away from them to us by 30. 40. and sometime more to∣gether, Inchequin dare not trust the Irish, and is diffident of the English, they declaring their dislike of his actions every day more and more. Youghal did declare for the Parliament & Army, and had a plot to have secured Inchequin, and have sent him into safe custody to the Ge∣nerall, but being discovered was prevented, stood upon their guard, three dayes against him and his forces, being not relieved was forced to submit upon promise of pardon.

we hope before this time my Lord is so neare them as to give them encouragement to try once more; since which Inchiquin hath dis∣mounted all his Munster horse, & hath moun∣ted Papists and Irish in their roome; it is repor∣ted Owen Roe is to have six moneths pay for his whole army, to be commander in chiefe of all the Irish Natives, to have liberty to burn & de∣stroy

all the english quarters and habitations, to have the custody of one or two of the strongest garrisons yet in Ormonds possession, which if granted as reported, Ormond and Inchiquin will signifie little more then reformadoes in their Army, and the warre in Jreland will end where it did begin betwixt the English Prote∣stant and the Jrish Papist.

October the 20. 1649

faithfully thine, R. L.

October. 6 1649