196 men. Immediately the governor sent two men, excellently well mounted upon his owne horses, to carry the alarum to Sr. John Meldrum, who by two of the clock on Thursday morning deliver'd him their letters, and he presently prepar'd to fight with the prince, who about nine or ten of the clock came. Sr. John had drawne all his ordnance into the walls of a ruin'd house, call'd the spittle, and the horse were first to charge the enemie. Coli. 'I'hornhagh and Maior Rossiter gave them a very brave charge, routed those whom they first encounter'd, and tooke prisoners Maior-generall Gerrard and others, and, had they bene seconded by the rest of the horse, had utterly defeated the prince's army; but the Lincolneshire troopes fled away before they ever charged, and left Coli. Thornhagh engaged, with only his owne horse, in the prince's whole body, where, they say, he charged the prince himselfe, and made his way and pass'd very gallantly through the whole army, with a greate dcale of honor, and two desperate wounds, one in the arme, the other in the belly. After the Lincolneshire horse were run away, Sr. John Meldrum sent the Derby horse and the Nottingham foote, with two companies of Coli. King's, to keepe Muscam bridge, and Molanus, the Derbieshire maior, to be their commander. Coll. Thornhagh was sent home in a waggon to Nott ingham. Sr. John himselfe, with the few horse and dragoones that were left of Nottingham and Derby, being about five hundred, went into the spittle to his foote. The prince lost more then Sr. John in the skirmish, but assoone as ever Sr. John had betaken himselfe' to the spittle, the prince sent horse and foote betweene him and Muscam bridge.' The horse that were left there to guard the foote ran every man away, so that they had not a horse left to fetch them uny provision. The maior 'I Rapin gives a different account of this matter, but to those who know or observe tbe situation of the places, :Mrs. Hutchinson's will appear to be the true one. BesidesMuseum bridge there was a bridge of boats, which enabled the princes forces to surround the guax·d left at 1\'Iuscam bridge: this guard} instead of deserting, as Rap in '
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=