The House of Commons passed also an Order for Captain Carters Troop to bee
disbanded.
The House of Commons passed some instructions for the setling and securing of
the Northern parts of England.
SIR,
A Letter from Pomfret.
OUr Treaty with this desperate enemy is now ended, and the Castle delivered up to us, I
shall give you a brief relation of the whole proceed thereupon, On Munday morning last
their Commissioners came out of the Castle, our Commissioners shewed them the Articles that
we would grant them upon surrender thereof; which when they had read, one of them did swear
that they would hold it out to the last moment that their provisions lasted, and when those were
done, they would eat their Horses, and after them their prisoners, before they would be so perfideous
to deliver their Governour, or any other of the six demanded by them to justice; but
this they offered, that they would surrender the Castle on Wednesday next, and if the six persons
demanded could escape by force or otherwise, that it should be adjudged lawfull, and no breach
of the Articles, which at last was assented unto; the Articles were then that night wholly concluded
on by the Commissioners on both sides; the substance thus; That all Officers and
Souldiers (except the six persons before excepted) should have passes to goe to
their severall homes, there to live quietly without molestation, and protections
for so doing, they submitting to all Orders, Ordinances, and Acts of Parliament,
and so many of them as have estates to compound for, to have the Major Gen.
Letter of recommendation to the Parliament, or Committee of Goldsmiths hall,
for their moderate and easie compositions, They ingaging by particular subscriptions
before their departure, never to act, councell or abet any thing prejudiciall
the Parliament, or State of England.
The Articles signed and sealed, and hostages given, the end[unr]vour of our souldiery was, to
look, narrowly to the escape of the Governour and the five other excepted persons. On Thursday,
about the dusk of the evening, these six desperate, yet gallant Enemies, make a salley, three
on the one side of the Castle, and three on the other, the Governour and the two other with him
(being gallantly mounted) leap our works, charge our Guards, and enter them in defiance of all
opposition, and force through, with many wounds given to them, and especially their horses, having
no sooner past through this extream hot service, they were forced to engage with a strong
party of our forces, that were comming to relieve the Guards, and though themselves and horses
were so exceedingly wounded before, they armed themselves with their first resolution, and with
a most desperate charge forced through, though much wounded again by this party. No sooner
had they cleared them of this second engagement, but a party of our horse pursue them, and having
no way to avoyd these foot (who took our horse to be another part of the enemies, fired
upon them, and before they could make themselves known to be friends, the Governour, and the
other two were quite escaped,) but pursuing them about a mile, they found two of their horses
mortally wounded, and the riders for taken them, and escaped with the Governor, none of them
being since heard of. The three that sallyed out on the other side were resulst, and that night
bid themselves in a private vault in the Castle, hoping to work themselves out before they bee
discovered. On Wednesday morning the Castle was surrendred, and the Articles exactly
performed, they found 40 barrels of powder, fish and flesh in abundance, with much corn, which
night have preserved these 300 Enemies, three months longer, if the private souldiers would
have stood it out.
Pomfret March 24. 1648.
The Councel of the Army chose a Committee for examining of, and drawing up,
the severall charges against the Prisoners brought thither to be tried by a Court