CHAP. XI.
The names of the English that were slain in the Battel of Rottenton; and how
Captain Smith was taken Prisoner, and sold for a Slave.
In the valley of Veristhorne, betwixt the River of Altus, and the Mountain of Rottenton, was this bloody Encounter, where the most of the dearest Friends of the noble Prince Sigismundus perished. Meldritch having ordered his Eleven thousand in the best manner he could, at the Foot of the Mountain upon his Flanks, and before his front, he had pitched sharp Stakes, their Heads hardned in the fire, and bent against the Enemy, as three Battalion of Pikes, amongst the which also, there was digged many small holes. {MN-1} Amongst those Stakes was ranged his foot-men, that upon the charge was to retire, as there was occasion. The Tartar having ordered his 40000 for his best advantage, appointed Mustapha Bashaw to begin the Battel, with a general Shout, all their Ensigns displaying, Drums beating, Trumpets and Haut-boys sounding. Nederspolt and Mavazo with their Regiments of Horse most valiantly encountred, and forced them to retire; the Tartar Begoli with his Squadrons, darkning the Skies with their flights of numberless Arrows, who was as bravely encountred by Veltus and Oberwin, which bloody slaughter continued more than an hour, till the matchless multitude of the Tartars so increased, that they retired within their Squadrons of Stakes, as was directed. The bloody Tartar, as scorning he should stay so long for the Victory, with his massie Troops prosecuted the Charge: But it was a wonder to see how Horse and Man came to the Ground among the Stakes, whose disordered Troops were there so mangled, that the Christians with a loud Shout cried Victoria; and with five or six field Pieces, planted upon the rising of the Mountain, did much hurt to the Enemy that still continued the Battel with that fury, that Meldritch seeing there was no possibility long to prevail, joyned his small Troops in one body, resolved directly to make his passage, or die in the conclusion; and thus in gross gave a general charge, and for more than half an hour, made his way plain before him, till the main Battle of the Crim-Tartar, with two Regiments of Turks and Jaizaries so overmatched them, that they were overthrown. The night approaching, the Earl with some thirteen or fourteen hundred Horse, swam the River, some were drowned, all the rest slain or taken Prisoners: And thus in this bloody Field, near 30000 lay, some Headless, Armless and Legless, all cut and mangled; where breathing their last, they gave this knowledge to the World, that for the lives of so few, the Crim-Tartar never paid dearer. {MN-2} But now the Countries of Transilvania and Wallachia (subjected to the Emperor) and Sigismundus, that brave Prince, his Subject and Pensioner, the most of his Nobility, brave Captains and Soldiers, became a prey to the cruel devouring Turk: where, had the Emperour been as ready to have assisted him, and those three Armies led by three such worthy Captains, as Michael, Busca, and Himself, and had those three Armies joyned together against the Turk, let all Men judge, how happy it might have been for all Christendom: and have either regained Bulgaria, or at least have beat him out of Hungaria, where he hath taken much more from the Emperour, than hath the Emperour from Transilvania.
{MN-1} the Battle of Rottenton.
{MN-2} Extracted out of a book, instituted, the Wars of Hungaria, Wallachia, and Moldavia, written by Francisco Ferneza, a learned Italian, the Princes Secretary, and translated by Mr. Purchas.
In this dismal Battel, where Nederspolt, Veltus, Zarvana, Mavazo, Bavel, and many other Earls, Barons, Colonels, Captains, brave Gentlemen, and Soldiers were slain, give me leave to remember the names of our own Country-men, {MN} with him in those Exploits, that as resolutely as the best in the defence of Christ and his Gospel, ended their days, as Bakersfield, Hardwick, Thomas Milemer, Robert Mollineux, Thomas Bishop, Francis Compton, George Davison, Nicholas Williams and one John a Scot, did what Men could do, and when they could do no more, left there their Bodies in Testimony of their minds; only Ensign Charleton, and Sergeant Robinson escaped: But Smith, among the slaughtered dead Bodies, and many a gasping Soul, with toil and Wounds lay groaning among the rest, till being found by the Pillagers, he was able to live, and perceiving by his Armour and Habit, his ransom might be better to them than his Death, they led him Prisoner with many others; well they used him till his Wounds were cured, and at Axopolis they were all sold for Slaves, like Beasts in a Market-place, where every Merchant, viewing their Limbs and Wounds, caused other Slaves to struggle with them, to try their strength, he fell to the share of Bashaw Bogal, who sent him forthwith to Adrianopolis, so for Constantinople to his fair Mistriss for a Slave. By twenty and twenty chained by the Necks, they marched in file to this great City, where they were delivered to their several Masters, and he to the young Charaza Tragabigzanda.
{MN} The English Men in this Battel.