Yet, at the same time, the Parliament voted me to command in the South.
But my intention being only to keep in mind what I had been present in, during this Northern War; I shall put an end to this Discourse, where it pleased GOD to determine my service there.
Yet thus, with some smart from his rod, to let me see I was not mindful enough of returning my humble thanks and acknowledgments for the deliverances and mercies I received; and for which, alas, I am not yet capable enough to praise him as I ought. [I] that may say by experience, "Who is a GOD like unto our GOD?" [Ps. lxxi. 19.] Therefore, "Not unto us, O Lord; not unto us, but unto Thy Name; give we the praise!" [Ps. cxv.]
But as for myself, and what I have done, I may say with Solomon, "I looked on all the works that my hands have wrought; and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was Vanity and Vexation of Spirit. For there is no remembrance of the Wise more than of the Fool for ever; seeing that which now is, in the days to come shall be forgotten." Eccles. ii. 16.
FINIS.
Footnotes
[20] Sir Henry Slingsby gives the following Account of this Action:
My Lord of Cumberland sent out Sir Thomas Glenham once again to beat up Sir Thomas Fairfax's Quarters at Wetherby; commanding out a party both of Horse and Dragoons. He comes close up to the town, undiscovered, a little before sunrise; and Prideaux and some others enter the town through a back yard. This gave an alarm quite through the town.
Sir Thomas Fairfax was, at this juncture, drawing on his boots, to go to his father at Tadcaster. He gets on horseback, draws out some Pikes, and so meets our Gentlemen. Every one had a shot at him: he only making at them with his sword; and then retired again, under the guard of his Pikes.
At another part, Lieutenant Colonel Norton enters with his Dragoons. Captain Atkinson encounters him on horseback: the other being on foot. They meet. Atkinson missed with his pistol. Norton pulls him off horseback by the sword-belt. Being both on the ground; Atkinson's soldiers come in, fell Norton into the ditch with the butt ends of their muskets, to rescue their Captain. Norton's soldiers come in, and beat down Atkinson; and with repeated blows break his thigh; of which wound, he died. A sore scuffle between two that had been neighbours and intimate friends. After this they [Norton's Dragoons] retreated out of the town; with the loss of more than one Trooper killed, and one Major Carr, a Scotchman.
Memoirs, p. 40, Ed. 1806, 8vo.
[21] This is clearly wrong, and a slip of the memory. The Writer did not again go to Bradford until after the Victory of the Club Men there, on Sunday, 18th December 1642; which is thus described by Ferdinando, Lord Fairfax, in a letter from Selby on 29th December 1642.
I have formerly advertised that the Earl of Newcastle's Army have seized upon Leeds: where they plunder the well-affected party; and raise a very great sum of money out of those that they can draw to compound for their securities.
And from Leeds, they marched on Sunday, the 18th of this month, with 5 Troops of Horse, 6 Companies of Dragoons, 200 Foot, and two drakes [small cannon, or field pieces], of the Earl of Newcastle's Army; besides Sir William Savile and divers other Gentlemen of Yorkshire and their forces, that joined themselves with them: and came to Bradford, about ten a clock in the morning; intending to surprise the town, in [the] time of Prayer.
But the town, having scouts abroad, had notice of their coming; and gave the alarm to the country [district]: who came in to their succour from the parts adjoining.
Yet they had not in all above 80 muskets: the rest being armed with clubs and such rustic weapons; with which small force, they put the cause to trial with [against] the great strength of the Enemy. Who planted their drakes, and discharged each of them seventeen times upon the town; until a townsman, with a fowling piece, killed one of the Cannoniers. And then they all, with great courage, issued from the town upon the enemies; and killed many of them, and took about 30 prisoners: and forced the rest to retreat, leaving 40 of their muskets and [a] barrel of powder, with much other provision, behind them. And this, with [the] loss of 3 Bradford men.
The report of the country is that [of] the enemies, amongst those that were killed were Colonel Evers, and Captain Binns, and another Commander; and that Colonel Goring, General of the Horse with the Earl of Newcastle, was wounded; and Serjeant Major Carr, taken prisoner. And it is generally spoken, That 150 more are run away, upon the retreat; and are not since returned to Leeds.
In which victory the hand and power of GOD was most evident, the town being open on all sides and not defensible; assaulted on every side by a malicious and bloody Enemy; and defended by a few half-naked [half-armed] men: there being in the town not above 80 muskets before they got 40 more by the spoils of their enemies; so that [the] slaughter was, for the most part, with clubs and scythes mounted on poles, and came to hand blows.
With this defeat, the enemies are so enraged as they threaten revenge to Bradford.
Whereupon the Bradford men sent to me for succour of men and arms. And I have sent my son [Sir Thomas Fairfax] and Sir Henry Foulis to them, with 3 Troops of Horse and 120 Dragooners; who are safely arrived there: and [have been] received with great joy and acclamation of the country [district]; who flock to him and offer themselves most willingly to serve against their Popish enemies, if arms could be furnished to them.
He hath already surprised some victuals [convoys of provisions] sent in, upon warrants [requisitions], to the Enemy at Leeds, by the over-awed country [district]. And he hath sent Captain Mildmay, with his Troop of Horse, into Craven [i.e. the upper Wharfe-dale] to stop the raising of forces and money in that country: which is attempted by the Earl of Cumberland; who is lately retired from York to Skipton. And I hope he may leave nothing unattempted that may conduce to the safety of the country, so far as can be expected from the few forces he hath with him.
A Second Letter from the Lord Fairfax. Printed 5th Jan. 1642[-3]. British Museum Press Mark, E. 84. (15).
Another Account of the Bradford Victory, dated 21st December 1642, states:
They appeared in Barker End, about 9 a clock, when we had not in [the] town above 40 Musketeers; planted their ordnance in William Cooke's Barn; marched down the Causey [Causeway] with their Foot, whilst their Horse coasted about the town to hinder aid from coming in; possessed themselves of those houses under the Church; and from thence played hotly upon our Musketeers in the Church till 11 a clock: about which time [the] Halifax men, and other neighbours, came in to our help.
The fight, before hot, was then hotter. Our men, impatient to be cooped up in the Church, rushed out [and] forced a passage into the foresaid houses; and there our Club Men did good execution upon them. Thereabouts the fight continued till it was dark. Many of theirs were slain....
Their cannon, one of which shoots a 9 lb. ball [if so, it was a Demi-Culverin: see Vol. IV., p. 251] played all that time upon the town: but hurt no man, praised be GOD! who hath delivered those that were ordained to death, &c.
Brave News of the taking of Chichester, &c. &c. Printed 30th Dec. 1642. British Museum Press Mark, E. 83. (36).
[22] Sir Henry Slingsby says of this Fight:
Two days after, His Excellency [the Earl of Newcastle] came to York [5th December 1642]; he undertook to attempt to beat Lord Fairfax out of Tadcaster: in this he succeeded pretty well [on 7th December 1642]; and marched to Pomfret [Pontefract], which he made his Head Quarters. His Horse [was] at Sherburn, and towns next adjacent.
Here we were a little too secure. Sir Thomas Fairfax (with a party of 300 Horse; and, it seems, hearing the Officers in Sherburn were to have a feast) comes at noon-day, beats up our Quarters; [and] takes Commissary Windham, Sir William Riddall, and many others, prisoners.
Memoirs, p. 42, Ed. 1806, 8vo.
The date of this Fight is fixed by the following passage:
On Tuesday last [13th December 1642], about four of the clock in the morning, Sir Thomas Fairfax marched from Selby; fetching a compass, as if he declined Sherburn: yet, at last, [he] wheeled about, and assaulted that town about one of the clock, the next day [14th December 1642] &c. &c. A True Relation of the Fight at Sherburn, &c. Written on [Friday] 16th December 1642. British Museum Press Mark, E. 83. (15).
[23] Saturday night, the 20th of May [1643]. The Lord General [i.e. Ferdinando, Lord Fairfax] gave Order for a party of 1,000 Foot, 3 Companies of Dragooners, and 8 Troops of Horse, to march from the garrisons of Leeds, Bradford, Halifax, and Howley. Sir Thomas Fairfax commanded in chief. The Foot were commanded by Serjeant Major General Gifford and Sir William Fairfax. The Horse were divided into two bodies: 4 Troops commanded by Sir Thomas Fairfax, and the other 4 Troops by Sir Henry Foulis.
Howley was the rendezvous, where they all met on Saturday [20th May] last, about twelve a clock at night.
About two, next morning, they marched away: and coming to Stanley, where 2 of the Enemy's Troops lay, with some Dragooners; that Quarter was beaten up, and about one and twenty prisoners taken.
About four a clock in the morning [of 21st May 1643], we came before Wakefield. Where, after some of their Horse were beaten into the town, the Foot, with unspeakable courage, beat the enemies from the hedges, which they had lined with Muskeeters, into the town; and assaulted it in two places, Wrengate and Norgate: and, after an hour and a half's fight, we recovered [captured] one of their Pieces [of Ordnance] and turned it upon them; and entered the town, at both places, at one and the same time.
When the Barricadoes were opened, Sir Thomas Fairfax, with the Horse, fell into the town; and cleared the street: where Colonel Goring was taken by Lieutenant Alured, brother to Captain Alured, a Member of the House [of Commons].
Yet in the Market Place, there stood 3 Troops of Horse; and Colonel Lampton's Regiment: to whom Major General Gifford sent a Trumpet[er], with offer of Quarter, if they would lay down their arms.
They answered, They scorned the motion.
Then he fired a Piece of their own Ordnance upon them: and the Horse fell in upon them, [and] beat them out of [the] town. We took 39 Officers, 27 Colours of Foot, 3 Coronets of Horse, and about 1,500 common soldiers.
The Enemy had in the town 3,000 Foot and 7 Troops of Horse: besides Colonel Lampton's Regiment; which came into the town, after we had entered the town.
The Enemy left behind them 4 Pieces of Ordnance, with Amunition; which we brought away.
Thomas Fairfax. John Gifford. John Holman. Titus Leighton. Henry Foulis. William Fairfax. Robert Foulis. Francis Talbot.
A Miraculous Victory...at Wakefield. Printed 27th May 1643. British Museum Press Mark, E. 104. (13).
[24] A modest Refutation of an Error published in print by Master [Thomas] Fuller, in his book of Worthies [of England]. Title, [Yorkshire] Battles, pagina 225 [, Ed. 1662], in these words, viz.
Goring, [at the fight of Marston Moor,] so valiantly charged the Right Wing of the Enemy, that they fairly forsook the Field.
On this, Lord Fairfax made the following marginal Note in his copy:
I envy none the honour they deservedly got in this battle; nor am I ambitiously desirous of a branch of their laurel. But I see no reason to be excluded [from] the Lists: in which I underwent equal hazards with any others that day.
But [it] being my lot to be cast upon many disadvantages, having command of the Right Wing, with much difficulty I could get but 5 Troops in order: with which I charged the Enemy's Left Wing; when the business was hotly disputed a long time, at [the] sword's point. We broke through; and had the chase of many of them.
But, indeed, the rest of the Horse, [that] I could not draw up to charge with me, were soon routed with that part of the Enemy we left behind.
But to shew that some did their parts: having routed some of the Enemy, and taken Goring's Major General prisoner; few of us came off without dangerous wounds; and many [of them] were mortal.
Which shews that the Right Wing did not wholly leave the Field; as the Author of that book relates.
F. Grose, Antiquarian Repertory, 2nd Ed., III., p. 31, 1808, 4.
On Tuesday last [13th December 1642], about four of the clock in the morning, Sir Thomas Fairfax marched from Selby; fetching a compass, as if he declined Sherburn: yet, at last, [he] wheeled about, and assaulted that town about one of the clock, the next day [14th December 1642] &c. &c. A True Relation of the Fight at Sherburn, &c. Written on [Friday] 16th December 1642. British Museum Press Mark, E. 83. (15).
Goring, [at the fight of Marston Moor,] so valiantly charged the Right Wing of the Enemy, that they fairly forsook the Field.