Tour through the Eastern Counties of England, 1722

great execution, which, they not being able to shun it, made them

quicken their pace, fall on, when our cannon were obliged to cease

firing, lest we should hurt our own troops as well as the enemy.

Soon after, their foot appeared, and our cannon saluted them in

like manner, and killed them a great many men.

Their first line of foot was led up by Colonel Barkstead, and

consisted of three regiments of foot, making about 1,700 men, and

these charged our regiment in the lane, commanded by Sir George

Lisle and Sir William Campion. They fell on with great fury, and

were received with as much gallantry, and three times repulsed; nor

could they break in here, though the Lord Fairfax sent fresh men to

support them, till the Royalists’ horse, oppressed with numbers on

the left, were obliged to retire, and at last to come full gallop

into the street, and so on into the town. Nay, still the foot

stood firm, and the volunteers, being all gentlemen, kept their

ground with the greatest resolution; but the left wing being

routed, as above, Sir William Campion was obliged to make a front

to the left, and lining the hedge with his musketeers, made a stand

with a body of pikes against the enemy’s horse, and prevented them

entering the lane. Here that gallant gentleman was killed with a

carabine shot; and after a very gallant resistance, the horse on

the right being also overpowered, the word was given to retreat,

which, however, was done in such good order, the regiments of

reserve standing drawn up at the end of the street, ready to

receive the enemy’s horse upon the points of their pikes, that the

royal troops came on in the openings between the regiments, and

entered the town with very little loss, and in very good order.

By this, however, those regiments of reserve were brought at last

to sustain the efforts of the enemy’s whole army, till being

overpowered by numbers they were put into disorder, and forced to

get into the town in the best manner they could; by which means

near two hundred men were killed or made prisoners.

Encouraged by this success the enemy pushed on, supposing they

should enter the town pell-mell with the rest; nor did the

Royalists hinder them, but let good part of Barkstead’s own

regiment enter the head-gate; but then sallying from St. Mary’s

with a choice body of foot on their left, and the horse rallying in

the High Street, and charging them again in the front, they were

driven back quite into the street of the suburb, and most of those

that had so rashly entered were cut in pieces.

Thus they were repulsed at the south entrance into the town; and

though they attempted to storm three times after that with great

resolution, yet they were as often beaten back, and that with great

havoc of their men; and the cannon from the fort all the while did

execution upon those who stood drawn up to support them; so that at

last, seeing no good to be done, they retreated, having small joy

of their pretended victory.

They lost in this action Colonel Needham, who commanded a regiment

called the Tower Guards, and who fought very desperately; Captain

Cox, an old experienced horse officer, and several other officers

of note, with a great many private men, though, as they had the

field, they concealed their number, giving out that they lost but a

hundred, when we were assured they lost near a thousand men besides

the wounded.

They took some of our men prisoners, occasioned by the regiment of

Colonel Farr, and two more sustaining the shock of their whole

army, to secure the retreat of the main body, as above.

The 14th, the Lord Fairfax finding he was not able to carry the

town by storm, without the formality of a siege, took his

headquarters at Lexden, and sent to London and to Suffolk for more

forces; also he ordered the trained bands to be raised and posted

on the roads to prevent succours. Notwithstanding which, divers

gentlemen, with some assistance of men and arms, found means to get

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