cannon, and battered it almost down, and then the soldiers set it
on fire.
This day upon the townsmen’s treaty for the freedom of the bay
trade, the Lord Fairfax sent a second offer of conditions to the
besieged, being the same as before, only excepting Lord Goring,
Lord Capel, Sir George Lisle, and Sir Charles Lucas.
This day we had news in the town that the Suffolk forces were
advanced to assist the besiegers, and that they began a fort called
Fort Suffolk, on the north side of the town, to shut up the Suffolk
road towards Stratford. This day the besieged sallied out at north
bridge, attacked the out-guards of the Suffolk men on Mile End
Heath, and drove them into their fort in the woods.
This day the Lord Fairfax sent a trumpet, complaining of chewed and
poisoned bullets being shot from the town, and threatening to give
no quarter if that practice was allowed; but Lord Goring returned
answer, with a protestation, that no such thing was done by his
order or consent.
24th. They fired hard from their cannon against St. Mary’s
steeple, on which was planted a large culverin, which annoyed them
even in the general’s headquarters at Lexden. One of the best
gunners the garrison had was killed with a cannon bullet. This
night the besieged sallied towards Audly, on the Suffolk road, and
brought in some cattle.
25th. Lord Capel sent a trumpet to the Parliament-General, but the
rogue ran away, and came not back, nor sent any answer; whether
they received his message or not, was not known.
26th. This day having finished their new bridge, a party of their
troops passed that bridge, and took post on the hill over against
Mile End Church, where they built a fort, called Fothergall’s Fort,
and another on the east side of the road, called Rainsbro’s Fort,
so that the town was entirely shut in, on that side, and the
Royalists had no place free but over east bridge, which was
afterwards cut off by the enemy’s bringing their line from the
Hythe within the river to the stone causeway leading to the east
bridge.
July 1st. From the 26th to the 1st, the besiegers continued
finishing their works, and by the 2nd the whole town was shut in;
at which the besiegers gave a general salvo from their cannon at
all their forts; but the besieged gave them a return, for they
sallied out in the night, attacked Barkstead’s fort, scarce
finished, with such fury, that they twice entered the work sword in
hand, killed most part of the defendants, and spoiled part of the
forts cast up; but fresh forces coming up, they retired with little
loss, bringing eight prisoners, and having slain, as they reported,
above 100.
On the second, Lord Fairfax offered exchange for Sir William Masham
in particular, and afterwards for other prisoners, but the Lord
Goring refused.
5th. The besieged sallied with two regiments, supported by some
horse, at midnight; they were commanded by Sir George Lisle. They
fell on with such fury, that the enemy were put into confusion,
their works at east bridge ruined, and two pieces of cannon taken,
Lieutenant Colonel Sambrook, and several other officers, were
killed, and our men retired into the town, bringing the captain,
two lieutenants, and about fifty men with them prisoners into the
town; but having no horse, we could not bring off the cannon, but
they spiked them, and made them unfit for service.
From this time to the 11th, the besieged sallied almost every
night, being encouraged by their successes, and they constantly cut
off some of the enemy, but not without loss also on their own side.
About this time we received by a spy the bad news of defeating the
king’s friends almost in all parts of England, and particularly
several parties which had good wishes to our gentlemen, and
intended to relieve them.
Our batteries from St. Mary’s Fort and steeple, and from the north
bridge, greatly annoyed them, and killed most of their gunners and
firemen. One of the messengers who brought news to Lord Fairfax of
the defeat of one of the parties, in Kent, and the taking of Weymer