highneffes late declaration of the date of of the grounds of the war with Spain, and can read of the maffacres of the English, and yet prefer thofe men before the English army, who were proteftants, though very loofe and debauched, yet by difcipline reftrained from thofe outrages; but he hath no mind to fpeak one word in the army's defence, which thews him to be of Cain's lineage, defirous to trumpet to the utmost of his malice his countrymen's infirmities. But though I do not excufe the common foldiers of the army from prophanenefs, which indeed had too many debauched perfons in it, as confifting of the worft men either of England or the plantations, yet, as I faid, outrages were not acted by them; and for the officers there were fome godly perfons, eminent for their picty, valour, and fervices, in their country, as major-general Haynes, who is the only one he commends, and colonel Fortefcue, afterwards major-general, much efteemed by godly men, minifters, and others, for his picty, conduct, and valour, declared in feveral fervices in England; with captain Howe and feveral of my own regiment; yet he takes no notice of them at all, not confidering the denomination is given from the better and ruling part in fcripture, where a godly reforming king brings his people to be reckoned as religious, he caufing them to ferve the Lord; and indeed the major part of the officers were civil, though not able and fit for employment, which could not be known to me, who was a ftranger to them, until trial was made, though they had good men to recommend them, as it is faid, and had served the state. But he mentions not adjutant-general Jackson, a prophane drunkard and whoremaster, a man that stood charged (and the charge proved) of perjury and forgery; concerning whom, as being known to me, I had with major-general Worfley moved his highnefs, but he was notwithstanding forced upon us; nor colonel Buller, who never yet cleared himself about the lofs of Sicily; but for the generality of the foldiers take the opinion of major-general Daniel (which was the opinion of others) in a letter to me whilst in prifon. That part of the letter followeth : "I wonder not that you fell under the extremity of difficulties, confidering (except fome few trufty officers) that you carried with you the very fweepings of fome part of England; and though I know God is not li mited to inftruments, yet his name is moft principally engaged with his people." His fecond query he paffeth over, referring us to what hath been faid and what what followeth, and fo fhall I refer the reader alfo as he doth to my anfwers before, and which follow. His third tells us of the great preparations and ftrength of the army, and God oppofite to them. As to the fuccefs, I anfwer that we effected what we were fent about, the fixing of a colony, though we failed in the first place which we attempted; not through the value of the oppofers, but forced away through want of water, and carriages to take along with us all conveniencies; and, though we were well provided for, yet these provifions ftaying behind (not by our fault who would have stayed for them but were not permitted) we were conftrained to leave Barbadoes, having almoft eaten them and our fmall ftores which came up with us, and fo could not ftay longer for them, left we had perished ourfelves and deftroyed the plantations; and our neceffity enforcing us to go with what we had, we were as perfons without accommodations of arms, ammunition, or provifions. And that it thould be, as he faith, marvellous to fee perfons perifh of thirst in those torrid regions, I fee not. It may be he will fay, that we might have landed nearer to the city. I have anfwered that already, and refer the reader to judge whofe fault it was, the feamen's or our's, who were carried for far off against our wills, and thereby ruined, being expofed to hunger, thirst, and all inconveniencies which that climate could inflict upon our men; whereby we were weakened, as alfo with bad and fcant diet, as is before related, and the enemy had time thereby given him to call in all the ftrength he could make. Next he gives the journey itself, and begineth with the armies, relating of what manner of men they were formed. I thall not fay any thing now, having spoken my thoughts before, and confefs he fpeaks too much truth; and thall mention nothing till we come to Hifpaniola, where he gives us that number of the army, in whofe number he is mistaken fome hundreds; for the mufter rolls make them fix thousand five hundred and fiftyone, and he seven thoufand, and faith they had three day's provifions at their landing; but it being delivered out two days before they landed, the feamen caufed the reft of them (which I knew not till we were on fhore) to feed on that allowance before landing, fo that the most of them had but one day's provifions to live upon when they landed: too small a proportion for them, if we had landed at Hine River, much more difproportionable to fo long and tedious a march. Next Next he mentions the proclamation against plunder, the reafon of which and my opinion with my actings I have given before, and refer the reader to the fanie, it bel. g the commiffioners act, not mine; though they faw the difcontent it raifed in the army, yet perfifted in it. As to the avarice of perfons, let them bear the blame that deferve it; yet to fpeak conjecturally (1 fappore) thofe that were more pertinacious to have it, or refufed the army pillage, and yet gave them no pay, (andhow can men fubfift without jay or pillage), and refufed the army liberty to have any inspection into the management of it, or a fubfiftence out of it, are most likely to feek their own advantage by it; and of any of thefe no man can charge me, or, if they do, my own tranfactions will plead my excufe and vindicate my innocency. Next he tells the army had no oppofition in landing, except the exceffive heat of the fun, and intolerable drought, which was fo great that fome drank their own urine, others died. I would here query of him what oppofition would be worfe for us than our want of provifions (as before related) to have heat and thirit in the extremity. What greater difficulties than hunger, heat, and thirit, (miferies not to be overcome) could an enemy cat in our ways or with to befall us? Yet thefe he palleth over with a flight expreffion, of nothing but heat and thirst in the extremes. Next he brings us to the River line, and tells us of our short stay and refreshment, which was fhort indeed; for no other refreshment had we after two day's fafting fave a little water, and half an hour's fitting upon the ground, though our purpose was to have got more. We were told a ford a little higher would give us a pallage over to come to our fhips, tot receive our neceffaries; but it proved fo far off that we were that night without meat and drink, and caufed us to faft near forty hours longer. Then he relates a fmall fkirmith, which was occafioned as is before related. We met with colonel Buller and Cox our guide, who promifed to bring us to water, which was joyful news to our fainting men; and lying near to the Fort, I fent fome officers to view it. Some reported it low, weak, and unflanked. Finding them differ in opinion, I fent the engineer, who then came to us, and afured me it was a regular well fortified (but fmall) piece. Having got a little strength by refting me, and exceedingly troubled with a violent flux, I went myfelf; and if my eyes were able to fee, it was a fort about twenty-five yards fquare, and devel feven or eight yards high at least. I fent fome into the woods to fearch for ambushes, and, the officers being generally very weary, I went myfelf with the guide to fee that done, which I could not procure others to do, and fo fell upon the ambush, but not into it; for we discovered them before they moved towards us, and the forlorn fired, but spent their fire over nimbly, which gave the enemy advantage to fall in with their lances before they could charge again, and fo routed them, whereby I was endangered; which moved the officers to prefs me not to march (as. I ever used) in the van, if not with the forlorn; and this I fpeak to vindicate myself from the imputation of rafhness, which fome charged me with, though I did nothing but upon neceffity, and what I could not procure to be done by others; and alfo to fhew the reafon why I was not in the van the fecond time, it being the very earnest preffing defire of all the colonels. But whereas this ocular witnefs faith, they routed the first regiment, I reply I faw no man run but the forlorn, which confifted of feamen, and the fca regiment relieved their fellows, who had no pikes, and therefore routed and beat back the enemy prefently, and purfued them within cannon fhot of the town; and then we, as before related, for the reafons alledged, retreated to our thips for to refreth our men, who had moft of them fafted four days, except what fruits they had found in the woods, which were generally oranges and lemons. Against our next advance we made all the provifion we could to carry water and brandy, but all we could do was too short to fupply our extreme want. The fight I have before related, and fhall not now repeat any thing, only I can but confefs with him, to my grief, the unworthy tall of major-general Haynes; but must contradict this relator as to the number of the Spaniards. Gentlemen of credit and judgment who were on board affirmed to me, they faw at least three thousand march out of the town; but this fpectator faw but fifty. We were affured by Cox our guide, who had lived twelve years amongst them, that they could bring into the field five thousand men. They had time to draw them together, and no man will conceive they would lie ftill and only fend out fifty to fight; but I fay further, that in those continual woods or wilderneffes, where not above fix could march abreaft, few could be feen either in the rear nor those in the woods. Our forlorn were four hundred, and the enemy fired upon them in van and flank at once; and if fifty could do this let any man judge, and fo many as three thousand drawn out of the city, it is probable they could not all stand idle. He said alfo half the army army was routed;-an utter untruth. Two regiments were only routed, and the enemy beaten back, and retreated not until forced away by the fea regiment, led on by vice-admiral Goodfon and myfelf, and about a hundred of major-general Haynes's men we stayed from running; and who ever knew the Spaniard fo much fool or coward as not to follow fuccels to the utmost, when a fair advantage offered itself. For the number of the flain, he reckons fix hundred, after two hundred lost in the woods, and three hundred wounded, that most of them died, as he faith; and, though we never had more blows at our leaving Hispaniola, he makes our lofs one thoufand feven hundred, whereas I am certain, as before I related, we were never more (if fo many) than fix thousand five hundred and fifty-one, and after all the deaths at Jamaica for ten weeks, which was our first mufter, we were above five thoufand eight hundred; and therefore the deaths there, as is related before, and the lofs at Hifpaniola, could not be above feven hundred, fo that he gives the Spaniards a thoufand to grace there fuccefs with, and all the fick at Jamaica that died there to make up the number he allows them, page 15. He relates, that we drew up after this fight near the fort, &c. feveral untruths are contained in this relation, for, as before, we beat the enemy back, recovered our flain, and the night being at hand kept the ground all that night. A council of officers being called, did advise to try the mortarpiece upon the fort, if it could play by funrife, otherwife draw off, left we fhould perith by thirst; and this was the reafon why the mortar-piece was drawn off, and known to them that advised it; but if not known to all, it was not ufual to tell our refults. The engineer was called, but, as before, none would work, and the place was unfure; for feveral cannon fhot fell within fome few yards of the place, took fx, feven, and nine, men away at a fhot, fo that the enemy's guns could bear upon the place, which was as open as the ground the men ftood upon. And I am perfuaded if there had been an offence worthy of punishment, those who had the power would not leave the matter altogether unquestioned. The officers, finding their men fo bafe, and the danger of perifhing by thirst fo unavoidable, voted a retreat; and I think it was better to bring off the mortar-piece than to leave it behind us. For the reft that follow eth, let the feamen anfwer, whom it chargeth with fo much cruelty as to deny us food, which brought them to eat dogs, affes, horfes, and indeed whatever they could get though unhealthful. We now follow him to Jamaica. His 20th page begins with the proclamation he mentions against running away, telling us fcoffingly it might M 1 have |