TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE COMMITTEE OF BOTH KINGDOMS, AT DERBY HOUSE: THESE
My Lords and Gentlemen,—According to your Lordships’ appointment, I have attended your Service in these parts; and have not had so fit an opportunity to give you an account as now.
So soon as I received your commands, I appointed a rendezvous at Watlington. The body being come up, I marched to Wheatley Bridge, having sent before to Major-General Browne for intelligence; and it being market-day at Oxford, from whence I likewise hoped, by some of the market-people, to gain notice where the Enemy was.
Towards night I received certain notice by Major-General Browne, that the Carriages were not stirred, that Prince Maurice was not here; and by some Oxford scholars, that there were Four Carriages and Wagons ready in one place, and in another Five; all, as I conceived, fit for a march.[1]
I received notice also that the Earl of Northampton’s Regiment was quartered at Islip; wherefore im the evening I marched that way, hoping to have surprised them; but, by the mistake and failing of the forlorn-hope, they had an alarm there, and to all their quarters, and so escaped me; by means whereof they had time to draw all together.
I kept my body all night at Islip: and, in the morning, a party of the Earl of Northampton’s Regiment, the Lord Wilmot’s, and the Queen’s, came to make an infall upon me. Sir Thomas Fairfax’s Regiment[2] was the first that took the field; the rest drew out with all possible speed. That which is the General’s Troop charged a whole squadron of the Enemy, and presently broke it. Our other Troops coming seasonably on, the rest of the Enemy were presently put into confusion; so
