Page:Works of Thomas Carlyle - Volume 06.djvu/203

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1643]
LETTER XVIII. HOLLAND, LINCOLN
171

the Lord Fairfax; but made no stay: and the same day, Sir Thomas Fairfax crossed Humber with Twenty Troops of Horse, to join with Cromwell’s forces in Lincolnshire’[1] For the Marquis of Newcastle is begirdling, and ever more closely besieging, the Lord Fairfax in Hull; which has obliged him to ship his brave Son, with all the horse, across the Humber, in this manner: horse are useless here; under the Earl of Manchester, on the other side, they may be of use.

The landing took place at Saltfleet that same afternoon, say the Newspapers: here now is what followed thereupon,—successful though rather dangerous march into the safe parts of Lincolnshire, and continuance of the drillings, fightings, and enlistments there. Committee-men ‘Spring and Barrow’ are known to us; of Margery and ‘the Malignants’ horses’ we have also had some inkling once.

TO HIS HONOURED FRIENDS, Sik WILLIAM SPRING AND MR. BARROW THESE PRESENT

“Holland, Lincolnshire,” 28th Sept. 1648.

Gentlemen,—It hath pleased God to bring off Sir Thomas Fairfax his Horse over the river from Hull, being about One-and-twenty Troops of Horse and Dragoons. The Lincolnshire horse laboured to hinder this work, being about Thirty-four Colours of Horse and Dragoons: we marched up to their landing-place, and the Lincolnshire Horse retreated.

After they were come over, we all marched towards Holland; and when we came to our last quarter upon the edge of Holland, the Enemy quartered within four miles of us, and kept the field all night with his whole body: his intendment, as we conceive, was to fight us;—or hoping to interpose betwixt us and our retreat; having received, to his Thirty-four Colours of Horse, Twenty fresh Troops, ten Companies of “Dragoons”;[2] and about a Thousand Foot, being General King’s own Regiment. With these he attempted our guards and our quarters;

  1. Rushworth, v. 280.
  2. Word torn.