Volume I Part 52 (1/2)
On the 26th April, about four o'clock, before sunrise, the action commenced. Captain Chisnall and Captain Fox, with Lieutenants Brettargh, Penketh, Walthew, and Woorrall, were appointed for the service. Captain Ogle had the main-guard to secure a retreat at the southern gate, while Rawsthorne had the charge of the sally-gate to secure a retreat on the eastern side. Captain Ratcliffe had the command of the marksmen and musketeers on the walls, while Farmer, with the reserve, stood ready at the parade, to relieve any of them in case of necessity. All things being ready, Captain Chisnall and two lieutenants issued out at the eastern sally-port. The morning favoured their attempt, being wet and foggy, so that before he was discovered he got completely under their cannon, marching immediately upon the scouts where the enemy had planted their great gun.
”It cost him a light skirmish to gain the fort; at last hee entered; many slayne, some prisoners, and some escaping. Now by the command of that battery, the retreate being a.s.sured, Capt Foxe seconds him w^th much bravery, beateing upon their trenches from the easterne to the south-west point, till hee came to the work w^ch secur'd the morter-peece, w^ch being guarded w^th 50 men, hee found sharpe service, forceing his way through muskett and cannon, and beateing the enemy out of the sconce w^th stones, his muskett, by reason of the high worke, being unserviceable. After a quarter of an houres hard service, his men gott the trench and scal'd the rampier, where many of the enemy fledd, the rest were slayne. The sconce, thus won, was made good by a squadron of musketteers, which much annoyed the enemy, attempting to come upp agayne. The 2 maine works thus obtained, the two captaynes w^th ease walked the rest of the round, whilst Mr Broome, w^th a companye of her la^pps servants and some fresh souldiers, had a care to levell the ditch, and by a present devise, with ropes lifting the morter-peece to a low dragge, by strength of men drew it into the house, Capt. Ogle defending the pa.s.sage ag^t another companye of the enemye which play'd upon their retreate. The like endeavour was used to gayne theire greate gunnes; but lying beyond the ditch, and being of such bulke and weight, all our strength could not bringe them off before the whole army had fallen upon us; however, our men took tyme to poyson all the cannon round, if anything will doe the feate, Capt. Rawstorne still defending the first pa.s.se ag^t some offers of the enemy to come up by the wood.”
It was near the conclusion of this affray, as Mr Broome, the steward, and several of his helpers, were encompa.s.sing the great dragon which had so often vomited forth fire and smoke upon them, intending to carry it away captive, that they heard a voice from the breach below:--
”Hold, ye uncirc.u.mcised:--I will make your house desolate, and the glory thereof shall be turned into ashes.”
The mortar was ready charged, and they beheld Gideon, with a lighted match, springing towards them. Several of the men drew aside in dismay; but as Providence willed it, he was prevented from his purpose, the light being struck from his hand, and himself tumbled backwards into a deep and muddy ditch, extinguis.h.i.+ng both light and life apparently together. But he arose, and would have run a tilt at them in this unsavoury condition, had he not been caught by one of his enemies, who waggishly exclaimed--
”Let us yoke this great Amalekite to the gun. He'll help us well over the ditch.”
This goodly piece of advice was not neglected; and the unhappy Gideon, fastened between two yoke-fellows, was dragged on by main force, the hindmost threatening to shoot him if he made any resistance.
In vain did he cry out for vengeance upon them. His G.o.ds were deaf--no miracle was wrought for his deliverance; and though he would have called down fire from heaven upon his adversaries, the thunders he impiously desired died harmless on his own tongue.
We again quote the words of the journal:--
”This action continued an houre, with the loss of two men on our part, who, after they were mortally wounded, still fired upon the enemy, till all retreating. What number of the enemy were slain it is not easy to guesse. Besides the execuc'on done in their trenches, Capt. Farmours and Capt. Rattcliffes reserves, w^th the best marksmen, played upon them from the walls with much slaughter, as they quitt theire holds. Our men brought in many armes, three drums, and but five prisoners, preserved by Capt. Chisnall to show that he had mercy as well as valour. One of theese was an a.s.sistant to their engineere, Browne, who discovered to us the nature of their trench, in which they had laboured two monthes to draw away our water. Theire first designe was to drayne and open our springs, not considering theire rise from a higher ground south-east from the house, w^ch must needs supply our deepe well, where-ever they suncke their fall: this invenc'on faileing, they bringe up an open trench in a worme work, the earth being indented or sawed for the securitie of their myners, and the ditch two yards wide and three deepe for the fall of the water.
”But now neither ditches nor aught els troubled our souldiers, theire grand terror, the morter-peece, which had frighted 'em from theire meate and sleepe, like a dead lyon, quyetely lying among 'em; everye one had his eye and his foote upon him, shouteing and rejoiceing as merrily as they used to doe w^th theire ale and bagpypes. Indeed ev'y one had this apprehenc'on of the service, that the maine worke was done, and what was yet behind but a meere pastime.
”Her la^pp though not often overcarryed w^th any light expressions of joy, yet religiously sensible of soe great a blessing, and desirous, according to her pious disposition, to returne acknowledgements to the righte authour, G.o.d alone, presently commands her chaplaynes to a publike thanksgiving.
”The enemy, thus terrifyed with this defeate, durst not venture theire workes agayne till midnight; towards morneing removeing some of theire cannon, and the next night stealeing away all the rest, save one peece for a memorand. This one escapyt nayleing, which the colonells durst not venture on its owne mount, but planted att a distance, for feare of the madmen in the garrison.
”One thing may not heere bee omitted: that day that our men gave Rigby that shameful defeate, had hee destined for the p'secuteing of his utmost cruelty. Hee had invited, as it is now gen'ally confest, all his friends, the holy abettors of this mischiefe, to come see the house yeelded or burnt, hee haveing purposed to use his morter gunne w^th fireb.a.l.l.s or granadoes all afternoone; but her la^pp before two o'clocke (his own tyme) gave him a very skurvy satisfying answ^r, soe that his friends came opportunely to comfort him, who was sicke of shame and dishonour, to be routed by a lady and a handfull of men.”
This proved a sore disaster to the besiegers. The soldiers, too, began to cry out for their pay. The long-expected plunder of Lathom had hitherto kept them quiet; but they were now willing to leave this precious booty to the next comers, and content themselves with their stated allowance.
Rigby, fearful of the crumbling away and dispersion of his army, made s.h.i.+ft to furnish some small arrears of their pay, declaring that it had cost him 2000 of his own moneys during the siege; but how he got such great store of gold we are not informed, safe that ”he was once a lawyer, and a bad one!”
Still there were many deserters, escaping even in the open day; not a few of them coming over with valuable intelligence to the garrison.
Wearied with duty, and sorely perplexed, Rigby sent for Col. Holland, from Manchester, to his a.s.sistance. Many days now elapsed, during which little happened worth recording on either side. On the 23d May, Captain Moseley brought another message to her ladys.h.i.+p, desiring, in terms of great courtesy and respect, that she would grant him an interview. He was received with great ceremony; for she abated not a whit of the dignity belonging to her high birth and station.
”Captain Moseley,” said she, having read the summons, commanding her that she should yield up the house, together with the ammunition, arms, goods, servants, children, and her own person too--submitting to the mercy of parliament, ”you are, I understand, an honourable man and a soldier.”
He bowed with great humility.
”I would not receive this from any other. But”--and her lip curled proudly as she spoke. ”Here seems a slight mistake in the wording of your message. They should rather have written _cruelty_ and not _mercy_!”
”Nay, my lady,” he replied, ”the mercy of parliament. Trust me, you will not be evil entreated at their hands.”
”The _mercies_ of the wicked are _cruel_,” said she, quickly, but with great composure. ”Not that I mean,” she continued, ”a wicked parliament, of which body I have an honourable and reverend esteem, but wicked agents and factors, such as Moore and Rigby, who for the advantage of their own interests labour to turn kingdoms into blood and ruin.
Besides, 'tis dangerous treating when the sword is given into the enemies' hand.”
”Most a.s.suredly, madam, as our tractates on the art of war teach us,--which it seems you have not studied in vain,” said Moseley, bowing with an air of great deference and gallantry. ”Your ladys.h.i.+p is commander-in-chief, we hear.”
”My lord being absent. I am left in trust, and cannot listen to treaties without his permission.”
”Not to dishonourable overtures, a.s.suredly. But if we agree to your own conditions,--quitting the house in the way it shall seem best to your ladys.h.i.+p, as was once the basis of your own propositions, I believe, it cannot in this case be a reproach or a breach of trust, but will prevent much damage, and be the saving of many lives.”