VPon the second of this month with 2500. foote and 4. or 500. horse , wee marched from this Towne to relieve some Castles and Townes in the Queenes County , and the County of Kildare ; in all our march we burned houses and corne for three miles round us , we met with no enemy that did oppose us , but upon the second daies march , quarter Mr. General Logde , and about 100. horsemen , ( my selfe being there ) riding before to take quarters , wee met with one Suttons Castle a Rebell , being a mile from the Maas , 60. of us went into the court , where we found 5. or 600. good poultry , we killed as many as served our turnes , and tooke out of the stables three good horses , and the people of the Castle never sent shot amongst us , though indeed they might have cut most of us off , considering how carelesse we were of our selves in running after the poultry , but afterwards a troope of horse going into the court , they shot the trumpeter dead , upon this 200. musquetteers were drawne out and plaid before the Castle three houres , we lost foure men , and tenne shot , at last wee were forc't to blow up the Castle ( being tenne a clocke at night ) two men and one woman were saved , and the next morning hanged , the next day wee relieved the English in Athy , and made it a garrison , we hanged the Major of the Towne , and divers others of good quality ; the same day we relieved Captaine Grymes Castle , and left him ammunition and men ; within two dayes wee marched to the Fort of Least , where the poore people received us with joyfull teares , having beene much oppressed by the Rebells , and almost starved within the Fort ; the enemies are very strong in those parts , two daies after we came to the Fort , the Rebells had got upon a foard betweene Sir Charles Coot and the Fort , he having 200. horse with him , burning the Country about , but my Lord of Ormond hearing of it , sent my colours with 600. musqueteers , and some few firelocks to cleare the Foard ; we fought with the Rebells three or foure houres , wee had shot dead six men , and fourteene or fifteene shot ; this time we kept the Rebells doing : Sir Charles Coot and his horse was got seven miles higher by the river side , where it was foarable , and by this meanes was freed , otherwise had been lost ; when we had strengthened the Fort of Least with men , munition and money , wee were resolved to march to Dublin , but the Rebells had sent us word they would prevent us , having gathered together the strength of three Counties at least , to the number of 10000 men . Their purpose was to stoppe our passage upon a Foard , we had not that day marched three miles till we discovered many of their colours , they marched very fast to meet us , we being at a halt , stayed till they came just against us , but there was a bogge betweene us , so that we could not meet till we had marched foure miles , all this way our van and theirs marched in one brest , onely some 600. of our men were commanded before to cleare our passage , and was got over the Foard before we came half an houre , when we came to the end of the bog the Rebells fact us , my Lord of Ormond presently drew our men in battalia , and fronted the enemy with our small number as there was occasion ; the Rebells all this while was very busie preparing to fight , we had foure troopes of horse on the right wing of our army , and foure of the left wing , my colours that day commanded our right wing division , which indeed was against their battalia ; being ready , we marched in the plaine field till we came lesse then halfe musquet shot of them before wee gave fire , our five field pieces were planted by a ditch side , within musket shot of the enemy : the enemy had all advantages the place could afford them , first , they had the winde , then the hill , and a strong ditch of a mile long , that no breast worke could be better , wee could see nothing but the very tops of their heads , so soone as the field pieces were shot ( though they did no execution ) our men fell on like so many Captaines , cheering themselves with shoutes , and powring milions of shots to the Rebells , all this while I dare say , we killed not tenne Rebells , by reason of their strong worke , it was the goodnesse of the Almighty who preserved us this time all with life , unlesse six men which dyed in place , though indeed they might easily killed abundance of us being within pistoll shot of them , and in the open field , then the rogues runne , and upon the pursuit were killed neare 500. of them , they had a bog neare them , where runne a maine , had we had one mile of good ground more , our horse had got betweene them and the bog , and our musketiers in the reare , we had cut off every foote man of theirs , their horse they rid into the bogs , and there stabled , then some fifteene of them got out , I got some twelve or fourteen pound in pillage , wee killed the Lord Dunboynes brother , Colonell Berne , and Colonell Butler , and brought their heads along , this being done , every one of us fell on our knees , and gave God thankes for a safe deliverance , and so wee marched .

Sir , I thanke you for my Letter , which I received the day after I came home : wee are going on munday to a very strong Castle seaven miles from this Towne , where we expect very hot service , the Rebels being strong . I will write you the effect of it by the next Ordinary . The Lords Justices use us very unkindly , they will not give us neither seaven dayes , nor fourteen dayes , nor twenty eight dayes pay , but some small imprests , hardly enough to keep life and soule together . And for the private Souldiers , my Lord Parsons Ammunition Beefe hath almost killed halfe of them . In the Rebels Proclamation they spoke of great sums they would give to any that should bring in the Lord of Ormonds head , Sir Charles Coot , the Treasurer , and divers others of the Councell : But when they spoke of the two Lords Justices , Lord Parsons and Burlace , they would not give two pence for theirs .