Page:Highways and Byways in Lincolnshire.djvu/76

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this time it was that we began to hear of the name of Oliver Cromwell, who, like a little cloud, rose out of the East and spread first into the North, till it shed down a flood that overwhelmed the three Kingdoms The first action in which we heard of his exploits and which emblazoned his character was at Grantham." Cromwell was with the Earl of Manchester, but was in command of his own regiment of horse. Where the battle actually took place is uncertain, but probably on Gonerby Moor. We happen to have Cromwell's own account of the skirmish—see vol. I., p. 177, of 'Cromwell's Letters and Speeches,' by Carlyle. It was written to some official, and is the first letter of Cromwell's ever published in the newspapers:—

"Grantham, 13th May, 1643.

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"God hath given us, this evening, a glorious victory over our enemies. They were, as we are informed, one and twenty colours of horse troops, and three or four of dragoons.

"It was late in the evening when we drew out; they came and faced us within two miles of the town. So soon as we had the alarm we drew out our forces, consisting of about twelve troops whereof some of them so poor and broken, that you shall seldom see worse: with this handful it pleased God to cast the scale. For after we had stood a little, above musket shot the one body from the other; and the dragooners had fired on both sides, for the space of half an hour or more; they were not advancing towards us, we agreed to charge them; and, advancing the body after many shots on both sides, we came on with our troops a pretty round trot; they standing firm to receive us; and our men charging fiercely upon them, by God's providence they were immediately routed, and ran all away, and we had the execution of them two or three miles.

"I believe some of our soldiers did kill two or three men apiece in the pursuit; but what the number of dead is we are not certain. We took forty-five prisoners, besides divers of their horse and arms and rescued many Prisoners whom they had lately taken of ours, and we took four or five of their colours.

"I rest

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A fortnight later he writes from Lincolnshire to the Mayor and Corporation of Colchester announcing the victory of Fairfax