Prev | Current Page 401 | Next

Defoe, Daniel, 1661-1731

"Memoirs of a Cavalier A Military Journal of the Wars in Germany, and the Wars in England. From the Year 1632 to the Year 1648."

The
Scots lords of the enemy's party fled to Berwick, and the chancellor
of Scotland goes himself to General Leslie, to press him for help.
In this extremity of affairs Scotland lay when we marched out of
Wales. The Scots, at the siege of Hereford, hearing the king was gone
northward with his horse, conclude he was gone directly for Scotland,
and immediately send Leslie with 4000 horse and foot to follow, but
did not yet raise the siege. But the king, still irresolute, turns
away to the eastward, and comes to Lichfield, where he showed his
resentments at Colonel Hastings for his easy surrender of Leicester.
In this march the enemy took heart. We had troops of horse on every
side upon us like hounds started at a fresh stag. Leslie, with the
Scots, and a strong body followed in our rear, Major-General Poyntz,
Sir John Gell, Colonel Rossiter, and others in our way; they pretended
to be 10,000 horse, and yet never durst face us. The Scots made one
attempt upon a troop which stayed a little behind, and took some
prisoners; but when a regiment of our horse faced them they retired.
At a village near Lichfield another party of about 1000 horse attacked
my regiment.


Pages:
389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413