BOOK 1647. Regiments of horse assessment of sixty thousand pounds monthly for the maintenance of the army passed the house of commons w It was next day moved and carried that the named for regiments of Fairfax, Cromwel, Graves, Rossiter and Whalley should be five of the regiments of horse to be kept up for the service of England *. service in England. 289 CHAPTER VIII. SECOND DEPUTATION ΤΟ THE ARMY.-COM- CHAP VIII. 1647. Second THESE preliminaries being arranged, the committee for the affairs of Ireland commissioned the earl of Warwick, lord Dacre, sir William Waller, sir John Clotworthy, general Massey, and Mr. deputation Salloway, to proceed to Saffron Walden to treat to the army. with the general and other officers of the army respecting the service of Ireland, to accept the offers of such as should be willing to engage, to draw them into a body distinct from the rest of the army, and to quarter them in such places as should be held most convenient in order to their speedy march. The earl of Warwick was particularly fixed on, as being in some respects them an of the most popular and conciliating manners that BOOK II. 1647. Their par war. could be found. They arrived at head-quarters on the fourteenth of April a. The next day they held a meeting with the ley with the officers of the army, in which Warwick addressed council of them with many compliments on the high character the army bore, and the great esteem that was entertained for them by both houses of parliament, and invited them to declare themselves, and use their influence with others, in behalf of the exLambert. pedition to Ireland. Lambert was the spokesman, in the name of all the officers assembled, in reply. He insisted on precisely the same topics which had been urged at the convention in March. In answer to the enquiry who was to command in Ireland, the commissioners of course named Skippon and Massey. With the name of Massey the majority of the officers shewed themselves little satisfied, he being an adherent of the faction opposite to their own, and of Skippon they expressed their opinion, on account of his age and infirmities, that he would not accept the appointment. In fine they all agreed, that if they might pass over into Ireland under their present commanders, there would not be a voice raised against the expedition b. a Waller, p. 77, 78. Waller, p. 82 to 85. Whitlocke, Apr. 17. The colonels of regiments in Fairfax's army at this time appear to have been of horse, Fairfax, Cromwel, Ireton, Fleetwood, Sheffield, Rossiter, VIII. 1647. Ill success tation. The attempt to draw off those officers and CHAP. soldiers, who without any previous conditions, were willing to engage in the service of Ireland, was particularly unfortunate in the operation. of the depu Only one colonel of horse (Sheffield), and one of foot (Herbert), offered themselves in the critical moment. The list of officers was, seventeen of horse, seven of dragoons, and eighty-seven of foot. But what was still more unfavourable, was the slender shew of followers who adhered to the example of the officers. It had been hoped that they would have drawn along with them, each man his troop of horse, or his company of foot respectively. But it was certified, that one officer of foot who commanded one hundred and sixty men, could prevail with only twenty-six to go with him, and another with not a single man. Upon the report of these proceedings a warm debate arose in the house of commons, whether the whole of the army should not be sent to Ireland, agreeably to Graves, Whalley, Nathaniel Rich, sir Robert Pye, and John Butler: of foot, Fairfax, Lambert, sir Hardress Waller, Richard Ingoldsby, Thomas Rainsborough, Robert Lilburne, Robert Hammond, Richard Fortescue, Edward Harley, William Herbert, and John Hewson : and of dragoons, John Okey. Journals of Lords, March 30, April 27 and 30. Journals of Commons May 25. For a list of the original officers of the new model, see above, Vol. I, p. 406, note. The regiments of the northern army under Poyntz were those of Poyntz, Bethel, Copley, Overton, Bright, Ponsonby, Collingwood, and Legard. Rushworth, Vol. VI, p. 623. с Whitlocke, Apr. 23. Rushworth, Vol. VI, p. 464. Debate in commons. the house of II. 1647. BOOK the sense of the convention of officers. The debate was adjourned from the twenty-third to the twenty-seventh of April. On that day the commissioners who had been sent to Saffron Walden, made their report personally to the two houses, which appeared more favourable to the Irish expedition, than the accounts they had transmitted to London soon after their arrival at head-quarters. Unfavour nation of This had an unfortunate effect on the issue of able termi- the debate. The parliament became more conthe debate. firmed in their projects than ever. They summoned colonel Lilburne and one of the captains of his regiment to appear before them, on the charge of having tampered with the soldiers to dissuade them from proceeding to Ireland; and an ensign of the same regiment (Nichols), who had been sent up by the commissioners in custody, was by the house of commons committed a prisoner to the serjeant at arms. They also voted that such of the army as did not engage themselves in the service of Ireland, should receive six weeks pay of their arrears, and be disbanded. On the same day a petition of the officers of the army, accompanied with a vindication of their proceedings, was tendered to the house of commons. General Skippon also expressed his willingness to undertake the command of the army in Ireland 5. d Journals. Rushworth, ubi supra. e * Journals of Lords. Whitlocke. Rushworth, Vol. VI, p. 468 to 472, 474. |