5 o6 Charles I. Naval Expeditions, &c of the English, Book

1627.

The EnemyhadpreviousNotice of ourDesign.

The Englishenter St-Martins.

The Citadelthought im-pregnable.

(having a prejudicate Opinion of theirown Valours) tho' they were before ad-vertised of our coming, as well by In-telligence out of England, as also by abase treacherous Dutchman, who set Sailfrom Portsmouth , at the same Time wedid, being laden, with all warlike Mu-nition, Powder, Bullet, Match, Pikes,Muskets, &c. But when our Fleet wasdispersed, in Chafe of those Dunkirkers,he got into St. Martin's before us, fiveor six Days, where he fold his Loadingfor Salt, and also gave an exact Accountof our Forces, both by Land and Sea,with a Catalogue of our CommandersNames, to the Governor Tboiras. Thefame Day, one Mr. Crane, a Trooper,in a Bravado, would needs dischargehis Pistols into the Fort, where he wasstain ; But his Horse was returned tomy LordDuke, by the Governour’s Ap-pointment. That Afternoon, the Bodyof Sir William Hep don was buried at laFlotta, ih the Protestant Church-yard,with a Soldiers Peal, three or four braveVollies of Shot. The fame Night, wemarched towards St. Martin's, but layin the Field, it being very tempestuousWeather, for Thunder, Lightning, andRain. (i)

The seventeenth. On Tuesday, wemarched into the Town; But as we be-gan to approach, about twenty or thirtyof the Enemy’s Horse made a Stand, tobrave us, of whom we killed two withthe Shot of a Drake, and the Rest va-nished. Some of the Chief of the Towncame, with a white Flag, to my LordDuke, desiring him to take them, andthe Town, into his Protection ; {k) Allthat done, the Enemy play’d their greatShot into the Town; But did little harm :A Council of War being called, SirJohn Burrows, who had well viewedthe Fort, and the Strength thereof, de-livered his Opinion to my Lord Duke;Which was, that it was aThing impossi-ble to take the Fort by Assault 5 And

the Certainty of our Succours depending 1627.upon the Wind, and many other Casu-alties, to starve them was likewise diffi-cult ; In as much as they had, in ourKnowledge, carried three or four Hun-dred Tuns of Wine, into the Fort,with a great Quantity of Corn, whichthey had sufficient Time to do, betweenThurjday, the Day of our landing, andTuesday following, the Time we cameinto the Town. Wherefore he thoughtit fit only to pillage the Island,and so go ■for Okron, or some other Place, more ~ , ...

profitable: But his Advice was not al- neglected.lowed of: For my Lord Duke, besidesthe Engagement of his Honour, beingtoo credulous, did rely upon the Pro-mises of some confident Seamen who{took a great deal of Pains to dis-grace themselves , and) undertook to suf-fer no Assistance to come to them bySea, as the Making of Booms, andFloat Batteries, which came all to no-thing.

The eighteenth. The Day follow-ing, Sir William Beecher , with Mr.

Grimes, were dispatched for England,tohasten the Supply of the Irish, toge-ther with Mony and Victuals. (/)

The nineteenth. ThenextDay, welanded seven Pieces of Brass Ordnance.

(»)

The twentieth. The next Day af-ter, ten ; of which there were fivemounted on a Battery by theSea-side,which had not shot above two or threeShot, but one of them was dismount-ed, and two more almost spoiled, bythem of the Fort. (n)

The twenty-first. On Saturday fol-lowing, Sir Peregrine Bertie's Regi-ment, which was left at the Point, tomake a good Retreat, if Need were,was commanded to La Flotta, to joinwith Sir Henry Sprye's Regiment, to-gether with our Horse, to assure thatPlace. (0) (4.)

(i) This Day most of the wounded Officerswere sent in Boats to Rachel, to be cured.

(k) There lay four English Ships there, whichthey had formerly taken from us, and which theyfired at our Approach

(/) A Hundred French Men from Rochellisted themselves. We sought out the best Placesto plant our Batteries against the Fort; And bar-ricadoed ourselves, in convenient Places.

(m) We planted three Batteries against theFort. A Proclamation was published, that allPapists should depart the Town, and be transport-ed bv our Boats to the Main.

(n) SiR George Blundel died mRochel-(0) To hinder the Enemy of fresh Water andother Provisions.

(4.) " OuR People having landed someOrd-“ nance, and erected a Battery, there was almost:" a continual Fire between the Army and the“ Citadel, for two or three Days, in which we“ had the worst ; For, as our Men lay much“ exposed, so it was not in our Power, to do the« Enemy any considerable Damage.