Traitor's Field (19 page)
Authors: Robert Wilton
Thurloe shrugged slightly. ‘I wouldn’t know. That’s for their General and their God.’
He was feeling uncomfortable. He had nothing to report but the obvious, nothing to add to facts already known, no comment to make more legitimate than the speculations of the dozen pamphlets that had already covered the story exhaustively. Nothing to take back to London, and nothing to justify the faith in him of St John and Cromwell.
‘What did you think of Colonel Rainsborough yourself?’
The Adjutant watched him carefully for a moment.
‘His men adored him. He was their own particular hero.’ He caught Thurloe’s eye, and smiled. ‘Soldiers are boys, in truth. Simple values; simple pleasures. Licensed irresponsibility.’
‘You haven’t answered my question.’
‘No, Thurloe. I haven’t.’
‘You didn’t like him, yourself, I think.’ Something furtive and shocked crossed the Adjutant’s face. ‘Pardon me: that’s not a fair question.’
‘The Colonel was a brave man, and bold. An attractive character.’
‘A soldier to be loved by soldiers.’ There had been something of sympathy, surely, when the Adjutant had described the Levellers’ politics.
‘Quite.’ The Adjutant moved a paper across the desk; hesitated; moved it back again. He didn’t look up. ‘Some criticized a. . . a recklessness; a brutality.’
‘I understand.’ The Adjutant was a little sympathetic to the Levellers; or perhaps just a little scared. Either way, it told something of their influence.
‘Soldiers can be civilized men, do you know?’ The question came as a genuine appeal. ‘And those who mistrusted his politics mistrusted. . . what they saw as – as populism.’ He licked his lips slowly. ‘For our cause he was a. . . problematic figure.’
Thurloe nodded. ‘He still is.’
C
HAMPIONS OF
THE
KING’S H
IGH-WAY
O
R
T
HE
N
EW
R
OBYN HOODS
he
ſ
tories of the capture of Captain Edward HOLT are like to prove fanta
ſ
tical, for even if the Parliament men laid hold on him he would e
ſ
cape by-and-by and leave them gra
ſ
ping at the empty air, as when the MAGISTRATE at LEEDS
ſ
aid to him, Sir I do not give you leave to challenge this authority, and great HOLT said, Ha ha then Sir I
ſ
hall take my leave, and with one vault he e
ſ
caped by the window, stopping only to ki
ſ
s the hands of divers ladys. HOLT is known for a
ſ
upremely large man, and his cunning is the equale of his
ſ
ize, as when in April he robbed the baggage of General FAIRFAX when it was guarded by
ſ
ixteen men. In June he went into LANCASHIRE and on the 11. he was
ſ
een in BURNLEYE and on the 12. he was in LANCASTER and in between he took three pur
ſ
es from a coach near Om
ſ
kerk.
And his BENEFACTORS are only the
ſ
ympathi
ſ
ers of the Parliament, for he has
ſ
worn that he
ſ
hall take not a
ſ
ixpence from an hone
ſ
t man, and he has
ſ
aid, Shall they call me villain if I puni
ſ
h only villains, and all of his earnings he returns to tho
ſ
e hone
ſ
t men who have
ſ
uffered the extortions of the Government, and in YORKSHIRE three barns and a CHURCH have been repaired at his expen
ſ
e.
Such an one is al
ſ
o Sir Miles TEACH, known for a very da
ſ
hing gallant
ſ
oldier and a jolly REPUBLICAN of the roads, for he knows no
ſ
uperior or ma
ſ
tery by law as he rides, and
ſ
ince the men in LONDON have determined that they may do without the Laws of GOD and the King in that corrupted City, they mu
ſ
t perforce
ſ
uffer that they exerci
ſ
e no law them
ſ
elves upon the highway. For as HOLT truly
ſ
aid, The CHAOS and INJUSTICE they have
ſ
pread I
ſ
hall
ſ
end back to them ten-fold. Sir TEACH was always renowned for his daring as well as his plea
ſ
ant ways, and indeed the Ladys know him for a
ſ
word
ſ
man as much as the Gentlemen, and when from a Parliamentary hireling he takes a pur
ſ
e, from the LADY he will like take but a ki
ſ
s, and who
ſ
hall
ſ
ay which was the lo
ſ
er?
TEACH was ever a clo
ſ
e companion of His Maje
ſ
ty The KING, and attended him in many places, but it was remarked the one occa
ſ
ion he would for
ſ
ake the KING’S pre
ſ
ence was if there was chance of battle, for he is the brave
ſ
t man and at NASEBYE of ill-renown he killed
ſ
even Roundhead men and a Colonel. Now he contines his war upon the KING’S high-way, and
ſ
till the Parliament men do lo
ſ
e their impure blood and their
ſ
tolen gold. He is
ſ
ometime a companion to Captain HOLT, and it is known that in Augu
ſ
t near SKIPTON they had a CONTEST which would take mo
ſ
t gold in one night (this was
ſ
aid by
ſ
ome to be on the 4. Augu
ſ
t, by others on the 5.), and in the morning they counted and they had won equally, and the Roundheads and the Committee-Men and the turn-coates had suffered equally, and it is
ſ
ure that the good people of that place were the gainers.
T
O THE
L
ORD
P
RESIDENT OF THE
C
OUNCIL OF
S
TATE,
BEING A REPORT ON THE LATE EVENTS IN THE TOWN OF
D
ONCASTER, AND THE DEATH OF
C
OLONEL
T
HOMAS
R
AINSBOROUGH
.
Sir,
at around dawn on the 29 October a party of Royalist raiders surprised the western entrance of Doncaster town. It is probable that they came from besieged Pontefract, but this is supposition merely. Their number has been much exaggerated and may not safely be assessed, but their movements and achievements would indicate a party of a dozen at the very least and perhaps some twenty, altho’ many more would seem unlikely. They scattered the outer pickets by speed and weight of charge, and subsequently surprised the St Sepulchre gate. Inside the town they separated into smaller units, some for contingent readiness and one group of four men riding to the inn where lodged Colonel Rainsborough. Three of these gained entrance by a ruse, and brought out the Colonel and his Lieutenant into the street, where both were killed. The raiders regathered to make a forced escape from the town by the north, whence they fled towards Pontefract Castle.
Although timing is of course vague, there was an interval between the scattering of the pickets and the assault on the western gate – during which time, incidentally, none of the pickets found himself able to reach the town to give warning – which suggests a degree of calculation and control to the exploit. This is confirmed by the restraint and certainty with which the party behaved once inside Doncaster, some spreading to be ready to make distractions in divers quarters should that prove necessary, some making direct for the inn. The deed was foul, but it was executed with strategy and decision and skill. The measured and unsuspected approach to the town, and the knowledge of the dispositions of our soldiers thereabout, likewise suggest a system of scouts and spies.
Others more fitted to judge may consider whether there was negligence in the fulfilment of their duties by the defenders of the west and north gates, by which the raiders gained entrance and exit. But it is not possible to find evidence of any collusion by those men. There may have been such, but surprise and confusion seem adequately to explain the exploit.
[SS C/T/48/10]
