It may please your Lordships at the Lord Lieftenants last being heare which was at the tyme of or last dispatch to your Lords of the 2d of this mouneth: uppon conferment had in counsell touching the distresse of the Blackwater, and the revitlinge thereof. The Marshall beinge also present at that consultation and sent for expressly by the Lord Lieutenant, som of us were of opinion that the hazard were too greate to adventure so many of Her Majesties forces as were thought requisitt to be employed in that expedicion; yelding this reason amongst others, that the forte being valued at the highest wos noe way comparable to the loss, yf tharmy shold receve any disaster in the attempt; But when wee saw his Lord and the Marshall stande so muche uppon the honor of the service, alledging how greatly yt concerned Her Majestie in Honour to have the forte releeved, we left to themselves the resolution, wishinge, by waye of advice after they had determyned yt shold be attempted, that the Lord Lieftenaut wold undertake the matter in person; alledging amongst many other respects, that in that case his Lord might drawe with him many of the nobilitye with their followers, which wold greatly strengthen the accion, and besides his presence in the field might move Tyrone, eyther for feare or for som other respectes, to give way to him, whereby the service might be performed with less daunger. And before this consultation havinge considered thorowly of the perills in this enterprize of the forte, and the difficulties to accomplishe the same, the Lord Lieutenant and ourselves jointly together wroate to the Marshall, lyinge then upon the borders, and with all sent our specyall lettres to bee conveyed by his meanes to the Captain of the Blackwater, advisinge him to consider ho we he might make his composicion with Tyrone in tyme, to the most honour he cold for Her Majesty, and best saffety for himselfe and the garrison their; but the Marshall stayinge these lettres in his owne hands, did not send them to the forte; but brought them back agayne with himselfe, affirminge how dishonorable it wold be to hold that course; and that he knew by good intellegences that the forte was yett incase to houldout; and that he had tryed by stratagem to send some vittles into them. In our advice which we gave to his Lord for undertaking the service in his owne person, wee putt him in mynd that the prosecucion of Leinster might bee commiytted to som other duringe his absence: But his Lordship and the Marshall agreeing afterwardes, his Lord tooke upon him the matters of Leinster, and left to the Marshall the action of the Blackwater; who accordingly came to Armagh the 13th of this mouneth, without any loss, other then the takinge of Capten Ratcliff prisoner, and some 4 or 5 others cutt off in the straight betweene Dondalk and the Newry, who stragled after the armye, and did not march under the saffety thereof: and the next day, beeinge the 14th of this presente, th army dislodginge from Armagh with purposs to pass further to revittle the Blackwater, the rebells of the North havinge way-laide them there, in places to our disadvantage roase owt with their mayne forces to stopp their passage; where after a sore tryall made by the army, stryvinge to put the rebells from the advantage of theire place, our forces were repulsed with a greevouse loss, both of the Marshall himselfe with sundry other particular Captains with their coollors, and also a great nomber of the souldiers; the resedue that remayned (except som of the Irish who rann to the rebells) retyred to Armagh as the next place of succor they cold gett, where they reinayne in the church there, awayting for soch comfort as men in so great a calamity may expect. These heavy newes were brought to us this day by Captain Charles Montague who having the second place of chardge of the horsemen in the service, and beeinge appoynted by the consent of the Captains (as he affirmethe) to adventure thorow thenemyes countrey to come to us, hath made declaration to us of this lamentable accident in this summary manner, which herewith we send to your Lords under his hand. A matter soe greevouse to us, in respect of soe greate a dyminucion of Her Majestys forces in so daungerous a tyme as this, and to have soe greate a parte of the armye (beeinge 1500 men, as Captain Montague reportethe) cooped by in the church of Armagh envyroned round aboute with the rebells, as we cannot but feare fair more daungerous sequells, even to the utter hazard of the kingdome, and that owt of hand, yf God and Her Majesty prevent them not: for we assure ourselves that upon this accident in the North the whole combination of the reste of the rebells in all partes of the Realm will grow mightely prowde, and will not spare to take the opportunitye of the tyme, and pursue this success at Armagh to their best advantage in Leinster, Connaught, and all other places of the realm. And they know as well as ourselves that we are not hable without presente succor owt of England to fetch off those poore distressed companies that are in Armagh, who (as Captain Montagu reportethe) hath vittles to serve them for 8 or 9 daies, and not further; within which tyme wee have no meanes to reskew them from thence by force, nor after that tyme to releeve them with vittles; which being a most lamentable distress to us, wee have now signified the same to the Lord Lieftenant Generall, who as we heare is at Kilkenny, praying his speedy repayre hither upon this heavy occasion. This encounter at Armagh was the 14th of this presente, and the report thereof brought to us this daye about 9 in the morninge; since when we have bin busie to send owt many dispatches into sundry partes of the realm to prevent daungers, and contayne the people as moche as in us lyeth; and have specyally written to the Lord Lieftenant General to haste hether with all speed to thende to consider with him of the presente daunger in all partes, and howe Her Majesty's forces, that are left, which are wholly under his chardge, may be employed to the moaste saffety of the realme, and preservacion of that which remayneth. But under your Lord's honorable reformation, and in all humble dischardg of or duties, wee wislie that Her Majesty were thorowly enformed of the daungerous estate of this realme, as well as for want of forces, by reason of this defeate as for lack of skillfull and experienced commanders; and particulerly this desaster of Armagh having taken awaye the Marshall, whose place is in Her Majesty's disposicion, wee humbly wishe that som well chosen person beeing of good understanding in the warrs may be sent from thence owt of hand, to supply that office, to thende that by thassistaunce of suche an officer Her Majesty's martiall services may bee carryed in that course wh is requisitt agaynst so many prowde rebells in sondry partes of the realm. And though the Lord Lieutenant bee now absent from hence wherebye wee cannot comunicate with him in this and other things as were meet, yett yf his Lordship were here, wee doubt not but he seeth reason to be of our opinyon that inasmuch as the distresses of this kingdom are devided into many partes, and every parte hathe his particuler daunger, that that necessity presseth to have a further assistaunce in the proceedings of the warr, and a subsistinge authority to be joined with his Lord unless Her Majestie wold be pleased to settle the whole government entyrely in one man's hands, whhich for our partes, wee wishe, for the avoydinge of many confusions, growinge in the mayne government, now that the aucthoritie is devided, which it is not unlyke wold be better redressed, yf the superior authority were reduced into one man's hand, as Her Majesty's deputy; the consideration whereof we humbly submytt to your Lord grave advice. Onely and lastly beseechinge your Lordships with all the dutye and carefulness we can, that tyll a Deputye may come a Marshall may be sent with suche other assistaunts for the warrs as your Lordships shall think requisitt, and that also a further force of men may be sent owt of hand, the certaine nomber whereof we cannot otherwaies lymitt then according the greatness of our daungers: and that such as shalbe sent may be trayned men, well weaponed, and consistinge of hable bodies, to be able to beare owt the toyles of this hard service. This choiss of a Deputye, or in the mean while some good assistaunts for the warrs, to be assigned and sent owt of hand with forces, the longer yt is deferred the more will it encrease the daungers of the realme, for that boath thennemyes will multiply, and insult, knowinge how weake wee are, as well in commanders as in men; and the subjects that yett stand will take yt for an occasion of discouragement when they see soe small means to defend them. Suche further advertisements as wee shall receave of the desaster of tharmy in the North, or of any other matter occurringe in any other partes shall be signified to your Lordships with the beste speed we can, being most greeved that this wicked land will not yett yeld better matter to advertise to your Lordships. And so beeing greatly fearfull that Tyrone in the pryde of this success will bend some daungerous attempts against the Newry, Dondalk, Knockfergus or other frontyer places of importaunce, wee most humbly take our leve
In great haste at Dublin 16th August, 1598,
ADAM LOFTUS DUBLIN ROB. GARDENER ANTHONY ST LEGER HENRY WALLOP GEFF. FENTON
Your Lordships most humbly at commandment,Least Tyrone might use further
violence to those distressed companies
in Armagh we thought good to send a
Pursyvaunt to him with our lettre, the copy
whereof wee send to your Lordships herewith,
having directed the Pursyvaunt to
learne the true state of the soldiers,
with other instruccions which was our
chefe purpose in sending him to
Tyrone.