CROMWELL, Oliver. / VENABLES Robert. Letters from Ireland relating the several great successes it hath pleased God to give unto the Parliament's Forces there, in the Taking of Drogheda, Trym,...

CROMWELL, Oliver. / VENABLES Robert. Letters from Ireland relating the several great successes it hath pleased God to give unto the Parliament's Forces there, in the Taking of Drogheda, Trym, Dundalk, Carlingford and The Nury. Together with a List of the Chief Commanders, and the number of the Officers and Soldiers slain in Drogheda. London: 1649. Licenced 2nd October. 4to. pp. 20. A very good copy in nineteenth century half morocco on marbled boards. Wing L 1778. Includes a list of the chief commanders and the number of the officers and soldiers slain in Drogheda. Also a letter to Cromwell from Robert Venables, dated September 22nd. According to Cromwell “the officers and soldiers of this garrison were the flower of their army” and he pays tribute to the stout resistance they offered. Eventually he broke through the walls and in victory he confesses “the Governor Sir Arthur Ashton and divers considerable officers being there, our men getting up to them, were ordered by me to put them all to the sword; and indeed being in the heat of action, I forbade them to spare any that were in arms in the town, and I think that night they put to the sword about two thousand men.” Resistance though was not yet at an end and about one hundred of the survivors possessed St. Peters Church Steeple. “These being summoned to yield to mercy, refused; whereupon I ordered the Steeple of St Peter’s Church to be fired, where one of them was heard to say in the midst of the flames, God damn me, God confound me, I burn; I burn.” Two towers still held out but “knowing the hunger must compel them, set onely good guards to secure them from running away, until their stomacks were come down.” Some resisted to the last and when eventually they were compelled to submit, Cromwell writes “their officers were knockt on the head, and every tenth man of the soldiers killed, and the rest shipped for the Barbadoes.” Sweeney 1270.

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