“God hath given us, this evening, a glorious victory over our enemies. They were, as we are informed, one and twenty colours of horse troops, and three or four of dragoons. “It was late in the evening when we drew out; they came and faced us within two miles of the town. So soon as we had the alarm we drew out our forces, consisting of about twelve troops whereof some of them so poor and broken, that you shall seldom see worse: with this handful it pleased God to cast the scale. For after we had stood a little, above musket shot the one body from the other; and the dragooners had fired on both sides, for the space of half an hour or more; they were not advancing towards us, we agreed to charge them; and, advancing the body after many shots on both sides, we came on with our troops a pretty round trot; they standing firm to receive us; and our men charging fiercely upon them, by God’s providence they were immediately routed, and ran all away, and we had the execution of them two or three miles. “I believe some of our soldiers did kill two or three men apiece in the pursuit; but what the number of dead is we are not certain. We took forty-five prisoners, besides divers of their horse and arms and rescued many Prisoners whom they had lately taken of ours, and we took four or five of their colours. “I rest ... “OLIVER CROMWELL.” A fortnight later he writes from Lincolnshire to the Mayor and Corporation of Colchester announcing the victory of Fairfax at Wakefield, and asking for immediate supplies both of men and money. He tells them how greatly Lord Newcastle outnumbers Fairfax, infantry two to one, horse more than six to one. And he ends with:— “Our motion and yours must be exceeding speedye or else it will do you no good at all. If you send, let your men come to Boston. I beseech you to hasten the supply to us:—forget not money! I press not hard; though I do so need, that I assure you the foot and dragooners are ready to mutiny. Lay not too much upon the back of a poor gentleman, who desires, without much noise, to lay down his life, and bleed the last drop to serve the Cause and you. I ask not your money for myself; if that were my end and hope,—viz. the pay of my place,—I would not open my mouth at this time. I desire to deny myself; but others will not be satisfied. I beseech you to hasten supplies. Forget not your prayers “Gentlemen, I am, “Yours “OLIVER CROMWELL.”