Through which the parliamentary army entered, Feb. 22d, 1644–5, and captured the town. The means by which this was accomplished showed much generalship and secrecy on the part of the Parliamentarians. It appears a detachment of soldiers belonging to that party left Wem, and marched under the shadow of night to the extremity of the Castle-foregate, where the troopers halted at four o’clock in the morning, in order that the foot soldiers might effect an entrance by stratagem. The infantry turned off on the left to the river, being led by a puritanical minister of the town, named Huson, a kinsman of the celebrated John Huson, who from a cobbler rose to be a colonel and a member of the Barebones parliament. The dismounted troopers were under the command of Benbow, who, being a native of Shrewsbury, was aware of the part most easily attacked. From the end of Castle-foregate they advanced through the fields to the castle ditch (now a thoroughfare), which was defended on the town side by strong palisading and a breastwork of earth. A boat on the river contained several carpenters and other persons, who commenced sawing down the paling near the river to effect a passage for the soldiers. This was soon accomplished, and by assisting one another over the ditch the breastwork was gained. Having succeeded thus far, they seem to have divided themselves into two divisions; the one party, headed by Benbow, scaled the wall on the eminence between the Watch Tower and the Council House, by means of light ladders. The main body, consisting of 350 men, entered by the gate shewn in the engraving, to which a tower and outwork was formerly attached. This, and a similar fort about the middle of the lane where the town wall crossed, yielded without resistance by the connivance of careless and treacherous sentinels, who are supposed to have been intoxicated and privy to the design. The party who had scaled the wall hastened to procure an entrance at the north or castle gate, which was soon done, and having let down the draw-bridge, the horse, with Colonels Mytton and Bowyer at their head, made the best of their way to the main court of guard held in the Market-place, where they found their comrades engaged with the royalists. The loss on both sides was inconsiderable, amounting to only seven men and one captain. The castle surrendered about noon, when the garrison was immediately marched off to Ludlow, with the exception of thirteen poor Irishmen, who, being left to the tender mercies of the parliamentary leaders, were hanged the same day without trial.