MS. Ashmole 830, folio 293.  

The bearer being commanded by some gentlemen to stay after I had writ thus enclosed, it hath pleased God that we have since the date of it done something that is not to be passed over without both relation and thanksgiving.  We marched from Windsor next morning before day two hours, expecting some service that day but missed, no enemy appearing and for that night lay at Oatlands, the King’s own house.  That was Thursday.  Next day we wheeled about to a little town on the other side of the river of Thames called Ashford, where we stayed that night.  Saturday very early we marched on again, and at Hounslow Heath all the King’s foote met, expecting a bataille, but none affords one. Still we went to Hounslow towne, thence to Brainford, where unexpectedly we were encountered by 2 or 3 regiments of theirs, who had made some small barricadoes at the end of the first towne called New Brainford.  The van of our army being about 1,000 musketiers, answered their shot soe bitterly that within an hour or lesse, they foresooke their work in that place and fled up to another which they had raised betwixt the two townes, from whence and a brick house by with two small ordnance they gave us a hot and long shower of bullets. My Colonel’s (Sir Edward Fitton) regiment was the sixth that was brought to assault, after five others had all discharged, whose happy honour it was (assisted by God and a good pair of cannon newly come up) to drive them from that worke too, where it was an heart-breaking object to hear and see the miserable deaths of many goodly men.  We slew a lieutenant-colonel, 2 serjeant-majors, some captains and others, officers and soldiers there about 30 or 40 of them, took 400 prisoners.  But what was most pitiful was to see how many poore men ended and lost there lives striving to save them, for they ran into the Thames, about 200 of them, as we might judge, were drowned by themselves and so were guilty of their own deaths.; for had they stayed, and yielded up themselves, and so were guilty of their own deaths for had they stayed and yielded themselves, the King’s mercy is so gracious that he had spared them all.  We took there 6 or 8 colours, also their two pieces of ordnance, and all this with very small losse.  God be praised, for believe me, I cannot understand that we lost 16 men, whereof, one was a sone of Mr Daniel of Tabley, Mr Thomas Daniel, a fine young gentlemen (who was a Lieutenant under my Lord Rivers). He and his Captain were both slain, and a lieutenant in our regiment, but none of our countrymen.  

Then we thinking all had been done for that night, 2 of our regiments marched up through the old towne to make good the entrance, but they were again encountered by a fresh onset which scattered like the rest, after a short conflict, fled away towards Hammersmith and we were left masters of the towne.  That night most lay in the cold fields.  Next morning early we were started afresh by the loud music of some cannon which proved to be some 14 barges of theirs who with thirteen ordnance and 600 men attempted (very indifferently) to pass up the river from Kingston by the town where we lay to London, but being discovered, what from the bancke and from Sion House (the Earl of Northumberland’s) where we had placed some four musketiers, within two or three howers space we sunk 4 or 5 of their vessels with the canons in them, took the rest, and 3 pieces in them for our breakfast. After which within 2 hours we could descry a great army marching downe upon us from London who came up within musket shot of us but the King finding his men wearie and being satisfied with what he had done before for that tyme and having no convenient room for his horse (which is the greatest pillar of his army) to fight, very wisely drew of his men by degrees and unperceived by them leaves the towne naked, some of his horse dragooners keeping them deceived till the foot were all gone and then galloped in the rear.  After which the enemy perceiving played on their back with their cannon, but with no harmful success at all, God be praised.   Soe that night we marched back towards Hampton Court, next day to Kingston, a great towne which they had manned the day before with 6,000 men in it but left it upon our fight at Brainford.  So here we are now very safe, our foot and our horse about us.  And so you have a brief report of what these days have brought forth.  God hath been merciful to us above all our praise and acknowledgment.  His holy name be magnified.  Praise him all ye his people for he that delivered David his servant and preserved his anointed from the edge of the sword.  

Kingston upon Thames
November 15, 1642							M[atthew] S[mallwood]  

By kind permission of Bodleian Library, University of Oxford