Boscobel

Thus then began the pickeerings to the grand engagement. Major General Massey with a commanding party, being sent by his Majesty to secure the bridge and pass at Upton upon Severn, 7 miles below Worcester. On Thursday the 28. of August, Lambert with a far greater number of rebels attaq'd him, and after some dispute gain'd the pass, the river being then fordable. Here the Major General behav'd himself very gallantly, receiv'd a shot in the hand from some musketiers the enemy had placed in the church, and retreated in good order to Worcester.

During this encounter, Cromwell himself, (whose head-quarter was the night before at Pershore,) advanc'd to Stoughton within 4. miles of the city on the southside, and that evening a party of his horse faced it.

The next day (August the 29.) the Sultan appear'd with a great body of horse and foot on Redhil within a mile of Worcester, where he made a Bonnemine, but attempted nothing; and that night his head-quarters were at Judge Berkleys house at Speachley.

Saturday (August 30.) it was resolv'd by his Majesty, at a council of war, to give the enemy a Camisado, by beating up his quarters that night with 1500. select horse and foot, commanded by Major General Middleton, and Sir William Keyth; all of them wearing their shirts over their armor for distinction; which accordingly was attempted, and might in all probability have been successful, had not the design been most traiterously discover'd to the rebels by one Guyes, a tailor in the town, who was hang'd afterwards as the just reward of his treachery: In this action Major Knox was slain and some few taken prisoners.

A considerable party of the rebels commanded by Col. Lambert, Col. Ingoldsby, (not yet a convert) and Col. Gibbons being got over the Severn at Upton, march'd the next day to Powick Town, where they made an halt; for Powick bridge, lying upon the river Team (between Powick Town & Worcester,) was guarded by a Brigade of his Majesties horse and foot, commanded by Major General Robert Montgomery, and Col. George Keyth.

The fatal 3. of September being come, his Majesty this morning holds a council of war upon the top of the Colledge-church-steeple, the better to discover the enemies posture; Here his Majesty observ'd some firing at Powick and Cromwell making a bridge of boats over Severn under Bunshill, a mile below the city towards Team mouth; his majesty presently goes down, commands all to their arms, and marches in person to Powick bridge to give orders, as well for maintaining that bridge, as for opposing the making the other of boats, and hasted back to his army in the city.

Soon after his Majesty was gone from Powick bridge, the enemy assaulted it furiously, which was well defended by Montgomery, till himself was dangerously wounded, and his ammunition spent, so that he was forced to make a disorderly retreat into Worcester; and Col. Keyth was taken prisoner at the bridge.

At the same time Cromwell had with much celerity finisht his bridge of boats and plancks over the main river, without any considerable opposition, whereby he might communicate with those of his party at Powick bridge, and was the first man that led the rest over, and then went back himself and rais'd a battery of great guns against the Fort-royal on the South-side the city.