Letter to Archibald Stewart

fol. 240r

3403

A

fol. 240v

3402

thowsand men and eight pece of Artillery All my desire of doing them good wilbe to noe purpose therefore send me word what you doe therin, as for both your hauses they shalbe safe and soe should all the houses in the Country if they would be perswaded by me: [Tor?]: Oldstone was rendred to me and all they within had good quarters only the Clanedebayes souldiers and two regiments from beyon the ban were a litle greedy for pillaginge, which could not be helpt, As for killinge of woman none <B> of my souldiers dare doe as for his life but the Comon people that are not vnder rule doth it in in spight of our teeth; but for your people they killed of women and children and old people aboue 3 score My Lord and Lady are gon to slane to whom I haue sent; tell my brother Hill and Mr Barwick that their people are all in good health, but weares trewsus in my owne Company; I desire you not to stirr out of that till I be neere yow my selfe; for feare you should fall in the hands of the seauen hundred I haue in the lower part of the Country; whoe would giue you noe quarter at all, but when I haue setled thinges here you may come to me yourselfe and your dearest freinds to a few and the rest to transport them with the rest into Scotland, As for goeinge againe the kinge we will dye sooner or my lo: of Antrim either, but their only aime is to haue their religion settled and euery one his owne ancient inheritance, thus wishinge you to take my Counsell, which I protest to God I will giue you as really as to myselfe, and haueing the hope of your beleevinge me herein I rest

From the Callohill Campe at Oldstone the 11 of Jan: 1641

Your very loving Cossen still
James McDonnell

fol. 241r

3402

<A> Cossan Archebald, I receaued your letter and to tell the truth I was euer of that opinion and soe was the most of all these gentlemen; that your owne selfe had noe guile in you; but certainly had I not begunn when I did I and all these gentlemen with my wiffe and Children had bene vtterly destroyed; of which I gott intelligence from one that heard the plott a Layinge; and those Captaines of yours (whom you may call rather cowboys) were euery day vexinge our selues and our tennents of purpose to pick quarrells, which noe flesh was able to induce; and iudge you whether I had reason to preuent such a mischeefe; And I vow to the Allmighty had they not thus forct me, As they did many others be sids me that would rather hang them goe on as they did; I would stick as firm to your side as any of yourselues; tho, I confesse it would be the worse things for me and myne that euer I sawe. To speake to you really the truth and the true information of the whole kingdome, vpon my creddit I now doe it, All the whole kingdome in generall are of our side except Dublin whoe hath 20000 men about it, in leager if it be not now taken; Drogheda who hath 16000 about it and are these ten dayes past eatinge of horsflesh. Carickfergus Coulraine, and my Lo: of Clanebayes and my Lo: of the Ardes this is the truth on my Creditt; battlemeanagh; Antrim, and all the garissons betweene this and Carickfergus are all fled to Carickfergus; soe that it is but a ffolly to resist what God pleaseth to happen; but certainly they will haue all Irland presently; what euer time they keepe it. You may truly informe my frends in Coulraine that I would wish they { }inge now they haue leasure and if they yeeld {}

<It shalbe good for them and me, for the booty shall be myne and they shalbe sure of good place, for I will sen send for all the Raghlin boates to portrush and from thence send all the people away into Scotland; which if it be not done before Sir Phelmyes Army comes to the towne whoe comes this next {}>

fol. 241v

For my worthy Cossen Arch: Stewart Stewart esquire these