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of the earliest military movements, attended with bloodshed, took 
place from Rugby, early in the month of August, 1642, by a troop of 
horse under the command of Captain John Smith, a native of Skilts, 
in this county. This Captain Smith, atthe battle of Edgehill, greatly 
distinguished himself, by rescuing the Royal standard as it was being 
carried off the field by a party of the Parliamentary soldiers; for this 
he was knighted. In 1644 he died at Oxford, and was buried with 
military honours in the Cathedral. His life was published in a small 
quarto volume, printed at Oxford in 1644, entitled “ Briltanice 
Virtutis Imago; or the effigies of true fortitude, expressed to the life 
in the famous actions of that incomparable knight, Major General 
Smith, who is here represented.” From that work the following is an 
extract:—“ By this time the cockatrice of this rebellion was grown to 
some maturity; and amongst all who sought to lop the growing 
monster, our noble Captain Smith gave one of the /irst blows, the 
particulars whereof as they are related authentically by the Herald 
(who extorted the relation from his own mouth) I will here insert. 
In the beginning of August, 1642, he marched with the Lord John 
Steward’s troop into Warwickshire, there to meet the noble Earl of 
Northampton, who was there in arms for his Majesty. Captain 
Bortue’s troop marched with him, and at Rugby, on the edge of the 
aforesaid county, he quartered the 8th of that month, where he under. 
stood, that at Kilsby in Northamptonshire, about two miles distant» 
the inhabitants had put themselves in arms against his Majesty's 
proclamation. He therefore conceiving it fit to disarm them, did 
that night set a strong guard in Rugby, of about thirty horse, to the 
end he might draw out of the town at any hour with the least noise or 
notice. Before break of day he marched out, the morning being very 
wet, and before it was light coming to Kilsby town-side drew up his 
horse in a body. As soon as it was clear day he entered the town, 
where presently he found the people gathering together, some with 
muskets or other guns, others with pitch -forks, and clubs; he asked 
‘What they meant,’ and told them he had no purpose to do them harm, 
entreating them to deliver up their arms for his Majesty’s service. 
The unruly people no whit hearkened to his courteous desires, but 
furiously assaulted his troops (which could not be drawn up in a body, 
in regard of the straitness of the passage), they wounded two or three 
