WEYMOUTH AND THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 219 



LORD GORING'S UNSUCCESSFUL NIGHT ATTACK, 

 FEBRUARY 28TH, 1645. 



Exasperated by Sydenham's recent success, Goring deter- 

 mined to carry Melcombe and Weymouth by assault in the 

 night of Thursday, February 27th. Ince, however, says that 

 Goring " had no great stomack to the businesse." Ill-fortune 

 again attended the Royalists. Ince states that Goring 

 " so guarded all wayes that no intelligence must come neer 

 us." Notwithstanding, a Roundhead, who had been taken 

 prisoner two or three days before, " though very strictly 

 watcht," managed to escape from Weymouth on the evening 

 of the intended assault (or on that of the preceding day) and 

 reaching Sydenham's Horse, then in the field, warned him of 

 the impending blow, with the result that the Roundheads 

 placed themselves in the best position of defence. Captain 

 Batten, too, came on shore with 100 seamen. Meanwhile, 

 Goring marched from Dorchester with his whole body, and 

 about one or two o'clock in the morning of Friday, 28th of 

 February, attacked, at the same time, both towns, 

 in several places, (the larger number attacking at 

 the west end of Weymouth proper), and also 

 attacked the Chapel Fort. It was a bright moonlight 

 night. Sydenham says, (*) " they furiously stormed us 



at severall places of both Townes The enemy came in 



great multitudes thorow the streets and backsides at both ends 

 of the Towne and disputed with us very hotly about three 

 houres." The Royalists at the north end of Melcombe lay 

 behind a bank and did not come to close quarters, but fired 

 at a distance. At the western end of Weymouth proper, 

 Sydenham resorted to a stratagem ; he vacated the guard 

 there (near the old Town Hall) and made a "-barricade " in 

 High-street (which lay immediately beneath the Chapel Fort), 

 planting a gun there. The Royalists gave a " loud hoop " 



* Letter from him, to the Committee of the West, March 1st, 1644. 



