164 KINGSBRIDGE 



Avere also difficult, and not so easily made to yield as they 

 had found those at Dartmouth and elsewhere to be ? 



There is no doubt Fairfax recognised the Governor's 

 qualities, and the determined stand which he took in his fort, 

 and endorsed the opinion of those who, so long before, had 

 called him " a very great malignant." 



Among some notes left by Sir Edmund Fortescue is the 

 following : " Item, For great shot and musket shot when 

 Fort Charles was formerly twice besieged, £15 17s. Od." 

 This alludes to the two short sieges before the last. The last 

 siege which necessitated capitulation is said to have been a 

 lengthened one, and there is no doubt " Sprigge" refers to 

 this last siege, when he says, " Salcombe Fort yielded in 50 

 dales. 8 pieces of ordnance taken."* 



On the 25th March, a week after the commencement of the 

 last siege, Colonel Weldon no doubt perceiving how little he 

 would be able to accomplish, made offers to Sir Ed. Fortescue 

 to surrender, which are called by the writer " very faire," 

 and were somewhat similar to the articles afterwards signed. 

 It was supposed, on the side of the besiegers, that Sir 

 Edmund intended to yield, and premature news to this effect 

 was sent to Plymouth, and from Plymouth to the " Diurnall 

 of Parliament." What was the motive of the Governor in 

 this feint, does not appear ; but it is unlikely that he intended 

 any thing of the kind, well knowing, as he did, that the 

 enemy could produce but little effect upon the fortress, and 

 that he could hold out until May. We at least know, that he 

 did not yield, that the siege went on, that certain men of 

 the garrison were shot after this date, and that at length, 

 articles of capitulation were signed " y e 7th of May, 1646." 



Tradition has handed it down, that the Parliament forces 

 * Sprigge's Anglia Eediviva. 



