General History of Bath. 65 



" Col. Rich in command of the cavalry summoned the town, but the 

 surrender was refused. Towards evening our dragoons, com- 

 manded by Colonel Okey, were drawn near the bridge, and 

 crept on their bellies over it to the gate, seized on the small ends 

 of the enemies' musquets, which they put through the loopholes 

 of the gate, and cried to the enemy to take quarter, which so 

 affrighted the enemy that they ran to their work, which Hankered 

 the bridge, and left their musquets behind them as of no use to 

 them, so as of little to us. Our men instantly fired the gate, 

 and became masters of the Bridge, upon which the Deputy- 

 Governor [Henry Chapman] sent for a parley, and upon the 

 treaty the town was yielded upon articles, making the common 

 soldiers, who were about 140, prisoners, and having conditions 

 for the officers to march away to what garrison they pleased. 

 We found in the town 6 pieces of ordnance, 400 arms, 12 barrels 

 of pov^der — the works, besides the wall of the city, strong and 

 tenable. It was yielded in good time, for Prince Rupert was 

 advanced with a party of 1,500 horse and foot from Bristol within 

 four miles to relieve the town, but coming too late, retreated." 



Colonel Rich was left -with two regiments in Bath. 



In September Fairfax rested here with his army some four 

 or five days, and the citizens were reduced to frightful straits 

 to meet the requisitions. 



Captain Harington, the son of John Harington, of Kelston, 

 held a commission in the Parliamentary army, and at this 

 juncture did much to ease the distress of the city, with 

 which his family was intimately connected. 



The citizens wrote Captain Harington and his father 

 piteous letters. In the first the Mayor says : — 



" Our houses are emptied of all useful furniture, and much broken 

 and disfigured ; our poor suffer for want of victuals, and rich we 

 have none. Warrants are come to raise horse, but we have none 

 left. Colonel Sandford doth promise his assistance as much as 

 he is able. We have now 400 in the town, and many more 

 expected. Goi protect us from pillage." 



