308 Chippenham, and the Neighbourhood, 



and declaring he would never cross saddle till he had mounted all! 

 his men on rebels' horses, he marched on foot at the head of forty} 

 firelocks. The enemy had meanwhile thrown up some slight* 

 defences about the town, works, however, of so trifling a character,! 

 that one of their own journalists speaks contemptuously of Chip-j 

 penham, as " an unknown garrison in Wiltshire.'' As the cavaliers! 

 proceeded stealthily on the road from Lacock, near the town they! 

 caught a stray soldier, and working on the fellow's fears, compelled! 

 him to confess that the works were weak and insignificantly! 

 guarded, and to divulge the more important fact that the cavalry 

 had just ridden off in another direction. Without parley, Long 

 and Boville attacked two breast-works, with a narrow approach, 

 soon cleared these barriers, and cut their way into the market- 

 place. Dowett charged at one of the main entrances, but his 

 progress was long arrested by what is called in the journal of the 

 day " a turnpike," but which was more probably some moveable 

 barricade of timber-work. Presumably Dowett's attack came by 

 the Rath road — the only road from Bath was that narrow winding 

 lane which now passes through Foggamshire. It is evident a 

 vigorous stand could be made by a very few determined men 

 against any enemy attempting to force that deep and narrow 

 passage. For an hour or two there was hard fighting at this 

 point, and much blood was shed. Eventually the stockade was 

 carried, and the enemy driven into the middle of the town, where 

 they met Sir J. Long and his party, and fled, as it seems, along 

 St. Mary Street. A distant blast of trumpets gave them hope 

 that their cavalry had returned, and expecting that the foe would be 

 attacked from behiud, they rallied, and for another hour made an 

 effectual lodgement in the street. In the fierce struggle to dislodge 

 them, Dowett received a shot in the collar of his doublet, and the 

 cheek of his helmet was blown off. Night only put an end to the 

 savage strife. The victory was with the cavaliers. Some two or 

 three hundred escaped in the dark — others were driven into the 

 river and drowned — eighty were made prisoners — a quantity of 

 ammunition was taken, and the Lacock captain redeemed his vow, 

 and mounted all his men on rebels' horses. It is added that! 



