294 JOURNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
at noon by a party of horse and foot; the latter partly seamen, 
under the command of Capt. Swamley, who had just relieved 
Plymouth, and landed a body of soldiers.* A feint sally was 
made from Pennycomequick, which kept the main body of the 
besiegers engaged. And then, under cover of the fire of sixty guns 
from the ships and forts, which “beat up the dust about. the Cavies 
ears,” the new Fort Stamford was attacked and carried. The 
Cavaliers were driven from the field and pursued two miles. Twelve 
officers, including a lieutenant-colonel, a major, and four captains, 
and ninety-two soldiers, were captured ; and in the new work were 
found 300 arms, and good store of mattocks, shovels, and faggots. 
Only one of the attacking party was slain, and that by accident. 
There is an entry that £6 worth of biscuit was supplied by 
Thomas Bowden, on the 18th February, for the soldiers in fight 
with the enemy at Mount Batten. 
We know very little about the conduct of the Siege for the next 
few months. No general attack appears to have been made; 
but the garrison did not relax their efforts to improve the defences. 
Little Maudlyn and Little Pennycomequick Works were erected, 
additional fortifications raised at Lower Lipson, and a new redoubt 
thrown up at Mount Gould, which took its name doubtless from 
the dead colonel. Considerable sums were likewise spent in pali- 
sading the whole line of ditch and rampart. 
Grenville was meantime engaged at the siege of Taunton, where 
he was dangerously wounded in the thigh. He left scarce 2,000 
foot and 400 horse before Plymouth.t Indeed it does not seem 
that from the date of the fight at Mount Stamford the town was 
in any serious danger, although it was continually harassed. The 
sending away of the Kentish regiment proves this. In June, Sir 
John Berkeley was placed in command of the Siege, but he failed 
to do more than his predecessor, and never attempted to go beyond 
a blockade. It is questionable whether at this time the garrison 
were not the stronger party of the two. There had been a con- 
tinual drain on the resources of the Royalists, promoted by the 
action of Grenville, and many of the King’s soldiers had deserted 
to the Parliament,} who were taking abundant care for the needs 
of the besieged. An ordinance passed in March to raise one per 
cent. for the supply of the town and the recruiting of the Kentish 
* WHITELOCK, p. 129. t CLARENDON, vol. ii. p. 966. 
{ Wurretock, p. 147. 
