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Subject Area: Political Theory
Subject Area: History
Topic: The English Revolution

The Officers at Coldstream to the Officers at Newcastle - Sir William Clarke, The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, vol. 4 [1901]

Edition used:

The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, Secretary to the Council of the Army, 1647-1649, and to General Monck and the Commanders of the Army in Scotland, 1651-1660, ed. C.H. Firth (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1901). 4 vols.

Part of: The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, 4 vols.

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The Officers at Coldstream to the Officers at Newcastle

Deare Brethren and Fellow Souldjers,

lii. f. 42b.That there may bee noe occasion of misunderstanding betweene yow and us, wee have thought itt our duty to acquaint yow that wee have lately received intelligence that the Guarrison of Portsmouth hath declared for the Parliament, and hath received into the towne three of the commissioners appointed by the Act of Parliament of the eleaventh of October last for the goverment of the army, who are now acting there by that commission, and that wee doe thereuppon hold ourselves incapacited to come to any conclusive agreement without authority and directions from them. Yett wee doe assure yow that our intentions and desires for peace are still the same, and therefore, as the most speedy and effectuall way that wee can think off for removeing this obstruction, wee have sent this gentleman, Major Bannister, to the Lord Lambert, and doe desire that by his Lordshipp’s permission hee may goe to Portsmouth to the commissioners, to acquaint them with our desires, and to receive from them theire commands and instructions in this case, which wee doubt not but will bee such as shall give satisfaction both to yow and us. Our desire to yow is that yow would bee noe hinderance in this businesse, but that yow would consider that as wee are in honnoure obliged not to desert those who have declared for the same thing with us, soe wee are in duty bound to aske the consent of our superiors before wee conclude uppon any thing wherein they are soe neerely concerned, and that neither yow nor wee can in reason expect that any agreement made betweene us can put a finall period to these unhappy differences while any interrested party is left out. And further that yow would intreprett this ingenuity and plainesse of ours not as any designe to frustrate or to delay that happy composure which wee allsoe earnestly long for, but rather as an argument of our greate zeale to bring it perfectly to passe, and our desire to begett in yow such a confidence of us as soe much candor and clearenesse may justly expect, which as wee can noe waise doubt from yow to whome wee have bin soe long and soe well knowne, soe wee know noe better way to bring us againe to that antient and entyre love and frendshipp which none but they that are enimyes both to yow and us endeavoure to destroy.

To what hath bin said wee have this onely to add, soe that if you reject this overture of ours the bloud that shalbee shedd in this contraversie will rest on yow and yours, and wee shalbee justified in the sight of God, our owne consciencies, and the judgements of all good men that wee have endeavoured for peace to the utmost of our power, and herewith wee comend yow to God for the direction of his spiritt, and remaine

Your affectionate brethren and servants,

Coldstreame,
19th December,
1659.

For our very loveing friends, the Officers of the Army at New-Castle

RT. WINTER.L. LYTCOTT.
NAT. ELDRED.JOHN CLOBERY.
JOHN PAGE.R. KNIGHT.
J. CARRINGTON.JERE. SMITH.
ROBT. LYTCOTT.JOSEPH WITTER.
ANTHONY BELCHAM.JAMES MUTLOW.
HEN. OGLE.ED. FREER.
THO. SYMNELL.THO. JOHNSON.
P. BANNISTER.T. MANSFEILD.
ANTHO. NOWERS.JOHN MILLER.
C. FAIRFAX.PETER WILMOTT.
THO. READE.