The Death of Rainsborough

As printed in Samuel Adams Drake (1884)

Told by unattributed — the collector names no informant · collected by Samuel Adams Drake · 1884 · Boston and eastern Massachusetts

1648. THE civil wars in England preceding the dethronement and death of Charles I. opened an alluring field for reaping individual renown which many adventurous New Englanders hastened to enter. It was there in New England, if anywhere, that the revolt against the crushing tyranny from which thou- sands had fled should find its legitimate echo. Moreover, an appeal to arms had become the dream of many of the enthusias- tic young men of this martial age. No sooner, therefore, had the sword been drawn, than these men of New England, taking their Geneva Bibles and their Spanish rapiers in their hands, enrolled themselves under the banners of the Parliament, and some of them carved with their good blades an enduring record upon the history of the time. Foremost among these volunteers for the Puritan cause was William Rainsborough, who lived here in 1639, and was, with THE DEATH OF RAINSBOEOUGH. 23 Eobert Sedgwick and Israel Stoughton, then a member of the Honorable Artillery Company of Boston. Rainsborough had speedily risen to be colonel of a regiment in the Parliamentary army, in which this Stoughton was lieutenant-colonel, ISTehemiah Bourne, a Boston shipwright, major, and John Leverett, after- wards governor, a captain ; William Hudson, supposed to be also of Boston, was ensign. A son of Governor Winthrop also served Avitli credit in these -same wars, and in New England the having furnished one of Oliver's soldiers was long one of the most valued of family traditions. Raiusborough owed his rapid advancement to the distinguished gallantry that he displayed in the field, as well as to his zeal for the cause, both of which qualifications, so essential in the Puritan soldier, earned for him the warm friendship of Crom- well, with whom he was thoroughly one in spirit. Indeed he appears to have held political sentiments quite as advanced as those of his great leader. We find him sustaining positions of high trust both in camp and council, always with ability, and always with credit to himself and his patron. In the memorable storming of Bristol, then held by Prince Rupert, Rainsborough commanded a brigade which was posted in front of the strongest part of the enemy's line of defence. The duty of assaulting this position fell to him. Cromwell tells how it was performed, in an official letter written from Bristol immediately after the surrender of the place. "Colonel Rainsborough's post was near to Durham Down, whereof the dragoons and three regiments of horse made good a post upon the Down, between him and the River Avon, on his right hand. And from Colonel Rainsborough's quarters to P'room River, on his left, a part of Colonel Birch's and the whole of General Skippon's regiment Avere to maintain that post." The signal for storming being given, the Parliamentary troops advanced with great resolution against the enemy's whole line, and were suddenly in possession of the greater portion of it. 24 NEW-ENGLAND LEGENDS. "During this," says the General, "Colonel Eainsborough and Colonel Hammond attempted Pryor's Hill Fort and the line downward towards Froom; and the major-general's regiment being to storm towards Froom Eiver, Colonel Hammond pos- sessed the line immediately, and beating the enemy from it, made way for the horse to enter. Colonel Eainsborough, who had the hardest task of all at Pryor's Hill Fort, attempted it, and fought near three hours for it. And indeed tliere was great despair of carrying the place, it being exceedingly high, a ladder of thirty rounds scarcely reaching the top thereof; but his reso- lution was such that, notwithstanding the inaccessibleness and difficulty, he would not give it over. The enemy had four pieces of cannon upon it, which they plied with round and case shot upon our men ; his lieutenant. Colonel Boweu (Bourne), and others were two hours at push of pike, standing upon the palisades, but could not enter. But now Colonel Hammond being entered the line ... by means of this entrance of Colonel Hammond, they did storm the fort on that part which was inward ; and so Colonel Eainsborough's and Colonel Hammond's men entered the fort, and immediately put almost all the men in it to the sword." For his resolute bravery on this occasion Eainsborough was one of the officers deputed by Fairfax to receive the surrender of the place. Eainsborough subsequently acted as one of the commissioners from the Army, Avith Treton and Hammond, to treat witli the King, and he was also one of the officers who stirred up in the Army that spirit of discontent with the half measures of Parlia- ment which, bursting out into open revolt, paved the way to its final and humiliating downfall. When the insurrection immediately preceding the second civil war broke out, Eainsborough was in command and on board of the English fleet, and he is then called Admiral Eainsborough. It is well known that the sailors embraced, almost to a man, the Eoyalist side. They put their Admiral on shore, and then hoisted sail for Holland and the young Prince THE DEATH OF KAINSBOROUGH. 25 of Wales. Rainsborough then went up to London, presently receiving orders to go upon his last service, into Yorkshire. It was in the year 1648 that the Yorkshire Royalists, who had been living in quiet since the first war, were again excited by intelligence of Duke Hamilton's intended invasion. A plan was laid and successfully carried out by them to surprise Pom- fret Castle (sometimes called Pontefract), the greatest and strongest castle in all England, then held by Colonel Cotterel as governor for the Parliament. It was then victualled to with- stand a long siege. The Castle was soon besieged by Sir Edward Ilhodes and Sir Henry Cholmondley with five thousand regular troops, but the royal garrison stubbornly held out for the King. It being likely to prove a tedious affair, General Rainsborough was sent from London by the Parliament to put a speedy end to it. He pitched his headquarters for the moment at Don- caster, twelve…

Samuel Adams Drake, A Book of New England Legends and Folk Lore in Prose and Poetry (Boston: Roberts Brothers, 1884)