Reliquiæ Baxterianæ, or, Mr. Richard Baxters narrative of the most memorable passages of his…

When this was done, the next Question was, Who should be Lord General, and what new Officers should be put in, or old ones continued? And here the Policy of Vane and Cromwell did its best: For General they chose Sir Thomas Fairfax, Son to the Lord Ferdinando Fairfax, who had been in the Wars beyond Sea, and had fought valiantly in Yorkshire for the Parliament, though he was over-powered by the Earl of Newcastle's Numbers. This Man was chosen because they supposed to find him a Man of no quickness of Parts, of no Elocution, of no suspicious plotting Wit, and therefore One that Cromwell could make use of at his pleasure. And he was acceptable to sober Men, because he was Religious, Faithful, Valiant, and of a grave, sober, resolved Disposition; very fit for Execution, and neither too Great nor too Cunning to be Commanded by the Parliament.

And when he was chosen for General, Cromwell's men must not be without him: so valiant a Man must not be laid by: The Self-denying Vote must be thus far only dispensed with: Cromwell only, and no other Member of either House, must be excepted, and so he is made Lieutenant General of the Army: and as many as they could get of their Mind and Party, are put into Inferior Places, and the best of the old Officers put into the rest. But all the Scotch-men (except only Adjutant Crey) are put out of the whole Army, or deserted it.

And when he was chosen for General, Cromwell's men must not be without him: so valiant a Man must not be laid by: The Self-denying Vote must be thus far only dispensed with: Cromwell only, and no other Member of either House, must be excepted, and so he is made Lieutenant General of the Army: and as many as they could get of their Mind and Party, are put into Inferiour Places, and the best of the old Officers put into the rest. But all the Scotch-men (except only Adjutant Crey) are put out of the whole Army, or deserted it.