, ▁a ▁wid ow . ▁ ▁Battle ▁At ▁mid night ▁on ▁ 9 ▁February ▁ 1 6 4 5 , ▁a ▁small ▁force ▁of ▁Royal ist ▁soldiers ▁were ▁fer ried ▁across ▁the ▁narrow ▁stra it ▁( where ▁the ▁Port land ▁Bridge ▁Road , ▁A 3 5 4 ▁now ▁cross es ) ▁from ▁Port land ▁Castle . ▁They ▁linked ▁up ▁with ▁the ▁sympath is ers ▁in ▁the ▁town , ▁who ▁wore ▁white ▁hand ker ch ief s ▁on ▁their ▁arms ▁and ▁used ▁the ▁password ▁" C rab ch urch " ▁to ▁identify ▁themselves . ▁The ▁inc urs ion ▁caught ▁the ▁Parliament arian ▁g arrison ▁by ▁surprise , ▁and ▁successfully ▁captured ▁both ▁the ▁Chap el ▁and ▁Not he ▁for ts . ▁Rec over ing ▁from ▁their ▁initial ▁surprise , ▁the ▁Parliament ari ans ▁r al lied ▁and ▁launched ▁counter - att acks . ▁The ▁strength ▁of ▁the ▁for ts ▁was ▁such ▁that ▁despite ▁their ▁smaller ▁numbers , ▁the ▁Royal ists ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁hold ▁them ▁until ▁the ▁following ▁day , ▁when ▁Dy ve ▁and ▁the ▁governor ▁of ▁Port land ▁Castle , ▁William ▁H ast ings , ▁arrived ▁with ▁ 1 , 5 0 0 ▁men ▁to ▁clear ▁out ▁any ▁resistance ▁and ▁g arrison ▁the ▁town ▁for ▁the ▁King . ▁They ▁also ▁tried ▁to ▁assass inate ▁Sy den ham , ▁but ▁were ▁un success ful ▁– ▁although ▁Sy den ham ▁lost ▁his ▁brother ▁Francis ▁in ▁the ▁initial ▁assault . ▁This ▁was ▁known ▁locally ▁as ▁the ▁C rab ch urch ▁Cons pi racy . ▁ ▁The ▁def