the Town but such a Guard as we think fit to send to one of the Gates which shall immediately be delivered to us according to the Custom of War III. That the Garison shall march out to morrow by Ten a Clock and be conducted by a Squadron of Horse to the nearest Garison of the Enemy and there shall be no crowding nor confusion when they march out IV. That nothing be carried out of the Town which belongs to the Protestants or other Inhabitants V. That the Governour obliges himself to deliver all Cannon and other sort of Arms Munition Victuals of any kind into the hands of such a Commissary as shall be ordered by us to receive them to morrow morning VI. That if there be any thing due from the Garison to the Inhabitants of the Protestant Religion it shall be paid and what has been taken from them shall be restored VII That a safe Conduct for all the Inhabitants of the Countrey and such of the Roman-Catholick Clergy that came for shelter to this Garison shall be allowed and that they go to their respective habitations together with their Goods and there be protected pursuant to King William 's Declaration bearing date the 22 d. of February last past VIII That care shall be taken of the sick and wounded men of the Garison that cannot go along with the Regiments and that when they are in a condition to follow the rest they shall have our Pass SCHONBERG Pursuant to which Articles the Irish marched out tho the Duke himself had much a-do to protect them from the Violence of the Countrey People the Injuries they had received in being plundered and stript by them were so fresh in their memories The Irish had about 150 killed and wounded during the Siege and the Duke near the same number and Wednesday the 28th and the day following the Army marched back to Belfast where they were joined by Duke Schonbergh's French Horse Sir Thomas Gowers Foot and some other Regiments sent from England On Saturday the last of August our Army was Our Army mustered at Belfast Mustered being Four Regiments of Horse one of Dragoons and Eighteen Regiments of Foot viz. Horse Earl of Devonshire's Lord Delamere's Col. Coy's and Duke Schonberg's with Col. Leveson's Dragoons Foot one Battalion of Blew Dutch Carleson's White Dutch Princess Anne's Col. Wharton's Earl of Drogheda's Lord Lisburn's Earl Meath's Lord Roscommon's Lord Lovelace's Earl of Kingston's the Duke of Norfolk's Col. Herbert's Sir Edward Deering's Sir Thomas Gower's Col. Earl's La Mellionere's Du Cambon's La Callimot's and a day or two after we were joined by most of the Inniskilling Horse who stayed with us during the succeeding Campaign The Duke having ordered most of his Artillery and Ammunition on Board at Carrickfergus our Train Horses being many of them as yet at Chester and then to go for Carlingford within eight miles of Dundalk he marched The Army march to Newry his Army forwards on Monday the 2 d. of September and came on the 6th to Newry which he found laid in Ashes by the Duke of Berwick who having been there with about 1700 Foot and Dragoons and two Troops of Horse had retired towards Dundalk the evening before and left Newry in a flame Here the General posted Capt. Palliser of Sir Thomas Gower's Regiment with Fifty men in an old Castle that was unburnt and on Saturday the 7th we Thence to Dundalk marched to Dundalk where the Army encamped on a low moist Ground nigh a mile short of the Town On Sunday the 8th Major-General Kirk's Sir John Hanmer's and Brigadier Stuart's Regiments join'd us from the North. The Irish Army were at this time in a great Consternation The Irish in confusion and it was debated whether they should quit Drogheda and Dublin and so retire towards the Shannon but my Lord Tyrconnel opposed it and when Marshal De Rose understood that Duke Schonberg halted at Dundalk He was sure he said that he wanted something necessary for their going forwards and therefore part of their Army advanced first to Ardee and then in a day or two to a place called the Bridge of Fane upon a small River within three miles of Dundalk whither the late King with his whole Army being about 28000 well arm'd and nigh Ten thousand indifferently arm'd men followed about the 15th at what time we began to intrench our Camp and also some shipping with Provisions came to us Friday the 20th we were alarm'd with the Enemies The Irish make a shew of fighting approach and they did appear upon the Hills above the Town next day drawing out their whole Army with a Train of Artilery which the Duke seeing ordered all his men to stand to their Arms and expected the Enemies attacking him but that they had no great mind to and after a Discovery of a Plot by some French to carry the rest over to King James one Du Plessy and five more being hanged as also Two hundred others sent for England the Enemy seeing that opportunity lost they returned with the main Body of their Army to Ardee where they encamped till about the 4th of November and then they marching off we thought it high time to do so likewise after being encamp'd almost Ten weeks in a very unwholsome place and pestered with all the disadvantages of bad weather by reason of which we lost in the Camp in our going to Quarters and in them and the Hospitals at least one half of our men the Army consisting then of Nine Regiments and Two Troops of Horse Four Regiments of Dragoons and Thirty Regiments of Foot whereof Two Regiments of Horse One of Dragoons and Six of Foot did not come to the Camp but were quartered in the Countrey The English Camp near Dundalk Towards the latter end of November the General ordered a Meeting of all the Countrey Gentlemen then in the North of Ireland to be at Lisburne where his Grace's Head Quarters were fixed at what time they presented the Duke with an Address and then agreed upon Rates for all sorts of Provision which by Proclamation from the General were commanded to be sold accordingly December the 12th Collonel Woolsly marched with a Party towards Belturbet which was surrendred to him by the Irish and on the 13th the Duke went to view Charlemont a strong-hold which the Irish then had and kept for some time afterwards Towards the latter end of December the Irish began to lessen the Coin of their Brass-Money calling in the large Half-Crowns and stamping them a new for Crowns and near the same time Major-General Major-General Mackarty makes his escape Mackarty made his escape from Inniskilling where he had remained a Prisoner ever since the Rout at Croom Castle Collonel Hambleton Governour of the Town was Tried by a Court-Marshal for it afterwards but producing Major-General Kirk's Letter to him wherein he desired that some further Conveniencies might be allowed Mackarty than formerly upon which it
Conduct that day After the Battel our Army lay upon their Arms all night at Duleek having left our Tents all standing beyond the Boyne And next morning his Majesty sent Brigadier La Mellionere with One thousand Horse and Dragoons a Party of Foot and Eight Pieces of Cannon to summons Drogheda wherein the Irish had a Garison of about 1300 men commanded by my Lord Iveagh who surrendred the Town upon Condition That his Garison should have leave to march out without their Arms and be conducted to Athlone Tho their Barbarity in tying the Protestants in Town back to back and placing them where they expected our Guns to play ought not to be forgot This is a Town of no great strength only a Mount whereon are planted Ten Guns on the South-side the River seems capable of Defence Thursday the 3 d. of July his Majesty had an Account That the Irish had left Dublin and were making what haste they could towards the Shannon upon which the Duke of Ormond marched to that City with One thousand Horse and found Captain Farlow Governor of the Castle who two days before had been a Prisoner his Grace took possession of all the Out-Guards of the Town with his Horse and the Dutch Blue Guards were sent to the Castle The 5th His Majesty with his Army marches to Dublin our Army marched to Finglass a little Village two miles to the North-west of Dublin where we lay encamped for several days The 6th being Sunday his Majesty went to St. Patrick's Church in Dublin and next day towards the evening the Bishop of Meath the Bishop of Limerick Dr. King and all the Clergy then about Dublin except the Lord Primate who sent his Excuse to his Majesty by reason of his great Age and Infirmness waited upon the King at his Camp where the Bishop of Meath made an excellent Congratulatory Speech for his Majesty's happy Victory and their Deliverance Whereunto his Majesty gave a Gracious Answer And the Bishop of Limâ—rick desired they might appoint a Day of Publick Thanksgiving and have leave to Compose a Form of Prayer suitable to the occasion which was granted The same day his Majesty signed a Declaration His Majesty's Declaration to the Irish wherein he promised Protection to all poor Labourers common Soldiers Countrey-Farmers Plow-men and Coltiers as also to all Citizens Tradesmen Townsmen and Artificers who either remained at home or having fled from their Dwellings should return by the first of August following c. leaving all others to the Event of War unless by great and manifest demonstrations they would convince his Majesty that they deserved his Mercy which he promised never to refusâ— to those who were truly penitent A great many of the Irish Officers complained The Irish Objections against the Declaration That this Declaration was too narrow in excluding them from any Advantage by it and that they were obliged afterwards to stick together as being their only safety but this Declaration was narrower than his Majesty's Royal Intentions on purpose to comply with the English Proprietors of that Countrey And as to the Irish Officers this was only a pretence for when it was enlarged afterwards by his Majesty and the Government the year succeeding made them all the reasonable Proffers that could be hoped or wished for yet most of them continued obstinate till they could not help it But tho his Majesty was very careful to have this and his other Declaration that succeeded it observed yet some Officers and Soldiers were apt to forget the King's Honour with that of our Countrey and Religion too when they stood in competion with their own Profit and Advantage That day and the next his Majesty took a view of his Army by distinct Regiments nor did the inconveniency of the bad Weather which fell out at Our Army mustered that time prevent him from observing each Regiment very nicely the whole number of Horse Foot and Dragoons that marched in the Ranks was 30330 besides 483 Reformed Officers as also all the Officers and Serjeants in the Army and Four Regiments in Garison so that the compleat Number of our whole Army was at least 36000 as is said before Nor will it be improper to gâ—ve here a List of our General Officers who commanded this Campaign under his Majesty and were employed in his Service but we must take it from the beginning since his Grace Duke Schonberg was killed ere this A LIST of the General Officers of Their Majesties Army 1690. FRederick Duke of Schonberg Captain-General A List of their Majesties Army 1690. The Duke of Wirtenbergh General of the Danes Count Solmes General of the Foot Count Schonberg General of the Horse Lieutenant-General Douglass Lord Overkirk Maistres Generals des Camp Earl of Portland Maistres Generals des Camp Henry Lord Viscount Sidney Major-Generals of Foot Count Nassau Major-Generals of Foot Major-General Kirk Major-Generals of Foot Major-General Tetteau Major-Generals of Foot Monsieur Screvenmore Major-Generals of Horse Maj. Gen. La Forrest Major-Generals of Horse Sir John Lanier Major-Generals of Horse Monsieur Du Cambon Quarter-master-General Brigadier Trelawney Brigadiers of Foot Sir Henry Bellasis Brigadiers of Foot Sir John Hanmer Brigadiers of Foot Brigadier Stuart Brigadiers of Foot Brigad La Mellionere Brigadiers of Foot Brigad Villars Brigadiers of Horse Brigad Eppinger Brigadiers of Horse Brigad Schack Brigadiers of Horse Sir Robert Southwell Secretary of State Thomas Coningesby Esq now Lord Coningesby and Charles Fox Esq Pay-masters-General Sir John Topham Advocate-General Henry Wythers Adjutant-General of Foot Francis Russel Adjutant-General of Horse George Clark Esq Secretary at War Monsieur Perara Commissary-General of the Provisions Abraham Yarner Esq Muster-master-General Dr. Lawrence Physician-General Charles Thompson Esq Chyrurgion-General A CATALOGUE of the General Officers A List of the Irish General Officers and others in King Jams's Army taken out of the Muster-Rolls June the 2 d 1690. DUKE of Tyrconnel Captain-General Duke of Berwick Lieutenant-Generals Richard Hambleton Lieutenant-Generals Count Lauzune General of the French Monsieur Leary alias Geraldine Lieutenant-General Dominick Sheldon Lieutenant-General of the Horse Patrick Sarsfield Major-Generals Anthony Hambleton Major-Generals Monsieur Boiseleau Major-Generals Thomas Maxwell Brigadeers John Hambleton Brigadeers William Dorrington Brigadeers Solomon Slater Muster-master-General Robert Fitz-Gerald Comptroler of the Musters Sir Richard Neagle Secretary at War Sir Henry Bond Receivers General Louis Doe Receivers General Sir Michael Creagh Pay-master General Foelix Oneil Advocate General Dr. Archbold Physician to the State Patrick Archbold Chyrurgeon General The Irish had at that time in their Army Two Troops of Horse-Guards with another of Horse-Granadiers Eight Regiments of Horse Seven Regiments of Dragoons a Regiment of Foot Guards of Twenty two Companies and Ninety men in a Company Forty four other Regiments of Foot Thirteen Companies in a Regiment and Sixty men in a Company which with the Five thousand French Foot made their Army according to their own Computation
forced most of them to fly from thence to secure their Lives against an Insolent and ungovernable Irish Army who by order from the Government seized upon all the Horses and Arms they could find in the Hands of the Protestants throughout the Kingdom and made all possible Preparations to resist a powerful Army from England which was but reasonable to look for since it 's so inconsistent with the Laws Interest and Policy of this Kingdom to have Ireland in any other hands but their own On the 12th of March the Late King with about The Late King lands in Ireland 1800 men from France landed at Kinsale in the West of Ireland And on the 14th several of the Northern Protestants that had betaken themselves to Arms were routed at a place called Drummore by Lieut. Gen. Hambleton who was some time before sent into Ireland to treat with my Lord Tyrconnel to deliver up the Sword but joining with his Lordship and the Irish at his Landing he was preferred to that Post He had with him at Drummore about 2000 of the Irish standing Army and nigh as many Rapareers though he killed but few of the Protestants they making a Running Fight of it as others also did at Killileigh Claudyfoord and some other Places several flying into England or Scotland though the most resolute amongst them went towards London-Derry where in a short time they were actually besieged by the greatest part of the Irish Army And then the Irish make Preparations for the sitting of their Parliament which was on the 7th of May 1689. wherein all the mere Irish were admitted as An Irish Parliament called Members and most of the English Nobility Gentry Clergy and substantial Tradesmen of that Kingdom were attainted by name their Estates and Goods being declared forfeited if they returned not by a certain day which to the greatest part was next to an impossibility There were some Protestants however in this Parliament who endeavoured to do their Absent Brethren and the Protestant Interest all the faithful service imaginable particularly the Bishop of Meath who made several excellent Speeches in the House of Lords in opposition to their Proceedings but the Current was then too strong to be stopt and whoever endeavoured it their Attempts were fruitless But the greatest Thorn in their sides at that time in The Siege of London-derry Ireland was the City of London-derry which contemned both their Threats and fair Promises baffling the chieâ— of their Forces for at least Four Months together without any extraordinary Supplies from England till they were reduced to the last Extremity Yet on the 25th of March the Besieged had some Arms and Ammunition brought them by Captain James Hambleton And on the 13th of April Collonel Richards and Collonel Cunningham were sent with Two Regiments from England to their Assistance who coming to the Lough of Derry and being ordered to obey the then Governour Lundy's directions they were told by him That the Town could not hold out a Week and that their coming in would only be the loss of their men and the Besieged also and advised them to return which they did tho they lost their Regiments upon it A GROUND PLAT OF LONDON-DERRY tc Then went Major-General Kirk with his own Regiment Sir John Hanmer's and Brigadier Stuart's who anchor'd in the Lough Two Months during which Major-General Kirk sent to their relief time a great many French Commanders were sent to the Irish Camp and also the late King himself went down to encourage the Besiegers fresh Supplies of men going thither daily but all to no purpose which when he saw how unsuccessful the Attempts of his Irish Army against the Town were like to prove it 's confidently reported that he exprest himself to this effect That if he had had as many English-men in his Army as he had of others they would have brought him it stone by stone ere that But being weary of so tedious a Siege he returned to Dublin and at last the Dartmonth Frigat forced her way up to the Town and the Irish raised their Siege on the last of July The Management of this Affair was blamed by some of themselves who were either for pushing on the Siege with their whole Army or else for making a Blockade and so going into Scotland with the rest of the Army as my Lord Melfort advised and as my Lord Dunee earnestly writ for several times but some of the Irish Officers advised the late King to a Medium by making a slow and regular Siege which would teach his men to be the better Soldiers but thereby he lost his opportunity in not sending to reinforce Dundee whereby he might at least have changed the seat of the War Nor were the Inniskilliners behind their Neighbours of Derry in opppsing the Irish on all occasions for besides several Actions of moment performed by them at other times the very day before the Siege of Derry was raised the Inniskilliners hearing of about Six thousand of the Irish Army commanded by Major-General Mackarty commonly called my Lord Moncashel that were marching towards them in order to Besiege their Town also they very bravely met them nigh Twenty Miles from home and at a place called Newtown Butler near Croom-Castle they fought and routed the Irish killing and drowning in Loughs and Bogs nigh Three thousand The Battel at Newtown Butler Mackarty himself and some few more being taken Prisoners The whole Body of the Inniskilliners both Horse and Foot were not above Two thousand and scarce Twenty of those were killed with about Fifty more wounded This I have had confirmed by several very good men of that Party and it 's in a great measure owned by the Irish themselves After these Affronts the Irish Army retire into Leinster Duke Schonberg lands with an Army in Ireland and Munster in order to recruit and refresh themselves when they had soon an account to their sorrow That Duke Schonbergh General of all Their Majesties of Great Britain's Forces was landed with an Army at Bangor in the North of Ireland This was on Tuesday August the 13th and on the 17th the General with his Army marched to Belfast from whence on the 20th he sent Five Regiments of Foot with some Horse to Invest the Town of Carrickfergus and the next day followed himself with the remainder of the Army There were Two Regiments of Foot in the Town under Mackarty Moore the Governor and Owen Mackarty who held it out till the 27th at what time the following Articles were agreed to and signed Articles of Agreement between Frederick Duke of Schonbergh General of Their Majesties Forces and Col. Charles Mackarty Moore Governor of Carrickfergus August 27. 1689. Art I. THAT the Garison shall march out with flying Articles of Carrickfergus Colours Arms lighted Matches and their own Baggage to morrow by Ten a Clock II. That in regard the Garison are in such Disorders none be admitted into
he admitted my Lord Dover to a more particular Protection than ordinary because he had applied himself formerly by a Letter to Major-General Kirk to desire a Pass for himself and Family to go into Flanders His Majesty at his return to the Camp declared The King intends for England his Resolution to go for England and leaving Count Solmes Commander in Chief he went as far as Chappel-Izard nigh Dublin with that Intention ordering one Troop of Guards Count Sconberg's Horse formerly my Lord Devonshires Collonel Matthews's Dragoons Brigadier Trelawny's and Collonel Hastings's And sends some Forces thither Foot to be shipt off for that Kingdom And on the first of August His Majesty published a Second Declaration not only confirming and strengthening the former but also adding That if any Foreigners then in Arms against him in that Kingdom would submit they should have Passes to go into their own Countries or whither else they pleased A Proclamation was also published for all the Irish in the Countrey to deliver up their Arms and those who refused or neglected to be abandoned to the Discretion of the Soldiers As also another Proclamation for a Weekly Fâ—st And then His Majesty appointed Richard Pine Esq Sir Richard Reves and Robert Rochfort Esq Lords Commissioners of the Great Seal who began now to act accordingly But the King received a further Account from England But returns to the Camp That the loss at Sea was not so considerable as it was at first given out and that there was no danger of any more French Forces landing in that Kingdom they having already burnt only a small Village and so were gone off without doing any further damage The danger of that being therefore over His Majesty returned to the Army which he found encamped at Golden Bridge nigh Cashell and about seventeen miles from Limrick where His Majesty had intelligence of the Posture of the Enemy in and about that City August the 8th Lieutenant-General Douglas and his Limerick Besieged Party from Athlone joined the King's Army at Cariganlis And on the 9th the whole Army approached that strong Hold of Limerick without any considerable loss the greatest part of their Army being Encampt beyond the River in the County of Clare His Majesty as soon as his Army was posted sent a Summons to the Town which was refused to be obeyed by Monsieur Boiseleau the Duke of Berwick Sarsfield and some more though a great part of their Army were even then willing to Capitulate Next Morning early the King sent a Party of Horse and Foot under Major-General Ginckell and Major-General Kirk to pass the River which they did near Sir Samuel Foxon's House about two miles above the Town The same day some Deserters from the Enemy gave his Majesty an account of their Circumstances and one of our own Gunners did as much for us who informed the Enemy of our Posture in the Camp as also of Eight Pieces of Cannon with Ammunition Provisions the Tin-Boats and several other Necessaries then upon the Road which Sarsfield with a Party of Horse and Dragoons had the luck to surprize two Some of our â—â—ns surprized days after at a little old Castle called Ballynedy within seven miles of our Camp killing about Sixty of the Soldiers and Waggoners and then marched off with little or no opposition tho his Majesty had given Orders for a Party of Horse to go from the Camp and meet the Guns the night before Tuesday the 12th Brigadier Stuart went with a Party Castle Connel taken and four Field-Pieces to Castle-Connel a Strong-hold upon the Shannon four miles from Limerick the besieged being 126 under one Captain Barnwell after some time submitted and were brought Prisoners to the Camp Sunday the 17th at night we opened our Trenches Our Trenches opened which were mounted by Seven Battalions under the Duke of Wirtenbergh Major-General Kirk Major-General Tetteau and Sir Henry Bellasts beating the Irish out of a Fort nigh two old Chimneys where about Twenty were killed and next night our Works were relieved by Lieutenant General Douglas my Lord Sidney Count Nassau and Brigadier Stuart with the like number and the day following we planted some new Batteries which his Majesty going to view as he was riding towards Ireton's Fort he stopt his Horse on a sudden to speak to an Officer a Four and twenty pound Ball the very moment grazing on the side of the Gap where his Majesty was going to enter which certainly must have dash'd him to pieces had not the commanding God of Heaven prevented it who still reserves him for greater matters This I saw being then upon the Fort as I did that other Accident at the Boyne before Wednesday the 20th we attack'd a Fort of the Enemies A Fort taken nigh the South East Corner of the Wall which we soon took and killed 50 taking a Captain and twelve men Prisoners and about an hour after the Enemy sallyed with great Bravery thinking to regain the Fort but were beat in with loss there being killed in the Fort and the Sally about Three hundred though we lost Captain Needham Captain Lacy and about Eighty private men A PROSPECT of LIMERICK BEARING DUE WEST Exactly shewing the Approaches Batteries Breach ct Sold by R. Chiswell in St. Pauls churchyard Next day the Soldiers were in hopes that his Majesty would give orders for a second Attack and seemed resolved to have the Town or lose all their lives but this was too great a risque to run at one place and they did not know how our Ammunition was sunk especially by the former day's work we continued however our Batteries and then a storm of Rain and other bad weather begun to threaten us which fell out on Friday the 29th in good earnest upon which his Majesty calling a Council of War it was concluded the safest way was to quit the Siege without which we could not have secured our heavy Cannon which we drew off from the Batteries by degrees and found much difficulty in marching them five miles next day Sunday the last of August all our His Majesty raised the Siege Army drew off most of the Protestants that lived in that part of the Countrey taking that opportunity of removing further into the Countrey with the Army and would rather leave their Estates and all their Substance in the Enemies hands than trust their persons any more in their power His Majesty seeing the Campaign nigh an end went towards Waterford where he appointed Henry Lord Viscount Sidney Sir Charles Porter and Tho. Conningsby Esq Lords Justices of Ireland and then setting And returns to England sail with a fair Wind for England his Majesty was welcomed thither with all the Joy and Satisfaction imaginable CHAP. III. September 1690. The French Forces quit Ireland Birr besieg'd by the Irish who draw off towards Banoher Bridge Count Solms 's Answer to the Duke of Berwick 's Letter Lieutenant-General
and other Provisions from the Stores which by that time were fixed there The 15th Major O Connor and 60 men that had been Garrisoned at Banoher Bridge came to our Camp where 40 of the men laid down their Armes to whom the General gave 5 s. a piece for encouragement and ever after the Irish deserted apace The 16th the Army marched to Loughreagh a small The Army marcht to Loughreagh Town seated in an indifferent good Countrey but remarkable for nothing so much as for several Synods and Assemblies kept there by the Popish Clergy in year 1650. when the late unhappy Troubles where at the heighth Those were the Congregational Party who sometimes condemned the Cessation and at other times they approved of it But at last they Excommunicated the then Marquiss of Ormond for acting by the Kings Commission tho he valued themselves very little and their Excommunication much less And it were to be wished that other Churches too as well as that of Rome were better advised in this way of Censuring This place we found Plundred by the Irish Army as well their own People as the English the Irish Soldiers giving their Countrey-men this reason for what they did that they had better be Plundred by their own people than give what they had to the English Army who would certainly strip them in a day or two more The 17th We marched to Athenree within 8 Miles Thence to Athenree of Galway standing in a plain dry Countrey and encompassed with a pretty good Sone Wall but we found not above 30 Irish Cabbins in all the Town most of which were deserted too and the Inhabitants gone with the rest of the Neighbourhood towards the Mountains of Slewbaughty There was a Religious House in the Town built at first by Miles Bruningham in the Year 1241 and tho it had been defaced when other Monasteries were suppressed yet the Irish had pretty well repaired it again But upon our Approach the Monks had left their House and greatest part of their Books By the Ruines of two Churches within the Walls and another Religious Place or two without it appears a Town of some Antiquity and I find this to be the place where Bruningham defeated the Irish and slew Eight Thousand of them the Town being walled afterwards with the Money raised of Armour and spoil gotten from the Irish for every one of the English that had double Armour of the Irish gave one half towards the Walls of the Town of which Bruningham was made Baron and one John Hussey a Butcher did wonderful Feats that Day Afterwards frequent skirmishes happened hereabouts between the English and Irish and the Town it self was burnt in Queen Elizabeths time by the Mackan Earla's the Church not escaping one of them saying upon his being told that his Mother was buried in it That if she were alive he would sooner burn her and it together than that any English Churle should fortifie there Soon after this 2000 l. Tax was laid by the Lord Deputy to Rebuild the Town but as they were about it and the Work well nigh finished the New Gates were set on Fire again by my Lord Clanrickards Sons who passed the Shannon and changed their English for Irish Apparel then sackt the Town drove away the Masons and defaced the Queens Arms. This place it seems has not been very considerable since by reason of the Condition we found it in Our Army encamped on the Plains not far from the Town the General going with a Party three Miles nearer Galway from whence being upon a rising Ground we could see into the Bay where there lay then Six Ships Three of which went off that Night It was given out in Orders that the Men should be kept close in the Camp and to be ready to March in a Minutes warning without beat of Drum but on farther Consideration we rested On the 18th the General going with a Party to a place called O Ranmore seated upon the very end of the Bay of Galway which the Irish had burnt some days before His Excellency thought it not convenient to approach so nigh as to view the Town of Galway which we could not do without went within half a Mile of it tho not one of the Irish appeared for they had only a few Scampering Dragoons in Town and therefore when the General had viewed the most convenient ways to March his Guns and Carriages and sent an Aid du Camp to discover who Major General Scravemore was who had gone abroad also with a Party another way he returned to the Camp whither one Mr. Shaw a Merchant and some others came Some Protestants escape out of Galway and inform the General of the state of that place from Galway and gave the General a full Account how matters stood within that the Garrison were only 7 Regiments and those neither full nor well Armed that they agreed not amongst themselves about keeping or surrendring the Town tho it was probable they would never abide a brisk Attack that D'Vssone the French Lieutenant General was there and that my Lord Dillon was Governour and that the Irish expected Balderick O Donnel with his Party to come into Town by way of Ire Conaught without whom they were not in a Condition to make Resistance The heat of Expectation from this Irish Deliverer was now pretty well cooled and at the Battle of Aghrim he was at one Mr. Miller's at Bally-Cushean about Six Miles from Tuam having a Party of about one Thousand Men at Hedford Ballinrobe and up and down the Country who upon the News of the Battle were for marching in all haste towards the Mountains but not seeing our Army approach so soon as they expected them Balderock at the Instigation of one Linch a Popish-Priest and one who called himself Dean of Tuam sent back a Party to that Town who alledging that the People were making great Preparations to receive the English Army they stript the Inhabitants and burnt the Place at such a time when the People not only expected to get in their Harvest but also hoped for the Protection of the English Army but found the contrary as well to their disappointment as loss This Town is dignified with an Archiepiscopal Seat and is that where the first Castle that ever was in Ireland as to any pile of Lime and Stone was built in the Year 1161. by Rotherick O Connor the Monarch and for the rarity called Castrum Mirificum The Inhabitants here inform us that the Town was burnt in the former Wars by O Donnel's Grandfather who turning about from a rising Ground and beholding the Flames he fell down dead from his Horse without ever speaking another word With the Pillage of this Town and some other Places of the Country about Balderock and his Party marched to a Place called Cong amongst the Mountains in the County of Mayo his Men were then dwindled away and not above Six Hundred in Number So that he
Ginckel made Commander in Chief of the Army Lords Justices begin their Government The Earl of Marlborough sent with a Fleet into Ireland Cork and Kinsale taken The Irish make Attempts upon our Frontiers Part of our Army move towards the Shannon Rapparees in the Bog of Allen Those People serviceable to the Irish Interest and how My Lord Tyrconnel returns from France Sarsfield made Earl of Lucan The Irish defeated at the Mote of Greenoge Several Adventures with the Rapparees and Parlies of the Irish Army Some of our Regiments take the Field at Mullingar ON the sixth of September our Army marched to Tipperary about fourteen Miles from Limerick where they begun to disperse towards their respective Quarters And we had an Account by some Deserters that my Lord Tyrconnel and all the French Forces were Ship'd off at The French leave Ireland Gallway for France The reason of this was also enquired after by a great many that the French shou'd absolutely quit Ireland at a time when we had raised our Siege which might have given them hopes of re-gaining the next Year what they lost this at least to defend the Province of Connaught against us and so protract the War beyond what they cou'd have hoped for if the Town had been taken and that if the want of Provisions was an Objection it was easier to carry those to the Men than bring the Men to their Provisions But the reason that I have heard given for their departure was That the late King appearing very unexpectedly in France at a time when all People were over-joyed with the News of the Battel of Flerus won at Land and a Victory also gained at Sea to palliate matters therefore as to himself he laid all the blame upon the Irish that they wou'd not fight but many of them laid down their Arms in such order as if they had been Exercising which indeed some of them did Upon which the Fr. K. concluding that all was lost in that Kingdom he sent Orders to Count Lauzun to make the best of a bad Market and so come off for France as well as he could with all his Men. But the Irish taking heart of grace at our Fleets and the Dutch Armies misfortunes they held out beyond expectation And those Orders of the French Kings not coming till after His Majesty had raised the Siege of Limerick Count Lauzun waited about twelve Days for a Countermand but that not appearing he set sail for France tho' he met with contrary Orders at Sea but then it was too late For His Majesty had been a Fortnight at London before they heard at Paris that the Siege of Limerick was raised which shewed that whatever good Intelligence they might have from England or Ireland at other times they wanted it now but whether the Wind was cross or what else was the reason I am uncertain About the fourteenth we heard that Sarsfield with a part of the Irish Army had marched over the Shannon at Banoher-Bridge and besieged the Castle of Birr wherein Birr besieged by the Irish was only a Company of Colonel Tiffin's Foot who stoutly defended the Castle the only temble place but Major-General Kirk marching thither with a part of our Army the Enemy quitted the Siege and marched off At this time Count Solms who commanded in Chief was at Cashel where he received a Letter by a Trumpeter from the Duke of Berwick then at Limerick complaining that they heard of a Design of ours to send all those Prisoners we had taken at several places to be Slaves in the Foreign Plantations and withal threatning ours with the French Gallies But this was only a trick of the Irish Officers themselves to prevent their Soldiers from deserting making them believe there was a Contract to sell them all to Monsieur Perara the Jew for so much Bread which made the name of the Jew very terrible to the Irish But this was a mere Story of their own framing and therefore Count Solms sent the following Answer to the Duke's Letter Henry Count de Solms General of Their Majesties Army in their Kingdom of Ireland HAving never before heard of a Design to send those Numbers Count Solms's Answer to the Duke of Berwick's Letter of your Men we have Prisoners to the Foreign Plantations we detained your Trumpeter here for some Days in hopes we might have been able to trace this Report which you send us word is spread about of such our Intentions but no enquiry we have made giving us the least light therein we have reason to think that neither those Prisoners we have of yours need fear so long a Voyage nor those few of ours in your hands be apprehensive of yielding a small Recruit to the French King's Gallies However we think fit to declare that your Men shall severely feel the effects of any ill usage you shall offer to ours for which they may reckon themselves obliged to their Generals Given at our Head-Quarters at Cashel the 21st Day of September 1690. To the Duke of Berwick or the Officer in Chief commanding the Enemies Forces Soon after this Count Solms went for England and the Lieutenant-General Ginckel made Commander in Chief Baron de Ginckel was made Lieutenant-General and Commander in Chief of the Army who went to his Head-Quarters at Kilkenny Towards the middle of September Henry Lord Viscount Sidney and Thomas Coningesby Esquire two of the Lords-Justices went to Dublin where they took the usual Oaths of Chief Governors of that Kingdom before the Commissioners of the Great Seal and immediately begun their The Lords-Justices go to Dublin work of putting the Country in as good a condition of Safety as the nature of the times would bear Whilst the King was imployed in the Field with his Army against the Town of Limerick it was first proposed by the Earl of Nottingham to my Lord Marlborough and afterwards approved of in Councel as very Advantageous to Their Majesties Affairs to send a Party from England who joyning with a Detachment from the King's Army might reduce those two important Garrisons of Cork and Kinsale and provisions were made accordingly But not being ready so soon as was designed His Majesty upon His return for England sent the Earl of Marlborough with his own Regiment of Fusiliers Brigadier Trelawny's Princess Ann's Earl of Marlborough sent into Ireland Colonel Hastings's Colonel Hales's Sir David Collier's Colonel Fitz-Patrick's one hundred of the Duke of Bolton's and two hundred of the Earl of Monmouth's with my Lord Torrington's and Lord Pembrook's Marine Regiments CORK CITY After the taking of those two Towns the Irish that lay October 1690. in the County of Kerry made several Incursions and burnt some small Villages in the County of Cork and near the same time another Party burnt Balliboy a Village 8 miles The Irish make some attempts upon our Quarters from Birr wherein there was then six Companies of the Earl of
the Works in the Morning with a Captain Lieutenant and Ensign The Sutlers that were ready to go to Mullingar were to have a Guard at the Hospital where they were to take up what Men were sick or wounded And the Majors of each Regiment were to have a particular Care that the Mens Arms were fix'd and clean which Orders were often repeated June the 11th One Captain Taylor and two private Men desert from the Enemy who acquaint us that my Lord Tyrconnel by a Declaration dated May the 15th had ordered all the Rapparees into Connaught to recruit their Army and that the General St. Ruth at his going towards Athlone had ordered Brigadier Maxwel's Men to drive all the Cattle in those parts in the Rear of the Army for their support and that the Irish talk'd of giving us Battel tho' they were generally dissatisfied with the few and mean Cloaths sent them out of France and the small allowances of Provisions c. This Evening it was given out in Orders that the Chaplains should say Prayers at the Heads of their respective Regiments at ten in the Morning and seven at Night and to admonish the Men from Swearing a Vice too common at all times amongst us The 12th the Soldiers were prohibited Gaming and all Guards were to be relieved constantly at nine a Clock Our Line of Communication was then finished and we were working upon a Spur Half-Moon and Horn-Work with a good Ditch to cover the Draw-Bridge and Entrance to the Out-work There was also a Bastion begun to the Right towards the Lough and a large Half-Moon towards the Left both which command the new uttermost Work and the Fort was ordered to be amended by throwing part of it down and building it a new A Work was likewise designed along the Lough-side to cover those within that side being open and none could stir in the Fort but were exposed to Shot from the Hill A Platform was also designed for eight Guns on the top of the Mount The same Day ten Guns and three Mortars left at Mullingar were brought up and four Troopers desert the Enemy who confirm the Report of their being at Athlone with the greatest part of their Army June the 13th One hundred Prisoners were sent from the Camp to Carne-Castle a place three Miles hence where the Rapparees used to shelter themselves and demolished it And stealing being become very common in the Camp a Fellow was hanged for stealing an Horse which wrought some Reformation for a time The 14th and 15th we continued improving the forementioned Works On the 16th a strong Party of Horse was sent to view Athlone And on the 17th Lieutenant-Colonel Toby Purcell was left Governor of Ballymore with four Companies of Lieutenant-General Douglas's Regiment who went himself towards the North and from thence to Flanders The same Day my Lord Lisburn was sent out towards Lanesborough with a Party of two thousand Foot and five hundred Horse who meeting with a small Party of the Irish Horse kill'd two or three and the rest fled in haste towards the Shannon but mistaking the Ford one or two more were drown'd That Evening Orders were given out That no Sutler or other Person whatever should buy any Ammunition Arms or Accoutrements or any thing that belongs to the Soldiers on pain of Death because the Soldiers for a little Money would be apt to sell their Cloaths or Shooes And if as great Care were not taken of most of them as of Children they would soon be in a very indifferent condition June the 18th The Army march'd from Ballymore The Army march towards Athlone and is joyned by the Duke of Wirtenberg and encamp'd that Night at Ballyburn Pass near Twoy where we were joyned by that part of the Army commanded by the Duke of Wirtenberg and Count Nassau being all Foreigners and seven thousand in Number and now our Army is about eighteen thousand The General with a Party of Horse views Athlone where he could see several of the Enemy's Horse upon the little Hills nigh the Town and their Camp about two Miles beyond the River upon a narrow Neck of Land between two Boggs where they remain'd till the Town was taken June the 19th Very early in the Morning our Advance-Party We approach the Town march'd and by nine a Clock had beat the Enemy from several out Ditches to within the Walls of the English Town on this side the River our Men lodging themselves in the same Ditches For tho' the Irish quitted it the Year before and burnt the Houses both without and within the Walls upon the approach of Lieutenant-General Douglas yet they designed to show more Courage this time and defend this side the River also which made some blame Lieutenant-General Douglas as guilty of an Over-sight in not demolishing the Walls when he quitted it the Year preceeding but those that accompanied him in that Expedition know that he had not time for it And since the Irish seem'd so Brave the General was resolved to lose no time ordering three Guns to be planted nigh a Ford on Lanesborough-side which play'd all that Day upon a Breast-Work that the Enemy had on the other side About six in the Evening our Guns came up to a Battery planted between Isker and Athlone and that Night we were hard at work in raising another Battery on which we mounted nine eighteen Pounders And June the 20th about eight a Clock in the Morning Batteries planted our Battery began to play on a Bastion not far from Dublin-Gate by twelve we made a Breach the breadth of the Bastion and continued firing to prevent the Enemy from raising any Works within About three a Clock a Council of War was held wherein the following Rules were agreed upon in order to the storming the Place at five Which because they show the Method of Attacking Towns by Storm it will not be impertinent here to insert them Order of the Attack at ATHLONE the Twentieth of June 1691 at Five in the Afternoon There are to be Commanded from each Wing a hundred The Order of the Attack at Athlone and fifty Granadiers in all three hundred which are to be Commanded by a Lieutenant-Colonel and Major six Captains twelve Lieutenants twelve Serjeants and that Detachment shall be disposed of as followeth 1. A Lieutenant Serjeant and thirty Granadiers who as soon as they shall enter the Breach shall take to the Right towards the Bridge to prevent the Enemies getting that way into the Town but if they find any Retrenchment before the Bridge they shall Post themselves in Covert as well as they can thereabouts 2. After them a Captain two Lieutenants two Serjeants and fifty Soldiers 3. Then the Lieutenant-Colonel three Captains five Lieutenants five Serjeants with a hundred and twenty Granadiers who shall follow the two former Detachments towards the Bridge 4. After these the Major with two Captains four Lieutenants four Serjeants and a hundred and
loss to us because of the conveniency of Ground we had to Encamp on There were only three Ships left now in the Bay who anchoring nigh the Town they made off from the Shoar as the Army marched in And there was a Proposal offered to make all our Tin-Boats into four Floats and put two small Field-pieces upon each with which we were to attempt the seizing the Ships in the Bay for it was supposed that if the Ships had Guns yet our Floats would be so flat as to lie under them and so we might with no great danger either board or sink the Vessels but after having made the Floats and mounted some of our Guns upon them the design was found impracticable for several Reasons and we had an opportunity of lamenting our misfortune in not having at that time so much as one English Frigat near us The Boats therefore were to be imployed other-ways for as soon as it was grown dark Lieutenant A Party of Monks pass the River General Mackay with Colonel Tiffins Colonel St. Johns Monsieur Cambons Lord George Hambletons one Dutch and a Danish Regiment of Foot with four Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons were wafted over the River about two Miles above the Town by break of day our men were all safe on the other side meeting with no opposition only a small Party of Dragoons fir'd at the first Party that landed and then scoured off whether the Irish really expected Balderock O Donnell to come into Town that way is uncertain however we had now destroyed all hopes of it and he retired again into the County of Mayo from whence he writ to the General as has been said On Sunday in the Evening not many hours after we appear'd before the Town one Captain Bourk deserted from the Eâ—â—my and gave the General an account that the Fort the Irish were making towards the South-East was almost finished and therefore the sooner it was attacked it would be the easier gained and that it was as necessary for us to take as them to keep it because iâ— commanded a great part of the Wall on that side the Town Nâ—xt Morning early A Fort taken Count Nassau with a Party of Granadeers and two Regiments of Foot was conducted by Captain Bourk the safest way to attack this Fort Major General Talmash would needs go a Volunteer as he usually did when it was not his turn to command we mannaged it so well that our Granadeers were got almost to the Foot of the Enemies works before they discovered us upon which the Irish made some faint firings but our men then rushed forwards and threw in their Granado's which soon forced the Enemy to retire by a Line of Communication that was drawn from the Fort to the Town we lost in this Action only a Lieutenant and five Men having two Lieutenants and eight men more wounded and after the Fort was in our possession the Irish fired both small and great shot upon us from their Walls by which they wounded several and killed one Mounsieur Madronet an Ingineer as he was giving Orders to the Workmen That morning five Troopers desert from Balderock's Party giving some account of his present circumstances tho when the Irish within saw a part of our Army beyond the River they still made shew of resisting and burnt all the Suburbs on that side the Town which were very large and the Irish the readier to destroy them because most of the Houses thereabouts had formerly belonged to the English About ten a Clock and whilst their Suburbs were yet in a flame the Irish beat a Parley the Governour sending The Irish beat a Parley a Drummer wiâ—â— a Letter to the General to desire a safe Conduct for some Persons to come out in order to a Capitulation To which the General returned a satisfactory Answer and presently a Cessation was commanded between the Camp and Garrison those in Town crowding in great numbers upon the Walls and our Souldiers going to the out-side of the Irish Works enquiring each for their Friends and Acquaintance in one anothers Army In the afternoon Hostages were exchanged in order Hostages exchanged to a Treaty Those on our side were Lieutenant Colonel Purcel Lieutenant Colonel Coot and the Marquess de Rhada Lieutecant Colonel to my Lord Cutts The Enemies Hostages were Lieutenant Colonel Linch Lieutenant Colonel Burk and Lieutenant Colonel Reyley The Articles were not agreed upon that day and the Irish prevailed with the General to continue the Cessation till Tuesday at ten a Clock which time being come the General ordered eight Guns and four Mortars to be drawn down to that Fort we took the day before and there to be planted then sent a Drum to command away his Hostages but the Irish had some debates amongst themselves not that they pretended to hold out the Town but about the method of Surrender and the Substance of their Articles Their delayes however made the General impatient and he sent once or twice to hasten their Resolutions At last Lieutenant Colonel Burk one of their Hostages was permitted to go in Major General Talmash as was believed being inclined to lay the Treaty aside desired him When they were ready to begin afresh to give us a sign to secure our selves by firing a Gun into the Air The other replied That they would not fire from within till we provok'd them to it from without But after some further time it was agreed to that next Sunday morning the Town should be delivered up upon the following Articles The Articles of Galloway as they were confirmed afterwards by their Majejesties GUlielmus Maria Dei gratia Angliae Scotiae Franciae Hiberniae Rex Regina Fidei Defensores c. Omnibus ad quos praesentes Litera Nostrae pervenirint salutem Inspeximus Irrotulamentum quarundum literarum patentium de confirmatione gerenda apud Westmonasterium decimo Septimo die Februarii ultimo praeterito in Curia Cancelaria Nostra Irrotulata ac ibidem Recordo Remanente in haec verba WIlliam and Mary by the Grace of God c. To all to whom these presents shall come Greeting Whereas certain Articles bearing date the one and twentieth day of July last past were made and agreed upon by our Trusty and well belvoed Rebort Baron de Ginckel Lieutenant General and Commander in Chief of Our Forces in Our Kingdom of Ireland and the Constable and Governour of Our Town of Galway in Our said Kingdom Whereby Our said General promises that We should ratifie these Capitulations within the space of three months from the date thereof or sooner The Tenor of which said Articles is as followeth Viz. Articles granted to the Town and Garison Articles of Galloway of Galloway by Lieutenant General Ginckell Commander in Chief of Their Majesties Forces the 21st of July 1691. I. THat the Town and Fort of Galloway shall be given up to his Excellency or such Officer as he shall
loss casting up some Works nigh the Shannon towards the West behind which the Danes encamped and maintained that part of the Work during the Siege We improved also these Forts deserted by the Irish and drew a new Line from the old Church Fort to Mackay's The 27th in the Morning the Prince of Hess with his The Prince of Hess sent to Castle-Connel own Regiment Col. Tiffin's and Col. St. John's five pieces of Cannon and about 700 Horse and Dragoons marched to Castle-Connel which we had not blown up effectually last Year and wherein the Irish had now a Garison of 250 Men. They refused the Prince's Proffers to them at first but after two Days Siege were content to be all made Prisoners of War The same Day Maj. Gen. Scravemore went with another Party and four Guns to Carick-a-Gunnel a Castle upon the River three miles below the Town wherein was a Garison of 150 Men who also submitted to be Prisoners of War as did one or two Castles more the leaving these Detachments in such places being very inaccountable since they had a mind to defend them no better This seems rather want of Instructions what to do than Courage to perform it for to give the Irish their due they can defend stone Walls very handsomly We read that Sir George Carew President of Munster in Queen Elizabeth's Time took the Castle of Dunboy in the West of Ireland by Assault where the Irish made the most resolute Defence of any of the like nature before or since for the Garison being 130 choice Men were all either killed or hanged for holding out and some of them defended the very Vaults during a whole Night though all the rest of the Castle was taken and one Mack Geoghagan being desperately wounded when he saw the English enter the Vault he endeavoured to cast a lighted Candle into a Barrel of Powder to blow himself and them up together but was prevented in his Design and so died The Irish planted two Field-pieces on the opposite side the River by which they obliged two Regiments of our Dragoons that lay close to the Shannon to remove but as soon as we had placed some Guns to flank their small Battery they drew off Orders were given to fit up 600 Bombs and 1000 Hand-Granades and in the Afternoon eighteen of our Ships came up the River within a mile of the Town and fired some Shots into the Irish Our Ships come nigh the Town Horse-Camp as they sailed along they being encamped at that time nigh the River at a place called Craightulagh This put several of the Irish much out of Countenance for till then they were made believe that either we had no Ships in the River or else those we had would quickly be swallowed up by the French Fleet which they hourly expected The 28th an Order was sent to Kinsale for the rest of the Provision-Ships then in that Harbour to sail to the Shannon And the General went on board some of those Ships that came up the Day before giving Command to bring on shoar several Pieces of new Cannon and Mortars which was performed on the 29th And all the Prisoners that had been taken in several Castles being about 400 in number were sent towards Clonmel with a Party of Horse and Dragoons to guard them This Evening our Line of Circumvallation was finished and our other Works by hard labour much improved the Enemy playing hot upon us from the King's Castle and three more Batteries Our Business was now to raise a Battery for ten Guns and seven Mortars which was performed before next Morning and August the 30th our Guns and Mortars were drawn down to it the first began immediately to play on Thoumond-Bridg and the Houses on that side the Town at Night also our Bombs began to fly with pretty good Success 101 being thrown before next Morning The Enemy now desert Killmallock a Town upon the The Enemy desert Killmallock Road between Cork and Limerick whither the Irish flocked in great Numbers in former times to welcome the Earl of Desmond out of England who was sent over upon some Reasons of State by Queen Elizabeth their first Saluations were to throw Wheat and Salt upon him in token of Peace and Plenty But next day when they saw him go to Church they fell to murmur and spit at him and never would own him more And so hateful was not only our Religion but even the Civil Habits and Customs of the English to some of them that in the same Queen's Reign it was with much difficulty that some of the Irish Nobility could be perswaded to put on their Robes when they were to appear in the House of Lords in time of Parliament And I have heard it affirmed by those that knew it that even in this last War and if I am not much mistaken in the Parliament that was held at Dublin by the late King too it was proposed by some to destroy all fine Houses and every thing else that look'd like Improvement and so return to the former barbarous way of living of their Ancestors that it might not be worth the while for England or any other Nation to seek a new Conquest over them but these Men did not consider that England has been at too much Expence and is now too well acquainted with Ireland ever to be without it August 31. One Capt. Morice a Lieutenant and eleven Dragoons belonging to Sir Donald O-Neal's Regiment deserted from beyond the River and tell us that the Enemy were mightily apprehensive of our getting over but that their Horse and Dragoons would endeavour to watch our Motion and do all they could to prevent us Our Batteries play very hard all this Day and at Night four out of each Troop of Horse and Dragoons throughout the Army were ordered to work at a new Battery to the Right of the former and somewhat nearer the Town they wrought very stoutly and finished their Battery before next Morning This was a thing very unusual for Horsemen especially to work in Trenches but there was in a manner a Necessity for it for our Foot were upon Duty by whole Regiments every second Night beside Detachments and Workmen upon sundry Occasions every Day And therefore Adjutant General Withers was commanded to order the Regiments that marched to the Trenches not to mount with Colours that the Enemy might not be sensible how fast our Duty came upon us The same Day a Party of four hundred Horse was Brigadeer Leveson sent into Kerry sent abroad to scour the Country And Brigadeer Leveson with seven hundred Horse and Dragoons went into the County of Kerry to reduce the Irish in those Parts Which some of the Inhabitants in other Places will needs call the most natural Irish in the Kingdom and yet they say every Cow-boy amongst them can speak Latin on purpose to save them from the Gallows when they come afterwards to be tried for Theft For though
in the Evening we begun to work The Battery begun at our new Battery At first the Enemy did not discover us but after some time the Moon shining very bright they found us out and fired both great and small Shot very lavishly killing five or six but still the rest went on bravely with their Work and had soon brought it into such a Condition as to secure themselves The 6th one Barnwell deserted the Enemy and tells us they seem resolved to defend the Town which they might do except we passed the River having all the County of Clare open to go out and in at pleasure Our Men work still at the Battery which being designed for a great many Guns it could not be finished in one Night tho the Rain did us some Damage This Night some Townsmen swam over the River and confirm the Account given by Barnwell the day before that the Irish resolve not to give us the Town except we pass the River since they had a free Passage to bring in and take out what they pleased and amongst other things they had forty Chirurgions Chests that landed from France in Kerry which were conveyed cross the River and so into Town at Thoumond Gate They informed us also that most of the Towns-people having left it and the Souldiers lying continually in the Works our Bombs did not do that Execution that was hoped for but that upon whatever House a Bomb fell the Irish Souldiers presently rushed in and plundered it And tho the Weather seemed to threaten us yet this was no great Discouragement since if it came to the worst we had now our Ships in the River and could at any time put our Guns on board which Conveniency we wanted the Year before The General had now an Account from Brigadeer Leveson out of Kerry that the Enemy according to their usual way of destroying had burnt Tralee and that he had secured two of the Irish Captains that were active in that Affair upon which he sent the following Answer Camp at Limerick Sept. 6. 1691. SIR SInce my last to you I have received your Letter of the and notwithstanding what I writ about your returning to the Camp I now desire you will stay with your Detachment in Kerry for the Safety of that Countrey and secure your self there as well as you can I have sent you the Princess of Denmark 's Regiment to be disposed of as you shall judg best As for those two Captains that burnt Tralee I would have them both hanged if they cannot produce Major General Sarsfield 's or the Orders of the Commander in Chief for what they did and then I desire you 'll respite their Execution till you send me a Particular of their Case To Brigadeer Leveson Bar. de Ginckell September the 7th this Letter was sent the Brigadeer then encamp'd at Lixnaw by Capt. William Fitz-Maurice of the Earl of Drogheda's Regiment and Son to the Lord of Kerry who this Morning left the Camp with about twenty or thirty of that Country-Gentlemen in his Company having also an Order for a Guard of Horse and Dragoons from Asketon But next Day coming to Listoell within five Miles of the Brigadeer's Party one of the Enemies Dragoons mistaking them for a Party of their own Men came hastily up and told them he was at first afraid they had been English but that my Lord Merion's my Lord Britta's Sir Maurice Eustace Sir James Cotter's Dragoons with a Body of between 3 and 4000 Irish lay behind the Hill this Fellow they immediately shot for his pains and sent to give the Brigadeer notice of their Danger making all convenient haste towards Lixnaw But the Enemy soon had notice of them and drew out several Parties to intercept their Passage our Men however with some difficulty gained a Pass and yet the Irish ordered the matter so as to be in a fair way to destroy them all had not the Brigadeer appeared with a Party in the mean time for having received an Account that the Irish were got into a Body in such a place he was going then with a Party to discover them not knowing the Danger our own Men were in Upon the Brigadeer's approach when our Men understood who it was they gave a Huzzah At which the Irish began to draw off and being in great Confusion by reason of their eager haste to pursue our small Party the Brigadeer fell upon them in that posture and killed about thirty taking Lieut. Col. O Ryan and about thirty more Prisoners the rest making too great haste to the Woods and Bogs to be overtaken Our Party then went to the place where the Irish Camp had been and found two Barrels of Powder with a great deal of other Luggage left behind At Limerick the Enemy fired very briskly upon us all that day with eight Guns which they had planted in the King's Island and other places However we finished the Platform of the great Battery and the flooring for the Mortars September the 8th our new Batteries were all ready one to the left of ten Field-pieces to shoot red hot Ball another to the right of 25 Guns all 24 and 18 Pounders The Batteries finished and play upon the Town and in the Center were placed eight Mortars from 18 Inches 3 quarters to 10 ½ Diameter these stood altogether upon the North-east of the Town nigh the Island then there were 8 Guns of 12 pound Ball each planted at Mackay's Fort and some also towards the River on the South-west where the Danes were posted Those fell to work all at a time and put the Irish into such a fright that a great many of them wish'd themselves in another place having never heard such a Noise before nor I hope never shall in that Kingdom One of the great Mortars had a Shell burst in her flinging the Mortar and Carriage nigh two yards from the flooring which is demonstration that the firing the Fuse before you give fire to the Mortar is neither the readiest nor the safest way but this was the method of all our Foreign Bombardeers tho one Lieut. Brown afterwards at Mackay's Fort made use of a much better way as shall in time be related We threw Bombs Fire-balls and Carcasses all day long and our Guns were discharged almost without ceasing by which there appeared a considerable Breach in the Wall within the King's Island between A Breach made the Abbey and Ball 's Bridg and our Bombs Fire-balls and Carcasses had the like success upon the Houses in Town The 9th more Provision-Ships are ordered from Cork under the Smirna-Merchant We improved our Forts between the old Church and our great Battery and our Guns fire all day at the Breach by which it was widened to a great Degree and also a great many Houses beat down we dismounted also two Guns from a Spur in the King's Island nigh Balls-Bridg and play'd from Mackay's Fort upon four Guns more that disturbed us from a
in the Afternoon some of our Field-pieces came up which were immediately planted and then played into the Enemy's Camp the rest of the day was spent in our Army 's Encamping and in firing Great Guns one upon another from several Batteries without any extraordinary loss Whether His Majesty had already an Account of what had happened to the Confederate Army at Flerus I am not able to give an Account but it 's probable he had some intimation of it since in a Council of War held that night His Majesty seemed positive in passing the River next day and therefore gave Orders for his Army to be ready accordingly The late King had likewise another Council of War on his side the River wherein all the French and Irish Officers agreed which was the only time they ever did so before or after Not to give us Battel but to march off in the night and then retreat towards Athlone and Limerick filling all their Towns that were tenable as they went with sufficient Garisons to defend them And their reason was this as soon as Sir Cloudsley Shovel with his Squadron of Men of War had seen the King safe in Ireland he was ordered to sail immediately and join my Lord Torrington then at Sea with the English Fleet which the French having notice of and that all our Transport Ships with our Provisions and other Necessaries for War were left at Carigfergus-Bay with little or no Convoy and would have Orders to coast along as the Army marched they resolved to send Ten small Frigats and Twelve Privateers into the Channel and burn all our Ships which if it had been done then our Communication from England had been in a manner cut off and our Army forced to subsist upon the Countrey or starve at least we had been debarred those Necessaries without which the War could not have been carried on This Design of the French was not unknown to the King and therefore he was the more earnest in going forward It was advised therefore in the Irish Camp That seeing we had a better Army by much in the Field than theirs and might probably beat them if they engaged to march away and so protract the time till they saw what became of the Design about burning our Ships which they were confident would take effect But the late King himself was very much bent upon fighting alledging That if he retreated with his Army and left Dublin and other places to the Enemy the Irish who are soon disheartned and only judge according to appearance would all desert him by degrees and then himself and those that stood by him would be delivered up to the Mercy of the Enemy So that seeing him in this humour they were in hopes that a vigorous fit of Valour had seized him and that he would next day play the Hero in either Conquering Valiantly or Dying Gloriously and then having ordered the disposing of their Army they concluded to stay and watch our motion The Battle at the Boyne On the Irish side were killed my Lord Dungan my The number of the Dead Lord Carlingford Sir Neal O Neal with a great number of other Officers and about Thirteen or Fourteen hundred Soldiers and we lost on our side nigh Four hundred but the loss of Duke Schonberg who was killed soon after the first of our Forces passed the River near the little Village called Old-Bridge was much more considerable than all that fell that day on both sides whom his very Enemies always called a Brave Man and a Great General whose Name will make a considerable Figure in History whilst there are such places as Germany Flanders France England and Ireland Monsieur Callimot a brave and worthy Gentleman died soon after him of his Wounds having followed that great man in most of his Fortunes whose elder Brother the Marquess Ruvigny had Duke Schonberg's Regiment of French Horse bestowed upon him by the King For the further Particulars of this Battel and what hapned during the preceding Campaign and also the most material Circumstances of this I refer the Reader to the First Part of this History already printed Some will pretend to say That his Majesty was a little too soon in the passing his Foot over the River for the Left Wing of the Irish Army seemed resolved to fight Douglass but when they heard how things went at Old-Bridge they retreated immediately towards Duleek and so marched off untouched But there was a very good reason for what his Majesty did in this case for it was about a quarter past Ten when our Foot first entred the River and if the King had deferred it an hour longer then the Tide which generally comes up above Old-Bridge would certainly have prevented our men from passing either there or below so that the Right Wing of our Army had been exposed to the hazard of fighting all theirs and the rest not able to come to their relief till possibly it had been too late and this may serve to answer whatever can be objected in that case The late King at the beginning of this Battel stood by an old Church near the Village called Dunore but assoon as he saw his men give way he made haste to Duleek and from thence to Dublin whither he got that Evening by Nine a Clock and early next morning sent for the Popish Lord-Mayor with some other Officers of the City and gave them a charge not to burn it and then going towards Bray scarce looked behind him afterwards till he got to Waterford and so on Ship-board for France leaving his poor Teagues to fight it out or do what they pleased for him And what was more remarkable finding some of the Frigats at Waterford that were to go upon the Project of Burning our Ships he told them all was lost and that it was past time and so took them along with him which prevented any further Attempts upon our Ships Whilst his present Majesty King William gave his Army other kind of Proofs both of his Courage and Conduct having a Soul far above Fear or any thing that may look mean in so Great a Prince Nor ever had an Army a more entire Affection for their chief Commander than his Majesty 's for him his Resolution being always undaunted and their only Fear being for his Majesty's Person And whatever difference happens hereafter between his Majesty and his Army can only be this That they desire to stand between his Person and all Danger but he always has a mind to put himself between them and it May we long therefore have such a General in a King and he not only Soldiers but Subjects too of all other Professions that honour him to that degree Those of our English Forces that were engaged and had opportunity to shew themselves gave signal demonstrations of their Courage and Bravery the Inniskilliners and French too both Horse and Foot did good service and the Dutch Guards deserve no small Honour for their