his handkerchief upon the place his Majesty took little notice of it but rid on for about forty yards further where there was an high Bank on either side but it being open below we returned the very same way again the Enemies Canon firing upon us all the while they did some damage amongst our Horse that were drawing up just before them killing two of the Guards and about nine of Coll. Coys Horses with three Troopers and also some few more out of Coll. Byerleys and other Regiments which made the King give orders for his Horse to draw a little backwards to have the advantage of a rising ground between them and the Canon When the Enemy saw their great Shot disturbed us they set up a most prodigeous shout all over the Camp as if our whole Army had been undone and several Squadrons of their Horse drew down upon a plain towards the River but in such a place as they knew it was impossible for us to come at them the River being very deep and a Bank of nigh ten yards high on our side I have often observed the Irish very fond of shouting and Hallowing before an Engagement and there is a Tradition amongst them that whosoever does not Shout and Huzzah as the rest do in Battle he 's suddainly caught up from the ground into the Air and so into a certain desart vale in the County of Kerry where he eateth Grass and lapeth Water hath some use of reason but not of Speech but shall be caught at length by Hunters and their Hounds and so brought home but this story is a little too light for so grave an Author as Cambden tho' he only relates it as a foolish fancy The King went to change his Coat and get his shoulder dressed and then rid about to see his Army come in which were all this while marching and encamping in two Lines And here I cannot but take notice of a signal peice of Providence in the preservation of the Kings Person for whatever ill effects it might have had for the future it would have been of fatal consequence to the Army at that time if he had fallen since instead of our going to them the Irish would have been ready to have come to us next morning and how we would have received them there 's none can tell I have met with several that will not believe that the King was touched with a Canon Bullet at all and if so that it was impossible it should not kill him but I was present when the thing hapned and therefore can affirm the truth of it I have seen a great many odd accidents in wounds with Canon Bullets and yet the Parties live particularly one of my Lord Drogheda's Men who had all the Flesh of his right Cheek shot from the bone without breaking his Jaw and he 's yet alive and very well Tho it seems at the Court of France they could not believe any such thing when they made Bone-fires for King Williams death But to go one with the Story Our Guns arrive about three a Clock the first of our Field Pieces came up and we lost no time but took two or three of them down towards the River and Planted them on a Furry bank over against the pass the first shot made by one Nelson we kill'd an Officer that lay sick in the House beyond the River and the second or third we dismounted one of those Field Pieces that the Irish had been so brisk withal and then their Horse that were drawn up towards the River made what haste they could into the Camp we continued all that afternoon pelting at them and they at us their Canon did us little more harm but our Gunners planted several Batteries and threw a great many small Bombs into their Camp which obliged them to remove some of their Tents one Bullet as we heard afterwards fell very nigh a Crowd of great Officers that were at the late Kings Tent and kill'd a Horseman that stood Centinel they then removed their Counsel to some other place and were not admitted to crowd there any more A French-Man of ours that afternoon run thro the River before our faces to the Enemy When they saw him coming a great many of them came down to receive him and crowding about him to hear news our Canon threw a Bullet amongst the very thickest of them which kill'd several and as t was said the Fellow himself however the rest made what hast they could back again We had some Deserters also that came from them to us but I heard of no more that left our Army except that one man There was one Deserter that gave the King an account that the Enemy were about 25000 Men and that they had sent away part of their heavy Baggage towards Dublin The King calls a Counsel of War About 8 or 9 a Clock at night the King called a Council of War wherein he declared that he was resolved to pass the River the next day which Duke Schonberg at first opposed but seeing his Majesty positive in it he advised to send part of our Army that night at 12 a Clock to pass the River at or near Slane-bridge some three miles above and so to get between the Enemy and the pass at Duleek which was about four miles behind them but this advice was not taken One thing under consideration was where to get Guides that were trusty and good whilst this matter was in question my Lord George Hambleton was by who immediately brought four or five of his Iniskilling Officers that knew the Fords very well and took upon them to Guide the Army next day and here it was concluded how the Army should March and who should Command at the different Posts which was ordered thus Lieutenant General Douglas was to Command the Right wing of the Foot and Count Schonberg the Horse who were to march early towards the Bridge of Slane and other Fords above to flank the Enemy or get between them and Duleek my Lord Portland and my Lord Overkisk had their Posts here as Mareschals de Camp the left wing of our Horse were to pass between the Enemies Camp and Drogheda whilst in the mean time a Body of Foot forced their way at the Pass at Old Bridge The Enemy held likewise a Council of War wherein Lieutenant General Hambleton advised to send a party of Dragoons to a Ford that was below the Town of Drogheda which we either knew not of or else did not regard and all the rest being eight Regiments with their whole left line towards the Bridge of Slane King James's Answer was that he would send fifty Dragoons up the River which the other seem'd to be Amazed at the place to be defended being of such importance however they resolved to defend the Passes and if it were possible to retreat with their Army towards Dublin in order to which they drew off most of their Canon in the night
Orders that night Towards the close of the Evening the Canons ceased on both sides and Orders were given out that every Souldier should be provided with a good stock of Ammunition and all to be ready at the break of day to March at a minutes warning with every man a green Bough or Sprig in his Hat to distinguish him from the Enemy who wore pieces of paper in their Hats All the Baggage with the Souldiers great â—oats were to be left behind with a small Guard in every Regiment to look after them The word that night was Westminster his Majesty was not idle but about 12 a Clock at night rid with torches quite through his Army and then month July The Battle at the Boyn Tuesday the first of July 1690. The day was very clear as if the Sun it self had a mind to see what would happen about six a Clock Lieutenant General Douglas marched towards the Right with the Foot and Count Schonberg with the Horse which the Enemy perceiving drew out their Horse and Foot towards their Left in order to oppose us Our Right wing draws out the Right wing at first were ordered to pass all at Slane but being better inform'd several Regiments were Commanded to pass at other Fords between our Camp and that place As some of our Horse marched to the River there stood a Regiment of the Enemies Dragoons sent thither over night nigh the Bank on the other side who fired upon us and then thought to have retreated to their main Body but before they could do that they were flanked in a Lane and about seventy of them cut off we met with little more opposition in passing the River but marching forwards we found the Enemy drawn up in two lines we had then twenty four Squardons of Horse and Dragoons with six Battalions of Foot those being too few Lieutenant general Douglas sent for more Foot and in the mean time we drew up in two lines also my Lord Portland advising for the more security to mix our Horse and Foot Squadron with Battalion this is no new way of managing but was first practiced by Caesar at the Battle of Pharsalia against Pompey for he there quite altered the manner of embattleing amongst the Romans covering one of his Flanks with a small River and then placing several Battallions of his best Foot amongst his Squadrons in the other by which he soon routed Pompeys Horse and then falling into the Flanks and Rear of his Enemy obtained the Victory However more Foot coming up our great Officers altered the first Figure and drew all the Horse to the right by which they outflanked the Enemy considerably But as our men were advanceing they met with a great deal of difficulty in the Ground for there were large Corn Fields with great Ditches and those very hard to be got over especially for the Horse who were obliged to advance in order when they were in the face of an Enemy and beyond all those there was such a Bogg as few of our men ever saw before the Horse tho' went to the right of it but the Foot being Commanded to march through found it as great an hardship as Fighting it self yet when the Enemy saw our men take the Bog instead of charging them in it they retreated in hast towards Duleek which Count Schonberg seeing fell in amongst their Foot with his Horse and kill'd a great many The King did not know of this disadvantage of Ground but computed the time when he thought our right wing was got well over and then he ordered his Foot to attack the pass at Old Bridge during all which a great part of the Enemies Horse and Foot were still marching towards Slane where every one expected the main Battle would be and in their march our Canon plaid continually upon them yet tho we kill'd several it did not disorder their Trops The blew Dutch guards post being to the right they were the first that took the River at Old Bridge The Irish had lined the Houses Breastworks and Hedges beyond the River with my Lord Tyrconnels Regiment of Foot Guards and some other Companyes they had posted also seven Regiments of Foot about 150 yards backwards who stood drawn up behind some little hills to shelter them from our Canon which played all this while besides these were 2 Troops of Guards 4 Troops of my Lord Tyrconnels and 4 Troops of Parkers Regiments of Horse posted in the same manner tho if they had posted the French here instead of the Irish it would have been more to their advantage but the reason of this was the Irish Guards would not lose the post of Honour The Dutch Guards take the River The Dutch beat a march till they got to the Rivers side and then the Drums ceasing in they went some eight or ten a breast being presently almost up to the middle in the Stream for they stopt the Current by their sudden motion and this made it deeper than usual the Enemy did not fire till our Men were towards the midst of the River and then a whole peal of Shot came from the Hedges Breast-works Houses and all about yet we could not perceive any fall except one and another stagger'd he that was formost was a Lieutenant of Granadeers who as he got footing on the other side drew up two files of men then stoopt and they fired over him at the next hedge which was not fifteen yards from them at which fire those in the Hedge quitted it which the rest seeing all left their Posts and were followed with a Volley of Shot from our men that were Advancing And are charged by a Squadron of Horse The Irish Foot run scattering into the next Field and before the Dutch could get well over and draw up they were charged very bravely by a Squadron of the Irish Horse who came down in a full carreer but were quickly beat off again One would have thought that Men and Horses had risen out of the Earth for now there appeared a great many Battalions and Squadrons of the Enemy all on a suddain who had stood behind the little Hills We had two French Regiments and Collonel St. John's who passed the River near the same time the Dutch did but about 100 Yards below which Lieutenant-General Hambleton perceiving who commanded at the Pass he Advanced with a party of Foot to the very River and himself with some others went into it giving orders at the same time for my Lord Antrim's Regiment and some more to go and Flank Sir John Hanmer and Count Nassaw's Regiments who were passing about 200 Yards further down but neither would his men stand by him nor could the other be perswaded to come near Hanmer however as Hambleton retreated a Sqadron of their Horse charged our French so bravely that about forty of them broke quite through Monsieur La Callimot's Regiment and wounded himself mortally those must go back the same way or
else pass through the Village and so wheel to the Left to recover their own Men they chose the latter but were so paid off by some of the Dutch and Inniskillin Foot that not above six or eight of them got beyond the Village most of their Horses stragling up and down the Fields Our Foot Advance beyond the River The Dutch and the rest of our Foot advanced all this while and then the Irish Foot quitted a second Hedge that they were perswaded to rally to another Body of Horse came down upon the Dutch who neglected the Hedges and met them in the open Field but keeping so close that it was impossible to break them but as the Irish came on the Dutch begun to fire by Platoons and both flanked and fronted the Horse by which they killed a great many though not without some loss to themselves before this party drew off Are Charged again By this time some of the French and Inniskilliners were got into the Field from whence the Enemy disturb'd us with their Canon the day before and then a fresh Squadron of Horse coming down upon the Dutch those two Regiments stopt them and obliged them to Retreat with considerable loss Much about this time there was nothing to be seen but Smoak and Dust nor any thing to be heard but one continued Fire for nigh half an hour and whilst this Action lasted another party of the Irish Horse Charged Sir John Hanmer as he passed the River nigh a place where the Enemy the day before had a Battery of six Guns but now they were gone as was most of their Artillery It was the Duke of Berwick's Troop of Guards and as they advanced one that had been formerly in Sir J. Hanmer's Regiment came out singly and called one of the Captains by his name who stepping towards him the other fired both his Pistols at him but was taken Prisoner this Troop was beat off again with the loss of only three of Sir John Hanmer's Men. All our Horse went over to the Right and Left except one Squadron of Danes who passed the River whilst our Foot were engaged and Advancing to the Front Hambleton sent out sixty Horse who charged the Danes so home that they came faster back again than they went some of them never looking behind them till they had crossed the River again The want of Horse was so apparent at this place that the very Country People cry'd out Horse Horse which word going towards the Right and they mistaking it for Halt stopt the Right Wing nigh half an hour which time well spent might have done service This and the Irish breaking through the French Regiment hap'ned much about a time The General killed which I am apt to believe was the occasion of Duke Schonberg's going over so unseasonably for in this hurry he was killed near the little Village beyond the River the Irish Troopers as they rid by struck at him with their Swords and some say that our own Men Firing too hastily when the Duke was before them shot him themselves however it was his mortal wound was through his Neck and he had one or two cuts in the Head besides he fell down and did not speak one word and Captain Foubert was shot in the Arm as he was getting him off Doctor Walker going as some say to look after the Duke was shot a little beyond the River and stript immediately for the Scotch-Irish that followed our Camp were got through already and took off most of the Plunder This Action begun at a quarter past Ten and was so hot till past Eleven that a great many old Soldiers said they never saw brisker work but then the Irish retreated to a rising Ground and there drew up again in order both Horse and Foot designing to Charge our Party again that had past the River Whilst this Action at the Pass lasted the Left Wing of our Horse consisting of Danes and Dutch with Collonel Woolsley's Horse and some Dragoons passed the River at a very difficult and unusual place And the Danish Foot with Collonel Cutts's and some others went over a little above them My Lord Sydney and Major-General Kirk went from one place to another as the posture of Affairs required their presence His Majesty passes the River with the Left Wing His Majesty during those Transactions was almost every where before the Action begun He rid between our Army and theirs with only one Dragoon and had ordered every thing in other places as well as possible He passes the River with the Left Wing of His Horse and that with as much difficulty as any body for His Horse was Bogg'd on the other side and He was forced to alight till a Gentleman helpt him to get His Horse out As soon as the Men were got upon the other Bank and put in order His Majesty drew His Sword which yet was troublesome to Him His Arm being stiff with the Wound He received the day before and marched at the Head of them towards the Enemy who were coming on again in good order upon our Foot that had got over the Pass and were Advancing towards them though they were double our Number but when these two Bodies were almost within Musquet shot of one another the Enemy espied the Left Wing of our Horse marching towards them at which they made a suddain Halt faced about and so retreated up the Hill to a little Church and a Village called Dunore about half a mile from the Pass our Men marched in order after them and at this Village the Enemy faced about and Charged our Horse were forced to give Ground though the King was with them His Majesty then went to the Inniskilliners and askt what they would do for Him and Advanced before them their Officer told his Men who it was and what Honour was done them And Charges several times at the Head of his Men. At the Head of those Men the King received the Enemies Fire and then wheeling to the Left that His own Men might have liberty to Advance and fire they all wheeled after Him and retreated above 100 Yards the King then went to the Left to put Himself at the Head of some Dutch that were Advancing and the Inniskilliners being sensible of their mistake came up again doing good service some of Duke Schonberg's French Horse were here also who behaved themselves well and took one or two of King James's Standards Another party Commanded by Lieutenant-General Ginkel Charged in a Lane to the Left but the Irish being two many for them they retreated which a party of Sir Albert Cunningham's Dragoons commanded by his Lieutenant-Collonel and another of Col. Levison's commanded by Captain Brewerton perceiving the Officers ordered their Men to alight and Line an Hedge as also an old House that Flankt the Lane from whence they poured in their Shot upon the Enemy Lieutenant-General Ginkel staid in the Rear of his Men being much vext
AN IMPARTIAL HISTORY OF THE AFFAIRS of IRELAND DURING The Two Last YEARS WHITE-HALL APRIL 30. 1691. LET this be Printed by Order of the Right Honourable the Lord Viscount SYDNEY one of Their Majesties Principal Secretaries of State W. BRIDGEMAN A TRUE and IMPARTIAL HISTORY OF The Most Material Occurrences IN THE Kingdom of Ireland DURING The Two Last YEARS WITH The Present State of Both ARMIES PUBLISHED To prevent Mistakes and to give the World a Prospect of the future Success of Their MAJESTIES Arms in That NATION Written by an Eye-witness to the most Remarkable PASSAGES LONDON Printed for Ric. Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard MDCXCI TO The RIGHT HONOURABLE CHARLES LORD VISCOUNT MORPETH AND The RIGHT WORSHIPFUL Sr WILLIAM LEVISON GOWER Bar t. Both MEMBERS Of the Honourable House of Commons These PAPERS About the AFFAIRS of IRELAND ARE HUMBLY DEDICATED THE PREFACE THese Papers were not designed to be published till after the surrender of the City of Mons to the French for since there are some and those too calling themselves Protestants who upon all occasions make it their business to advance the Conquests of that King and at the same time to lessen the Conduct and Success of His Present Majesty representing his Affairs to be in such a Condition at Home and his Army so inconsiderable in Ireland that they presently from thence expect such a Turn of State as if it should happen would certainly prove unfortunate and destructive to themselves as well as other people tho they have no mind or at least do not seem to see it I do not pretend nor do I think it possible to make such men sensible of the folly of their unaccountable Behaviour at this Juncture only I think it a good Opportunity to let Them and the World know the impartial Truth of the most material Passages of the Two last Campaigns in Ireland with the true State of both Armies as it stood in January last which possibly may serve to mortifie all their Expectations from their Friends in that Kingdom And as to the Matters of Fact I defie all the Enemies of our Government and Religion to contradict me tho at the same time I assure them That I have done their Side all the Right that the thing it self will bear and have concealed nothing that I think could make any way for their Advantage But before I come to this I will take the liberty to speak out since I am to treat of an Affair that concerns all that value either the publick Safety Honour or Peace of their Native Countrey it being every day more apparent than other that we are designed as a Prey to that Nation to whom we nor our Fathers were never yet in Bondage This is no vain and groundless Fear or Pretention but the Reasons for it are many Amongst the rest take only these few First The Late King by his unhappy Management has given up the Cudgels to the French whom it 's not to be doubted he had rather should govern the Nation than those who at present do by this means placing his own Interest and that of all English Protestants in a diametrical opposition to one another since it 's plain that unfortunate Prince has been made instrumental and is so still by the Zealots of the Church of Rome to advance their Religion on the one hand and by his most Christian Majesty on the other to promote his Glory All the Care and Pains that has been taken of late by the Priests in a Business of the greatest moment was not to propagate King James's Family but his and their own Religion for they value not tho He and His Name perish if their Work go but on And suppose the P. of W. really what our Adversaries would have him who can ever imagine that a Successor that there was so much pains taken about will either be bred a Protestant or made serviceable to that Interest especially since he is taken out of the Kingdom and put into the hands of the greatest Enemy to our Nation And as to the French King's part can any one think that he does all this out of a Principle of Honour and Love for the re-establishing of King James All people know that his Generosity extends no further than his Interest Those that will not believe this let them only look back upon his treatment of the same individual Prince some years ago for it 's plain that he has no other Prospect nor regard to Men and Things but his own Greatness and Ambition not spearing even those of his own Perswasion when they stand in his way Every one sees that hsi Brother of Constantinople and he agree much better than his Holy Father at Rome and he ever did or are like to do because the former is more favourable to his Designs than the other If then he falls out with him whom his own Religion obliges to pay all Deferrence and Respect to and honour as a Father what can Protestants nay even English Papists themselves expect but to submit to his Yoke if they once give way for his Admission When the Late King appear'd all on a sudden last Summer in France after the Defeat at the Boyn it was observable that tho the French King was surprized at his Presence yet he received him with all the seeming joy in the World thinking it not fit to discourage a Prince whom he had still further occasion for This has already been seen into by some great Officers even in the Irish Army who begin to be at a stand how to manage since they can have no other Prospect from the success of their own present Affairs but future Ruin to their Countrey Secondly Suppose the War already ended and the Late King sent into England with all the Grandeur that France could afford him and received here by the consent of every Body Yet the French King has a very large Bill to bring in which he 'll certainly pretend cannot be discharged with the Possâ—ssion of Ireland what then can be more rationally intended than that one day or other England may be brought to a severe account for those vast Expences and the non-repayment of them shall be a sufficient Pretence for a War when he finds an Opportunity tho King James himself sate at the Helm For how easy a thing it is to break all Rules whatever when a man has the Power in his own hand is known to most men Those then who favour him most will only have the honour to be last devoured and even those of his own Persuasion will have cause to wish themselves rather under a Protestant Prince than a Popish Tyrant We see further that His Present Majesty has not declared it a War of Religion but is linked in a Confederacy with a great many Princes of the Romish Church that have all the same reason to dread the growing-Power of France who neither spares Protestant when he has an
Army I wondred much to see their Horses and Equipage hearing before what Feats had been done by them they were three Regiments in all and most of the Troopers and Dragoons had their Waiting-men mounted upon Garrons those are small Irish Horses but very hardy some of them had Holsters and others their Pistols hung at their Sword-Belts they shewed me the Enemies Scouts upon a hill before us I wisht them to go and beat them off and they answered With all their hearts but they had Orders to go no further than where they saw the Enemies Scouts tho they seem'd to be dissatisfied with it and added They should never thrive so long as they were under Orders Newry burnt And yet if those men had been allowed to go on in their old forward way it 's very probable they might have saved the Town of Newry from being burnt for the Duke of Berwick was then in it and a Troop of the Enemies Horse advanced that afternoon some three miles from the Town towards us but seeing the Iniskilliners they retreated in haste to the Town only leaving some few Scouts to bring a further account of our motion Those in the Town were startled at the news and made ready to march off but seeing no Enemy approach they took time to set it on fire and take all the people with whatsoever was valuable along with them They went away about Sun-set and next morning came to Dundalk where we heard that some of their great Officers exprest themselves very melancholly as if they had but small hopes to withstand the English The General not knowing that the Town of Newry was burnt nor that the Enemy had deserted the Pass gave Orders for 70 men out of each Regiment of Foot in all 1200 with a Party of Horse and Dragoons and four Field-Pieces to be ready to march by three of the Clock in the morning this Party was commanded by Coll. Wharton and was designed to attack the Enemy whom we expected at the end of the Town there being an old Church with several other convenient places from whence they might prevent our marching nor could we well go about without a great deal of trouble and several days march and then we must leave the Enemy on our Rear which was not to be done We march to Newry The Party marched according to Orders and the whole Army followed about Six of the Clock But on our march the Duke had an account by one Mr. Humphreys of Belfast That the Enemy had retreated and Burnt the Town the General then went forwards and found the Flames not quite extinguished and with Coll. Levison's Dragoons and some of the Iniskillin Horse he went at least two miles further but nothing of an Enemy appearing he returned and gave Command for his Army to encamp a mile short of Newry The bad weather had disturb'd us before but now the Rains and Wind were so extreamly violent that it was very difficult for us to pitch our Tents so that every one was forced to shift for himself as well as he could Provisions were also very scarce for there wanted Horses to bring them after us We encampt here next day also from whence the Duke sent a Trumpet to the Irish to let them know That if they burnt any more Towns he would give no Quarter I went abroad into the Countrey where I found all the Houses deserted for several miles Customs of the Native Irish most of them that I observed had Crosses on the Inside above the Doors upon the Thatch some made of Wood and others of Straw or Rushes finely wrought some Houses had more and some less I understood afterwards that it is the custom among the Native Irish to set up a new Cross every Corpus Christi day and so many years as they have lived in such a house as many Crosses you may find I asked a Reason for it but the Custom was all they pretended to Here the Corn also was either lying and rotting on the ground or else was shaken by the violent winds for the People were all gone the Protestants the March before and the Irish now at the retreating of their Army some fled for fear and those that had a mind to stay were forced away by the Army with all their Cattel and whatever else was portable In the Evening the Duke sent a Detachment of 520 Foot with a Party of Horse and Dragoons commanded by my Lord Lisburn towards Dundalk they got there the next morning but found it forsaken by the Enemy and not burnt tho it had been better for us if it had as it fell out afterwards There is an old square Tower in Newry which they call the Castle this was left standing and not above five or six Houses more the Town it self had been a pretty place and well built standing upon a very advantageous Pass the Tide coming up above the Bridge by a Bay that comes from Carlingford In this Castle the Irish had left some salt Beef and Herrings but they were salted so very much after the Irish fashion that the Soldiers for all they were very hard put to it for Victuals yet they could not eat them I believe the greatest reason was a fond conceit they had got amongst them that the meat was poisoned There was also a small Gun left in the Castle and another Twelve-Pounder thrown over the Bridge into the River In this Castle the General left Fifty men of Sir Tho. Gowers Regiment commanded by Captain Pallifer The Army marched to Dundalk and on Saturday the 7 th of September the Army marched to Dundalk in our way thither we found two Redoubts nigh a place called the Four-mile-house for Mareschal de Rose the French General was at Dundalk some time before our Army approached and enquiring whether the River was fordable he found it was in several places then he went on to Newry and finding it a convenient Pass he ordered it to be defended at the same time commanding those Redoubts to be made which if the Enemy had mann'd they might have given us no small diversion for there are vast Mountains on each hand and a Bog between them through which there was only a Causeway with a deep Ditch and a small Stone Bridge about the middle of it at the farther end of the Causeway the Forts were placed a convenient distance one from another from whence the Irish might easily have retired if we had forced the Pass for neither could our Horse follow nor knew our Foot how to tread the Bogs after them This place was formerly very woody and was fortified by O Neale Earl of Tyrone against Sir Charles Blunt Lord Deputy which he found great difficulty in passing but next year he built a Fort some two miles nearer Dundalk called Moyery Castle The Countrey between Newry and Dundalk is one of the wildest places of all Ireland being the haunt some years ago of the famous Tory Redman
O Hanlon whose Ancestors were wont to brag that they were Standard-Bearers in times of old to the Kings of Vlster Our encamping there We Encampt about a mile on this side the Town of Dundalk in a low moist Ground having the Town with the River towards the West between us and the Enemy the Sea towards the South the Newry Mountains to the East and toward the North were Hills and Bogs intermixt the Protestants that were left there told us the Irish boasted when they went away that they would drive us all back into the Sea again or else we would die of our selves the English not being used to the Field especially in a strange Countrey and at that time of the year At our coming thither we got about 2000 of my Lord Bedlow's Sheep which came in very good time to the Army for it had gone hard with us before for want of Provisions however Bread was so scarce that the General gave Orders that what there was should be for the Men and not for the Officers because he judged they could shift better It was also ordered the first night we came there That an Officer with a Party of men out of every Regiment should go back and take up what men they met withal upon the Road sick for several were beginning to faint already by reason of the Bad weather and constant marchings and want of Provisions Gasper de Coligny sometimes Admiral of France and one of the most knowing Men of his time was wont to say That War is a great Monster which begins to be formed by the Belly meaning that Food ought to be the very first care of a General for his Army this Duke Sconberg knew as well as any one and now his Ships not being come he takes part of his Train-horses to send for Bread Maj. General Kirk joins the Army On Sunday the Eighth Major General Kirk's Regiment Sir Jo. Hanmer's and Brigadeer Stuart's join'd us and that Afternoon we had a Report that a Party of my Lord Delamere's Horse were surrounded by the Enemy but it proved false for there were none of them within ten miles of us Monday the 9 th The Soldiers had Orders not to stir out of the Camp on pain of death for they stragled abroad and plundred those few People that were left and some of them were murthered by the Rapparees a word which we were strangers to till this time Rapparees from whence Those are such of the Irish as are not of the Army but the Country people armed in a kind of an hostile manner with Half-Pikes and Skeins and some with Sythes or Musquets For the Priests the last three or four years past would not allow an Irish man to come to Mass without he brought at least his Rapparee along that they say in Irish signifies an Half-stick or a Broken-beam being like an Half-pike from thence the Men themselves have got that name and some call them Creaughts from the little Huts they live in these Hutts they build so conveniently with Hurdles and long Turf that they can remove them in Summer towards the Mountains and bring them down to the Vallies in Winter I went this Afternoon with some others to Carlingford this is a little Town on the Sea-side some eight miles backwards from Dundalk there being an excellent Bay here our Ships had orders at Bellfast to sail thither there had been a small Town and it was known in Q. Elizabeth's time by reason of a Defeat that Sir Henry Dockwra gave the Irish not far from hence but the Irish about the time they burnt Newry burnt this also only there stood five old Ruinous Castles upon the Shore and a prodigious Mountain hung almost over these into the Sea Our business was to see if our Fleet was come or at least in sight but a small Fisher-boat was all the Fleet this place afforded at that time nor had we any Ships there for several days after Late King's Army at Drogheda By this time the General had an Account that part of the late King's Army was at Drogheda a considerable Town on the Sea-side sixteen miles from Dundalk one of the Enemies Ingineers came over to us who told the Duke that the Enemy was drawing together as fast as they could but that they could not make above 20000 well-armed men You must know that every body who knew Duke Sconberg believed he would not come into Ireland without a good Army and in all respects well provided and same had made our Army twice as many as they were the Irish Army was likewise harrassed by being at Derry and several of them both Horse and Foot were gone into the Country to Recruit so that when we came first to Dundalk they were in such disorder that most of them retreated beyond Drogheda and I was told since by some of themselves that they had not at that time above 8000 men in a Body Mareschal De Rose was very much concerned at this and he with some others were for deserting Drogheda and Dublin and retreating towards Athlone and Limerick as they did this year this my Lord Tyrconnell heard of where he was sick at Chapell-Izzard and went immediately to Drogheda where he told them that he would have an Army there by the next Night of 20000 men which accordingly proved true for they came in from Munster on all hands But when De Rose heard that Duke Sconberg halted he was sure he said that he wanted something and therefore advised to make what haste they could to get their Army together They come to Ardee and a day or two after that some part of their Army moved towards Ardee This is a small Town between Drogheda and Dundalk where my Lord More and Sir Henry Titchburne defeated a Party of the Irish in the late Rebellion the People here are most of them Protestants so that when the Irish retreated towards Drogheda they expected the English Army and therefore they provided great quantities of Ale Bread and other Provisions for the Soldiers but the Irish Army returning it was all seized by them several of the poor People stript and some of them glad to save their lives by flying in the night to our Camp Whether it was that the General did not expect the Enemy to advance towards us or at least that they would not come to encamp so near us or what other Reasons he had I am not able to judge but since it happen'd we stay'd there so long in all appearance here was a good Opportunity lost in not sending to Ardee for all this Provision as also in not getting in or at least in not destroying the Forage between Ardee and Dundalk for when the Enemy came and sate down by us they got a great quantity of Forage between our Camp and theirs and burnt a great deal afterwards before our Faces but they say that was the first thing the General order'd to cure all
the Forage or at least make it unserviceable to the Enemy But to return to our own Camp Coll. Coy sent abroad with a Party Monday the 9 th in the Afternoon Coll. Coy went out with a Party of 200 Horse to scour the Country but met with none of the Enemy for they were in a doubtful Condition what measures to take The 10 th Little hapned of moment only the General rid out to observe the Countrey the Popish Chappel in Town was made a Store-house and amongst other Papers of like nature I found one that sometime before had been given to the Priest To pray for the Shoule of Brian Rhode The 11 th There came a Gentleman from the Enemy who told the Duke that their Numbers were not so great as was reported and the Trumpet returned that was sent formerly to the Duke of Berwick for they kept him on purpose for some days that he might not give an Account of their Condition till their Army was got together Thursday the 12 it was given out in Orders That Forage should be fetched from beyond the Town towards the Enemy and that if any Soldier would thresh Corn and bring it to the Commissary he should be paid for it the full value The Majors were ordered to see the Arms of their respective Regiments kept clean and the Soldiers to leave off firing in the Camp because that some unskilful Fellows had done mischief to our own men That none of the Soldiers should Rob or Plunder the Country-people and that there should be a Reserve-Guard appointed in every Regiment consisting of a Captain Lieutenant Ensign and fifty men to be always ready to draw out upon all Occasions Bread brought to the Camp Friday the 13. Two Hundred and Four Load of Bread came to the Camp and four Ships came to Carlingford A Report was in the Camp that our Horse who went a foraging in the morning were engaged with the Enemy which occasioned the General to ride out and all the Collonels that were in Town were ordered to the Camp but the Business was only thus A Party of the Enemies Horse appeared at a distance whilst a Party of ours and some of Collonel Levisons Dragoons were tying up their Forage upon their Horses our Men seeing the Enemy appear threw down their Forage drew up and march'd to meet them as our Men advanc'd they drew back till they were out of sight when our Men had got up their Forage again the Enemy appeared a second time and so a third till a greater Party of Horse went out After this the Duke always ordered a Party of One Hundred Horse to cover the Foragers whilst they were at work The Duke goes to Carlingford but few Ships as yet arrived Next day the Duke went to Carlingford longing to see the Fleet but only four Ships were come and those the night before the Weather then was very tempestuous and orders were given out how the men should receive their Bread this was very good News to them for it had been very scarce ever since we left Belfast but to say truth the Bread we had then and during our stay at Dundalk was full as good in its kind as any we have had since In the Evening we had News The Irish come and encamp at the Bridge of Slane that the Irish Army was come as far as Ardee and part of them to the Bridge of Slane within three Miles of us where they encamped and where their whole Army staid afterwards for some time This Evening it was given out in Orders That none that went a foraging should pass the Horse Out-guards and that the Horse might cut Wood for their Stables and also the Foot for their conveniency so that this was the first publick appearance of our staying here News of the Danes coming Then the Report of the Danes coming was first spread abroad and that we deferred meeting the Enemy upon that account about this time also landed Collonel Viller's Regiment of Horse having suffered much in a Storm and lost one hundred and four Horses In two or three days most of the Wood about Town as also most of the Fruit-Trees in my Lord Bedloe's Orchard were cut down And Sunday the 15th It was ordered that a Collonel should go the Rounds every night and the Officer of the Guard to give him the Word Our Entrenchments begun The Right Wing was to furnish Monsieur Cambon Quarter-master-General with two hundred Men to work at the Trenches at the West-end of the Town next the Enemy where we planted several Field-Pieces and it was not easie for the Enemy to break in upon us that way the Majors were ordered a pound of Powder for each Man and to take care it should be delivered as there was occasion Monday the 16th Six Hundred Men were ordered to work at the Trenches which the Duke saw then convenient to draw round his Camp since he had an Enemy that was too strong for him very near and therefore he must put it out of their power to force him to fight for Wo be to that Army which by an Enemy is made to fight against its will And this is the Advantage of an Entrenched Camp that none can compel you to give Battel but when you please This Method has been practised very much of late especially by the French and yet it is no new thing it being very much in use amongst the Romans yet before the vanquished Pirrhus King of the Epirots they never used any Entrenchments but lay in the open Fields but having found that Princes Army entrenched they liked it so well that ever afterwards they practised it themselves A Battalion mounts to the Trenches But not to digress too far a Battalion was ordered to march next night into the Trenches at the West-end of the Town which was Major-General Kirks no Officers nor Soldiers were to stir out of the Camp all the Collonels were to send for their Detachments that were abroad except that at Newry The Captain that commanded at Bedloes Town that was an House of my Lord Bedloe's about half a mile to the North-West of Dundalk where we had a Guard if the Enemy appeared was to march to the Camp through Dundalk and that a Party of one hundred Foot lye by the Horse-Guard that Night This day or the next came Collonel Tiffins and the rest of the Iniskillin Foot and encamped towards the North-West of the Town but within the Trenches on very safe Ground as did also their Horse What Brigadees of Foot we had Our Brigadeers of Foot were Sir Henry Bellassis Sir John Hanver Brigadeer Stuart and Mounsieur La Millinere we had only one Brigadeer of Horse who was Collonel Villers The General 's Orders for the ordinary Guards Then the General gave the following Orders to be observed and Detachments to be made out of all the four Brigades of Foot as followeth viz. One Brigade was to
furnish all Ordinary and Extraordinary Guards for the day with what little Detachments are to be made for that day to which end the Brigade must furnish Officers and Soldiers as followeth For the Duke 's own Guard a Captain Lieutenant and Ensign with Colours two Serjeants two Drums and Fifty Men the Main-Guard in Town the like Number and the Artillery-Guard as many The Guard for Lieutenant-General Douglas a Lieutenant Serjeant and Thirty Men For Major-General Kirk an Ensign Serjeant and Twenty Men the Guard for the Treasury a Serjeant and Twelve Men in all for the Ordinary Guards three Captains four Lieutenants four Ensigns nine Serjeants eight Drums and two hundred and twelve Men. Each Brigadeer had a Serjeant and twelve Men out of their own Brigade and the Collonels when they were quartered with their Regiments had a Guard of six Men Count Solmes and Major-General Soravenmore had Guards of their own Dutch These were upon ordinary Duty And then the Reserve-Guard of Captain Lieutenant Ensign and Fifty Men out of each Regiment was always to be ready as well out of other Brigades as that which had the Ordinary Guards for the day the Brigade that had the Guards was always to have a Collonel ready in the Camp as well to see the Detachments made as to go the Grand Round through the four Brigades at night The Lieutenant Collonels and Majors were also ordered always to keep with their respective Regiments that in case Detachments were to be made every one might be ready in his turn to march And the Majors of the respective Brigades were to attend every night at the General 's Quarters for Orders Next day and the day following one hundred Men out of each Regiment were ordered to work in the Trenches as also a Lieutenant and twenty Men out of each Company to fetch Straw and Wood to build Hutts what sick Men were in the Camp were sent to Carlingford and now our Scouts and the Enemies stood usually within a quarter of a mile of each other Some little Skirmishes hapned hut they turn'd to no account on either side The General went frequently abroad to view the Enemy and ordered on Thursday that a Brigadier should go the Rounds at night and see the Guards in the day An Account that the Irish advanced Friday the 20th In the morning we had an Account that the Enemy advanced towards us and that a Party of two thousand Foot and fifteen hundred Horse were gone beyond the Mountains to attack the Pass at Newry and fall upon us in the Rear which had been no ill Project but their Design was only to cut off our Foragers and Straglers About ten a Clock a Party of the Enemies Horse did appear in sight of our Camp and they had several Battalions of Foot drawn up in order near their own but upon the advancing of a Party of our Horse theirs retired to their Main Body which was too strong for us to meddle withal The detached Party of the Enemy that we heard was gone beyond the Mountains went to a place call'd the Blackbank and hearing that my Lord Hewet's Regiment of Horse and Sir Henry Ingleby's Foot were marching to the Camp and were in Newry or hard by it that night though they came not thither till the next as also some French Detachments that the Duke had commanded in lay in Newry besides the usual Garison of Fifty Men they came no further that way but struck off to the left towards Sligo whenas its very probable That if our Enemies had been all men of Resolution they might have sent part of their Army in our Rear and whilst we endeavour'd to oppose those they might with the rest have forced our Camp and destroy'd us but Providence was our best Guard We had sent several men sick to Carlingford by this time I hapned to be there that day and we had News that the Enemy had taken Newry and were upon their march to Carlingford this was not believed by us but however the Irish that remained there thought it true and 't was very observable with what Joy the Little Boys as well as the silly Old Women received the News running together and whispering nor was it possible for them to conceal their inward satisfaction As I went to the Camp that Evening I observed a small Party of Light Horse cross the Rode a litte before me in great haste and when I got about a mile further I understood that they were a Party of the Irish that had killed five French men and two Iniskilliners as they were a foraging towards the Mountains Great Rains This Afternoon came the first of our Ships up to Dundalk from Carlingford with Ammunition and Provisions In the Night the Rains were extreamly violent and both Horse and Foot had orders to forage towards Carlingford for the Forage was destroy'd on the other side The Irish draw out their Army and proffer Battel Saturday the 21st About Nine a Clock in the Morning it being a very clear sunshine-day our Camp was alarmed the Enemy display'd their Standard-Royal and all drew out both Horse and Foot bringing along a very handsome Field-Train A great Body of their Horse drew up to the South-West of the Town about half a mile from our Out-works the Duke went out to observe them and sent for Collonel Beaumont's Regiment into the Trenches beyond the Town and about an hour after for Collonel Earls It was reported that several great Officers were for fighting and desired the Duke to send for the Horse home who were most of them gone a foraging as far as Carlingford but his Answer was Let them alone we will see what they will do He received several fresh Accounts that the Enemy advanced and always bid Let them alone A Body of their Foot came to the side of a Bogg and fired upon a Party of our Horse not far from the Duke but they knew the Horse could not come at them else I suppose they would scarce have come so near Then our Gunners sent from the Works to see if they might fire amongst the Enemy who by this time were within Cannon shot but the Duke would not suffer it except they came within Musquet-shot of our Trenches He observed the Enemies motions and postures and said He saw no sign of their designing to fight only-once they drew their Army into two lines as if they would and then he sent Lieutenant-General Douglass to the Camp to order all the Foot to stand to their Arms and sent to the Horse That upon the firing of three Pieces of Cannon they should return to the Camp but till then to go on with their Foraging Mean time the Duke as if there was no fear of danger for all this for he used to say That it was not in their power to make him fight but when he pleased alighted from his Horse and sate him down upon a little Hill where he seem'd to sleep for some
time though I believe his thoughts were at work how to repulse the Enemy if they should attack him Lieutenant-General Douglass came to the Camp and all the Soldiers with the greatest joy in the World stood to their Arms several that had not stirr'd out of their Tents for a Week before now got up their Musquets and all were glad to think that they had an opportunity of beating their Enemy for they never supposed the contrary and so to march forwards from that sad place which they begun already to be very weary of But refused by the Duke We stood looking upon one another for some time and most people desired that they might march through the Town and have a fair Tryal for it but the Duke had no such thoughts and therefore he did not so much as send for his Horse home besides he knew that the Enemy could not easily force our Camp without a great deal of hazard to themselves and that he believed they would scarce be brought to And therefore about two a Clock when the Enemy begun to draw off the General sent orders for the Soldiers to return to their Tents My Lord Lisburne and Collonel Woolsley made some proffers to beat the Enemy back or with one thousand men to beat up their Guards that night but this was not so easy a Task as they made it and the Duke refused it considering if they did it the Honour was theirs but if they miscarried the disadvantage was his As the Enemy retired a Party of Collonel Levison's Dragoons killed about four or five of them and some of the Iniskillin-men stript themselves and pursued the Enemy killing two or three more tho some of themselves fell in the attempt but the Action of that day was very inconsiderable for neither could they come at us nor we go to them without such disadvantages as are to be well considered of in such cases And that the General acted this day as well as before and after according to the Rules of Art and Prudence and that too for the best may partly appear towards the latter end of the Campaign I had almost forgot to tell you that the Late King was at the head of his Army that day having come to the Camp some days before The Officers commanded to exercise their men The Orders were that Night That none should forage nor stir out of the Camp next day and that the Brigades that did not mount the Guards should be exercised at firing at a Mark when it was Fair weather as 't was very seldom for the Duke knew most of his men had never been in service and therefore he would have them taught as much as could be Part of the Irish Army remove Next day being Sunday we had news that the Enemy was removed towards Drogheda and had burnt their Camp this was partly true for they removed some of their Army and formed a Camp hard by Ardee to the East nigh the side of a Bog My Lord Hewett's Horse and Sir Henry Inglesby's Foot came this day to the Camp the latter being relieved at Carigfergus by Collonel Gustavus Hambleton from Chester and two French Granadeers were apprehended as they were going to the Enemy A Plot discover'd But next Morning there was a further discovery made And first Four Soldiers and a Drummer then Sixteen more apprehended several Letters were found about some of those as one to Monsieur d'Avaux and as they say one to the Late King those it seems were writ by one Du Plessey who served as a private Soldier in M. Cambon's Regiment and had for some time kept a Correspondence with the Enemy Enquiry being made into the thing about Two hundred men all Papists in Callimot's Cumbon's and La. Millineir's French Regiments were secured disarmed and sent with a Guard on Shipboard and so for England but what became of them afterwards I know not Monday morning the Enemy came and burnt all the Forage that was left between our Camp and theirs the General would not send out a party for fear of an Ambuscade and the Soldiers seemed to be pleased with it because they said they could not get leave to fight them The Weather for two or three days proved pretty fair and the Soldiers were exercised with firing at Marks but it was observable that a great many of the new men who had Match-Locks had so little skill in placing of their Matches true that scarce one of them in four could fire their Pieces off and those that did thought they had done a feat if the Gun fired never minding what they shot at Tuesday Two Granadeers of Coll. Beaumont's Regiment were Hanged for deserting and there was a Council of War designed between Major-General Kirk and Sir Henry Inglesby about the business of Derry the latter saying That Derry might easily have been relieved much sooner with a great deal more to that purpose but it came to nothing and was no more talk'd of On the 25th the Army was Mustered and several Regiments were grown pretty thin by reason of the distempers then beginning to seize our Men. Six Frenchmen Hanged On the 26th Six of the principal Conspirators amongst the French were Hanged upon a pair of Gallows built for that purpose near the High-way as we went from the Camp to the Town They all died Papists and confessed their design to take over as many to King James as they could and that this was their intentions when they first Listed themselves and that if we had engaged the Enemy the Saturday before they were to have put our Army into Confusion by firing in the Rear and so deserting They prayed for Ring William and Queen Mary and ask'd Their Pardons for their Treachery Du Plessey the chief of them had been formerly a Captain of Horse in France from whence they say he fled for a Murder but hearing what Regiments were to be raised in England he came thither under the notion of a poor Refugee and for what Service he proposed to do the Late King he both expected his Pardon from the King of France and the Command of a Regiment in Ireland He served as a Private Centinal the better to carry on his design He was certainly one that knew his business and amongst other things was a good Engineer and the more to blind the World he went often in the Trenches at Carigfergus and being wounded he would needs stay and encourage the Pioneers so difficult it is to find the bottom of mens hearts except by Chance or rather Providence The French before were very insolent which made them hated at all hands but this Treachery of their Countrey-men made them so odious that the Soldiers wanted only some body to begin and then they were ready to punish all for the faults of some Collonel Woolsley some time before this had sent a Spy to Dublin who had brought him a particular Account of all Affairs there amongst other things
the Irish had great hopes of the French revolting to them this he acquainted the Duke withal but he would not believe it till it discovered it self so good an opinion had he of those people who for all this were not so grateful to him as they ought to have been Coll. Lloyd defeats a Party of the Irish Friday the 27th We had News That two days before Collonel Lloyd with about 1000 Iniskilliners had defeated a Body of the Irish that were going towards Sligo consisting of about 5000 and had killed 700 of them taken O Kelly their Commander and 40 more Officers Prisoners with a great booty of about 8000 Cattel with the loss only of 14 Men upon which News the General ordered all the Iniskillin Horse and Foot that were in the Camp to Draw out and Complemented them so far as to Ride all along their Line with his Hat off then he ordered the Dutch-Guards and the Iniskillin-Foot to Draw into a Line to the Right of our Works at the West-end of the Town where they made three Running-fires which were answered by the Iniskillin-Horse from their Camp and by the Great Guns upon our Works as also from our Ships that lay in the mouth of the River The Enemy admired what all this rejoycing should be for and were in some trouble at first suspecting we had got some extraordinary News from England or that there was an Army landed in the West of Ireland which they themselves must have known before us but when they understood the occasion they were not much concerned The 28th The Officers were acquainted it was the King's positive Orders that the Soldiers should not be wronged in their Pay nor neglected and whosoever was careless of his Company should be broke without Ceremony that was I suppose without a Court Martial Care was likewise commanded to be taken of the Sick at Carlingford An Officer was sent out of every Regiment to look after them and see them paid but for all this a great many of them died miserably and several Officers did not take the care that was necessary nor was there either Drugs or indeed Chyrurgeons to look after the Sick All Officers that had any Baggage on Shipboard were commanded to take it off because the Ships were said to go into Scotland for the Danes though at that time they were in Denmark All Papists commanded to discover themselves All that were Papists in the Army were commanded to discover it on pain of Death there were very few found but amongst the French who were put again under a Guard and sent to Carlingford there being the Afternoon before two more French-men taken one who had a List of all the Army and the Officers Names in most Regiments as also a Scheme of our Camp this was the occasion of the former Orders And also that the next night it was ordered That a List should be given in from every Regiment of the Officers Names and where they were with the Names of those that were absent and all those that had not received the Sacrament since they had their Commissions were to prepare against the Sunday following which was that day Seven-night Next day Lieutenant-General Douglas exercised the Regiments of the first Line teaching them how to fire by platoons and then made Speeches to them about their pay which pleased the Soldiers mightily but not so well the Officers month October Brandy delivered to the Men. About the first of October there was a good quantity of Brandy delivered out to every Regiment and Orders were again repeated That the Officers should be careful of their men the weather was then exceeding bad and we who lay on wet low ground had leave to remove our Tents a little higher which we did and after some time built our selves Huts according to former Orders And because the French were yet so forward as to go out and either buy oâ— take the Provisions that were coming to the Market then exacting from the English at least as much more as the thing was worth this was the occasion why the French were put upon the Guard whenever they could not give a good account of themselves upon which the General ordered that no French should be stopt any more than English but that none should pass the Out-Guards after Sunset nor buy any thing upon pain of death till it come into Town to the open Market And because it was observed that several Countrey people went between our Camp and the Enemies giving Intelligence of our Condition it was ordered That all Countrey-men that were stopt at or beyond the Out-Guards and could not give a reasonable account of their business they should be brought before the General Ships come to Dundalk Several of our Ships to the number of about 27 were now come to Dundalk and anchored nigh the Shore to the South-west of the Town but when the Tide was out it was easie for the Enemy to come down on that side and ruin them therefore the General ordered a Guard of a 100 men to go on Ship-board and to be relieved every 24 hours he took all imaginable care likewise that the Sick should be well lookt after and that those that were well should have Bread Cheese Brandy Beef Pease and Money as also That an Officer of a Company should go out with a Party and fetch in Fern for the Soldiers to lye upon for a great many began now to be sick by reason of the extreme bad weather and most of them were so lazy that they would starve rather than fetch Fern or any thing else to keep themselves dry and clean withal which certainly was the greatest occasion of Distempers Sickness and Death it self and many of them when they were dead were incredibly Lousie This occasioned the General to say one day when he came to the Camp and found that the Soldiers had not Hutted according to Orders That we English-men will Fight but we do not love to work for he used to call himself an English-man for all he loved the French so well About this time there was a Captain and Fifty men sent to Moyery Castle some Two miles behind our Camp as well to secure what Provisions were coming thither as to keep the Rappâ—…ees in awe and prevent our men that were going backwards and forwards from being murdered as several had been for a day or two before this I saw a poor Soldier lying towards the mountains who had his Head cut off and laid between his Legs and one of his Arms likewise which lay at a distance from him so cruel are those Wretches where they have an Opportunity or advantage On the 1 st of October Coll. Lloyd possest himself of James-town a small place near the Shannon where the Enemy had a Garison of 80 men that they had sent thither a little time before The Irish Army removes to Ardee and on the 5 th we had news That the Enemies
Foot began to march at one a Clock in the morning and their Horse followed in the Rear burning their Camp at the Bridg of Fane and removing to Ardee We had also an account That the Duke of Berwick with a considerable Body of Horse was gone towards Iniskillin to rescue Major General Maccarty upon which a Detatchment of the Iniskillin Horse and Foot Coll. Russels Horse and Eight Grenadeers out of every Regiment mounted on Horse-back were sent on the 8 th to keep a Pass between us and Sligo On the 9 th the General had an Account from one Hempson and Johnston with four more who came from Dublin in an open Boat on the 7 th and landed at Carlingford That King James had given Orders to victual that place for his Winter-Quarters and that the discourse was there of dividing the Army in order to quit the Field because they thought it was impossible for us to attempt any thing that Winter as indeed it was That night a Party of 100 Horse were sent out towards Ardee but coming near an old Castle where the Enemy had posted themselves they fired upon our men which occasioned some of the French Horse to retreat but all the harm that was done was one of the Troopers had his Thigh bruised An Honourable Quarrel About this time there hapned a Quarrel between two French Officers belonging to Duke Sconberg's Regiment of Horse they were afraid to fight nigh our Camp lest the General should have notice of it and so try them by a Court-martial therefore they agreed to ride out towards the Enemies Camp where they fought with Sword and Pistol and being both wounded they told at their return that it was the Enemy had done it Both Forage and Firing grew now very scarce and the Weather was mighty bad so that Mr. Shales had Orders to deliver out two Tuns of Coals to each Regiment About the 8 th or 9 th Sir John Lanier's Colonel Langston's Horse and Colonel Hefford's Dragoons with Colonel Hasting's Foot landed at Carlingford from Scotland We had an account that there were more landed with them and that when they joined us we should march forwards but now it was too late and they did not come to the Camp but were ordered to Armagh Clownish and Places thereabouts The General gave Orders that no Colonel or any one whatever should give Passes for any to go from the Camp and that the Officers should visit the Souldiers Tents night and morning to see what they wanted The Sick order'd on Board On the 13 th it was ordered that all the Sick should be sent on Board and that the Officers took care to see that those who were well should have Hutts made and the Quarter-masters were ordered to fetch Shoes Bread Cheese Brandy and Coals And all the Surgeons in the Army were appointed to meet Dr. Lawrence next day at 10 a Clock to consult I suppose what Methods could be taken to prevent the Flux and Feaver which then were very violent The General Count Solmes Lieut. Gen. Douglas Maj. Gen. Kirk and M. G. Scravenmore or some of them were out every day either to observe the Enemy or view our own Camp And on the 15 th we were told by three or four Deserters that the Enemy had entrenched themselves at Ardee and designed to continue there for some time but the first was a Mistake for it was the Town that they were fortifying whilst they lay there that they might leave a Garison in it when the Army went off to Quarters A Colonel was ordered to go the Rounds every night and a Brigadier once in three nights And we had at this time about 105 Ships at Carlingford besides those at Dundalk Our Horse encamp at Carlingford The 16 th all our Horse except the French the Inniskillin and Col. Levison's Dragoons march'd towards Carlingford for the conveniency of Forage That day Capt. Ralph Gore was buried in Dundalk-Church and the day following Col. Deering as had been several Officers before Sir Edward was very much lamented in the Army by all that knew him He left a good Fortune in England purely to serve the King in this Expedition as did three more of his Brothers one of which viz. Capt. John Deering died since at Taudrogee being a very ingenious young Gentleman On the 17 th a Party of Inniskillin Horse and some of Levison's Dragoons were got so nigh the Enemy that a Party of twenty Horse came behind them thinking to keep a Pass whilst others charged them in the Front Four Irish Men killed but our Men discovering their Error faced about and charged those in the Rear whereof they killed four and took six Prisoners A Priest hanged for a Spy The same day a Priest was hanged who came from the Enemy as a Deserter but proved a Spy he served then in station of a Captain And to be even with us they caught a Spy of ours some days after in Priests habit and hanged him The 20 th Capt. Withers of Maj. Gen. Kirk's Regiment was made Adjutant-General of Foot and next day it was again ordered that all our Sick should be sent on board at Dundalk and Carlingford though those Orders were not executed till a fortnight after We remove our Camp beyond the Town However we removed our Camps some beyond the Town and some towards the Artillery leaving the Huts that we had made full of sick Men. I know not the distinct number of the Sick in every Regiment at that time but besides what were dead and gone to Carlingford before as also some in the Town we had 67 that were not able to march about twice twelve score to fresh ground whom we put into those Huts leaving the Surgeon with an Officer and twelve Men purposely to attend them The Chaplain likewise went to see them once a day but always at his going found some dead Those that were alive seemed very sorry when the others were to be buried not that they were dead for they were the hardest-hearted one to another in the World but whilst they had them in their Huts they either served to lay between them and the cold Wind or at least were serviceable to sit or lie upon And since the Enemy were now drawn off the Guards were taken from the Ships and from Mortimer's Castle leaving only a Sergeant and twelve Men at the Gate that leads to Bedloes Castle and because some Companies were so thin that there were scarce twelve healthful Men in them it was therefore ordered that every Company should do Duty according to strength Tuesday the 22 d great part of the Army were marched beyond the Town and encamp'd some towards Bedloe's-Castle and some down towards the Shipping in so much that those that went over were ordered to do Duty as three Brigades and those that staid as one the Chirurgeon of each Regiment was ordered to see the Sick on Board An Officer was sent to take
care of them and was to call on Mr. Shales for Provisions Every Officer was to see that none were sent on Board but what were really Sick and this was recommended to the Colonels as well as to the Brigadiers This Afternoon there came a Drummer from the Enemy about the Exchange of Prisoners Dutch Prisoners released by King James And three Dutch-men were taken as they were stragling in the Country who being brought to King James and ask'd Who they belonged to when he understood their Captain was the same that had the Care of him formerly at Rochester he dismissed them with his Service to their Captain giving each of them some Mony because he said their Captain had been formerly civil to him The 23 d several sick Men having been sent on Board and not Ships enough for the rest Mr. Shales was ordered to bring more from Carlingford and most of the Regiments went to encamp beyond the Town I suppose the General was of Opinion the Ground whereon we lay was infected or else he would not have removed us out of our Huts into our Tents again especially in such boisterous Weather A Trumpeter comes about the exchange of Prisoners The 24 th there was a Trumpeter sent also about the Exchange of Prisoners And it was ordered that the Officers should give an Account of their effective Men how many Sick and where as also of their spare Arms and deliver them in to the Artillery taking a Receipt for them but what Arms were broke or lost the Captains were to be accountable for and it was but reasonable nor did the Officers take that due care in this particular that was convenient for if any Souldier is careless of his Arms the Officer ought to punish him by which the King will be both better served and freed from that unnecessary Charge of supplying his Army anew every Year but what with the Rain and our own carelesness together our Arms were often in that condition that should the Enemy have attaqued us on a sudden we had scarce one Musquet in ten that was serviceable The 25 th 26 th 27 th all the rest of the Army removed through the Town and encamp'd on fresh Ground the Weather still continued very bad and great Numbers both of Officers and Souldiers died The General then gave Orders that no No Firings for the Dead Firings should be for the Dead because it encouraged the Enemy who knew but too well our Condition and yet could do us but little harm Most People now began to murmur against the General as if he had been the Cause of all their Misfortunes but it is commonly a Fate incident to great Men to be extreamly magnified upon Success and upon any notable Disaster to be as much reproach'd and sometimes neither justly for he himself shared in the trouble of this Affair but could not in reason be made the cause of it On the 27 th about 12 a Clock at Night 200 of Col. Levison's Dragoons a Party of Inniskilliners and some French Horse were sent towards the Enemies Camp who went almost as far as Ardee and brought back some Cattle and Horses took only a Serjeant Prisoner and had a Lieutenant killed Next Morning there was a Party of 80 Granadiers mounted and sent abroad commanded by Lieut. Laton but these returned with the above-said Party and frequent Trumpets were sent to and fro about the Exchange of Prisoners This Evening about nine a Clock died Sir Thomas Gower of a Feaver as did also Col. Wharton next Morning and were both buried on the 30 th in one Vault where a in Fortnight before Sir Edward Deering was laid the Regiments being joined and fired three times by particular Order These two Gentlemen were very much bemoaned by the whole Army Col. Wharton was a brisk bold Man and had a Regiment that would have followed him any where for they loved him and this made him ready to push on upon all Occasions Sir Tho Gower though he was but just in a manner entring upon the World yet I believe few or none of his Age could out-do him he was of a quick and ready Wit as well as a solid Judgment and made it his Business to know Men and Things to this was joined a very good Education together with a most sweet and affable Temper being withal a Man of a comely and handsom Person as was also Col. Wharton that it made him truly bemoaned by all that knew him A day or two after died C. Hungerford a very hopeful young Gentleman and of a considerable Fortune with several other Officers and great numbers of Souldiers as I have said And many unthinking Mens Passions led them to censure the General as the occasion of all this They would say that if he had gone on at first he might certainly have got Dublin and what he did was only to protract the War and that he cared not how many died so he was well himself but at best that he was so old that he was not fit for Action for if he had but rid out he would forget in two or three hours that he had been abroad that Day But all those were most false and ignorant Suggestions as his Majesty was very sensible of at that time and it appeared to all considering People to be so afterwards For besides prime Ministers are not to level their Proceedings to the Capacities of all who pretend Vigilancy and Care of the State and no Man living in publick Imployments can manage so as to have the good word of all People neither indeed is it convenient or rational to endeavour or expect it On the last of October all the Quarter-masters had Orders to go on Board with each ten Men and see the Ships cleared to make room for the Sick they were all to have Tickets from their Colonels and the Brigadeers were ordered to visit them on Board but if any were well enough to go to Carlingford or the County of Down they were to be taken care of the Colonels or Lieutenant-Colonels were to go with the Brigadier on Board and every Adjutant was to give a List next Morning of their Sick to the Adjutant-General which was a very large one month November The Enemy Decamp Friday the First of November greatest part of the Enemies Army Decamped and marched to Quarters and it was ordered that Night that two Granadeers out of each English Regiment and three out of every French should be on Horse-back at the White-House early next Morning to go out as a Party to observe the Enemy the reason of this I suppose was because the small number of Horse and Dragoons that were left in our Camp were almost harrassed to Death with continual Duty the rest being nigh Carlingford at Grâ—ss as has been said All the Sick that were in any condition to March were ordered to be at the Artillery by seven a Clock in the Morning their Officers were to give
left and so died and all of us had but indifferent Lodgings that Night amongst the Ruins of the old Houses at Newry So little did the poor Men value dying that some of them being in a Stable over-night the next day two were dead and the rest intreating me to get a Fire which I did coming about two hours after they had pull'd in the two dead Men to make Seats of The ninth Day the rest of our Army marched from Dundalk the Duke giving Orders first to burn some Arms and Provisions that could not be got off because the Waggons were imployed to carry the Men and some few sick Men were left that could not be removed those were at the Mercy of the Enemy who did not use them ill but buried several that were dead At their first coming to Dundalk they removed the Corps of our three dead Colonels out of my Lord Bedlow's Vault and buried them nigh the Church-door but did not abuse them as was reported Some Men killed As the Rear of our Army was marching off from Dundalk a small Party of the Enemy's Horse came as far as Moyery-Castle two Miles from the Town where they killed the Adjutant of my Lord Kingston's Regiment with two or three Souldiers that were behind the rest but a Party of our Horse advancing the Enemy retreated towards Dundalk which they had possession of within an hour after we had left it And that nothing might be wanting for the good of the Souldiers the General before he left the Camp viz. on the 23 d of October set forth an Order how all Subaltern Officers and Souldiers were to be subsisted and cleared according to which all Colonels and superiour Officers were to take care that their Men were paid as they would answer the contrary at their Perils A Remarkable Story Sometime after our coming to Quarters I was told a very remarkable Story relating to the manner of our decamping at Dundalk It was by one Mr. Hambleton of Tollymoore a Justice of Peace in his Country and a sober rational Man which was to this effect Himself and two other Gentlemen with their Servants coming from Dublin into the North at least a Year before our Landing As they came towards Dundalk about nine a Clock at Night they espied several little twinkling Lights in the Air with two larger than the rest They staid some time in the Town and designing for Newry that Night Mr. Hambleton went a little before his Company and saw the same Lights again as nigh as he could guess about the Ground where we afterwards Encamp'd On the side of the Hill as he was to go towards the Mountains he turned about and look'd at them and at the same time he heard the most dismal and heavy Groans in the World This startled him something and presently his Company came up who all saw the Lights and heard the Noise which continued till they got almost to Newry but the Lights they saw no more after they turned their Backs off the Plains of Dundalk They have a great many Stories of this kind in Ireland And the Inniskilling-Men tell you of several such things before their Battels but I have only the Reader 's Pardon to ask for the trouble of this How our Army was quarter'd The Army at our decamping was dispersed all over the North to Winter-Quarters which were but very indifferent and what with coming to warm Fire-sides with some and others having little or no shelter to secure them and very little Provisions the Country being all wasted and destroyed nor was it possible to send Provisions every where till Storehouses were fixed And then most of the Men being very weak before they left the Camp and marching in the Cold and Wett to come to those Places we had more that died when they came to Quarters than died in the Camp I have a Copy of the Order by me which directed how and where all Regiments were to be disposed but it 's needless to insert it only our Frontier Garisons were Green-Castle and Rostriver where quartered Beaumont and Stuart Newry where was Sir Henry Inglesby Taudrogee Sir Henry Bellasis and some of Levison's Dragoons Legacory had some of the French and at Armagh were Drogheda and Deering at Clownish Monohan and those places were Hastings and some of the Iniskilliners The General had his Head-Quarters at Lisburn and the Hospital was ordered to be at Belfast which is a very large Town and the greatest for Trade in the North of Ireland it stands at the head of the Bay of Carickfergus and the Inhabitants have lately built a very famous Stone-Bridg but the Wars coming on it is not as yet quite finished I doubt not but most People will be curious to know how many died this Campaign and in Quarters and what could be the occasion of such Mortality as likewise how many the Enemies Numbers were when they lay so nigh us and wonder why two Armies should lie so near together for our Front and theirs were for above a Fortnight not two miles asunder and yet so little of Action happen The Reasons of our Mens dying As to the first whatever the World may think yet I can attribute those Distempers amongst us to nothing else but the Badness of the Weather the moistness of the Place the unacquaintedness of the English to hardships and indeed their lazy Carelessness for I remember a Regiment of Dutch that Encamp'd at the end of the Town were so well hutted that not above eleven of them died the whole Campaign but it 's the same thing with the English whenever you take them first out of their own Country as it was here and let Men be in other things never so happy if they have Courage and know the use of their Arms yet when they come upon Duty if they have not Bodies inured to hardships they lie under a great disadvantage But in truth we could scarce have been more infortunate either in a Place or in the Weather than whilst we were there for it would often rain all Day upon us when there was not one drop in the Enemies Camp this they used to call a Judgment but it was because we lay in a Hollow at the Bottoms of the Mountains and they upon a high sound Ground the Enemy did not at first die so fast as we did because they were born in the Country and were used to bad lying and feeding but before they decamped they were nigh as ill as we and abundance died after they got to Quarters Chirurgions ill provided One thing I cannot omit and that is that our Surgeons were very ill provided with Druggs having in their Chests only some little things for Wounds but little or nothing that might be useful against the Flux and the Feaver which were the two raging Distempers amongst us and yet I cannot but think that the Feaver was partly brought to our Camp by some of those People that
Affairs of the greatest Moment tho they know no more than the Man in the Moon what such things mean and if we get but into a Coffee-house or over a Bottle in a Tavern we can be greater Statesmen and Generals in opinion than those that are really so and can do that in conceit in two hours which the greatest Men find a difficulty to perform in some years The Duke therefore I humbly conceive had more Reasons for what he did than I can think on or possibly ever heard of But what I have to offer are these as The Reasons why the General went no further than Dundalk 1. Where the Fault lay I know not but I was at Chester when the Duke had been above a week in Ireland and all or most of the Waggon-Horses and some of the Train-Horses were there then nor did they come over till we had been some time at Dundalk The Country as we marched was all destroyed by the Irish so that by that time we got to Newry I was forced to go and dig Potatoes which made the greatest part of a Dinner to better Men than my self and if it was so with us it may easily be supposed that the poor Souldiers had harder times of it This the Duke was very sensible of and sent for Mr. Alloway Commissary to the Train and told him that he must send back his Horses for Bread for the Men And when the other urged it was a thing never known that the Train-Horses were employed to any other Use than what belonged to the Train it self the Duke replied He knew the truth of that but that he had rather break any Rules than his Men should starve and accordingly some of the Horses were sent for Bread as I have observed before 2. For want of Horses and Carriages the Duke was forced to ship the greatest part of his Train and several Necessaries for a Camp at Carickfergus and gave Orders that the Ships should sail with the first fair Wind for Carlingford-Bay but though the Wind was very favourable they did not stir in ten days after nor did there any Ships come to Carlingford till we had been at Dundalk at least a week and then only four came at a time I have heard indeed that he who had the Sailing Orders went some-where with them and the Ships lay still for want of them but how true this is I know not 3. It was said that the General had assurance given him before he left England that an Army should be landed in the West of Ireland at his marching through the North and accordingly we had it several times affirmed that it was so This no doubt would have distracted the Irish and made the Duke's Passage to Dublin much more easy But the General had an account I suppose that this could not be and therefore he must stand or fall by himself Nor would any that knew Duke Schonbergh believe he would ever come abroad with so small an Army and so ill provided And I have heard say that that Army was never designed to conquer Ireland but to defend the North. 4. It was no difficult thing for him to march his Army as far as Dundalk and that safely by reason the Country was full of Mountains and Bogs and the Enemies Horse could not do him much harm though if they had pleased they needed not have let us come past Newry and yet their Horse had then newly come from Derry and were gone to recruit But if he had pass'd that Place it was a plain and open Country and we might easily have been surrounded and our Communication both from the North and also from our Ships cut off for if we past Dundalk we could have no more benefit of our Shipping till we had been Masters of Drogheda or else have gone to Dublin and then we must have gone over the Boyne which thrice our Number and that too in a dry Season in the midst of Summer found some difficulty in passing and all this we must have performed in two or three days or else have starved 5. Suppose that if we had marched on and made an halt at Dundalk we might have gone to Dublin the Irish Army not being got together for I have heard it was debated whether Drogheda should have been surrendred if we advanced thither and it was once carried in the Affirmative But the Duke was not certain of the Enemies Condition nor if he had Would it have been any prudence to have gone on without Provisions without Ships and a great many other things that were absolutely necessary He knew he was safe at Dundalk and therefore he chose to stay there and understand the posture of the Enemy and expect his own Things and Forces rather than run the hazard of gaining that by meer Fortune which if she had frown'd the Damage was certainly irreparable 6. The General was a meer Stranger in the Country and therefore he must look at a great many Things with other Mens Eyes and some of those were dim enough nor had he any Counsel assigned him but had the whole shock of Affairs upon himself which was the occasion that he scarce ever went to Bed till it was very late and then had his Candle with a Book and Pensil by him this would have confounded any other Man and was fit for no Body to undertake but Duke Schonberg or his Master that employed him Before the Duke could be ready therefore to march forwards the Irish Army was come and sat down by us and then it was too late And why he did not fight the Irish Army Nor do I think he was more to blame in refusing Battel when the Irish seem'd to proffer it for though it 's probable that the Irish at our first coming over took our Numbers to be greater than they really were yet by that time we had been a Week at Dundalk they knew our Numbers and our Circumstances as well as we our selves did both by the Intelligence they had in the Country and by several of the French that had a mind to betray us For all things considered we had not above 14000 Horse and Foot and very few of those Horse nor was the Duke to go according to our reputed Numbers but to what we were in Reality The Enemy had nigh four times our Number of Horse and Dragoons with double ouâ— Number of Foot nor could we have drawn out upon them without a manifest disadvantage there being several Bogs and Causeys between us and them that whosoever gave the Attaque all things else considered it was odds against them Besides most of our Souldiers were new Men and had never seen a Sword drawn in Anger nor a Gun fired in Earnest in their Lives and what such Men will do till they be tried there 's none can tell I believe the Men had as good Hearts and were all as ready I am sure to engage as was possible but several of them were ignorant
of the true use of their Arms for when they came afterwards to fire at a Mark singly they gave too great proof to any Man of sense of their Unskilfulness This is no Reflection upon the Officers for it 's scarce possible to make new-raised Men good Souldiers till they have seen some Action and yet several Officers might have taken more care than they did If it be objected that the Enemies Men were far worse in this respect than ours I answer Not for a great many of them had been Souldiers for at least four Years before and if we had gone out into the Plain and had our Foot charged by their Horse at the rate we were afterwards at the Boyne I know not what might have followed Besides we had an Enemy in our Bosom at that time undiscovered I mean the French and if those at the beginning of an Engagement should have fired in the Rear or Flank of our Army upon our own Men and then run over to the Enemy as was designed this might quickly have bred an appreâ—hension of Treachery in the whole that a Consternation and from this such a Confusion that our whole Army might easily have been disordered for those that understand Armies know that a small thing in appearance may do a great deal of Mischief at such a time And some are of Opinion that the Irish did not design to fight that Day but only drew out to see who would come over to them because they were made believe that all the French and a great many English would for the Duke who was a great Judg often said when he saw the Enemy appear That they did not look as if they would fight except once but that they designed something else But God be thanked the English were stedfast and true to a Man and they were disappointed of their Foreigners too Upon the whole Matter I doubt not but it will appear to any Man that pleases to consider it that the Duke did better in not hazarding that in a moment which may be was not to be redeemed again in many Ages since not only the Safety of these Kingdoms did in a great measure depend upon it but a great part of the Protestant Interest in Europe had a Concern in it And where the Fates of Kingdoms and the Lives and Interests of Thousands are at Stake Men are still to act on solid Reasons and Principles the Turns of a Battel being so many and are often occasioned by such unexpected Accidents which also proceed from such minute Causes that a wise and great Captain such as Duke Schonberg was will expose to Chance only as much as the very Nature of War requires And as to what happened at Dundalk by the Mens dying afterwards this was not the General 's Fault for he could not march back till the Enemy was gone his Men then being so very weak had all been cut off nor could he foresee what Weather it would be whilst he staid nor how the English Constitutions would bear it And as to his Care that they should want nothing let any but consider the Orders through the Camp and he will find it was scarce in the power of any Man to do more But I am affraid it will be thought impertinent to indeavour the defence of so great a Man's Actions and to do it no better Former Misfortunes at Dundalk I only add therefore that this Town of Dundalk has by turns been unfortunate to the People of the three Nations It was in Time past a Town very strongly walled which Edward Bruce Brother to the King of Scots who had Proclaimed himself King of Ireland burnt but he was near this place afterward slain with 8200 of his Men. Afterwards the Irish under Shan O Neal laid siege to it but were repulsed with very great loss Then in the Year 1641 my Lord Moore and Sir Henry Tichburn beat three thousand Irish out of Dundalk and killed a great many of them having only 750 Foot and 200 Horse And the Misfortune of the English last Year was not inferiour to any of these But to return to Matter of Fact 1700 of the Irish fall upon Newry The Enemy had left eight Regiments at Ardee when they Decamped out of which Regiments so soon as we were gone to Quarters they detached 1600 Men and those with 100 Voluntiers were to force the Pass at Newry and then go along the Line to destroy our Frontier Garisons which at that time had been no difficult Task to have performed they march'd all Night Saturday the 23 of November and came on Sunday Morning by break of Day or before to the other side of the Bridg at Newry this Party was commanded by Major General Boisleau having with him a Brigadeer three Colonels and other Officers proportionable there was then in the Garrison most of what were left of Colonel Inglesby's Regiment which were not many above sixty and not forty of those able to present a Musquet the Enemy sent a Party of a 100 Men to pass the River a little above the Bridg and come in at the North-east-end of the Town whilst the main Body marched over the Bridg beyond which we had two Centinels placed at 100 paces distance from each other the first challenged thrice and then his Piece missed fire and he was killed the next challenged and fired upon them which alarmed the Garison As they advanced near the middle of the Town in a strait place near the Castle a Sergant and twelve Men being upon the Guard drew out and fired then retreated to the old Walls charged and fired again by this time all the Officers and Souldiers that were able to crawl were got into the Market-place with some few Townsmen the Enemy came in both ways and fired doing us some damage the poor fellows that were not able to come out fired their Pieces out at the Windows of some small Houses that were left standing others that could not do better got their backs to the old Walls and so were able to present their Musquets And are repulsed by an handful After some firing on both sides the Enemy believing us to be a great many more than we really were begun to shrink which occasioned our Men to Huzzah and then the Rogues run away many of them for haste wading through the River up to their Necks the Tide being high at that time they were followed down to the Bridg by a Captain and a very small party of Men and though they were both threatned and intreated by their Officers to rally again yet all would not do They had a Lieutenant-Colonel killed and left six Men dead on the place but afterwards we were informed they carried off twelve Horses loaden with dead and wounded Men we took only one or two Prisoners and if we had had a party of Horse or Dragoons to pursue them not many had gone home to tell the News those that were kill'd had not
and well Clothed and Armed Monsieur Callimot with his Regiment was posted upon the Blackwater nigh Charlemont and had kept them in very much on that side during Winter On the 8 th of March he took possession of a little Village within less than two miles of the Castle the Enemy at first pretended to dislodg us but having lost three of their Men they retired Monsieur Callimot's Design upon Charlemont Bridg. On the 12 th at Night Col. Callimot went with a Party of his own and some of Col. St. John's Regiment being in all about 80 Souldiers and 20 Officers with those he designed to cut down the Bridg at Charlemont it being Wood and so to prevent the Irish from making Excursions in the Night as they used to do In order to which he put his Men into three Boats and coming up the River within a mile of Charlemont he landed his Men and though they were discovered at a distance yet he marched up to the Bridg and set Fire to it taking a Redoubt at the Bridg-end as also another near the Gate that leads to Armagh killing about 20 But Day coming on the Colonel thought it convenient to retreat having lost only five or six Men but Major De la Bord was killed as he went off Lieut. Col. Belcassel and a Captain whose Name was Le Rapin wounded This Attempt was very brave for the Castle it self was within Musquet-shot of the Bridg and nearer to those Works that we took About this time were four Prisoners brought to Lisburn that were taken nigh Charlemont they gave an Account that the Garison had been relieved some time before and that the Souldiers and Officers who came in lately did not like Tongue O Regan's Government that Bread and Salt were scarce within and that they believed the Garison could not hold out long if they had not fresh supplys of Victuals All this while the General was daily sending up Provisions to our Stores upon the Frontiers so that our Men were pretty well supplied every where but the Ways were very bad and Carriages scarce so that the Trouble and Charge were both extraordinary His Majesty's Expedition into Ireland ascertain'd We had News before this that his Majesty designed to come in Person for Ireland against the succeeding Campagne and now it was made certain which was great Satisfaction to all both Officers and Souldiers and that upon several Accounts some had been displeased judging they had not fair play in their Preferments others hoped to show themselves worthy the King's Notice by their future Actions and most People expected a considerable Sum of Mony to pay off the Army Then every one knew his Majesty's Industry Courage and Resolution to be so great that he would endeavour to make a quick dispatch and therefore upon some account or other all our Friends were pleased with it and the greatest of our Enemies daunted to hear the News The French Land at Kingsale The 14 th of March about 5000 French Foot landed at Kingsale with two Generals Count Lauzun and the Marquess de Lery K. James sending back Maj. Gen. Mackarty with as many Irish Our Fleet was then attending the Queen of Spain which made this Undertaking very easy to the French The 23 d of March Col. Woolsely sent out a Party beyond Cavan to bring in some Cattel for the use of his Garison they got 1000 Head and were pursued by the Enemy but they brought off their Prey and kill'd about 20 or 30. Clothes Arms Ammunion and Provision arrived daily at Belfast from England month April Killishandra taken April the 6 th Col. Woolsely with a detach'd Party of 700 Men went to Attaque the Castle of Killishandra about seven miles from Belturbat which after he had fix'd his Mines and made some brisk Attaque on it the Men firing in upon the Enemy at their Spike-holes they surrendered to him there being 160 Men in it commanded by one Capt. Darchey We lost about eight Men in this Action and left 100 Men in Garison there Near the time of Col. Woolsely's return the General sent a Battalion of Danes to reinforce him at Belturbet On the 8 th Col. Cutts and Col. Babington's with a Regiment of Danish Horse and some Recruits landed at Whitehouse and marched to Belfast And on the 10 th Col. Tiffin sent out a Party from Bellishannon who brought off a Prey from the Neighbourhood of Sligo and killed about 16 of the Enemy as they pursued them Sir Clousley Shovel's Expedition to the Bay of Dublin Sir Clovesly Shovel came on the 12 to Belfast as Convoy to several Ships that brought over Necessaries for the Army and there having Intelligence of a Frigat at Anchor in the Bay of Dublin and several other small Vessels loaden with Hides Tallow Wools some Plate and several other things designed for France he sailed April the 18 th being Good-Friday to the Mouth of the Bay of Dublin and there leaving the Monk and some more great Ships he took the Monmouth-Yatch and one or two more with several Long-Boats and went to Polebeg where the Frigat lay being one half of the Scotch Fleet that was taken in the Channel the Year before having sixteen Guns and four Patteraroes King James when he heard of it said It was some of his Loyal Subjects of England returning to their Duty and Allegiance but when he saw them draw near the Ship and heard the firing he rid out towards Rings-end whither gathered a vast crowd of People of all sorts and there were several Regiments drawn out of it were possible to kill those Bold Fellows at Sea who durst on such a good Day perform so wicked a Deed as they called it Capt. Bennet that commanded the Frigat run her on Ground and after several firings from some other Ships of theirs as also from that when they saw a Fireship coming in which Sir Clovesly had given a Sign to they all quitted the Frigat being at first about 40 but they lost six or seven in the Action Sir Clovesly was in the Monmouth-Yatch where Capt. Wright was very serviceable both in carrying in the Fleet and in time of Action In going off one of our Hoys ran a-Ground and was dry when the Tide was gone the rest of the Boats were not far off being full of Armed Men and a Frenchman one of K. Jame's Guards coming nigh the Boats to fire his Pistols in a Bravo had his Horse shot under him and was forced to sting off his Jack-Boots and run back in his stockings to save himself some of the Sea-men went on Shoar and took his Saddle and Furniture When the Tide came in they went off with their Prize to the Ships below K. James went back very much dissatisfy'd and 't was reported he should say that all the Protestants in Ireland were of Cromwel 's Breed and deserved to have their Throats Cut but whatever his thoughts might be I suppose his
as far as Dundalk and seeing no Enemy the Officer Commanding sent a Trooper to the Mount beyond Bedloes-Castle from thence he could see a great Dust towards a place called Knock-Bridge by which he understood that the Enemy were marching off towards Ardee His Majesty when He read the Letter did not seem to be much concerned whether they had staid or not At the same time there were two Ensigns brought to Him who had deserted the Enemy and gave an Account that the Body which then was removed from Dundalk was about 20000. It was the discovery of our Advance Parties which made them draw off and they gave it out that they would stay for us at the Boyne Our Army advances The King sent Orders back to the Major General to march a Party next Morning over the Pass towards Dundalk The 24th in the Morning Lieutenant-General Douglas decamped and marched over the Pass towards Dundalk And that day His Majesty set out a Proclamation to be read at the Head of every Regiment That no Officer or Soldier should forcibly take any thing from the Country People and Sutlers nor press any Horses that were coming to the Camp that thereby we might be the better supplied with Provisions On the 25th we marched from Loughbritland to Newry where a Deserter of Sir Henry Bellasis's Regiment was shot And on the 26th towards Dundalk on our march we heard great Shooting at Sea which we once lookt upon to be the French and English Fleets but it was only our own Fleet coming towards Dundalk We encamped that Night about a mile to the South-East of our last Years Camp As we got near to Dundalk some of my Lord Meath's Men espied several of the Irish skulking not far from the Road to observe our march they pursued them towards the Mountains killed one and took another who proved a French Man that had deserted from Hillsborough about three weeks before On the 27th we marched through Dundalk and encamped about a mile beyond it where the whole Army joyned English Dutch Danes Germans and French Their Number making in all not above 36000 though the World call'd us a third part more but the Army was in all respects as well provided as any Kingdom in the World ever had one for the number of Men. That Afternoon a party of Epingar's Dragoons came within sight of a party of the Enemies Horse who retreated towards their own Camp which then was on this side the Boyne I was told by a General Officer of theirs since that whensoever our Army moved the Irish had a small party of Horse that knew the Country and kept themselves undiscovered in some convenient place to give them an Account of our motions and posture They had fortified Dundalk last Winter very regularly and well not I suppose that they did design to maintain it in the Spring but to secure the Garrison from any attempts that we might make during the Winter As we went through the Town we found several of the Irish that lay dead and unburied and some were alive but just only breathing That evening a party of 1500 Horse and Dragoons went out and next morning early the King followed them His Majesty went as far as Ardee and viewed the Ground where the Enemy encamped last Year He returned to His Camp that night but left the party to make good that Post On Saturday morning the 29th there hap'ned an Irish Man and a Woman to be near a Well that was by the King's Tent they had got something about them which the Soldiers believed was Poyson to spoil the Waters and so destroy the King and His Army this spread presently abroad and a great many Soldiers flocked about them they were immediately both Judges and Executioners hanged the Woman and almost cut the Man in pieces That afternoon the King views the Danish Forces We march to Ardee and early next morning being Sunday the 30th of June the whole Army marched in three Lines beyond Ardee which the Enemy had likewise fortified especially the Castle we marched within sight of the Sea a great part of this day and could see our Ships sail all along towards Drogheda which certainly must needs be a great mortification to the Irish upon the Road as we marched there was a Soldier hanged for deserting and a Boy for being a spy and a murderer A remarkable story the story of this Boy is very remarkable which was thus About three weeks before we took the Field one of my Lord Drogheda's Sergeants was gathering Wood-sorrel nigh his Quarters at Tandrogee this Boy comes to him and tells him if he 'll go along he would take him to a place hard by where he might get several good Herbs he follows the Boy and is taken by five or six Irish Men that were Armed they take him to a little House and bind him but after some good words unty his Hands but withal kept him a prisoner designing to carry him to Dundalk next day he endeavours in the night to make his escape and did it though they pursued him and wounded him in several places the Boy himself being one of the forwardest Next week the same Boy was at Legacory where he was telling some Dragoons that if they would go along with him he would take them to a place where they might get several Horses and a good prey of Cattle they were very ready to hearken to him when at the same time one of my Lord Drogheda's Soldiers going that way by chance knew the Boy for he had been often in their Quarters and having heard the story of the Sergeant told it the Dragoons upon which the Boy was seized and after sometime confessed that all the last Dundalk-Camp he had gone frequently between the two Armies that he had trapan'd several and had half a Crown Brass money for every one that he could bring in that he could observe as he went amongst our Regiments how they lay and what condition they were in both as to Health and other matters that he had lately stab'd a Dragoon in at the Back as his Father held him in talk and that his Father would give him nothing but the Dragoons Hat and Waste-coat which he had then on all this I have heard the Boy say and much more to the same purpose he spoke English and Irish both very well he was brought prisoner to this place and upon the march after he had received Sentence of Death he profer'd for a Brass Six-pence to hang a Country Man that was a prisoner for buying the Soldiers Shooes and when he came to be hang'd himself he was very little concern'd at it The King was always upon Action He observed the Country as he rid along and said it was worth Fighting for and ordered the manner of Encamping that day himself After that with a small party His Majesty before He eat or drank rid about four miles further towards the Enemy As
the Army was marching through Ardee a French Soldier hap'ned to be very sick with drinking Water and despairing to live pluckt out his Beads and fell to his Prayers which one of the Danes seeing shot the French Man dead and took away his Musquet without any further Ceremony There were none of the Irish to be seen but a few poor starved Creatures who had scraped up some of the Husks of Oats nigh a Mill to eat instead of better Food It 's a wonder to see how some of those Creatures live I my self have seen them scratching like Hens amongst the Cindars for Victuals which put me in mind of a story that I have read in the Annals of Ireland where it is said that in the year 1317. the Ulster Irish roved up and down the Kingdom in a Body whilst the Scots Army was down towards Limerick and those people were so hunger-starved at last that in Church-yards they took the Bodies out of their Graves and in their Skulls boild the Flesh and fed thereupon and women did eat their own Children for hunger so that of ten thousand there remained at last only three hundred the reason of this plague the Superstition of those Times attributed to their eating of flesh in Lent for which this Curse came upon them The Irish Army beyond the Boyne By this time his Majesty understood that all the Irish Army was marched over the Boyn the night before except flying parties so that on Monday morning the last of June very early our whole Army began to move in three Lines towards the Boyn which was but eight short miles off Ours advance The Enemy being near our advance Guards of Horse commanded by Sir John Lanier made their approaches very regularly and by that time they had got within two miles of Drogheda his Majesty was in the front of them Some of our Dragoons went into an old House where they found about 200 Scythes stretch'd out upon Beams which the Irish either had forgot or had not time to carry over they brought one of them to the King who smiled and said it was a desperate weapon His Majesty views their Army A little way further there was an Hill to the East of the Enemies Camp and North from the Town upon this His Majesty went from whence he could see the Town and all the Enemies Camp which lay to the West of the Town all along the River side in two Lines here his Majesty had a great deal of discourse with the Prince Duke Schonberg Duke of Ormond Count Solmes Major General Scravemore my Lord Sidney and other great Officers who were all curious in making their Observations upon the Enemy Major General Scravemore called them une petet Armee for we could not reckon above five or six and forty Regiments that lay Encamped his Majesty Answered that they might have a great many men in Town that there was also an Hill to the Southwest beyond which they might have men Encamped and that possibly they did not shew all their Numbers however he said he was resolved to see very soon what they were Such a great Prince knowing that to be warm in undertaking a great Design and cool in justifying it when it comes to a push is seldom attended with Success or Reputation his Majesty therefore went boldly on and obtain'd both By this time our Horse were advancing a pace and the Enemy we could discern were all in a hurry to get up their Horses which were many of them at Grass and to set all things in order his Majesty sent out several parties of Horse some towards the Town of Drogheda and some towards the pass at Old Bridge and then rid softly along westward viewing the Enemies Camp as he passed he made a little stop towards some old Houses and every one commended mightily the order of our Horse marching in here it was that the Enemy fired their first Guns from a Batterey of six Canons that they had a good way below but they did no hurt two of our Troopers went to the very Ford and took away an Horse as also a Barrel of Ale that the Irish had been taken over At Old Bridge His Majesty rid on to the pass at Old Bridge and stood upon the side of the Bank within Musquet shot of the Ford there to make his observations on the Enemies Camp and posture there stood a small a party of the Enemies Horse in a little Island within the River and on the other bank there were several Hedges and little Irish Houses almost Close to the River there was one House likewise of Stone that had a Court and some little works about it this the Irish had filled with Souldiers and all the Hedges and little Houses we saw were lined and filled with Musquiteers there were also several Brest works cast up to the right just at the Ford. However this was the place thro' which his Majesty resolved to force his way and therefore he and his great Officers spent some time in contriving the methods of passing and the places where to plant our Batteries After some time his Majesty rid about 200 yards further up the River nigh the West of all the Enemies Camp and whilst his Army was marching in he alighted and sate him down upon a rising ground where he refreshed himself whilst his Majesty sate there we observed five Gentlemen of the Irish Army ride softly along the other side and make their Remarks upon our Men as they marched in those I heard afterwards were the Duke of Berwick my Lord Tyrconel Sarcefield Parker and some say Lauzun Captain Pownel of Collonel Levisons Regiment was sent with a party of Horse and Dragoons towards the Bridge of Slane and whilst his Majesty sate on the Grass being about an hour there came some of the Irish with long Guns and shot at our Dragoons who went down to the River to Drink and some of ours went down to return the favour then a party of about forty Horse advanced very slowly and stood upon a plowed field over against us for near half an hour and so retired to their Camp this small party as I have heard from their own Officers since brought two Field Pieces amongst them droping them by an Hedge on the plowd Land undiscover'd they did not offer to fire them till his Majesty was mounted and then he and the rest riding softly the same way back their Gunner fires a Piece which kill'd us two Horses and a Man about 100 yards above where the King was but immediately comes a second which had almost been a fatal one for it Graized upon the Bank of the River and in the rising slanted upon the Kings right shoulder took out a piece of his Coat and tore the Skin and Flesh and afterward broke the head of a Gentlemans Pistol The King wounded Mr. Coningsby now one of the Lords Justices of Ireland seeing his Majesty struck rid up and put
at their retreating and was in some danger by our own Dragoons for the Enemy being close upon him they could not well distinguish however the Dragoons did here a piece of good service in stopping the Enemy who came up very boldly and our Horse Rallying both here and to the Right after near half an hours dispute the Enemy were again beat from this place and a great many of them killed Lieutenant-General Hambleton finding his Foot not to answer his expectation he put himself at the Head of the Horse and Lieutenant-General Hambleton taken Prisoner when they were defeated he was here taken prisoner having received a wound on the Head When he was brought to the King His Majesty asked him Whether the Irish would fight any more Yes said he an 't please Your Majesty upon my Honour I believe they will for they have a good Body of Horse still The King lookt a little aside at him when he named his Honour and repeated it once or twice Your Honour Intimating as He always says a great deal in few words that what the other affirmed upon his Honour was not to be believed since he had forfeited that before in his siding with my Lord Tyrconnel and this was all the Rebuke the King gave him for his breach of Trust There were several other prisoners taken here also but not many of note How things went to the right of our Army Now you must know that whilst all this hap'ned here our Men on the Right were making their way as well as they could over Hedges and Bogs towards Duleek and as they Advanced the Enemy drew off till they heard what had hap'ned at the Pass and then they made greater haste yet they could not retreat so fast but several of them were killed especially of their Foot amongst whom a party of our Horse fell in but they presently scatter'd amongst the Corn and Hedges till they got beyond a great Ditch where our Horse could not follow Collonel Levison with a party of his Dragoons got between some of the Enemies Horse and Duleek and killed several yet if they had not minded retreating more than fighting he might have come off a loser When most of them were over the Pass they drew up and fired their great Guns upon us and we ours upon them though we could not easily come at them with our small Shot for there are several Boggy Fields with Ditches at Duleek and in the midst of these a deep strait Rivulet very soft in the bottom and high Banks on each side there is only one place to get over and there not above six can go a breast Their confusion however was so great that they left a great many Arms and a considerable quantity of Ammunition in that Village of Duleek and indeed all the Country over but our Men were so foolish as to blow up the Powder wherever they met with it and few or none of the Men escaped that came in their Hands for they shot them like Hares amongst the Corn and in the Hedges as they found them in their march Reasons why so few killed By that time therefore a Body of our Horse was got over the Pass that was sufficient to Attack the Enemy they were gone at least a mile before their Horse and Artillery in the Rear and their Foot marching in great haste and confusion we went after them for at least three miles but did not offer to Attack them any more because of the Ground Then night coming on the King with some of the Horse return'd to the Foot that were Encamping at Duleek but the greatest part of them remained at their Arms all night where they left off the pursuit The Number of the dead On the Irish side were killed my Lord Dungan my Lord Carlingford Sir Neal O Neal with a great many more Officers they lost at the Pass at Dunore Duleek and all the Fields adjoyning between 1000 and 1500 men one thing was observable that most of their Horse-men that charged so desperately were drunk with Brandy each man that morning having received half a Pint to his share but it seems the Foot had not so large a proportion or at least they did not deserve it so well On our side were killed nigh four hundred The Dutch Granadeers told me before we got to the Church at Dunore that they had lost seventeen and the rest proportionably the French also lost several but all this was nothing in respect of Duke Schonberg who was more considerable than all that were lost on both sides whom his very Enemies always called a Brave Man and a Great General I have heard several reasons given for the Dukes passing the River at that juncture but doubtless his chief design was to encourage the French whom he had always loved and to rectifie some mistakes that he might see at a distance However 't was this I'm certain of that we never knew the value of him till we really lost him which often falls out in such cases and since it was in our Quarrel that he lost his life we cannot too much Honour his Memory which will make a considerable Figure in History whilst the World lasts He was certainly a Man of the best Education in the World and knew Men and Things beyond most of his time being Courteous and Civil to every Body and yet had somthing always that lookt so Great in him that he commanded respect from men of all Qualities and Stations Nor did we know any fault that he had except we might be jealous he sometimes was too obliging to the French As to his person he was of a middle stature well proportion'd fair complexion'd a very sound hardy man of his age and sate an Horse the best of any man he loved constantly to be â—…at in his Clothes and in his Conversation he was always pleasant he was fourscore and two when he died and yet when he came to be unbowelled his Heart Intrails and Brain were as fresh and as sound as if he had been but twenty so that it 's probable he might have lived several Years if Providence had not ordered it otherways Monsieur Callimot an honest worthy Gentleman died soon after him of his Wounds having follow'd that great Man in all his Fortunes Some who pretend to more skill than possibly they are really Masters of will needs affirm that there were two oversights committed at this time one in not pursuing the Enemy closser after they were once broke which had been less hazardous considering all things then what followed afterwards my Lord of Oxford and my Lord Portland were for sending three thousand Horse with each a Musqueteer behind him to fall upon them in the Rear as they retreated which might have done great matters for the Enemy were in such a Consternation that they marched all that night in great fear and confusion expecting us at their Heels every minute But those that have seen the
Ground at Duleek and thereabouts will say that it 's scarce possible to make an orderly pursuit at such a place for whilst an Enemy continues in a Body there 's no going after them as if Men were a Fox-hunting since nothing encourages even a flying Enemy more to rally and fight again than to see a disorderly pursuit of them The Passes therefore were so narrow and troublesome that before we could get over a Body of Men sufficient to attack the Enemy they were got a mile or two before us and new difficulties between us and them nor was the case the same with them for they got over any where as well as they could except the Rear who kept their order as far as we could see them As for his Majesty himself he chose the Field drew up his Army gave his General Orders to his Officers and the best Orders wherever he was in Person but the greatest Captain that ever was or will be is not nor can be of himself sufficient to redress all Disorders or lay hold on all Advantages in an instant when Armies are once ingaged And further his Majesty having committed a considerable part of his Orders to the care of his General the death of him must needs be a disadvantage to the whole Army Another thing they pretend to find fault with was in not sending ten thousand Men immediately from the Boyne towards Athlone and Limerick since we were as nigh those places here as at Dublin and if we had gone behind them Limerick and Galloway would certainly have yielded for it was at least a fortnight before any number of their Army got thither and then they say the Irish Army must either have fought again in the Field or else submitted since Dublin is not to be kept by those that are not Masters of the Field But there are very good reasons why this was not done for his Majesty knew at this time that the French Fleet was hovering nigh the English Coast and therefore would not divide his Army nor draw them from the Sea nor did his Majesty know as yet whether the Irish would not stay for him between that and Dublin and so fight again And before he was assur'd of it the News of the French Fleets success at Sea altered both his and the Irish Peoples measures for this put them into heart again especially when it came with a report spread a broad I suppose on purpose that King William was dead as well as Duke Schonberg and that the Dauphin of France was landed with an Army in England But though there was little of Truth in these reports yet they animated the Irish who of all men living are the soonest discouraged but up again with the least hopes and to work they went in making provisions to defend their Towns especially beyond the Shannon but this I 'm afraid will be thought impertinent at least it 's out of order and therefore to return King James's Carriage at the Battle and after King James during part of the Action at the Boyn stood at the little old Church upon the Hill called Dunore but when he saw how things were like to go he marched off to Duleek and from thence towards Dublin the first news that went to that place was That K. James had got the day our General killed and the Prince of Orange as they call'd him taken prisoner this was very afflicting to the poor Protestants who were shut up in Prisons all over the Town but towards night they observed several Officers come to Town in great confusion some wounded and others looking very dull upon the matter which they thought were no sings of Victory and then begun to hope better things About nine a Clock King James came to Dublin with about two hundred Horse with him all in disorder My Lady Tyrconnel met him at the Castle-gate and after he was up-stairs her Ladyship askt him what he would have for Supper who then gave her an Account of what a Breakfast he had got which made him have but little stomach to his Supper He staid all Night in the Castle and next Morning sending for the Lord Mayor and some others he told them That in England he had an Army which durst have fought but they proved false and deserted him and that here he had an Army which was Loyal enough but would not stand by him he was now necessitated to provide for his Safety and that they should make the best Terms for themselves that they could and not to burn or injure the Town and immediately after took Horse and with about twelve in Company went towards Bray and so to Waterford where he took Shipping for France The Irish Horse came most of them into Dublin that Night and most of the Foot next Morning And before Night on Wednesday they were all gone taking the City Militia along who were all Papists but they released all the Prisoners not out of love to them but for fear lest we had been at their Heels Some say that K. James sent Sir Patrick Trant and another Gentleman towards Waterford to provide Shipping for him before-hand for fear of the worst but I have not heard the certainty of it However this was not the way that Heroes used formerly to take in England for the Romans burnt their Ships when they landed there that their Men might have no hopes of a Retreat but to conquer or die And so did the Duke of Normandy who soon after got the name of Conquerour King Williams But King William gave his Army better proofs of his Courage and Conduct nor can I pretend to be able to give his Majesty the just commendation his merit forces from his very Enemies only this I am sure of that he dare do any thing and has not a Soul subject to fear or any thing that 's below a Prince never had an Army a better opinion of a King than ours of him their only fear was that he would expose himself too far and whatever difference happens between him and them can be only this that they desire to stand between his Majesty and all danger But he alwayes 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 Souldiers but Subjects of all professions that love him as well Prince George accompanied his Majesty in most of his dangers and in the greatest of them was always near him and nothing but the bravery of such a King could hinder him of the greatest Charracter in this Account As to our English Forces there were few of them that had an opportunity at this place to shew themselves but those that had acquitted themselves very well the French and Iniskilliners did good service and to give the Dutch Guards their due they deserve immortal honour for what they did that day I enquired at several who they were that managed the retreat the Irish made that
each Regiment march by him enquiring the Officers names and what other things concerning them he thought fit The Commissaries taking an exact List of all the private Men both Horse and Foot that appeared in the Ranks And it was observable that with Heat Dust Marching and other inconveniencies most people in the Army had got very sore Lips nor was his Majesty himself exempt from this inconveniency for he had toild and labour'd as much as the best of them Because several people may be curious to know what Number of Men we had at the Boyn and also how many the Enemy were I have here inserted the Exact Number of our own Horse and Foot as it was taken at Finglass And likewise a List of the Irish Army as it was delivered first to the Duke at Lisburn and afterwards to the King An Abstract of the Private Men of his Majesties Army which appeared at the Review taken at Finglass the 7 th and 8 th of July 1690. Regiments Men. English Horse First Troop of Guards 140 Â Granadeers 47 52 Â unmounted 5 Third Troop 133 Â Granadeers 40 43 Â unmounted 3 Earl of Oxfords 368 Sir John Laniers 357 360 Â unmounted 3 Colonol Villers 244 245 Â unmounted 1 Col. Russel 242 Col. Coy 236 Col. Byerley 244 Col. Langston 225 Count Schonberg 242 Duke Schonbergs French 387 395 Â unmounted 8 Col. Woolsley 423 Captain Harbords Troop 38 Dutch Horse Troop of Guards 143 145 Â unmounted 2 Lord Portland 351 357 Â unmounted 6 Monopovillans 168 171 Â unmounted 3 Leuten Gen. Ginkel 148 152 Â unmounted 4 Col. Scholks 157 167 Â unmounted 10 Van Oyens 161 164 Â unmounted 3 Reidessels 173 174 Â unmounted 1 Bancour 176 178 Â unmounted 2 Nyenhuys 174 175 Â unmounted 1 Danes Horse Col. Jewel 264 268 Â unmounted 4 Col. Donop 250 263 Â unmounted 13 Col. Schescad 267 281 Â unmounted 14 Â Total of Horse 5881 Dragoons Col. Matthews Royal Reg. 406 Col. Levison 246 Col. Gwinns 260 Sir Albert Cuningham 337 358 Â unmounted 21 Col. Eppingers Dutch 618 621 Â unmounted 3 Â Total of Dragoones 1870 English Foot Major General Kirk 666 Brigadeer Trelawney 553 Colonel Beamont 526 Brigadeer Stuart 660 Sir John Hanmer 593 Colonel Brewer 571 Col. Hastings 606 Earl of Meath 678 Col. Fouks 439 Col. Gustavus Hambleton 560 Sir Henry Bellasis 628 Lord Lisburn 611 Lieutenant Gen. Douglas 648 Earl of Drogheda 660 Col. Earl 693 Briggadeer La Millineer 529 Col. Cambon 640 Col. Callimot 562 Col. Mitchelburn 664 Col. Tiffin 625 Col. St Johns 589 Lord George Hambleton 583 Â Total of English Foot 13335 Dutch Foot C. Solms 3 Battali 1850 1931 Â 2 Compan of Cadets 81 Count Nassaws Regiment 652 Brandenburg 631 Col. Babington 416 Col. Cutts 543 Col. Grobens 490 Â Total of Dutch Foot 4663 Danes Foot Regiment of Guards 698 Queens Regiment 634 Prince Fredericks 555 Prince Christans 547 Prince George's 547 Zealand Regiment 527 Juitland Regiment 554 Findland Regiment 519 Â Total of Danes Foot 4581 Â Dutch Foot 4663 Â English Foot 13335 Â Foot 22579 Â Dragoons 1870 Â Horse 5881 Â Total of Horse Foot and Dragoons 30330 Reform Officers of Horse 111 Reformed Officers of Foot 372 Â Total 483 Colonel Deering Colonel Herbert Colonel Hambleton Colonel White Were all in Garrison and not included And note that neither Officers nor Serjeants are included in the former List nor yet those that were sick or absent as several were but these all marched in the Ranks before the King so that the compleat number was much greater A List of the late King James's Army taken Apr. 9. 1690. Regiments of Horse Duke of Tyrconel 9 Troops in a Regiment 53 Men in a Troop Lord Galmoy Col. Sarsefield Col. Sutherland Six Troops in a Regiment 53 Men each Lord Abercorn Col. Henry Lutterill Col. John Parker Col. Nicholas Purcel Horse Guards Lord Dovers Troop 200. each Troop Duke of Berwicks Troop Troop of Granadeers Col. Buttlers 60 Dragoons Lord Dungan 8 Troops in a Regiment 60 men each Sir Neal O Neal Col. Simon Lutterel Regiments Col. Robert Clifford Six Troops in a Regiment 60 Men each Sir James Cotton Col. Tho. Maxwel Lord Clare Regiments of Foot Royal Regiment 22 Companies and 90 each Earl of Clancarty Col. Henry Fitz James Col. John Hambleton Earl of Clanrickard Earl of Antrim Earl of Tyrone Lord Gormanstown Lord Slane Lord Galloway Lord Louth Lord Duleek Lord Killmallock Lord Kenmare Sir John Fitz-Gerald Sir Maurice Eustace Col. Nugent Col. Henry Dillon Col. John Grace Col. Edward Butler Col. Thomas Butler Lord Bophni Col. Charles Moor. Col. Cormach O Neal. Col. Arthur Mackmahan Earl of Westmeath Col. Cavenaugh Col. Uxbrough Col. Mac. Carty Moore Col. Gordon O Neal. Col. John Barret Col. Charles O Bryan Col. O Donavan Col. Nicholas Brown Col. O Gara Sir Michael Creagh Col. Dom. Brown Col. Bagnal Col. Mackellicut Lord Inniskillin Col. Hugh Mac Mahon Col. Walter Bourk Col. Felix O Neal. Lord Iveagh Col. O Keyley These 44 Regiments were 13 Companies in each and 63 Men in each Company Regiments from France The Red Regiment The Blew Regiment Two White Regiments each divided into several Battalions being in all about 5000 Men. Regiments that were sent to France in Exchange Lord Mountcashels Col. Richard Butler's Col. Daniel O Bryan's Col. Fielding's Col. Arthur Dillon's Regiments that were Raised and never taken into pay but Disbanded Lord Castle Connel Col. Roger O Connor Col. Charles Geoghagan Col. John Brown Col. James Butler Col. Manus O Donnel Col. O Cahon Col. Edward Nugent Col. Charles Kelly Col. Brian Mack Dermot Col. James Talbot These last are all meer Irish and consequently good for little so that no wonder if they were broke But these were all the Forces that the late King had in Ireland and a great many were in Garrison in Munster and other places but as to their Numbers at the Boyn some of their own Officers call them five and twenty and others seven and twenty thousand About the eighth or ninth of July the King had an Account of the misfortune of the Dutch and English Fleets and Wednesday the ninth he divided his Army and went himself with the greatest part of it beyond the Town of Dublin in order to go Westwards sending at the same time Lieutenant-General Douglas with three Regiments of Horse two of Dragoons and ten of Foot towards Athlone which is fifty miles North from Dublin The Regiments that went upon this Expedition were these Horse Langston Russel and Woolsley Dragoons Sir Albert Cunningham and Gwin Foot the Lieut. Generals own Regiment Sir Hen. Bellasis Sir Jo. Hanmer C. Babington L. Droheda C. Gust Hambleton C. Mitchelburn C. Tiffin C. St. John's and L. Geor. Hambleton I shall leave therefore his Majesty going Westwards and give an Account of L. G. Douglas's Affairs till he joyns the King at Cariganliss within five miles of Limerick Lieutenant-General Douglas
goes to Athlone Lieut. Gen. Douglas and his party Encamped that Night nigh Chappel-Issard and next day at Manouth Friday we Encampt at Glencurry about five miles further and we had not got this length till we begun to plunder though the General gave strict Orders to the contrary Saturday the 12th we marched to Clenard Bridge here we staid all Sunday and Lieutenant-General Douglas took an account of every Man in his party that he might have Bread provided accordingly the Soldiers went abroad and took several things from the Irish who had staid upon the Kings Declaration and frequent complaints came already to the General but Plundering went on still especially amongst the Northern Men who are very dextrous at that sport Sunday morning Captain Aughmouty of Colonel Woolsley's Regiment went with a party of Horse towards the County of Longford And Munday the 14th they met the Army at Mullingar whither we marched and several of the Irish came in for Protections though when they had them they were of little force to secure their Goods or themselves Two Spies taken The party that was sent out brought in a great prey of Cattle from the Enemies Quarters and took two Spies with Letters from Athlone one was to Advise one Tute to Defend an Island nigh Mullingar in which he had store of Horses and several things of value Another Letter was from an Officer at Athlone to his Father in the Country telling him that my Lord Tyrconnel the Duke of Berwick and several more great Officers were come to Limerick with a good Body of Horse and that all their Army would be there in two or three days so that they would make either a Hog or a Dog on 't as he exprest it That the Dauphin was landed in England with a great Army that the French had beat the English and Dutch Fleets that Duke Schonberg was dead and it was said the Prince of Orange was so too that their King was gone for France but it was no great matter he said where he was for they were better without him Then he advised his Father not to take a Protection because those that did were lookt upon as Enemies And after his Letter was sealed he had writ on the out-side Just now we have an Account by a Gentleman that 's come to us from Dublin that Orange is certainly dead so that all will be well again Such were their Hopes and Expectations at that time But though they believed most of those things yet they did not certainly know what to make on 't for they had no good opinion of the late King as may appear by a great many instances for Sarcefield sometime afterward speaking of the Action at the Boyn swore if we would change Kings they would fight it over again and beat us For certainly the Courage and Countenance of the Chief Commander in Armies is a material Point in the success of the Action and especially in Kings for he that has a Genius to the War has Advantages above other Men that makes his Gentry Nobility and Officers strive to imitate his Example by which he is better served and commonly more fortunate The 15th we remained Encamped at Mullingar and about 500 Creights came from the County of Longford with their Wives Children Cattle and every thing that they could bring away their business was to procure the Generals Protection which was granted them and they moved homewards as the Army marched forwards but were most of them plundered afterwards There had been a Friery at Mullingar during the late Kings Reign but the Friday before we got thither the Fathers thought fit to go a Pilgrimage into Conaught This Evening a party of Col. Russel's Horse went towards Athlone and came within three miles of the place but did no feats worth the mentioning next day we marcht to Ballimoor where stands a strong House at the side of a Lough which the Enemy has since fortified Athlone Besieged And Thursday July 17th we came before Athlone and encamped within a quarter of a mile of the Town the Enemy playing their great Guns upon us as we marched but did us little dammage The General sent a Drum to Summons the Town but old Colonel Grace the Governor fired a Pistol at him and sent word those were the Terms he was for The Town it self stands on a narrow Neck of Land between two Bogs one on either side the Shannon and you cannot come to it much less pass the River any where up or down within six or eight miles except at the Town through the midst of which the River Shannon runs and is both very broad and deep being by much the greatest in these three Kingdoms Ptolomy calls this River Senus Giraldus Flumen Senense but the Irish call it Shannon that is the Ancient River It arises out of Theru Hills in the County of Letrim and running through an excellent Country and several Towns particularly Limerick and Athlone it falls into the Sea beyond Knock-Patrick a Mountain upon which St. Patrick conjured all the Venomous Creatures in Ireland and threw them into the Sea insomuch that nothing of that kind has appeared or will live in that Kingdom ever since if you 'll believe what the Irish do however this River is Navigable for above twenty Leagues That part of Athlone standing on the South-side the Shannon is called the English Town and that on the other the Irish Town where stands a very strong Castle Athlone is the head Town in the County of Roscommon and was formerly the Barony of the O Kelly's There is a very good Stone-Bridge between the two Towns which was Built by Sir Henry Sidney in Queen Elizabeth's time and because this is commonly accounted the Center of Ireland that Queen once designed to make it the Residence of the Lords Justices The English Town not being so easie to defend the Irish Burnt it the day before our coming and broke down the Bridge They had several very convenient opportunities to disturb us in our march to the Town because of the Bogs Woods and Passes that lay very advantageous for that purpose but they retired over the River to defend the other side about 200 Yards above the Town they had raised some Breast-works on the River side nigh the end of the Bridge they had cast up several Redoubts and other Works and had planted two Batteries of two Guns a piece besides what were in the Castle Friday we spent in contriving our Batteries and our Works and on Saturday we planted two Field-Pieces which did the Enemies Guns some damage then one hundred and fifty Men out of each Regiment were ordered to make and carry Fascines and in two days more we had a Battery of six Guns finished nigh the Bridge-end which plaid upon the Castle and made a small Breach to wards the top On Sunday the 20th the General sent a Detachment of Horse commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Barry and 150 Granadeers mounted
commanded by Major Morgison and Captain Carlile towards Lanesbrough Pass but they returned the next day without doing any thing that was Remarkable the Enemy having a Fort well mann'd towards the Bridge and four Companies of Foot in the Town That day one Captain Mackgill a Voluntier was kill'd at our Battery with a Canon-shot from the Castle Our Train at Athlone was only two twelve Pounders ten lesser Guns and two small Field Mortars which when planted against the Castle did it little or no damage This was a misfortune that Lieutenant-General Douglas found Athlone stronger than he expected for it 's said he had what Guns and Men he desired to reduce it withal The firing continued however on both sides and on Tuesday one Mr. Nelson our best Gunner was killed with a small Shot On Wednesday we had news that Sarcefield with 15000 Men was coming to raise the Siege which made the General send all his sick and wounded Men towards Mullingar Next Morning early the Besieged hung out a Bloody Flag which occasion'd smart firing and in the Evening the General called all the Colonels to a Council of War where he told them the necessity of Removing from the Town for we had very little Bread all the while and there was some reason to believe the Irish Army would cut off our Communication from Dublin So that we had Orders to be ready to march at twelve a Clock that Night we begun at the time appointed to send away our Baggage and at break of Day or a little after we marcht off the Enemy not so much as firing one Gun at us Reasons why it was not taken I know that whilst we lay here there were some that profferr'd to pass the River at a Ford a little above the Bridge and so beat the Irish out of their Works but this was sooner said than done for the Ford is naturally very deep and dangerous besides the Irish had fortified the other side with Breast-works two Batteries and a considerable Fort And then if we had forced our way over and could not have taken the Castle in a small time we must have been obliged to fight the greatest part of the Irish Army which was then drawing down upon us Nay if we had been Masters of the Town and Castle the Irish might so have ordered it as to have cut off our Communication from Dublin and so starved us for we were already glad of a very small Allowance of Bread Colonel Grace the Governor had been very active on the Irish side in the last Wars but was now very old and this was the third time that he had burnt that Town the Enemy had in it three Regiments of Foot nine Troops of Dragoons and two of Horse and more lay encamped not far off During our stay here which was from Thursday the 17th to Friday the 25th the Country People of all Perswasions begun to think us troublesome This must be said for Lieutenant-General Douglas that both whilst he staid here and all along on his march he constantly gave out very strict Orders against Plundering or Stragling from the Army But it were better that good Rules were not made than when they are so they should not be observed and the breakers escape punishment For some Peoples taking liberty to break Rules encourage others to lose their Reverence to them Example always goes further than Precept and most Men see better than they understand so that whatever Rules are made in an Army by a General they are to be observed by every one else with what justice can one be punished for the breach of those Orders which others make no Conscience in obeying What Men lost there We lost in this Expedition not above thirty Men before the Town and the Enemy very few but in our march too and again what with sickness hard marching the Rapperees surprising as they straggled and several other disadvantages we fell short of our Number three or four hundred though before we got to the Kings Army we killed and took Prisoners a great many thousands but more of these had four Feet than two All the poor Protestants thereabouts were now in a worse condition than before for they had enjoyed the benefit of the Irish Protections till our coming thither and then shewing themselves Friends to us put them under a necessity of retreating with us which a great many did leaving all their Harvest at that time ready to cut down c. and yet were hardly used by our own Men. On our first Days march backwards the General received an Express from the King some say it was to draw off and joyn the Army and that he had positive Orders before not to pass the Shannon at all And at the same time we had an Account of a Conspiracy in England against the Queen and that some French were Landed there having burnt some Towns on the Coast And it was reported also that the late King was Landed in that Kingdom We marched back that Day to Ballimore where we staid four Days on one of which there hap'ned the greatest Thunder and Lightning that has been heard of in those parts And about this time several of the Irish that had taken Protections when they could not have the benefit of them began to turn Rapperees stripping and sometimes killing our Men that they found straggling Lieutenant General Douglas marches to joyn the Kings Army On the 30 of July Colonel Babington's Regiment marched from Ballimore towards Dublin and the same day Leiutenant-General Douglas marched with all the rest of his party to Stony-Cross which is out of all publick Rodes from Dublin and so were most of our future marches till we joyn'd the Kings Army which was one reason why we had little or no Bread for almost four days together and after that but a very slender allowance From this place we marched to Balliboy and as we went a long the General ordered one of his own men to be Shot immediately for Morodeing as they called it The General had given out orders that none should stir out of their Ranks on pain of Death however this poor Fellow and four more were not so observant of their duty as they ought to be which the General espying caused them to be seized immediately and throw Dice for their lives month August We had an Account at Ballyboy that the Enemy was at Banoher Bridge with a very strong party to disturb our march which made us next day strike to the left to Roscreaugh instead of going to Bur as we designed for that way was full of Woods and narrow Passes where the Enemy had great Advantage of us We stayed at Roscreaugh the second of August and on the third in the Morning came twelve Troopers from the Kings Army who lay then at Goulden Bridge to hasten our march for the King exprest himself to be in trouble lest the Enemy should be too many for us in that place
That day we marched beyond the Devils Bit and all along as we passed we could see the Rapparees looking upon us from the Mountains but we had now so many Cattle Horses and Attenders on our marches as made us look as big nigh hand as the other part of the Army and the Souldiers used to say that the Cattle and Sheep themselves could tell by their different tones to whom they belonged From this place all down to Cashel and so towards Clonmel and Waterford one way and towards Tipperary and Limerick another is one of the finest Countries I ever saw if it had Inhabitants accordingly Great part of it is called the Goulden vale On the 4 Colonel Woolsleys Horse Colonel Tiffins and St. Johns Foot marched back from hence towards Mullingar to secure the Country they came so far lest the Enemy should attack us and now we being secure they marched back another way We marched on the 5. to Holy-Cross nigh Thurles which of old enjoyed several peculiar Priviledges and Freedomes granted in Honour of a piece of Christs Cross there found as the Story goes This place by K. Henry 8. gave the Title of Barons to the Buttlers The General I believe had heard that several people had enjoy'd great priviledges at this place in the days of old and therefore he gave his Souldiers liberty this afternoon to take what they pleased for their sustenance but the true reason was because we had no Bread The 6. we marched to a Village called Dundrum a little to the North of Cashel one of the most Ancient Cities in Ireland famous of old for the Preaching of St. Patrick where afterwards was built a very considerable Cathedral it was made an Archepiscopal dignity by Eugenius the third Bishop of Rome and had under it in times past many Bishopricks and Suffragons As you go up to this Church there is a Stone upon which Antiently all the Kings of Munster used to be Crowned I suppose it was after the same manner with the Ulster Kings which was by throwing an old shooâ— over their heads and sometimes by killing a white Cow c. There are several Monuments of good Antiquity in this Church In the year 1318. The Archb. of Cashel was both Lord Justice and Lord Chancellor and it was remarkable in the late Wars for my Lord Inchiqueens killing all the Priests that were got into it and pretended with a Body of the Irish to defend the place which naturally is pretty strong and it s called at this day the Rock because it stands on the top of one On the 7. We marched to Cullen and on the 8. to Carriganliss whither the Kings Army was gone from Goulden-Bridge It s therefore convenient that I should give the best Account I can of their march from Dublin thither month July The Kings march towards Limerick On the 9. of July His Majesty with his Army Encamped at Cromlin within two miles of Dublin westwards where he settled the method of granting Protections according to his Declaration And gave a Commission to the Bishop of Meath my Lord Longford Dr. Gorge Captain Fitz Gerald Mr. Coughland Dr. Davis and Captain Corker to save all forfeited goods and to see that those and the Corn upon the Estates of all Absentees were safely kept or disposed on for the Kings use The Bishop of Meath whether out of dislike to the proceedings of the rest or averseness to business soon forbore his Attendance at their meetings the rest went on in their Business but in such a method as was neither to the Kings advantage nor satisfaction and not much to their own Credits The 10. in the morning his Majesty set forth a Proclamation to put a stop to the passing of Brass mony only at the valuations following viz. Every large half Crown and new stampt Crown at a penny the small half Crown at three farthings the large Copper Shilling at an half penny the small Shillings and six pences at farthings c. And the same day the Army Encampt between the Ness and Racoole Little hapned remarkable except the Kings great care to keep the Souldiers from Plundring the Country and every night it was given out in orders that on pain of death no man should go beyond the line in the Camp or take violently to the lest value from either Protestant or Papist The 11. the Army marched to Kill Kullen Bridge the King this morning passing by the Ness saw a Souldier Robbing a poor Woman which inraged his Majesty so much that he beat him with his Cane and gave orders that he and several others guilty of the like disobedience should be Executed the Monday following some people were so wicked as put a bad construction on this Action of the Kings but it had so good an effect upon that part of the Army that the Country was secured from any violence done by the Souldiers during that whole march two of the other Sufferers were Iniskillin Dragoons On Sunday the Army rested and on Munday they marched to Tommalin several of the Country people and some Gentlemen that were Papists coming in to whom the King ordered Protections We heard all long on our march of the Confusion the Enemy was in and had Accounts daily of their resorts to Limerick and other strong places whilst we were here several came to us from Killkenny who gave his Majesty an Account of the State of that Garrison that part of the Enemies Horse and Foot were there still but with thoughts of quitting the Town upon our approach and at their going off they made the Inhabitants give them a sum of mony to save the Town from plundring From Tommalin we marched to Castle-Dermot where stood in old time two or three Religious Houses the Ruins of which as yet remain one of these was of the Fryars Minors Sackt and Plundred by the Scots under Bruce in the year 1316. In which year the Irish were here also overthrown by Edward Bottilar or Buttler Lord Justice of Ireland Here the King received some Packets from England giving him a further Account of his Fleet and Sea affairs which was easily understood not to be very grateful and as is supposed was the occasion of our slow marches Several Protestants every day came to the Camp all expressing their great Joy and Satisfaction for his Majesties Presence and their Deliverance We had also an Account here of some that took Protections and yet in the night made their escape to the Enemy having only got those Protections thereby to procure a better opportunity of going off with what they had upon which parties were lent out on all hands to clear the Mountains and Woods near the Army which kept the rest at home from hence Colonel Eppingar went with a party of 1000 Horse and Dragoons to secure Wexeford which some time before was deserted by the Irish Garrison this Town was first taken by Fitz Stephen in the Reign of King Hen. 2.
And hereabouts were the first English planted in Ireland they were a Colony of West-Country men and retain their old English Tone and Customs to this day I am credibly informed that every day about one or two a Clock in Summer they go to Bed the whole Country round nay the very Hens fly up and the Sheep go to Fold as orderly as it were night The Duke of Ormond goes with a party to Killkenny The Army rested a day at Castle Dermot and the next day marched beyond Carlow sending forwards a party of Horse under the Command of the Duke of Ormond to take possession of Kill Kenny and to secure the Protestants and other Inhabitants in the Country about from being Plundred by the Enemy for by this time some of them adventured to look behind them and to return to take along what they had not time nor conveniency to carry off at first here the Army staid a day also and the next day marched to a place called Kells two miles beyond Loughlind Bridge and the day following to Bennets Bridge three miles to the Northest of Kill-Kenny upon the same River The 19. his Majesty dined with the Duke of Ormond at his Castle of Kill Kenny this House was preserved by the Count de Lauzun with all the Goods and Furniture and left in a good Condition not without the Cellars well furnished with what they had not time to drink at their going off Killkenny signifies the Cell or Church of Canick who for the Sanctimony of his Solitary Life in this Country was highly Renowned this was one of the best Inland Towns in Ireland the Irish Town has in it the said Canick's Church now the Cathedral of the Bishop of Ossory The English Town was built by Randolph the third Earl of Chester and fortified with a Wall on the West side by Robert Talbot a Nobleman and this Castle by the Buttlers Ancestors to the present Duke of Ormond On Sunday the 20 th They marched six Miles farther and Encamp'd at a Place called Rossed-Narrow upon the Estate of one Mr. Read where the King had an Account of one Fitz Morrice Sheriff of the Queens County that was under Protection and afterwards went off in the Night with his Family and all his Stock the King had also News that the Enemy had quitted Clonmel whither Count Schomberg marched with â— Body of Horse This is one of the strongest Towns in Ireland and cost Oliver Cromwel at least 2000 Men in taking it the Irish made some Pretensions to hold it out now in order to which they levelled all the Suburbs and Hedges but all they did was to make the Inhabitants pay them 300 l. to save the Town from being burnt or plundred it stands upon the River Sure in a pleasant and fruitful Country Here my Lord George Howard and some more came in and submitted who had Protections The Army goes to Carruck Monday the 21 st The Army marched to Carruck situate upon a Rocky Ground whence it took its Name being called from Carruck Mack Griffin the Habitation formerly of the Earls of Ormond which together with the Honour of Earl of Carruck King Edw. II. Granted unto Edward Boteler or Buttler whose Posterity the present D. of Ormond still enjoy it There the King received an Account of the State of Waterford by some that escaped from thence and of the Resolution of the Garison to hold out There also the King had some Intelligence of the Condition of the City of Cork and that County with great Sollicitations from the Inhabitants to hasten to their Relief which at that time they represented as a thing very easie On the 22 d. Major General Kirk with his own Regiment and Colonel Brewers as also a Party of Horse went towards Waterford more Forces designing to follow Waterford summon'd The Major General sent a Trumpet to Summon the Town who at first refused to surrender there being Two Regiments then in Garison their Refusal however was in such civil Terms that we easily understood their Inclinations for soon after they sent out again to know what Terms they might have which were the same with Drogheda but not liking those they proposed some of their own which were That they might enjoy their Estates The Liberty of their Religion A safe Convoy to the next Garrison with their Arms and proper Goods those would not be Granted and then the heavy Cannon were drawn down that way and some more Forces ordered to march And Surrendred but the Irish understanding this sent to ask Liberty to march out with their Arms and to have a safe Convoy which was granted them and accordingly on the 25 th they marched out with their Arms and Baggage being conducted to Mallow In the mean time the Fort of * This Fort was also given John Talbot Earl of Shrewsburry but afterwards by Act of Parliament it was annexed to the Crown for ever Duncanon Seven Miles below Waterford was summon'd This is a Strong and Regular Fortification being at that time Commanded by one Captain Burk and well furnished with Guns and all other Necessaries the Governour required Seven days to Consider of it which being denied him he said he would take so much time but upon the approach of our Forces and the appearing of some Ships before it he surrendered upon the same Terms with Waterford The day that Waterford Surrendred the King himself went to see it and took great care that no Persons should be disturbed in their Houses or Goods Here we found my Lord Dover who was admitted to a more particular Protection he having formerly applyed himself when the King was at Hillsborough by a Leter to Major General Kirk to desire a Pass for himself and Family into Flanders The City of Waterford was built first by certain Pyrates of Norway and afterwards won from the Irish by Richard Earl of Pembrook The Citizens hereof had large Privileges granted them by King Hen. 7. for demeaning themselves Loyally against Perkin Warbeck It was Granted by Patent from King Hen. 6. to John Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury and his Heirs who by the same Patent were to be Senescals of Ireland But this City afterwards was annexed to the Crown The King speaks of going for England At the King 's returning to the Camp His Majesty held a Council wherein he declares his Resolution to go for England In the mean time our Horse Encamped between Carruck and Clonmell and the Earl of Granard came to wait on His Majesty he receiving at the same time an Express from Lieutenant General Douglass who gave but an indifferent Account of that Expedition On the 27 th the King left the Camp at Carruck and went towards Dublin in order for England which occasioned various Conjectures and some Apprehensions that the Affairs of England were in no pleasing Posture Count Solmes left General His Majesty left Count Solmes Commander in Chief and went that night to
Carlow where he met with some Accounts from England upon which he exprest himself doubtful whether to go over or return to the Army However he went on as far as Chappel Izard and there he was employed for about Three days in hearing Petitions some of which related to the violation of Protections and the Outrages committed by Lieutenant General Douglas's Party As also others about Abuses and Inconveniences from the late Commission and several Complaints were made against Col. Trelawney's Regiment then in Dublin Here the King gave Orders that Count Sehomberg's Horse Col. Mathews's Dragoons Col. Hasting's and Col. Trelawney's Foot with one Troop of Guards should be shipt for England A second Declaration and on the first of August published a Second Declaration not only confirming and strengthning the former but also adding That if any Foreigners in Arms against Him would submit they should have Passes to go into their own Countries or whither they pleased And another Proclamation came out dated July 31. Commanding all the Papists to deliver up their Arms and those who did not were to be look'd upon as Rebels and Traytors and abandoned to the discretion of the Soldiers A Proclamation for a Fast And at the same time was likewise published a Proclamation for a General Fast to be kept constantly every Friday during the War in all parts of the Kingdom under his Majesty's Obedience for asking God's Pardon for our Sins and imploring a Blessing upon Their Majesties Forces by Sea and Land At this time also Mr. Poyne Mr. Reves and Mr. Rothford Lords Commissioners of the Great Seal began to act and received Instructions from the King how to proceed And now the King received a further account from England that my Lord Torrington and several more were secured and that several wicked Designs were discovered and prevented That the Loss at Sea was not so great as was at first reported and that the French had only burnt a small Village in the West of England and gone off again month August so that the danger of this being partly over His Majesty resolved to The King returns to the Army return to the Army he lessened his Baggage and Retinue giving his spare Horses to the Train and then on the 2 d of August went back towards his Army which he found then at Goulden Bridge on which day a Soldier was hang'd for mutining Here the King stay'd a day or two and had Accounts from several Deserters of the Preparations the Enemy was making for their own defence and safety On the 6 th the King with his Army march'd to Sallywood having the day before sent a Party of Horse towards Limerick And on the 7 th his Majesty march'd to Carigallis within five miles of Limerick Upon our approach thither the Enemy burnt and levell'd all the Suburbs as also set fire to all the Houses in the Country between us and the Town A Party sent toward Limerick On the the 8 th of August early in the Morning my Lord Portland and Brigadeer Stuart were sent towards Limerick with about Eleven hundred Horse and Foot who advanced within Cannon shot of the Town but met with little opposition from the Enemy and before they returned his Majesty went out with about Three hundred Horse being accompanied with Prince George the Heer Overkirk Major General Ginkle and several other great Officers When these went nigh the Town a Party of the Enemies Horse advanced toward them But Captain Selby of my Lord of Oxford's Regiment having the Advance Guard drew towards them with a design to charge them which they perceiving thought fit to draw homewards their Cannon firing from the Town several times Then in the Evening Lieutenant General Douglass with his Party join'd the Kings Army The 9 th of August in the morning early the King sends three Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons with a Detachment of One Thousand Foot commanded by Sir Henry Bellasis as Brigadeer my Lord Drogheda and Colonel Earle as an Advance Guard to make the first approach The whole Army make their Approach and all the Army both Horse and Foot followed in order About six a Clock our Advance Party discovered some of the Enemy upon the top of an Hill three Miles on this side the Town our Men drew up and then marched slowly forwards and as we proceeded the Enemy disappear'd by degrees till they were all gone off the Hill We drew forwards and about half a mile further we cou'd see a great part of the Town from a rising ground but could not discover the ways to it nor who were between us and it because of a great many thick Inclosures and Lanes in one of which the Enemy appeared again Our Men halted a little till the Pioneers had cut â—…wn the Hedges to the right and left which done they advanced and the Enemy drew back This took some time a doing and therefore the Front of our Army both of Horse and Foot came up The King was here at first riding from one place to another to order Matters as his Custom always was We cut the Hedges in a great many places and went forwards and the Enemy they drew homewards till they came to a narrow Pass between two Bogs within half a Mile of the Town The Neck of Land between these Bogs is not above 150 Yards over and this full of Hedges with a large Orchard a Stone Wall and also the Ruines of a great House upon the Lane-side which the Irish had burnt the Day before But there were Three Lanes that led this way towards the Town the middlemost being the broadest the Irish Horse stood in it on the Pass beyond this old House and whilst our Pioneers were at work the Front of our Horse went up so close that there were several little Firings but not much damage done on either side To the Right and Left of the Irish Horse the Hedges were all lined with Musqueteers of whom our Foot were got now within less than two hundred Yards The Pioneers laboured at the Hedges all this while and the Army made their Approaches in excellent Order The Detached Party of Foot was upon the Advance towards the Centre the Horse a little to the Right of them followed by the Earl of Drogheda's Regiment and Lieutenant General Douglas at the Head of them my Lord Drogheda himself being upon the Advance Guard The Danes were towards the Left led on by the Prince of Wirtemberg and Major General Kirk The Blue Dutch and several English Regiments were upon the Right All those were lined with Horse and these supported again with more Foot So that all Men that understood it said it was a most curious sight for though the Hedges were very thick and troublesome yet it was so ordered that the Front kept all on a Line except the advance Party who went always some distance before Whilst things were going on thus the King ordered Two Field-Pieces to be
planted towards the Left where they could bear upon the Enemies Horse These fired several times and the Enemy soon quitted that Post Our English Foot were so little concern'd that though they knew the Enemy to be in the next Hedges yet whilst the Pioneers were at work they would sit them down and ask one another whether they thought they should have any Bread to day for they began to want their Breakfasts though some few of them went to the next World for it The Danes to the Left stood with all the Care and Circumspection in the World but observing the Posture of some of our Men and hearing what they said they believed we had no mind to fight yet no sooner were the Hedges down and our Front advancing in a narrow Field but the Irish fired a whole Volley upon them from the Neighbouring Hedges which our Men seeing some of them cry'd aloud Ah ye Toads are ye there we 'll be with you presently And being led on by my Lord Drogheda and Colonel Earle they ran along the Field directly towards the Hedges where the Irish were planted which the others seeing immediately quitted and then our Men fired upon them as they retreated to the next Hedges and so beat them from one Hedge to another even to the very end of the Suburbs which then were all burnt and levelled During this Action the Danes advanced in the Left and the Blue Dutch with the English on the Right the Horse coming on in the Centre So that in less than half an hour from the first Volley the Irish were driven under their very Walls nor did we lose a Dozen Men in all this Action When as if the Irish had managed this Advantage of Ground and fortified the Pass as well as Ireton's Fort on the Right of it which was built by Ireton on his first coming before Limerick It stands on a Rising Ground and over-looks the Pass on one side and the Town on the other This we commonly called Cromwel's Fort they might have kept us some Days from approaching the Town at least they might have kill'd us a great many Men But the truth is they had not time for all this They had drawn up however several Companies of Men in the Fort but when they saw us coming on they retreated towards the Town without ever firing a Shot The Cannon play We were not as yet saluted with one Great Gun from the Town because their own Men had been between them and us but as soon as they retreated under the Walls they let fly amain amongst us and kill'd several as they marched in amongst others a French Captain had both his Legs shot off and died presently We drew Four Field-Pieces immediately to Cromwel's Fort playing them upon the Town and the Out-works and before Five a Clock in the Afternoon all our Army was marched in and most of them encampt within Cannon-shot In a Siege the first two things that are to be regarded is the safe encamping our Men and the drawing the Line of Countervallation to prevent the Enemy from Sallying but the latter of these we did not much mind because I suppose we did not much fear any desperate Sallies and the former was in some measure prevented by the situation of our Camp The Danes encampt to the Left where they found an Old Fort built by their Ancestors which they were very proud of and from thence they fired Three or Four Field-Pieces upon the Irish that lay entrenched between them and the Town The Detached Party kept an Advance Post till they were relieved about Nine a Clock and the Lord Drogheda's Regiment was placed next the Town nigh Cromwel's Fort where they were to stop the Enemies Career if they attempted a Sally The Town Summon'd As soon as our Army was posted the King ordered a Trumpet to be sent with a Summons to the Town and as we understood since a great part of the Garrison were for Capitulating but Monsieur Boiseleau the Governour the Duke of Berwick and Colonel Sarsfield opposed it with a great deal of Heat telling them that there were great Divisions and Insurrections in England That the Dauphin was landed there with Fifty Thousand Men and that the Prince of Orange would be obliged soon to draw home his Army into England The Trumpeter was sent back from Monsieur Boiseleau with a Letter directed to Sir Robert Southwell Secretary of State not sending directly to the King because he would avoid I suppose giving him the Title of Majesty The Answer That he was surprised at the Summons and that he thought the best way to gain the Prince of Orange's Good Opinion was by a vigorous defence of that Town which his Master had entrusted him withal That Evening a Party of Dragoons was sent to view the Pass at Annaghbegg Three Miles above Limerick where Six of the Enemies Regiments of Foot Three of Horse and Two of Dragoons were posted on the other side of the River where there stood a large New House with a great many Brick Walls about it and several convenient Hedges were adjoyning to the River They fired from thence upon our Men but did little or no Execution and that Night they marched off to the Town The Cannon play'd on both sides till it grew dark A Party pass the River and next Morning early being Sunday the 10 th the King sent Eight Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons Commanded by Lieutenant General Ginkle and Three Regiments of Foot under Major General Kirk who passed the River without any opposition and immediately His Majesty went thither Himself The Stream was very rapid and dangerous though the River has not been known to be so low these many Years The King at his Return left Major General Kirk with his own Brigadeer Stuart's and my Lord Meath's Regiments who encampt one beyond the Ford and two on this side having a Party of Horse relieved every Twenty Four Hours to support them A Cornet this Morning deserted the Enemy who told the King That a great many in Town were for surrendring but prevented by Sarsfield and Boiseleau That Count Lauzun with the French were encampt nigh Galloway the Irish refusing to receive them into Town because themselves had done so with the Irish some time before at Limerick That my Lord Tyrconnel with most of the Irish Horse and some Foot were encamped on the other side about Six or Eight Miles from Limerick That there were Fourteen Regiments of Foot with Three of Horse and Two of Dragoons then in Town The King sent that Afternoon a small Party of Horse to discover my Lord Tyrconnel but 〈◊〉 was then removed about Ten Miles further off towards Galloway The Town described But it will be convenient that I here give as good a Description of the City and its Situation as I can of a Place that I had not the liberty to go into though I have been sometimes very near it It 's
Siege and that was in not Fortifying the Pass and Cromwell's Fort without as also in not drawing a large Trench from the River towards the East and then runing it round that part of the Town on which they might have raised several Forts and Breast-works from whence they might have retarded our Approaches but indeed they had not time for all this though they had done something of that kind towards the West where they keept Men Encampt all the while we lay before the Town and they had made also some Forts towards the East but they could not put Courage in their Men to defend them especially when Walls were so near to fly to Objections against the Siege at Limerick What Objections they make against us were these that we ought to have divided our Army and sent a part beyond the River as also to have broke down the two Bridges one between the two Towns and the other on the County of Clare side by which means we had prevented the Irish Communication between the two Towns and also from without the greatest hazard that we could run being to Attack a Town that had one side open to bring in what Men and things they pleas'd All these and a great many more inconveniencies were seen into at that Instant but the dividing the Army was impracticable because that when one Part had been over the River they must have marched several Miles to the Right and then down again before they could come nigh the other side of the Town by reason of a vast Bog that runs from the Town a great way cross the Country and then it was no easie thing to bring Provision to those and besides if the Rains had fallen as it often threatned us that part of the Army which had gone over must have run the hazard either of starving or fighting their whole Army or both for the Shanon rises all on a sudden and the least swelling in the World would have made it impassible for the Army since it was with great difficulty that single Regiments could get over as it was and it never has been seen so low in many years Nor had we Men enough to make what Works were convenient to secure both Parts of the Army from Sallies or Assaults from without if we had been divided We know Caesar at the Siege of Alexia shut in Eighty thousand Guals made a Line of Countervallation of Eleven Miles Circumference and one of Circumvallation that was Fourteen Fortifying both these with Sharp Stakes and vast Holes in the Ground slightly covered over by which he both reduced that great Army within to his Mercy and kept off a much greater that design'd to Raise the Siege But his Army were Men of Fatigue and Labour as well as Courage and his Numbers six times as great as ours And though we were Commanded by a Prince of as great Courage and Resolution as ever Caesar was and he had Men that were as willing yet several of them were beginning to be sick and were not able to endure the Fatigue except both our Time had been longer and the Season better and though Kings are Gods in Wisdom as well as Power yet there is one in Heaven that limits them Lieutenant General Douglass Decamps September the 7 th Lieutenant General Douglas with his own Regiment Brigadeer Stuart's Sir Henry Ballasyse's Lord George Hambilton's a Derry Regiment the Third Troop of Guards Colonel Russel's Horse and Guinn's Dragoons marched from Tipperary towards the North to Winter-Quarters and the rest lay encamped September the 8 th my Lord Lisburne with a Party of Foot being about Four Hundred and Monsieur La Forest with a Party of Five hundred Horse were sent to Killmallock a Place between Cork and Limerick where the Enemy had a Garrison of about two hundred Men who when they saw our Party and Four Field-Pieces which they brought along they yeilded upon the first Summons and had Conditions to march out with their Arms and Baggage From the 8 th to the 13 th nothing of Moment hapned except the General 's sending out several Parties unto all the little Towns and Castles thereabouts having Engineers along to see what could be done in order to their Defence on which account Dr. Davis Dean of Ross was very serviceable who understood the Countrey thereabouts very well And Major General Kirk with the rest of the English This took up time till the 13 th when Major General Kirk with Seven Foot Regiments viz. Kirk Hanmer Meath Cutts Lisburne Earle and Drogheda's and Sir John Lanier with his own Lord of Oxford's Langston's Byerley's Horse Levison's Dragoons and part of Cunningham's marched towards Bi r Which way we heard that Sarsfield was making being then with a Body of about Five Thousand Horse Foot and Dragoons at a place called Banohar-Bridge not Eight Miles from Bir. The same Day Major General Scravemore and Major General Tatteau with Twelve hundred Horse and Dragoons as also Two Regiments of Danish Foot went towards Mallow in order to go to Cork where we had a Report that my Lord Marlborough designed to land There were some Deserters also that came from the Enemy that gave us an Account that my Lord Tyrconnel Count Lauzun Monsieur Boiseleau with all the French Forces were gone from Galloway towards France for hearing of my Lord Marlborough's Fleet coming abroad they made more haste than they designed and so left several of their Men sick at Galloway They brought an excellent Field-Train in the Spring out of France which they took along with them when they returned The rest of the Army remove to Cashel September the 14 th the rest of the Army removed to Cashel and from thence were dispersed to Quarters part of the Danes and Dutch went towards Waterford some to Clonmell and others staid at Cashel The French went towards the County of Carlow And so the Army was dispersed Count Solmes commanded the Army from His Majesties Departure till the Camp broke up and then he went to Dublin in order to go for England On the Day following a Captain of Colonel Levison's Dragoons with his Troop routed a Body of Irish Rabble that were got together and a Party of Horse were sent after a Company of Rapparees that had kill'd some of our Men as they were a forraging Lieutenant General Ginkle was now Commander in Chief of the Army and went towards his Head Quarters at Killkenny Sarsfield besieges Bar. At Major General Kirk's coming to Roscreagh he understood that Sarsfield â—nd his Party had besieged the Castle at Bi r in which was only a Company of Colonel Tiffin's Regiment The Enemy had brought several Pieces of Cannon one of which was an Eighteen Pounder with which they did the Castle some damage but however the besieged defended it stoutly and killed them several Men. Relieved by Major General Kirk Tuesday the 16 th Major General Kirk and his Foot marched from Roscreagh
towards Bi r and joyned our Horse who went that way the Night before Commanded by Sir John Laneir some Three Miles short of the Town There we understood that Sarsfield's Party in Bar was very strong and Major General Kirk thought it was too great a hazard to engage with those Men he had so sent an Express to Lieutenant General Douglas who was then at Mary-Borough some Twenty Miles off We returned to Roscreag that Night and next Morning being re-inforced with Douglas's Horse we marched forwards towards Bi r again The Enemy then had left the Town and encamped Three Miles from it towards the Shanon but their Out-Guards were within a Mile of Bi r and could over-look our Camp The General sent out all the Granadeers who took the shortest way over the Bog towards the Hill where the Enemy stood and at the same time sent out a Detachment of Horse who beat the Enemy off Thursday the 18 th our Army encamped beyond the Town and one Lieutenant Kelly of Levison's Dragoons as he was discovering the Enemy with a Party being surrounded was taken Prisoner He is since exchanged and gives us an Account of the Present State of Limerick which is something different from the Publick Friday the 19 th the Enemy decamped and marched to Banohar-Bridge though that Night a party of their Horse beat in our Out-Guards Saturday the 20 th our Army begun some Fortifications in Town it being only an open place before and part of them stayed here encamped for Ten or Twelve Days Some say also that here was a good opportunity lost in not falling upon the Enemy in their Retreat towards Banohar for they marched off in great Confusion But during our stay here the Soldiers either by the bad Example of others or making the Scarcity of Bread a Pretence they â—…gun to strip and rob most of the Irish that had got Protections which made it natural for them after this to turn Rapparees and do us all the Mischief they could And it did not stop here for there was scarce any distinction made of Papist or Protestant in this Affair Lords Justices come to Dublin Towards the middle of September my Lord Sidney and Tho. Coningsby Esq Lords Justices came to Dublin and on the 15 th they took the usual Oaths of Chief Governours of that Kingdom before the Commissioners of the Great Seal with all the accustomed Formalities the People by their Bonefires and other Signs of Joy expressing their satisfaction for the restoring of the Civil Government One of the first things they did was to consider of the Settlement of the Militia in such hands as might be most for the King's Service and the Countries Interest and in some small time after gave out Commissions accordingly The same Day they sent out a Proclamation to encourage all People to bring in their Goods to the Market at Dublin forbidding any Officers or Soldiers to press such Peoples Horses which has been a trick too frequent in that Country And whereas the Rapparees began to be very numerous in several places the Lords Justices issued out a Proclamation requiring all Papists to remain in their respective Parishes at least not to go Three Miles farther and only then to Market This bears date the 18 th And because the hardships that the Soldiers had endured occasioned a great many of them at the breaking up of the Camp to steal from their Colours and make the best of their way for England a Proclamation came out the 19 th Forbidding all Masters of Ships or Seamen to transport any Officers or Soldiers or other Person whatsoever except known Merchants and Persons of known Quality not belonging to the Army without a Pass from the Lords Justices or the General of the Army The Papists on the Frontiers were very angry at us and gave constant Intelligence to the Enemy of all our Affairs by which means our Men in small numbers were often surprized and murdered and several other Inconveniencies fell out so that a Proclamation came out on the 26 th Forbidding all Papists to dwell within Ten Miles of the Frontiers And another bearing the same Date Commanding all the Wives Children and Dependants upon any of the Irish in King James's Army or of those who had been kill'd or taken in that Service to remove beyond the River Shanon by such a Day or else to be proceeded against as Enemies and Spies And accordingly most of them went having a Guard to conduct them to our Frontiers And a Third there was dated that day also Forbidding any of the Protected Irish to Harbour any that belonged to the late King's Army or that robb'd and plundered the Countrey in the Night And because Coals were now very scarce at Dublin and other Firing not coming in so plentifully as formerly some Days before this there was a Proclamation published Promising Protection to all Ships and Mariners that should be imployed in transporting Coals from any part of the Kingdom of England or Wales to the City of Dublin One there came out on the 30 th Forbidding all people to buy any Goods but in open Markets because several Abuses were committed by the Soldiers taking peoples Goods and selling them at an undervalue And on the 7 th of October there was another Proclamation Forbidding any to pretend to be Soldiers in Colonel Fouks and Colonel Herbert 's Regiments that were not Those two Regiments being then in Town and several Abuses committed that way and some of the Soldiers affronting the Militia had like one Night to have made a great deal of Mischief upon which the Alarm was beat and several people wounded one or two being kill'd out-right All the Army in Quarters By this time the Soldiers every where had got to Quarters and it was proposed by several Justices of the Peace and Deputy-Lieutenants in the Countrey That if the Soldiers would be quiet and not take things at their own hands the Countrey should find them with Meat and Drink with whatever else they could reasonably think on which was very well liked by some Colonels but others for their own Gains sake ordered the Countrey-people to bring in most of their Corn to such and such places and secured it for their own private use allowing the Soldiers in the mean time to do what they would This made the Irish and English both plundered at all hands and if by chance an Englishman had any thing left the Rapparees being stript of what they had themselves were ready to come in the Night and steal that by which things were not in such order as good Men could have wished But before I go any farther this way it will be convenient to look back and see how Major General Scravemore and his Party went on and how the business of Cork and Kingsale was managed On the 17 th of September Major General Scravemore and Major General Tatteau sent Colonel Donap to burn the Bridge of Mallow and to view
Irish set both ends of the Town on fire The Officers and Soldiers made what haste they could to a Mount towards the middle of the Town where they staid till a Party of Dragoons came from Birr to their Relief for the Irish after some small time drew off and would not adventure to force them from the Mount tho' they were four times our number We had about Twenty eight kill'd and some wounded And Captain Henry Gore as he was going towards the Mount had a Rencounter with some of the Irish Granadeers in which with Club-Musket he had his Jaw-bone broke and several Wounds on the Head but he is since recover'd We kill'd several of the Enemy both in the Streets and in the Houses that they went to plunder The 21th some of the Rapparees march'd towards Philipstown in the King's County A Party of ours going out to discover them took two of their Officers and hanged them And the 23d being the Anniversary of the former Irish Rebellon was kept with great Solemnity a Proclamation being issued out the day before commanding the Sixteenth of November to be kept as a day of Thanksgiving for preserving the King and reducing three entire Provinces Which accordingly was obey'd On the 28th there came an Account from Meerscourt in the County of West-Meath that part of the Enemies Forces advanced from Lanesborough in the County of Longford and came within six Miles of Meerscourt but retreated without any harm done to either side If I am not much mistaken when we left Limerick it was our Business and Advice was given accordingly to secure all the Passes upon the Shanon which had been easie at that time our Army being together and in the Field for these and the Castles all along by the Shanon side might easily have been made tenable where our Men might have been secure and had a very plentiful Country at their Backs for their Relief and then might have made Incursions into Conaught when they pleased But in stead of that we retired further into the Country and left them all the Passes and Forts upon the Shanon by which means they are not to be kept in their own Province as they might have been but can both keep us out and also come amongst us when they have a mind to it Several Protestants come from Limerick About this time the Enemy gave leave to several Protestants to come off who gave account that all things were very scarce amongst them Wheat being generally about Ten pound Brass Money a Barrel Malt Nine pound Brandy Three pound a Quart Ale Two Shillings six pence Mens Shooes Thirty shillings Salt Twenty shillings a Quart And that the Irish Army were in a very miserable condition in all respects And yet it was not so bad as 't was reported This Week the Lords Justices had an Account That one Captain Long formerly Master of a Ship was in February last surprised in the Bay of Killibeggs in the North of Ireland and taken Prisoner to Galloway A Ship brought off from Galloway but whilst he was there he so ordered the Matter as with the help of some Protestants he seised upon a Frigat and brought her from Galloway to Carigfergus She had Twelve Guns and Four Patereroes month November And about the beginning of November a French Ship of thirty Tuns loaden with Brandy and Salt sailed into the Port of Kingsale coming to an Anchor under the New Fort believing that Place still to be in the Hands of the Irish but the Ship was soon boarded by our Men and made a Prize His Majesties Birth-day The Fourth of November being His Majesties Birth-day was observed with all the Splendour that Place could afford Dublin Militia all the Town Militia were drawn out being 2500 Foot two Troops of Horse and two of Dragoons all well Cloathed and Armed and at night the Lords Justices made an Entertainment for the most Considerable Persons in and about the Town The next day also being the Fifth of November was observed according to the Act of Parliament By this time Commissions being given out for Lords Lieutenants and Deputy Lieutenants as also for Officers of the Militia in the Country they had got Arms and were in a pretty good Condition And on the First day of the Term Mr. Sergeant Osburn Their Majesties Serjeant at Law moved the Court of King's Bench for Writs of Certiorari to remove all Indictments of High Treason found in several Counties of this Kingdom against those in Rebellion against the King and Queen which was granted and Writs Issued out accordingly Proposals were made also by the Commissioners for the Forfeited Estates to set Leases for a year of all Lands that are Forfeited in this Kingdom but I did not hear of many Tenants for amongst other things there Proposed the Farmer must give in an Exact Account of the Acres both Arable and Pasture of the Farm he designs to take contains and if upon view it appears to be more than to pay 28 s. for every Acre of Arable and 5 s. for every Acre of Pasture that was over-plus this indeed is a good way to get an Account of all the Lands but not to make any Benefit to the King of them for I 'm afraid several Acres will not yield 20 s. in many years An Exploit of Captain Archer's On Tuesday the 13 th of November Captain Archer one of the Militia had a scuffle with the Raparees in the County of Wicklow kill'd about Five and took Twenty three Prisoners with the loss of Five or six of his own Men and about this time the Enemy burnt Philip's Town the chief Town in the King's County so called from King Philip as Mary Borough is from Queen Mary for in this Reign those two Counties were settled and part of them given to Thomas Ratcliff Earl of Sussex though we had a Garrison in it for they came from a great adjacent Bog in the Night and having set the Town on Fire retreated thither again The General comes to Dublin At this time Lieutenant General Ginkle who Commands in Chief over His Majesties Forces in Ireland came to Dublin and on the Thirteenth Published several Orders and Rules how the Army should be subsisted and the Country paid and secured which are too long to insert but very Commendable if they had been observed And the General and Lords Justices consulting together the Justices send out a Proclamation the Fourteenth for regulating the Quartering the Army and assertaining the Rates of things as what should be paid by each Soldier for all sorts of Provisions and Confirming the General 's Orders Published the day before We had News brought from Limerick by a Lieutenant that deserted of several Inconveniencies the Enemy were put to but these were only true in part there was a Report also that a supply of Arms Ammunition and Money was come from France and this was true in some respect for at that time
from the side of the Bog towards them the Horse seem'd to Retreat a little till the Rapparees were Advanced within Musquet-shot of our Foot who firing amongst them kill'd feveral and then Lieutentant Dent fell in with his Horse as also the Foot Charged them a second time that after some resistance they kill'd Thirty nine and took Four whom they hanged without any further Ceremony The rest escaped to the Bogs and in a moment all disappeared which may seem strange to those that have not seen it but something of this kind I have seen my self and those of this Party assured me that after the Action was over some of them looking about amongst the Dead found one Dun a Serjeant of the Enemies who was lying like an Otter all under Water in a running Brook except the top of his Nose and his Mouth they brought him out and although he proffer'd Forty Shillings in English Money to save his Life a great Ransom as he believed yet he was one of the Four that was hanged How the Rapparees conceal themselves and their Arms. When the Rapparees have no mind to show themselves upon the Bogs they commonly sink down between two or three little Hills grown over with long Grass so that you may as soon find a Hair as one of them they conceal their Arms thus they take off the Lock and put it in their Pocket or hide it in some dry Place they stop the Mussle close with a Cork and the Tutch-hole with a small Quil and then throw the Piece it self into a running Water or a Pond you may see an hundred of them without Arms who look like the poorest humblest Slaves in the World and you may search till you are weary before you find one Gun but yet when they have a mind to do mischief they can all be ready in an Hours warning for every one knows where to go and fetch his own Arms though you do not Boats fitted up to be sent to the Shanon About this time the Lords Justices Ordered Four Long Boats like Men of Wars Pinnaces to be fitted up with Pattereros and little small Guns the Sides to be fortified with Boards and other Materials and those to be filled with a hundred Choice Men commanded by Captain Hoord who had been Provost Martial but turned out for some Irregular things and was resolved to do some desperate Service to be readmitted These Boats were to be drawn upon Carriages to the Shanon and there put in the Design was very plausible and might have done Service if pursued for there are several Islands in the Shanon wherein the Irish have very considerable Riches and besides Hoord and his Men designed to make Incursions into the Enemies Country and to burn and destroy all before them if a small Party appear'd then they would fight them but if a great Body then they could retreat to their Fleet and go away to another Place And further one design of those Boats was to carry over a part of our Army at least their Necessaries that shortly designed an Expedition beyond the Shanon but the Boats were stopt beyond Mullingar and ordered to go no further A Spy seized Nigh this time one Kirowen an Irish Officer came from Athlone to Mullingar he pretended to be a Deserter and told a fair Story but next day a Protestant that made his escape gave an Account that he was a Spy and had some bad Designs upon which being examined and searched he had on a Pair of Breeches made of the Petticoat of a Gentlewoman whom he had murdered and upon strict examination of his Boy and others it appear'd that he was sent on purpose to burn the Garrison so was the Saturday following hanged for his pains There was also a Discourse as if the Papists had a design to burn Dublin when the Irish Army was to approach which they expected every day this was discovered by a Letter from Lieutenant Colonel Woogan's Lady to him in Limerick the Letter was intercepted and gave an Account that the Protected Papists were ready to join with the Irish Army in doing us what mischief they could upon which most of them were secured as I have said but however those of them that would take the Oath of Allegiance to K. W. and Q. M. were released but the refusers kept in Prison yet were Ordered by a Proclamation from the Lords Justices and Council December the Eight to obey the former Orders in removing from Dublin and all Their Majesties Garrisons on the Frontiers And several of the Papists who had Sons in the Enemies Quarters having made Application to the Lords Justices for further time to bring them in pursuant to a Proclamation November the 19 th they set out another December the 8 th allowing them time till the Tenth of January but for all this I heard of very few that came over Another Proclamation was Dated the same day Ordering all the Laws in that Kingdom for the Restraining the Exportation of Wooll to be put in Execution except to England and Wales only and this with Licence after the usual manner We had an Account from Clonmel that Captain Archer with a Militia Troop met with a Party of the Irish kill'd Twenty five and took a Booty of Three hunder'd Cows with several other things And Colonel Woolsley sent word that what Provisions and Ammunition were sent to the North were safely arrived his Men having kill'd Eight of the Irish the day before and hang'd Three Spies And about the middle of December we had News from Limerick by a Deserter that all things were very scarce the Soldiers wanting both Meat and Cloaths But Leiutenant Kelly who was taken Prisoner at Birr and now released says the Irish are not in so very bad a Condition because they have got nigh Ten thousand Horse load of Corn out of the County of Kerry this Winter which possible we might as well have had as they if we had been as diligent Nigh this time one Mack Finin one of the Prisoners that escaped from Cork as they say a great many did by sinister means marched with a Party of about 400 of the Army and Rapparees towards Iniskeen in the County of Cork and finding it guarded they went to Castletown where there was a Lieutenant and Thirty Dragoons they defended the Place bravely for some time killing Ten of the Enemy but their Ammunition being spent and having Five of their Men kill'd they were forced to surrender upon Quarter but the Lieutenant was afterwards murdered though a Party coming from Iniskeen from Major Culliford set upon the Irish kill'd Twelve and took Five Prisoners The Lords Justices and Council now fearing that in those Houses where there dwelt Papists if any publick Trade was kept as to the selling of Ale Wine Coffee c. they might be Plotting and Contriving Mischief therefore they Publish a Proclamation December the 12 th That no Papist shall keep a Publick House in
or about the City of Dublin after the 25 th of December next And now His Majesty designing for Holland and having thoughts of making my Lord Sidney one of the Secretaries of State sent for him over who on Monday the 15 th of December Embarqued with a Fair Wind for Chester leaving every one sorry for his departure in that by his Affable and Courteous Demeanor and his Diligence in His Majesties Service he had gain'd the Hearts of all People And on the 24 th Sir Charles Porter one of the Lords Justices came from England who on the 29 th was sworn Lord Chancellor receiving the Purse and Great Seal from the late Commissioners Part of the Army march to Lanesborough We had now a part of our Army on their March towards Lanesborough-Pass Commanded by Major General Kirk and Sir John Laneir the Foot were my Lord Lisburn's Regiment my Lord George Hambleton's part of Col. Brewer's some of Major General Kirk's and several others A Party of the Militia also were ordered from Dublin and those in the Country were to be up on all hands At the same time Lieutenant General Douglas was to march towards Sligo and fall upon the Irish on that side On Wednesday the 31 st of December part of our Army under Colonel Brewer went towards Lanesborough The Enemy appeared on the Bog on this side the Town being as they say nigh Three Thousand and had cut several Trenches cross the Causeys that go through the Bog towards the Town these they disputed for some time but losing some of their Men they retired into Town and from thence to beyond the Shanon defacing the Fort on this side and breaking the Bridge behind them You 'll say they were not very closely pursued that had time to do all this However our Men took possession of the Town and Fort as they had left it and if we had had the Boats we might have gone over the Enemy quitting the other side for at least Three Days but then we were too small a Party and before the rest of our Men came up Three Regiments of the Irish were posted on the other side the River and then little hapned of moment only some small Firings and sometimes they made Truces Colonel Clifford and the other Irish Officers drinking Healths over to our Men and those on our side returning the Complement When this Party marched to Lanesborough there was a Detachment of 300 Men out of L. Drogheda's Sir Jo. Hanmer's and Col. Hambleton's Regiments ordered from Bi r to joyn them and so to cross the Country from Bi r to Mullingar But in their March they were set upon by about Fifteen Hundred of the Irish Army and Rapparees Our Party had but Thirty Dragoons with them and the Enemy brought several Squadrons of Horse and though we were attack'd for at least Five Hours together and that at several places of great disadvantage yet they fought their way through and went that Night to Mountmelick having lost only Six Men and Captain Jeffreys of Sir John Hanmer's Regiment but the Irish got all our Baggage This Party was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Bristow and Major Caulfield Rapparees in the Bog of Allen The Rapparees by this time were got to the end of the Bog of Allen about Twelve Miles from Dublin this Bog is the largest in Ireland for it reaches through a great part of the Country from hence as far as Athlone and is at least Forty Miles in length having several Islands full of Woods in the midst of it These robb'd and plundered the Country all about for they had an Island on this end of the Bog which they fortified coming out in the Night and doing all the Mischief they could This being so nigh Dublin it made a great noise so that Colonel Fouks with his own Regiment part of Colonel Cutts's and some of the Militia marched out towards them and coming near them in the Night at a place called Tougher Greggs at the entrance of the Bog of Allen he stay'd there till it was light and then advanced upon the Causey having Three Field-Pieces along with him Defeated by Col. Fouks The Irish at first seem'd to defend the Place but as we went forwards they quitted their Posts leaving our Men to fill up the Trenches they had made cross the Causey being Twelve in number Colonel Fouks marched his Horse over and so went to the Island of Allen where he found Lieutenant Colonel Piper who had passed thither on the other side at the same rate The Irish betook themselves to the Woods and we only got some little things they had left It 's thought they had a Thousand Foot thereabouts besides some Horse though most of them that made this Disturbance at this place were only Two Hundred Boys with an old Tory their Commander Who were admitted to administer the Oath and why And now the Lords Justices and Council issue out Two more Proclamations one forbidding all Persons whatsoever except the Lord Mayor Recorder and Sheriffs of Dublin to administer the Oath or give Certificates to the Papists Because some took upon them for Money to certifie they had sworn when they did not or else gave them the Oath without the word Allegiance as did Sir Humphrey Jervace who was imprisoned and fined Three Hundred Marks for it afterwards The other Proclamation required all that had bought any of the Train-Horses or Utensils to bring them in by such a Day For the Carters and Waggoners were very careless and either sold the Horses or suffered them to be stole Maj. Gen. Tetteau marches from Cork with a part of the Army About the time that Lieutenant General Douglas and Major General Kirk marched from the North and South Major General Tetteau marched also in the West towards the County of Kerry and if they all had pusht forwards at one time it had been a great advantage to our Affairs next Campaign All things seem'd to favour the Attempt especially the Weather better never being seen for the Season Major General Tetteau marched from Cork December 28. and on the 29 th was joyned by Brigadeer Churchill Sir David Collier Colonel Coy and a part of Colonel Matthews's Dragoons and the day following they marched through the Country which the Irish had for the most part burnt after they had carried away whatever they could month January On New Years-Day our Men attackt a Fort at a place called Scronclard which was intended to hinder their passage that way We took it in Two Hours though it 's said the Enemy imploy'd 500 Men for Two Months to build it This show'd their Diligence though not their Courage these Two Vertues are sometimes divided between us and them but not always both on either side Near Brewster's Field we discovered some of the Enemies Scouts whereupon Seventy of Eppingar's Dragoons and Colonel Coy's Horse having the Advance-Guard came near a Party of the Enemy of One Hundred
time And further the French are retired and it 's to be supposed without design of returning else they would not have gone away Suppose therefore the Irish fortifie all those Places in their possession and have Arms and Ammunition with whatever else is needful from France yet all this will neither put Courage into them to defend those Places nor is it altogether in the power of France to supply them with necessary Provisions And lastly Of our own But Secondly As to our own Army I doubt not but we have several that are indifferent whether the War be quickly at an end or not for they find the Irish to be an easie sort of Enemy and if the War were done here they must expect hotter Service somewhere else They look upon it however as an Enemies Country which is the reason that great Spoils are made and Outrages committed nay which is worst of all no Distinction made of Papist or Protestant This it 's to be fear'd may bring a Famine and then all Peoples Condition in that Kingdom will be very severe For tho' there be Plenty enough in England yet the People of Ireland being poor no body will be at the pains to carry their Goods into a Country where there is nothing to be got in return of them But then whatsoever pains the Irish take in fortifying their Towns we take as much in carrying things to beat them out of them for there is a vast quantity of Bombs of the largest size with all things convenient for such a Design daily brought to Dublin And as to our Army our Numbers are the same as last Year except Two Regiments that are broke they are also much healthfuller and better acquainted both with the Country and their Arms and to encourage us the more the Parliament has granted His Majesty a considerable Fund to carry on the War as also to Equip His Fleet which we were in both defective last Summer Besides we have now at least Twelve thousand of the Militia in good order either to defend our Garrisons behind us or assist in our Army upon occasion for one should think that there is no body so fit to fight for their own Country or indeed to be entrusted with it as those People whose Concern it is And more than all this we shall have a great many Protestant Rapparees from the North and other Places that we can at least set against theirs for the Northern People are most of them arm'd either from our Men that died last Year or by some means or other so that I hope we shall have no want of Men. If therefore we have a mind to retrive our Losses we must encourage such as do well and reward them for their Valour and Conduct but punish Offenders though their Station be the greater And as to the Arrears of the Army they are not so very great as some People make them for though we have not had our Accounts stated for some time yet we have still received Money upon Account and the Soldiers have constantly been supplied with Bread and other Provisions But it 's usual with a great many that when they can have no other Excuse for their Extravagancies then they 'll say the King owes them so much but say not a word of what they have received And as to what the present Irish War both has cost and is like to do both as to Men and Money it is not to be named with that in Cromwell's time which any may see that will but read Burlace's History Nor can there be any Comparison between the present Government and that for then both Law and Religion were trampled upon but now they run in their due Channel But after all the Reason why Ireland was not reduc'd last Year was our late taking the Field and the Occasion of that was because the Affairs of the Army could not be put in a compleat Posture any sooner For England has a long time been used to Peace and Ease and therefore unprovided of those things that are absolutely necessary in time of War which were to come from abroad The King did as much as was possible in the time as any who have seen the Country may know for if Ireland were as well Peopled and Mann'd as the Soil it self will bear it may defie all the World besides You cannot see a Town or a small Castle but where there 's either a Bog or a River or both all Places being fortified as well by Nature as Art And in War there 's no doubt but time must be allow'd to regulate such Mistakes as may happen since no Man is infallible in that Art Nor was there a sufficient Fund of Money the Year past to supply the real Necessities of so great a Work which Inconveniency being now removed a fair Conclusion may be rationally hoped for As to the Charge of maintaining a competent Army there when Ireland is reduced the Country will night do that of it self since the Customs in that part of the Kingdom now in our possession amounted to Sixty seven thousand five hundred twenty six pound for the Six Months last past and what must the whole Kingdom come to in Times of Peace and a setled Establishment I have only this to add That when our Armies go out to defie our Enemies and yet at the same time in their Practice defie the Living God or if we should stay at home and fast and pray for their good Success never so heartily yet God will neither hear us nor help them if we are negligent in our Duty towards him If therefore we desire that our Armies and Fleets may make a considerable Figure in the World let us not grudge at and censure every thing our Betters do but be careful to do our Duty to God and Man then after the enduring for a Season the Inconveniencies of War we may hope to be happy in a lasting Peace Amen FINIS ADVERTISEMENT WHereas there are some mistakes occasioned by the Printer's oversight which the Author being suddenly call'd to his Post in Ireland had neither leisure nor opportunity to Correct the Reader may if he pleases supply such Defects Books lately printed for Richard Chiswell A New History of the Succession of the Crown of England and more particularly from the Time of King Egbert till King Henry the VIII Collected from those Historians who wrote of their own Times A Discourse concerning the unreasonableness of a New Separation on account of the Oaths With an Answer to the History of Passive Obedience so far as relates to Them A Vindication of the said Discourse concerning the Unreasonableness of a New Separation from the Exceptions made against it in a Tract called A Brief Answer to the said Discourse c. An Account of the Ceremony of Investing His Electoral Highness of Brandenburgh with the Order of the Garter at Berlin June 6. 1690. By James Johnston Esq and Gregory King Esq His Majesties Commissioners Dr. Freeman's Sermon at the Assizes at Northampton befote the Lord Chief Justice Pollexfen August 26. 1690. His Thanksgiving Sermon before the House of Commons November 5. 1690. Dr. Tenison's Sermon before the Queen concerning the Wandring of the Mind in God's Service Feb. 15. 1690. His Sermon before the Queen of the Folly of Atheism Feb. 22. 1690. Dr. Fowler 's Sermon before the Queen March 22. 1690. The Bishop of Sarum's Sermon at the Funeral of the Lady Brook February 19. 1690. His Fast Sermon before the King and Queen April 29. 1691. Mr. Fleetwood's Sermon at Christ Church on St. Stephen's day A full and impartial Account of the secret Consults Negotiations Stratagems and Intregues of the Romish Party in Ireland from 1660. to 1889. for the Settlement of Popery in that Kingdom A Ground Plot of the strong Fort of Charlemont in Ireland with the Town River Marshes Boggs and Places adjacent Drawn by Captain Hobson price 6 pence An Exact Ground Plot of London-Derry with the River Woods Ways and Places adjacent by the same Captain Hobson price 6 d. There is preparing and will shortly be Published A Prospect of Limerick bearing due West exactly shewing the Approaches of the English Army with the Batteries and Breach ANglia Sacra Sive Collectio Historiarum partim antiquitus partem recenter scriptarum De Archiepiscopis Episcopis Angliae à Prima Fidei Christianae susceptione ad Ann. 1540. Nunc primum in Lucem editum Pars Prima de Archiepiscopis Episcopis Ecclesiarum Cathedralium quas Monachi possederunt Opera Henrici Whartoni This Book will be ready for Publication by the Fourth of June next Subscriptions will be taken till the First of July Proposals for the same may be had of Richard Chiswell and most other Booksellers in London and the Country