the brightness of the Arms with the glittering reflections from the broad Syths which most of the Foot were Armed with Instead of Pikes seem'd to strike some Terror into the Enemies Army His Majesty attended by Count d' Avaux and some Persons of Quality of his Court was upon the Deseent of the Hill nearer advanced towards the Enemy than the Right Wing A Squadron of about 60 Voluntiers being for the most part Officers of his Majesties Houshold were upon a lower Ground and somewhat nearer to the Enemy at the very Entrance of the Pass towards the Bogg which Party was Commanded by the Right Honourable my Lord Hunsdon and some other Reformed Officers of Note My Lord Thomas Howard Riding Right-hand-Man of the first Rank and Marched directly up to the very Entrance of this Passage which leads through the Bogg to Dundalk to secure which the Enemy at the Mouth thereof had strongly Entrenched themselves with a party of Dragoons Schomberg conceiving his Majesty intended to force his Pass and so to enter Dundalk Commanded his Iniskilling Foot to Advance to the Entrance of it towards the Town and supported them with a Squadron of Horse and strongly Lined all the Entrenchments behind them towards the Town with Musqueteers His Majesty observing these Motions of the Enemy Posted some Dragoons on each side this Pass further Advanced beyond the Voluntiers to Flank the Enemy in case they should attempt to Advance and some Foot-Granadeers ware advantagiously put into several little Cabbins at the winding of this way not a Musquet-shot from the Enemy who stood at the Head of the Defiles Here hapned some little Skirmishes but no considerable loss to either side And after that his Majesties Army had been thus drawn up for three hours in view of the Enemy during which time several Acclamations and Shouts Ecchoed from them as Men full of Courage and Resolution to Fight nothing of which could provoke the Enemy from their Holes nor was any thing else attempted by them His Majesty Commanded the Army to March back to Alers-Town the left Wing of each Line being then the Van-Guard the the King himself remaining in the Rear of his whole Army there expecting the Enemy would Detach some strong Party to observe his March but not a Man of them stirred No sooner was Count Schomberg come into Ireland but he presently sound he had great reason to suspect the French Troops especially those who were newly raised and had Deserted in Flanders as well as the Irish and most of the English which he brought over with him and this could not well be prevented for the Prince of Orange being extreamly put to it for want of Men to Invade Ireland was forced to Inlist every body he could get without further Examination having even admitted without any Distinction all the French Deserters which his Adherent had sent him from the Low Countreys But what increased the Doubt and Jealousies of this Old General was the Proclamation set out by his Majesty and the Conditions he therein offered to such as were his own-Subjects and those that were Forreigners in case they would Desert the Enemy and embrace the Justice of his Quarrel against them And also the Declaration of his Excellency the Count d' Avaux pursuant to the Pardon Granted by his most Christian Majesty to such of his Subjects that had Deserted his Service and were then in Schomberg's Army in case they would forsake it and Inlist themselves in the Service of his Majesty of Great-Brittain Reflecting on these things with the several Notes dispersed to the purpose thereof through his Camp he thought himself obliged more to Guard himself against the growing Dangers in his own Army than to think of advancing any further against the Kings He presently enjoyned every body upon pain of Death not to stir out of his Camp. The Provost-Marshal was always abroad and he promised a Reward of five Pistols for every Deserter that should be brought to him and to strike a terror into every body he caused several to be Hanged upon a bare suspicion that they intended to Desert Distrusting 500 French he Disarmed and stripped them of their Cloaths all in one day and presently Shipp'd them back for England from thence as credibly reported to be sent into the Islands of America Notwithstanding all this severity Deserters came daily to the King who from time to time gave an account of the great numbers of the Sick and the mighty scarcity of Schomberg's Camp tho' supplyed with all Necessaries by his Shipping as much as they could possibly bring him His Majesty having Notice of these advantages against the Enemy resolved to reduce them to greater straights by destroying all the Forrage they had yet left before their Camp and along the Sea-Coast To effect which he Detached a considerable Body of Horse and Foot to defend another Party that were sent to bring with them all the Forrage they could carry and then in sight of Dundalk they Burnt all that was left for four Miles together without the least opposition of the Enemy Count Schomberg suffering all these things made us easily believe he with his Army was but in a bad Condition and not able to undertake any considerable Action and to prevent the Danger of a panick fear in his Army he amused them with the Expectations of 10000 Danes which he expected daily and deluded them with false News of great Defeats which the Rebels his Adherents had given his Majesties Forces in other parts of the Kingdom and caused them to make publick Demonstrations of Joy for those Fancied Victories It would have been a Mistory to the King's Party even to this minute had we not been informed by several Deserters why he caused three Volleys of small Shot and three Peals of his Cannon both from the Ships and from the Shoar which they say was for Joy of a Great Victory obtained by the Rebels against the King at Connaught that his Majesty could never hear of to this day Sometimes he kept up their drooping Spirits by giving out that Dublin would be suddenly surprised by some Troops that he had sent thither for that purpose by Sea which were actually Landed there and that all the Inhabitants of that great City had joyned his Party and Declared themselves for him 'T is true that their Ships came to an Anchor in Dublin-Road and that they began to Land some Men when many Persons of Quality as Voluntiers with the Militia of that County both Horse and Foot Marched in good Order to the Sea-side to oppose their Design being Conducted by the Right Honourable the Lords High-Chancellor and Chief Justice of that Kingdom who soon obliged them to retire to their Ships which then immediately put to Sea and that City was so well managed that it remained still in perfect Peace by the great Care and Conduct of the Honourable Simon Luttrell Collonel of Dragoons and Governour of the Place where by his Prudence he
A RELATION Of what most Remarkably happened DURING The Last CAMPAIGN IN IRELAND BETWIXT His Majesties Army Royal And the Forces of the Prince of Orange Sent to Joyn the Rebels under the Command of the Count de Schomberg Published by Authority DVBLIN Printed for Alderman James Malone Bookseller in Skinner-Row 1689. A Relation of what most Remarkably happen'd during the last Campaign in Ireland betwixt His Majesties Army Royal and the Forces of the Prince of Orange c. AT a time when his Majesties thoughts were wholly laid out and employ'd chiefly to reinforce his Army and repair those losses which he sustained by the Siege of London-Derry and the unfortunate Defeat of his Forces at Cruon-Castle near Iniskilling his Majesty received certain Intelligence That on the 12th of August last Monsieur de Schomberg with a Powerful Army and a great Train of Artillery sufficiently provided with all Amunition and Materials for War did come to an Anchor in the Bay of Carickfergus in the North-East part of Ireland and that the Invaders the same day Landed 200 Men who immediately Intrenched themselves near the Sea-side to secure the Landing of the rest Brigadier Maxwell Commander in Chief of his Majesties Forces in those Northern parts finding himself too weak to make Opposition against so Potent an Enemy thought he was obliged in prudence to retire back to the Newry leaving only Macarty Moors Regiment of Foot and nine Companies of Cormack O Neils in Carickfergus to divert the Enemy and hinder him by the longest defence they could from advancing too soon towards the King. The very next day Count de Schomberg Disembarqued his whole Army without any opposition and immediately Detached the 200 Men he set ashore the day before to Belfast a small open Town scituated in the inmost part of that Bay whither he presently marched with his whole Army and met there ready to joyn him a considerable Reinforcement of Horse from the Rebels of the North he stayed at Belfast till the Nineteenth and then sent to Summons the Garrison of Carickfergus to yield which was Commanded by the said Collonel Maâ—carty Moor who slighted the Summons with that Resolution and Bravery as became a good Officer and a Loyal Subject The next day being the 20th of August Count de Schomberg began to open his Trenches and then played upon the Town from four Batteries of Cannon and two Mortar-pieces at the same time the Castle was furiously battered from the Fleet attending him in the Bay so that in a short space both the Town and Castle were almost levelled with the Ground However the Governour bravely defended the place for Nine days till he was reduced to the last Extremity having but one Barrel of Powder left and without any hope of Relief he then quitted the Town upon very Honourable terms tho' afterwards his Capitulation almost in every Article was most barbarously broken by the Troops of Monsieur Schomberg who suffered in his own presence some of the Soldiers to be stripped of their Cloaths Disarmed and otherwise basely used and he himself directly contrary to the Agreement detained some Officers Prisoners The Garrison thus abused by the Rebels and their Adherents march'd to the Newry a little open Town seated on the passage of the Mountains which divide the Northern Province of Vlster from that of Leinster in which is Dublin the Metropolis of all the Kingdom To this small Town his Majesty had sent before his Grace the Duke of Berwick with a detachment of Horse Dragoons and Foot to divert the Enemies March and hinder his too speedy approaches time being then very precious in respect to the circumstances of his Majesties Army who on the 26th of August leaving Dublin came to Drogheda attended with his Troop of Guards and 200 Horse of the Regiment of Collonel Parker accompanied by Monsieur le Count D Avaux Ambassador Extraordinary from his most Christian Majesty by Marquess De Rosen Marshal-General of the Armies of Ireland and by many other Commanders and Officers of the Court leaving the rest of his Army Encamped near Dublin to be put into a condition to follow his Majesty by the Care and Conduct of his Grace the Duke of Tyrconnel whose Zeal and Fidelity to the Crown in the worst of Times can hardly in History find their Parallel who in a short time mannag'd matters so well that a considerable Army well equipped and in good Order marched after the King to Drogheda where the Troops that daily arrived Encamped on a rising Ground on the side of the Town next to Dublin having the River and Drogheda before them and towards the Enemy so that this place was conceived to be the most advantageous to Oppose him in case of a speedy March. His Grace the Duke of Berwick one of his Majesties Lieutenant-Generals being at the Newry to observe the Motions of the approaching Enemy had notice that Count Schomberg was coming forward with his whole Army consisting of 22 Battalions of Foot Six Regiments of Horse and Two of Dragoons besides the Iniskilling Band of Rebels and that his Advance Guard was already in sight his Grace finding himself too weak to make any considerrable Opposition after he had view'd an Advanced party consisting of Ten Squadrons of Horse and obliged them to Retreat Fired the Town and to render the Enemies Passage more difficult broke up the High-ways and made a good Retreat to Dundalk a place scituated on this side the Mountains eight Miles from the Newry and sixteen from Drogheda The Marquess D' Escots who Commanded then in Chief at Dundalk upon consideration with his Grace that their United Forces could not maintain the Town being an open place and all its Fortification Demolished long since by Oliver Cromwel thought it best and most safe for the Kings Service to preserve their Men and joyn the King then Encamped with a good Army at Drogheda which they did accordingly About this time a Trumpet came from the Enemy to Drogheda with a Letter directed to the Commander of Dundalk in the Front of which at first view was represented a long List of Titles viz. Governour of the Ducal Prussia Grandee of Portugal Commander of several places c. But the greatest Titles were Duke de Schomberg Generalissimo of the Armies of their Majesties of Great-Brittain in England Seotland and Ireland after which he severely complains of the Burning of Newry and grievously threatens Vengeance against the Prisoners in his Custody if any further provocations in that kind should be offered to him To the haughty temper of which Letter his Majesty thought fit to return a suitable Answer as from the Governour of Dundalk in which he threatens Schomberg That if speedy reparation was not made for the Barbarous Usage offered to the Garrison of Carickfergus contrary almost to every Article of their Stipulation he would take satisfaction for that breach of Faith upon the Persons of the Rebel Prisoners in his custody which Letter was thus
directed The Commander of Dundalk to the Commander of the Enemies Army And was sent by a Trumpet but produced no Answer The Right Honourable my Lord Mouâ—tcashel one of his Majesties Lieutenant-Generals sometime Prisoner of War and very much indisposed by great and dangerous wounds lying then at Iniskilling a place most unwholsome in its scituation believing he had to do with a Generous Enemy and according to the usual Method of Honour did therefore reasonably enough propose to himself that he might obtain his Liberty of Count Schomberg upon his Parol to go to Dublin where he might have better Accomodation for his Cure and then to return Prisoner To which purpose 〈◊〉 Lord writ to Sir Richard Neagle his Majesties Secretary of 〈…〉 him to write in his own Name to Monsieur de Schomberg 〈◊〉 â—ection of which Letter was to the Marshal de Schomberg 〈…〉 sent by a Trumpet who met him Northwards upon 〈…〉 beyond the Newry The Letter was delivered to his Secretary who soon after returned it to the Bearer telling him that his Master could not receive it because it was not directed to him as Duke which Quality he said was due to him And the Secretary at the same time delivered a Letter from himself to Sir Richard Neagle in which he gave the same Reasons for refusing his Letter and further added that his Master had renounced his Title of Marshal when he 〈◊〉 France for his Religion During all this time his Majesty prepared himself with all diligence and expedition imaginable to Rendezvous his Army at Drogheda which was the better effected by the time the Enemy lost in the Siege of Carickfergus and by the slowness of Schombergs March through the difficult Passages of the Mountains with his great Train of Artillery and Baggage and through the deep Ways from those Mountains to the Newry which his Grace the Duke of Berwick had left very uneasie to the Enemy and almost unpassable by digging up and breaking all the Calce-ways thereabouts By this time his Grace the Duke of Tyrconnel having setled all things in very good Order in Dublin on the 12th of September came to the King at Drogheda with all the Horse the Infantry being arrived there some days before Which when all together his Majesty reviewed and found them to consist of about Twenty Thousand Men Horse Foot and Dragoons and was abundantly satisfied with the whole but was most pleased in the good appearance of the Horse and particularly with the Regiments of Horse of the Duke of Tyrconnel and of my Lord Galmoy and with the Lord Dungan's Regiment of Dragoons But what gave the King the greatest satisfaction was that he was sure of his Army not only as to their Fidelity but also as to their Courage by the impatience they exprest in any delay to Encounter the Enemy By this time Count de Schomberg was advanced to Dundalk upon which his Majesty resolving to loose no opportunity of Fighting the Enemy and not any ways to baulk the vigorous resolutions of his Soldiers marched September the 14th directly to Atherdee with the whole Army in Order of Battel upon two Columns as he himself had directed it this place is half way betwixt Drogheda and Dundalk the be ter there to observe the Enemies Countenance where he thought fit to mark out his Camp and sent immediately Orders for the Foot to hasten their March not judging it safe to be so near the Enemy without them Upon which the whole Brigade of his Majesties Foot-Guard came up at Midnight and the rest of the Infantry joyned them the next day The Army in its two Lines with the Reserve Encamp'd in their Order of Battel upon the Hills fronting towards Dundalk having the River of Largan before them which had two Bridges opposite to each Wing of the first Line Affain-Bridge at the Right and Knockbridge at the Left which were secured by Dragoons tho' the River was passable in several places His Majesty contented himself with his Head Quarters in some very mean Cottages at the right of the first Line where his Bed-Chamber was a poor Irish Cabbin hard to creep into without either Door Window or Chimney the French Ambassador and the Duke of Tyrconnel had suitable Apartments in his Majesties Quarters and the other General Officers were Accomodated after the same fashion in their respective Posts All the Ground from the River Largan towards Dundalk is a continued Rise of Hills until you come to a Valley in which there is a Narrow Bogg which beginning from the left runs the whole length of the Town and so continues to the Sea-side His Majesties Advanced Guards on the Top of these Hills stood constantly in View of the Town and of those of the Enemy seperated only by this Bogg through which there were several narrow Passes or Defiles The King went every day on Horse-back to view and observe the Enemies Postures there did not happen many Skirmishes between both Armies but upon all occasions that any of the Kings Party had to pass the Bogg or to Charge the Enemy they had ever the better of it taking several Prisoners either Forraging or in other Circumstances And many Deserters from Schombergs Army came over to the Kings Count Schomberg had disposed his Camp upon two Lines in the plain Ground at the Foot of the Hills which were Northward of Dundalk having the River before him and the Town behind it where he had taken up his own Quarters with some Horse and Foot of his own and of the Iniskilling Rebels who had joyned his Army His Left Wing was secured by a large Arm of the Sea which came up to the Town by which his Ships brought him from the North of this Kingdom and from England all Provisions of Bisket Beer c. and Forrage for his Horses To secure his Right Wing which lay most Exposed he made some Retrenchments and put a strong Garrison into a Castle of my Lord Bellew scituated upon a Rising Ground for his greater safety he Fortified all the Avenues to Dundalk with strong Retrenchments to Defend which he there Posted a Battalion of the Prince of Orange's Guards and a Regiment of French. Four days after his Majesty had Encamped at Alers-Town he resolved to observe Count Schomberg's Countenance a little closer and endeavour to Engage him to a Battel Upon this Design the King Marched with his whole Army towards him in excellent Order His Grace the Duke of Tyrconnel Captain-General Commanded the Right Wing the Marquess de Rosen Marshal of Ireland the Left. The King himself drew up his Army in full view of the Enemy so that the Extent of the Right Wing of the first Line was within less than Cannon-Shot of them Both Lines being ranged along the Hills extending to the Left a little more remote from the Enemy whose Advanced Guards from their Posts did plainly see the Disposition and excellent Order of the Royal Army The Day was very clear so that