fourteen of them wounded our Men were better Marks-Men they shot about a dozen of the Enemy dead at the end of the Causway and wounded Col. Anthony Hamilton their Leader in the Leg he being hurt retreated a little and mounted his Horse ordering another Officer to lead on the Men who very soon was likewise killed with some more of their Men The Enemy seeing their Men thus drop by our Shot and their General Col. Hamilton being gone a little ways back and no chief Officer there to lead them on began to retreat from the end of the Causway which our Men seeing gave a Huzza and called out that the Rogues are running and immediately our Foot and Dragoons took the Bog on each hand and our Horse advanced on the Causway towards them which the Enemy perceiving began at first to retreat a little faster from us but their Retreat soon turned to a most disorderly flight without offering to face about or fire any more at us our Horse soon overtook them and fell in among their Foot and such Dragoons as were on Foot and made a very great Slaughter of them having the Chase of them through the Town of Lisnaskea and near a Mile farther and the Execution had been greater but notice was brought to Berry that L. Gen. Mac-Carty with the Body of his Army was advancing towards him upon this he sounds a Retreat and brings back his Men to the place where the Fight first began having killed about 200 and taken about 30 Prisoners which he sent immediately to Inniskilling with several Horse-loads of Arms that he had taken from the Enemy and this Action happened about 9 a Clock in the Forenoon About 11 of the Clock there came an Express from Col. Wolseley to Lieut. Col. Berry acquainting him that he was come with his Men to his Relief and desiring him to march the Party under his Command to the Moat above Lisnaskea where both their Parties might join together and then consider what they had to do Now Col. Wolseley had marched his Men the old Road from Inniskilling to Lisnaskea leaving the new Road where Berry and his Men were about a mile on the right Hand As soon as this Express came Berry marched and both he and Col. Wolseley with their Men met at the same time near the Moat above the Town of Lisnaskea And after some kind words had passed between both Parties at their meeting Col. Wolseley acquainted the Officers that the Party under his Command had made so great haste to relieve the other Party that few or none of them had brought a Meal of Meat with them and therefore they must speedily consider what they had to do for either they must advance towards the Enemy and resolve to fight them that very day or return back again to Inniskilling for want of Provision But after the thing was debated among the Officers it was agreed on to consult the Souldiers themselves and to know their mind in the Matter The Men were called to their close Order and the Question was asked Whether they would advance and fight the Enemy that Day or turn back to Inniskilling They who had never before turned their Back to their Enemy thought it dishonourable then to begin especially after so remarkable a Victory obtained that Morning and upon so unequal Terms which they took for a Presage of what they might expect in the Afternoon All of them therefore with one Acclamation called out to Advance Upon this Col. Wolseley and the other Colonels drew up all the Men in Battalia and gave them the Word No Popery which was very acceptable to all our Party And then he drew out four Men out of every Troop with an Officer to command them for a Forlorn Our whole Number when all were joined together did consist of about 16 Troops of Horse 3 Troops of Dragoons and 21 Companies of Foot besides some that were not under Command So that in the whole Party we reckoned our selves some more than 2000. The Forlorn Col. Wolseley ordered to march on about half a Mile before the Army he ordered Col. Tiffan to lead on the first Battalion of Foot consisting of about 5 or 6 Companies seconded with some few Troops C. Lloyd led on the next Battalion of Foot consisting about the same Number and the same way seconded then followed the Dragoons and Col. Wolseley himself led on the main Body of Foot followed with the rest of our Horse under the Command of L. C. Berry and Maj. Stone And in this order we marched from Lisnaskea to Donagh and so towards the Enemy who we were informed had raised their Siege from Crum and were come to Newton-Butler a Village about two miles from Donagh We had not marched above half a mile from Donagh when our Forlorn came in view of the Forlorn of the Enemy who immediately retreated before our Men we advanced after them till we came within about half a mile from Newton-Butler where there is a steep Hill that the Road leads through and before you come to the Hill there is a Bog with a Causey through it where only two Men at most can ride in a-Breast the Enemy was drawn up in very good Order upon the Hill above the Bog and no other way had we to come at them but by the Bog and Causey through it When our Men came near the Place our Officers considered the Ground and how advantagiously the Enemy had posted themselves and then Col. Wolseley ordered Col. Tiffan with his Battalion of Foot to take the Bog on the right Hand of the Causway and Col. Lloyd with his Battalion to take the Bog on the left and Col. Win to divide his Dragoons and the one half to second Col. Tiffan on Foot and the other to second Col. Lloyd and he ordered Lieut. Col. Berry to advance with the Horse upon the Causway as the Foot on each hand advanced through the Bog and he himself brought up the main Body in the Rear to send Recruits to those that went before as he saw cause and thus whilst we advanced in good order towards the Enemy they ordered the Town of Newton-Butler and the Country-Houses about to be all set on Fire and before our Men came within Musket-shot of them they began to Fire at us but by that time that we came within Shot of them and had fired two or three Vollies at them our Men saw them begin to draw off and retreat towards Newton-Butler which our Men misapprehending believed them running away and our Officers had much ado to keep them from pursuing with all the speed they could But Col. Wolseley and the Officers with him from a Height opposite to the place where the Enemy was posted saw them go off in so good Order that they believed it was either to draw our Men into an Ambush or bring them to some place of better advantage for the Enemy and therefore sent orders to Col. Tiffan and Lloyd that
lay two or three Miles farther than Bellishany and they show'd no weariness at all when they came to Inniskilling but were willing that very night to to go towards the Enemy for to relieve their Friends at Crom. A little after our Men came from Bellishannon about an hour and an half after Sun-set we saw from Inniskilling a great Light in the Air above Newton-Butler where Lieut. Gen. Mac-Carty with his Army lay which continued for some hours and was seen by most of all the People in and about Inniskilling but we concluded that either they had set the Town of Newton-Butler and all the Country about on Fire or had raised some Fire in that Country to give notice to Col. Sarsfield that he was on his March towards us but after the Fight was over upon enquiry into the matter we found there was no Fire that Night raised among them I am not very superstitious to lay great stress upon such sort of Signs in the Air but something remarkable there is in them The like was seen at Glaslogh before the Action they had there with the Irish of the Garison of Charlemont whom they defeated upon the 13th of March last killing their Leader and about 200 of his Men with the loss only of Capt. Ancketill on their side but were ordered the next day to desert the place upon the coming down of the Irish Army under the Command of L. Gen. Hamilton which they did and marched to Derry About a Week before this at Eleven at Night the Night being very dark there appeared in the Air several Pillars of Light pointed from towards Charlemont which were so bright that they might have read by them and this lasted above two hours to the Observation of all the People there This brought into my Mind a Passage in the Examination of Dr. Robert Maxwell late Lord Bishop of Kilmore then Rector of Tynon in the County of Armagh printed at the end of Burlacy's History of Ireland in the last Page but one I shall give you his own words having told a little before of 56 Men Women and Children who were taken out of his House and drowned by the Irish at Cur-Bridg About three or four Nights says he before the six and fifty Persons were taken out of the Deponents House and drowned in the dark of the Moon about one of the Clock at Night a Light was observ'd in manner of a long Pillar to shine for a long way through the Air and refracted upon the North Gabel of the House It gave so great a Light about an hour together that divers of the Watch read both Letters and Books of a very small Character thereby the Deponent presaging thereby that bloody Massacre which ensued I pretend to make no Explanation or enter into the Reason or Dependance we can have upon these things having resolved only to tell you matters of Fact and to leave every Man to his own Conjectures of them Information was brought us upon Monday at Night that L. Gen. Mac-Carty intended the next day to send a part of his Army towards Lisnaskea within ten Miles of us and to place a Garison in the Castle upon this L. Col. Berry the next Morning being Tuesday the 30th of July was sent with seven or eight Troops of Horse about three Foot Companies and two Troops of Dragoons with Orders to take up the Castle of Lisnaskea before the Enemy came to it and to place a Garison in it if he found it tenable but otherwise to burn it if he thought it might be useful to the Enemy And withal he had Directions given him to see if he could discover the Enemy what their Strength was and how posted with assurance that all the rest of our Men would soon follow to relieve him and to raise the Siege from Crom. L. Col. Berry according to his Orders marched to Lisnaskea and when he came there he found the Castle so much out of order that he judg'd it a place of no Consequence and so left it without doing it any prejudice keeping his Men all that Night in the Field The next day being Wednesday the last day of July early in the Morning he marched his Men from Lisnaskea towards the Enemy who lay about six Miles from him he sent his Scouts before ordering them not to engage any Enemy they met with but to retreat until they might discover their Strength and fight them on some advantagious Ground He had not march'd above two Miles when near a place called Donagh his Scouts did discover a considerable Body of Horse Dragoons and Foot marching towards them who immediately advertise L. Col. Berry of their approach he therefore retreats with his Men to Lisnaskea again the Enemy still advancing towards him and being a rising Ground the way that he retreated before he came to Lisnaskea he had a full view of the Enemy and found them to be above double his Number and therefore did not think fit to fight them in that open place but to retreat till he came to some more advantagious Ground But as soon as he began to retreat he sent off an Express to Col. Wolseley in Inniskilling acquainting him what Condition he was in and desiring him to make all the haste he could to his Relief which accordingly he did Now there are two ways leading from Lisnaskea to Inniskilling the one lately made through some Bogs and low fenny Grounds nearer Loghearn than the old way and this Road L. Col. Berry resolv'd to take as being more secure and several Passes on it much easier to defend than the other He had not stay'd long at Lisnaskea but the Enemy came near him and then with his Men he retreats by this new Road which turns off from the old at the end of the Town of Lisnaskea and marched in good order the Enemy still advancing upon him till he came about a Mile distant from Lisnaskea to a Bog with a narrow Causway through it that two Horsemen could scarce ride in abreast upon and at the end of this Causway which is an easy Musquet-shot over Berry halted resolving to make good that Pass against the Enemy until he had Relief from Col. Wolseley there was a Thicket of Under-Wood at the end of the Causway where Berry placed his Foot and Dragoons ordering them to make good their Ground the Horse he drew a little farther off promising that they should relieve the Foot and Dragoons and gave the Word Oxford They made but a very short stay there when Col. Anthony Hamilton who was Major-General to Mac-Carty came in view with a considerable Body of Men who alighting from his Horse ordered his Dragoons to do so too and very bravely advanced near the end of the Causway his Men firing briskly at ours but with no great Success for it pleased God that after a great many Vollies of Shot which they made at us not one of our Men was killed and but about a dozen or
that belonged to Mr. Dixy Dean of Kilmore and made Prisoner the Deans Eldest Son who was Captain of a Troop of Horse Edward Charleton his Cornet and about eight or ten of his Troopers upon news of which all the Garrisons about broke up some setting fire to their own Houses and the whole Country fled to us without knowing who or what number of men were come against them The Lord Gilmoy animated by their running away and thinking by their example to drive the whole Countty before him came with his Souldiers to Belturbet and next day sent a party to besiege Crom in the County of Fermanagh a Castle standing on Loghearn about sixteen miles distant from Inniskillen it was under our protection and has been ever since our Frontier Garrison towards Dublin and his Lordship thinking to frighten that Garrison to a Compliance with his Demands sent two Canon made of Tin near a yard long in the Chase and about eight Inches wide strongly bound about with small Cord and covered with a sort of Buckram near the colour of a Canon These two mock Canon he drew towards Crom with eight Horses a peece making a great noise as if they were drawn with much difficulty As soon as they came before Crom he threatned to batter the Castle with these two great battering Guns and had the vanity to fire one of them which burst and had like as t' was said to have spoiled the Gunner But those within the Castle depending upon aid from Inniskillen denied to surrender and fired out at them from the Castle killing several Gilmoy continues the Siege and on Friday the 22th of March sent a Letter to the Governour of Inniskillen in the nature of a Summons acquainting him that King James was come to Dublin and that he was come with an Army to reduce that Country to his obedience and that by his Commission he had power to grant them better Conditions than they might ever expect from him afterwards if they were reduced by force Upon receipt of this Summons our Governour called his Officers together to consult what was fit to be done and all of them did unanimously conclude not to desert Inniskillen nor to submit to any but to King William and Queen Mary whom they had now Proclaim'd and accordingly return'd Lord Gilmoy an answer that they ow'd Allegiance to none but them nor wou'd they submit to any but to their Majesties or those Commissioned by them and so did prepare themselves the best they cou'd to defend the Town and to use what means they cou'd to relieve Crom. On Saturday the 23d of March early in the morning many of the County of Cavan-men left Inniskillen and march'd towards Derry in obedience as they said to Colonel Lundies orders And the same day in the afternoon our Governour drew out all the Horse and Foot he had under his Command to the common Hill near Inniskillen keeping them all day at their Arms expecting every hour to hear that the Lord Gilmoy was on his march towards us and resolved to give him battel before he came near the Town for ever since we took up Inniskillen we judged it adviseable rather to fight the Enemy at a distance from it than to let them lay Siege to it and we have hitherto done accordingly But seeing no Enemy appear all that day and our Scouts returning and bringing us word that Gilmoy came only the length of Lisnaskea a Village ten miles distant from the Town and that upon the news of our drawing out against him was retreated back with his men to the Siege of Crom. Our Governour therefore in the Night sent a detachment of about two hundred of his best armed men some by Land and some in Boats towards Crom hoping they might get into the Castle in the Night but it being day before they got there the Enemy used all the Endeavours they cou'd to keep our Boats from Landing at the Castle firing many Vollies at them but being bad marks-men killed only one old Boatman and did our men no farther harm but our men shot several of them dead from the Boats Landed at the Castle and having joyned those that were within they sallied out together and beat them from their Trenches killed between thirty and forty of them got the Fire arms of those that they killed took their two mock Canon one of which was left at Crom and the other brought to the Castle of Inniskillen got two suits of Armour and several other things of value and immediately after this the Lord Gilmoy quit the thoughts of any farther Siege against Crom and retreated to Belturbet At this time one Brian Mac Knaghor Mac Guir who had been a Captain in the Irish Army was a Prisoner with us at Crom. Him the Lord Gilmoy had a desire to release and the next day sent an Express to Captain Crighton the proprietor of the Castle of Crom and is Governour thereof proposing to exchange Captain Dixie for this Captain Mac Guir and desiring if the change were approved of that Capt. Mac Guir might be sent to him promising upon his Honour to return us Captain Dixie for him The exchange was very acceptable to the Govern our and all that were in the Castle of Crom but yet wou'd conclud nothing until they had the consent of the Governour of Inniskillen and the other Officers that were there and so sent an Express from Crom to Inniskillen for their Resolution The Messenger was immediately sent back to Captain Crighton with Orders from the Governour to go on with the Exchange Accordingly Captain Crighton sent Mac Guir to the Lord Gilmoy desiring that Captain Dixie might be returned to him according to his promise under his hand which Letter is in the hands of the Governour of Inniskillen But the Lord Gilmoy shewing what we may expect from the word and promise of a Papist as soon as he had Mac Guir in his hands called a Council of War on Captain Dixie and his Cornet Mr. Charleton where they were both found guilty and sentence of Death passed upon them for levying men by the Prince of Oranges Commission which was found in their Pockets and immediately they were desired to prepare to Die against the next day but in the mean time great endeavours were used and promises made them of life and preferment if they wou'd turn Papists and adhere to King James But they though both young men resolutely rejected the offer and preferr'd their Religion to the saving of their Lives And here I cannot but remember Mac Guires Carriage who as it was reported shewed an extraordinary concern for the Lord Gilmoyes breach of Faith he went to him and told him that his putting Mr. Dixie to death after his promise under his hand to return him wou'd be a perpetual stain to his honour and rather than he shou'd do so base a thing prayed that he might be return'd a prisoner back to Crom and that Mr. Dixies Life might
be saved for he did not desire to purchase his Freedom by so great injustice But the Lord Gilmoy deaf to any thing that cou'd be said on their behalf caus'd both the Young Gentlemen to be hanged on Mr. Russels Sign Post in Belturbet and when they were dead commanded to take their Corps into the Kitchen to cut off both their Heads and ordered them to be thrown out into the Street to the Souldiers to play at foot ball with and when the Souldiers for some time had pleased themselves with this Barbarous sport their heads were set up on the Market House in Belturbet March the 25th 1689 having intelligence that Captain James Hamilton was come to Derry from England with great store of Ammunition and Arms The Governour sent Nicholas Westby Esq and my self Andrew Hamilton Clark and a guard of four and twenty men to Derry with letters to Collonel Lundy and Captain James Hamilton for a supply of Arms and Ammunition Captain Hamilton was very desirous to supply us but Colonel Lundy having the Command of all gave us but a very cold welcome would not give us one fix'd Arm and only sixty Musket Barrels without stock or lock that were thrown by in the store house of Derry as useless which we soon fix'd and five Barrels of Powder out of at least five hundred Barrels then in Derry the Powder and Musket Barrels we sent safe to Inniskillen and this was all the supply that ever we had of Arms and Ammunition but what we took from the Enemy until Major General Kirk supplyed us And now Mr. Hamilton on his way back from Derry to Inniskillen met Dr. Walker at Lifford where a token passed between them which was of great use afterwards during the Siege of Derry For all the Correspondence that was kept between Derry and Inniskillen was managed by Dr. Walker and Mr. Hamilton and because it was hazardous to write it was concluded on that all messengers that credit was to be given to by either party were to give that token which if they could not give no notice was to be taken of what they said And during the first month or six weeks of the Siege the Irish Army did not much Scruple to let both men and women pass to and from Derry whereby we had a constant Correspondence with them during that time but after that they would suffer none to go into the City whereby our Correspondence was in a manner wholly cut off April the 13th having intelligence that Collonel Cuningham and Richards were come to the Lough of Derry with Men Arms and Ammunition The Governour of Inniskillen sent Mr. Andrew Hamilton to Derry again for a farther supply of both but the Lagan Army happening to be broke near that time and the Irish Army coming before Derry Collonel Cuningham returned to England without landing the Men or Arms he brought with him and Mr. Hamilton endeavouring to make his way back from Derry to Inniskillen was taken by a Quarter-master of the Irish horse but then King James having issued out his Proclamation that all men that pleased should have liberty to go to their former dwellings Mr. Hamilton procured Lieutenant General Hamiltons Pass to return to his house in Kilskirry and so got Safe back to Inniskillen But before he left the Irish Camp he got a trusty messenger sent into Derry to Dr. Walker and having given him the token that was between them it was Concluded on that Dr. Walker should not give credit to any report that might come to Derry of Inniskillen being taken by the Irish unless he saw it under the Governours hand or Mr. Hamiltons and neither were we to believe that Derry was taken unless we saw it under Dr. Walkers hand and this was very happily concluded on for there was Scarce a week after the Siege of Derry began but the Irish found means to spread a report among us that Derry was taken by them which we gave no credit to since we did not see it under Dr. Walkers hand which was well known to several of us It will be but a small digression here to relate an unnatural piece of Cruelty that I saw in the Irish Camp before Derry at the time that I came to get Lieutenant General Hamiltons Pass to return to my own House On Thursday the 25th of April with one Mr. Anthony Dobbin a Justice of the Peace near Derry I came to the Irish Camp about Nine or Ten of the Clock in the Morning at which time a considerable party of the men of Derry came from the Town and were Skirmishing with some party of the Irish where Lieutenant General Hamilton went himself in person to encourage his men and whilst we were expecting his return Mr. Dobbin and I went as near the place where the Fight was as in the circumstances we were in we durst venture and coming among some of their Tents we met Lieutenant Collonel Farrell Lieutenant Collonel Nugent and his Father Mr. Nugent of Coolamber with several others who being of the County of Longford and having some Estate in that County and been acquainted with those Gentlemen formerly they came to me and very civilly offer'd to do me any Service they cou'd in that place whilst we were together we heard several Shots going off within a little way of us and seeing a Souldier coming from the place Lieutenant Collonel Farrel enquired of him what the reason of it might be who made answer that there was very good sport there for the Souldiers had got an English or a Scotch Witch who came to bewitch their Horses and had been gathering their Horse-Dung but the Souldiers had made above twenty Shot at her and could not get her kill'd upon which believing it was some poor old Creature that they were murthering I entreated those Gentlemen to step to the place and to save her until they enquired into the matter who accordingly went my self Mr. Dobbin and above twenty others being in Company with them and as they came within twenty or thirty yards of the place we saw a poor old Woman at least seventy years of Age sitting with her brest laid bare and one of the Souldiers came close up to her and held the muzle of his Musket to her breast and so shot her dead It seems they being bad marks-men and shooting at her at a distance none of their former shots were mortal though she was wounded in several places I being concern'd at the barbarous Cruelty of the Fact enquir'd into the matter and who the Woman was and found that she had been a Woman of the Country near Derry who being rob'd of all that she had by the Irish Army and hearing that the Army was full of Provisions having got all the Meal of that Country and that they were very civil to all people that came among them she came there that morning to beg a little Meal among the Tents and a man passing by her with a load of
yet incourag'd some of our Party who were free Booters and not under any Command to go on before in hopes to get the Plunder of the Town before the Souldiers came to it They went near a mile before our Forelorn but by that time that they came within less than three miles of Omagh and fearing no Enemy they were surpriz'd by a party of the Garrison at Omagh that lay in Ambush in a hollow and came upon them unawares yet all of them made their escape and retreated safe to our Forelorn except one Rowland Betty a man in good esteem among us who after he had discharg'd his Pistol just as he was wheeling his Horse fell to the ground and before he cou'd recover his Saddle again they came upon him and took him Prisoner carried him with them a great way nearer Omagh and then murder'd him And thus as I said for the most part they dealt with many of our Men after they had been their Prisoners and gotten fair Quarter Our Governor with his Men march'd that night within a mile and a half of Omagh and next day early he possest himself of the whole Town being an open place except the Fort which he laid close Siege to Our Men placed themselves in all the Houses near the Fort and being good Marksmen ply'd them so warmly with their small Shot that not a man of them durst come in view for they killed one of them and wounded several others But we had not been there many hours when several Expresses came fron Inniskilling one after another to our Governor and the Officers that were with him acquainting him and them that Col. Sarsfield with five or six Thousand Men was come to besiege Bellishanny within twenty miles of Inniskilling and that Col. Sowtherland was come with another Army to Belturbet about twenty miles distant from Inniskilling on the other hand and that the one Army if not both would be very soon at Inniskilling Our Governor therefore having received this Account called his Officers together to consult what was fittest to be done whether to go on to relieve Derry or to return for the defence of Inniskilling But the most of them having their Families or Friends in Inniskillng it was soon resolv'd on to return Some of the Officers were for burning the Town it being a great shelter for the Irish Army on their March to and from Derry but the Town belonging to Capt. Mervyn who is a good Protestant and in great esteem in that Country it was resolved to spare the Town for his sake and so we left it as we found it and the next day our Men return'd to Inniskilling June the 15th we had Intelligence that Col. Sowtherland's Party at Belturbet was daily increasing the Irish flocking to him from all Parts and that he intended soon to draw towards Inniskilling But we were ever resolved not to suffer the Enemy to come so near as to lay siege to the Town but rather to sight them before they came to 't neither did we think it safe to give them any long time to stay near our Quarters and therefore our Governor ordered Lieut. Col. Lloyd to take the Field with the greatest strength we could make in Foot and Horse and to march against Sowtherland June the 17. Lieut. Col. Lloyd came with his Men to Mac-Guires Bridge a Place not full half way betwixt Inniskilling and Belturbet where Col. Southerland and his Party lay from which Place an Irish Spy went in the night and acquainted Col. Southerland that all the Forces of Inniskilling were coming against him Col. Southerland had then with him but about two Regiments of Foot a Regiment of Dragoons and some few Troops of Horse he had brought with him from Dublin spare Arms for two Regiments of new levy'd Men that were every day expected to come to him he had some Pieces of Cannon and great store of Bisket Wheat Flower Malt and other Provisions for his Army in order to besiege Inniskilling When this News was brought him that the Inniskilling Army was coming against him and believing it true that they were so numerous above fifteen thousand as was reported he thought it not safe to stay at Belturbet having no Place of any Strength there but the Church and Church-yard which was a little fortified but not large enough to contain the number of men he had with him He therefore thought it best to provide for his own Safety and to secure the Cannon and what he could on a sudden carry with him but withal drew out a Detachment of Eighty Dragoons and about two hundred Foot and left them in the Church of Belturbet under the Command of Lieut. Col. Edward Scot and some other Officers to see if they could make good that Place against the Inniskilling Men until he came back to their Relief and so march'd with the rest of his Men towards Monaghan that if he were pursued he might come to Charlemont under the shelter of the Castle The next day hapned to be a most terrible day of Rain insomuch that our Men cou'd march no further that day and this gave Col. Southerland time enough to go off with those Men that he brought with him but the next day again proving fair Lieu-Col Lloyd with his Men advanc'd towards Belturbet and order'd Capt. Robert Vaughan and Capt. Hugh Galbraith with their two Troops of Dragoons to be the Forlorn but by that time they came within two miles of Belturbet there met them about a Troop of Dragoons that fired at them but our Dragoons alighting from their Horses and lining the Ditches on both sides of the Road and the main Body of our Men coming in view the Irish Dragoons retreated to Belturbet and went all into the Church and Church-yard to the rest of their Men intending to make good that Place firing very fast at us but with the same success that is usual with them for they touch'd not a man of ours but one who recovered afterwards Our men came very close upon them and soon got into all the Houses near the Church and some of them getting into the Archbishop of Dublin's House in Belturbet which by its height does overtop the Church-yard from the upper windows they did so gall them with their Shot that not a man of them could keep the Church yard and within less than two hours after we came there some of their men being killed they held out a Flag for a Treaty which being granted they made Conditions and it was Agreed That all the Officers and Souldiers should be our Prisoners The Officers to have all their Cloaths and Money given them if it did not exceed tâ—â—â—ounds the piece the common Souldiers were to have their Lives sav'd but to be stripp'd of all their red Coats which was accordingly performed And thus we got about three hundred Prisoners whereof thirteen were Commission Officers together with Lieut. Col. Scot their Commander in chief but next day we
let go near 200 of the meanest of the common Souldiers because of the Charge we were at in maintaining them and the rest with their Officers we brought with us to Inniskilling We got about seven hundred Muskets a Barrel and a half of Powder which was as much as we had in our Store-house before eighty Dragoon-Horses with all the Accoutrements belonging to them about twenty Horse-loads of Bisket above fifty Barrels of Flower a hundred Barrels of Wheat some Malt and other Provisions all which we sent by Water to Inniskilling we got but as many red Coats as serv'd two Companies many of their men being new Levies wearing Gray and then we return'd to Inniskilling without the loss of one man loaden with the Spoils and Provisions of our Enemies which came very seasonably to us for by it we were plentifully provided with Bread until our Harvest supply'd us again and our Companies who were ill Armed before were now well recruited and some new Companies were immediatly rais'd so that our Condition was very much better'd by it July the 3d. we received a Letter from Mr. Archdeacon Brown Chaplain in the Bonadventure Frigat Capt. Thomas Hobson Commander giving us an Account That Major General Kirk had sent that Ship from the Lough of Derry round to Bellishany to know in what condition we were at Inniskilling and if we stood in need of Ammunition or any other thing that he could spare we should be provided and withal desired that some of our Number should be sent to the Ship to give Capt. Hobson a particular Relation of our â—ffairs This was a most seasonable and acceptable Message to all the Garison of Inniskilling especially when we were in hopes of a supply of Powder for although our Foot-Souldiers were indifferently provided in Arms by the supply that we took from Col. Southerland yet as I observ'd before we had but little Powder not much more than three Barrels in our Garison whereof we got a little before a Barrel and a half in Belturbet Orders were therefore that very night given by the Governor that Lieut. Col. Lloyd Capt. Francis Gore Capt. Hugh Montgomery Mr. Andrew Hamilton and some others should go the next day to Bellishany with some Troops and Companies to guard what Ammunition we should get and to acquaint Capt. Hobson with the state and condition of our Country and accordingly all things being in readiness for our journey we march'd the next day towards Bellishany being Thursday the Fourth of July The same day the Duke of Berwick with some Troops of Horse about two Regiments of Foot and two Regiments of Dragoons came to the Dwelling-House of Mr. Andrew Hamilton he being but about two hours before gone towards Bellishany with a Troop of Horse and having searched the House for him and not finding him first ordered the Souldiers to plunder the House and then set fire to it burning it to the ground with all the other Houses belonging to him upon any of his Lands in that Country saying if they had got him himself they would have made him Meat for their Hawks and that this was in revenge of the Horses taken a little before from Omagh for which they blamed Mr. Hamilton They did no prejudice to any other mans Estate but after they had burned and destroyed all that belonged to him and his Tenants they drove away all their goods to Trellick where the Duke encamped his men for some few days This was a surprize upon us most of our men being abroad at Bellishany and other places However our Governor came that night to Mr. Hamilton's House but they were gone before he came there and he had not a Party strong enough to beat up their Quarters and so he returned to Inniskilling ordering strong Guards to be kept on all the Roads from Trellick to Inniskilling Within two or three days our Scouts brought word to the Governor That the Duke of Berwick with all his Army was on their march to Inniskilling and in a few hours would be near the Town Upon notice whereof our Governor commands two Foot-Companies with two Troops to second them to go and defend a strait Pass near the Mill of Inniskilling by which the Dukes Army must pass before they could come near the Town and which might easily be defended by a few men and in the mean time the Governor was getting the rest of his men together to second them But the two Companies coming to the Mill and seeing no Enemy near after some stay there advanc'd near a mile farther than the Post which they were ordered to keep and coming to a Hollow between two Hills were on a sudden surprized with the whole Body of the Enemies Horse and Dragoons coming upon them The two Companies were soon put to the Rout and the two Troops who were to second them seeing the number of the Enemy so great wheel'd about without coming to their Relief we had five and twenty of our men killed whereof one was an Ensign six and twenty taken Prisoners and the rest though many of them wounded escaped to Inniskilling we lost most of the Arms that belonged to both the Companies Our Governor though too late by the time that they were broken was advanc'd on his way towards their Relief on whose Approach the Duke retreated to Trellick taking the Prisoners along with him and from thence the next day to the Camp near Derry But our Governor sent an Express after him desiring that our men who were taken might be used as Prisoners of War for if they receiv'd any damage he would revenge it on the Prisoners then in his hands and in a few days we had all our Prisoners return'd to us in exchange for others that we sent them We gave Lieut. Col. Scot for a Captain of ours that was taken and these were the only Prisoners of our men that they took and did not afterwards murder which we attribute wholly to the message of our Governor sent after them This was the only Loss that we sustained since our first taking up Arms which was their own Fault by going beyond the Post that they were order'd to maintain and besides was the occasion of burning of Capt. Corry's House and several other Houses near Inniskilling which the Governor order'd to be burn'd as soon as he heard the two Companies were engag'd apprehending the D. of Berwick would have made Capt. Corr'ys House his Head Quarter being of considerable strength and accommodation and that his men would have quartered in the other Houses But now to return to those who were sent to the Bonadventure On Friday the 5th of July the Officers went on Board the Ship where that worthy Gentleman Capt. Hobson treated them with great Civility and being fully inform'd of the State of our Affairs he gave us good encouragement assuring us that very soon there wou'd be care taken to relieve us He gave us thirty Barrels of Powder which our Officers within two