intelligence in what condition Sarsfield's Army was what their Number and how posted that if he might be able to attacque them with the Men under his Command which in the several Garisons about Bellishanon would have been about 1000 Men Foot and Horse he would do it But if the Party he had were too weak for them that he might send to Inniskilling for the rest of our Men for he did not think it fit to let an Enemy lie so near our Borders Lieut. Col. Gore according to Col. Tiffan's Orders took three Troops of Horse and 150 Foot and marched towards Sligo but by that time that he came within six or seven miles of Sligo some of his Party took an Irish-Man Prisoner and brought him before Lieut. Col. Gore who knew him to be a foster-Brother of his own that is a Son of his Nurses which is reckon'd a great Relation amongst the Irish but being of Irish Parents and bred a Papist he had forsaken the Lieutenant Colonel since these Troubles began in our Country and adhered to his own Country-men and Friends The Lieut. Col. threatned to hang him for deserting him but the other finding his Life was at stake begged earnestly of L. C. Gore to spare him assuring him that if he would admit him into his Service again he would be just to him for the time to come Gore after some time pretended to be overcome by the fair Promises of the Fellow and the Intercession of some Gentlemen that were with him he consented to spare his Life and as a Tryal imploy'd him in an Affair to Sarsfield's Camp which he said if he performed truly he would be kind to him whilst he lived and take him into his Service The foster-Brother faithfully undertook to observe his Commands and then Lieut. Colonel Gore desired him to go to Sligo privately to five or six Officers in Col. Sarsfield's Army whom he named and for whom he said he had a particular Kindness and to acquaint them That all the Army belonging to Inniskilling with the Men of Derry and the English that came over under the Command of Maj. Gen. Kirk were all joined together and on their march towards Sligo that they were above 20000 Men and would be there the next day and that he with the Horse and Foot under his Command were only the Forlorn sent before to clear the way for the Army and therefore desired that those Friends of his should provide for their own safety but charged him not to tell any of the rest of Sarsfield's Army And thus having instructed his foster Brother he sent him away towards Sligo whilst he with his Party marched slowly on their way All the Country near Sligo was planted with Irish and as soon as ever the foster-Brother met any of them on the Road he told that the Inniskilling-Men with the rest before nam'd were on their march to Sligo giving an Account of their Number and the Time of their being there according to what Lieut. Col. Gore had told him This Story going from one to another set all the Irish near Sligo a running with their Goods towards Roscomon and Athloan and some towards Gallway not one daring to stay for fear of this great Army The foster-Brother goes on till he came to Sligo and as soon as he came there he told every one that he met what Col. Gore ordered him to tell only to some few Gentlemen that were his Friends assuring them that Lieut. Col. Gore would be with them in a few Hours and that the whole Army was following fast after him This was soon noised over the whole Camp which coming so unexpectedly upon them put them all in a terrible Fear and every one began to think of his own Safety and packing up what he might most easily carry with him and so all were leaving the Camp and flying towards Athloan Which coming to Col. Sarsfield's Ears he sent to know the reason of the Tumult the foster-Brother who had brought the News to Town was soon brought before him who having told what Lieut. Col. Gore gave him in charge and naming those Gentlemen who happened accidentally to be then with Col. Sarsfield and all of them knew that Gore had a kindness for them this did fully satisfy them of the Truth of what he told Col. Sarsfield Who immediatly caused beat his Drums to bring his Men together but in vain for he could not get one of them to their Arms all of them much like Sarsfield's carriage at Wincanton Hist Desert pag. 77. making the greatest haste they could towards Roscomon and Athloan and so to Dublin leaving Sarsfield with his own Servants to break the Carriages of his Cannon and so he marched after his Men to Athloan And thus Colonel Sarsfield and his whole Party left Sligo to us without seeing an Enemy and in some few Hours after Lieutenant Colonel Gore with his three Troops of Horse and the hundred and fifty Foot entred the Town got fourteen Cannons and some say three more afterwards and a Mortar-Piece with the whole Provisions that belonged to their Army except what small matter in the great Hurry they were in they could carry with them This may it please your Majesties is a faithful and true Account of the Success of your Majesties Arms in the Hands of the Men of Iniskilling till about the end of August last for then it was that the Governour Officers Clergy and other Gentlemen belonging to the Garrison of Iniskilling sent me to your Majesties with the Address which your Majesties were graciously pleased to receive from me at Hampton-Court the 12th Day of October last And now may it please your Majesties to give me Leave in the Names and by the Commission of those Gentlemen of Iniskilling humbly to beg your Majesties to accept of these their Services for your Honour in the just Defence of their Religion and Laws and to pardon the Imperfections in the Relation by Your Majesties obedient and loyal Subject and Servant Andrew Hamilton The Address sent from Iniskillin by Mr. And. Hamilton To their Most Excellent Majesties K. William and Q. Mary The humble Address of the Governour Officers Clergy and other Inhabitants of Your Majesties Town of Iniskillin in Your Majesties Kingdom of Ireland WE your Majesties most Faithful and most Loyal Subjects do in the first place offer up unto Almighty God our most humble Thanks for the Deliverance vouchsafed us from our Merciless and Bloody Enemies and next unto Your Most Sacred Majesties for Your gracious Care taken of us and in sending Major General Kirk to the Relief of the poor handful of Your Majesties Protestant Subjects left in this Place and Derry whose miraculous holding out under God has been the Preservation of the Protestant Interest in this Kingdom and for those worthy Officers sent to this Place by him among which the Honourable Colonel William Wolsley our Commander in chief under whose great and happy Conduct God has been pleased to
Meal the bag burst some of the Meal falling upon some Horse-dung and after the man had gather'd up as much of the Meal as he thought fit the poor Woman came and was throwing the Horse-dung out of the dirty-Meal that he had left which an Irish Souldier seeing called out that there was a Witch gathering their Horse-dung to bewitch their Horses that the men of Derry might get the better of them upon which the Souldiers gather'd about her and brought her to that Tragical end that I have here told April the 24th Lieutenant Collonel Loyd by our Governours order took a party of foot and horse and went from Inniskillen towards Omagh where the Irish had a Garrison which his party was not in a condition to besiege he drove all the Cattel near that place with him from thence he went to Aughor where the Irish had another Garrison in the Castle which fled before he came to it but least they might return thither again he set the Castle on fire burning it to the ground and defacing the fortifications about it From thence went into the Country of Moneghan and so returned to Inniskillen with a very great prey of Cows and Sheep which proved a seasonable relief to the poor people in and about Inniskillen for when the party came in one might have bought from the Souldiers a good milch Cow for two shillings or half a Crown and a dry Cow or an Ox cheaper and this was Lieutenant Collonel Loyds first expedition with our men About this time in the later end of April there came to us from Ballishany some troops and soot companies of excellent men that belong'd to my Lord Kingston and came with him to Belishany when at Collonel Lundies desire he left Sligo And then our Governour raised a Fort on the common hill next the stone bridge which he afterwards to his great charge did finish and is a very considerable strength and great security to the Town May the 2d The Irish Garrison in Omagh sent two men unto the Parish of Kilskirry within five miles of Inniskillen and in the night the two men stole away about twenty or thirty Cows In the morning the owners missing their Cows and seeing their track go towards the road that leads to Omagh did believe them stollen and therefore sent to some of their neighbours to come and assist them in going in Quest for their Cows Accordingly eight of them got together and went upon the trace of the Cattel and overtook them within a few miles of Omagh but the theives made their escape to that Garrison The men that followed the Cows having got them gave themselves no further trouble in following the thieves but were bringing the Cows back with them to their own dwelling but before they got above half way home they were overtaken by four and twenty Dragoons from Omagh well mounted the men having all but bad horses and few Arms three of them quit their horses and got into a great bog The other five thinking they had done no harm but followed their own Goods submitted and had Quarter given them The Dragoons leaving a guard with the five prisoners followed the other three men but to no purpose for the Bog that they got to lay near a mountain not passable by horse whether they escaped and so got home The Dragoons returned to the prisoners carried them a little way back with them and then most barbarously murder'd them all cutting them so in the face with swords and baggonets that their friends scarce knew one of them when they found them and this for the most part was the fair Quarter that the Irish gave our men when ever they took any of them which was the principal cause of our so obstinate defence both of Derry and Inniskillen against such unequal odds for these with what I told before of the Lord Gilmoy and other like barbarous Usages and breach of Faith with the same yet in memory practised in 41. and all agreeing with the Principles of their Religion That Faith is not to be kept with those whom they account Hereticks All this made so strong an impression upon the minds of the People that they were firmly perswaded the Irish wou'd not keep Articles with them and therefore that it was in vain to capitulate And they not only acted these Inhumanities without remorse but glory'd in them for the next day after that horrrid and base Murder I have told Bellew the Governour of Omagh sent an Express to Lieutenant General Hamilton before Derry acquainting him that a Party of his Garrison had gone towards Inniskilling and killed about a hundred of our Men calling every man twenty which good News soon went through the whole Irish Camp and caused a great deal of Joy among them May the 4th our Governour had an Express sent him from Captain Folliot Governour of Ballishany acquainting him That a considerable Party of Men were come from Conaught to besiege that place he sent him the Summons he had got and prayd him to send speedy relief May the 6th our Governour sent to all the Garrisons under his Command ordering them to send him speedily all the armed Men they cou'd spare and the next day sent lieutenant-Lieutenant-Colonel Lloyd with about twelve Foot-Companies and some Troops of Horse towards Bellishany who meeting the Enemies Horse near Beleek a Village three miles nearer Inniskilling than Bellishany soon put them to the rout killed about sixscore of them and took about sixty Prisoners All their Foot fled away towards Sligo and got off safe except some few that were taken in the Fish-Island near Bellishany with their Captain one Mac Donagh a Counsellor at Law commonly known by the Name of Blind Mac Donagh ' We got two small Cannon several service-Horses and some good Arms and thus was Bellishany relieved by us on the eighth day of May 1689. and this was the first time that our men encounter'd the Enemy in the Field with Foot and Horse and having had so great Success in the beginning it encouraged our men very much and so we returned to Inniskilling having gained this Victory without the loss of one man Immediately after this we had an Express sent us from Colonel Sarsfield proposing an exchange of some Prisoners of War that the Irish had at Galway and Ballinrob for those that we had taken it Bellishany Our Governour was willing to listen to the Change but having been so treacherously served before by Gilmoy in the matter of Captain Dixie desired Col. Sarsfield to send him the Names of the Prisoners that he would change for those then at Inniskilling Col. Sarsfield delayed sending their Names for near a Month after and in the mean time he order'd all the Protestants in the Province of Conaught that had a little before taken Protection from him and others to be put into the Goal of Sligo and then sent their Names to our Governour pretending that Sir Thomas Southwel and some other
the first is now a Collonel among us who though young and of little experience before yet by his care and diligence has supplyed all other wants and shewn himself a person of Courage and good Conduct beyond expectation It was about this time that the News came to us of the ate King having deserted the Kingdom and Government disbanded his Army and left all in confusion in England and the Lord Tyrconell of his own head was Arming all the Irish Papists and inlisting forty or fifty Thousand of them The Month of January was spent with us in Raising some more Troops and Foot Companies and our Officers used all the care and diligence they possibly cou'd to fix the few fire Arms they had procured they caused a great Number of Pikes to be made and beat out a great many Sythes fixing them in Poles whereby in a short time the few Foot we had were in an indifferent posture of defence and having about twelve Companies and some few Troops raised the Officers thought it time to Regiment themselves and made choice of Gustavus Hamilton Governour of Inniskillen to be their Collonel and Thomas Lloyd their Lieutenant Collonel and about the latter end of January sent Mr. Hugh Hamilton and Mr. Allen Cathcart two â—o their number who had been very active among them with an Address to the then Prince of Orange and with full power and instructions to act for them at the Court of England to solicite for Commissions Arms Ammunition and some Mony for the place We ordered them to make their way by Scotland for their greater safety and sent Letters by them to the associated Lords and Gentlemen of the Counties of Down and Antrim acquainting them with our Affairs and craving their aid in Case we were put to any extremity and soon after had very kind Answers returned to us The month of February was spent in Consultations and several Meetings and Treaties with Collonel Lundy and the leading men in the Counties of Derry Dunegall Tyrone Cavan and else where orders were given out that the protestants in the several Counties in the North West part of Ireland shou'd form themselves into Troops and Companies and afterwards into Regiments for the North East part had done the same before and all concluded in case of extremity to submit to Collonel Lundy who was in great reputation with us for Conduct and experience in military affairs The Gentlemen of the County of Fermanagh did meet and conclude to raise two Regiments of Foot and a Regiment of Horse which by reason of some mens backwardness to the service were not made up so that the great stress of our Country was left upon the Governour of Inniskillen and those Gentlemen who did adhere to him And here I cannot but with honour make mention of Sir John Hume who has been always reputed to have the greatest fortune and best Estate in that County but was then so sickly and infirm that he cou'd not undergo the Toyl and Fatigue of those Confusions yet he was not behind in contributing to his utmost for the common security he raised more than a hundred Horse and above two hundred Foot of his Tenants and Armed them indifferently well at his own expence who have behaved themselves on all occasions very well with us he sent for his Eldest Son from England who had been three or four years in the Army there a very hopeful young Gentleman who died in the service to Command them and to defend his house which standing near Loghearn within three miles of Inniskillen he fortified very well and plentifully furnisht it with Provisions to his great charge which has maintained a great Garrison ever since and been a very great security to the Country about and of much consequence to the defence of Inniskillen He being forced by his great infirmity retired into England with his younger Children his second Son being in England before he came there he sent him under the Command of Major General Kirk to the relief of Derry who died of a Feaver at Sea much lamented of all that knew him Now came the News to us That the Convention of the Estates in England as well Spiritual as Temporal had Voted the late King James's Desertion to be an Abdication and placed their Present Majesties in the vacant Throne and from this time and upon these grounds we thought we were oblig'd to behave our selves as their Subjects our Allegiance being transferr'd and descending from the late King James upon his voluntary Desertion as if he had been naturally dead and accordingly March the Eleventh we did proclaim King William and Queen Mary at Inniskillen with such Joy and Solemnity as our Circumstances cou'd bear rejoycing unspeakably to see the Crown descend in the same Royal Line which time out of mind had inherited our Government About the 16th of March we had an Account that the Garrison of Dunganon by order from Collonel Lundy was deserted and that they and all the Inhabitants in the Country near Dunganon were fled towards Strabone and Derry And about the same time our Governour received Letters from Collonel Lundy acquainting him that it was concluded at their Committee that all the Forces in the North West of Vlster shou'd draw towards Derry and the Legan to make good Fin Water against the Enemy and he gave us a very melancholly account of the Ill condition his own men were in But our Governour and the rest of the Gentlmen that adhered to him were positively resolved not to desert Inniskillen the keeping whereof being of so great consequence that it kept the Conaught Irish from joyning with the Vlster Irish and so was a great security to Derry and all the Country about it March the 20th all the Protestants in the County of Cavan in pitiful stormy Weather and in great disorder came running to Inniskillen and the Villages about to the no small surprize of us all about three or four Troops of Horse coming before followed with about as many Foot Companies and then the whole inhabitants with their Women and Children to their middle in Clay and Dirt with pitiful Lamentations and little or no Provision to sustain them Our Governour order'd them free Quarter for Man and Horse in the Town and Country about many of them were indifferently well Armed and we were joyful that they were come to us being in hopes that they wou'd joyn with us in the defence of our Country But upon enquiry into the reasons of their leaving their Country as they did where they had several good strengths that might for some time have been defended Their Officers told us that they had orders from Colonel Lundy for so doing and did endeavour though to no purpose to perswade our Governour to do the same with Inniskillen But that which hastened them away in so great disorder was the Lord Gilmoy's coming with a part of the Irish Army into the County of Cavan and surprizing a House
bless us with the most signal and remarkable Victory obtained over our Enemy in this or the former Age. And as we were early in the demonstration of our Loyalty in proclaiming Your most Sacred Majesties on the eleventh Day of March last so we shall persevere in the same Dutiful Allegiance to our Lives End ever imploring the Divine Majesty to continue Your prosperous Reign long and long over us most humbly begging Your Most Sacred Majesties favourably to accept this Address of our most humble and sincere Obedience which we shall ever be ready to make good both with our Hearts and Hands Gustavus Hamilton Govern Tho. Lloyd Tho. Hart Edw. Dixy Dan. Hodson W. Smith Morgan Hart Allex. Acheson Isaac Collyer George Dury Tho. White William Wiseheart Robert Moor Fran. Folliot John Dean Fran. Graham William Jivine Ja. Graham Tho. Roscrow Andrew Montgomery Daniel French Henry Smith Richard Newstead Robert Starling Henry Johnston Matthew Webster William Slack Allan Cathcart An. Hamilton James Johnston Ja. Golden Arnold Cosbye Jo. Price Robert Johnston Francis Aldrich William Parsons Ambrose Bedel H. Hughs Jason Hazard Tho. Hughes Ichabod Skelson Hon. Howel Robert Stevenson Thomas Johnston William Johnston Thomas Osborn Thomas Scot John Lowder William Kitle William Birney James King Jo. Rider Christopher Carleton Ja. Devitt Charles mac Fayden Lawrence Crow Edward Ellis William Blashford Robert Clark William Browning Ja. Johnston Ja. Browning Roger Wilton Ed. Wood F. King Robert Drury John Browning Ja. Campbell George Cashell Povey Hookes John Armstrong Toby Mâ—lloy Robert Vaughan Robert Wear Malcome Cathcart Robert Robison James Matthews Mart. Armstrong Claud. Bealy Nivian Scot Tho. Armstrong Jo. Frisell Dan. Armstrong Matthew Young Marc. Buchanan George Wattson Ro. mac Connell Ja. Robison Jo. Roberts Ro. Ward Bar. Gibson Jo. Crozier Hu. Blair Jo. King Thomas Young John Fulton George Hart James Matthews Ja. Lucy Francis Ellis Hercules Ellis John Corry Jo. Neper James Corry John Sherriffe George Corry Samuel Forth James Cathcart Edward Cosbye William mac Cormick William Campbell Charles King Hugh Montgomery George Cooper Hu. Cathcart Hugh Corry Ed. Davenport Au. Ellis Jo. Woodward William Gore William Charleton George Russell Aylet Sammes Ja. Michell Mat. Lindsay Thomas Davenport All. Fulton Paul Dean Provost Ja. Ewart Jo. Ballard Thomas Shore Richard Taylor Ed. Gubbin Thomas Leturvel George Hamersley William Frith Jo. Hall Robert Johnston Cor. Donellau Theo. Bury Hu. Galbraith William Ross John Galbraith Matthew Young James Delap William Ball Jo. Smith BEcause some who delight to reflect upon others for reflecting sake even where no occasion is given have ventured to give it out That neither Mr. Andrew Hamilton who came lately over nor Mr. Hugh Hamilton and Mr. Allen Cathcart who were sent over hither from Iniskillin in January 1688. had any Commission or Instructions from the Governour and Gentlemen of Iniskillin but took upon them such Imployment meerly to recommend themselves whereby they have done what in them lay to obstruct what might be offered by them in behalf of that People I have therefore subjoyned to this Narrative the Credentials which they had from Iniskillin with which I would not otherwise have incumbred this Brief Relation desiring to have nothing in it but what was necessary to the Subject in Hand The Governour of Iniskilling his Commission in behalf of himself and People unto Mr. Hugh Hamilton and Mr. Allen Cathcart to present their Address to the then Prince of Orange and to solicite for Arms and Ammunition TO all Christian People to whom these Presents shall come We Gustavus Hamilton Esq elected Goververnour of Iniskillin in the County of Farmanagh and Kingdom of Ireland together with the Inhabitants of the said Town and a select number of Protestants united to them send greeting in our Lord God Everlasting forasmuch as we have drawn and signed an Address of Thanks to be presented to his Royal Highness the Prince of Orange for his being the happy Instrument under God of our Delivery from Popery and Arbitrary Power Now know ye That we the said Inhabitants of Iniskillin aforesaid for divers Causes and Considerations us thereunto moving but more especially that they have been eminent in concurring with us and influencing the Country against the Designs the Lord Tyrconnel had against this Place have nominated constituted and appointed our well-beloved Friends Mr. Hugh Hamilton and Mr. Allen Cathcart joyntly or severally to offer the said Address to his Highness and to be presented by the Honourable Earl of Clarenden or any other Nobleman about Court As also we impower the said Mr. Hugh Hamilton and Mr. Allen Cathcart to solicite his Highness for Arms and Ammunition for this Place We also desire That Credit may be given to these our Deputies both for our Trust to them as also in their charactering this Country Given under the Hand and Seal of the Governour this sixteenth Day of January One thousand six hundred eighty and eight by unanimous Consent of the Inhabitants of the said Town Gustavus Hamilton The Copy of a Letter sent to the Earl of Mount-alexander Lord Viscount Massareene and unto divers others of the Nobility and Gentry in the North East part of Ulster from the Governour of Iniskillin Iniskillin January 23. 1688. My Lord WHilst we and all the Protestants of this Kingdom groan'd under the fears of approaching Miseries and there was nothing but a universal dread of imminent Ruine suggested to our Thoughts and that we see our Religion our Laws Lives and our All at stake so that nothing could be added to our danger but our willingness to lay under whatsoever was imposed upon us The Law of Self-preservation one of the ancientest of the World constrained us rather to choose a hazardous undertaking than a voluntary Slavery to which we were the more provoked by the insulting menaces of those who under the pretence of Quartering upon us came to Pillage us and designed to make this their entrance to the devastation of this part of the Province So that not being willing to be enslaved and help to make others so too this Pass being the only Inlet from Conaught to Ulster from whence as by an Inundation it might have been overflow'd We stand upon our Guard and do resolve by the blessing of God rather to meet our danger than expect it We doubt not but your Lordships Consideration with others of that part of the Country has suggested thoughts of this nature to you also which may induce you to a necessary defence of your selves and others and therefore do intreat your Lordships candid and sincere Advice in the management of this great affair too weighty for our weak Shoulders to bear alone since we are sure to be the first shall meet with the dangerous and highly incensed revengeful hand of our Enemies Our great hope is that God will incline your Lordship to our assistance and give us Courage and Success in this so just an undertaking we intreat Credit may be given to these