who have surrendred themselves But in case the Persons invited by this Declaration should neglect in time prescribed to lay hold on the same they must never more expect the like Advantageous Terms and Condiscentions Given at the Camp by Nenah the Eleventh Day of August 1691. in the Third Year of Their Majesties Regin Bar. De Ginckell The Army that day marched to a place called Shalley in a wild and desolate Country nigh the Silver-Mines where in the former Wars about seventeen of Sir George Hambleton's Followers were slain by the Kenedies and here Major General Trelawyng's Regiment joined us the 12th we marched to a place called Tulla where we halted next day and our Advance Guards brought in one of the Enemies Outscouts a Prisoner Several Deserters also come off to us amongst whom were two of the Horse Guards who inform the General that the Irish Foot were drawn into Limerick and their Horse having burnt several places that escaped their fury last year were retired likewse near the Town we understand also that my Lord Tyrconnell was taken suddenly very ill and there were several disorders amongst the Chief Officers in Limerick some of them being suspected to incline to our side From hence the General sent a Spy who took several of the Declarations in order to disperse them in Town The 14th we marched to Cariganliss and the General The Army go to Cariganliss with the rest of our Great Officers went with a Party within two Miles of Limerick near which three of the Enemies Scouts being posted upon the top of a round Hill towards our left two of them deserted to us as our Party drew off The 15th in the Morning early fifteen hundred A Party go towards Limerick Horse and Dragoons commanded by Major General Ruvigny and one thousand detached Foot as a reserve in case of danger commanded by the Prince of Hess with six Field-peeces were ordered to march towards Limerick with whom went the General and all the Chief Officers in order to view the Town The Enemy had lined the Hedges in several places with Foot and there appeared two Squadrons of Horse and a Party of a Dragoons about a Mile on this side the Town who fronted our Men for some time but when they saw our Advance Party resolved to push them they retired nearer home and afterwards their Foot fired several Small-shot but without any harm to us tho' about seven of the Enemy were killed by our Dragoons We stayed several hours within less then Cannon-shot of the Town upon the Ground where we encamped the year before we could see that they had repaired Ireton's Fort and built another some distance to the Right where formerly stood an Old Church and a third was begun also with a Line of Communication from one to the other but not as yet finished they had then two Field-peeces in Ireton's Fort but did not fire them and drew them off to the Town next day Whilst we staid there first a Drummer and then one Hagan a Captain came off to us who informed the General that my Lord Tyrconnell died the day before some say of Grief because things went My Lord Tyrconnell dies at Limerick not according to his desire and that after all his Endeavours and good Services to promote the Catholick Cause he was slighted to that Degree that whilst their Camp lay by Athlone one Lieutenant Colonel Conner came to my Lord's Tent and bid him be gone from the Camp else he would cut his Tent-Cords My Lord Tyrconnell knowing that he durst not be so impudent without a considerable Faction to support him went next Morning early towards Limerick where he remained till his death which some say was not without suspition of foul play in being poisoned with a Cup of Rattafeau this is nothing but Apricock-stones bruised and infused in Brandy which gives it a pleasant Relish some of which my Lord Tyrconnell had given him at an Entertainment and falling ill upon it he often repeated the word Rattafeau which made several believe that he had received Poyson in that Liquor because he would not comply with the prevailing Faction then in Town But most People say that he died of a Fever However it was he certainly had managed the Affairs of that Kingdom from his entrance upon publick Business to his dying day with as much dexterity and zeal for the Interest he * As to his encouraging one Jâ—nes to Assassinate King William in the year 1690. proved by Original Letters under his own hand I leave others hereafter to give a more particular account of pretended to serve as any man could have done At the General 's return from viewing the Town he found a considerable quantity of Bread-Waggons come to the Camp under the Convoy of the Militia Horse and Dragoons of the County of Tipperary whom the General viewed and sent home again We had now a Train of nine 24 Pounders nine 18 Pounders and three Mortars with Ammunition and other Utensils of War proportionable which left Athlone on the 12th under the care of Col. Lloyd's Regiment and a Party the Militia who were met upon the Road by the Earl of Drogheda's and Colonel Venner's Foot Regiments with a small Party of Horse but the General remembring what hapned to our Train the year before and that the same People were still as industrious as formerly Major General la Forrest with a good Detachment of Horse and Dragoons was sent on the 16th to meet our Cannon The same day a Captain and a Lieutenant desert from the Enemy and confirm the Report of the death of my Lord Tyrconnell and withal that Francis Plowden Esq one of the Commissioners of the Revenue in the late King's time had brought over a Commission from the late King out of France appointing Sir Alexander Fitton Sir Richard Neagle and the said Francis Plowden Esq to be Lords Justices of Ireland which Commission lay dorment till my Lord Tyrconnel's death by which it appeared that his Adversaries were like to prove too many for him if he had lived and that tho he had promoted the late King's desires tho' not his real Interest to the utmost and was of the same Religion too with himself yet he was in a fair way of being served as Some of the Irish Officers suspected for holding a Correâ—pondence with our Ar others had been before him We understood also that Colonel Henry Lutterill was not only suspected to hold a Correspondence with our Army but was taken into Custody and tried for his life in that he with some others had consulted about the surrender of the Town for which they designed to put him to death but that they either wanted clear Proof or else waited for Advice from France about it but the occasion of Colonel Lutteril's confinment was upon the account of a Letter brought him by a Trumpeter from some great Officer in our Army when the Garison of Gallway was conveyed
being done with the Duke's consent who took Mackarty for a man of Honour the Governor was acquitted The beginning of January our Regiments being all very thin and it appearing a little difficult to recruit them in England most people being then out of humour for the loss of their Relations and Acquaintance nor altogether that number of Voluntiers appearing then as formerly therefore several Regiments were broke one into another and the supernumerary Officers continued at half-pay till Provision could be made for them in other Regiments Sir Tho. Gower being dead my Lord Drogheda's Regiment was broke into his and his Lordship made Collonel of it my Lord Roscommon's Regiment was broke also into Collonel Earl's and Collonel Zanchy's formerly my Lord Lovelace's Sir Henry Inglesby's and Collonel Hambleton's of Inniskilling were broke into other Regiments and about the 12th 16th and 20th most of the Officers designed for that Service went from Lisburne towards England for Recruits to the Army January the 18th A Proclamation was published strictly forbidding Cursing Swearing and Prophaneness in Officers or Soldiers under the Penalties enjoined in the Articles of War and his Grace's utmost Displeasure but neither this nor yet the Judgments of God then hanging upon us for those and a great many other sins had that effect that the General and other good men heartily wished for and no doubt of it the Debaucheries in Armies are the high-way to Ruin since those both obey and fight best that are the most sober The 22 d. Brigadier Stuart went with a Party of Five hundred Horse and Foot towards Dundalk destroying several Cabins amongst the Mountains where the Irish used to shelter themselves and his Party brought in a considerable Prey at their return The 25th the General went from Lisburne in order to visit our Frontier Garisons and appointed stores of Bread Cheese Shooes and other Necessaries at several places especially at Armagh the Metropolis of the whole Island On the 11th of February a part of our Army being The Irish Army in motion drawn together to attend the Enemy's Motion who we understood were then in a Body towards Dundalk The General himself went to Drummore and so to Loughbritland in order to give the Enemy Battel if they advanced our Men and Horses having recovered by this time from their late Diseases to a Miracle Sir John Laneir and Brigadier La Mellionere advanced with a Party towards Carlingford but returned with an Account that there were only three Regiments at Dundalk as formerly but the Design of the Irish lay another way For whilst the Duke was abroad on that side Collonel Woolsley had notice that the Enemy were resolved to fall upon Belturbet where he then commanded to which purpose they had already crouded a Garison of theirs called Cavan eight miles from Belturbet at what place they expected a greater Force in a day or two but Collonel Woolsley to be before-hand with their visit marched from Belturbet on the 12th about Four in the Afternoon with Seven hundred Foot and Three hundred Horse and Dragoons hoping to surprize the Enemy next Morning early but he met with so many Difficulties in his march that instead of being at the Place before day as he designed it was fair day-light before he came near it the Enemy had also taken the Alarm and were so far from being surprized that instead of the usual Garison which we only as yet expected there the first thing that our men saw was a Body of the Enemy's drawn up in good order and judged to be about Four thousand It was rather therefore a surprize upon us than them however we fought and routed The Battel of Cavan them killed Brigadier Nugent with several other Officers and about Three hundred Soldiers taking Twelve Officers and Sixty private Men Prisoners burnt the Town and returned with a good Booty having lost Major Trahern Captain Armstrong and Captain Mayo with about Thirty private Men and double the number wounded And to let the Enemy see that we were ready Sir John Lanier goes to Dundalk with a Party for them on all sides Sir John Lanier marched again on the 15th towards Dundalk with a Party of One thousand Horse Foot and Dragoons he came before the Place early next Morning which the Enemy had fortified very regularly And placing some of his men near the Works on the North-east Side towards the Bridge he sent a Party of Collonel Leveson's Dragoons cross the River who took Bedloe's Castle an Ensign and Thirty men surrendring themselves Prisoners In the mean time another Party marched in at the South-west End of the Town and burnt most of what was left without the Works in which Service we lost a Lieutenant and two or three Dragoons our Men returning with a Prey of Fifteen hundred Cows and Horses The beginning of March landed the Duke of Wertenberg The Danes land in Ireland with Six Thousand Danes being proper men very well Cloathed and Armed On the 12th Colonel Callimot with a Party endeavoured to burn the Wooden Bridge at Charlemont which he set fire to and killed about Twenty of the Enemy lost his own Major with about Six men and so returned March the 14th Five thousand French Foot under 5000 French land in Ireland Count Lauzune and the Marquess de Lery landed at Kinsale in order to join the Late King's Army for whom in exchange Major-General Macharty and near the same number of Irish were sent into France our English Fleet then attending the Queen of Spain made this Undertaking more easie to the French April the 6th Collonel Woolsley with a Party of Seven hundred men attacked the Castle of Killyshandra seven miles from Belturbet where the Enemy had a Garison of One hundred and sixty men commanded by one Captain Darcy after some Mines were fixed and a brisk Assault or two made upon their Works in which we lost Eight men the Besieged surrendred and we left a Garison of One hundred men in the Place Nigh which time a great many Recruits as also Collonel Cutt's Collonel Babington's with a Danish Regiment of Horse landed at White-House April the 18th Sir Clousley Shovell went into the Bay Sir Clousley Shovell takes a Frigat out of the Bay of Dublin of Dublin and brought from a Place called the Salmon Pool a Frigat of Sixteen Guns and Four Pattereroes loaden with Hides Tallow some Plate and other Rich Moveables designed for France the Late King and several of his Irish Regiments marching as far as Rings-End where they were all Witnesses of so wicked an Action as they called it done on so good a Day it being Good-Friday May the 2 d Lieutenant-Collonel Mackmehon with Relief put into Charlemont about Four hundred men Ammunition and some small quantities of Provisions got into Charlemont in the Night but our French and other Regiments posted thereabouts watched him so narrowly that though he made two or three Attempts yet he could not
he admitted my Lord Dover to a more particular Protection than ordinary because he had applied himself formerly by a Letter to Major-General Kirk to desire a Pass for himself and Family to go into Flanders His Majesty at his return to the Camp declared The King intends for England his Resolution to go for England and leaving Count Solmes Commander in Chief he went as far as Chappel-Izard nigh Dublin with that Intention ordering one Troop of Guards Count Sconberg's Horse formerly my Lord Devonshires Collonel Matthews's Dragoons Brigadier Trelawny's and Collonel Hastings's And sends some Forces thither Foot to be shipt off for that Kingdom And on the first of August His Majesty published a Second Declaration not only confirming and strengthening the former but also adding That if any Foreigners then in Arms against him in that Kingdom would submit they should have Passes to go into their own Countries or whither else they pleased A Proclamation was also published for all the Irish in the Countrey to deliver up their Arms and those who refused or neglected to be abandoned to the Discretion of the Soldiers As also another Proclamation for a Weekly Fâ—st And then His Majesty appointed Richard Pine Esq Sir Richard Reves and Robert Rochfort Esq Lords Commissioners of the Great Seal who began now to act accordingly But the King received a further Account from England But returns to the Camp That the loss at Sea was not so considerable as it was at first given out and that there was no danger of any more French Forces landing in that Kingdom they having already burnt only a small Village and so were gone off without doing any further damage The danger of that being therefore over His Majesty returned to the Army which he found encamped at Golden Bridge nigh Cashell and about seventeen miles from Limrick where His Majesty had intelligence of the Posture of the Enemy in and about that City August the 8th Lieutenant-General Douglas and his Limerick Besieged Party from Athlone joined the King's Army at Cariganlis And on the 9th the whole Army approached that strong Hold of Limerick without any considerable loss the greatest part of their Army being Encampt beyond the River in the County of Clare His Majesty as soon as his Army was posted sent a Summons to the Town which was refused to be obeyed by Monsieur Boiseleau the Duke of Berwick Sarsfield and some more though a great part of their Army were even then willing to Capitulate Next Morning early the King sent a Party of Horse and Foot under Major-General Ginckell and Major-General Kirk to pass the River which they did near Sir Samuel Foxon's House about two miles above the Town The same day some Deserters from the Enemy gave his Majesty an account of their Circumstances and one of our own Gunners did as much for us who informed the Enemy of our Posture in the Camp as also of Eight Pieces of Cannon with Ammunition Provisions the Tin-Boats and several other Necessaries then upon the Road which Sarsfield with a Party of Horse and Dragoons had the luck to surprize two Some of our â—â—ns surprized days after at a little old Castle called Ballynedy within seven miles of our Camp killing about Sixty of the Soldiers and Waggoners and then marched off with little or no opposition tho his Majesty had given Orders for a Party of Horse to go from the Camp and meet the Guns the night before Tuesday the 12th Brigadier Stuart went with a Party Castle Connel taken and four Field-Pieces to Castle-Connel a Strong-hold upon the Shannon four miles from Limerick the besieged being 126 under one Captain Barnwell after some time submitted and were brought Prisoners to the Camp Sunday the 17th at night we opened our Trenches Our Trenches opened which were mounted by Seven Battalions under the Duke of Wirtenbergh Major-General Kirk Major-General Tetteau and Sir Henry Bellasts beating the Irish out of a Fort nigh two old Chimneys where about Twenty were killed and next night our Works were relieved by Lieutenant General Douglas my Lord Sidney Count Nassau and Brigadier Stuart with the like number and the day following we planted some new Batteries which his Majesty going to view as he was riding towards Ireton's Fort he stopt his Horse on a sudden to speak to an Officer a Four and twenty pound Ball the very moment grazing on the side of the Gap where his Majesty was going to enter which certainly must have dash'd him to pieces had not the commanding God of Heaven prevented it who still reserves him for greater matters This I saw being then upon the Fort as I did that other Accident at the Boyne before Wednesday the 20th we attack'd a Fort of the Enemies A Fort taken nigh the South East Corner of the Wall which we soon took and killed 50 taking a Captain and twelve men Prisoners and about an hour after the Enemy sallyed with great Bravery thinking to regain the Fort but were beat in with loss there being killed in the Fort and the Sally about Three hundred though we lost Captain Needham Captain Lacy and about Eighty private men A PROSPECT of LIMERICK BEARING DUE WEST Exactly shewing the Approaches Batteries Breach ct Sold by R. Chiswell in St. Pauls churchyard Next day the Soldiers were in hopes that his Majesty would give orders for a second Attack and seemed resolved to have the Town or lose all their lives but this was too great a risque to run at one place and they did not know how our Ammunition was sunk especially by the former day's work we continued however our Batteries and then a storm of Rain and other bad weather begun to threaten us which fell out on Friday the 29th in good earnest upon which his Majesty calling a Council of War it was concluded the safest way was to quit the Siege without which we could not have secured our heavy Cannon which we drew off from the Batteries by degrees and found much difficulty in marching them five miles next day Sunday the last of August all our His Majesty raised the Siege Army drew off most of the Protestants that lived in that part of the Countrey taking that opportunity of removing further into the Countrey with the Army and would rather leave their Estates and all their Substance in the Enemies hands than trust their persons any more in their power His Majesty seeing the Campaign nigh an end went towards Waterford where he appointed Henry Lord Viscount Sidney Sir Charles Porter and Tho. Conningsby Esq Lords Justices of Ireland and then setting And returns to England sail with a fair Wind for England his Majesty was welcomed thither with all the Joy and Satisfaction imaginable CHAP. III. September 1690. The French Forces quit Ireland Birr besieg'd by the Irish who draw off towards Banoher Bridge Count Solms 's Answer to the Duke of Berwick 's Letter Lieutenant-General
this Declaration as others before it of like nature had not the wished-for effect since the Irish are generally of that Temper as to think you are most afraid of them when best Terms are proferr'd This made the Irish Peasants value themselves mightily upon King William's first Declaration after the Rout at the Boyne who then look'd upon themselves to be the most considerable part of the Irish Nation because they had Terms proferr'd before the Great Ones The sixth a Proclamation was published by the Lords-Justices A Proclamation prohibiting the destroying Improvements and Council prohibiting all Officers and Soldiers to plunder or take away the Goods either of Protestants or Papists nor cut down Improvements as some unreasonably went about nor to take the Horses and Cattle out of the Plough or to exact and levy Money Of all which there had been frequent Complaints and therefore the Soldiers were commanded to pay their Quarters with their Subsistence which was ordered them and the Officers too from the first of January Nigh this time Francis Sheldon and John Green two Commissioners sent over to build Ships in Ireland that were Skilful in the Art of Building Ships were both sent over in equal Commission by Authority of the Navy-Board in England to build Ships for Their Majesties Service at Waterford or Wexford nigh which Places and in the County of Wickloe there is good store of suitable Timber and other Advantages for building Ships at easier Rates than in England but what progress has been made herein I am uncertain February the 8th Colonel Brewer and Major Boad with a Party of 150 Horse and 200 Foot march'd from Mullingar towards Meers-Court to Relieve that and some other Garrisons with Provisions and some Men which having done Colonel Brewer went with a Party towards Ballymore to view the Posture of the Enemy at that place he met with a small Party of them at a Pass a Mile on this side the Fort whom he put to flight and pursued to the Garrison nigh which he kill'd six or eight and burnt the House at the Pass when he returned bringing the Owner away Prisoner February the 10th Sir Richard Reynolds Lord Chief Justice of the King's-Bench came from England and sate as Judge in that Court being afterwards sworn of the Privy-Council And nigh the same time we had an account that considerable Numbers of Recruits both for Horse and Foot lay ready at Bristol to be ship'd for Ireland The Montague and Dover Frigats bring into Kinsale a Privateer of St. Maloes of 24 Guns and six Pettereroes A Party of our Army quartering at Bally-Hooly in the County of Cork went into the Enemies Country and kill'd 25 Rapparees and soon after Major Kirk kill'd 16 more taking two Officers Prisoners yet for all this the Enemy watched all opportunities of Advantage killing our Men by surprize in a great many places but especially keeping Correspondence with the protected Irish in all corners of the Country they stole away our Horses The Irish steal away our Horses to Recruit their own Army sometimes in the Night and often at Noon-day when our Men least suspected it by which means they recruited their own Horse considerably and did us no small disservice nor is it probable unless they had made use of some such ways they could have brought any Body of Horse into the Field worth taking notice of the succeeding Campaign whereas we were sensible afterwards that their Horse were once not contemptible The 9th two Officers and a Soldier desert from Limerick and come to Cashel And a Day or two afterwards about 100 Protestants are permitted to come away who all agree that the Irish were more dissatisfied since my Lord Tyrconnel's Landing than before since the Money and Cloaths brought them from France were both in themselves very contemptible the one for quantity and the other for quality We had also an Account that Sarsfield was made Sarsfield made Lord Lucan Earl of Lucan and Lieutenant-General of the Army Dorington Major-General and Barker General of the Foot One Langton was Hanged at Kilkenny for endeavouring to seduce a Souldier of Count Nassau's Regiment and some others And at Birr the Rapparees killing one of Colonel Hamilton's Souldiers drew out his Guts and mangled his Body after amost barbarous and unusual manner Several Ships arrive at Waterford with Meal Bisket Corn and other Provisions for their Majesties use and a great many Merchant Ships come to that and other Ports with Victuals and other conveniencies for the Army and Country On the 13th about 400 of the Irish Army Commanded A Party of the Irish burn Edenderry by Lieutenant Colonel Conner came to Edenderry and burnt greatest part of it killing 7 Men and a Woman and had 11 of theirs kill'd by a Militia Troop then in Town who were obliged to defend the strongest Houses and the Irish returning by Phillips-Town burnt Bally Brittan And now the Civil Government begun to look with a Judges appointed to go their several Circuits better countenance than formerly for February the 17th the Judges were appointed for their several Circuits viz. Munster Circuit Lord Chief Justice Reynolds Mr. Justice Cox Leinster Circuit Lord Chief Justice Pyne Mr. Justice Jefferson North-East Circuit of Vlster Lord Chief Baron Healy Mr. Justice Lyndon North-West Circuit Mr. Baron Eclyn Mr. Serjeant Ryves These all went their districts accordingly and found things much out of order in several places by reason of the looseness of the Times and the general inclination of most people to a disorderly way of living February 24th a large French Pinck bound from Bourdeaux to Connaught with Wine Brandy Salt c. was driven by stress of Weather into Arcklow-Haven the Men being made Prisoners the Ship and Cargo were seized for The Duke of Berwick and others of the Irish Army go for France their Majesties use And nigh this time we heard that the Duke of Berwick and some other great Officers of the Irish Army were gone off from Limerick to France being discontented as 't was said at my Lord Tyrconnel's way of Proceeding in the Government The 25th Lieutenant Colonel Lillingston went from Roscreagh with a Party to Monogall where he surprised a Company of Colonel Oxburrough's Regiment and several Rapparees kill'd 35 and took 5 Prisoners with one O Conner who Commanded The 26th in the Morning Lieutenant General Ginckel and Sir John Lanier having drawn a considerable Body both of Horse and Foot together they advanced from Streams-Town towards Athlone The Enemy never wanted Intelligence of our Motions by reason of their Friends always amongst us and therefore as we approached we found a Body of Horse and Foot to the number of about 2300 Commanded by Brigadeer Clifford drawn on at a Pass 4 miles from Streams-Town the place it self was of great advantage its natural situation being improved by Art but as soon as a Party of ours under Captain Pepper of The
Irish defeated at the Mote of Greenoge Colonel Earl's Regiment advanced on the other side the Irish quitted the Pass being followed by our Horse and Dragoons towards the Mote of Greenoge where a greater Body of their Army was Posted upon the side of an Hill and those also upon seeing what happened retired into the Town at the entrance of which there was a very defensible Ditch with a Pallisado'd Work which the Irish quitted and March'd towards Athlone our Advance Party being 10 of my Lord of Oxford's Horse 12 of Sir John Lanier's Commanded by Cornet Lisle and sustained by Lieutenant Monk's Dragoons those were four choice Men out of a Company in Major General Kirk's Regiment mounted on Horseback and Commanded by Lieutenant Monk who always did Dragoon service and a Party of Colonel St. John's Foot under Captain Worth and all Commanded by Colonel Woolsley those overtook the Enemies Foot before they were got out of Town very soon obliging them to disperse into the Woods and Boggs several being killed and whilst this was adoing our Advance Party of Horse followed the Enemies Horse so fast upon the great Road that leads towards Athlone that our Body of Horse behind could not come up though they endeavour'd it by marching very hard A great many of the Irish fearing to be overtaken quit their Horses Boots and Arms making what haste they could to their usual shift the Woods and Boggs and thus it continued for six miles till they were got near Athlone They lost all their Equipage and Baggage with a great many Horses and Arms and had about Two Hundred Kill'd two Hundred kill'd We lost only one Trumpeter and had four men more Wounded Major General Kirk stayed behind and took Cairn Castle and the General at his return took Castle-Conway in some few days dispersing his Men to their respective Quarters The 28th several Rapparees were killed and hanged by the Militia near Montrath they being usually more March 1691. severe upon those sort of People than the Army was March the 7th a Cornet two Quarter-masters and some other Deserters came from the Enemy to Dublin Some Deserters come in and encouraged by the General where the General then was and received them very kindly allowing them subsistence to encourage others to follow their examples Several Ships arrive at Cork Waterford Kinsale and Dublin with Provisions and other necessaries for the Army and the Militia kill some Rapparees and bring in their Heads a Custom in that Country and encouraged by a Law which allows so much for every Head according to the Quality of the Offender though the usual way is by Proclamation from the Government wherein the Offender and his Price are March 1691. named Nigh this time three of the Danish Soldiers deserting upon Major-General Dorington's Declaration or what other Inducements I know not but they were met upon the Road between Limerick and Cashel by four others that had belonged to the Irish Army and now deserting to us these very fairly set upon the Danes took them Prisoners and brought them back to Cashel where they were afterwards hanged A Party of Colonel Villers's and some Danish Horse march from Tallow within the Enemies Frontiers kill two and take some few Prisoners And Colonel Blunt High-Sheriff of the County of Tipperary with his Militia Troop of Dragoons a Danish Troop of Horse and others to the Number of 200 went from Clonmel as far as Mitchels-Town nigh twenty Miles within the Enemies Quarters in which Expedition they kill'd forty seven Rapparees took thirteen Prisoners and burnt several Cabbins where they used to shelter Captain Palliser of the Earl of Drogheda's Regiment went with a Party from Carolante towards Portumna where he surprized some of my Lord Galmoy's Horse and took several Prisoners as also good store of rich Plunder with Arms Cloaths and several other things of value Cornet Russel and one Crofton come from the Enemies Quarters and give an Account that Balderock O Donnel had got several Men together again but wanting Arms and other Accoutrements they begun to desert And we also heard that Judge Daily was secured for being suspected to endeavour the delivering up of Gallway to our Forces And that Provisions and Forrage were very scarce in Connaught The Lords-Justices and Councel to encourage the bringing of Arms and Ammunition into Ireland by Merchants and others they set out a Proclamation declaring A Proclamation to encourage the Importing of Arms. that they shall be Duty-free pursuant to which Her Majesty made an Order of Council in England dated March the 3d. That no Duty shall be hereafter demanded or payable in Ireland for any Arms which shall be carryed to such parts of that Kingdom as are or shall be at the time of Importation under Their Majesties Obedience provided that the Parties exporting Arms from any other parts of Their Majesties Dominions do enter into sufficient Bonds for landing the same in such Parts of Ireland as aforesaid and no others The Rapparees at this time were very troublesom nigh Several Rapparees kill'd in the County of Longford Fox-Hall in the County of Longford till Lieutenant-Colonel Toby Purcel at three several times kill'd about one hundred of them in the last of which they kill'd fifty two and returning towards Quarters they were way-laid by the greatest part of Sir Donold O Neal's Dragoons Our Party were thirty five Dragoons and one hundred and forty Foot one Quarter-master Topham being with nine Dragoons commanded as an Advance-Party to view the Enemy as soon as discovered by us and seeing them in a confusion at his appearing he charged their Front who running away made all the rest of the same humour every one endeavouring to get first to their Garrison at New-Castle three were kill'd and one Dillan with four more taken Prisoners This Party its said was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Barnwell Upon this Defeat one Mack-Guire comes from the County of Longford with several hundreds of the Creights and most of the Stock that was left them for which and themselves they obtained Protections About the 10th of March we had an Account by some Protestants that came out of Connaught that the Irish a little after my Lord Tyrconnel's landing being out of humour with the Brass Money little or nothing being to be The Irish cry down their Brass Money had for it they cry'd it down by Proclamation the Crown piece to three Pence the Half-crown to three half-Pence the Shilling to a Penny and the Six pence to an half-penny After which the Soldiers lived upon free quarters Provisions also being scarce and no Markets for want of Money those Parts begun to be under worse Circumstances every Day We had Notice from Tallough that Sarsfield had Rendezvous'd part of his Army and some of the Irish Militia at Knockhany and that he had detached ten Men out of a Company and as many out of each Troop to Attack the Pass at
Fermoy and beat up our Quarters at Tallough and thereabouts upon which a Party was detached from Youghall to strengthen that place but Sarsfield only viewed his Men and pick'd out the most serviceable of the Militia to serve in the Army Nigh this time one Lonan a troublesom Fellow was hanged at Killkenny for Seditious words And on the 14th a Party of Colonel Byerly's Regiment with some of the Militia overtook a Party of Rapparees that were stealing away the Cattle near Montrath killing six and took two who were hanged next Morning The 17th a Party of the Irish Army besieged Ballynagooly a Frontier Ballynagooly attack'd by the Irish Garrison of ours in the County of Cork but were beat off with the death of five of their Men and seven left Prisoners Lieutenant-Colonel Lillingston having the Command of a Party of three hundred Foot and some Horse detach'd from Birr Roscreagh and the neighbouring Garrisons he Nenagh burnt by a Party of our Men. march'd towards Nenagh in the County of Tipperary where there is a strong Castle belonging to the Duke of Ormond Long Anthony Caroll was Governor of this Place having with him about one hundred Men but in the places adjacent there lived a great many Tories and Rapparees whom Caroll could upon any alarm bring together to the Number of at least two thousand He now had notice of our Party's approach and laid an Ambuscade for them which being discovered his Men drew homewards and we followed them into Town which we burnt but the Castle was not to be attack'd without Cannon for tho' it was taken by Lieutenant-General Ginckel and a Garrison put into it during the former Siege of Limerick yet upon our Army 's drawing off part of the House within was burnt and so quitted by our Party which was no sooner done but the Irish put a Garrison in it by which they kept great part of a very good Country in their possession But seeing our Men could not Attack the Castle they took a good prey of Cattle in getting of which and burning the Town they kill'd about sixty Men amongst whom was one Caroll an Officer and a Man of great Bravery We lost only three Men in this Expedition A Party of Horse and Foot went also about this time from Mountmelick to some adjoyning Woods where they understood a Body of Rapparees were got together we kill'd that Day twelve and the next Day six taking a Lieutenant of their Army Prisoner Six of Colonel Lutterel's Dragoons desert the Enemy and sixteen Rapparees were hanged at Clonmel and four were killed as they were making towards a greater Party of the Enemy Twenty seven Rapparees kill'd and thirteen taken Prisoners near Caperquin Twelve Troopers and about thirty Foot went from Caperquin towards A Glyn where they had Information that forty Rapparees were lodged but they proved a much greater Number than was expected and obliged our Horse to shift for themselves which a Trumpeter seeing who was upon a little Hill at a distance he first sounded a March then a Charge and gave a great Shout as if some more Horse were falling on which took so well that it frighted the Rapparees and made them run towards the Wood in which posture our Foot and Horse falling upon them kill'd twenty seven and took thirteen Prisoners three whereof were called Captains but being known Rogues they were all hanged March the 18th a good Detachment was sent from Cashel towards Emly in the County of Limerick to meet with the Enemy who were got into a Body thereabouts As we came towards the place the Enemy retired and had twelve killed in their going off About this time Colonel Russel's Regiment of Horse formerly my Lord Delamere's was broke at Antrim and Colonel White 's Regiment of Foot which were all the Forces that were broke this Year Colonel Tiffin makes an Excursion towards Sligo and met with no formed Body of the Enemy so that his Men had leisure to take a good prey and bring off several Families who removed into our Quarters March 21. A detached Party of four hundred Horse and Foot under the Command of Major Culliford march'd from Cork towards Balycleugh where the Enemy were entrenching themselves but when they saw our Men a-coming they deserted their Works and left seven of their Men to be made Prisoners four of whom were Officers Three hundred of Sir David Collier's Men and Militia march from Bandon towards Bantry where they kill'd nigh seventy Rapparees and took fifteen Prisoners Some Rapparees were taken between Trim and Mullingar And a Party of the Militia under Lieutenant Powel were sent from Dublin to bring in some Rogues who were concern'd in the Murdering six of Colonel Foulks's Soldiers but he and his Party were set upon by one O Neal and twenty eight more who by the management of Lieutenant Powel and his Party were most of them kill'd March the 28th one Mark Baggot formerly very Mark Baggot taken as a Spy going into Dublin well known in Dublin and Serjeant at Arms in the late King's time was taken coming disguised in Womans Cloaths into that City he was shortly after Tryed as a Spy and Condemned but Execution for some time was respited in hopes of his doing service to the Government by some material Discoveries One Beecher a Gentleman in the County of Cork seized upon an Island on that Coast from whence he did much damage to the Irish thereabouts And some considerable Men in Killkenny were seized for holding Correspondence with the Enemy About this time Landed several Recruits at different Ports from England with an Account of the French King 's besieging the City of Mons which occasioned various discourses according as people were inclined In the beginning of April six Souldiers of the Garrison April 1691. of Birr were barbarously Murdered by the Rapparees as were others in several places whensoever they met with opportunities A Spy was taken and Sentenced to be Hanged there but brought from the Gallows upon a discovery of several protected Papists holding Correspondence with the Enemy One Captain Darby of the Leap habiting himself and some of the Militia with a small party of the Army like Rapparees they easily came up with about Eighty of the Enemy who taking our men to be of their own Tribe ten of them were killed and the rest made their escapes April the 9th Brigadeer Stuart sent fifty Fire-Locks and twenty Dragoons from Belturbet to scoure the County of Letrim towards Mohill they discovered two A Party sent by Brigadeer Stuart towards Mohill Troops of the Enemies Dragoons and a Company of Foot Guarding the Creights and their Cattle whom they fell upon killed thirty and took five Prisoners with most of their Horses and what small Baggage they had And nigh the same time thirteen Rapparees were Hanged at Belturbet being Tryed by a Court-Martial A Party of Lieutenant Colonel Purcell's Garrison fell upon some of the Irish Dragoons in
the County of Longford and killed six of them others being also drowned who made more haste than good speed to pass the River Quarter-master Topham kills at one time six and at another time seventeen Rapparees and took nine Prisoners most of which were Hanged Colonel Tiffin sends two Hundred Foot and a Hundred Dragoons from Bally-shannon towards Sligo who in their march killed Forty-two Rapparees and took ten Prisoners bringing off a good Prey at their return April the 11th being the Anniversary of their Majesties Coronation was observed with the usual Solemnities About five Hundred of the Irish came to attack Clonakilty a Garrison of ours in the County The Irish make several attempts upon our Frontiers of Cork but with no great difficulty were beaten off having lost only three Men in the Attempt Next day they seem'd resolved to do something extraordinary and Colonel Mack Finnins Colonel Macarty's and two more Regiments making in all about one Thousand five Hundred Commanded by Brigadier Caroll came to Iniskean with a design to have that place and some other small Garrisons near it as steps to further advancements There were in Iniskean only two Ensigns with Forty-four Men who defended the Streets of the Town for some time but the Irish getting in at the back doors and so firing the Town our Men betook themselves to an House that seemed the best shelter the place could afford and there they defended themselves against all the Attempts of the Irish tho' they were at last in hazard to have been burnt out but that Lieutenant Colonel Ogleby came seasonably from Bandon with a Hundred and fifty Horse and Foot which occasioned the Irish to draw off and being followed by our small Party of Horse in the retreat and the action in Town they lost Seventy-two April the 14th the Titular Popish Archbishop of Dublin Father Brohey and Father Mooney were found hid in a Cave within a Mile of Athy and sent Prisoners to Dublin The 18th a Proclamation was published to promise a Reward for the Apprehending the murdersrs of some of Colonel Foulks's Souldiers in the Church at Mallahuddart fifty Pound being promised for one Christopher Brown with a Ten Pound a piece for five more concerned in the same Fact with Pardon to any of themselves that would discover the rest some of whom were apprehended and Hanged afterwards April the 20th a considerable Body of the Irish They attempt Macroomp advanced towards Macroomp another Garrison of ours in the County of Cork where they seemed now to press us most but a Party of Eighty Horse and three Hundred Dragoons of the Army and Militia were sent out under Major Kirk of Brigadeer Villers's Regiment these came within sight of the Enemy by break of day who being surprised at our unexpected approach the Irish betook themselves to the adjacent Boggs in the pursuit of whom we killed twenty and took an Officer with four Souldiers Prisoners A Party of Rapparees coming near Tallough steal away several Horses and four Men belonging to Colonel Donep's Regiment of Danish Horse This being easily believed could not be done without the knowledge of the Inhabitants in the adjacent Villages Col. Donep's Project to recover his Men and Horses the Colonel ordered several of them to be taken up and threatned to Hang them all unless the Horses and Men were brought back by such a day which was accordingly done and some of the Men that stole them delivered up The 24th some Provisions going to Mullingar under a slender Convoy were seized by the Rapparees at Kinegad but a Party of the Garrison hearing of it came time enough to kill four of them and retrieve some of the Provisions though part of it was lost the Boggs lying at that place so very convenient Twenty-one Rapparees who lately went over the Shannon were taken nigh Belturbet by a Detachment from Finnagh one Duffee and his Lieutenant Commanding this Party had Commissions from Balderock O Donnel And now our English Letters bring us an Account of his Majesties safe Arrival at White-Hall on April the fourteenth Nigh this time his Majesty was pleased to Create Count Schonberg Created Duke of Leinster Count Maynard second Son to the last Duke of Schonberg Duke of Leinster Earl of Bangor and Baron of Mullingar and there was a report as if his Grace should have then gone over into Ireland to Command the Army the succeeding Campaign April 27. My Lord Meath's and my Lord Lisburn's Regiments came to Mullingar the place design'd for the Rendezvous of the Army and encamp without the Town They found a great many of the Some Regiments come to encamp at Mullingar Irish that had made the best provision they could for themselves and Families by the Ditch-sides For Colonel Brewer sometime before this had commanded them all out of Town upon his being informed of their Correspondence with the Enemy This occasion'd them to build a great many Hutts all along the dry Ditches which they make no difficulty in performing for it 's but bending down two or three Sticks with one end on the Ground and the other on the top of the Ditch and then a little Straw or long Grass makes it a Cabbin in less that half an hour for a Family of ten or a dozen young and old to creep into The same Day one Brown was executed as a Several Rapparees kill'd by Colonel Brewer Spie And the 28th Colonel Brewer with Lieutenant-Colonel Hamilton of my Lord Meath's Regiment went from Mullingar towards Dunore with six hundred Foot and twenty Horse their Design was to surprize about two thousand Rapparees that had hutted thereabout for some time At break of Day next Morning our Party came within sight of the Enemy who took the Alarm and began to draw up on several Hills in distinct Bodies both of Horse and Foot and made a shew at first of advancing in order to an Engagement but they always retired to their Fastnesses upon the near approach of any of our Men However the Party so ordered it as to kill nigh fifty and burn their Hutts and Cabbins returning without any loss The same Day the Governor of Meers-Court went towards Ballymore and at Night took the Patrole Prisoner bringing off some of the Horses belonging to that Garrison Fourteen Deserters also came from the Enemy to Mullingar And a crook-back'd Beggar was brought a little after to Colonel Brewer in a Sack he had been formerly a Spie and now upon his detection he accused several protected Papists thereabouts for holding Correspondence with the Enemy The Dragoons posted at Fox-Hall upon scouring the Country kill six Rapparees and three more were taken near Tallough Nigh this time Captain Palliser and one Lieutenant Captain Palliser and his Men taken Prisoners Armstrong went out with a Party of sixty Fire-Locks from their Quarters near Birr their Design was to surprize some of the Irish and bring off a prey they
were informed of but being betray'd by one Terence Mackgrah who had all along been protected and pretended a particular Friendship to Captain Palliser our Men fell into an Ambuscade ordered for them by Long Anthony Caroll and having freed themselves of that they found themselves beset on all sides so that they were forced to take into an old Castle and after being almost smothered in it with Smoak they surrendered themselves all Prisoners of War Lieutenant Armstrong paid Money to be released Captain Palliser made his escape the beginning of June from Limerick but the poor Men were kept Prisoners till Limerick was surrendred Fifteen Rapparees took the Northern-Male going from Dublin at a place called Moyery-Castle between Dundalk and Newry six of which were some small time afterwards apprehended and hanged for it April 29. A Party of one hundred and fifty Foot A Party of the Irish beat off who designed to intercept the Relief of Ballynagooly commanded by Captain Clayton were sent to Relieve Ballynagooly some distance from the place they espied a Party of the Enemies Horse who did not care to meddle with them because they supposed them well provided with Ammunition and about twelve at Night the Party reliev'd march'd out It was no sooner Day-light than they espied near three hundred of the Enemies Horse and Dragoons and about the same Number of Rapparees who had way-laid them expecting they would bring but little Ammunition from the Garrison but Captain Thornicroft Lieutenant Hayes and the Ensign with the Party resolved to make the best of it and so drew their Men into an old Pound Breast-high which they had scarce done till the Advance-Party of the Enemy came up and proferr'd them Quarter which they refused and fired upon them then the Irish main Body advanced and made several very brisk Attacks which our Men resisted stoutly killing several and wounding others who were carry'd off The Garrison of Cork taking the Alarm sent out a Party to Relieve our Men but the Enemy were march'd off before The Enemy left Captain Coppinger two more Captains and ten Men dead and Major Slingsby was left wounded who confessed their Party carry'd off between fifty and sixty kill'd and hurt and withal that it was a Judgment upon them since they designed to promise fair Quarter but afterwards to destroy our whole Party We lost eight Soldiers and two Carr-Men and had five more wounded This Party of the Irish it 's said was commanded by Brigadier Caroll and Sir James Cotter Near this time one Captain Duffee his Lieutenant Twenty three Rapparees hanged at Belturbet and twenty one more Rapparees were hanged by Brigadier Stuart's orders at Belturbet and another as a Spie at Cavan A Detachment of five hundred Men out of the Militia of the City and County of Dublin joyning with Colonel Piper march'd towards Clanbullock where they expected to meet with a Body of the Irish Army and Rapparees but these having Notice of our Design the Night before they dispersed to their several places of shelter so that few of them were taken or kill'd April the 30th being Her Majesties Birth-Day was observed with great Solemnity and all Hands were then at work in order to the fitting every thing for the ensuing Campaign Cloaths Arms Ammunition and Recruits arrived daily at Dublin from England CHAP. IV. Thirty Rapparees killed Major Wood defeats a Party of the Irish Several Skirmishes between the Irish and the Militia One Captain Johnston surprizes a Party of the Irish Army The Irish take a Prey nigh the Black-Water Some of our Sea-men and Militia joyn and march into the Enemies Quarters Monsieur St. Ruth lands in Ireland to Command their Army Mark Baggot hanged Lieutenant-General Douglas encamps with a Party at Ardagh Our Great Officers take the Field The General goes to Mullingar SEveral Ships arrive at Kinsale from England and the Charles Galley and Assurance Frigat at Waterford with four other Ships under their Convoy all loaden with Cannon Ball Bombs Powder and several other Materials necessary for the Campaign The Governor of Clonmel and Colonel Blunt went Thirty Rapparees kill'd out with a Party of the Army and Militia towards Michelstown but not meeting with any of the Enemy they were returning home when some of the Men stragling behind one Cashean a known Rogue shot at a Corporal from behind a Bush which occasion'd the Party to return and surround the Wood in which they kill'd thirty Towards the beginning of this Month two hundred May 1691. and fifty Foot and a small Party of Horse commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Hudson and Major Wood went from Montmelick and posted themselves amongst the Woods and Bogs towards Portarlington At break of Day the Foot entred and scoured the Thickets whilst the Horse secured the adjoyning Passes by which means they kill'd eighteen and took an Ensign one Moor with a Sergeant and six Men Prisoners they took also one of the Guards and one O Rourk who had formerly stole several of the Dutch Horses at Munster Evan. May the 1st Major Wood having Notice that the Major Wood defeats a Body of the Irish Rapparees were in great Bodies about Brittas in the Queen's County he went out with three hundred of my Lord George Hamilton's and Colonel Lloyd's Foot and fifty of Colonel Byerly's Horse with which he first kill'd nigh seventy Rapparees and leaving part of his Men to secure several Passes he went three Miles further beyond a place called The Tougher of Malahone having with him one hundred and ten Foot and thirty Horse but instead of the Rapparees whom he only expected he espied two Bodies of the Irish Army said to be near eight hundred in Number Those he encountred and after several Charges at different places he put them to the Rout killing one hundred and fifty on the place amongst whom were one Captain Schales and two Lieutenants he took Major John Fitz-Patrick Prisoner who commanded the Party and seventeen Officers more with six Sergeants sixteen Corporals two Drummers and a Chirurgeon and also eighty private Centinels In all this Action we lost but a Corporal and a Trooper two Foot-Soldiers wounded and Lieutenant Robinson This may seem incredible to those that are strangers to this Country but I shall in convenient time give you several Instances both Ancient and Modern which deserve as much to be admired And I can find no other reason for it than that it 's no easie matter to persuade the Irish to fight whilst there is a Bog or a Wood nigh them tho' take them abroad and they make no contemptible Soldiers Nigh this time Captain Johnston of my Lord George Captain Johnston surprizes some of the Irish Army Hamilton's Regiment went with one hundred Men from Tyril's Pass to Ballimona in the King's County and towards break of Day he surprized two Troops of Clifford's Dragoons and a Party of my Lord Merion's Horse with some Foot killing a Lieutenant a
ten Granadiers who are to take to the Left and clear the Rampart of the Enemy 5. After these fifty Work-men whereof Twenty-five are to follow the Lieutenant-Colonel to the Right and Twenty-five to go after the Major to the Left with Hatchets Pick-Axes Shovels and Hammers 6. After them shall follow the two Battalions of Stuart and Prince Frederick whereof Stuart is to go to the Right and Prince Frederick to the Left and the Officers are to take care that the Men do not press on too fast but cover themselves from the Enemies Fire as soon as they can 7. After these two Battalions two hundred Foot to carry Fascines and each of them to carry Tools along with them 8. After these shall follow the Regiments of Brewer to sustain Stuart and Count Nassau to sustain Prince Frederick 9. The Work-men are to open as soon as possible the two Gates of the Town that the Horse and Foot may come in that way 10. The Lieutenant-Colonels or Major or both that shall come first to the Ford on the left of the Bridge is to take care to prevent the Enemies Sallying that way and also that their Men do not fire one upon another 11. All these foregoing Detachments are to be Commanded by Major-General Mackay and the Brigadiers Stuart and Vittinghoff To sustain all these a good Body of Horse were got ready and a Lieutenant of Colonel Cambon's Regiment according to Orders having the Advance Party of thirty Men went under Covert of certain Hills within a hundred and fifty Yards of the Breach then Advanced upon the Plain before his Men and the rest of the Detachments following the Enemy fired upon us very smartly but our Men went on and kept their fire till they were at the Breach which the French Lieutenant first mounted throwing his Granade and firing his Piece ordering his Men to do the like and with great bravery encouraged his Party though he lost his Life in the Action Our Granades so galled the Enemy and the Men pressed so fast upon the Breach that the other quit their Works and run towards the Bridge whither we pursued them and even to the foot of the Draw-Bridge the The English-Town taken Irish in their hurrying over the Bridge crowded forwards so fast that several were crushed to death and not a few forced over the sides of the Bridge who were either kill'd or sore bruised When our Men had possession of the Town they rung the Bell and covered themselves at the Bridge foot We lost not above twenty men and had about double the number Wounded the Enemy had about sixty killed and more wounded Brigadier Stuart was Wounded in this Action and one Captain with three private men of the Enemies taken Lieutenant-Colonel Kirk of Brigadier Viller's Regiment was unfortunately killed by a great Shot from the Town as he lay viewing the Action upon the side of an Hill That Evening our three Guns were drawn off from the Ford and nine Guns from the Battery into the Town June the 21st several Detachments of Horse were Batteries planted against the Irish-Town sent abroad one Commanded by Colonel Woolsley went towards Ballymore to meet the eleven Guns and three Mortars that were upon the Road and also to hasten the Pontoons This Evening a Battery was begun at the foot of the Bridge to the Right for five Twenty-four Pounders and a Floor made for six Mortars The 22d about five in the Morning our Batteries were finished and by six the Cannon and Mortars begun to play very briskly on the North-East side of the Castle where it was weakest and by seven in the Evening a large Breach appear'd in the Wall In the Afternoon a French Lieutenant-Colonel was brought off by our Men who had laid under the Bridge since the Attack he was sore bruised and his Back almost broke but seemed not to be so much afflicted with his own private Misfortune as in being engaged with a People who were like to prove but very indifferent defenders of his Master the French King's Interest in that Kingdom The 23d our Guns and Mortars continued firing all Night with that success that by five in the Morning the whole side of the Castle was beaten down and our Bombs had that effect upon it as to make it very unserviceable to the Enemy who were now forced to make an Hole on the West-side of the Wall to get out and in though in a day or two they had no business there at all About two that The Tin Boats come up Afternoon our Tin Boats Floats and other Materials came to the Camp with Colonel Byerley's and my Lord of Oxford's Regiments and a great many People were set to work to repair those Boats that were spoiled the Year before nigh Limerick for there being more New ones expected from England than really came and what we had being judged too few those Old Boats were brought out of a place where they had been thrown by and so were fitted up to lay next the Shore which occasion'd a Report that they were concealed on purpose by the Store-keeper but the thing was as it is here related The same Afternoon a Prisoner was taken nigh the Bridge who gave an Account that Sixty-four Men were in a Mill upon the Bridge which being fired by our Granades and those within not being able to quench it nor get thence they were all consumed with the Fire except the Prisoner and one more that escaped by leaping into the Water A Drummer comes to the General from the Town with an Answer of his Letter sent the Day before about the exchange of Prisoners The 24th was spent in raising three Batteries one below the Bridge another above it and a third without the Town-Wall by the River-side opposite to a Bastion the Enemy had made on the other side the River That Evening one of my Lord Lisburn's Men going under the Bridge to see for Plunder found a pair of Colours amongst the dead Men and tho' the Enemy fired a great many Shot at him yet he brought them off flying and presented them to the General who rewarded the Soldier with five Guinnea's We begin now to contrive Methods of passing the River and a Lieutenant of Horse was commanded with a Party to a Ford towards Lanesborough where the General was informed there might be an easie and undiscovered Passage for most of our Army whilst our Cannon amused the Enemy at the Town This Party went and found the Pass according to Information but tho' he was positively ordered to return as soon as he had passed the River yet such are the powerful Charms of Black Cattle to some sorts of People that the Lieutenant espying a Prey some distance from him on the other side must needs be scampering after them by which means our Design was discovered and the Enemy immediately provided against it by throwing up strong Works on the other side The Lieutenant I beard was afterwards try'd and
do us what mischief lay in their power and this was one reason that Col. Coys Horse and Col. Matthews Dragoons with Col. Hastings Sir John Hanmers Princess Anns Major General Trelawny's Col. Hale's the Bandenburgh and Danish Regiment of Foot were left in the County of Cork as well to keep in the Irish on that side as to secure those Garrisons from any foreign Invasion My Lord Drogheda's Regement was left in Westmeath and Col. Mitchelburns and Col. Venners in the A part of our Army left in the Country and why North and besides those we had in most places of the Kingdom under their Majesties Government a very active Malitia who were ready on all occasions to do Service Towards the beginning of June Major Culliford with a Party of Col. Matthews Dragoons and some Militia make inroads into the Enemies Quarters and bring several Preys from thence but with little loss of men to either side But hearing that a Party of the Enemys Horse and Foot to the number of 2000. or more as was reported were ordred to defend a part of the County of Cork and that of Kerry from whence the Irish had got greatest part of their Relief the preceeding Winter and were in hopes still so to do Major Culliford Major Culliford surprizes some of the Enemy with 120. of Col. Matthew's Dragoons and 50 Militia Foot surprised two of the Enemies Troops killed about 20. and pursued the rest to Newmarkit where we killed 15 more and took a prey and after that went four Miles further in hopes of a greater which we met with But Sir James Cotter being nigh the place with about 500. Horse and Dragoons fell upon our men as they were in disorder killed 20 and took as many Prisoners Major Culliford with 80. men made good their retreat and in the mean time 24. Militia and a 11 Dragoons got to a place called Drumaugh with part of the Prey and 20. of our men under Capt. Bower did the Enemy some mischief in their drawing off killing 23 or there abouts The same day Col. Hastings Col. Ogelby c. with 200. of the Army and 500 Militia being at Ballynagooly and understanding Major Cullifords danger they marched beyond Balycleugh to his Relief where the Enemy had lined some Hedges but our men forced them from thence and that Evening killed 50 next morning relieving those who took unto Drumaugh killing 13 and burning all the Country thereabouts Nigh the same time our Militia kill and take several Rapparees near Cashell and Major Welden with a party from Mountmelick kills 14. A party also of Col. Woolsley's Horse being Detached to scowre the Country about Bally-Boy killed 50. Rapparees at several times Judge Cox being made Governour of the Militia Judge Cox orders Iniskean to be Fortified in the County of Cork Fortifies Iniskean and puts a a Garison in it sending some of the Militia under Col. Townsend towards Bantree where they killed nigh a 100 Rapparees and brought off good store of Plunder and Col. Hastings from Cork seizes upon Drummaneer a considerable Post near the Black Water June the 17. A Party marched from Cashel and Clonmell who were in expectation of meeting with 400. Irish nigh Typerary but they having notice of it withdrew only our Party met with about 30 most of whom were killed and the Town Burnt The Rapparees near Roscreagh had a design to steal the Cattle of that Town but in the effecting of it 12. were killed and the Prey rescued Capt. White and some of the Militia went towards the Bogg of Allen where they killed 13 and the rest with Mackabe their Leader escaped for that time June the 19. A Party of the Earl of Drogheda's Regiment went from Athy to a place called Clonmellera having along with them Sir Thomas Atkins High Sheriff of the Queens County and a Party of the Militia their design was to surprize several notorious Rogues whom they had information were Harboured in that place they kill'd about 8. or 10. tho they did not meet with those Rogues that they expected June the 20. Two Rapparees were kill'd at Caperquin and two at the Gualtire and nigh the same time there was a party of a ragged Irish Regiment called the Prince of Wales's under one Delany a Franciscan Fryer near Castle-Town not far from Cashell who being frighted with a Rumour that part of our Forces were marching that way they all indeavour'd to shift for themselves Three of our Danes were surprized near Clonmell and carry'd to the Mountains but they and a Militia Trooper getting loose in a place where the Rapparees had bound them kill'd three Rapparees and got safe home Ten more were kill'd near Thurles and Twelve a day or two after near Bally-Boy as also two of Lutterill's Dragoons My Lord Blaney Lord Lieutenant of the County of Monahan having ordered the Militia of that County to be in Arms they kill'd 7 Rapparees at one time and 5 at another in the County of Monahan and two more in the County of Armaugh his Lordship by his diligence being very instrumental in keeping in the Irish from making Excursions from those parts about Sligoe And towards the latter end of June the Lords Justices by a Proclamation ordered the Weekly Fast to be renewed and every Friday to be set a part for craving the assistance of Almighty God in prospering of our Fleet and Army CHAP. VI. The Irish Army Decamp The Dead buried at Athlone The Enemy resolve to give us Battle The Works of Athlone repaired A party of our Horse surprized The Irish Prisoners sent to Dublin The Lords Justices Declaration to the Irish Our Army march from Athlone The Enemies Camp and Posture described The Orders that Night Monsieur St. Ruth 's supposed Speech to the Irish Our Army in sight of the Enemy The Line of Battle The Battle of Agrim A party of our Foot beat off Reinforced by Major General Talmash they beat the Enemy Monsieur St. Ruth kill'd Their Army Routed The number of the Dead And of the Prisoners Our loss at the Battle Instances in former Battles wherein the Irish have been Routed with little loss to the English An account of some Irish Prophecies Our Army lye upon their Arms that night Brigadeer Eppinger goes towards Portumna Loughrea deserted by the Irish Our Army march thither Then to Athenree July 1691. The General goes towards Galway The Town described Siege laid to it Major General Mackay passes the River A Fort taken The Irish beat a parley Hostages exchanged The Articles of Surrender Our Army return towards Limerick A Brief account of what happned in other places of the Kingdom during this Month. THE first of July My Lord Portland's Regiment of Guards Landed at Dublin and marcht in two or three Days towards the Camp upon our taking the Town Mons St. Ruth with the Irish Army The Irish Army decamp decamped that night and marcht towards Milton Pass and next
the General resolving to make all the Force he could they had also their part both of the Honour and Service of the Action And tho Brigadeer Stuart is there set down it 's only as to his Post for he was then at Dublin ill of his Wounds received at Athlone Col. Lloyds Regiment was also in Garison at Athlone and two more left at Balynasloe so that we were not altogether so strong as this Line of Battle makes us In this order the Morning proving Foggy our Army stood till nigh 12 a Clock and then were Commanded to Advance the General going with a party before to view the Enemy and perceiving some of their out Scouts upon the Hills ordered a party to beat them thence upon whose advance the Enemy retired from place to place till they were within half a Mile of their Camp by which means the General had an opportunity from an high Hill to the Right of the Enemy to view their whole Army posted as before described by which posture they had the advantage by at least 1000 men but being assured of the valour of his Army the General resolved to draw nearer and expect what further opportunities of advantage might offer in order to which and for the security of our own Army he saw the necesity of gaining that Pass to the Right of the Enemy called Vrachree where the Irish had some men posted he sent therefore a Danish Captain with 16 Troopers to force it but the men run away from a less number than themselves tho the Officer behaved himself very well and the rest retrieved their Honour afterwards upon this the General ordered two Hundred of Sir Albert Cunninghams Dragoons to march to certain Ditches nigh the said Foord to keep the Enemy from coming over and in the mean time our Army was marching forwards by this time it was Two a Clock and the General finding the necessity of having that Foord and other ways that led to the Right of the Enemy as the most proper ways to assault them he ordered Cunninghams Dragoons at the Ditch to advance towards a Party of the Enemy that stood on the other side were sustained by a considerable Body behind the House of Vrachree all which at the advancing of our Dragoons retired behind an Hill nigher their Camp and where a greater Body was posted then some of our Dragoons pressing on too far were obliged to retreat a little disorderly the Enemy sustaining their Men by several fresh Parties which the General perceiving he ordered Briggadeer Eppinger's Dragoons to get between them and their Camp but this was discovered by the Enemy who had the advantage of pouring in so many Men upon us that they would have been too hard for our Dragoons still if they had not been quickly seconded by greatest part of the Earl of Portlands Horse who behaved themselves with great Bravery and lost several Men and Horses in this part of the Action And what was at first only a Skirmish had by this time engaged a considerable Body on both sides fresh Parties being still sent out tho after about an hours dispute the Enemy were obliged to retire in some Disorder over the Brook that flanked the Right of their Army no considerable dammage being done as yet to either side Then all things seemed pretty quiet for a while and our General Officers coming together began to consult whither it was fit to give the Enemy Battel that Night considering the disadvantages we were to expect in Attacking them some therefore were for deferring the Battle that Night and so to fall on by break of day next Morning which was so far agreed to as that our Tents were ordered to be sent for and pitched along the other side the Bogg but then perceiving the Enemy to be in some Disorder by what had already happened they concluded not to delay their Attack lest the Enemy should March off in the Night and so afford us no more opportunities it was therefore agreed to prosecute the Battel on the Enemies Right by that means proposing to draw part of their strength from Aghrim Castle nigh which their main Body was posted that so our Right might have the easier Passage over to Attack their Left and then our whole Army might have opportunity to engage This I am told was the Advice of Major General Mackay a Man of great Judgement and long Experience and it had its desired Success Our Army was disposed of as you see in the Line of Battel only the General moved up and down as he saw occasion as did also the rest of the General Officers and before the Battel began there was no distance left between the first and second Line since a great part of the second Line were the first that engaged The Irish Army was commanded by Monsieur St. Ruth Lieutennant General D'usson Monsieur De' Tessec Lieutenant General Sarsefield Major General John Hambleton Major General Dorington and several other About half an hour past Four in the Afternoon a part of our Left Wing moved towards the Enemy and by Five the Battel began a fresh A Party of our Foot marched up to their Ditches all strongly guarded with Musketiers and their Horse posted advantageously to sustain them here we fired one upon another for a considerable time and the Irish behaved themselves like Men of another Nation defending their Ditches stoutly for they would maintain one side till our Men put their Pieces over at the other and then having Lines of Communication from one Ditch to another they would presently post themselves again and flank us this occasioned great firing on both sides which continued on the Left nigh an hour and an half e're the Right of our Army or the Centre engaged except with their Cannon which played on both sides All this while our Men were coming up in as good Order as the Inconveniency of the Ground would allow and now Major General Mackay and the rest seeing the Enemy draw off several Bodies of Horse and Foot from the Left and move towards their Right where our Men pressed them very hard they laid hold on that advantage and ordered the Foot to march over the Bogg which fronted the Enemies main Battel Colonel Earl Colonel Herbert Colonel Creighton and Colonel Brewers Regiments went over at the narrowest place where the Hedges on the Enemies side run furthest into the Bogg These four Regiments were ordered to march to the lowest of the Ditches adjoining to the side of the Bogg and there to post themselves till our Horse could come about by Aghrim Castle and sustain them and till the other Foot had marched over the Bogg below where it was broader and were sustained by Col. Foulk's and Brigadeer Steuarts Col. Earl advanced with his Regiment and the rest after him over the Bogg and a Rivulet that ran through it being most of them up to their Middles in Mudd and Water The Irish at their near approach to the Ditches
sired upon them but our Men contemning all Disadvantages advanced immediately to the lowest Hedges and beat the Irish from thence The Enemy however did not retreat far but posted themselves in the next Ditches before us which our Men seeing and disdaining to suffer their Lodging so near us they would needs beat them from thence also and so from one Hedge to another till they were got very nigh the Enemies main Battel But the Irish had so ordered the matter as to make an easie Passage for their Horse amongst all those Hedges and Ditches by which means they poured in great numbers both of Horse and Foot upon us which Colonel Earl seeing encouraged his Men by advancing before them and saying There was no way to come off but to be Brave As great an Example of true Courage and Generosity as any Man this Day living But being both flanked and fronted as also exposed to all the Enemies Shot from the adjacent Ditches our Men were forced to quit their Ground and betake themselves to the Bogg again A Party of our Foot beat back whither they were followed or rather drove down by main strength of Horse and Foot and a great many killed Colonel Earl and Colonel Herbert were here taken Prisoners the former after twice taking and retaking got free at last tho not without being wounded Whilst this was a doing here Col. St. Johns Col. Tiffin Lord George Hambleton the French and several other Regiments were marching over below upon the same Bogg The Irish in the mean time laid so close in their Ditches that several were doubtful whether they had any Men at that place or not but they were convinced of it at last for no sooner were the French and the rest got within twenty yards or less of the Ditches but the Irish fired most furiously upon them which our Men as bravely sustained and pressed forwards tho they could scarce see one another for Smoak And now the thing seemed so doubtful for some time that the By-standers would rather have given it on the Irish side for they had driven our Foot in the Centre so far back that they were got almost in a Line with some of our Great Guns planted near the Bogg which we had not the Benefit of at that Juncture because of the mixture of our Men and theirs M. G. Ruvigny's French Horse and Sir John Laniers being both posted on the Right were afterwards part of Our Horse pass the Bogg near the Castle of Aghrim them drawn to the Left where they did very good Service And the Right Wing of our Horse in the mean time were making what haste they could to succour our Foot for seeing their Danger and indeed that all was in hazard by reason of the Difficulty of the Pass they did more than Men in pressing and tumbling over a very dangerous place and that amongst Showrs of Bullets from a Regiment of Dragoons and two Regiments of Foot posted conveniently under Cover by the Enemy to obstruct our Passage Our Horse at this place were sustained by Major General Kirks and Colonel Gustavus Hambleton's Foot who after we had received the Enemies Fire for a considerable time marched under the Walls of the Castle and Lodged themselves in a dry Ditch in the throng of the Enemies Shot from the Castle and some other old Walls and Hedges adjoining Those that have seen the place and considered the Disadvantages that our Men had at such a Juncture to encounter withal must needs Acknowledge the Action very Brave For it s reported that Monsieur St. Ruth seeing our Horse draw that way and then begin to scramble over at a place where only two a Breast could pass and that too with great difficulty after all which they had no other way to march but to go within thirty yards of the Castle The French General seeing our Men attempt to do this askt What they meant by it And being answered That they would certainly endeavour to pass there and Attack him on the Left he is said to reply with an Oath They are brave Fellows it s a pity they should be so exposed or Words to that purpose Our Horse with much difficulty made good that Pass Sir Francis Compton with my Lord of Oxford's Regiment being one of the first that could be in a posture to Engage he fell at Random in amongst the Enemy and charged them briskly with Sword in Hand and tho his Men were once or twice Repulsed yet being seconded with part of Major General Ruvigny's Horse Colonel Langston's and some of Colonel Byerley's Horse as also Brigadeer Leveson's Dragoons they soon made Good their Party on that side tho' not without the loss of several both Men and Horses The Major General Talmash seeing the Disadvantage Major General Talmash Succours our Foot our Foot laboured under in the Centre he shewed at once an extream concern for his Countrymens being repulsed and as much Generosity and Courage by hastning to Succour those that at that time stood most in need of it coming up therefore in all haste with some fresh Men he gave Orders for our broken Regiments to halt and face about which they did immediately and returned the same Measure to the Irish that some of themselves had met withal the very Minute before that is they knockt them on the Head for the Irish followed us toward the Centre of the Bogg which tho not two hundred yards from the lowest Ditches yet before the Enemy could recover those again our Men had killed above three hundred of them and then marched boldly up to their old Ground again from whence they had been lately beat which is only natural to English Men for it 's observable that they are commonly fiercer and bolder after being repulsed than before and what blunts the Courage of all other Nations commonly whets theirs I mean the killing of their Fellow Soldiers before their Faces At the same time Major General Mackay had fallen upon the Enemy with a good Body of Horse on their Left and then Major General Ruvigny went along the side of the Bogg with another Party of Horse who did extraordinary Service bearing down all before them then the Horse and Foot of our Right and their Left mixing there was nothing but a continued fire and a very hot dispute all along the Line The Irish indeavouring to defend their Ditches and our men as forward to beat them from thence But the thing was doubtful not much longer for Mons St. Ruth when he first saw our Foot in the Centre repulsed in a great Ecstasy told those next him that he wou'd now beat our Army back to the Gates of Dublin But seeing our Horse press over towards the Castle he ordered a Brigade of his own Horse to march up then Riding to one of his Batteries and giving orders to the Gunner where to fire he was marching towards the place where he saw us indeavour to come over but was
Sligo to view the Posture of the Enemy thereabouts and it being reported that Lieutenant General Sheldon's Horse were in that part of the Country two hundred Horse and Dragoons were sent abroad to discover the Truth of it Lieutenant Colonel Ramsey with the rest of the Party marched to Ballysedara Bridge four Miles from Sligo where he found old Sir Teague O Regan with eighty Horse and about two hundred Foot very Advantageously posted to hinder our passage that way but our Party attacking them they gave ground after some time and Sir Francis Hambleton with some of the Militia and a Troop of Colonel Winn's Dragroons coming in the mean time the Enemy were pursued almost to the Fort of Sligo about thirty of them killed and ninteen taken Prisoners amongst whom were two Lieutenants and an Ensign and the Store-keeper of Sligo Sir Teague himself narrowly escaping for his mean Appearance was the reason that a Lieutenant was seized instead of him The Earl of Drogheda's Regiment had now Orders to march from the Queens County to Mullingar where the men were daily imployed to improve and strengthen the Works my Lord himself marched always with his Regiment and then took a great deal of pains as well in seeing the Works compleated as in forwarding the Stores and also in hearing and redressing Complaints and Grievances relating as well to the Army the Country A Party of the Militia bring in some Prisoners from the Island nigh Lanesborough who were afterwards sent to Dublin Seventeen Rapparees were killed in the County of Kildare by two Parties of the Militia and three hanged at Edenderry five hundred of the Militia of the County of Cork under the Command of Colonel Beecher met with about four hundred of the Irish beyond a place called Shibbareene and after a small dispute the Enemy were put to flight by which means our Party had almost surpriz'd Mackarty Moore and Colonel O Donavan who were not far off the Enemy lost nigh sixty and the Militia got a considerable Booty of Cattle and nigh the same time one Barry a Captain with ten of his men deserted from the Enemy On the Thirtieth of July part of the Militia of the County of Wickloe being two Troops of Horse two of Dragoons and five Companies of Foot rendezvoused on the Murrough five Miles from Wickloe where they were viewed by Major Brooks and Captain Phillips appointed by the Government as Superintendents of the Militia of that County And thus ended this active month of July in Ireland where more execution was done then in all Europe besides notwithstanding the great Preparations CHAP. VII Several fresh Regiments ordered towards the Camp to Recruit the Army Brigadier Leveson sent with a Party towards Nenagh that place deserted by long Anthony Carol. A Treaty with Balderock O Donel. The Army marches to Cariganlis The General with a Party views Limerick News of the Death of my Lord Tyrconel Irish Lords Justices act after my Lord Tyrconels death A Party sent to meet our Guns Colonel Lumnley goes with a Party towards Charlevil A Spy returns with an account of the Estate of Limerick An Order about the Rates of Provisions Another prohibiting the buying Cattle without the Generals License Our Army goes to Limerick Iretons Fort taken then Cromwels Fort. Col. Donep killed Our heavy Cannon came up A Party sent to Castle-Cannel Our Ships come up nigh the Town Batteries planted The Enemy afraid of our passing the River Brigadier Leveson sent into Kerry Some Protestants released from St. Thomas 's Island Major General Talmash commands in the Trenches A brief Account of what hapned in other places of the Kingdom during the Month of August THe General being assured that the Irish were Fresh Regiments sent for to the Camp using their utmost skill and industry to rally and re-inforce their shattered Army and not knowing how far despair might carry Men that were come now to their last Stake considering also that we had a strong Town before us which would be the work of some Time to reduce if the Enemy made what Resistance might justly be expected his own Troops being likewise harrassed by continual labour and toil suffering often through scarcity of Bread and other Necessaries by reason of continual marching Those and other Considerations prevailed with the General to send for all the Regiments that had been left in Munster and other places except Colonel Hastings at Cork and some Inniskilliner's in the North and some of them being already upon their march we were joyned on the First of August at Banoher The Army marched to Banoher Bridg. Bridge by Colonel Matthews Dragoons and Colonel Lloyd's Foot the latter upon further consideration being ordered back to Athlone for that Balderock's Party was still on foot Banoher is about fourteen miles from Athlone down the River towards Limerick and is a very strong Pass at which the Irish kept three Regiments all the precedeing Winter building small Huts to shelter thâ—mselves from the Weather The Bridge it self consists of seventeen large Arches one of which was broke down by the Irish and another is since fallen At the Bridge end on Leinster side had been a considerable Stone Fort built in the former Wars now demonished by the Irish but on the other side of the River they had cast up a Work close to the Bridge and there planted four Field peeces behind which stood an Old Castle not to be forced without Cannon and nigh that a very Regular Fort and well palisado'd so that it was not so easie a thing to force this place at any time during the former Winter as some Coffee-House Generals and pot valiant Souldiers made it but Men that have been bred up that way and are actually upon the Place are commonly best Judges of what is fit to be attempted in such a Case though it is not convenient they should alwayes give Reasons for what they do to every one who pretend to be concern'd Our Army encamped here on a narrow Neck of Ground left by the slopeing of the River on the Right and a vast Bog on the Left The Encampment being so strong that it had been impossible for any Army or numbers of Men to have forced us from our Ground August the Second the Army halted and a detachment Brigadier Leveson sent forwarwards with a Party of four Men out of each Troop of Horse with a Party of Dragoons making in all five hundred men under the Command of Brigadier Leveson were sent forwards to scowre the Country On the Fourth this Party went to Nenagh where stands the Remains of an Old Castle built by King John and now the Inheritance of the Duke of Ormond The Roof of this Castle was burnt by a Party of our Army at our decamping last year but the Walls and some other conveniencies remain still being possest all Winter by long Anthony Carol whose Party was now about five hundred Hearing therefore of Brigadier Levesons approach he
prevented a great many Followers of the Army from committing several Disorders that of themselves they were very much inclined to August 22. the Weather begun to amend and Francis Burton Esq was sent by the General to the Squadron of Ships then in the River with Orders for them to sail nearer the Town The 23 d two hundred and fifty fresh Draught-Horses were sent out to hasten up the Train and each Regiment was ordered to make ready 2000 Fascines to begin the Work at Limerick One Dowdall a Counsellor and Sheldon a Lieutenant in the Irish Foot-Guards desert and two Troopers and a Sutler were condemned at a Court Martial the two Troopers for robbing and the Sutler for buying Goods of them contrary to the General 's strict Orders That Evening also our Guns came within sight of the Camp and the Weather now seeming to promise us our wonted Success the General resolved to move forwards but since the Irish Army were all in and about the Town and 't was probable they might design us some Trouble in our Approach therefore it was ordered that at break of Day next Morning the Army should be ready to march but without beat of Drum six hundred Horse three hundred Dragoons and one thousand Firelocks and two hundred Granadeers out of each Line for an Advance-Party these were to march in two Lines at the Head of either Wing with four Field-pieces each and twenty five Pioneers a piece to cut down any Rubs that might be in their way the whole Body of Horse were to march after the detached Foot with each Man three Fascines before him which they were to leave where ordered so that the Enemy might see we were resolved to spare no Pains rather than go without the Town a second time Then all the Foot were to march and after them the Train and no Baggage whatever to march near the detached Party who were to march directly to the Quakers House and there to make a Halt till the Foot came up Then the Right Line to fall into the Road on the right Hand and the Left Line on the other Road from the Quakers House and all to draw up afterwards in order of Battel so to march easily towards the Town making several Halts to observe the Enemies Motion These Orders I have set down to shew the Reader the Method of approaching Towns when an Army expects Opposition from an Enemy though the Irish did not give us much disturbance in this But before we leave Cariganless I know not whether it may be worth the Reader 's while to be informed of a Tradition that the People in the Neighbourhood have concerning 2 old Castles that stand nigh half a Mile from this place and not above a stone's cast one from another they say that in former times two Brehons or Irish Judges lived in those two Castles who hapned at last to have some Disputes about their Properties and their Wives though they were Sisters used to stand upon the Battlements of their own Houses and scold at one another for several hours together which at length one of them being weary of she found out a Trick only to appear and begin the Fray then she would place an Image that she had dress'd up in her own Clothes in such a posture as her Sister could not discern it from her self at that distance who not sensible of the Cheat she used to scold on and at last fretted her self to death because she could not be answered in her own Language But I 'm afraid the Women in this Country will scarce pardon this Story And therefore according to the former Orders Friday the 25th the Army marched towards Limerick Our Army approaches the City of Limerick leaving two Regiments of Foot and one hundred Horse till the Cannon come up next day Our Advance-Party of Horse and Dragoons met with no great Opposition only some small firings between them and the Irish Out-Guards with no great damage to either side We made our Approaches much after the same manner we did the Year before tho we drew more to the Left and nearer the Shannon but fix'd our Camp further from the Town When greatest part of our Army was got up our Detached Body of Foot under the Command of Lieut. Gen. Mackay was ordered to Attack Ireton's Fort and the old Church-Fort where we expected the Enemy had lodged a Party our Men made a Line cross the Fields and were sustained by several entire Regiments of Foot and a Body of Horse We advanced towards both the Forts at one time and found the upper one deserted and when we came almost within Musquet-shot of Ireton's Fort the Irish quitted that also and retired towards a little stone Fort nigh the Outworks of the Town Our Men seeing them draw off rushed forwards and fired but to no great purpose for the Enemy after some faint Returns presently lodged themselves in the other Fort And towards the Evening Count Nassau with a Party attacked Cromwel's Fort standing to the left of the other which the Irish had made pretty defensible and wherein they had then about 500 Men lodged Our Granadeers were in the Front who were saluted with a Volley of Shot from the Enemy but this being a thing they were now pretty well used to they ran forwards and threw in their Granades and then being followed by the whole Party the Irish in less than half an Hour left the Fort to our Discretion We had only tow or three killed and the Enemy about ten though some made them a great many more Oliver Cromwel in the former Wars of Ireland never went further than Clonmel for there receiving Orders from the Parliament to go for England he entrusted the Management of the Army to Ireton who at the besieging of Limerick built several Forts two of the most remarkable bearing the Names of Ireton's and Cromwel's were now ordered to be called Mackay's and Nassau's Forts because gained under those Commanders and by those Names we shall call them for the future when there is occasion to mention them When we came up towards the Town we found a Man newly hanged upon the Gallows who the Irish said was an Officer of theirs and put there for endeavouring to desert to our Army The General having some Intimation of a Salley designed from the Town that Night and judging it not improbable since they had so good a Body of Horse behind it he commanded therefore that our Horse should not unsaddle but each Troper to lie all Night by his Horse's Head to be ready upon the first Alarm Col. Donep who commanded our advance Party of Horse was killed that Evening by a random Shot being a Gentleman who had a very good Character both among the Danes and English The 26th all our Train came up as also a great many Carriages with Bombs Ball Shovels and Pickaxes and 800 Barrels of Powder This Night we broke Ground and made our Approaches with no great
four executed two more were hanged at Carlow by Sir Thomas Butler's Orders and one of Mackabe's Servants kill'd and thus ended the Month of August CHAP. VIII September 1691. Our Bombs set the Town on fire The Irish design a Salley but are repulsed by my Lord Drogheda 's Regiment Brigadeer Leveson routs a Party of the Irish in Kerry A Design to pass the River A new large Battery made towards the King's Island A Breach made Some thoughts of storming it Guns planted nigh St. Thomas 's Island The Cannon and Bombs play at the Cathedral and why Colonel Earl sent into England Rejoicing in the Camp for the Defeat of the Turks My Lord Lisburn killed A Party ordered to pass the River by a Bridg of Boats The Irish in a great Consternation The Castle on the Weir taken Debates whether the Siege should be continued or turned into a Blockade Orders in case of an Alarm Some Guns shipp'd Our Men pass the River a second time The Attack at Thoumond Gate Six hundred of the Enemy killed A remarkable Paper found in the Pocket of a Colonel in the Irish Army The Enemy beat a Parley A Cessation agreed to Hostages exchanged The Irish Proposals rejected by the General Articles agreed to The General 's Letter to Sir Ralph Delaval giving him an Account of the Cessation A brief Account of what happened in other Parts of the Kingdom during this Month. SEptember the First Col. Woolsley with a Party of 500 Horse and Dragoons went towards Killalow it being reported that Sarsfield was moving that way upon some secret Expedition into our Quarters All last Night and that Morning our Bombs and Cannon plaid upon the Town setting it on fire in some Places which was no small trouble to those within to put it out It Our Bombs set the Town on fire was ordered that Afternoon that most of our Guns and Mortars should be shipp'd again and at Night Maj. Gen. Tettan commands in the Works A little after our Guards were relieved we understood the Irish designed a Salley in order to which a considerable Body of their Men advanced towards our Works between Nassau's Fort and the great Battery where the Earl of Drogheda with his Regiment was then upon Duty His Lordship The Irish intend a Salley perceived the Irish were coming and therefore ordered his Men not to fire till they should advance within Pistol-shot of us and then to give them a whole Volley But the Souldiers perceiving the others Approach would not forbear to shoot amongst them which was the reason that the Irish could not be perswaded to advance any But are repulsed by my Ld Drogheda's Regiment further though they had then a very good Opportunity since there was but one Regiment at that time to defend above 300 Yards of the Works We had one Man kill'd and two wounded and were in a small time reinforced by Col. Venner's Regiment and a Party of Horse were sent down to remain all Night as near the Works as they could conveniently The Guns plaid and Mortars also for some part of the Night but the General saw that our Batteries were too far off and therefore new Measures were consulted on LYMRICK A Council of War was this day held and also a Court Martial whereof the Earl of Drogheda was President at which amongst other things a Woman was condemned for endeavouring to intice some of our French Souldiers into Town whom she took to be Roman Catholicks This Evening two great Mortars 18 Inches and an half Diameter that were brought from Ship-board were mounted and several Bombs thrown but they did not do the hoped-for Execution which occasioned the drawing them and the Guns off from the Batteries with a design to attempt something elsewhere or if it could be to pass the River which the Enemy having private A Design to pass the River notice of they removed their Horse-Camp about two Miles to the North-East of Limerick posting four Regiments of Dragoons to guard the Shannon below Anighbegg where they had three Regiments of Foot lay intrenched The Cannon however had been so troublesom to the Inhabitants that most of them left the Town and encamp'd under Sheets and Blankets with what else they could procure nigh a Party of their Horse where they and their Army wanted nothing so much as Salt The General seeing the Enemies Camp removed went to a convenient Place to view them The third the Guns and Mortars put on board were again unshipp'd upon new Measures being taken and brought up to the Artillery-Ground One of Col. Nugent's Dragoons deserted from the Enemy leaving them the Night before and says that 17 Regiments of Horse and Dragoons belonging to their Army were most of them at that time beyond the River but neither well equipp'd nor clad nor were the Regiments nigh full The 4th Lieut. Col. Peck with the Princess Ann's Regiment came to the Camp and in the Evening a Party of 300 Horse and Dragoons were sent to reinforce Brigadeer Leveson and some Reports there were that he was surrounded by the Enemy upon which the General sent to him to return but it proved only a Prey of Cows that the Enemy had taken from some of the Countrey-People who had bought them from the Brigadeer's Party at the Rout they gave the Irish However the Brigadeer had Orders afterwards to secure the County of Kerry and to endeavour the reducing the Enemies Garisons there six Guns being ordered for that Service For the Enemies keeping some small Garisons between our Camp and Cork was a great Disadvantage to us in point of Provisions which otherwise we might have expected Plenty of from that part of the Countrey The Duke of Wyrtemberg as 't is said by the Advice of my Lord Castle-connel who was come to our Camp had A new Battery contrived nigh the Kings Island now found out a Place for a new Battery nigh the King's Island on the River-side which was thought nearer the Town than the former and from whence we could batter the English Town more effectually This Place in our publick Accounts was said to be within Carbine shot of the Wall and yet it was at least 300 Yards from it Nor was there any Conveniency to raise a Battery any nearer against this part of the Town by reason of the River to the Right and a low Morass Ground on the Front But some Disputes about this new Battery were raised before it self though at last it was concluded on and several Regiments both of Horse and Foot were ordered to move towards the Right as well for the security of our Battery as to front the Irish Army who were gone that way before us We were at work also very hard upon a Line of Contravallation raising three or four new Forts between the old Church and the King's Island to secure the remaining part of our Army in case some of them should be commanded over the River September the 5th
with an Officer desert the Enemy a Sergeant of theirs gave us notice where their Ammunition lay and our Guns fire very hard all Day at the Place the General and all the great Officers continuing the whole Afternoon at the Battery and were very well pleased to see a Bomb blow up some part of their Powder At Night our Works were double mann'd and our great Guns beginning to the right the whole Line made three running Fires which were seconded by as many from several Regiments both of Horse and Foot drawn up at the Heads of their respective Camps this was for Joy of the Christians Success in Guns fired for Joy the Turks were defeated in Hungary Hungary against the Turks but it alarm'd the Irish who stood at their Arms all the Night being much puzzled to know the meaning of it some saying that our Fleet had beat the French and others that it was only for a Blind at our going off and every one as they fancied Orders were now given for the demolishing Castle-connel Carick a Gunnell and other Places upon the Shannon and several Miners were at work upon them The fifteenth the Finnan Regiment of Green Danes march towards Clonmell in order to go to Waterford and most of our Guns were drawn off from the Batteries as a Blind to a Design at Night being a great many Men at work all day to prepare our Tin-boats and Floats That Afternoon my Lord Lisburn then upon Duty with his Regiment to the Left of the Great Battery his Lordship having laid down to rest him in a little Trench-Tent just in the rising up was unfortunately shot by a My Lord Lisburn killed great Gun from one of the Enemies Batteries being a Man of excellent Parts and who had shewed himself very diligent and forward upon all Occasions since the beginning of this War In the Evening it was ordered that four hundred Granadeers A Party ordered to march over the River so soon as 't was dark should parade at the Head of Major General Kirk's Regiment from whence they marched about nine at Night being joined with six hundred Workmen with the Tin-boats and sustained with five Regiments of Foot commanded by Major General Talmash and a Body of Horse and Dragoons under Major General Scravemore with six Field-pieces Those all march to a Place of the Shannon about two Miles above our Camp and by twelve at Night begin to lay the Boats over In the mean time the Granadeers commanded by Sir David Collier with Capt. Ketchmay of Sir John Hanmer's Captain Alnut of my Lord Drogheda's Captain Parker of Colonel Gustavus Hamilton's Regiment another Captain and eight more Officers were wafted over by the Tin-boats into an Island where the Bridg was laying and from whence it was fordable to the other side beating some few Straglers of the Enemy from thence who now and then fired at the Workmen but with little or no Loss to us for the Night being very dark and the Enemy secure because they judged us going off the Bridg was almost compleated before they suspected it The 16th at Day-light our Bridg was finished and A Bridg laid and our Men pass over it Colonel Matthew's Dragoons beginning to pass into the Island by which time Brigadeer Clifford had got the Alarm who was not far off with four Regiments of Dragoons he seemed not very forward in the Matter tho his Dragoons came down on foot and pretended to make some Opposition as did also a Body of the Enemies Foot being about four or five thin Regiments who advanced towards the Ford when Major General Talmash immediately commanded the Granadeers to wade thrô which done they possess'd themselves of an old House and an Hedg or two about an hundred Yards from the Enemy and were commanded not to be lavish of their Shot but receive the Enemies Fire till our Dragoons and some Horse were got over which were passing Then the Enemy endeavouring to flank our Granadeers on the Right the Major General commanded a Detachment of Colonel Matthews's Dragoons to beat them from that Post which being done and a good Party soon got over Major General Talmash ordered the Granadeers to advance being sustained by a Regiment of Foot commanded by Colonel Tiffin and Lieutenant Colonel Bristow a Party of Dragoons and a Party of Colonel Coys's Horse This was done and after some faint Resistance the Enemy run towards a large Bog and a Wood that was in their Rear throwing away their Granadoes Muskets and every thing that proved troublesom our Men pursued them and killed several upon the Bog taking a French Lieutenant Colonel a Captain and some more Prisoners Our advance-Party received Orders to halt till all were got over and then march'd to the Left up towards the Enemies Camp But by this time the News of our passing the River was got to their Horse and also towards the Town both Parties providing for their Safeties as well as they could for the People that were encamp'd without endeavoured to get into Town but those within drew up the Bridg and would not admit them and it 's almost incredible what a Noise and Confusion there was then at Thoumond Gate their Horse tho begin to buckle to Arms and made a shew of fighting which was only to gain time to secure their Tents and Baggage and their Dragoons having their Horses two Miles off at Grass were forced to shift for themselves Our Horse expected Orders to pursue them but they were commanded by the General and Lieut. Gen. Scravemore who were now come up to halt till a greater Body advanced to sustain them Some of the Irish were now pulling down their The Irish in a great Consternation Tents others driving away the Cattle and every one in a Hurry making what haste they could towards the Mountains and then the General ordered our Men to advance towards their Horse-Camp where they found Brandy Beef and a great many other things And a Party of our Granadeers met with about three hundred Dragoon Saddles and other Accoutrements which they burnt by Order We did not pursue however for fear of an Ambuscade but sent to observe the Enemies March The Irish also nigh the Town were very busy in breaking down two small Bridges cross a Causey leading to the Town but the firing of two of our Field-pieces put a stop to their Proceedings in that Place There is a small white House about half a Mile from the Town on Thoumond side nigh which two Squadrons of the Enemies Horse were drawn up and about a Regiment of Foot posted in the Hedges to secure their Lords Justices the Records all their chief Ladies and Treasure which all were there and had been as then no difficult though a very good Prize But after some of our Parties had seen them go off in the greatest Confusion that could be we set two or three Houses on fire and staying on that side till about two a Clock in
La Melâ—oner's Brigades were to draw up at the Head of their respective Camps and there remain till further Orders so that our Army being disposed of on this manner the Irish would have met with a very scurvy Welcome if they had come at any time to visit us but they considered better of it and so staid at home The 20th most of the rest of our heavy Canon were Some of our Guns shipp'd drawn off and sent on Shipboard Several Deserters come in and some of our Prisoners make their Escape through a Hole in the Goal which our Cannon had made and inform the General of the State of the Town that it was not so very bad as some People made it for unless we kept them in also on the other Side we could not hope to carry it which Story had been very often told On the 21st the General received an Express with an Account of Sligoe's being surrendred to the Earl of Granard and it being fully agreed to pass the River next Day and a probable Consequence of that being that the Irish must needs then or never endeavour to attempt the forcing of our Works on this side when they saw our Army divide therefore it was ordered that in case of an Alarm there should be a Signal given which was by the lighting of a Torch upon a Pike at Mackay's Fort the Charge of which was committed to the Officer of the Quarter-Guard and he ordered to be very vigilant the Regiments being disposed of for Defence as before The Quartermasters were also ordered to be be at Major General Tetteau's by break of Day And therefore September the 22 d the General himself the Duke of Our Men pass the River a second time Wirtemberg Lieutenant General Scravemore with all our Horse and Dragoons commanded by Major General Ruvigny except Colonel Coys's Horse and fifty out of each Regiment of Dragoons with ten Regiments of Foot and fourteen Guns viz. ten 3 Pounders and four 12 Pounders taking also seven Days Provision along march'd over our Bridg of Boats into the County of Clare leaving Major General Mackay and Major General Talmash to command on this side All that Morning as our Horse and Foot march'd by this side of the Town the Enemy fired continually upon us from several Batteries but did us no great Injury At twelve a Clock all our Men had passed the River and about two eighteen of Colonel Matthews's Dragoons being our advance-Party were attack'd by a Party of the Enemy who out-numbred ours and obliged us to retreat till sustained by a greater Party as was also the Enemy and some small Firings continued till about four that our Foot came up we advancing still and the Enemy retiring till they were got under their Cannon Then all the Granadeers of our Party commanded by Colonel Tiffin Lieutenant Colonel Hudson and Major Noble sustained by Kirk's Tiffin's St. John's and my Lord George Hamilton's Regiments were commanded to advance and attack the Works that cover Thoumond Bridg being one Fort to the Right above Musket-shot from the Bridg The Attack at Thoumond Gate another on the Left somewhat nearer besides several natural Fortifications of Stone-quarries and Gravel-pits in all which the Enemy had posted a Detachment out of eighteen Regiments of about eight hundred Men. The Dispute was pretty hot at first and their Cannon playing from the King's Castle and two or three more Batteries as also their small Shot from the Walls the Attack seemed very hazardous and our Men ordered not to approach so nigh the Town as they afterwards did However the Irish being now pressed upon by our Granadeers they quitted their first Posts and then were reinforced by another Detachment from the Town but all this could not do their business for our Granadeers were so very forward and despised all Dangers to that degree that they put the whole Body to flight in despight of their Forts Cannon and all other Advantages and pursued them so close that a French Major who commanded at Thoumond Gate fearing our Mens entring the Town with their own he ordered the Draw-bridg to be pluck'd up and left the whole Party to the Mercy of our Souldiers those that were behind pressing the others forward and throwing them down over the Fall of the Draw-bridg then the rest cried out for Quarter holding up their Handkerchiefs and what else they could get but before killing was over they were laid on Heaps upon the Bridg higher than the Ledges of it so that they were all either killed or taken except about a hundred and twenty that got into Town before the Bridg was drawn up and many of those cut and slash'd to the purpose The number of the Dead is said to be 600 of the Enemy killed six hundred amongst whom we may reckon one hundred fifty four that were drowned in being forced over the Fall of the Draw-bridg and reckoned afterwards cast up upon the Shore The Prisoners were Colonel James Skelton who died afterwards of his Wounds Lieutenant Colonel Edmond Hurley Lieutenant Colonel Francis Dempsey Major Matthew French John Nelvil Aid-Major of Limerick besides nine Captains seven Lieutenants six Serjeants and ninety seven private Men all whose Names I have but they are not worth the while of writing down or reading afterwards We took also five Colours and as some say three small brass Guns that were with a Party of their Horse And we lost in this Action Lieutenant Starlin with twenty five private Men and had about threescore wounded One thing here remarkable is that Colonel Skelton's A remarkable Paper Pockets being search'd when he was taken Prisoner the following Paper was found amongst other things The Paper it self I have and will not be answerable either for the Orthography or Sense however take an exact Copy of it And first something like the fashion of a Spear's Head or a Wound as he calls it being slovenly drawn upon Paper the following Words were writ about it THis is the Measure of the Wounds of the Side of our Saviour Jesus Christ wich was brought from Constantinoble to the Emperor Charmaine in a Coffin of Goulde and is a most precious Relique to the end that he or she that carried the same about him no Fire nor Water no Wind Tempest Knaife Launce or Sword nor the Divil cannot hurt him and the Woman with Child the day she seeth the same Measure shall not dey a sudden Death but shall be delivered by and if any Man carre the same about him with good Devotion shall have the Honor and Victorey of his Enimy The day that any doth read the sam or heard it read shall not dey an evil Death Amen Animis scriptoris in manu Saluatoris I have more Charity for any in Colonel Skelton's Post than to believe that he could write this Paper himself for whoever did understood neither English nor Latin nor yet Common Sense I therefore believe it the Hand-writing of
some poor ignorant Irish Priest and kept by Colonel Skelton either out of Ridicule or possibly out of some Religious Design since I have heard that they had a great many of those Papers printed and kept amongst them with a great deal of Devotion and if we 'll look amongst them we may find a great many Instances of the like nature and altogether as great Absurdities for Colonel Skelton was no Irishman nor could he well be fond of the Fopperies of that Nation In the former Wars we have several Relations of such like Religious Papers found upon the Irish with a great many Charms and other such like Stuff particularly at the Battel of Knocknaclashy the last of that Rebellion and parallel to this in several Circumstances for amongst other Charms taken at that time this one is remarkable viz. This is the Print of our Lady's Foot and whoever wears it and says twenty Ave Maries shall be free from Gunshot Cox p. 68. But this Digression I 'm afraid is scarce pardonable and therefore when our Men had lodged themselves within ten Yards of the Bridg notwithstanding an high Tower that stood near that End of the Bridg next to them the Irish being then cut off from all Communication with their Horse and despairing of Succours from France they began soon to think upon giving up the Town but it must needs be thought very unaccountable that when they saw our Forces divide and part of them indeavouring to approach the Town on their Side they should not then have brought all their Army together and given us Battel rather than suffer the Town to be surrounded nor could they have been so pinn'd up in the Town by us if they really had been beat but that their Horse and Dragoons might have fought their way out again at some time when we had not been at our Arms for there was no Forage left nigh the Town and our Horse could no more stay long near it than theirs within it But it 's probable e're this time that they were grown jealous of one another and a great many of them weary of the War it self and it 's as probable that if their Horse and Dragoons after a brisk Trial of Skill had been forced towards the Town they had been served the same sauce by the French Major as their Foot were and therefore they were wiser and kept at a good Distance beyond Six-mile-Bridg and nigh Ennis towards whom the General sent a Party of our Horse Next Day being Wednesday the 23 d one hundred Cattle taken from the Enemy the Day before and six hundred more sent out of the County of Kerry by Brigadeer Leveson were divided amongst the Army And though the Day proved very rainy yet our Guns and some Mortars ceased not to play upon the Town nor the Enemy to fire more furiously than they had done for some time before One Lieutenant Colonel Corbet came off from the Enemy and proposed to the General the bringing over my Lord Tyrconnel's and Galmoy's Regiments of Horse and out of those two to make one good Regiment to serve their Majesties in Flanders provided he might have the Command of them Towards Night the Rain begun to cease and both Storms were ended together for about six a Clock the Enemy beat a Parly The Enemy beat a Parly on both Sides the Town one Colonel Ruth coming towards Mackay's Fort where the Earl of Drogheda's Regiment then were upon Duty But Major General Talmash shortly after coming that way and being acquainted with it he referred the Matter to Lieutenant General Scravemore and the Marquess Ruvigny The General being then beyond the River Major General Waughup or Lieutenant General Sarsfield went out to him and a Cessation was concluded for that Night The 24th in the Morning Lieutenant General Sarsfield A Cessation agreed to and Major General Waughup came out to the General and desired it might be continued for three Days longer till they could send to their Horse who then were encamp'd towards Clare in order to their being included in the general Capitulation which they then proposed and the Request was granted The Enemy had now in Town two hundred forty and odd Prisoners of our Army and Militia that had been taken in the County of Cork and other Places who remained there all the Siege and were pretty well look'd after whilst the Protestants had leave to stay who were inexpressibly kind to them but no sooner were they turn'd out of Town but the poor Prisoners were in a miserable Condition being exposed to the Fury of our own Guns and Mortars and about thirty of them killed during the Siege This Afternoon those alive were brought out to us and delivered between Mackay's Fort and the Town many of them in a miserable Condition those of them that were not able to walk were brought out upon poor lean Garrons and some died upon the Spot where they were set down being weak and unacquainted with the open Air Nay so barbarous had the Irish been in this Particular that they had not so much as ordered the Wounds of some of our Men to be dressed that they had got in Prison by our own Guns but after several Days keeping them in that Misery they brought them out and made us all Witnesses of their Barbarity I give one Instance of a Dragoon in Colonel Matthews's Regiment who had his Hand shattered to Pieces and being never dress'd he died within an Hour after his bringing out The same Day we had an Account that Galloping Hogan a Fellow that had got upwards of one hundred Rapparees together Horse and Foot and got much Plunder by robbing the Sutlers and other People that came into his Power he was now so bold as to set upon a Party of Carrs coming towards the Camp with little or no Guard nigh Cullen and took away with him seventy one small Horses though he durst not stay to do any further Mischief The 25th Lieutenant General Sheldon the Lords Their great Officers come from the Horse Camp to consult with the rest in Town Galmoy Westmeath Dillon and Trimblestowne Mack Guire the Titular Primate the Titular Archbishop of Cashell Sir Theobald Butler and several more of the Irish Officers came from their Horse Camp and dining with the General they went afterwards into Town in a Boat rowed by French Seamen there being then three Vessels drawn up within the Key and one of them sunk a-cross it to prevent our coming up the River in the Night by way of Surprize as they rid by the End of the Bridg towards the Boat a Party of their own Men were burying the Dead killed in the last Action they stopp'd and enquired for several People whom they there found dead and the Cessation was continued till next Day at ten a Clock The 26th Sarsfield and Waughup dined with the General and it was agreed that Hostages should be exchanged in order to a further Treaty Accordingly in
get out again And the second Week in May several English a Brandenburg and Three Dutch Regiments landed By which time also all our Recruits were compleated and the Regiments Cloathed so that we had now an Excellent Army all over-joyed with the Assurance that His Majesty in person designed to make that Campaign in Ireland A part of our Army also begin to take the Field and Encamp almost round Charlemont Cannon and Mortars were sent up that way too in order to force old Teague O Regan the Governour from his Nest if he would not quit it otherways but their Provisions being spent and no hopes of Relief appearing on the 12th of May the Governour desired a Parley and after some time it was agreed That his Garison should march out with their Arms and Baggage which they did Charlemont surrendred on the 14th being about Eight hundred besides two hundred Women and Children four Companies of Collonel Babington's Regiment taking possession of the Place We found Seventeen Pieces of Cannon one large Mortar Eighty three Barrels of Powder with some Fire Arms and other useful Materials in the Castle The same day that Charlemont was surrendred Collonel Woolsley and Collonel Foulks with Twelve hundred men went to a Castle called Bellynacargy in which the Enemy had Two hundred men this was scituate in a small Lough so that our men were forced to march up to their middles in water to make their Approaches the Enemy fired smartly upon us killed us Two Captains an Ensign and Seventeen men and wounded Forty three but when they saw us resolved to have the Place they hung out their White Flag and agreed to march away without their Arms. A Ground Plot of the STRONG FORT of CHARLEMONT in IRELAND With the Town River Marshes Boggs places adjacent ct CHAP. II. His Majesty lands in Ireland Our Army takes the Field The King marches towards the Boyn His Majesty's narrow Escape the day before the Battel The Battel of the Boyn The number of the Dead The Late King quits Ireland Our Army marches to Dublin His Majesty's Declaration to the Irish A List of our General Officers and of those belonging to the Irish Army The number of men in both Armies Our Army divides Lieutenant-General Douglass marches with a Party towards Athlone A Commission granted by the King to secure forfeited Goods Wexford secured Clonmell quitted Waterford and Dungannon-Fort surrendred to His Majesty The King intends for England and sends some Forces thither But returns to the Camp Limerick Besieged Some of our Guns surprized A Fort taken An Attack upon the Town Our men draw off His Majesty raises the Siege and returns to England ALL People were now big with hopes of His Majesty's coming for Ireland who left Kensington the Fourth of June 1690. took Shipping at Hylake His Majesty Lands in Ireland on the 12th and on the 14th being Saturday he landed about Four in the Afternoon at Carigfergus from whence being upon the Road to Belfast he was met by the General Major-General Kirk and a great many more Officers of the Army that were there expecting His Majesty's Landing And that Evening landed his Highness Prince George the Duke of Ormond Earl of Oxford Earl of Portland Earl of Scarborough Earl of Manchester my Lord Overkirk my Lord Sidney with a great many other Persons of Quality some of them Officers in the Army and others Voluntiers The two following days His Majesty was attended by most of the Nobily Clergy and other Gentlemen inhabiting that part of the Kingdom He was presented also with an Address from the Episcopal Clergy and another from several Presbyterian Ministers both which His Majesty received very graciously The King stayed at Belfast till Thursday the 19th and having set out a Proclamation to encourage all People of what Persuasion soever to live peaceably at home His Majesty went to Hilsburrough giving Ordes for his Army to take the Field And on the All our Army takes the Field 22th His Majesty Encampt at Loughbritland with that part of the Army which had their Rendezvouz there and never laid out of the Camp except upon his Journey from Caruck to Dublin after that during his stay in Ireland That Morning a Party of Two hundred Foot and Dragoons going from Newry towards Dundalk to discover the Enemy who ere this had taken the Field and then lay encamped there our men fell into an Ambuscade of about Four hundred of the Irish at a narrow Pass upon a Bog nigh a place called the Four-mile House by which we lost Twenty two of our Party and Captain Farlow with another Officer were taken Prisoners but the Enemy did not gain much by this Attempt for they lost more in number than we did Captain Farlow was the first who gave the Late King a certain Account of King William's being in Ireland for till then he would not believe it June the 27th our whole Army joined at Dundalk making in all about Thirty six thousand though the World called us at least a third part more The Irish at our approach hither had removed to the Boyn And on Sunday the 29th our Army marched beyond Ardee which the Enemy had fortified much after the same manner as they had done Dundalk and early next morning our whole Army moved toward the The Army marches to the Boyn Boyne making their Approaches very finely After some time His Majesty sent down small Parties of Horse to discover the Ways and then rid towards the Pass at Old Bridge having a full view of the Enemy's Camp as he went along His Majesty stopt some time at Old Bridge to observe the Enemy's Posture and then going a little further His Majesty alighted to refresh himself and sate nigh an hour upon the Grass during which time the Enemy brought down two Field-pieces under Covert of a small Party of Horse and planted them at the Corner of a Hedge undiscovered and when His Majesty the Prince and the rest were mounted again and riding softly the same way back their Cannonier let fly and at the second Shot was so near the killing His Majesty His Majesty's narrow Escape from a Great Shot as that the Bullet slanted upon his Right Shoulder took away a piece of his Coat and struck off the Skin which might have been a fatal Blow to his Army and Kingdoms too if the Great Creator of the World who orders and governs all things had not been at his Right Hand where he always is and I hope will be as well for the defence of His Majesty's Sacred Person as the good of those he has undertaken to protect The Enemy then fired those two Pieces as fast as they could charge and discharge doing some damage amongst our Horse that were drawing up before them which made the King give Orders for his Horse to rein a little backwards and have the advantage of a Rising Ground between them and the Cannon About Three a Clock
Ginckel made Commander in Chief of the Army Lords Justices begin their Government The Earl of Marlborough sent with a Fleet into Ireland Cork and Kinsale taken The Irish make Attempts upon our Frontiers Part of our Army move towards the Shannon Rapparees in the Bog of Allen Those People serviceable to the Irish Interest and how My Lord Tyrconnel returns from France Sarsfield made Earl of Lucan The Irish defeated at the Mote of Greenoge Several Adventures with the Rapparees and Parlies of the Irish Army Some of our Regiments take the Field at Mullingar ON the sixth of September our Army marched to Tipperary about fourteen Miles from Limerick where they begun to disperse towards their respective Quarters And we had an Account by some Deserters that my Lord Tyrconnel and all the French Forces were Ship'd off at The French leave Ireland Gallway for France The reason of this was also enquired after by a great many that the French shou'd absolutely quit Ireland at a time when we had raised our Siege which might have given them hopes of re-gaining the next Year what they lost this at least to defend the Province of Connaught against us and so protract the War beyond what they cou'd have hoped for if the Town had been taken and that if the want of Provisions was an Objection it was easier to carry those to the Men than bring the Men to their Provisions But the reason that I have heard given for their departure was That the late King appearing very unexpectedly in France at a time when all People were over-joyed with the News of the Battel of Flerus won at Land and a Victory also gained at Sea to palliate matters therefore as to himself he laid all the blame upon the Irish that they wou'd not fight but many of them laid down their Arms in such order as if they had been Exercising which indeed some of them did Upon which the Fr. K. concluding that all was lost in that Kingdom he sent Orders to Count Lauzun to make the best of a bad Market and so come off for France as well as he could with all his Men. But the Irish taking heart of grace at our Fleets and the Dutch Armies misfortunes they held out beyond expectation And those Orders of the French Kings not coming till after His Majesty had raised the Siege of Limerick Count Lauzun waited about twelve Days for a Countermand but that not appearing he set sail for France tho' he met with contrary Orders at Sea but then it was too late For His Majesty had been a Fortnight at London before they heard at Paris that the Siege of Limerick was raised which shewed that whatever good Intelligence they might have from England or Ireland at other times they wanted it now but whether the Wind was cross or what else was the reason I am uncertain About the fourteenth we heard that Sarsfield with a part of the Irish Army had marched over the Shannon at Banoher-Bridge and besieged the Castle of Birr wherein Birr besieged by the Irish was only a Company of Colonel Tiffin's Foot who stoutly defended the Castle the only temble place but Major-General Kirk marching thither with a part of our Army the Enemy quitted the Siege and marched off At this time Count Solms who commanded in Chief was at Cashel where he received a Letter by a Trumpeter from the Duke of Berwick then at Limerick complaining that they heard of a Design of ours to send all those Prisoners we had taken at several places to be Slaves in the Foreign Plantations and withal threatning ours with the French Gallies But this was only a trick of the Irish Officers themselves to prevent their Soldiers from deserting making them believe there was a Contract to sell them all to Monsieur Perara the Jew for so much Bread which made the name of the Jew very terrible to the Irish But this was a mere Story of their own framing and therefore Count Solms sent the following Answer to the Duke's Letter Henry Count de Solms General of Their Majesties Army in their Kingdom of Ireland HAving never before heard of a Design to send those Numbers Count Solms's Answer to the Duke of Berwick's Letter of your Men we have Prisoners to the Foreign Plantations we detained your Trumpeter here for some Days in hopes we might have been able to trace this Report which you send us word is spread about of such our Intentions but no enquiry we have made giving us the least light therein we have reason to think that neither those Prisoners we have of yours need fear so long a Voyage nor those few of ours in your hands be apprehensive of yielding a small Recruit to the French King's Gallies However we think fit to declare that your Men shall severely feel the effects of any ill usage you shall offer to ours for which they may reckon themselves obliged to their Generals Given at our Head-Quarters at Cashel the 21st Day of September 1690. To the Duke of Berwick or the Officer in Chief commanding the Enemies Forces Soon after this Count Solms went for England and the Lieutenant-General Ginckel made Commander in Chief Baron de Ginckel was made Lieutenant-General and Commander in Chief of the Army who went to his Head-Quarters at Kilkenny Towards the middle of September Henry Lord Viscount Sidney and Thomas Coningesby Esquire two of the Lords-Justices went to Dublin where they took the usual Oaths of Chief Governors of that Kingdom before the Commissioners of the Great Seal and immediately begun their The Lords-Justices go to Dublin work of putting the Country in as good a condition of Safety as the nature of the times would bear Whilst the King was imployed in the Field with his Army against the Town of Limerick it was first proposed by the Earl of Nottingham to my Lord Marlborough and afterwards approved of in Councel as very Advantageous to Their Majesties Affairs to send a Party from England who joyning with a Detachment from the King's Army might reduce those two important Garrisons of Cork and Kinsale and provisions were made accordingly But not being ready so soon as was designed His Majesty upon His return for England sent the Earl of Marlborough with his own Regiment of Fusiliers Brigadier Trelawny's Princess Ann's Earl of Marlborough sent into Ireland Colonel Hastings's Colonel Hales's Sir David Collier's Colonel Fitz-Patrick's one hundred of the Duke of Bolton's and two hundred of the Earl of Monmouth's with my Lord Torrington's and Lord Pembrook's Marine Regiments CORK CITY After the taking of those two Towns the Irish that lay October 1690. in the County of Kerry made several Incursions and burnt some small Villages in the County of Cork and near the same time another Party burnt Balliboy a Village 8 miles The Irish make some attempts upon our Quarters from Birr wherein there was then six Companies of the Earl of
such a Pass or Wood precisely at such a time o' th' night or day as it stood with their conveniency and tho' you could not see a Man over night yet exactly at their hour you might find three or four hundred more or less as they had occasion all well Armed and ready for what design they had formerly projected but if they hapned to be discovered or over-powered they presently dispersed having before-hand appointed another place of Rendezous ten or twelve miles it may be from the place they then were at by which means our Men could never fix any close Engagement upon them during the Winter so that if they could have held out another year the Rapparees would have continued still very prejudicial to our Army as well by killing our Men privately as stealing our Horses and intercepting our Provisions But after all least the next Age may not be of the same humour with this and the name of a Rapparees may possibly be thought a finer thing than it really is I do assure you that in my Stile they never can be reputed other than Tories Robbers Thieves and Bogg-trotters The Insolence of those People however in the Bogg of Allen was curbed by Colonel Foulks and Colonel Piper before their return who killed one Gibney a Captain and several others About which time the King disposed of all January 1691. the vacant Bishopricks and other Ecclesiastical Preferments void in Ireland since the death of King Charles the Second On the 14th of January about sixty of the Garrison of A Party of ours march beyond the Shannon Castle-Forbes in the County of Longford with some of the Militia passed the River Shannon and burnt several places on the other side bringing off a good Booty without any loss And seventeen Transport Ships with two Men of War were ordered from the Bay of Dublin towards Kinsale to carry the Earl of Marlborough's and Colonel Fitz-Patrick's Regiments into Flanders together with the Prisoners taken at Cork and Kinsale these having joyned some other Vessels suffered much in their Voyage to Flanders by reason of bad Weather and some of them forced upon the Coast of England one or two Ships being lost And nigh the same time the Dover Frigat brought into Kinsale a French Privateer of 22 Guns and 10 Pettereroes belonging to St. Maloes Several Prisoners are now taken in scampering Parties and some Deserters come in who all give an account of the extraordinary scarcity of Provisions and other Necessaries amongst the Irish tho' this was only true in part for Prisoners will stretch to gain favour and Deserters are commonly prejudiced so that they make things as they would have it or speak by hear-say few of them telling any thing of their own knowledge for before a Man deserts any side he commonly converses with those that are most disaffected and consequently least trusted he comes off partial however so that no extraordinary stress is usually to be laid upon such Informations Nigh this time several Ships arriv'd at Gallway from France My Lord Tyrconnel returns from France and brought over my Lord Tyrconnel Sir Richard Neagle and Sir Stephen Rice with about only 8000 l. in Money which was a great disappointment to the Irish who had a small distribution by way of Donative but not as pay There came also some Soldiers-Coats and Caps but such sorry ones that the Irish themselves could easily see in what esteem their Master of France had them A Party of the Militia of Bandon advance into the Enemies Quarters and killing some few stranglers brought off a good Prey according to the custom of the Country But afterwards about 1500 of the Enemy pass the Black-Water A Party of the Irish besiege Fermoy near Fermoy where there was some of the Danes posted in a Fort which the Irish pretended to Attack upon their near approach our Men fired and the Irish seemed resolute for some time but sixteen of them being killed with a French Officer the rest were presently a little more calm and then they made an attempt on the other side on Fermoy-Bridge but were beat back with two small Field-Pieces which they had Intelligence were removed and six of them killed at that place but by this time part of Colonel Donep's Horse were come to Castle Leons and fifty of them with 30 Militia Dragoons engaged a greater Number of the Irish and killed sixty pursuing the rest nigh two Miles till they came towards their main Body which was commanded by Brigadier Carol who was obliged to retire without what he came for Richard Pyne Esquire formerly one of the Commissioners of the Great Seal is now made Lord Chief Justice of the Common-Pleas And Jan. 26 some Recruits are sent from Dublin to re-inforce the Garrison of Kiâ—meague in the Isle of Allen and other places in the County of Kildare And now to satisfie both the Army and Country as much as could be comes out a Proclamation That all Persons who had given subsistence of Provisions c. to the Army should receive satisfaction for the same according to the Rates made publick in the beginning of Winter And that all Arrears of Pay due to Officers or Soldiers who died were killed or removed from Their Majesties Service should be paid to their Relations In order to which there were certain Commissioners appointed to state the Accompts of the Army February 1691. These Commissioners were William Robinson John Stone Edward Corker John South and Edward Molineux Commissioners appointed to state the Accompts of the Army Esquires who some of them here sate every Day for many Months together upon this Affair Jan. 29. A Ship belonging to Chester-Water was cast away in the Bay of Dublin Ball the owner and all the Passengers being lost The same Day upwards of 200 Prisoners were put on Board there and sent to Cork with Orders to be transported to Flanders A Detachment of the Garrison of Cork being two hundred Foot and 300 Dragoons march towards Church-Town and Buttafant two of the Enemies Frontier-Towns in that County where they had a Party of Horse and Foot but they withdrew at our approach leaving the Places to be burnt by our Men which was done accordingly The beginning of February a Party of the Army with some of the Militia march'd from Clonmell within ten Miles of Limerick meeting with little opposition killed only about twelve stragling Rapparees and burnt what Cabbins and other places of shelter for the Irish they met withal returning with a prey of Cattle and three or four Prisoners February the 4th A Declaration was published at Dublin A Declaration from the General to the Irish by Lieutenant-General Ginckel setting forth That Their Majesties had no design to Oppress their Roman-Catholick Subjects of this Kingdom in either their Religion or their Properties but had given him Authority to grant reasonable Terms to all such as would come in and submit according to their Duty But
loss to us because of the conveniency of Ground we had to Encamp on There were only three Ships left now in the Bay who anchoring nigh the Town they made off from the Shoar as the Army marched in And there was a Proposal offered to make all our Tin-Boats into four Floats and put two small Field-pieces upon each with which we were to attempt the seizing the Ships in the Bay for it was supposed that if the Ships had Guns yet our Floats would be so flat as to lie under them and so we might with no great danger either board or sink the Vessels but after having made the Floats and mounted some of our Guns upon them the design was found impracticable for several Reasons and we had an opportunity of lamenting our misfortune in not having at that time so much as one English Frigat near us The Boats therefore were to be imployed other-ways for as soon as it was grown dark Lieutenant A Party of Monks pass the River General Mackay with Colonel Tiffins Colonel St. Johns Monsieur Cambons Lord George Hambletons one Dutch and a Danish Regiment of Foot with four Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons were wafted over the River about two Miles above the Town by break of day our men were all safe on the other side meeting with no opposition only a small Party of Dragoons fir'd at the first Party that landed and then scoured off whether the Irish really expected Balderock O Donnell to come into Town that way is uncertain however we had now destroyed all hopes of it and he retired again into the County of Mayo from whence he writ to the General as has been said On Sunday in the Evening not many hours after we appear'd before the Town one Captain Bourk deserted from the Eâ—â—my and gave the General an account that the Fort the Irish were making towards the South-East was almost finished and therefore the sooner it was attacked it would be the easier gained and that it was as necessary for us to take as them to keep it because iâ— commanded a great part of the Wall on that side the Town Nâ—xt Morning early A Fort taken Count Nassau with a Party of Granadeers and two Regiments of Foot was conducted by Captain Bourk the safest way to attack this Fort Major General Talmash would needs go a Volunteer as he usually did when it was not his turn to command we mannaged it so well that our Granadeers were got almost to the Foot of the Enemies works before they discovered us upon which the Irish made some faint firings but our men then rushed forwards and threw in their Granado's which soon forced the Enemy to retire by a Line of Communication that was drawn from the Fort to the Town we lost in this Action only a Lieutenant and five Men having two Lieutenants and eight men more wounded and after the Fort was in our possession the Irish fired both small and great shot upon us from their Walls by which they wounded several and killed one Mounsieur Madronet an Ingineer as he was giving Orders to the Workmen That morning five Troopers desert from Balderock's Party giving some account of his present circumstances tho when the Irish within saw a part of our Army beyond the River they still made shew of resisting and burnt all the Suburbs on that side the Town which were very large and the Irish the readier to destroy them because most of the Houses thereabouts had formerly belonged to the English About ten a Clock and whilst their Suburbs were yet in a flame the Irish beat a Parley the Governour sending The Irish beat a Parley a Drummer wiâ—â— a Letter to the General to desire a safe Conduct for some Persons to come out in order to a Capitulation To which the General returned a satisfactory Answer and presently a Cessation was commanded between the Camp and Garrison those in Town crowding in great numbers upon the Walls and our Souldiers going to the out-side of the Irish Works enquiring each for their Friends and Acquaintance in one anothers Army In the afternoon Hostages were exchanged in order Hostages exchanged to a Treaty Those on our side were Lieutenant Colonel Purcel Lieutenant Colonel Coot and the Marquess de Rhada Lieutecant Colonel to my Lord Cutts The Enemies Hostages were Lieutenant Colonel Linch Lieutenant Colonel Burk and Lieutenant Colonel Reyley The Articles were not agreed upon that day and the Irish prevailed with the General to continue the Cessation till Tuesday at ten a Clock which time being come the General ordered eight Guns and four Mortars to be drawn down to that Fort we took the day before and there to be planted then sent a Drum to command away his Hostages but the Irish had some debates amongst themselves not that they pretended to hold out the Town but about the method of Surrender and the Substance of their Articles Their delayes however made the General impatient and he sent once or twice to hasten their Resolutions At last Lieutenant Colonel Burk one of their Hostages was permitted to go in Major General Talmash as was believed being inclined to lay the Treaty aside desired him When they were ready to begin afresh to give us a sign to secure our selves by firing a Gun into the Air The other replied That they would not fire from within till we provok'd them to it from without But after some further time it was agreed to that next Sunday morning the Town should be delivered up upon the following Articles The Articles of Galloway as they were confirmed afterwards by their Majejesties GUlielmus Maria Dei gratia Angliae Scotiae Franciae Hiberniae Rex Regina Fidei Defensores c. Omnibus ad quos praesentes Litera Nostrae pervenirint salutem Inspeximus Irrotulamentum quarundum literarum patentium de confirmatione gerenda apud Westmonasterium decimo Septimo die Februarii ultimo praeterito in Curia Cancelaria Nostra Irrotulata ac ibidem Recordo Remanente in haec verba WIlliam and Mary by the Grace of God c. To all to whom these presents shall come Greeting Whereas certain Articles bearing date the one and twentieth day of July last past were made and agreed upon by our Trusty and well belvoed Rebort Baron de Ginckel Lieutenant General and Commander in Chief of Our Forces in Our Kingdom of Ireland and the Constable and Governour of Our Town of Galway in Our said Kingdom Whereby Our said General promises that We should ratifie these Capitulations within the space of three months from the date thereof or sooner The Tenor of which said Articles is as followeth Viz. Articles granted to the Town and Garison Articles of Galloway of Galloway by Lieutenant General Ginckell Commander in Chief of Their Majesties Forces the 21st of July 1691. I. THat the Town and Fort of Galloway shall be given up to his Excellency or such Officer as he shall
loss casting up some Works nigh the Shannon towards the West behind which the Danes encamped and maintained that part of the Work during the Siege We improved also these Forts deserted by the Irish and drew a new Line from the old Church Fort to Mackay's The 27th in the Morning the Prince of Hess with his The Prince of Hess sent to Castle-Connel own Regiment Col. Tiffin's and Col. St. John's five pieces of Cannon and about 700 Horse and Dragoons marched to Castle-Connel which we had not blown up effectually last Year and wherein the Irish had now a Garison of 250 Men. They refused the Prince's Proffers to them at first but after two Days Siege were content to be all made Prisoners of War The same Day Maj. Gen. Scravemore went with another Party and four Guns to Carick-a-Gunnel a Castle upon the River three miles below the Town wherein was a Garison of 150 Men who also submitted to be Prisoners of War as did one or two Castles more the leaving these Detachments in such places being very inaccountable since they had a mind to defend them no better This seems rather want of Instructions what to do than Courage to perform it for to give the Irish their due they can defend stone Walls very handsomly We read that Sir George Carew President of Munster in Queen Elizabeth's Time took the Castle of Dunboy in the West of Ireland by Assault where the Irish made the most resolute Defence of any of the like nature before or since for the Garison being 130 choice Men were all either killed or hanged for holding out and some of them defended the very Vaults during a whole Night though all the rest of the Castle was taken and one Mack Geoghagan being desperately wounded when he saw the English enter the Vault he endeavoured to cast a lighted Candle into a Barrel of Powder to blow himself and them up together but was prevented in his Design and so died The Irish planted two Field-pieces on the opposite side the River by which they obliged two Regiments of our Dragoons that lay close to the Shannon to remove but as soon as we had placed some Guns to flank their small Battery they drew off Orders were given to fit up 600 Bombs and 1000 Hand-Granades and in the Afternoon eighteen of our Ships came up the River within a mile of the Town and fired some Shots into the Irish Our Ships come nigh the Town Horse-Camp as they sailed along they being encamped at that time nigh the River at a place called Craightulagh This put several of the Irish much out of Countenance for till then they were made believe that either we had no Ships in the River or else those we had would quickly be swallowed up by the French Fleet which they hourly expected The 28th an Order was sent to Kinsale for the rest of the Provision-Ships then in that Harbour to sail to the Shannon And the General went on board some of those Ships that came up the Day before giving Command to bring on shoar several Pieces of new Cannon and Mortars which was performed on the 29th And all the Prisoners that had been taken in several Castles being about 400 in number were sent towards Clonmel with a Party of Horse and Dragoons to guard them This Evening our Line of Circumvallation was finished and our other Works by hard labour much improved the Enemy playing hot upon us from the King's Castle and three more Batteries Our Business was now to raise a Battery for ten Guns and seven Mortars which was performed before next Morning and August the 30th our Guns and Mortars were drawn down to it the first began immediately to play on Thoumond-Bridg and the Houses on that side the Town at Night also our Bombs began to fly with pretty good Success 101 being thrown before next Morning The Enemy now desert Killmallock a Town upon the The Enemy desert Killmallock Road between Cork and Limerick whither the Irish flocked in great Numbers in former times to welcome the Earl of Desmond out of England who was sent over upon some Reasons of State by Queen Elizabeth their first Saluations were to throw Wheat and Salt upon him in token of Peace and Plenty But next day when they saw him go to Church they fell to murmur and spit at him and never would own him more And so hateful was not only our Religion but even the Civil Habits and Customs of the English to some of them that in the same Queen's Reign it was with much difficulty that some of the Irish Nobility could be perswaded to put on their Robes when they were to appear in the House of Lords in time of Parliament And I have heard it affirmed by those that knew it that even in this last War and if I am not much mistaken in the Parliament that was held at Dublin by the late King too it was proposed by some to destroy all fine Houses and every thing else that look'd like Improvement and so return to the former barbarous way of living of their Ancestors that it might not be worth the while for England or any other Nation to seek a new Conquest over them but these Men did not consider that England has been at too much Expence and is now too well acquainted with Ireland ever to be without it August 31. One Capt. Morice a Lieutenant and eleven Dragoons belonging to Sir Donald O-Neal's Regiment deserted from beyond the River and tell us that the Enemy were mightily apprehensive of our getting over but that their Horse and Dragoons would endeavour to watch our Motion and do all they could to prevent us Our Batteries play very hard all this Day and at Night four out of each Troop of Horse and Dragoons throughout the Army were ordered to work at a new Battery to the Right of the former and somewhat nearer the Town they wrought very stoutly and finished their Battery before next Morning This was a thing very unusual for Horsemen especially to work in Trenches but there was in a manner a Necessity for it for our Foot were upon Duty by whole Regiments every second Night beside Detachments and Workmen upon sundry Occasions every Day And therefore Adjutant General Withers was commanded to order the Regiments that marched to the Trenches not to mount with Colours that the Enemy might not be sensible how fast our Duty came upon us The same Day a Party of four hundred Horse was Brigadeer Leveson sent into Kerry sent abroad to scour the Country And Brigadeer Leveson with seven hundred Horse and Dragoons went into the County of Kerry to reduce the Irish in those Parts Which some of the Inhabitants in other Places will needs call the most natural Irish in the Kingdom and yet they say every Cow-boy amongst them can speak Latin on purpose to save them from the Gallows when they come afterwards to be tried for Theft For though
the Afternoon Hostages exchanged my Lord Cutts Sir David Collier Colonel Tiffin and Colonel Piper were sent into the Town for whom were sent out the Lords Westmeath Iveagh Trimblestowne and Louth The 27th the Irish sent out their Proposals which were 1st That their Majesties will by an Act of Indemnity The Irish Proposals pardon all past Crimes and Offences whatsoever 2dly To restore all Irish Catholicks to the Estates of which they were seized or possessed before the late Revolution 3dly To allow a free Liberty of Worship and one Priest to each Parish as well in Towns and Cities as in the Country 4thly Irish Catholicks to be capable of bearing Imployments Military and Civil and to exercise Professions Trades Callings of what Nature soever 5thly The Irish Army to be kept on Foot paid c. as the rest of their Majesties Forces in case they be willing to serve their Majesties against France or any other Enemy 6thly The Irish Catholicks to be allowed to live in Towns Corporate and Cities to be Members of Corporations to exercise all sorts and manners of Trades and to be equal with their Fellow-Protestant Subjects in all Privileges Advantages and Immunities accruing in or by the said Corporations 7thly An Act of Parliament to be past for ratifying and confirming the said Conditions These Propositions were very unreasonable and they say mightily insisted upon by Mack Guire and others of the Priesthood this Man I 'm told was Chaplain to the Spanish Ambassador at Rome when Plunket the Titular Primate was hanged about the Popish Plot in Ireland and few People daring to assume that Title at such a Juncture the Ambassador procured it from the Pope for him When those Proposals were brought out to the General he was so far from granting them that he returned Answer Though he was in a manner a Stranger to the Laws of England yet he understood Rejected by the General and new Batteries ordered to be raised that those things they insisted upon were so far contradictory to them and dishonourable to himself that he would not grant any such Terms and so returned them ordering a new Battery to be immediately raised to the left of Mackay's Fort for Mortars and Guns Then the Irish sent again to know what Terms his Excellency would please to propose to them who after a Consultation sent them in twelve Articles much the same in Substance with those afterwards agreed upon and said he would allow of no other He sent them however all the Prisoners that we had of theirs in the Camp in Requital of ours that were released before their wounded Prisoners having always the same Conveniences with our own Men. The 28th early in the Morning Sarsfield Waughup Articles agreed upon the Titular Primate Baron Purcell of Loughmoe Arch-Bishop of Cashell Sir Garret Dillon Sir Theobald Butler and Colonel Brown the three last Counsellors at Law with several other Officers and Commissioners came to the General 's Quarters whither he sent for all our General Officers and after a long Debate Articles were agreed on not only for the Town of Limerick but for all the other Forts and Castles in the Kingdom then in the Enemies Possession as Ross Clare c. The same Afternoon an Order was signed for part of the Transport Ships to sail from Cork to the Shannon and there to take on Board some of the Irish Forces The following Letter was also sent by the General to Sir Ralph Delavall who he understood was upon the Coast with a Squadron of English Men of War Camp before Limerick Septemb. 28. 1691. SIR I Have notice from my Lord Nottingham that you The General 's Letter to Sir Ralph Dalaval were to come with the Squadron under your Command into these Seas which makes me send this to acquaint you that I have entred into a Treaty with the City of Limerick and the Irish Army which is now just come to a Conclusion In the mean time we have a Cessation of Arms at Land and have agreed there shall be one too at Sea upon the Coasts of this Kingdom since several of the Irish Army are to be transported and to make use of French as well as English Ships for that Purpose and therefore I must desire you will not hinder the Transport Ships of France from coming into the Shannon nor the rest of their Fleet into Dingle Bay The French Intendant here has written his Part to the Squadron of their Men of VVar that is expected and gives Assurance that no Hostility will be committed by them and you will please to observe the same on your Side which is very necessary for their Majesties Service and the speedy finishing the Affair we have in hand to which I am sure you will contribute what you may as well as SIR Your most humble Servant Bar. de GINCKELL The 29th all our Horse and Dragoons commanded by the Marquess Ruvigny go to encamp beyond Six-mile-Bridg for the Conveniency of Forage and a friendly Correspondence begun between the Irish and us several of our Army going into Town and others of them coming into our Camp The 30th most of the Irish General Officers dined with the Duke of Wirtembergh nothing further being to be done till the Arrival of the Lords Justices who were sent for to confirm the Articles according to Agreement And by this time the Irish Souldiers and ours were also pretty well acquainted they coming into our Camp and our Men being admitted to view all their Works where we will leave them asking strange Questions one at another and look back a little upon the Actions that hapned in other Parts of the Kingdom during this Month. For whilst the Army was busied in the Field against A brief Account of what hapned in other Places of the Kingdom this Month. the main Strength of the Irish the Government was not wanting to order the Militia in several Parts of this Kingdom to suppress the skulking Tories and other mischievous Persons who laid hold on all Occasions to do Mischief On the 5th of September a Party of Rapparees near Tallough rob some Carriages belonging to the Officers in the Princess Ann's Regiment and got away into the Woods The Militia kill three Rapparees near Caperquin and four more nigh Lismore The 6th our Barbadoes Fleet came into Kinsale under Convoy of the Princess Ann and the Bristol Frigats and the same Day the St. Albans and Soldadoe brought 7 French Prizes into Cork The Militia of Dublin and eight hundred more from the North being joined by Balderock O Donnel with about twelve hundred Irish were at Abby Boyle the 9th of September on their March to Sligoe and on their way they summon'd Loughlin commanded by Colonel Theobald Dillon and another Place commanded by Colonel Charles Kelly both strong Castles and garison'd by the Irish which surrendred and then the Earl of Granard Commander in chief sent to summon Ballymott which refusing to surrender