his handkerchief upon the place his Majesty took little notice of it but rid on for about forty yards further where there was an high Bank on either side but it being open below we returned the very same way again the Enemies Canon firing upon us all the while they did some damage amongst our Horse that were drawing up just before them killing two of the Guards and about nine of Coll. Coys Horses with three Troopers and also some few more out of Coll. Byerleys and other Regiments which made the King give orders for his Horse to draw a little backwards to have the advantage of a rising ground between them and the Canon When the Enemy saw their great Shot disturbed us they set up a most prodigeous shout all over the Camp as if our whole Army had been undone and several Squadrons of their Horse drew down upon a plain towards the River but in such a place as they knew it was impossible for us to come at them the River being very deep and a Bank of nigh ten yards high on our side I have often observed the Irish very fond of shouting and Hallowing before an Engagement and there is a Tradition amongst them that whosoever does not Shout and Huzzah as the rest do in Battle he 's suddainly caught up from the ground into the Air and so into a certain desart vale in the County of Kerry where he eateth Grass and lapeth Water hath some use of reason but not of Speech but shall be caught at length by Hunters and their Hounds and so brought home but this story is a little too light for so grave an Author as Cambden tho' he only relates it as a foolish fancy The King went to change his Coat and get his shoulder dressed and then rid about to see his Army come in which were all this while marching and encamping in two Lines And here I cannot but take notice of a signal peice of Providence in the preservation of the Kings Person for whatever ill effects it might have had for the future it would have been of fatal consequence to the Army at that time if he had fallen since instead of our going to them the Irish would have been ready to have come to us next morning and how we would have received them there 's none can tell I have met with several that will not believe that the King was touched with a Canon Bullet at all and if so that it was impossible it should not kill him but I was present when the thing hapned and therefore can affirm the truth of it I have seen a great many odd accidents in wounds with Canon Bullets and yet the Parties live particularly one of my Lord Drogheda's Men who had all the Flesh of his right Cheek shot from the bone without breaking his Jaw and he 's yet alive and very well Tho it seems at the Court of France they could not believe any such thing when they made Bone-fires for King Williams death But to go one with the Story Our Guns arrive about three a Clock the first of our Field Pieces came up and we lost no time but took two or three of them down towards the River and Planted them on a Furry bank over against the pass the first shot made by one Nelson we kill'd an Officer that lay sick in the House beyond the River and the second or third we dismounted one of those Field Pieces that the Irish had been so brisk withal and then their Horse that were drawn up towards the River made what haste they could into the Camp we continued all that afternoon pelting at them and they at us their Canon did us little more harm but our Gunners planted several Batteries and threw a great many small Bombs into their Camp which obliged them to remove some of their Tents one Bullet as we heard afterwards fell very nigh a Crowd of great Officers that were at the late Kings Tent and kill'd a Horseman that stood Centinel they then removed their Counsel to some other place and were not admitted to crowd there any more A French-Man of ours that afternoon run thro the River before our faces to the Enemy When they saw him coming a great many of them came down to receive him and crowding about him to hear news our Canon threw a Bullet amongst the very thickest of them which kill'd several and as t was said the Fellow himself however the rest made what hast they could back again We had some Deserters also that came from them to us but I heard of no more that left our Army except that one man There was one Deserter that gave the King an account that the Enemy were about 25000 Men and that they had sent away part of their heavy Baggage towards Dublin The King calls a Counsel of War About 8 or 9 a Clock at night the King called a Council of War wherein he declared that he was resolved to pass the River the next day which Duke Schonberg at first opposed but seeing his Majesty positive in it he advised to send part of our Army that night at 12 a Clock to pass the River at or near Slane-bridge some three miles above and so to get between the Enemy and the pass at Duleek which was about four miles behind them but this advice was not taken One thing under consideration was where to get Guides that were trusty and good whilst this matter was in question my Lord George Hambleton was by who immediately brought four or five of his Iniskilling Officers that knew the Fords very well and took upon them to Guide the Army next day and here it was concluded how the Army should March and who should Command at the different Posts which was ordered thus Lieutenant General Douglas was to Command the Right wing of the Foot and Count Schonberg the Horse who were to march early towards the Bridge of Slane and other Fords above to flank the Enemy or get between them and Duleek my Lord Portland and my Lord Overkisk had their Posts here as Mareschals de Camp the left wing of our Horse were to pass between the Enemies Camp and Drogheda whilst in the mean time a Body of Foot forced their way at the Pass at Old Bridge The Enemy held likewise a Council of War wherein Lieutenant General Hambleton advised to send a party of Dragoons to a Ford that was below the Town of Drogheda which we either knew not of or else did not regard and all the rest being eight Regiments with their whole left line towards the Bridge of Slane King James's Answer was that he would send fifty Dragoons up the River which the other seem'd to be Amazed at the place to be defended being of such importance however they resolved to defend the Passes and if it were possible to retreat with their Army towards Dublin in order to which they drew off most of their Canon in the night
Orders that night Towards the close of the Evening the Canons ceased on both sides and Orders were given out that every Souldier should be provided with a good stock of Ammunition and all to be ready at the break of day to March at a minutes warning with every man a green Bough or Sprig in his Hat to distinguish him from the Enemy who wore pieces of paper in their Hats All the Baggage with the Souldiers great â—oats were to be left behind with a small Guard in every Regiment to look after them The word that night was Westminster his Majesty was not idle but about 12 a Clock at night rid with torches quite through his Army and then month July The Battle at the Boyn Tuesday the first of July 1690. The day was very clear as if the Sun it self had a mind to see what would happen about six a Clock Lieutenant General Douglas marched towards the Right with the Foot and Count Schonberg with the Horse which the Enemy perceiving drew out their Horse and Foot towards their Left in order to oppose us Our Right wing draws out the Right wing at first were ordered to pass all at Slane but being better inform'd several Regiments were Commanded to pass at other Fords between our Camp and that place As some of our Horse marched to the River there stood a Regiment of the Enemies Dragoons sent thither over night nigh the Bank on the other side who fired upon us and then thought to have retreated to their main Body but before they could do that they were flanked in a Lane and about seventy of them cut off we met with little more opposition in passing the River but marching forwards we found the Enemy drawn up in two lines we had then twenty four Squardons of Horse and Dragoons with six Battalions of Foot those being too few Lieutenant general Douglas sent for more Foot and in the mean time we drew up in two lines also my Lord Portland advising for the more security to mix our Horse and Foot Squadron with Battalion this is no new way of managing but was first practiced by Caesar at the Battle of Pharsalia against Pompey for he there quite altered the manner of embattleing amongst the Romans covering one of his Flanks with a small River and then placing several Battallions of his best Foot amongst his Squadrons in the other by which he soon routed Pompeys Horse and then falling into the Flanks and Rear of his Enemy obtained the Victory However more Foot coming up our great Officers altered the first Figure and drew all the Horse to the right by which they outflanked the Enemy considerably But as our men were advanceing they met with a great deal of difficulty in the Ground for there were large Corn Fields with great Ditches and those very hard to be got over especially for the Horse who were obliged to advance in order when they were in the face of an Enemy and beyond all those there was such a Bogg as few of our men ever saw before the Horse tho' went to the right of it but the Foot being Commanded to march through found it as great an hardship as Fighting it self yet when the Enemy saw our men take the Bog instead of charging them in it they retreated in hast towards Duleek which Count Schonberg seeing fell in amongst their Foot with his Horse and kill'd a great many The King did not know of this disadvantage of Ground but computed the time when he thought our right wing was got well over and then he ordered his Foot to attack the pass at Old Bridge during all which a great part of the Enemies Horse and Foot were still marching towards Slane where every one expected the main Battle would be and in their march our Canon plaid continually upon them yet tho we kill'd several it did not disorder their Trops The blew Dutch guards post being to the right they were the first that took the River at Old Bridge The Irish had lined the Houses Breastworks and Hedges beyond the River with my Lord Tyrconnels Regiment of Foot Guards and some other Companyes they had posted also seven Regiments of Foot about 150 yards backwards who stood drawn up behind some little hills to shelter them from our Canon which played all this while besides these were 2 Troops of Guards 4 Troops of my Lord Tyrconnels and 4 Troops of Parkers Regiments of Horse posted in the same manner tho if they had posted the French here instead of the Irish it would have been more to their advantage but the reason of this was the Irish Guards would not lose the post of Honour The Dutch Guards take the River The Dutch beat a march till they got to the Rivers side and then the Drums ceasing in they went some eight or ten a breast being presently almost up to the middle in the Stream for they stopt the Current by their sudden motion and this made it deeper than usual the Enemy did not fire till our Men were towards the midst of the River and then a whole peal of Shot came from the Hedges Breast-works Houses and all about yet we could not perceive any fall except one and another stagger'd he that was formost was a Lieutenant of Granadeers who as he got footing on the other side drew up two files of men then stoopt and they fired over him at the next hedge which was not fifteen yards from them at which fire those in the Hedge quitted it which the rest seeing all left their Posts and were followed with a Volley of Shot from our men that were Advancing And are charged by a Squadron of Horse The Irish Foot run scattering into the next Field and before the Dutch could get well over and draw up they were charged very bravely by a Squadron of the Irish Horse who came down in a full carreer but were quickly beat off again One would have thought that Men and Horses had risen out of the Earth for now there appeared a great many Battalions and Squadrons of the Enemy all on a suddain who had stood behind the little Hills We had two French Regiments and Collonel St. John's who passed the River near the same time the Dutch did but about 100 Yards below which Lieutenant-General Hambleton perceiving who commanded at the Pass he Advanced with a party of Foot to the very River and himself with some others went into it giving orders at the same time for my Lord Antrim's Regiment and some more to go and Flank Sir John Hanmer and Count Nassaw's Regiments who were passing about 200 Yards further down but neither would his men stand by him nor could the other be perswaded to come near Hanmer however as Hambleton retreated a Sqadron of their Horse charged our French so bravely that about forty of them broke quite through Monsieur La Callimot's Regiment and wounded himself mortally those must go back the same way or
else pass through the Village and so wheel to the Left to recover their own Men they chose the latter but were so paid off by some of the Dutch and Inniskillin Foot that not above six or eight of them got beyond the Village most of their Horses stragling up and down the Fields Our Foot Advance beyond the River The Dutch and the rest of our Foot advanced all this while and then the Irish Foot quitted a second Hedge that they were perswaded to rally to another Body of Horse came down upon the Dutch who neglected the Hedges and met them in the open Field but keeping so close that it was impossible to break them but as the Irish came on the Dutch begun to fire by Platoons and both flanked and fronted the Horse by which they killed a great many though not without some loss to themselves before this party drew off Are Charged again By this time some of the French and Inniskilliners were got into the Field from whence the Enemy disturb'd us with their Canon the day before and then a fresh Squadron of Horse coming down upon the Dutch those two Regiments stopt them and obliged them to Retreat with considerable loss Much about this time there was nothing to be seen but Smoak and Dust nor any thing to be heard but one continued Fire for nigh half an hour and whilst this Action lasted another party of the Irish Horse Charged Sir John Hanmer as he passed the River nigh a place where the Enemy the day before had a Battery of six Guns but now they were gone as was most of their Artillery It was the Duke of Berwick's Troop of Guards and as they advanced one that had been formerly in Sir J. Hanmer's Regiment came out singly and called one of the Captains by his name who stepping towards him the other fired both his Pistols at him but was taken Prisoner this Troop was beat off again with the loss of only three of Sir John Hanmer's Men. All our Horse went over to the Right and Left except one Squadron of Danes who passed the River whilst our Foot were engaged and Advancing to the Front Hambleton sent out sixty Horse who charged the Danes so home that they came faster back again than they went some of them never looking behind them till they had crossed the River again The want of Horse was so apparent at this place that the very Country People cry'd out Horse Horse which word going towards the Right and they mistaking it for Halt stopt the Right Wing nigh half an hour which time well spent might have done service This and the Irish breaking through the French Regiment hap'ned much about a time The General killed which I am apt to believe was the occasion of Duke Schonberg's going over so unseasonably for in this hurry he was killed near the little Village beyond the River the Irish Troopers as they rid by struck at him with their Swords and some say that our own Men Firing too hastily when the Duke was before them shot him themselves however it was his mortal wound was through his Neck and he had one or two cuts in the Head besides he fell down and did not speak one word and Captain Foubert was shot in the Arm as he was getting him off Doctor Walker going as some say to look after the Duke was shot a little beyond the River and stript immediately for the Scotch-Irish that followed our Camp were got through already and took off most of the Plunder This Action begun at a quarter past Ten and was so hot till past Eleven that a great many old Soldiers said they never saw brisker work but then the Irish retreated to a rising Ground and there drew up again in order both Horse and Foot designing to Charge our Party again that had past the River Whilst this Action at the Pass lasted the Left Wing of our Horse consisting of Danes and Dutch with Collonel Woolsley's Horse and some Dragoons passed the River at a very difficult and unusual place And the Danish Foot with Collonel Cutts's and some others went over a little above them My Lord Sydney and Major-General Kirk went from one place to another as the posture of Affairs required their presence His Majesty passes the River with the Left Wing His Majesty during those Transactions was almost every where before the Action begun He rid between our Army and theirs with only one Dragoon and had ordered every thing in other places as well as possible He passes the River with the Left Wing of His Horse and that with as much difficulty as any body for His Horse was Bogg'd on the other side and He was forced to alight till a Gentleman helpt him to get His Horse out As soon as the Men were got upon the other Bank and put in order His Majesty drew His Sword which yet was troublesome to Him His Arm being stiff with the Wound He received the day before and marched at the Head of them towards the Enemy who were coming on again in good order upon our Foot that had got over the Pass and were Advancing towards them though they were double our Number but when these two Bodies were almost within Musquet shot of one another the Enemy espied the Left Wing of our Horse marching towards them at which they made a suddain Halt faced about and so retreated up the Hill to a little Church and a Village called Dunore about half a mile from the Pass our Men marched in order after them and at this Village the Enemy faced about and Charged our Horse were forced to give Ground though the King was with them His Majesty then went to the Inniskilliners and askt what they would do for Him and Advanced before them their Officer told his Men who it was and what Honour was done them And Charges several times at the Head of his Men. At the Head of those Men the King received the Enemies Fire and then wheeling to the Left that His own Men might have liberty to Advance and fire they all wheeled after Him and retreated above 100 Yards the King then went to the Left to put Himself at the Head of some Dutch that were Advancing and the Inniskilliners being sensible of their mistake came up again doing good service some of Duke Schonberg's French Horse were here also who behaved themselves well and took one or two of King James's Standards Another party Commanded by Lieutenant-General Ginkel Charged in a Lane to the Left but the Irish being two many for them they retreated which a party of Sir Albert Cunningham's Dragoons commanded by his Lieutenant-Collonel and another of Col. Levison's commanded by Captain Brewerton perceiving the Officers ordered their Men to alight and Line an Hedge as also an old House that Flankt the Lane from whence they poured in their Shot upon the Enemy Lieutenant-General Ginkel staid in the Rear of his Men being much vext
Army I wondred much to see their Horses and Equipage hearing before what Feats had been done by them they were three Regiments in all and most of the Troopers and Dragoons had their Waiting-men mounted upon Garrons those are small Irish Horses but very hardy some of them had Holsters and others their Pistols hung at their Sword-Belts they shewed me the Enemies Scouts upon a hill before us I wisht them to go and beat them off and they answered With all their hearts but they had Orders to go no further than where they saw the Enemies Scouts tho they seem'd to be dissatisfied with it and added They should never thrive so long as they were under Orders Newry burnt And yet if those men had been allowed to go on in their old forward way it 's very probable they might have saved the Town of Newry from being burnt for the Duke of Berwick was then in it and a Troop of the Enemies Horse advanced that afternoon some three miles from the Town towards us but seeing the Iniskilliners they retreated in haste to the Town only leaving some few Scouts to bring a further account of our motion Those in the Town were startled at the news and made ready to march off but seeing no Enemy approach they took time to set it on fire and take all the people with whatsoever was valuable along with them They went away about Sun-set and next morning came to Dundalk where we heard that some of their great Officers exprest themselves very melancholly as if they had but small hopes to withstand the English The General not knowing that the Town of Newry was burnt nor that the Enemy had deserted the Pass gave Orders for 70 men out of each Regiment of Foot in all 1200 with a Party of Horse and Dragoons and four Field-Pieces to be ready to march by three of the Clock in the morning this Party was commanded by Coll. Wharton and was designed to attack the Enemy whom we expected at the end of the Town there being an old Church with several other convenient places from whence they might prevent our marching nor could we well go about without a great deal of trouble and several days march and then we must leave the Enemy on our Rear which was not to be done We march to Newry The Party marched according to Orders and the whole Army followed about Six of the Clock But on our march the Duke had an account by one Mr. Humphreys of Belfast That the Enemy had retreated and Burnt the Town the General then went forwards and found the Flames not quite extinguished and with Coll. Levison's Dragoons and some of the Iniskillin Horse he went at least two miles further but nothing of an Enemy appearing he returned and gave Command for his Army to encamp a mile short of Newry The bad weather had disturb'd us before but now the Rains and Wind were so extreamly violent that it was very difficult for us to pitch our Tents so that every one was forced to shift for himself as well as he could Provisions were also very scarce for there wanted Horses to bring them after us We encampt here next day also from whence the Duke sent a Trumpet to the Irish to let them know That if they burnt any more Towns he would give no Quarter I went abroad into the Countrey where I found all the Houses deserted for several miles Customs of the Native Irish most of them that I observed had Crosses on the Inside above the Doors upon the Thatch some made of Wood and others of Straw or Rushes finely wrought some Houses had more and some less I understood afterwards that it is the custom among the Native Irish to set up a new Cross every Corpus Christi day and so many years as they have lived in such a house as many Crosses you may find I asked a Reason for it but the Custom was all they pretended to Here the Corn also was either lying and rotting on the ground or else was shaken by the violent winds for the People were all gone the Protestants the March before and the Irish now at the retreating of their Army some fled for fear and those that had a mind to stay were forced away by the Army with all their Cattel and whatever else was portable In the Evening the Duke sent a Detachment of 520 Foot with a Party of Horse and Dragoons commanded by my Lord Lisburn towards Dundalk they got there the next morning but found it forsaken by the Enemy and not burnt tho it had been better for us if it had as it fell out afterwards There is an old square Tower in Newry which they call the Castle this was left standing and not above five or six Houses more the Town it self had been a pretty place and well built standing upon a very advantageous Pass the Tide coming up above the Bridge by a Bay that comes from Carlingford In this Castle the Irish had left some salt Beef and Herrings but they were salted so very much after the Irish fashion that the Soldiers for all they were very hard put to it for Victuals yet they could not eat them I believe the greatest reason was a fond conceit they had got amongst them that the meat was poisoned There was also a small Gun left in the Castle and another Twelve-Pounder thrown over the Bridge into the River In this Castle the General left Fifty men of Sir Tho. Gowers Regiment commanded by Captain Pallifer The Army marched to Dundalk and on Saturday the 7 th of September the Army marched to Dundalk in our way thither we found two Redoubts nigh a place called the Four-mile-house for Mareschal de Rose the French General was at Dundalk some time before our Army approached and enquiring whether the River was fordable he found it was in several places then he went on to Newry and finding it a convenient Pass he ordered it to be defended at the same time commanding those Redoubts to be made which if the Enemy had mann'd they might have given us no small diversion for there are vast Mountains on each hand and a Bog between them through which there was only a Causeway with a deep Ditch and a small Stone Bridge about the middle of it at the farther end of the Causeway the Forts were placed a convenient distance one from another from whence the Irish might easily have retired if we had forced the Pass for neither could our Horse follow nor knew our Foot how to tread the Bogs after them This place was formerly very woody and was fortified by O Neale Earl of Tyrone against Sir Charles Blunt Lord Deputy which he found great difficulty in passing but next year he built a Fort some two miles nearer Dundalk called Moyery Castle The Countrey between Newry and Dundalk is one of the wildest places of all Ireland being the haunt some years ago of the famous Tory Redman
O Hanlon whose Ancestors were wont to brag that they were Standard-Bearers in times of old to the Kings of Vlster Our encamping there We Encampt about a mile on this side the Town of Dundalk in a low moist Ground having the Town with the River towards the West between us and the Enemy the Sea towards the South the Newry Mountains to the East and toward the North were Hills and Bogs intermixt the Protestants that were left there told us the Irish boasted when they went away that they would drive us all back into the Sea again or else we would die of our selves the English not being used to the Field especially in a strange Countrey and at that time of the year At our coming thither we got about 2000 of my Lord Bedlow's Sheep which came in very good time to the Army for it had gone hard with us before for want of Provisions however Bread was so scarce that the General gave Orders that what there was should be for the Men and not for the Officers because he judged they could shift better It was also ordered the first night we came there That an Officer with a Party of men out of every Regiment should go back and take up what men they met withal upon the Road sick for several were beginning to faint already by reason of the Bad weather and constant marchings and want of Provisions Gasper de Coligny sometimes Admiral of France and one of the most knowing Men of his time was wont to say That War is a great Monster which begins to be formed by the Belly meaning that Food ought to be the very first care of a General for his Army this Duke Sconberg knew as well as any one and now his Ships not being come he takes part of his train-Train-horses to send for Bread Maj. General Kirk joins the Army On Sunday the Eighth Major General Kirk's Regiment Sir Jo. Hanmer's and Brigadeer Stuart's join'd us and that Afternoon we had a Report that a Party of my Lord Delamere's Horse were surrounded by the Enemy but it proved false for there were none of them within ten miles of us Monday the 9 th The Soldiers had Orders not to stir out of the Camp on pain of death for they stragled abroad and plundred those few People that were left and some of them were murthered by the Rapparees a word which we were strangers to till this time Rapparees from whence Those are such of the Irish as are not of the Army but the Country people armed in a kind of an hostile manner with Half-Pikes and Skeins and some with Sythes or Musquets For the Priests the last three or four years past would not allow an Irish man to come to Mass without he brought at least his Rapparee along that they say in Irish signifies an Half-stick or a Broken-beam being like an Half-pike from thence the Men themselves have got that name and some call them Creaughts from the little Huts they live in these Hutts they build so conveniently with Hurdles and long Turf that they can remove them in Summer towards the Mountains and bring them down to the Vallies in Winter I went this Afternoon with some others to Carlingford this is a little Town on the Sea-side some eight miles backwards from Dundalk there being an excellent Bay here our Ships had orders at Bellfast to sail thither there had been a small Town and it was known in Q. Elizabeth's time by reason of a Defeat that Sir Henry Dockwra gave the Irish not far from hence but the Irish about the time they burnt Newry burnt this also only there stood five old Ruinous Castles upon the Shore and a prodigious Mountain hung almost over these into the Sea Our business was to see if our Fleet was come or at least in sight but a small Fisher-boat was all the Fleet this place afforded at that time nor had we any Ships there for several days after Late King's Army at Drogheda By this time the General had an Account that part of the late King's Army was at Drogheda a considerable Town on the Sea-side sixteen miles from Dundalk one of the Enemies Ingineers came over to us who told the Duke that the Enemy was drawing together as fast as they could but that they could not make above 20000 well-armed men You must know that every body who knew Duke Sconberg believed he would not come into Ireland without a good Army and in all respects well provided and same had made our Army twice as many as they were the Irish Army was likewise harrassed by being at Derry and several of them both Horse and Foot were gone into the Country to Recruit so that when we came first to Dundalk they were in such disorder that most of them retreated beyond Drogheda and I was told since by some of themselves that they had not at that time above 8000 men in a Body Mareschal De Rose was very much concerned at this and he with some others were for deserting Drogheda and Dublin and retreating towards Athlone and Limerick as they did this year this my Lord Tyrconnell heard of where he was sick at Chapell-Izzard and went immediately to Drogheda where he told them that he would have an Army there by the next Night of 20000 men which accordingly proved true for they came in from Munster on all hands But when De Rose heard that Duke Sconberg halted he was sure he said that he wanted something and therefore advised to make what haste they could to get their Army together They come to Ardee and a day or two after that some part of their Army moved towards Ardee This is a small Town between Drogheda and Dundalk where my Lord More and Sir Henry Titchburne defeated a Party of the Irish in the late Rebellion the People here are most of them Protestants so that when the Irish retreated towards Drogheda they expected the English Army and therefore they provided great quantities of Ale Bread and other Provisions for the Soldiers but the Irish Army returning it was all seized by them several of the poor People stript and some of them glad to save their lives by flying in the night to our Camp Whether it was that the General did not expect the Enemy to advance towards us or at least that they would not come to encamp so near us or what other Reasons he had I am not able to judge but since it happen'd we stay'd there so long in all appearance here was a good Opportunity lost in not sending to Ardee for all this Provision as also in not getting in or at least in not destroying the Forage between Ardee and Dundalk for when the Enemy came and sate down by us they got a great quantity of Forage between our Camp and theirs and burnt a great deal afterwards before our Faces but they say that was the first thing the General order'd to cure all
the Forage or at least make it unserviceable to the Enemy But to return to our own Camp Coll. Coy sent abroad with a Party Monday the 9 th in the Afternoon Coll. Coy went out with a Party of 200 Horse to scour the Country but met with none of the Enemy for they were in a doubtful Condition what measures to take The 10 th Little hapned of moment only the General rid out to observe the Countrey the Popish Chappel in Town was made a Store-house and amongst other Papers of like nature I found one that sometime before had been given to the Priest To pray for the Shoule of Brian Rhode The 11 th There came a Gentleman from the Enemy who told the Duke that their Numbers were not so great as was reported and the Trumpet returned that was sent formerly to the Duke of Berwick for they kept him on purpose for some days that he might not give an Account of their Condition till their Army was got together Thursday the 12 it was given out in Orders That Forage should be fetched from beyond the Town towards the Enemy and that if any Soldier would thresh Corn and bring it to the Commissary he should be paid for it the full value The Majors were ordered to see the Arms of their respective Regiments kept clean and the Soldiers to leave off firing in the Camp because that some unskilful Fellows had done mischief to our own men That none of the Soldiers should Rob or Plunder the Country-people and that there should be a Reserve-Guard appointed in every Regiment consisting of a Captain Lieutenant Ensign and fifty men to be always ready to draw out upon all Occasions Bread brought to the Camp Friday the 13. Two Hundred and Four Load of Bread came to the Camp and four Ships came to Carlingford A Report was in the Camp that our Horse who went a foraging in the morning were engaged with the Enemy which occasioned the General to ride out and all the Collonels that were in Town were ordered to the Camp but the Business was only thus A Party of the Enemies Horse appeared at a distance whilst a Party of ours and some of Collonel Levisons Dragoons were tying up their Forage upon their Horses our Men seeing the Enemy appear threw down their Forage drew up and march'd to meet them as our Men advanc'd they drew back till they were out of sight when our Men had got up their Forage again the Enemy appeared a second time and so a third till a greater Party of Horse went out After this the Duke always ordered a Party of One Hundred Horse to cover the Foragers whilst they were at work The Duke goes to Carlingford but few Ships as yet arrived Next day the Duke went to Carlingford longing to see the Fleet but only four Ships were come and those the night before the Weather then was very tempestuous and orders were given out how the men should receive their Bread this was very good News to them for it had been very scarce ever since we left Belfast but to say truth the Bread we had then and during our stay at Dundalk was full as good in its kind as any we have had since In the Evening we had News The Irish come and encamp at the Bridge of Slane that the Irish Army was come as far as Ardee and part of them to the Bridge of Slane within three Miles of us where they encamped and where their whole Army staid afterwards for some time This Evening it was given out in Orders That none that went a foraging should pass the Horse Out-guards and that the Horse might cut Wood for their Stables and also the Foot for their conveniency so that this was the first publick appearance of our staying here News of the Danes coming Then the Report of the Danes coming was first spread abroad and that we deferred meeting the Enemy upon that account about this time also landed Collonel Viller's Regiment of Horse having suffered much in a Storm and lost one hundred and four Horses In two or three days most of the Wood about Town as also most of the Fruit-Trees in my Lord Bedloe's Orchard were cut down And Sunday the 15th It was ordered that a Collonel should go the Rounds every night and the Officer of the Guard to give him the Word Our Entrenchments begun The Right Wing was to furnish Monsieur Cambon Quarter-master-General with two hundred Men to work at the Trenches at the West-end of the Town next the Enemy where we planted several Field-Pieces and it was not easie for the Enemy to break in upon us that way the Majors were ordered a pound of Powder for each Man and to take care it should be delivered as there was occasion Monday the 16th Six Hundred Men were ordered to work at the Trenches which the Duke saw then convenient to draw round his Camp since he had an Enemy that was too strong for him very near and therefore he must put it out of their power to force him to fight for Wo be to that Army which by an Enemy is made to fight against its will And this is the Advantage of an Entrenched Camp that none can compel you to give Battel but when you please This Method has been practised very much of late especially by the French and yet it is no new thing it being very much in use amongst the Romans yet before the vanquished Pirrhus King of the Epirots they never used any Entrenchments but lay in the open Fields but having found that Princes Army entrenched they liked it so well that ever afterwards they practised it themselves A Battalion mounts to the Trenches But not to digress too far a Battalion was ordered to march next night into the Trenches at the West-end of the Town which was Major-General Kirks no Officers nor Soldiers were to stir out of the Camp all the Collonels were to send for their Detachments that were abroad except that at Newry The Captain that commanded at Bedloes Town that was an House of my Lord Bedloe's about half a mile to the North-West of Dundalk where we had a Guard if the Enemy appeared was to march to the Camp through Dundalk and that a Party of one hundred Foot lye by the Horse-Guard that Night This day or the next came Collonel Tiffins and the rest of the Iniskillin Foot and encamped towards the North-West of the Town but within the Trenches on very safe Ground as did also their Horse What Brigadees of Foot we had Our Brigadeers of Foot were Sir Henry Bellassis Sir John Hanver Brigadeer Stuart and Mounsieur La Millinere we had only one Brigadeer of Horse who was Collonel Villers The General 's Orders for the ordinary Guards Then the General gave the following Orders to be observed and Detachments to be made out of all the four Brigades of Foot as followeth viz. One Brigade was to
furnish all Ordinary and Extraordinary Guards for the day with what little Detachments are to be made for that day to which end the Brigade must furnish Officers and Soldiers as followeth For the Duke 's own Guard a Captain Lieutenant and Ensign with Colours two Serjeants two Drums and Fifty Men the Main-Guard in Town the like Number and the Artillery-Guard as many The Guard for Lieutenant-General Douglas a Lieutenant Serjeant and Thirty Men For Major-General Kirk an Ensign Serjeant and Twenty Men the Guard for the Treasury a Serjeant and Twelve Men in all for the Ordinary Guards three Captains four Lieutenants four Ensigns nine Serjeants eight Drums and two hundred and twelve Men. Each Brigadeer had a Serjeant and twelve Men out of their own Brigade and the Collonels when they were quartered with their Regiments had a Guard of six Men Count Solmes and Major-General Soravenmore had Guards of their own Dutch These were upon ordinary Duty And then the Reserve-Guard of Captain Lieutenant Ensign and Fifty Men out of each Regiment was always to be ready as well out of other Brigades as that which had the Ordinary Guards for the day the Brigade that had the Guards was always to have a Collonel ready in the Camp as well to see the Detachments made as to go the Grand Round through the four Brigades at night The Lieutenant Collonels and Majors were also ordered always to keep with their respective Regiments that in case Detachments were to be made every one might be ready in his turn to march And the Majors of the respective Brigades were to attend every night at the General 's Quarters for Orders Next day and the day following one hundred Men out of each Regiment were ordered to work in the Trenches as also a Lieutenant and twenty Men out of each Company to fetch Straw and Wood to build Hutts what sick Men were in the Camp were sent to Carlingford and now our Scouts and the Enemies stood usually within a quarter of a mile of each other Some little Skirmishes hapned hut they turn'd to no account on either side The General went frequently abroad to view the Enemy and ordered on Thursday that a Brigadier should go the Rounds at night and see the Guards in the day An Account that the Irish advanced Friday the 20th In the morning we had an Account that the Enemy advanced towards us and that a Party of two thousand Foot and fifteen hundred Horse were gone beyond the Mountains to attack the Pass at Newry and fall upon us in the Rear which had been no ill Project but their Design was only to cut off our Foragers and Straglers About ten a Clock a Party of the Enemies Horse did appear in sight of our Camp and they had several Battalions of Foot drawn up in order near their own but upon the advancing of a Party of our Horse theirs retired to their Main Body which was too strong for us to meddle withal The detached Party of the Enemy that we heard was gone beyond the Mountains went to a place call'd the Blackbank and hearing that my Lord Hewet's Regiment of Horse and Sir Henry Ingleby's Foot were marching to the Camp and were in Newry or hard by it that night though they came not thither till the next as also some French Detachments that the Duke had commanded in lay in Newry besides the usual Garison of Fifty Men they came no further that way but struck off to the left towards Sligo whenas its very probable That if our Enemies had been all men of Resolution they might have sent part of their Army in our Rear and whilst we endeavour'd to oppose those they might with the rest have forced our Camp and destroy'd us but Providence was our best Guard We had sent several men sick to Carlingford by this time I hapned to be there that day and we had News that the Enemy had taken Newry and were upon their march to Carlingford this was not believed by us but however the Irish that remained there thought it true and 't was very observable with what Joy the Little Boys as well as the silly Old Women received the News running together and whispering nor was it possible for them to conceal their inward satisfaction As I went to the Camp that Evening I observed a small Party of Light Horse cross the Rode a litte before me in great haste and when I got about a mile further I understood that they were a Party of the Irish that had killed five French men and two Iniskilliners as they were a foraging towards the Mountains Great Rains This Afternoon came the first of our Ships up to Dundalk from Carlingford with Ammunition and Provisions In the Night the Rains were extreamly violent and both Horse and Foot had orders to forage towards Carlingford for the Forage was destroy'd on the other side The Irish draw out their Army and proffer Battel Saturday the 21st About Nine a Clock in the Morning it being a very clear sunshine-day our Camp was alarmed the Enemy display'd their Standard-Royal and all drew out both Horse and Foot bringing along a very handsome Field-Train A great Body of their Horse drew up to the South-West of the Town about half a mile from our Out-works the Duke went out to observe them and sent for Collonel Beaumont's Regiment into the Trenches beyond the Town and about an hour after for Collonel Earls It was reported that several great Officers were for fighting and desired the Duke to send for the Horse home who were most of them gone a foraging as far as Carlingford but his Answer was Let them alone we will see what they will do He received several fresh Accounts that the Enemy advanced and always bid Let them alone A Body of their Foot came to the side of a Bogg and fired upon a Party of our Horse not far from the Duke but they knew the Horse could not come at them else I suppose they would scarce have come so near Then our Gunners sent from the Works to see if they might fire amongst the Enemy who by this time were within Cannon shot but the Duke would not suffer it except they came within Musquet-shot of our Trenches He observed the Enemies motions and postures and said He saw no sign of their designing to fight only-once they drew their Army into two lines as if they would and then he sent Lieutenant-General Douglass to the Camp to order all the Foot to stand to their Arms and sent to the Horse That upon the firing of three Pieces of Cannon they should return to the Camp but till then to go on with their Foraging Mean time the Duke as if there was no fear of danger for all this for he used to say That it was not in their power to make him fight but when he pleased alighted from his Horse and sate him down upon a little Hill where he seem'd to sleep for some
time though I believe his thoughts were at work how to repulse the Enemy if they should attack him Lieutenant-General Douglass came to the Camp and all the Soldiers with the greatest joy in the World stood to their Arms several that had not stirr'd out of their Tents for a Week before now got up their Musquets and all were glad to think that they had an opportunity of beating their Enemy for they never supposed the contrary and so to march forwards from that sad place which they begun already to be very weary of But refused by the Duke We stood looking upon one another for some time and most people desired that they might march through the Town and have a fair Tryal for it but the Duke had no such thoughts and therefore he did not so much as send for his Horse home besides he knew that the Enemy could not easily force our Camp without a great deal of hazard to themselves and that he believed they would scarce be brought to And therefore about two a Clock when the Enemy begun to draw off the General sent orders for the Soldiers to return to their Tents My Lord Lisburne and Collonel Woolsley made some proffers to beat the Enemy back or with one thousand men to beat up their Guards that night but this was not so easy a Task as they made it and the Duke refused it considering if they did it the Honour was theirs but if they miscarried the disadvantage was his As the Enemy retired a Party of Collonel Levison's Dragoons killed about four or five of them and some of the Iniskillin-men stript themselves and pursued the Enemy killing two or three more tho some of themselves fell in the attempt but the Action of that day was very inconsiderable for neither could they come at us nor we go to them without such disadvantages as are to be well considered of in such cases And that the General acted this day as well as before and after according to the Rules of Art and Prudence and that too for the best may partly appear towards the latter end of the Campaign I had almost forgot to tell you that the Late King was at the head of his Army that day having come to the Camp some days before The Officers commanded to exercise their men The Orders were that Night That none should forage nor stir out of the Camp next day and that the Brigades that did not mount the Guards should be exercised at firing at a Mark when it was Fair weather as 't was very seldom for the Duke knew most of his men had never been in service and therefore he would have them taught as much as could be Part of the Irish Army remove Next day being Sunday we had news that the Enemy was removed towards Drogheda and had burnt their Camp this was partly true for they removed some of their Army and formed a Camp hard by Ardee to the East nigh the side of a Bog My Lord Hewett's Horse and Sir Henry Inglesby's Foot came this day to the Camp the latter being relieved at Carigfergus by Collonel Gustavus Hambleton from Chester and two French Granadeers were apprehended as they were going to the Enemy A Plot discover'd But next Morning there was a further discovery made And first Four Soldiers and a Drummer then Sixteen more apprehended several Letters were found about some of those as one to Monsieur d'Avaux and as they say one to the Late King those it seems were writ by one Du Plessey who served as a private Soldier in M. Cambon's Regiment and had for some time kept a Correspondence with the Enemy Enquiry being made into the thing about Two hundred men all Papists in Callimot's Cumbon's and La. Millineir's French Regiments were secured disarmed and sent with a Guard on Shipboard and so for England but what became of them afterwards I know not Monday morning the Enemy came and burnt all the Forage that was left between our Camp and theirs the General would not send out a party for fear of an Ambuscade and the Soldiers seemed to be pleased with it because they said they could not get leave to fight them The Weather for two or three days proved pretty fair and the Soldiers were exercised with firing at Marks but it was observable that a great many of the new men who had Match-Locks had so little skill in placing of their Matches true that scarce one of them in four could fire their Pieces off and those that did thought they had done a feat if the Gun fired never minding what they shot at Tuesday Two Granadeers of Coll. Beaumont's Regiment were Hanged for deserting and there was a Council of War designed between Major-General Kirk and Sir Henry Inglesby about the business of Derry the latter saying That Derry might easily have been relieved much sooner with a great deal more to that purpose but it came to nothing and was no more talk'd of On the 25th the Army was Mustered and several Regiments were grown pretty thin by reason of the distempers then beginning to seize our Men. Six Frenchmen Hanged On the 26th Six of the principal Conspirators amongst the French were Hanged upon a pair of Gallows built for that purpose near the High-way as we went from the Camp to the Town They all died Papists and confessed their design to take over as many to King James as they could and that this was their intentions when they first Listed themselves and that if we had engaged the Enemy the Saturday before they were to have put our Army into Confusion by firing in the Rear and so deserting They prayed for Ring William and Queen Mary and ask'd Their Pardons for their Treachery Du Plessey the chief of them had been formerly a Captain of Horse in France from whence they say he fled for a Murder but hearing what Regiments were to be raised in England he came thither under the notion of a poor Refugee and for what Service he proposed to do the Late King he both expected his Pardon from the King of France and the Command of a Regiment in Ireland He served as a Private Centinal the better to carry on his design He was certainly one that knew his business and amongst other things was a good Engineer and the more to blind the World he went often in the Trenches at Carigfergus and being wounded he would needs stay and encourage the Pioneers so difficult it is to find the bottom of mens hearts except by Chance or rather Providence The French before were very insolent which made them hated at all hands but this Treachery of their Countrey-men made them so odious that the Soldiers wanted only some body to begin and then they were ready to punish all for the faults of some Collonel Woolsley some time before this had sent a Spy to Dublin who had brought him a particular Account of all Affairs there amongst other things
the Irish had great hopes of the French revolting to them this he acquainted the Duke withal but he would not believe it till it discovered it self so good an opinion had he of those people who for all this were not so grateful to him as they ought to have been Coll. Lloyd defeats a Party of the Irish Friday the 27th We had News That two days before Collonel Lloyd with about 1000 Iniskilliners had defeated a Body of the Irish that were going towards Sligo consisting of about 5000 and had killed 700 of them taken O Kelly their Commander and 40 more Officers Prisoners with a great booty of about 8000 Cattel with the loss only of 14 Men upon which News the General ordered all the Iniskillin Horse and Foot that were in the Camp to Draw out and Complemented them so far as to Ride all along their Line with his Hat off then he ordered the Dutch-Guards and the Iniskillin-Foot to Draw into a Line to the Right of our Works at the West-end of the Town where they made three Running-fires which were answered by the iniskillin-Iniskillin-Horse from their Camp and by the Great Guns upon our Works as also from our Ships that lay in the mouth of the River The Enemy admired what all this rejoycing should be for and were in some trouble at first suspecting we had got some extraordinary News from England or that there was an Army landed in the West of Ireland which they themselves must have known before us but when they understood the occasion they were not much concerned The 28th The Officers were acquainted it was the King's positive Orders that the Soldiers should not be wronged in their Pay nor neglected and whosoever was careless of his Company should be broke without Ceremony that was I suppose without a Court Martial Care was likewise commanded to be taken of the Sick at Carlingford An Officer was sent out of every Regiment to look after them and see them paid but for all this a great many of them died miserably and several Officers did not take the care that was necessary nor was there either Drugs or indeed Chyrurgeons to look after the Sick All Officers that had any Baggage on Shipboard were commanded to take it off because the Ships were said to go into Scotland for the Danes though at that time they were in Denmark All Papists commanded to discover themselves All that were Papists in the Army were commanded to discover it on pain of Death there were very few found but amongst the French who were put again under a Guard and sent to Carlingford there being the Afternoon before two more French-men taken one who had a List of all the Army and the Officers Names in most Regiments as also a Scheme of our Camp this was the occasion of the former Orders And also that the next night it was ordered That a List should be given in from every Regiment of the Officers Names and where they were with the Names of those that were absent and all those that had not received the Sacrament since they had their Commissions were to prepare against the Sunday following which was that day Seven-night Next day Lieutenant-General Douglas exercised the Regiments of the first Line teaching them how to fire by platoons and then made Speeches to them about their pay which pleased the Soldiers mightily but not so well the Officers month October Brandy delivered to the Men. About the first of October there was a good quantity of Brandy delivered out to every Regiment and Orders were again repeated That the Officers should be careful of their men the weather was then exceeding bad and we who lay on wet low ground had leave to remove our Tents a little higher which we did and after some time built our selves Huts according to former Orders And because the French were yet so forward as to go out and either buy oâ— take the Provisions that were coming to the Market then exacting from the English at least as much more as the thing was worth this was the occasion why the French were put upon the Guard whenever they could not give a good account of themselves upon which the General ordered that no French should be stopt any more than English but that none should pass the Out-Guards after Sunset nor buy any thing upon pain of death till it come into Town to the open Market And because it was observed that several Countrey people went between our Camp and the Enemies giving Intelligence of our Condition it was ordered That all Countrey-men that were stopt at or beyond the Out-Guards and could not give a reasonable account of their business they should be brought before the General Ships come to Dundalk Several of our Ships to the number of about 27 were now come to Dundalk and anchored nigh the Shore to the South-west of the Town but when the Tide was out it was easie for the Enemy to come down on that side and ruin them therefore the General ordered a Guard of a 100 men to go on Ship-board and to be relieved every 24 hours he took all imaginable care likewise that the Sick should be well lookt after and that those that were well should have Bread Cheese Brandy Beef Pease and Money as also That an Officer of a Company should go out with a Party and fetch in Fern for the Soldiers to lye upon for a great many began now to be sick by reason of the extreme bad weather and most of them were so lazy that they would starve rather than fetch Fern or any thing else to keep themselves dry and clean withal which certainly was the greatest occasion of Distempers Sickness and Death it self and many of them when they were dead were incredibly Lousie This occasioned the General to say one day when he came to the Camp and found that the Soldiers had not Hutted according to Orders That we English-men will Fight but we do not love to work for he used to call himself an English-man for all he loved the French so well About this time there was a Captain and Fifty men sent to Moyery Castle some Two miles behind our Camp as well to secure what Provisions were coming thither as to keep the Rappâ—…ees in awe and prevent our men that were going backwards and forwards from being murdered as several had been for a day or two before this I saw a poor Soldier lying towards the mountains who had his Head cut off and laid between his Legs and one of his Arms likewise which lay at a distance from him so cruel are those Wretches where they have an Opportunity or advantage On the 1 st of October Coll. Lloyd possest himself of James-town a small place near the Shannon where the Enemy had a Garison of 80 men that they had sent thither a little time before The Irish Army removes to Ardee and on the 5 th we had news That the Enemies
Foot began to march at one a Clock in the morning and their Horse followed in the Rear burning their Camp at the Bridg of Fane and removing to Ardee We had also an account That the Duke of Berwick with a considerable Body of Horse was gone towards Iniskillin to rescue Major General Maccarty upon which a Detatchment of the Iniskillin Horse and Foot Coll. Russels Horse and Eight Grenadeers out of every Regiment mounted on Horse-back were sent on the 8 th to keep a Pass between us and Sligo On the 9 th the General had an Account from one Hempson and Johnston with four more who came from Dublin in an open Boat on the 7 th and landed at Carlingford That King James had given Orders to victual that place for his Winter-Quarters and that the discourse was there of dividing the Army in order to quit the Field because they thought it was impossible for us to attempt any thing that Winter as indeed it was That night a Party of 100 Horse were sent out towards Ardee but coming near an old Castle where the Enemy had posted themselves they fired upon our men which occasioned some of the French Horse to retreat but all the harm that was done was one of the Troopers had his Thigh bruised An Honourable Quarrel About this time there hapned a Quarrel between two French Officers belonging to Duke Sconberg's Regiment of Horse they were afraid to fight nigh our Camp lest the General should have notice of it and so try them by a Court-martial therefore they agreed to ride out towards the Enemies Camp where they fought with Sword and Pistol and being both wounded they told at their return that it was the Enemy had done it Both Forage and Firing grew now very scarce and the Weather was mighty bad so that Mr. Shales had Orders to deliver out two Tuns of Coals to each Regiment About the 8 th or 9 th Sir John Lanier's Colonel Langston's Horse and Colonel Hefford's Dragoons with Colonel Hasting's Foot landed at Carlingford from Scotland We had an account that there were more landed with them and that when they joined us we should march forwards but now it was too late and they did not come to the Camp but were ordered to Armagh Clownish and Places thereabouts The General gave Orders that no Colonel or any one whatever should give Passes for any to go from the Camp and that the Officers should visit the Souldiers Tents night and morning to see what they wanted The Sick order'd on Board On the 13 th it was ordered that all the Sick should be sent on Board and that the Officers took care to see that those who were well should have Hutts made and the Quarter-masters were ordered to fetch Shoes Bread Cheese Brandy and Coals And all the Surgeons in the Army were appointed to meet Dr. Lawrence next day at 10 a Clock to consult I suppose what Methods could be taken to prevent the Flux and Feaver which then were very violent The General Count Solmes Lieut. Gen. Douglas Maj. Gen. Kirk and M. G. Scravenmore or some of them were out every day either to observe the Enemy or view our own Camp And on the 15 th we were told by three or four Deserters that the Enemy had entrenched themselves at Ardee and designed to continue there for some time but the first was a Mistake for it was the Town that they were fortifying whilst they lay there that they might leave a Garison in it when the Army went off to Quarters A Colonel was ordered to go the Rounds every night and a Brigadier once in three nights And we had at this time about 105 Ships at Carlingford besides those at Dundalk Our Horse encamp at Carlingford The 16 th all our Horse except the French the Inniskillin and Col. Levison's Dragoons march'd towards Carlingford for the conveniency of Forage That day Capt. Ralph Gore was buried in Dundalk-Church and the day following Col. Deering as had been several Officers before Sir Edward was very much lamented in the Army by all that knew him He left a good Fortune in England purely to serve the King in this Expedition as did three more of his Brothers one of which viz. Capt. John Deering died since at Taudrogee being a very ingenious young Gentleman On the 17 th a Party of Inniskillin Horse and some of Levison's Dragoons were got so nigh the Enemy that a Party of twenty Horse came behind them thinking to keep a Pass whilst others charged them in the Front Four Irish Men killed but our Men discovering their Error faced about and charged those in the Rear whereof they killed four and took six Prisoners A Priest hanged for a Spy The same day a Priest was hanged who came from the Enemy as a Deserter but proved a Spy he served then in station of a Captain And to be even with us they caught a Spy of ours some days after in Priests habit and hanged him The 20 th Capt. Withers of Maj. Gen. Kirk's Regiment was made Adjutant-General of Foot and next day it was again ordered that all our Sick should be sent on board at Dundalk and Carlingford though those Orders were not executed till a fortnight after We remove our Camp beyond the Town However we removed our Camps some beyond the Town and some towards the Artillery leaving the Huts that we had made full of sick Men. I know not the distinct number of the Sick in every Regiment at that time but besides what were dead and gone to Carlingford before as also some in the Town we had 67 that were not able to march about twice twelve score to fresh ground whom we put into those Huts leaving the Surgeon with an Officer and twelve Men purposely to attend them The Chaplain likewise went to see them once a day but always at his going found some dead Those that were alive seemed very sorry when the others were to be buried not that they were dead for they were the hardest-hearted one to another in the World but whilst they had them in their Huts they either served to lay between them and the cold Wind or at least were serviceable to sit or lie upon And since the Enemy were now drawn off the Guards were taken from the Ships and from Mortimer's Castle leaving only a Sergeant and twelve Men at the Gate that leads to Bedloes Castle and because some Companies were so thin that there were scarce twelve healthful Men in them it was therefore ordered that every Company should do Duty according to strength Tuesday the 22 d great part of the Army were marched beyond the Town and encamp'd some towards Bedloe's-Castle and some down towards the Shipping in so much that those that went over were ordered to do Duty as three Brigades and those that staid as one the Chirurgeon of each Regiment was ordered to see the Sick on Board An Officer was sent to take
care of them and was to call on Mr. Shales for Provisions Every Officer was to see that none were sent on Board but what were really Sick and this was recommended to the Colonels as well as to the Brigadiers This Afternoon there came a Drummer from the Enemy about the Exchange of Prisoners Dutch Prisoners released by King James And three Dutch-men were taken as they were stragling in the Country who being brought to King James and ask'd Who they belonged to when he understood their Captain was the same that had the Care of him formerly at Rochester he dismissed them with his Service to their Captain giving each of them some Mony because he said their Captain had been formerly civil to him The 23 d several sick Men having been sent on Board and not Ships enough for the rest Mr. Shales was ordered to bring more from Carlingford and most of the Regiments went to encamp beyond the Town I suppose the General was of Opinion the Ground whereon we lay was infected or else he would not have removed us out of our Huts into our Tents again especially in such boisterous Weather A Trumpeter comes about the exchange of Prisoners The 24 th there was a Trumpeter sent also about the Exchange of Prisoners And it was ordered that the Officers should give an Account of their effective Men how many Sick and where as also of their spare Arms and deliver them in to the Artillery taking a Receipt for them but what Arms were broke or lost the Captains were to be accountable for and it was but reasonable nor did the Officers take that due care in this particular that was convenient for if any Souldier is careless of his Arms the Officer ought to punish him by which the King will be both better served and freed from that unnecessary Charge of supplying his Army anew every Year but what with the Rain and our own carelesness together our Arms were often in that condition that should the Enemy have attaqued us on a sudden we had scarce one Musquet in ten that was serviceable The 25 th 26 th 27 th all the rest of the Army removed through the Town and encamp'd on fresh Ground the Weather still continued very bad and great Numbers both of Officers and Souldiers died The General then gave Orders that no No Firings for the Dead Firings should be for the Dead because it encouraged the Enemy who knew but too well our Condition and yet could do us but little harm Most People now began to murmur against the General as if he had been the Cause of all their Misfortunes but it is commonly a Fate incident to great Men to be extreamly magnified upon Success and upon any notable Disaster to be as much reproach'd and sometimes neither justly for he himself shared in the trouble of this Affair but could not in reason be made the cause of it On the 27 th about 12 a Clock at Night 200 of Col. Levison's Dragoons a Party of Inniskilliners and some French Horse were sent towards the Enemies Camp who went almost as far as Ardee and brought back some Cattle and Horses took only a Serjeant Prisoner and had a Lieutenant killed Next Morning there was a Party of 80 Granadiers mounted and sent abroad commanded by Lieut. Laton but these returned with the above-said Party and frequent Trumpets were sent to and fro about the Exchange of Prisoners This Evening about nine a Clock died Sir Thomas Gower of a Feaver as did also Col. Wharton next Morning and were both buried on the 30 th in one Vault where a in Fortnight before Sir Edward Deering was laid the Regiments being joined and fired three times by particular Order These two Gentlemen were very much bemoaned by the whole Army Col. Wharton was a brisk bold Man and had a Regiment that would have followed him any where for they loved him and this made him ready to push on upon all Occasions Sir Tho Gower though he was but just in a manner entring upon the World yet I believe few or none of his Age could out-do him he was of a quick and ready Wit as well as a solid Judgment and made it his Business to know Men and Things to this was joined a very good Education together with a most sweet and affable Temper being withal a Man of a comely and handsom Person as was also Col. Wharton that it made him truly bemoaned by all that knew him A day or two after died C. Hungerford a very hopeful young Gentleman and of a considerable Fortune with several other Officers and great numbers of Souldiers as I have said And many unthinking Mens Passions led them to censure the General as the occasion of all this They would say that if he had gone on at first he might certainly have got Dublin and what he did was only to protract the War and that he cared not how many died so he was well himself but at best that he was so old that he was not fit for Action for if he had but rid out he would forget in two or three hours that he had been abroad that Day But all those were most false and ignorant Suggestions as his Majesty was very sensible of at that time and it appeared to all considering People to be so afterwards For besides prime Ministers are not to level their Proceedings to the Capacities of all who pretend Vigilancy and Care of the State and no Man living in publick Imployments can manage so as to have the good word of all People neither indeed is it convenient or rational to endeavour or expect it On the last of October all the Quarter-masters had Orders to go on Board with each ten Men and see the Ships cleared to make room for the Sick they were all to have Tickets from their Colonels and the Brigadeers were ordered to visit them on Board but if any were well enough to go to Carlingford or the County of Down they were to be taken care of the Colonels or Lieutenant-Colonels were to go with the Brigadier on Board and every Adjutant was to give a List next Morning of their Sick to the Adjutant-General which was a very large one month November The Enemy Decamp Friday the First of November greatest part of the Enemies Army Decamped and marched to Quarters and it was ordered that Night that two Granadeers out of each English Regiment and three out of every French should be on Horse-back at the White-House early next Morning to go out as a Party to observe the Enemy the reason of this I suppose was because the small number of Horse and Dragoons that were left in our Camp were almost harrassed to Death with continual Duty the rest being nigh Carlingford at Grâ—ss as has been said All the Sick that were in any condition to March were ordered to be at the Artillery by seven a Clock in the Morning their Officers were to give
left and so died and all of us had but indifferent Lodgings that Night amongst the Ruins of the old Houses at Newry So little did the poor Men value dying that some of them being in a Stable over-night the next day two were dead and the rest intreating me to get a Fire which I did coming about two hours after they had pull'd in the two dead Men to make Seats of The ninth Day the rest of our Army marched from Dundalk the Duke giving Orders first to burn some Arms and Provisions that could not be got off because the Waggons were imployed to carry the Men and some few sick Men were left that could not be removed those were at the Mercy of the Enemy who did not use them ill but buried several that were dead At their first coming to Dundalk they removed the Corps of our three dead Colonels out of my Lord Bedlow's Vault and buried them nigh the Church-door but did not abuse them as was reported Some Men killed As the Rear of our Army was marching off from Dundalk a small Party of the Enemy's Horse came as far as Moyery-Castle two Miles from the Town where they killed the Adjutant of my Lord Kingston's Regiment with two or three Souldiers that were behind the rest but a Party of our Horse advancing the Enemy retreated towards Dundalk which they had possession of within an hour after we had left it And that nothing might be wanting for the good of the Souldiers the General before he left the Camp viz. on the 23 d of October set forth an Order how all Subaltern Officers and Souldiers were to be subsisted and cleared according to which all Colonels and superiour Officers were to take care that their Men were paid as they would answer the contrary at their Perils A Remarkable Story Sometime after our coming to Quarters I was told a very remarkable Story relating to the manner of our decamping at Dundalk It was by one Mr. Hambleton of Tollymoore a Justice of Peace in his Country and a sober rational Man which was to this effect Himself and two other Gentlemen with their Servants coming from Dublin into the North at least a Year before our Landing As they came towards Dundalk about nine a Clock at Night they espied several little twinkling Lights in the Air with two larger than the rest They staid some time in the Town and designing for Newry that Night Mr. Hambleton went a little before his Company and saw the same Lights again as nigh as he could guess about the Ground where we afterwards Encamp'd On the side of the Hill as he was to go towards the Mountains he turned about and look'd at them and at the same time he heard the most dismal and heavy Groans in the World This startled him something and presently his Company came up who all saw the Lights and heard the Noise which continued till they got almost to Newry but the Lights they saw no more after they turned their Backs off the Plains of Dundalk They have a great many Stories of this kind in Ireland And the Inniskilling-Men tell you of several such things before their Battels but I have only the Reader 's Pardon to ask for the trouble of this How our Army was quarter'd The Army at our decamping was dispersed all over the North to Winter-Quarters which were but very indifferent and what with coming to warm Fire-sides with some and others having little or no shelter to secure them and very little Provisions the Country being all wasted and destroyed nor was it possible to send Provisions every where till Storehouses were fixed And then most of the Men being very weak before they left the Camp and marching in the Cold and Wett to come to those Places we had more that died when they came to Quarters than died in the Camp I have a Copy of the Order by me which directed how and where all Regiments were to be disposed but it 's needless to insert it only our Frontier Garisons were Green-Castle and Rostriver where quartered Beaumont and Stuart Newry where was Sir Henry Inglesby Taudrogee Sir Henry Bellasis and some of Levison's Dragoons Legacory had some of the French and at Armagh were Drogheda and Deering at Clownish Monohan and those places were Hastings and some of the Iniskilliners The General had his Head-Quarters at Lisburn and the Hospital was ordered to be at Belfast which is a very large Town and the greatest for Trade in the North of Ireland it stands at the head of the Bay of Carickfergus and the Inhabitants have lately built a very famous Stone-Bridg but the Wars coming on it is not as yet quite finished I doubt not but most People will be curious to know how many died this Campaign and in Quarters and what could be the occasion of such Mortality as likewise how many the Enemies Numbers were when they lay so nigh us and wonder why two Armies should lie so near together for our Front and theirs were for above a Fortnight not two miles asunder and yet so little of Action happen The Reasons of our Mens dying As to the first whatever the World may think yet I can attribute those Distempers amongst us to nothing else but the Badness of the Weather the moistness of the Place the unacquaintedness of the English to hardships and indeed their lazy Carelessness for I remember a Regiment of Dutch that Encamp'd at the end of the Town were so well hutted that not above eleven of them died the whole Campaign but it 's the same thing with the English whenever you take them first out of their own Country as it was here and let Men be in other things never so happy if they have Courage and know the use of their Arms yet when they come upon Duty if they have not Bodies inured to hardships they lie under a great disadvantage But in truth we could scarce have been more infortunate either in a Place or in the Weather than whilst we were there for it would often rain all Day upon us when there was not one drop in the Enemies Camp this they used to call a Judgment but it was because we lay in a Hollow at the Bottoms of the Mountains and they upon a high sound Ground the Enemy did not at first die so fast as we did because they were born in the Country and were used to bad lying and feeding but before they decamped they were nigh as ill as we and abundance died after they got to Quarters Chirurgions ill provided One thing I cannot omit and that is that our Surgeons were very ill provided with Druggs having in their Chests only some little things for Wounds but little or nothing that might be useful against the Flux and the Feaver which were the two raging Distempers amongst us and yet I cannot but think that the Feaver was partly brought to our Camp by some of those People that
came from Derry for it was observable that after some of them came amongst us it was presently spread over the whole Army yet I did not find many of themselves died of it Number of Men that died at Dundalk As to the Number of our Men that died I am sure there were not above sixteen or seventeen Hundred that died in or about Dundalk but our Ships came from Carlingford and Dundalk about the 13 th of November to Belfast and there were shipt at those two places 1970 sick Men and not 1100 of those came a-shore but died at Sea nay so great was the Mortality that several Ships had all the Men in them dead and no Body to look after them whilst they lay in the Bay at Carickfergus As for the Great Hospital at Belfast there were 3762 that died in it from the first of November to the first of May as appears by the Tallies given in by the Men that buried them There were several that had their Limbs so mortified in the Camp and afterwards that some had their Toes and some their whole Feet that fell off as the Surgeons were dressing them so that upon the whole matter we lost nigh one half of the Men that we took over with us The Enemies Numbers As to the Enemies Numbers and the reason why so little Action happened the Accounts that were given by Deserters both as to the Enemies Numbers and Designs were so various and disagreeing that the General himself was at a Loss what to trust to which if well considered will answer many of those rash Objections made to the management of that Campagne I have seen a List of their whole Army since and the most agree that they had at Dundalk 17 Regiments of Horse and Dragoons with as many Foot as made them nigh forty thousand though their Foot were not all very well armed but some had Scithes instead of Pikes yet Lieut. General Hamilton denies that they were ever so many in the Field And as for so little of Action happening in so long a time the reason on the Duke's side as I humbly conjecture might be that he found himself exceedingly out-done in the number of his Horse nor did the small Body that he had come all at one time but stragling by degrees And therefore he was unwilling to venture a few except he had enough to push for all which he had not And our entrenching our selves might make the Enemy think it was to no purpose to alarm us since they believed it impossible to force our Camp which it certainly was not if we had had any other sort of People to deal withal but Irish But it may be they considered that Maxim that the Invader is still to proffer and the Invaded to decline a Battel A List of our own Army The LIST of our own Army was as followeth Horse and Dragoons Lord Devonshire 6 Troops Lord Delamere 6 Troops Lord Hewett 6 Troops Colonel Coy 6 Troops †Colonel Langston 6 Troops Colonel Villers 6 Troops †Sir John Lanier 6 Troops D. Schonberg's French 9 Troops Col. Woolsely's Inniskilliners 12 Troops Mr. Harbord's Troop 1 Troop Capt. Matthew White 1 Troop Provost Martial's Troop 1 Troop †Col. Hefford's Dragoons 9 Troops Col. Levison's Dragoons 6 Troops Sr. A. Cuningham's Dragoons 6 Troops Col. Gwinn's Dragoons 6 Troops These make in all 13 Regiments besides three Independent Troops 3 of which marked thus †did not come to the Camp and 2 more came late so that we could not make above 8 Regiments of Horse and Dragoons when the Irish drew out upon us and 3 of those were Inniskilliners Foot A Battalion of Blew Dutch Carlesoon's White Dutch Major General Kirk Sir John Hanmer Brigadier Stuart Colonel Beaumont Colonel Wharton Lord Meath Lord Kingston Lord Drogheda Sir Henry Bellasis Sir Henry Inglesby Lord Lovelace then Colonel Zanchy's Lord Roscommon Lord Luburne * Colonel Hamilton * Colonel Hastings Colonel Deering Colonel Herbert Sir Tho. Gower Colonel Earle La Millineir Du Cambon La Callimott Inniskillin and Derry Foot * Col. Gustavus Hamilton * Colonel Lloyd * Colonel White Colonel Mitchelburne * Colonel St. Johns Colonel Tiffany Note that the Foot marked thus * were not at Dundalk but in Garison These make in all counting the Blew Battalion for one thirty Regiments of Foot but those were all that we had in Ireland there were some at Derry and Col. Hamilton's Regiment at Carickfergus some at Inniskillin and others at Sligo till the Irish took it from us Fifty Men were left upon a Party at Newry There were also several killed at Carickfergus and some left sick and wounded at Belfast besides the two Hamiltons Lloyd's White 's St. John's and Hastings's never came to the Camp Sir Henry Inglesby's and two Regiments of Horse came not till our Camp was fix'd and then Maj. Gen. Kirk's Sir John Hanmer's and Brigadier Stuart's Regiments had laid long on Ship-board and had been harassed so that they had lost several of their Number Some also were dead or sick and others run away Put all these things together I say and we cannot suppose that the Duke had above 2000 Horse and Dragoons and not many more than 12000 Foot when the Irish proffer'd him Battel I have no warrant from any body for what I am going to say only I think my self obliged to give an account of what I am perswaded is true in answering those Objections which were made by the Army first and then by several of the People of England that had lost their Relations or Friends viz. That the Duke was to blame he did not go on at first without stopping for then we had got Dublin and all the Kingdom would have fallen of course without half that expence of Treasure that England has been at And that we lost more Men by lying at Dundalk than we could have done in a Battel and also a year's time which might have been employed with an Army in the Heart of France These things and several of the like nature have been objected to the Conduct of that Great Man who always thought it better to owe his Victories to good Management than good Fortune since wise Counsels are still within the Power of wise Men but Success is not And what Man in the World would be thought wise and his Actions entertained as the best if only such were so against whom and which no Objection could be made The Memory therefore of such a Man ought not to suffer who all his Life-long had been said to act with the greatest Prudence in the World And for his management in this Affair no doubt he could give very substantial Reasons yet because those are not nor cannot be known to the World I shall only offer some few that I have had from very good Hands and which I know in the main to be true It 's an easy thing for Men to sit at home by a warm Fire-side and find fault with
Affairs of the greatest Moment tho they know no more than the Man in the Moon what such things mean and if we get but into a Coffee-house or over a Bottle in a Tavern we can be greater Statesmen and Generals in opinion than those that are really so and can do that in conceit in two hours which the greatest Men find a difficulty to perform in some years The Duke therefore I humbly conceive had more Reasons for what he did than I can think on or possibly ever heard of But what I have to offer are these as The Reasons why the General went no further than Dundalk 1. Where the Fault lay I know not but I was at Chester when the Duke had been above a week in Ireland and all or most of the Waggon-Horses and some of the Train-Horses were there then nor did they come over till we had been some time at Dundalk The Country as we marched was all destroyed by the Irish so that by that time we got to Newry I was forced to go and dig Potatoes which made the greatest part of a Dinner to better Men than my self and if it was so with us it may easily be supposed that the poor Souldiers had harder times of it This the Duke was very sensible of and sent for Mr. Alloway Commissary to the Train and told him that he must send back his Horses for Bread for the Men And when the other urged it was a thing never known that the Train-Horses were employed to any other Use than what belonged to the Train it self the Duke replied He knew the truth of that but that he had rather break any Rules than his Men should starve and accordingly some of the Horses were sent for Bread as I have observed before 2. For want of Horses and Carriages the Duke was forced to ship the greatest part of his Train and several Necessaries for a Camp at Carickfergus and gave Orders that the Ships should sail with the first fair Wind for Carlingford-Bay but though the Wind was very favourable they did not stir in ten days after nor did there any Ships come to Carlingford till we had been at Dundalk at least a week and then only four came at a time I have heard indeed that he who had the Sailing Orders went some-where with them and the Ships lay still for want of them but how true this is I know not 3. It was said that the General had assurance given him before he left England that an Army should be landed in the West of Ireland at his marching through the North and accordingly we had it several times affirmed that it was so This no doubt would have distracted the Irish and made the Duke's Passage to Dublin much more easy But the General had an account I suppose that this could not be and therefore he must stand or fall by himself Nor would any that knew Duke Schonbergh believe he would ever come abroad with so small an Army and so ill provided And I have heard say that that Army was never designed to conquer Ireland but to defend the North. 4. It was no difficult thing for him to march his Army as far as Dundalk and that safely by reason the Country was full of Mountains and Bogs and the Enemies Horse could not do him much harm though if they had pleased they needed not have let us come past Newry and yet their Horse had then newly come from Derry and were gone to recruit But if he had pass'd that Place it was a plain and open Country and we might easily have been surrounded and our Communication both from the North and also from our Ships cut off for if we past Dundalk we could have no more benefit of our Shipping till we had been Masters of Drogheda or else have gone to Dublin and then we must have gone over the Boyne which thrice our Number and that too in a dry Season in the midst of Summer found some difficulty in passing and all this we must have performed in two or three days or else have starved 5. Suppose that if we had marched on and made an halt at Dundalk we might have gone to Dublin the Irish Army not being got together for I have heard it was debated whether Drogheda should have been surrendred if we advanced thither and it was once carried in the Affirmative But the Duke was not certain of the Enemies Condition nor if he had Would it have been any prudence to have gone on without Provisions without Ships and a great many other things that were absolutely necessary He knew he was safe at Dundalk and therefore he chose to stay there and understand the posture of the Enemy and expect his own Things and Forces rather than run the hazard of gaining that by meer Fortune which if she had frown'd the Damage was certainly irreparable 6. The General was a meer Stranger in the Country and therefore he must look at a great many Things with other Mens Eyes and some of those were dim enough nor had he any Counsel assigned him but had the whole shock of Affairs upon himself which was the occasion that he scarce ever went to Bed till it was very late and then had his Candle with a Book and Pensil by him this would have confounded any other Man and was fit for no Body to undertake but Duke Schonberg or his Master that employed him Before the Duke could be ready therefore to march forwards the Irish Army was come and sat down by us and then it was too late And why he did not fight the Irish Army Nor do I think he was more to blame in refusing Battel when the Irish seem'd to proffer it for though it 's probable that the Irish at our first coming over took our Numbers to be greater than they really were yet by that time we had been a Week at Dundalk they knew our Numbers and our Circumstances as well as we our selves did both by the Intelligence they had in the Country and by several of the French that had a mind to betray us For all things considered we had not above 14000 Horse and Foot and very few of those Horse nor was the Duke to go according to our reputed Numbers but to what we were in Reality The Enemy had nigh four times our Number of Horse and Dragoons with double ouâ— Number of Foot nor could we have drawn out upon them without a manifest disadvantage there being several Bogs and Causeys between us and them that whosoever gave the Attaque all things else considered it was odds against them Besides most of our Souldiers were new Men and had never seen a Sword drawn in Anger nor a Gun fired in Earnest in their Lives and what such Men will do till they be tried there 's none can tell I believe the Men had as good Hearts and were all as ready I am sure to engage as was possible but several of them were ignorant
of the true use of their Arms for when they came afterwards to fire at a Mark singly they gave too great proof to any Man of sense of their Unskilfulness This is no Reflection upon the Officers for it 's scarce possible to make new-raised Men good Souldiers till they have seen some Action and yet several Officers might have taken more care than they did If it be objected that the Enemies Men were far worse in this respect than ours I answer Not for a great many of them had been Souldiers for at least four Years before and if we had gone out into the Plain and had our Foot charged by their Horse at the rate we were afterwards at the Boyne I know not what might have followed Besides we had an Enemy in our Bosom at that time undiscovered I mean the French and if those at the beginning of an Engagement should have fired in the Rear or Flank of our Army upon our own Men and then run over to the Enemy as was designed this might quickly have bred an appreâ—hension of Treachery in the whole that a Consternation and from this such a Confusion that our whole Army might easily have been disordered for those that understand Armies know that a small thing in appearance may do a great deal of Mischief at such a time And some are of Opinion that the Irish did not design to fight that Day but only drew out to see who would come over to them because they were made believe that all the French and a great many English would for the Duke who was a great Judg often said when he saw the Enemy appear That they did not look as if they would fight except once but that they designed something else But God be thanked the English were stedfast and true to a Man and they were disappointed of their Foreigners too Upon the whole Matter I doubt not but it will appear to any Man that pleases to consider it that the Duke did better in not hazarding that in a moment which may be was not to be redeemed again in many Ages since not only the Safety of these Kingdoms did in a great measure depend upon it but a great part of the Protestant Interest in Europe had a Concern in it And where the Fates of Kingdoms and the Lives and Interests of Thousands are at Stake Men are still to act on solid Reasons and Principles the Turns of a Battel being so many and are often occasioned by such unexpected Accidents which also proceed from such minute Causes that a wise and great Captain such as Duke Schonberg was will expose to Chance only as much as the very Nature of War requires And as to what happened at Dundalk by the Mens dying afterwards this was not the General 's Fault for he could not march back till the Enemy was gone his Men then being so very weak had all been cut off nor could he foresee what Weather it would be whilst he staid nor how the English Constitutions would bear it And as to his Care that they should want nothing let any but consider the Orders through the Camp and he will find it was scarce in the power of any Man to do more But I am affraid it will be thought impertinent to indeavour the defence of so great a Man's Actions and to do it no better Former Misfortunes at Dundalk I only add therefore that this Town of Dundalk has by turns been unfortunate to the People of the three Nations It was in Time past a Town very strongly walled which Edward Bruce Brother to the King of Scots who had Proclaimed himself King of Ireland burnt but he was near this place afterward slain with 8200 of his Men. Afterwards the Irish under Shan O Neal laid siege to it but were repulsed with very great loss Then in the Year 1641 my Lord Moore and Sir Henry Tichburn beat three thousand Irish out of Dundalk and killed a great many of them having only 750 Foot and 200 Horse And the Misfortune of the English last Year was not inferiour to any of these But to return to Matter of Fact 1700 of the Irish fall upon Newry The Enemy had left eight Regiments at Ardee when they Decamped out of which Regiments so soon as we were gone to Quarters they detached 1600 Men and those with 100 Voluntiers were to force the Pass at Newry and then go along the Line to destroy our Frontier Garisons which at that time had been no difficult Task to have performed they march'd all Night Saturday the 23 of November and came on Sunday Morning by break of Day or before to the other side of the Bridg at Newry this Party was commanded by Major General Boisleau having with him a Brigadeer three Colonels and other Officers proportionable there was then in the Garrison most of what were left of Colonel Inglesby's Regiment which were not many above sixty and not forty of those able to present a Musquet the Enemy sent a Party of a 100 Men to pass the River a little above the Bridg and come in at the North-east-end of the Town whilst the main Body marched over the Bridg beyond which we had two Centinels placed at 100 paces distance from each other the first challenged thrice and then his Piece missed fire and he was killed the next challenged and fired upon them which alarmed the Garison As they advanced near the middle of the Town in a strait place near the Castle a Sergant and twelve Men being upon the Guard drew out and fired then retreated to the old Walls charged and fired again by this time all the Officers and Souldiers that were able to crawl were got into the Market-place with some few Townsmen the Enemy came in both ways and fired doing us some damage the poor fellows that were not able to come out fired their Pieces out at the Windows of some small Houses that were left standing others that could not do better got their backs to the old Walls and so were able to present their Musquets And are repulsed by an handful After some firing on both sides the Enemy believing us to be a great many more than we really were begun to shrink which occasioned our Men to Huzzah and then the Rogues run away many of them for haste wading through the River up to their Necks the Tide being high at that time they were followed down to the Bridg by a Captain and a very small party of Men and though they were both threatned and intreated by their Officers to rally again yet all would not do They had a Lieutenant-Colonel killed and left six Men dead on the place but afterwards we were informed they carried off twelve Horses loaden with dead and wounded Men we took only one or two Prisoners and if we had had a party of Horse or Dragoons to pursue them not many had gone home to tell the News those that were kill'd had not
the field But the Report of these Forces obliged the General to send a considerable Body of Horse and Foot that way and he himself February the 11 th went towards Drummore in order to wait the Enemies Motion It was very observable how much the Men and Horses were now recovered from what they had been two months before Sir John Lanier and Col. La Millinier were sent out with a Party who went as far as Carlingford and returned with an account that there were only 3 Regiments at Dundalk as formerly But the Design of the Irish lay another way for whilst the Duke was upon this Expedition Col. Woolsely had notice that the Irish had a design to fall upon Belturbet to which purpose a considerable Number of them was come to Cavan and more to follow in a day or two Col. Woolsely to prevent them marched from Belturbet with 700 Foot and 300 Horse and Dragoons he began his march in the evening thinking to surprize the Enemy next morning early the distance between being about 8 miles but he met with so many Difficulties in his March and the Enemy had notice of his coming that instead of being at the Place before day as he designed it was half an hour after day-break before he came in sight of it so that instead of surprizing them the first thing our Men saw was a Body of the Enemy drawn up in good order judged to be nigh 4000 this was severe but there was no help for it fight we must for retreating was dangerous Col. Woolsely encourages his Men and tells them the Advantages of being brave and the inevitable Ruin of the whole Party if they proved otherwise they were as ready to go on as he to desire it And then he sends an advance-Party of Inniskillin Dragoons towards the Enemy who were presently charged by a great Party of the Enemies Horse and beat back past the Front of our own Foot who were so enraged at them that some of M. G. Kirk's and Col. Wharton's Men fired and killed 7 or 8 some of the Enemies Horse pursued them so far that many of them were kill'd by our Foot as they endeavour'd to get off By this time the Body of our Party was advanced pretty near the Irish who were posted upon the Top of a rising Ground not far from the Town As our Men advanced up the Hill the Irish fired a whose Volley upon them and then set up the Huzzah but scarce killed a Man for they shot over them our Men however went on till they were got within Pistol-shot of them and then fired by which they galled the Irish so that they immediately run towards the Town We pursued and they retired to a Fort but Col. Woolsely's Men falling to plunder in the Town the Irish sallied out and gave us a very fierce Attack Col. Woolsely having 250 Foot and about 80 Horse for a Reserve the Enemy was beat off again their Horse flying beyond the Town and their Foot taking to the Fort. Our Souldiers got good store of Shoes and all sorts of Provisions and about 4000 pounds in Brass Money a great deal of which the Souldiers threw about the Streets as not thinking it worth the Carriage their Ammunition was blown up and their Provisions destroyed for Col. Woolsely was forced to set the Town on fire to get his own Men out in the time of the Salley The Colonel knew not what might happen and therefore he drew off his Men and marched homewards The Irish they say were commanded by the Duke of Berwick who had his Horse shot under him and in two or three days they were to have 10000 Men at Cavan to fall upon Belturbet and other places The Enemy lost in this Expedition Brigadeer Nugent and as they say O Riley Governour of Cavan with a great many Officers and about 300 Souldiers In this Action we lost about thirty with Maj. Traherne Capt. Armstrong and Capt. Mayo who were killed by pursuing too far a French Reformed Officer and Capt. Blood an Ingineer were wounded We took twelve Officers and about sixty Souldiers Prisoners who were brought soon after to Carickfergus I have spoke with several Irish Officers since and they will not allow their Loss to be so great or ours so little in this Action as we make them yet give us the Advantage to a great degree At the General 's return to Lisburn he received an Account from Col. Woolsely of this Action much to the same effect as I have related it Sir John Lanier's Expedition to Dundalk And on the 15 th of February Sir John Lanier with a Party of 1000 Horse Foot and Dragoons went from Newry towards Dunkalk it was in the Evening when he marched and next Morning early being Sunday he appeared before the Town The Enemy had Fortified it very well so that the Major-General did not think fit to attaque it nor do I believe he had any Orders to do it he drew up his Foot however on the side of an Hill between the left of our old Horse-Camp and the Town a good Musquet-shot from the Bridg his Horse he sent nearer somewhat to the Right at the side of the Lane The Enemy at the Allarm appeared without the Town at first but as we advanced they retreated till they got within their Works from whence they fired incessantly Whilst the main Body was so posted Maj. Gen. Lanier sent a party of Horse and Dragoons beyond the River who burnt the West part of the Town from Mortimer-Castle to Blake's House being a great part of the Suburbs At same time a Party of Col. Leviston's Dragoons attaqu'd Bedloe's Castle and took the Ensign that Commanded it with 30 Prisoners we lost a Lieutenant and three or four Dragoons and had four Horses shot Our Men brought from beyond the Town and about it nigh 1500 Cows and Horses The Ensign that was taken was brought to Lisborn and carried before the Duke into his Garden where he commonly used to walk before Dinner Before the Duke ask'd him any Questions me-thought he gave him a pretty Caution to be sincere in his Answers though the General knew at the same time he being a Prisoner was not obliged to say any thing You says the Duke have a Commission and for that reason if not otherwise you are a Gentleman this obliges you to speak Truth which if you do not I can know it by examining of other Prisoners and then I shall have no good Opinion of you After some publick Questions the Duke took him aside and talk'd with him nigh half an hour but I suppose he could or at least would say little that was material month March The Danes arrive in Ireland The beginning of March came 400 Danes from Whitehaven to Belfast and the Week following all the Foot arrived from Chester with the Prince of Wittemberg their General The Duke went down to see them and was very well pleased for they were lusty Fellows
and well Clothed and Armed Monsieur Callimot with his Regiment was posted upon the Blackwater nigh Charlemont and had kept them in very much on that side during Winter On the 8 th of March he took possession of a little Village within less than two miles of the Castle the Enemy at first pretended to dislodg us but having lost three of their Men they retired Monsieur Callimot's Design upon Charlemont Bridg. On the 12 th at Night Col. Callimot went with a Party of his own and some of Col. St. John's Regiment being in all about 80 Souldiers and 20 Officers with those he designed to cut down the Bridg at Charlemont it being Wood and so to prevent the Irish from making Excursions in the Night as they used to do In order to which he put his Men into three Boats and coming up the River within a mile of Charlemont he landed his Men and though they were discovered at a distance yet he marched up to the Bridg and set Fire to it taking a Redoubt at the Bridg-end as also another near the Gate that leads to Armagh killing about 20 But Day coming on the Colonel thought it convenient to retreat having lost only five or six Men but Major De la Bord was killed as he went off Lieut. Col. Belcassel and a Captain whose Name was Le Rapin wounded This Attempt was very brave for the Castle it self was within Musquet-shot of the Bridg and nearer to those Works that we took About this time were four Prisoners brought to Lisburn that were taken nigh Charlemont they gave an Account that the Garison had been relieved some time before and that the Souldiers and Officers who came in lately did not like Tongue O Regan's Government that Bread and Salt were scarce within and that they believed the Garison could not hold out long if they had not fresh supplys of Victuals All this while the General was daily sending up Provisions to our Stores upon the Frontiers so that our Men were pretty well supplied every where but the Ways were very bad and Carriages scarce so that the Trouble and Charge were both extraordinary His Majesty's Expedition into Ireland ascertain'd We had News before this that his Majesty designed to come in Person for Ireland against the succeeding Campagne and now it was made certain which was great Satisfaction to all both Officers and Souldiers and that upon several Accounts some had been displeased judging they had not fair play in their Preferments others hoped to show themselves worthy the King's Notice by their future Actions and most People expected a considerable Sum of Mony to pay off the Army Then every one knew his Majesty's Industry Courage and Resolution to be so great that he would endeavour to make a quick dispatch and therefore upon some account or other all our Friends were pleased with it and the greatest of our Enemies daunted to hear the News The French Land at Kingsale The 14 th of March about 5000 French Foot landed at Kingsale with two Generals Count Lauzun and the Marquess de Lery K. James sending back Maj. Gen. Mackarty with as many Irish Our Fleet was then attending the Queen of Spain which made this Undertaking very easy to the French The 23 d of March Col. Woolsely sent out a Party beyond Cavan to bring in some Cattel for the use of his Garison they got 1000 Head and were pursued by the Enemy but they brought off their Prey and kill'd about 20 or 30. Clothes Arms Ammunion and Provision arrived daily at Belfast from England month April Killishandra taken April the 6 th Col. Woolsely with a detach'd Party of 700 Men went to Attaque the Castle of Killishandra about seven miles from Belturbat which after he had fix'd his Mines and made some brisk Attaque on it the Men firing in upon the Enemy at their Spike-holes they surrendered to him there being 160 Men in it commanded by one Capt. Darchey We lost about eight Men in this Action and left 100 Men in Garison there Near the time of Col. Woolsely's return the General sent a Battalion of Danes to reinforce him at Belturbet On the 8 th Col. Cutts and Col. Babington's with a Regiment of Danish Horse and some Recruits landed at Whitehouse and marched to Belfast And on the 10 th Col. Tiffin sent out a Party from Bellishannon who brought off a Prey from the Neighbourhood of Sligo and killed about 16 of the Enemy as they pursued them Sir Clousley Shovel's Expedition to the Bay of Dublin Sir Clovesly Shovel came on the 12 to Belfast as Convoy to several Ships that brought over Necessaries for the Army and there having Intelligence of a Frigat at Anchor in the Bay of Dublin and several other small Vessels loaden with Hides Tallow Wools some Plate and several other things designed for France he sailed April the 18 th being Good-Friday to the Mouth of the Bay of Dublin and there leaving the Monk and some more great Ships he took the Monmouth-Yatch and one or two more with several Long-Boats and went to Polebeg where the Frigat lay being one half of the Scotch Fleet that was taken in the Channel the Year before having sixteen Guns and four Patteraroes King James when he heard of it said It was some of his Loyal Subjects of England returning to their Duty and Allegiance but when he saw them draw near the Ship and heard the firing he rid out towards Rings-end whither gathered a vast crowd of People of all sorts and there were several Regiments drawn out of it were possible to kill those Bold Fellows at Sea who durst on such a good Day perform so wicked a Deed as they called it Capt. Bennet that commanded the Frigat run her on Ground and after several firings from some other Ships of theirs as also from that when they saw a Fireship coming in which Sir Clovesly had given a Sign to they all quitted the Frigat being at first about 40 but they lost six or seven in the Action Sir Clovesly was in the Monmouth-Yatch where Capt. Wright was very serviceable both in carrying in the Fleet and in time of Action In going off one of our Hoys ran a-Ground and was dry when the Tide was gone the rest of the Boats were not far off being full of Armed Men and a Frenchman one of K. Jame's Guards coming nigh the Boats to fire his Pistols in a Bravo had his Horse shot under him and was forced to sting off his Jack-Boots and run back in his stockings to save himself some of the Sea-men went on Shoar and took his Saddle and Furniture When the Tide came in they went off with their Prize to the Ships below K. James went back very much dissatisfy'd and 't was reported he should say that all the Protestants in Ireland were of Cromwel 's Breed and deserved to have their Throats Cut but whatever his thoughts might be I suppose his
The humble Addess of the Clergy of the Church of Ireland now in Vlster An Address presented to his Majesty GReat Sir We your Majesty's Loyal Subjects out of the deepest sense of the Blessing of this Day with most joyful Hear to congratulate your Majesty's safe Landing in this Kingdom And as we must always praise God for the Wonders he hath already wrought by your Majesty's Hands so we cannot but admire and applaud Your remarkable Zeal for the Protestant Religion and the Peace of these Kingdoms We owe all imaginable Thanks to God and Acknowledgment to your Majesty for the Calm and Safety we have enjoyed by the Success of your Arms under the happy and wise Management of his Grace the Duke of Schonberg And we do not doubt but God will hear the Prayers of his Church and crown your Majesty's Arms with such Success and Victory that those happy beginnings of our Joy may terminate in a full Establishment of our Religion and our Peace and with lasting Honours to your Majesty May Heaven bless and preserve your Majesty in such glorious Vndertakings give strength and prosperity to such generous Designs that all your Enemies may flee before You that your Subjects may rejoice in Your easy Victory and that all the World may admire and honour You. Give us leave great Sir after the most humble and grateful manner to offer our selves to your Majesty and to give all assurance of a steady Loyalty and Duty to your Majesty of our Resolution to promote and advance your Service and Interest to the utmost of our Power And that we will always with the most hearty importunity pray That Heaven may protect your Royal Person from all Dangers that we may long enjoy the Blessings of your Government and Victories and that after a long and peaceful Reign here God may change your Lawrels into a Crown of Glory The King staid at Belfast till Thursday where on the 19 th he sent out a Proclamation encouraging all People of what perswasion soever to live at Home peaceably commanding the Officers and Souldiers upon no Pretext whatever to Rob or Plunder them That day the King dined at Lisburn with the General and then went to Hillsburough where he sent out an Order on the 20 th forbidding the pressing of Horses from the Countrey People And seeing that things did not go on so fast as he desired he exprest some Dissatisfaction saying that he did not come there to let Grass grow under his Feet The Army takes the Field And he made his Words good for the whole Army now received Orders to march into the Field on the 21 th several English Regiments met and encamped at Loughbritland some being already at Newry with Maj. Gen. Kirk and Lieut. Gen. Douglass between Hambleton's Ban and Tandrogee with 22 Regiments of Foot and eight or nine of Horse and Dragoons The Enemy had formed a Camp sometime before this at Ardee whither K. James came about the 18 th with 5000 French Foot leaving Col. Latterel with about 6000 of the Militia in Dublin who when the late King was gone shut up all the Protestants in Prison so that all the Churches and publick Places were full of them The Enemy at Dundalk About the 19 th or 20 th the Enemies Army came and Encamped beyond the River at Dundalk all along where our last Camp had been the Year before A Party of ours falls into an Ambush On Sunday Morning the 22 d a Party of Col. Levisons Dragoons commanded by Capt. Crow and a party of Foot under Capt. Farlow in all about 200 went from Newry towards Dundalk to discover the Enemy and to see if the Ways were mended according to the Duke's Order We had sent out several small Parties before and the Enemy had notice of it which occasioned them to lay an Ambuscade of about 400 Men at a place half-way where they had cast up some Works the Year before In that next the Pass they had placed part of their Foot and had the rest with the Horse some distance off the Morning was very foggy and favoured their Design so that after greatest part of our Foot were got over the Pass and the Dragoons advanced about 200 Yards beyond it then the Irish fired from the Fort and at the same time another party charged our Dragoons who being some of them Recruits retreated past our own Foot but most of them advanced again and the Engagement was pretty sharp yet our Party not knowing but the Enemy might have more Men in covert retreated over the Pass and there drew up but the Irish did not think fit to advance upon them Capt. Farlow and another Gentleman were taken Prisoners and we had about 22 kill'd but the Enemy lost more as we understood by some Deserters that came off next Day The King comes to the Camp that Afternoon His Majesty Prince George the General the Duke of Ormond and all the great Men came to the Camp at Loughbritland The King had given Orders before His coming that we should remove our Camp from the South side of the Town to the North west that His Majesty might take a View of the Regiments as they marched the Weather was then very dry and windy which made the Dust in our marching troublesome I was of opinion with several others that this might be uneasie to a King and therefore believed that His Majesty would sit on Horseback at a distance in some convenient place to see the Men march by Him but He was no sooner come than He was in amongst the throng of them and observed every Regiment very critically This pleased the Soldiers mightily and every one was ready to give what Demonstrations it was possible both of their Courage and Duty The King and the Prince had their moving Houses set up Those Houses were made of Wood but so convenient that they could be set up in an hours time and never after lay out of the Camp during Their stay in Ireland His Majesty lost no time but sent Major General Scravemoor who now was come over that Evening with 500 Horse and a good Detachment of Foot commanded by Lieutenant Collonel Caulfield to discover the Ways and observe the Enemy they marched over part of the Barony of Phuse and almost to Dundalk returning the 23 d in the Evening That Morning His Majesty with a Party of Horse went four Miles beyond Newry and return'd towards the Evening to the Camp at Loughbritland At His coming back some brought Him a Paper to Sign about some Wine and other things for His Majesty 's own use but He was dissatisfied that all things for the Soldiers were not so ready as he desired and with some heat protested That He would drink Water rather than His Men should want A little after His Majesty received a Letter by an Aid du Camp from Major General Kirk Acquainting the King That the Party he sent out that Morning went
as far as Dundalk and seeing no Enemy the Officer Commanding sent a Trooper to the Mount beyond Bedloes-Castle from thence he could see a great Dust towards a place called Knock-Bridge by which he understood that the Enemy were marching off towards Ardee His Majesty when He read the Letter did not seem to be much concerned whether they had staid or not At the same time there were two Ensigns brought to Him who had deserted the Enemy and gave an Account that the Body which then was removed from Dundalk was about 20000. It was the discovery of our Advance Parties which made them draw off and they gave it out that they would stay for us at the Boyne Our Army advances The King sent Orders back to the Major General to march a Party next Morning over the Pass towards Dundalk The 24th in the Morning Lieutenant-General Douglas decamped and marched over the Pass towards Dundalk And that day His Majesty set out a Proclamation to be read at the Head of every Regiment That no Officer or Soldier should forcibly take any thing from the Country People and Sutlers nor press any Horses that were coming to the Camp that thereby we might be the better supplied with Provisions On the 25th we marched from Loughbritland to Newry where a Deserter of Sir Henry Bellasis's Regiment was shot And on the 26th towards Dundalk on our march we heard great Shooting at Sea which we once lookt upon to be the French and English Fleets but it was only our own Fleet coming towards Dundalk We encamped that Night about a mile to the South-East of our last Years Camp As we got near to Dundalk some of my Lord Meath's Men espied several of the Irish skulking not far from the Road to observe our march they pursued them towards the Mountains killed one and took another who proved a French Man that had deserted from Hillsborough about three weeks before On the 27th we marched through Dundalk and encamped about a mile beyond it where the whole Army joyned English Dutch Danes Germans and French Their Number making in all not above 36000 though the World call'd us a third part more but the Army was in all respects as well provided as any Kingdom in the World ever had one for the number of Men. That Afternoon a party of Epingar's Dragoons came within sight of a party of the Enemies Horse who retreated towards their own Camp which then was on this side the Boyne I was told by a General Officer of theirs since that whensoever our Army moved the Irish had a small party of Horse that knew the Country and kept themselves undiscovered in some convenient place to give them an Account of our motions and posture They had fortified Dundalk last Winter very regularly and well not I suppose that they did design to maintain it in the Spring but to secure the Garrison from any attempts that we might make during the Winter As we went through the Town we found several of the Irish that lay dead and unburied and some were alive but just only breathing That evening a party of 1500 Horse and Dragoons went out and next morning early the King followed them His Majesty went as far as Ardee and viewed the Ground where the Enemy encamped last Year He returned to His Camp that night but left the party to make good that Post On Saturday morning the 29th there hap'ned an Irish Man and a Woman to be near a Well that was by the King's Tent they had got something about them which the Soldiers believed was Poyson to spoil the Waters and so destroy the King and His Army this spread presently abroad and a great many Soldiers flocked about them they were immediately both Judges and Executioners hanged the Woman and almost cut the Man in pieces That afternoon the King views the Danish Forces We march to Ardee and early next morning being Sunday the 30th of June the whole Army marched in three Lines beyond Ardee which the Enemy had likewise fortified especially the Castle we marched within sight of the Sea a great part of this day and could see our Ships sail all along towards Drogheda which certainly must needs be a great mortification to the Irish upon the Road as we marched there was a Soldier hanged for deserting and a Boy for being a spy and a murderer A remarkable story the story of this Boy is very remarkable which was thus About three weeks before we took the Field one of my Lord Drogheda's Sergeants was gathering Wood-sorrel nigh his Quarters at Tandrogee this Boy comes to him and tells him if he 'll go along he would take him to a place hard by where he might get several good Herbs he follows the Boy and is taken by five or six Irish Men that were Armed they take him to a little House and bind him but after some good words unty his Hands but withal kept him a prisoner designing to carry him to Dundalk next day he endeavours in the night to make his escape and did it though they pursued him and wounded him in several places the Boy himself being one of the forwardest Next week the same Boy was at Legacory where he was telling some Dragoons that if they would go along with him he would take them to a place where they might get several Horses and a good prey of Cattle they were very ready to hearken to him when at the same time one of my Lord Drogheda's Soldiers going that way by chance knew the Boy for he had been often in their Quarters and having heard the story of the Sergeant told it the Dragoons upon which the Boy was seized and after sometime confessed that all the last Dundalk-Camp he had gone frequently between the two Armies that he had trapan'd several and had half a Crown Brass money for every one that he could bring in that he could observe as he went amongst our Regiments how they lay and what condition they were in both as to Health and other matters that he had lately stab'd a Dragoon in at the Back as his Father held him in talk and that his Father would give him nothing but the Dragoons Hat and Waste-coat which he had then on all this I have heard the Boy say and much more to the same purpose he spoke English and Irish both very well he was brought prisoner to this place and upon the march after he had received Sentence of Death he profer'd for a Brass Six-pence to hang a Country Man that was a prisoner for buying the Soldiers Shooes and when he came to be hang'd himself he was very little concern'd at it The King was always upon Action He observed the Country as he rid along and said it was worth Fighting for and ordered the manner of Encamping that day himself After that with a small party His Majesty before He eat or drank rid about four miles further towards the Enemy As
the Army was marching through Ardee a French Soldier hap'ned to be very sick with drinking Water and despairing to live pluckt out his Beads and fell to his Prayers which one of the Danes seeing shot the French Man dead and took away his Musquet without any further Ceremony There were none of the Irish to be seen but a few poor starved Creatures who had scraped up some of the Husks of Oats nigh a Mill to eat instead of better Food It 's a wonder to see how some of those Creatures live I my self have seen them scratching like Hens amongst the Cindars for Victuals which put me in mind of a story that I have read in the Annals of Ireland where it is said that in the year 1317. the Ulster Irish roved up and down the Kingdom in a Body whilst the Scots Army was down towards Limerick and those people were so hunger-starved at last that in Church-yards they took the Bodies out of their Graves and in their Skulls boild the Flesh and fed thereupon and women did eat their own Children for hunger so that of ten thousand there remained at last only three hundred the reason of this plague the Superstition of those Times attributed to their eating of flesh in Lent for which this Curse came upon them The Irish Army beyond the Boyne By this time his Majesty understood that all the Irish Army was marched over the Boyn the night before except flying parties so that on Monday morning the last of June very early our whole Army began to move in three Lines towards the Boyn which was but eight short miles off Ours advance The Enemy being near our advance Guards of Horse commanded by Sir John Lanier made their approaches very regularly and by that time they had got within two miles of Drogheda his Majesty was in the front of them Some of our Dragoons went into an old House where they found about 200 Scythes stretch'd out upon Beams which the Irish either had forgot or had not time to carry over they brought one of them to the King who smiled and said it was a desperate weapon His Majesty views their Army A little way further there was an Hill to the East of the Enemies Camp and North from the Town upon this His Majesty went from whence he could see the Town and all the Enemies Camp which lay to the West of the Town all along the River side in two Lines here his Majesty had a great deal of discourse with the Prince Duke Schonberg Duke of Ormond Count Solmes Major General Scravemore my Lord Sidney and other great Officers who were all curious in making their Observations upon the Enemy Major General Scravemore called them une petet Armee for we could not reckon above five or six and forty Regiments that lay Encamped his Majesty Answered that they might have a great many men in Town that there was also an Hill to the Southwest beyond which they might have men Encamped and that possibly they did not shew all their Numbers however he said he was resolved to see very soon what they were Such a great Prince knowing that to be warm in undertaking a great Design and cool in justifying it when it comes to a push is seldom attended with Success or Reputation his Majesty therefore went boldly on and obtain'd both By this time our Horse were advancing a pace and the Enemy we could discern were all in a hurry to get up their Horses which were many of them at Grass and to set all things in order his Majesty sent out several parties of Horse some towards the Town of Drogheda and some towards the pass at Old Bridge and then rid softly along westward viewing the Enemies Camp as he passed he made a little stop towards some old Houses and every one commended mightily the order of our Horse marching in here it was that the Enemy fired their first Guns from a Batterey of six Canons that they had a good way below but they did no hurt two of our Troopers went to the very Ford and took away an Horse as also a Barrel of Ale that the Irish had been taken over At Old Bridge His Majesty rid on to the pass at Old Bridge and stood upon the side of the Bank within Musquet shot of the Ford there to make his observations on the Enemies Camp and posture there stood a small a party of the Enemies Horse in a little Island within the River and on the other bank there were several Hedges and little Irish Houses almost Close to the River there was one House likewise of Stone that had a Court and some little works about it this the Irish had filled with Souldiers and all the Hedges and little Houses we saw were lined and filled with Musquiteers there were also several Brest works cast up to the right just at the Ford. However this was the place thro' which his Majesty resolved to force his way and therefore he and his great Officers spent some time in contriving the methods of passing and the places where to plant our Batteries After some time his Majesty rid about 200 yards further up the River nigh the West of all the Enemies Camp and whilst his Army was marching in he alighted and sate him down upon a rising ground where he refreshed himself whilst his Majesty sate there we observed five Gentlemen of the Irish Army ride softly along the other side and make their Remarks upon our Men as they marched in those I heard afterwards were the Duke of Berwick my Lord Tyrconel Sarcefield Parker and some say Lauzun Captain Pownel of Collonel Levisons Regiment was sent with a party of Horse and Dragoons towards the Bridge of Slane and whilst his Majesty sate on the Grass being about an hour there came some of the Irish with long Guns and shot at our Dragoons who went down to the River to Drink and some of ours went down to return the favour then a party of about forty Horse advanced very slowly and stood upon a plowed field over against us for near half an hour and so retired to their Camp this small party as I have heard from their own Officers since brought two Field Pieces amongst them droping them by an Hedge on the plowd Land undiscover'd they did not offer to fire them till his Majesty was mounted and then he and the rest riding softly the same way back their Gunner fires a Piece which kill'd us two Horses and a Man about 100 yards above where the King was but immediately comes a second which had almost been a fatal one for it Graized upon the Bank of the River and in the rising slanted upon the Kings right shoulder took out a piece of his Coat and tore the Skin and Flesh and afterward broke the head of a Gentlemans Pistol The King wounded Mr. Coningsby now one of the Lords Justices of Ireland seeing his Majesty struck rid up and put
at their retreating and was in some danger by our own Dragoons for the Enemy being close upon him they could not well distinguish however the Dragoons did here a piece of good service in stopping the Enemy who came up very boldly and our Horse Rallying both here and to the Right after near half an hours dispute the Enemy were again beat from this place and a great many of them killed Lieutenant-General Hambleton finding his Foot not to answer his expectation he put himself at the Head of the Horse and Lieutenant-General Hambleton taken Prisoner when they were defeated he was here taken prisoner having received a wound on the Head When he was brought to the King His Majesty asked him Whether the Irish would fight any more Yes said he an 't please Your Majesty upon my Honour I believe they will for they have a good Body of Horse still The King lookt a little aside at him when he named his Honour and repeated it once or twice Your Honour Intimating as He always says a great deal in few words that what the other affirmed upon his Honour was not to be believed since he had forfeited that before in his siding with my Lord Tyrconnel and this was all the Rebuke the King gave him for his breach of Trust There were several other prisoners taken here also but not many of note How things went to the right of our Army Now you must know that whilst all this hap'ned here our Men on the Right were making their way as well as they could over Hedges and Bogs towards Duleek and as they Advanced the Enemy drew off till they heard what had hap'ned at the Pass and then they made greater haste yet they could not retreat so fast but several of them were killed especially of their Foot amongst whom a party of our Horse fell in but they presently scatter'd amongst the Corn and Hedges till they got beyond a great Ditch where our Horse could not follow Collonel Levison with a party of his Dragoons got between some of the Enemies Horse and Duleek and killed several yet if they had not minded retreating more than fighting he might have come off a loser When most of them were over the Pass they drew up and fired their great Guns upon us and we ours upon them though we could not easily come at them with our small Shot for there are several Boggy Fields with Ditches at Duleek and in the midst of these a deep strait Rivulet very soft in the bottom and high Banks on each side there is only one place to get over and there not above six can go a breast Their confusion however was so great that they left a great many Arms and a considerable quantity of Ammunition in that Village of Duleek and indeed all the Country over but our Men were so foolish as to blow up the Powder wherever they met with it and few or none of the Men escaped that came in their Hands for they shot them like Hares amongst the Corn and in the Hedges as they found them in their march Reasons why so few killed By that time therefore a Body of our Horse was got over the Pass that was sufficient to Attack the Enemy they were gone at least a mile before their Horse and Artillery in the Rear and their Foot marching in great haste and confusion we went after them for at least three miles but did not offer to Attack them any more because of the Ground Then night coming on the King with some of the Horse return'd to the Foot that were Encamping at Duleek but the greatest part of them remained at their Arms all night where they left off the pursuit The Number of the dead On the Irish side were killed my Lord Dungan my Lord Carlingford Sir Neal O Neal with a great many more Officers they lost at the Pass at Dunore Duleek and all the Fields adjoyning between 1000 and 1500 men one thing was observable that most of their Horse-men that charged so desperately were drunk with Brandy each man that morning having received half a Pint to his share but it seems the Foot had not so large a proportion or at least they did not deserve it so well On our side were killed nigh four hundred The Dutch Granadeers told me before we got to the Church at Dunore that they had lost seventeen and the rest proportionably the French also lost several but all this was nothing in respect of Duke Schonberg who was more considerable than all that were lost on both sides whom his very Enemies always called a Brave Man and a Great General I have heard several reasons given for the Dukes passing the River at that juncture but doubtless his chief design was to encourage the French whom he had always loved and to rectifie some mistakes that he might see at a distance However 't was this I'm certain of that we never knew the value of him till we really lost him which often falls out in such cases and since it was in our Quarrel that he lost his life we cannot too much Honour his Memory which will make a considerable Figure in History whilst the World lasts He was certainly a Man of the best Education in the World and knew Men and Things beyond most of his time being Courteous and Civil to every Body and yet had somthing always that lookt so Great in him that he commanded respect from men of all Qualities and Stations Nor did we know any fault that he had except we might be jealous he sometimes was too obliging to the French As to his person he was of a middle stature well proportion'd fair complexion'd a very sound hardy man of his age and sate an Horse the best of any man he loved constantly to be â—…at in his Clothes and in his Conversation he was always pleasant he was fourscore and two when he died and yet when he came to be unbowelled his Heart Intrails and Brain were as fresh and as sound as if he had been but twenty so that it 's probable he might have lived several Years if Providence had not ordered it otherways Monsieur Callimot an honest worthy Gentleman died soon after him of his Wounds having follow'd that great Man in all his Fortunes Some who pretend to more skill than possibly they are really Masters of will needs affirm that there were two oversights committed at this time one in not pursuing the Enemy closser after they were once broke which had been less hazardous considering all things then what followed afterwards my Lord of Oxford and my Lord Portland were for sending three thousand Horse with each a Musqueteer behind him to fall upon them in the Rear as they retreated which might have done great matters for the Enemy were in such a Consternation that they marched all that night in great fear and confusion expecting us at their Heels every minute But those that have seen the
goes to Athlone Lieut. Gen. Douglas and his party Encamped that Night nigh Chappel-Issard and next day at Manouth Friday we Encampt at Glencurry about five miles further and we had not got this length till we begun to plunder though the General gave strict Orders to the contrary Saturday the 12th we marched to Clenard Bridge here we staid all Sunday and Lieutenant-General Douglas took an account of every Man in his party that he might have Bread provided accordingly the Soldiers went abroad and took several things from the Irish who had staid upon the Kings Declaration and frequent complaints came already to the General but Plundering went on still especially amongst the Northern Men who are very dextrous at that sport Sunday morning Captain Aughmouty of Colonel Woolsley's Regiment went with a party of Horse towards the County of Longford And Munday the 14th they met the Army at Mullingar whither we marched and several of the Irish came in for Protections though when they had them they were of little force to secure their Goods or themselves Two Spies taken The party that was sent out brought in a great prey of Cattle from the Enemies Quarters and took two Spies with Letters from Athlone one was to Advise one Tute to Defend an Island nigh Mullingar in which he had store of Horses and several things of value Another Letter was from an Officer at Athlone to his Father in the Country telling him that my Lord Tyrconnel the Duke of Berwick and several more great Officers were come to Limerick with a good Body of Horse and that all their Army would be there in two or three days so that they would make either a Hog or a Dog on 't as he exprest it That the Dauphin was landed in England with a great Army that the French had beat the English and Dutch Fleets that Duke Schonberg was dead and it was said the Prince of Orange was so too that their King was gone for France but it was no great matter he said where he was for they were better without him Then he advised his Father not to take a Protection because those that did were lookt upon as Enemies And after his Letter was sealed he had writ on the out-side Just now we have an Account by a Gentleman that 's come to us from Dublin that Orange is certainly dead so that all will be well again Such were their Hopes and Expectations at that time But though they believed most of those things yet they did not certainly know what to make on 't for they had no good opinion of the late King as may appear by a great many instances for Sarcefield sometime afterward speaking of the Action at the Boyn swore if we would change Kings they would fight it over again and beat us For certainly the Courage and Countenance of the Chief Commander in Armies is a material Point in the success of the Action and especially in Kings for he that has a Genius to the War has Advantages above other Men that makes his Gentry Nobility and Officers strive to imitate his Example by which he is better served and commonly more fortunate The 15th we remained Encamped at Mullingar and about 500 Creights came from the County of Longford with their Wives Children Cattle and every thing that they could bring away their business was to procure the Generals Protection which was granted them and they moved homewards as the Army marched forwards but were most of them plundered afterwards There had been a Friery at Mullingar during the late Kings Reign but the Friday before we got thither the Fathers thought fit to go a Pilgrimage into Conaught This Evening a party of Col. Russel's Horse went towards Athlone and came within three miles of the place but did no feats worth the mentioning next day we marcht to Ballimoor where stands a strong House at the side of a Lough which the Enemy has since fortified Athlone Besieged And Thursday July 17th we came before Athlone and encamped within a quarter of a mile of the Town the Enemy playing their great Guns upon us as we marched but did us little dammage The General sent a Drum to Summons the Town but old Colonel Grace the Governor fired a Pistol at him and sent word those were the Terms he was for The Town it self stands on a narrow Neck of Land between two Bogs one on either side the Shannon and you cannot come to it much less pass the River any where up or down within six or eight miles except at the Town through the midst of which the River Shannon runs and is both very broad and deep being by much the greatest in these three Kingdoms Ptolomy calls this River Senus Giraldus Flumen Senense but the Irish call it Shannon that is the Ancient River It arises out of Theru Hills in the County of Letrim and running through an excellent Country and several Towns particularly Limerick and Athlone it falls into the Sea beyond Knock-Patrick a Mountain upon which St. Patrick conjured all the Venomous Creatures in Ireland and threw them into the Sea insomuch that nothing of that kind has appeared or will live in that Kingdom ever since if you 'll believe what the Irish do however this River is Navigable for above twenty Leagues That part of Athlone standing on the South-side the Shannon is called the English Town and that on the other the Irish Town where stands a very strong Castle Athlone is the head Town in the County of Roscommon and was formerly the Barony of the O Kelly's There is a very good Stone-Bridge between the two Towns which was Built by Sir Henry Sidney in Queen Elizabeth's time and because this is commonly accounted the Center of Ireland that Queen once designed to make it the Residence of the Lords Justices The English Town not being so easie to defend the Irish Burnt it the day before our coming and broke down the Bridge They had several very convenient opportunities to disturb us in our march to the Town because of the Bogs Woods and Passes that lay very advantageous for that purpose but they retired over the River to defend the other side about 200 Yards above the Town they had raised some Breast-works on the River side nigh the end of the Bridge they had cast up several Redoubts and other Works and had planted two Batteries of two Guns a piece besides what were in the Castle Friday we spent in contriving our Batteries and our Works and on Saturday we planted two Field-Pieces which did the Enemies Guns some damage then one hundred and fifty Men out of each Regiment were ordered to make and carry Fascines and in two days more we had a Battery of six Guns finished nigh the Bridge-end which plaid upon the Castle and made a small Breach to wards the top On Sunday the 20th the General sent a Detachment of Horse commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Barry and 150 Granadeers mounted
That day we marched beyond the Devils Bit and all along as we passed we could see the Rapparees looking upon us from the Mountains but we had now so many Cattle Horses and Attenders on our marches as made us look as big nigh hand as the other part of the Army and the Souldiers used to say that the Cattle and Sheep themselves could tell by their different tones to whom they belonged From this place all down to Cashel and so towards Clonmel and Waterford one way and towards Tipperary and Limerick another is one of the finest Countries I ever saw if it had Inhabitants accordingly Great part of it is called the Goulden vale On the 4 Colonel Woolsleys Horse Colonel Tiffins and St. Johns Foot marched back from hence towards Mullingar to secure the Country they came so far lest the Enemy should attack us and now we being secure they marched back another way We marched on the 5. to Holy-Cross nigh Thurles which of old enjoyed several peculiar Priviledges and Freedomes granted in Honour of a piece of Christs Cross there found as the Story goes This place by K. Henry 8. gave the Title of Barons to the Buttlers The General I believe had heard that several people had enjoy'd great priviledges at this place in the days of old and therefore he gave his Souldiers liberty this afternoon to take what they pleased for their sustenance but the true reason was because we had no Bread The 6. we marched to a Village called Dundrum a little to the North of Cashel one of the most Ancient Cities in Ireland famous of old for the Preaching of St. Patrick where afterwards was built a very considerable Cathedral it was made an Archepiscopal dignity by Eugenius the third Bishop of Rome and had under it in times past many Bishopricks and Suffragons As you go up to this Church there is a Stone upon which Antiently all the Kings of Munster used to be Crowned I suppose it was after the same manner with the Ulster Kings which was by throwing an old shooâ— over their heads and sometimes by killing a white Cow c. There are several Monuments of good Antiquity in this Church In the year 1318. The Archb. of Cashel was both Lord Justice and Lord Chancellor and it was remarkable in the late Wars for my Lord Inchiqueens killing all the Priests that were got into it and pretended with a Body of the Irish to defend the place which naturally is pretty strong and it s called at this day the Rock because it stands on the top of one On the 7. We marched to Cullen and on the 8. to Carriganliss whither the Kings Army was gone from Goulden-Bridge It s therefore convenient that I should give the best Account I can of their march from Dublin thither month July The Kings march towards Limerick On the 9. of July His Majesty with his Army Encamped at Cromlin within two miles of Dublin westwards where he settled the method of granting Protections according to his Declaration And gave a Commission to the Bishop of Meath my Lord Longford Dr. Gorge Captain Fitz Gerald Mr. Coughland Dr. Davis and Captain Corker to save all forfeited goods and to see that those and the Corn upon the Estates of all Absentees were safely kept or disposed on for the Kings use The Bishop of Meath whether out of dislike to the proceedings of the rest or averseness to business soon forbore his Attendance at their meetings the rest went on in their Business but in such a method as was neither to the Kings advantage nor satisfaction and not much to their own Credits The 10. in the morning his Majesty set forth a Proclamation to put a stop to the passing of Brass mony only at the valuations following viz. Every large half Crown and new stampt Crown at a penny the small half Crown at three farthings the large Copper Shilling at an half penny the small Shillings and six pences at farthings c. And the same day the Army Encampt between the Ness and Racoole Little hapned remarkable except the Kings great care to keep the Souldiers from Plundring the Country and every night it was given out in orders that on pain of death no man should go beyond the line in the Camp or take violently to the lest value from either Protestant or Papist The 11. the Army marched to Kill Kullen Bridge the King this morning passing by the Ness saw a Souldier Robbing a poor Woman which inraged his Majesty so much that he beat him with his Cane and gave orders that he and several others guilty of the like disobedience should be Executed the Monday following some people were so wicked as put a bad construction on this Action of the Kings but it had so good an effect upon that part of the Army that the Country was secured from any violence done by the Souldiers during that whole march two of the other Sufferers were Iniskillin Dragoons On Sunday the Army rested and on Munday they marched to Tommalin several of the Country people and some Gentlemen that were Papists coming in to whom the King ordered Protections We heard all long on our march of the Confusion the Enemy was in and had Accounts daily of their resorts to Limerick and other strong places whilst we were here several came to us from Killkenny who gave his Majesty an Account of the State of that Garrison that part of the Enemies Horse and Foot were there still but with thoughts of quitting the Town upon our approach and at their going off they made the Inhabitants give them a sum of mony to save the Town from plundring From Tommalin we marched to Castle-Dermot where stood in old time two or three Religious Houses the Ruins of which as yet remain one of these was of the Fryars Minors Sackt and Plundred by the Scots under Bruce in the year 1316. In which year the Irish were here also overthrown by Edward Bottilar or Buttler Lord Justice of Ireland Here the King received some Packets from England giving him a further Account of his Fleet and Sea affairs which was easily understood not to be very grateful and as is supposed was the occasion of our slow marches Several Protestants every day came to the Camp all expressing their great Joy and Satisfaction for his Majesties Presence and their Deliverance We had also an Account here of some that took Protections and yet in the night made their escape to the Enemy having only got those Protections thereby to procure a better opportunity of going off with what they had upon which parties were lent out on all hands to clear the Mountains and Woods near the Army which kept the rest at home from hence Colonel Eppingar went with a party of 1000 Horse and Dragoons to secure Wexeford which some time before was deserted by the Irish Garrison this Town was first taken by Fitz Stephen in the Reign of King Hen. 2.
And hereabouts were the first English planted in Ireland they were a Colony of West-Country men and retain their old English Tone and Customs to this day I am credibly informed that every day about one or two a Clock in Summer they go to Bed the whole Country round nay the very Hens fly up and the Sheep go to Fold as orderly as it were night The Duke of Ormond goes with a party to Killkenny The Army rested a day at Castle Dermot and the next day marched beyond Carlow sending forwards a party of Horse under the Command of the Duke of Ormond to take possession of Kill Kenny and to secure the Protestants and other Inhabitants in the Country about from being Plundred by the Enemy for by this time some of them adventured to look behind them and to return to take along what they had not time nor conveniency to carry off at first here the Army staid a day also and the next day marched to a place called Kells two miles beyond Loughlind Bridge and the day following to Bennets Bridge three miles to the Northest of Kill-Kenny upon the same River The 19. his Majesty dined with the Duke of Ormond at his Castle of Kill Kenny this House was preserved by the Count de Lauzun with all the Goods and Furniture and left in a good Condition not without the Cellars well furnished with what they had not time to drink at their going off Killkenny signifies the Cell or Church of Canick who for the Sanctimony of his Solitary Life in this Country was highly Renowned this was one of the best Inland Towns in Ireland the Irish Town has in it the said Canick's Church now the Cathedral of the Bishop of Ossory The English Town was built by Randolph the third Earl of Chester and fortified with a Wall on the West side by Robert Talbot a Nobleman and this Castle by the Buttlers Ancestors to the present Duke of Ormond On Sunday the 20 th They marched six Miles farther and Encamp'd at a Place called Rossed-Narrow upon the Estate of one Mr. Read where the King had an Account of one Fitz Morrice Sheriff of the Queens County that was under Protection and afterwards went off in the Night with his Family and all his Stock the King had also News that the Enemy had quitted Clonmel whither Count Schomberg marched with â— Body of Horse This is one of the strongest Towns in Ireland and cost Oliver Cromwel at least 2000 Men in taking it the Irish made some Pretensions to hold it out now in order to which they levelled all the Suburbs and Hedges but all they did was to make the Inhabitants pay them 300 l. to save the Town from being burnt or plundred it stands upon the River Sure in a pleasant and fruitful Country Here my Lord George Howard and some more came in and submitted who had Protections The Army goes to Carruck Monday the 21 st The Army marched to Carruck situate upon a Rocky Ground whence it took its Name being called from Carruck Mack Griffin the Habitation formerly of the Earls of Ormond which together with the Honour of Earl of Carruck King Edw. II. Granted unto Edward Boteler or Buttler whose Posterity the present D. of Ormond still enjoy it There the King received an Account of the State of Waterford by some that escaped from thence and of the Resolution of the Garison to hold out There also the King had some Intelligence of the Condition of the City of Cork and that County with great Sollicitations from the Inhabitants to hasten to their Relief which at that time they represented as a thing very easie On the 22 d. Major General Kirk with his own Regiment and Colonel Brewers as also a Party of Horse went towards Waterford more Forces designing to follow Waterford summon'd The Major General sent a Trumpet to Summon the Town who at first refused to surrender there being Two Regiments then in Garison their Refusal however was in such civil Terms that we easily understood their Inclinations for soon after they sent out again to know what Terms they might have which were the same with Drogheda but not liking those they proposed some of their own which were That they might enjoy their Estates The Liberty of their Religion A safe Convoy to the next Garrison with their Arms and proper Goods those would not be Granted and then the heavy Cannon were drawn down that way and some more Forces ordered to march And Surrendred but the Irish understanding this sent to ask Liberty to march out with their Arms and to have a safe Convoy which was granted them and accordingly on the 25 th they marched out with their Arms and Baggage being conducted to Mallow In the mean time the Fort of * This Fort was also given John Talbot Earl of Shrewsburry but afterwards by Act of Parliament it was annexed to the Crown for ever Duncanon Seven Miles below Waterford was summon'd This is a Strong and Regular Fortification being at that time Commanded by one Captain Burk and well furnished with Guns and all other Necessaries the Governour required Seven days to Consider of it which being denied him he said he would take so much time but upon the approach of our Forces and the appearing of some Ships before it he surrendered upon the same Terms with Waterford The day that Waterford Surrendred the King himself went to see it and took great care that no Persons should be disturbed in their Houses or Goods Here we found my Lord Dover who was admitted to a more particular Protection he having formerly applyed himself when the King was at Hillsborough by a Leter to Major General Kirk to desire a Pass for himself and Family into Flanders The City of Waterford was built first by certain Pyrates of Norway and afterwards won from the Irish by Richard Earl of Pembrook The Citizens hereof had large Privileges granted them by King Hen. 7. for demeaning themselves Loyally against Perkin Warbeck It was Granted by Patent from King Hen. 6. to John Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury and his Heirs who by the same Patent were to be Senescals of Ireland But this City afterwards was annexed to the Crown The King speaks of going for England At the King 's returning to the Camp His Majesty held a Council wherein he declares his Resolution to go for England In the mean time our Horse Encamped between Carruck and Clonmell and the Earl of Granard came to wait on His Majesty he receiving at the same time an Express from Lieutenant General Douglass who gave but an indifferent Account of that Expedition On the 27 th the King left the Camp at Carruck and went towards Dublin in order for England which occasioned various Conjectures and some Apprehensions that the Affairs of England were in no pleasing Posture Count Solmes left General His Majesty left Count Solmes Commander in Chief and went that night to
Carlow where he met with some Accounts from England upon which he exprest himself doubtful whether to go over or return to the Army However he went on as far as Chappel Izard and there he was employed for about Three days in hearing Petitions some of which related to the violation of Protections and the Outrages committed by Lieutenant General Douglas's Party As also others about Abuses and Inconveniences from the late Commission and several Complaints were made against Col. Trelawney's Regiment then in Dublin Here the King gave Orders that Count Sehomberg's Horse Col. Mathews's Dragoons Col. Hasting's and Col. Trelawney's Foot with one Troop of Guards should be shipt for England A second Declaration and on the first of August published a Second Declaration not only confirming and strengthning the former but also adding That if any Foreigners in Arms against Him would submit they should have Passes to go into their own Countries or whither they pleased And another Proclamation came out dated July 31. Commanding all the Papists to deliver up their Arms and those who did not were to be look'd upon as Rebels and Traytors and abandoned to the discretion of the Soldiers A Proclamation for a Fast And at the same time was likewise published a Proclamation for a General Fast to be kept constantly every Friday during the War in all parts of the Kingdom under his Majesty's Obedience for asking God's Pardon for our Sins and imploring a Blessing upon Their Majesties Forces by Sea and Land At this time also Mr. Poyne Mr. Reves and Mr. Rothford Lords Commissioners of the Great Seal began to act and received Instructions from the King how to proceed And now the King received a further account from England that my Lord Torrington and several more were secured and that several wicked Designs were discovered and prevented That the Loss at Sea was not so great as was at first reported and that the French had only burnt a small Village in the West of England and gone off again month August so that the danger of this being partly over His Majesty resolved to The King returns to the Army return to the Army he lessened his Baggage and Retinue giving his spare Horses to the Train and then on the 2 d of August went back towards his Army which he found then at Goulden Bridge on which day a Soldier was hang'd for mutining Here the King stay'd a day or two and had Accounts from several Deserters of the Preparations the Enemy was making for their own defence and safety On the 6 th the King with his Army march'd to Sallywood having the day before sent a Party of Horse towards Limerick And on the 7 th his Majesty march'd to Carigallis within five miles of Limerick Upon our approach thither the Enemy burnt and levell'd all the Suburbs as also set fire to all the Houses in the Country between us and the Town A Party sent toward Limerick On the the 8 th of August early in the Morning my Lord Portland and Brigadeer Stuart were sent towards Limerick with about Eleven hundred Horse and Foot who advanced within Cannon shot of the Town but met with little opposition from the Enemy and before they returned his Majesty went out with about Three hundred Horse being accompanied with Prince George the Heer Overkirk Major General Ginkle and several other great Officers When these went nigh the Town a Party of the Enemies Horse advanced toward them But Captain Selby of my Lord of Oxford's Regiment having the Advance Guard drew towards them with a design to charge them which they perceiving thought fit to draw homewards their Cannon firing from the Town several times Then in the Evening Lieutenant General Douglass with his Party join'd the Kings Army The 9 th of August in the morning early the King sends three Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons with a Detachment of One Thousand Foot commanded by Sir Henry Bellasis as Brigadeer my Lord Drogheda and Colonel Earle as an Advance Guard to make the first approach The whole Army make their Approach and all the Army both Horse and Foot followed in order About six a Clock our Advance Party discovered some of the Enemy upon the top of an Hill three Miles on this side the Town our Men drew up and then marched slowly forwards and as we proceeded the Enemy disappear'd by degrees till they were all gone off the Hill We drew forwards and about half a mile further we cou'd see a great part of the Town from a rising ground but could not discover the ways to it nor who were between us and it because of a great many thick Inclosures and Lanes in one of which the Enemy appeared again Our Men halted a little till the Pioneers had cut â—…wn the Hedges to the right and left which done they advanced and the Enemy drew back This took some time a doing and therefore the Front of our Army both of Horse and Foot came up The King was here at first riding from one place to another to order Matters as his Custom always was We cut the Hedges in a great many places and went forwards and the Enemy they drew homewards till they came to a narrow Pass between two Bogs within half a Mile of the Town The Neck of Land between these Bogs is not above 150 Yards over and this full of Hedges with a large Orchard a Stone Wall and also the Ruines of a great House upon the Lane-side which the Irish had burnt the Day before But there were Three Lanes that led this way towards the Town the middlemost being the broadest the Irish Horse stood in it on the Pass beyond this old House and whilst our Pioneers were at work the Front of our Horse went up so close that there were several little Firings but not much damage done on either side To the Right and Left of the Irish Horse the Hedges were all lined with Musqueteers of whom our Foot were got now within less than two hundred Yards The Pioneers laboured at the Hedges all this while and the Army made their Approaches in excellent Order The Detached Party of Foot was upon the Advance towards the Centre the Horse a little to the Right of them followed by the Earl of Drogheda's Regiment and Lieutenant General Douglas at the Head of them my Lord Drogheda himself being upon the Advance Guard The Danes were towards the Left led on by the Prince of Wirtemberg and Major General Kirk The Blue Dutch and several English Regiments were upon the Right All those were lined with Horse and these supported again with more Foot So that all Men that understood it said it was a most curious sight for though the Hedges were very thick and troublesome yet it was so ordered that the Front kept all on a Line except the advance Party who went always some distance before Whilst things were going on thus the King ordered Two Field-Pieces to be
planted towards the Left where they could bear upon the Enemies Horse These fired several times and the Enemy soon quitted that Post Our English Foot were so little concern'd that though they knew the Enemy to be in the next Hedges yet whilst the Pioneers were at work they would sit them down and ask one another whether they thought they should have any Bread to day for they began to want their Breakfasts though some few of them went to the next World for it The Danes to the Left stood with all the Care and Circumspection in the World but observing the Posture of some of our Men and hearing what they said they believed we had no mind to fight yet no sooner were the Hedges down and our Front advancing in a narrow Field but the Irish fired a whole Volley upon them from the Neighbouring Hedges which our Men seeing some of them cry'd aloud Ah ye Toads are ye there we 'll be with you presently And being led on by my Lord Drogheda and Colonel Earle they ran along the Field directly towards the Hedges where the Irish were planted which the others seeing immediately quitted and then our Men fired upon them as they retreated to the next Hedges and so beat them from one Hedge to another even to the very end of the Suburbs which then were all burnt and levelled During this Action the Danes advanced in the Left and the Blue Dutch with the English on the Right the Horse coming on in the Centre So that in less than half an hour from the first Volley the Irish were driven under their very Walls nor did we lose a Dozen Men in all this Action When as if the Irish had managed this Advantage of Ground and fortified the Pass as well as Ireton's Fort on the Right of it which was built by Ireton on his first coming before Limerick It stands on a Rising Ground and over-looks the Pass on one side and the Town on the other This we commonly called Cromwel's Fort they might have kept us some Days from approaching the Town at least they might have kill'd us a great many Men But the truth is they had not time for all this They had drawn up however several Companies of Men in the Fort but when they saw us coming on they retreated towards the Town without ever firing a Shot The Cannon play We were not as yet saluted with one Great Gun from the Town because their own Men had been between them and us but as soon as they retreated under the Walls they let fly amain amongst us and kill'd several as they marched in amongst others a French Captain had both his Legs shot off and died presently We drew Four Field-Pieces immediately to Cromwel's Fort playing them upon the Town and the Out-works and before Five a Clock in the Afternoon all our Army was marched in and most of them encampt within Cannon-shot In a Siege the first two things that are to be regarded is the safe encamping our Men and the drawing the Line of Countervallation to prevent the Enemy from Sallying but the latter of these we did not much mind because I suppose we did not much fear any desperate Sallies and the former was in some measure prevented by the situation of our Camp The Danes encampt to the Left where they found an Old Fort built by their Ancestors which they were very proud of and from thence they fired Three or Four Field-Pieces upon the Irish that lay entrenched between them and the Town The Detached Party kept an Advance Post till they were relieved about Nine a Clock and the Lord Drogheda's Regiment was placed next the Town nigh Cromwel's Fort where they were to stop the Enemies Career if they attempted a Sally The Town Summon'd As soon as our Army was posted the King ordered a Trumpet to be sent with a Summons to the Town and as we understood since a great part of the Garrison were for Capitulating but Monsieur Boiseleau the Governour the Duke of Berwick and Colonel Sarsfield opposed it with a great deal of Heat telling them that there were great Divisions and Insurrections in England That the Dauphin was landed there with Fifty Thousand Men and that the Prince of Orange would be obliged soon to draw home his Army into England The Trumpeter was sent back from Monsieur Boiseleau with a Letter directed to Sir Robert Southwell Secretary of State not sending directly to the King because he would avoid I suppose giving him the Title of Majesty The Answer That he was surprised at the Summons and that he thought the best way to gain the Prince of Orange's Good Opinion was by a vigorous defence of that Town which his Master had entrusted him withal That Evening a Party of Dragoons was sent to view the Pass at Annaghbegg Three Miles above Limerick where Six of the Enemies Regiments of Foot Three of Horse and Two of Dragoons were posted on the other side of the River where there stood a large New House with a great many Brick Walls about it and several convenient Hedges were adjoyning to the River They fired from thence upon our Men but did little or no Execution and that Night they marched off to the Town The Cannon play'd on both sides till it grew dark A Party pass the River and next Morning early being Sunday the 10 th the King sent Eight Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons Commanded by Lieutenant General Ginkle and Three Regiments of Foot under Major General Kirk who passed the River without any opposition and immediately His Majesty went thither Himself The Stream was very rapid and dangerous though the River has not been known to be so low these many Years The King at his Return left Major General Kirk with his own Brigadeer Stuart's and my Lord Meath's Regiments who encampt one beyond the Ford and two on this side having a Party of Horse relieved every Twenty Four Hours to support them A Cornet this Morning deserted the Enemy who told the King That a great many in Town were for surrendring but prevented by Sarsfield and Boiseleau That Count Lauzun with the French were encampt nigh Galloway the Irish refusing to receive them into Town because themselves had done so with the Irish some time before at Limerick That my Lord Tyrconnel with most of the Irish Horse and some Foot were encamped on the other side about Six or Eight Miles from Limerick That there were Fourteen Regiments of Foot with Three of Horse and Two of Dragoons then in Town The King sent that Afternoon a small Party of Horse to discover my Lord Tyrconnel but 〈◊〉 was then removed about Ten Miles further off towards Galloway The Town described But it will be convenient that I here give as good a Description of the City and its Situation as I can of a Place that I had not the liberty to go into though I have been sometimes very near it It 's
therefore for Circumference one of the largest in that Kingdom except Dublin and the Houses are generally built very strong within the Walls being made most of them Castle-ways with Battlements It stands upon the River Shanon and though it be nigh Sixty Miles from the Sea yet Ships of Burden can come up to the Bridge for the River below the Town looks like an Arm of the Sea One part stands on Munster side and is called the Irish Town being compassed about with a very strong Stone Wall and without this a Counterscarp with Pallisado's and also several Forts and Bastions and on the in-side the Wall they had cast up a vast Ditch with an huge Bank of Earth and Stones having only a place left to go in and out The River about a quarter of a Mile above the Town splits it self in two and between the Branches lies a most pleasant spot of Ground called the King's Island being about Two Miles Circumference on the lower end of which stands the greater part of Limerick where there is a Castle and a Cathedral Church This also is invested with a Stone-Wall and is called the English Town between which and the Irish Town there is a very large Stone-Bridge and beyond the English Town upon the further Branch of the River there is another Bridge that leads into the County of Clare near which stands a considerable Fort of Stone and the Irish cast up several more of Earth and made great Fortifications in the King's Island at which they were busie all the while we continued there Here the Irish kept continually a strong Guard having also during our stay Two or Three Regiments entrenched opposite to the Danes on Munster side towards the West of the Irish Town This Place was first won from the Irish by Reimond the Gross an Englishman and Son of William Fitz Gerald but afterwards burnt by Duvenald an Irish Petty King of Thoumond and then in process of time Philip Bruce was infeoffed of it and it became an English like Town being fortified with a Castle and wall'd by King John In the late times Cromwel was called over into England before his Army reached that Place and Ireton managed the Seige who died here afterwards He laid a great many Months before it and did not take it at last Colonel Fennel and others of the Irish in some respect betray'd the Town to him for against the Governour 's Consent they drew up Articles and sending them to Ireton's Camp on the 27 th of October 1651. they received Two Hundred Men at St. John's Gate and more into another Fort called Price's Mill next day getting possession of the Town Ireton hang'd several of those that were still for defending of it But to come again to our business The Irish erect Forts The Irish began also to make Two small Forts between us and the Irish Town one nigh the South Gate about the middle of the Suburbs where stood Two Chimneys and it had that Name the other towards the East nigh that part of the Wal where we afterwards made a Breach They had a Citadel towards the West whereon they had several Guns which plagued us till we kill'd that Gunner and then we were more at ease from that Quarter There was a Spur at the South Gate whereon the greatest of their Guns were planted and at another small Gate with a Sally-port called St. John's Gate towards the East they had also a Battery of Three Guns which from its Colour we called the Black Battery This was just under the place where we made our Breach Our Camp was ordered thus The King's Camp was to the Right in the Second Line next him the Horse Guards and Blue Dutch then some English and Dutch Regiments then the French and Danes and behind all were the Horse though after some time we rather encamped conveniently than regularly Whether it was that His Majesty was made believe the Town would surrender upon Summons or what else was in it I know not but when we sate down before Limerick we had only a Field-Train though we had been a Month in our March from Dublin thither and whether it be usual to go before a Town without sufficient Materials to force it I am no Competent Judge However there were Six Twenty Four Pounders Two Eighteen Pounders a great quantity of Ammunition much Provisions our Tin Boats and abundance of other things all at this time upon the Road from Dublin under the Care of Two Troops of Colonel Viller's Horse Notice of our Guns coming up by a Deserter The Day after we got to Limerick a Frenchman as was reported a Gunner of ours run away from us into Town and gave the Enemy an account where our Train lay as also of those Guns and other things that were coming up the manner of our encamping and where the King's Tents stood with all the Particulars that were material for them to know They had always a plaguy spight at our Guns and therefore on Monday Morning early they play'd theirs most furiously towards the place where our Train lay I hapned to be not far from the place that time and in less than a quarter of an hour I reckon'd Nineteen or Twenty great Shot that fell in a manner all in a Line This place grew presently so hot that we were obliged to remove our Train beyond an Hill further off They fired also all this day and the next at the places where the King's Tents stood killing some Men as also Two of the Prince of Denmark's fine Horses His Majesty was advised to remove to some more convenient and secure Ground which he did Monday the 11 th in the Morning we planted six Twelve Pounders at Cromwell's Fort which dismounted one of the Enemies best Guns upon the Spur and did further damage to the Houses in the Town The same Morning came one Manus O Brian a substantial Country Gentleman to the Camp and gave notice that Sarsfield in the Night had pass'd the River with a Body of Horse and design'd something extraordinary Sarsfield passes the River For when Sarsfield heard what the Frenchman had told he was pretty sure that if those Guns Boats and other Materials came up to us the Town would not be able to hold out and therefore he resolves to run a hazard and destroy them in their March if it were possible if he succeeded then he broke our Measures but if not he then design'd for France if he did but survive the Attempt In order to which he takes all the best Horse and Dragoons that were in Town and that very Night marches over the Shannon at a Place called Killalow a Bishops See on the Shannon Twelve Miles above our Camp The Messenger that brought the News was not much taken notice of at first most People looking upon it as a Dream A great Officer however called him aside and after some indifferent Questions askt him about a Prey of Cattel in
such a Place which the Gentleman complain'd of afterwards saying he was sorry to see General Officers mind Cattel more than the King's Honour But after he met with some Acquaintance he was brought to the King who to prevent the worst gave Orders that a Party of Five hundred Horse should be made ready and march to meet the Guns but whether His Majesties Orders were not delivered to the Officer in Chief that was to Command the Party or where the fault lay I am no competent Judge but it was certainly One or Two of the Clock in the Morning before the Party marched which they did then very softly till about an hour after they saw a great Light in the Air and heard a strange rumbling Noise which some conjectur'd to be the Train blown up as it really was For on Sunday night our Guns lay at Cashell and on Munday they marched beyond Cullen to a little old Ruinous Castle called Ballenedy not Seven Miles from our Camp and directly in the Rear of it where they Encamped on a small Piece of plain green Ground there being several Earthen Fences on one side and the old Castle on the other If they had feared the least danger it had been easie to draw the Guns and every thing else within the Ruins of that old Castle and then it had been difficult for an Army much more a Party to have touched them Nay it was easie to place them and the Carriages in such a Figure upon the very Spot where they stood that it had been certain Death to have come nigh them but thinking themselves at home so nigh the Camp and not fearing an Enemy in such a Place especially since they had no notice sent them of it they turn'd most of their Horses out to Grass as being wearied with marching before and the Guard they left was but a very slender one the rest most of them going to sleep but some of them awoke in the next World The Guns surprised for Sarsfield all that day lurked amongst the Mountains and having notice where and how our Men lay he had those that guided him through By-ways to the very Spot where he fell in amongst them before they were aware and cut several of them to Pieces with a great many of the Waggoners and some Country People that were coming to the Camp with Provisions The Officer Commanding in Chief when he saw how it was Commanded to sound to Horse but those that endeavoured to fetch them up were killed as they went out or else saw it was too late to return The Officers and others made what resistance they could but were at last obliged every Man to shift for himself which many of them did though they lost all their Horses and some of them Goods of a considerable value there was one Lieutenant Bell and some few more of the Troopers killed with Waggoners and Country People to the Number in all of about Sixty Then the Irish got up what Horses they could meet withal belonging either to the Troops or Train some broke the Boats and others drew all the Carriages and Waggons with the Bread Ammunition and as many of the Guns as they could get in so short a time into one heap the Guns they filled with Powder and put their Mouths in the Ground that they might certainly split what they could pick up in a hurry they took away and then laying a Train to the rest which being fired at their going off blew all up with an Astonishing noise the Guns that were filled with Powder flying up from the Carriages into the Air and yet two of them received on damage though two more were split and made unserviceable every thing likewise that would burn was reduced to Ashes before any could prevent it The Irish took no Prisoners only a Lieutenant of Colonel Earl's being sick in a House hard by was stript and brought to Sarsfield who us'd him very civilly telling him if he had not succeeded in that Enterprise he had then gone to France Our Party of Horse that was sent from the Camp came after the business was over in sight of the Enemies Rear but wheeling towards the Left to endeavour to intercept their Passage over the Shanon they unhappily went another way since if our Party had been Fortunate they had a fair Opportunity first to save the Guns and then to Revenge their loss and if either had been done the Town had surrendred without much more Battering Sir Albert Cunningham's Dragoons were abroad also who met with some of the Irish kill'd a Major one Captain James Fitz-Gerrald and about Fifteen more but the Main Body marched off secure Colonel Villers went also with another Party of Horse towards Bryans Bridge but the Enemy did not return that way This News was very unwelcome to every body in the Camp the very private Men shewing a greater concern at the loss then one could expect from such kind of People the loss of the Guns was not so great as that of the Horses and Ammunition but to make the best of a bad Market the Duke of Wyrtemberg and several Great Officers sent their own Horses and every Foot Regiment furnished so many Garrons to bring up the Guns and broken Carriages as also to bring up two great Guns and a Mortar that were coming from Waterford The Seige gâ—ts on We went on with the Siege however and planted several more Guns and Fireings continued briskly on both sides all the Army both Horse and Foot being ordered to make such a number of Fascheenes a day and bring them to the Heads of their respective Regiments to which end we cut down most of the Hedges and Orchards about Castle Connel taken On Tuesday the 12. Brigadeer Stuart with a Detachment of his own and my Lord Meath's Men went towards Castle Connel with Four Field-Pieces the Besieged submitted and were brought Prisoners to the Camp being 126 in number commanded by one Captain Baluwell This is a strong place upon the River Shannon Four Miles above Limerick built by Richard the Red Earl of Ulster Queen Elizabeth gave the Title of Baron Castle Connel to William Bourk for killing James Fitz Morice who was a Rebel in those Days Here we kept a Garison till the Siege was raised and then it was blown up During these Transactions several Parties of Horse were sent abroad and Wednesday the 13. Lieutenant Colonel Caulfield was sent to Cullen with a detacht Party of 300 Foot mounted upon Garrons there to remain as a Guard to those who passed to and from the Camp as also to scour the Country the Rapperees upon the miscarriage of the Guns and being partly plundered contrary to the Kings Orders beginning to disturb us Next day there came an Express from Youghal giving an Account That they had killed some of the Irish thereabouts that robbed and plundered the Country This Place was surrendred to us about 10 days before and had now a
were drawn up in a Lane to the Right of the Trenches to prevent the Enemy from sallying upon which the Enemies Cannon plaid so that after the Fort was ours they drew back beyond an Hill for their Security They sally About an Hour after some Friend in Town gave notice that the Enemy were going to sally which they did immediately both Horse and Foot from St. John's Gate Their Horse came up very nigh the Fort tho' our Men fired from thence and the Trenches as fast as they cou'd Then the small and great Shot on both sides began afresh again Major Wood of Colonel Byerley's Regiment commanded an Advance Party of Twenty four French and Twenty seven English Horse At the Noise he advanced with this Party and leaping a Ditch he engaged immediately a Squadron of the Irish Horse and broke them Then came in Lieutenant Colonel Windham and Captain Lucy as also some Dutch and Danish Horse These charged the Irish that sallied and beat them back following them almost to the very Gate But we being exposed to all the Enemies Shot from the Walls lost several in coming off amongst the rest Captain Lucy a Gentleman much lamented by all that knew him The King saw all this Action as indeed he did most things that hapned going often into the Trenches and never without danger expressing Himself to be in pain for Major Wood when he saw him and his Party in such danger losing the greatest part of them Captain Needham after all was over and he leading his Men off was shot by a Chance-Bullet and died immediately We lost at the taking of the Fort and at the Sally afterwards 58 Foot kill'd and 140 wounded Horsemen 21 kill'd 52 wounded 64 Horses kill'd 57 wounded besides the Danes These Men sold their Lives dear and you may easily believe the Enemy gain'd nothing by this Afternoons Work for the next Morning two Drummers made their Escape out of Town who told us the Enemy had lost above 300 Men and in two Hours after came a Cornet and four Trumpeters from the Enemies Camp That Afternoon Captain Bourn was kill'd as he was marching down to relieve the Trenches and Major Morgison was wounded with a Cannon-bullet as he lay in Bed of which he died in two days A new Battery The 22d we raised a Battery of Eight Guns most Twenty four pounders nigh the Fort that we took the day before from whence we beat down Two Towers that stood upon the Wall out of which the Enemy fired upon our Trenches That night we threw good store of Bombs and Carcasses into Town which disturb'd the Enemy very much most of them having never seen such things before The 23d there was a Drum sent and a Truce towards the Evening for the Burying the Dead kill'd on both sides at the taking the Fort. When our People came to look amongst the Dead they found a French Officer wounded and his Horse lying upon him and yet the Gentleman was alive and as I heard he recover'd tho' he lay from Wednesday till Saturday in the Evening I cannot omit a pleasant Adventure that fell out at the taking the Fort between a Chaplain in the Army and a Trooper This Chaplain hapned to go down after the Fort was taken and seeing a Trooper mortally wounded in all appearance he fancy'd himself obliged to give him his best Advice The other was very thankful for it and whilst they were about the matter comes the Sally Our Horse came thundring down at which the Clergyman making haste to get out of their way he stumbled and fell down The wounded Trooper seeing him fall judg'd he had been kill'd and stept to him immediately to strip him and in a trice had got his Coat off on one side The other call'd to him to hold and ask'd him what he meant Sir says the other I beg your pardon for I believed you were kill'd and therefore I thought my self obliged to take care of your Clothes as well as you did of my Soul This Afternoon were Eighty four Prisoners brought to the Camp from a Castle some twelve or fourteen Miles off called Nignagh Round These kept out the Castle for Twenty four hours against Major General Ginkell and his Party of about 1500 Horse and Dragoons they kill'd us Fourteen Men Nignagh Castle taken but seeing two Cannon come and the Soldiers very busie in bringing Faggots for a Battery they submitted to Mercy Their Commander was one Captain O Bryan This Afternoon also one of Colonel Levison's Dragoons was hanged for deserting In the Evening our Bombs and red-hot Balls began to fly which set part of the Town on fire which burnt all that night destroying a great quantity of Hay with several Houses I remember we were all as well pleased to see the Town flaming as could be which made me reflect upon our Profession of Soldiery not to be overcharg'd with Good-nature Another Battery The 24th we fired pretty smartly but our Guns only struck the top of the Wall off and therefore we raised a new Battery within sixty Yards of the Wall and that Night drew the Angle of our Trenches within twenty Yards of the Counterscarp Thirty Voluntiers out of a Regiment working very diligently and had Two shillings apiece for their pains several Wooll-sacks being carried down to secure our Men from Shot as they were at work Monday morning we began to fire from our new Battery and the Breach in the Wall began to be considerable which the Enemy seeing brought abundance of Woolsacks to damp the force of our Cannon This was like Josephus's defending his Towns in Gallilee who filled large Sacks full of Chaff and hung them over the Walls to defend them from the Battering Rams of the Romans for Cannons were not then invented The Breach appears The King sent his Gunners some Drink down to the Batteries which made them ply their Work very heartily and for all the Wool-sacks the Wall began to fly again and early that Morning were two Cannon planted about 300 Yards to the right of our Trenches in order to beat down the Bridge But we were too late a beginning this Work the Irish seeing what we intended were very much afraid of the Bridge and and therefore they planted two Guns without the Town in the King's Island which plaid upon our Battery and also flankt their own Counterscarp You must know that two or three days before this it had rain'd so violently for nigh twenty four hours together that the Soldiers were almost up to the Knees in the Trenches This look'd very ill and therefore we were obliged to hasten our Work lest the Rains should force us to desist That Night therefore a Council of War was held whether we shou'd make an Attack upon the Counterscarp next day and it was deferred till Wednesday because as yet the Breach was not wide enough Monsieur Cambon was for deferring it for two or three days longer which
was taken exactly next day In Lieutenant General Douglas's Regiment Wounded Sir Charles Fielding Capt. Rose mortally wounded Capt. Guy Capt. Trevor Capt. Rose junior Capt. Wainsbrough Lieut. Wild mortally wounded Lieut. Wybrants Lieut. Lacock Lieut. Rapine Lieut. Lloyd Ensign Goodwin Ensign Burk Kill'd Major Hambleton Lieut. Ennis Lieut. Morison Ensign Tapp Ensign Pinsent In Colonel Cutts's Regiment Wounded Colonel Cutts Capt. Newton Capt. Foxon Capt. Massham Lieut. Levis Lieut. Barrock Lieut. Cary. Lieut. Trenchard The Adjutant Mr. How 's a Voluntier Kill'd Capt. Hudson Ensign Mead. In the Earl of Meath's Regiment Wounded The Earl of Meath L. C. Newcomb mort wounded Lieut. Blakeney Lieut. Hubblethorn Kill'd Lieut. Latham Ensign Smith In Brigadier Stuart's Regiment Wounded Brigadier Stuart Major Cornwall Capt. Pallferey Capt. Galbreth Capt. Stuart Capt. Casseen Lieut. Stuart Lieut. Cornwall Lieut. Cary. Ensign Stuart Kill'd Capt. Lindon Capt. Farlow Lieut. Russell In my Lord Lisburn's Regiment Wounded Major Allen. Capt. Adair Capt. Holdrich Capt. Hubbart Lieut. Hillton Lieut. Goodwin Ensign Hook Kill'd Capt. Wallace Capt. West Ensign Ogle These make in all Fifty nine whereof Fifteen were killed upon the Spot and several dyed afterwards of their Wounds the Granadeers are not here included and they had the hottest Service Nor are there any of the Forreigners who lost full as many as the English so that I 'm afraid this did more then countervail the loss that the Irish had during the whole Seige at least in the numher of Men. Next day the King sent a Drummer in order to a Truce that the Dead might be buried but the Irish had no mind to it and now the Soldiers were in hopes that the King would make a second Attack and seem'd resolv'd to have the Town or dye every Man But this was too great a hazard to run at one Place and they did not know how scarce our Ammunition was it being very much wasted the day before this day however we continued Battering the Wall and it begun to Rain and next day it was very Cloudy all about and Rain'd very fast so that every Body began to dread the Consequences of it The King therefore calls a Council of War wherein it was Resolv'd to quit the Town and Raise the Siege which as the Case stood then with us was no doubt the most prudent thing that could be done The Siege Raised We drew off therefore our heavy Cannon from the Batteries by degrees And on Saturday August the 30. we marched greatest part of them as far as Cariganliss the Guard being the Earl of Drogheda's and Brigedeer Stuart's Regiments The Rain which had already fallen had softned the ways and we found some difficulty in getting off our Guns especially since for the most part we were obliged to draw them with Oxen a part of our Train Horses being disposed of to the Enemies use before and this was one main Reason for Raising the Siege for if we had not granting the Weather to continue bad we must either have taken the Town or of necessity have lost our Cannon because that part of the Country lies very low and the Ways are deep Therefore on Sunday the last of August all the Army drew off having a good Body of Horse in the Rear As soon as the Irish perceived we had quitted our Trenches they took Possession of them with great Joy and were in a small time after over all the Ground whereon we had Encamped two days before we Raised the Siege a great many Waggons and Carriages were sent towards Cashell and Clonmel with sick and wounded Men which was the Reason that we were forced to leave a great many Bombs Hand Granades and other things behind which we buried in the Artillery Ground but with a Train to blow them up so that when it took Fire the Irish were mightily afraid and thought we were beginning a new Seige from under Ground But yet they dug up most of our dead Officers and Soldiers only to get their Shirts and Shrowds month September The Army removes The Army Encamped that day at Cariganliss and then the Artillery marched forwards to Cullen whither the Army followed the day after but as soon as the Protestants that dwelt in that Country understood that the Army was drawing off they prepared to march along with Bag and Baggage which most of them did and lookt something like the Children of Israel with their Cattle and all their Stuff footing it from Aegypt though most of those poor People had no Promised Land to retire to but were driven into a Wilderness of Confusion for I saw a great many both Men and Women of very good Fashion who had lived plentifully before yet now knew not which way to steer their Course but went along with the Croud whither Providence should direct them In a day or two after we were removed from before Limerick Monsieur Boisleau the Governour made a Speech and told the Irish Monsieur Boiseleau's Speech to the Irish That with much ado he had perswaded them to defend the Town which with Gods help they had done but assured them it was not Fear but Prudence and Policy that had made the Enemy quit the Siege as might appear by their slow Marches and withal he told them his Opinion that the next time the Enemy came they would have it Which said he took leave and went to the French Forces then at Galloway and designing for France His Majesty goes for England His Majesty that day we Raised the Siege went to Cullen and so to Clonmel from thence to Waterford in order to take shipping for England accompanied with the Prince the Duke of Ormond and several of the Nobility From Waterford His Majesty sent back the Right Honourable Henry Lord Viscount Sidney and Tho. Conyngsby Esq to the Camp Lords Justices Appointed they with Sir Charles Porter having a Commission to be Lords Justices of Ireland The King set Sail with a fair Wind for England where he was received with an universal rejoicing and the Two Lords Justices on the Fourth of September came to the Camp then at Cullen where they staid till the Sixth in which two days they and the General Count Solmes ordered all Affairs relating to the Army And here we received Money which was very acceptable for it had been very scarce all the Campaign both with the Officers and Soldiers and yet every body were content and our Wants were no Obstruction to our Duties as His Majesty was pleased to take notice afterwards in His Speech to the Parliament From Cullen we marched on the Sixth to Tipperary blowing up a strong Castle when we Decamped and the two Lords Justices took their Journey towards Dublin in order to enter upon their Government Some that are Men already prejudiced will pretend to be Judges in this Affair though they never saw the Place or the Country and affirm that the Irish made never a false step but one during this whole
Siege and that was in not Fortifying the Pass and Cromwell's Fort without as also in not drawing a large Trench from the River towards the East and then runing it round that part of the Town on which they might have raised several Forts and Breast-works from whence they might have retarded our Approaches but indeed they had not time for all this though they had done something of that kind towards the West where they keept Men Encampt all the while we lay before the Town and they had made also some Forts towards the East but they could not put Courage in their Men to defend them especially when Walls were so near to fly to Objections against the Siege at Limerick What Objections they make against us were these that we ought to have divided our Army and sent a part beyond the River as also to have broke down the two Bridges one between the two Towns and the other on the County of Clare side by which means we had prevented the Irish Communication between the two Towns and also from without the greatest hazard that we could run being to Attack a Town that had one side open to bring in what Men and things they pleas'd All these and a great many more inconveniencies were seen into at that Instant but the dividing the Army was impracticable because that when one Part had been over the River they must have marched several Miles to the Right and then down again before they could come nigh the other side of the Town by reason of a vast Bog that runs from the Town a great way cross the Country and then it was no easie thing to bring Provision to those and besides if the Rains had fallen as it often threatned us that part of the Army which had gone over must have run the hazard either of starving or fighting their whole Army or both for the Shanon rises all on a sudden and the least swelling in the World would have made it impassible for the Army since it was with great difficulty that single Regiments could get over as it was and it never has been seen so low in many years Nor had we Men enough to make what Works were convenient to secure both Parts of the Army from Sallies or Assaults from without if we had been divided We know Caesar at the Siege of Alexia shut in Eighty thousand Guals made a Line of Countervallation of Eleven Miles Circumference and one of Circumvallation that was Fourteen Fortifying both these with Sharp Stakes and vast Holes in the Ground slightly covered over by which he both reduced that great Army within to his Mercy and kept off a much greater that design'd to Raise the Siege But his Army were Men of Fatigue and Labour as well as Courage and his Numbers six times as great as ours And though we were Commanded by a Prince of as great Courage and Resolution as ever Caesar was and he had Men that were as willing yet several of them were beginning to be sick and were not able to endure the Fatigue except both our Time had been longer and the Season better and though Kings are Gods in Wisdom as well as Power yet there is one in Heaven that limits them Lieutenant General Douglass Decamps September the 7 th Lieutenant General Douglas with his own Regiment Brigadeer Stuart's Sir Henry Ballasyse's Lord George Hambilton's a Derry Regiment the Third Troop of Guards Colonel Russel's Horse and Guinn's Dragoons marched from Tipperary towards the North to Winter-Quarters and the rest lay encamped September the 8 th my Lord Lisburne with a Party of Foot being about Four Hundred and Monsieur La Forest with a Party of Five hundred Horse were sent to Killmallock a Place between Cork and Limerick where the Enemy had a Garrison of about two hundred Men who when they saw our Party and Four Field-Pieces which they brought along they yeilded upon the first Summons and had Conditions to march out with their Arms and Baggage From the 8 th to the 13 th nothing of Moment hapned except the General 's sending out several Parties unto all the little Towns and Castles thereabouts having Engineers along to see what could be done in order to their Defence on which account Dr. Davis Dean of Ross was very serviceable who understood the Countrey thereabouts very well And Major General Kirk with the rest of the English This took up time till the 13 th when Major General Kirk with Seven Foot Regiments viz. Kirk Hanmer Meath Cutts Lisburne Earle and Drogheda's and Sir John Lanier with his own Lord of Oxford's Langston's Byerley's Horse Levison's Dragoons and part of Cunningham's marched towards Bi r Which way we heard that Sarsfield was making being then with a Body of about Five Thousand Horse Foot and Dragoons at a place called Banohar-Bridge not Eight Miles from Bir. The same Day Major General Scravemore and Major General Tatteau with Twelve hundred Horse and Dragoons as also Two Regiments of Danish Foot went towards Mallow in order to go to Cork where we had a Report that my Lord Marlborough designed to land There were some Deserters also that came from the Enemy that gave us an Account that my Lord Tyrconnel Count Lauzun Monsieur Boiseleau with all the French Forces were gone from Galloway towards France for hearing of my Lord Marlborough's Fleet coming abroad they made more haste than they designed and so left several of their Men sick at Galloway They brought an excellent Field-Train in the Spring out of France which they took along with them when they returned The rest of the Army remove to Cashel September the 14 th the rest of the Army removed to Cashel and from thence were dispersed to Quarters part of the Danes and Dutch went towards Waterford some to Clonmell and others staid at Cashel The French went towards the County of Carlow And so the Army was dispersed Count Solmes commanded the Army from His Majesties Departure till the Camp broke up and then he went to Dublin in order to go for England On the Day following a Captain of Colonel Levison's Dragoons with his Troop routed a Body of Irish Rabble that were got together and a Party of Horse were sent after a Company of Rapparees that had kill'd some of our Men as they were a forraging Lieutenant General Ginkle was now Commander in Chief of the Army and went towards his Head Quarters at Killkenny Sarsfield besieges Bar. At Major General Kirk's coming to Roscreagh he understood that Sarsfield â—nd his Party had besieged the Castle at Bi r in which was only a Company of Colonel Tiffin's Regiment The Enemy had brought several Pieces of Cannon one of which was an Eighteen Pounder with which they did the Castle some damage but however the besieged defended it stoutly and killed them several Men. Relieved by Major General Kirk Tuesday the 16 th Major General Kirk and his Foot marched from Roscreagh
towards Bi r and joyned our Horse who went that way the Night before Commanded by Sir John Laneir some Three Miles short of the Town There we understood that Sarsfield's Party in Bar was very strong and Major General Kirk thought it was too great a hazard to engage with those Men he had so sent an Express to Lieutenant General Douglas who was then at Mary-Borough some Twenty Miles off We returned to Roscreag that Night and next Morning being re-inforced with Douglas's Horse we marched forwards towards Bi r again The Enemy then had left the Town and encamped Three Miles from it towards the Shanon but their Out-Guards were within a Mile of Bi r and could over-look our Camp The General sent out all the Granadeers who took the shortest way over the Bog towards the Hill where the Enemy stood and at the same time sent out a Detachment of Horse who beat the Enemy off Thursday the 18 th our Army encamped beyond the Town and one Lieutenant Kelly of Levison's Dragoons as he was discovering the Enemy with a Party being surrounded was taken Prisoner He is since exchanged and gives us an Account of the Present State of Limerick which is something different from the Publick Friday the 19 th the Enemy decamped and marched to Banohar-Bridge though that Night a party of their Horse beat in our Out-Guards Saturday the 20 th our Army begun some Fortifications in Town it being only an open place before and part of them stayed here encamped for Ten or Twelve Days Some say also that here was a good opportunity lost in not falling upon the Enemy in their Retreat towards Banohar for they marched off in great Confusion But during our stay here the Soldiers either by the bad Example of others or making the Scarcity of Bread a Pretence they â—…gun to strip and rob most of the Irish that had got Protections which made it natural for them after this to turn Rapparees and do us all the Mischief they could And it did not stop here for there was scarce any distinction made of Papist or Protestant in this Affair Lords Justices come to Dublin Towards the middle of September my Lord Sidney and Tho. Coningsby Esq Lords Justices came to Dublin and on the 15 th they took the usual Oaths of Chief Governours of that Kingdom before the Commissioners of the Great Seal with all the accustomed Formalities the People by their Bonefires and other Signs of Joy expressing their satisfaction for the restoring of the Civil Government One of the first things they did was to consider of the Settlement of the Militia in such hands as might be most for the King's Service and the Countries Interest and in some small time after gave out Commissions accordingly The same Day they sent out a Proclamation to encourage all People to bring in their Goods to the Market at Dublin forbidding any Officers or Soldiers to press such Peoples Horses which has been a trick too frequent in that Country And whereas the Rapparees began to be very numerous in several places the Lords Justices issued out a Proclamation requiring all Papists to remain in their respective Parishes at least not to go Three Miles farther and only then to Market This bears date the 18 th And because the hardships that the Soldiers had endured occasioned a great many of them at the breaking up of the Camp to steal from their Colours and make the best of their way for England a Proclamation came out the 19 th Forbidding all Masters of Ships or Seamen to transport any Officers or Soldiers or other Person whatsoever except known Merchants and Persons of known Quality not belonging to the Army without a Pass from the Lords Justices or the General of the Army The Papists on the Frontiers were very angry at us and gave constant Intelligence to the Enemy of all our Affairs by which means our Men in small numbers were often surprized and murdered and several other Inconveniencies fell out so that a Proclamation came out on the 26 th Forbidding all Papists to dwell within Ten Miles of the Frontiers And another bearing the same Date Commanding all the Wives Children and Dependants upon any of the Irish in King James's Army or of those who had been kill'd or taken in that Service to remove beyond the River Shanon by such a Day or else to be proceeded against as Enemies and Spies And accordingly most of them went having a Guard to conduct them to our Frontiers And a Third there was dated that day also Forbidding any of the Protected Irish to Harbour any that belonged to the late King's Army or that robb'd and plundered the Countrey in the Night And because Coals were now very scarce at Dublin and other Firing not coming in so plentifully as formerly some Days before this there was a Proclamation published Promising Protection to all Ships and Mariners that should be imployed in transporting Coals from any part of the Kingdom of England or Wales to the City of Dublin One there came out on the 30 th Forbidding all people to buy any Goods but in open Markets because several Abuses were committed by the Soldiers taking peoples Goods and selling them at an undervalue And on the 7 th of October there was another Proclamation Forbidding any to pretend to be Soldiers in Colonel Fouks and Colonel Herbert 's Regiments that were not Those two Regiments being then in Town and several Abuses committed that way and some of the Soldiers affronting the Militia had like one Night to have made a great deal of Mischief upon which the Alarm was beat and several people wounded one or two being kill'd out-right All the Army in Quarters By this time the Soldiers every where had got to Quarters and it was proposed by several Justices of the Peace and Deputy-Lieutenants in the Countrey That if the Soldiers would be quiet and not take things at their own hands the Countrey should find them with Meat and Drink with whatever else they could reasonably think on which was very well liked by some Colonels but others for their own Gains sake ordered the Countrey-people to bring in most of their Corn to such and such places and secured it for their own private use allowing the Soldiers in the mean time to do what they would This made the Irish and English both plundered at all hands and if by chance an Englishman had any thing left the Rapparees being stript of what they had themselves were ready to come in the Night and steal that by which things were not in such order as good Men could have wished But before I go any farther this way it will be convenient to look back and see how Major General Scravemore and his Party went on and how the business of Cork and Kingsale was managed On the 17 th of September Major General Scravemore and Major General Tatteau sent Colonel Donap to burn the Bridge of Mallow and to view
the Castle which he did and brought an Account of a Body of Rapparees to the number of about Three Thousand that were not far off upon which they sent out a Party of an Hundred Horse and Fifty Dragoons under Major Fittinkhoft designing themselves to follow but he succeeded so well that he routed the Irish and kill'd near Three Hundred of them getting a great many Silver-hilted Swords and some fine Horses amongst the Plunder My Lord Marlborough lands at Cork joyned by Major General Scravemore On the 21 st of September the Earl of Marlborough came into Cork-Road with the English Fleet having on board Brigadeer Trelawney's Lord Marlborough's Phusileers Princess Ann's Regiment Colonel Hastings Colonel Hales Sir David Collier's Colonel Fitz-Patrick's an Hundred of the Duke of Bolton's and Two Hundred of the Earl of Monmouth's under Major Johnston my Lord Torrington's and my Lord Pembroke's Marine Regiments and sending an Express to Major General Scravemore and Major General Tetteau they marched immediately to joyn his Lordship The 22 d the Lord Marlborough with his Fleet entred the Harbour receiving some Shot as they passed from a Fort of Eight Guns but sending some Boats a-shore the Enemy were obliged to quit their Battery and the Guns taken The 23 d in the Morning the Army landed and on the 24 th Five or Six Hundred Seamen and others of the Marine Regiment were imployed to draw the Cannon along and to mount them before the Town which they did with great chearfulness and the Duke of Grafton at the Head of them tho' Two Troops of Dragoons and a Body of Foot appeared without the Town but our Men firing some Field-Pieces upon them they retired That Day the Duke of Wirtemberg sent Dean Davis to my Lord Marlborough and Major General Scravemore to give them an account that he was marching to joyn them with a Detachment of Four Thousand Foot There was then a Report that the Duke of Berwick designed to raise the Siege and therefore Major General Scravemore sent the Dean back to hasten the Duke's March and the next day ordered a Party of Horse to go and cover the Duke's Foot The same Afternoon Major General Tatteau with a Party of a Thousand Men having drawn down some Cannon to the Fair Hill resolved to attack one or both of the New Forts and New Shanon Castle but no sooner were his Men posted in order to that Design but the Enemy set Fire on the Suburbs between him and them and having deserted both the Forts and Castle retired in haste into the City And the Duke of Wyrtemberg On the 26 th the Prince of Wyrtemberg with his Danes and a Detachment of Dutch and French Foot came and encampt on the North side the Town A Battery planted at Cork We now being in possession of Shanon Castle planted our Guns there and played them both into the Fort and Town and Major General Scravemore with his Horse took up his Quarters at Cill Abbey The 27 th the Enemy having deserted their Works at the Cat-Fort without a blow struck we were Masters of it and planted a Battery there playing our Bombs into the City and our Guns upon the Fort from the Friars-Garden and another Battery above the Fort near the Abby There was also a Church in our possession into the Steeple of which Major General Scravemore sent Lieutenant Townsend with a Party laying Boards cross the Beams for them to stand upon who did good Service in galling the Irish within the Fort. Another Battery of Three Thirty Six Pounders was made by Red Abby which playing against the City-Wall made a Breach whereupon they came to a Treaty whereon a Truce was granted till next Morning The 28 th the Enemy not accepting the Conditions that were proposed our Cannon began to play very furiously which made a considerable Breach and when the Enemy began to appear on the Wall near it they were raked off by our small Ordnance from the Cat. Last Night a Captain Lieutenant and Forty Men were posted in the Brick-Yard near Cill Abby to hinder the Enemy from making their Escape that way through the Marsh and accordingly some attempting it about Midnight Captain Swiney and Four more were kill'd and Captain Mackertey taken being wounded and the rest forced to retire to the City again About One a Clock that Afternoon the Danes from the North and Four Regiments of English from the South under Brigadeer Churchil passed the River into the East-Marsh in order to storm the Breach that was made there in the City-Wall They passed the Water up to the Arm-pits the Granadeers under my Lord Colchester led the Van and marched forwards exposed to all the Enemies Fire There went on Volunteers with this Detachment the Duke of Grafton the Lord O Brian Colonel Granvill and a great many more Immediately the Van posted themselves under the Bank of the Marsh which seemed to be a Counterscarp to the City-Wall in which Approach the Duke of Grafton received a mortal Wound on the point of his Shoulder The Salamander also and another Vessel which came up the Morning-Tide lay at the Marsh-end directly before the Wall playing their Cannon at the Breach as likewise throwing Bombs into the City The Garrison surrend'red In the midst of which Puther my Lord Tyrone and Lieutenant Colonel Rycatt came out having beat a Parley before and made Articles for its Surrender which were these I. That the Garrison should be received Prisoners of War and there should be no prejudice done to the Officers Soldiers or Inhabitants II. That the General would use his endeavour to obtain His Majesties Clemency towards them III. That they should deliver up the Old Fort within an Hour and the Two Gates of the City the next Day at Eight in the Morning IV. That all the Protestants that are in Prison shall be forthwith released V. That all the Arms of the Garrison and Inhabitants should be put into a secure place And VI. That an exact Account should be given of the Magazines as well Provision as Ammunition In the Evening the Fort was surrendred and the Protestant Prisoners set at Liberty On the 29 th in the Morning many Seamen and other loose persons entred into the City through the Breach and other places and plundred many Houses especially of Papists But as soon as the Bridge could be mended the Earl of Marlborough Duke of Wyrtemberg and Maj. Gen. Scravemore entred and took much pains to save the City from further Damage In the Afternoon all Papists were ordered by Proclamation on pain of Death to deliver up their Arms and repair to the East Marsh where all that had been in Arms were secured and put under Guards the Officers in the County Court-House The Number of the Prisoners amongst whom were the Earls of Clencarty and Tyrone Colonel Mark Ellicat the Governour Lieutenant Colonel Rycat c. the rest to the number of between Four and Five Thousand
there was a Ship with Arms Ammunition and some Provisions on Board with about Sixty Officers designed for Limerick but cast away in that River and all the Men lost The Rapparees all this while were very busie about Cashall and Clonmel and did a great deal of mischief this occasioned some of our Army to joyn part of the Militia who went towards Cullen and burnt the Corn bringing away a good Booty without any opposition The Fifteenth of November Colonel Byerly's Horse marched from Dublin to Mount Naelick a Village towards the Frontiers and on the 19 th the Lords Justices Publish a Proclamation Declaring That if any of their Majesties Protestants Subjects had their Houses or Haggards burnt or were Robb'd or Plundred by the Rapparees such Losses should be repaid by the Popish Inhabitants of that County And in regard the Popish Priests had great Influence over their Votaries it was ordered That if any Rapparees exceeding the Number of Ten were seen in a Body no Popish Priest should have liberty to reside in such a County And it was further declared That the Government would not give Protection to any Person that had a Son in the Enemies Quarters unless such Son return to Their Majesties Obedience before the Tenth of December next following And in regard at this time the Government was apprehensive of some danger nigh Dublin it self they Publish a Proclamation the 22 d. That all Papists who have not been noted House-keepers in the City of Dublin for Three Months last past were within Forty eight Hours to depart at least Ten Miles from the City or else to be proceeded against as Spies and that not above Five Papists should meet together upon any Pretext whatever A Plot discovered About the 24 th there was great talk of a Design discovered to the Lords Justices of sending a Supply of Meal Salt Tobacco Brandy and several other things from Dublin to the Enemies Quarters Those who were carrying these things were pursued and overtaken in the County of Kildare upon a By Road they all made their escapes however but one of them being a Woman dropt a Petticoat in which was found a Letter and also another in a Rowl of Tobacco which gave grounds to believe that a Correspondence was kept between the Papists in Dublin and the Enemy beyond the Shanon and therefore on Sunday Night the 30 th of November a general search was made through the City and most of the Papists secured This Piece of Service the Militia performed very dextrously without noise or suspicion till the thing was done A List of the Privy-Council The last Packquets from England brought a List of the Privy Council appointed by His Majesty for the Kingdom of Ireland as also of several of the Judges The Council were The Lord Primate the Lord Chancellor Lord Treasurer Archbishop of Dublin Duke of Ormond Earl of Meath Earl of Drogheda Earl of Longford Earl of Renelah Earl of Granard Viscount Lisburn Bishop of Meath Robert Fitz-Gerrald Esq the Vice Treasurer Chancellor of the Exchequer Chief Justice of the King's Bench Chief Justice of the Common Pleas the Chief Baron of the Exchequer Master of the Rolls Secretary of State Master of Ordance Sir Henry Fane Sir Charles Merideth William Hill of Hillsborongh Esquire On Monday the First of December several of the said Persons attended the Lords Justices at the Council Chamber and there took the usual Oaths of Privy Councellors The Judges named for the Respective Courts in Dublin were Sir Richard Reynoll Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench Sir Richard Stephens one of the Justices of the same Court Mr. Justice Lindon being formerly sworn there In the Common Pleas Mr. Justice Jetfordson Mr. Justice Cox being formerly sworn there In the Exchequer Jo Healy Esq Lord Chief Baron and Sir Standish Hartstone one of the Barons of the Court Mr. Baron Ecklin being formerly sworn there This day we had News of the Enemies passing the Shanon at several Places and Orders were sent to our Frontiers to be in readiness and Colonel Gustavus Hambleton sent a Party from Birr towards Portumna who met with a Party of the Enemy which they routed killing some and brought off two Officers with Eleven Prisoners being Dragoons and Foot month December December the 2 d. A Proclamation was issued out by the Lords Justices and Council forbidding all Their Majesties Subjects of Ireland to use any Trade with France or to hold any Correspondence or Communication with the French King or his Subjects This was the first that was Signed by the Council and these were present viz. Fran. Dublin Drogheda Longford Granard Lisburn Robert Fitz-Gerald Anth. Meath Charles Merideth We had at that time an Account from Cork that on the 22 d. of November last there were 60 of our Horse and Foot who met with near Five hundred of the Rapparees in the Barony of West Carberry near Castlehaven our Men at that disadvantage Retreated towards Castlehaven the Enemy followed in the Rear and fired at a distance several times our Party facing about killed Nine and afterwards being Attackt again they killed one Brown an Ensign of the Enemies Castletown Besieged The Enemy next day Besieged Castletown an House near Castlehaven they were Commanded by O Donavan O Driscoll and one Barry As they approached the House our Men killed Twelve of them this put them into an humour of Retreating though one Captain Mackronine with his Sword drawn endeavoured to hinder them but he and some more of the Party being kill'd the rest got away as well as they could Several of them had Bundles of Straw fastned upon their Breasts instead of Armour but this was not Proof for about Thirty of them were killed upon the Spot amongst whom were young Colonel O Driscol Captain Tiege O Donavan besides several that went off Wounded we lost only two Men. Rapparees defeated At this time Colonel Byerley being at Mountmelick with part of his own Regiment and some of Colonel Earl's Foot he was frequently Allarumed as well by Parties of the Irish Army as by Considerable Numbers of the Rapparees who had a design to burn the Town as they had done several others thereabouts but the Colonel was very watchful and kept good Intelligence a main Matter in this Assair He was told of a Party that designed to burn the Town and he took care to have all his Men both Horse and Foot in readiness to welcome them but they heard of his Posture and durst not venture however on the Third of December he had notice of a Body of Rapparees that were not far from the Town and designed him a mischief he sends out Lieutenant Dent with Twenty Horse and ordered each Horseman to take a Musqueteer behind him when the Horse came almost within sight of the Rapparees they dropt their Foot who marched closely behind the Hedges unperceived by the Enemy When the Enemy espied so small a Party of Horse they Advanced
or about the City of Dublin after the 25 th of December next And now His Majesty designing for Holland and having thoughts of making my Lord Sidney one of the Secretaries of State sent for him over who on Monday the 15 th of December Embarqued with a Fair Wind for Chester leaving every one sorry for his departure in that by his Affable and Courteous Demeanor and his Diligence in His Majesties Service he had gain'd the Hearts of all People And on the 24 th Sir Charles Porter one of the Lords Justices came from England who on the 29 th was sworn Lord Chancellor receiving the Purse and Great Seal from the late Commissioners Part of the Army march to Lanesborough We had now a part of our Army on their March towards Lanesborough-Pass Commanded by Major General Kirk and Sir John Laneir the Foot were my Lord Lisburn's Regiment my Lord George Hambleton's part of Col. Brewer's some of Major General Kirk's and several others A Party of the Militia also were ordered from Dublin and those in the Country were to be up on all hands At the same time Lieutenant General Douglas was to march towards Sligo and fall upon the Irish on that side On Wednesday the 31 st of December part of our Army under Colonel Brewer went towards Lanesborough The Enemy appeared on the Bog on this side the Town being as they say nigh Three Thousand and had cut several Trenches cross the Causeys that go through the Bog towards the Town these they disputed for some time but losing some of their Men they retired into Town and from thence to beyond the Shanon defacing the Fort on this side and breaking the Bridge behind them You 'll say they were not very closely pursued that had time to do all this However our Men took possession of the Town and Fort as they had left it and if we had had the Boats we might have gone over the Enemy quitting the other side for at least Three Days but then we were too small a Party and before the rest of our Men came up Three Regiments of the Irish were posted on the other side the River and then little hapned of moment only some small Firings and sometimes they made Truces Colonel Clifford and the other Irish Officers drinking Healths over to our Men and those on our side returning the Complement When this Party marched to Lanesborough there was a Detachment of 300 Men out of L. Drogheda's Sir Jo. Hanmer's and Col. Hambleton's Regiments ordered from Bi r to joyn them and so to cross the Country from Bi r to Mullingar But in their March they were set upon by about Fifteen Hundred of the Irish Army and Rapparees Our Party had but Thirty Dragoons with them and the Enemy brought several Squadrons of Horse and though we were attack'd for at least Five Hours together and that at several places of great disadvantage yet they fought their way through and went that Night to Mountmelick having lost only Six Men and Captain Jeffreys of Sir John Hanmer's Regiment but the Irish got all our Baggage This Party was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Bristow and Major Caulfield Rapparees in the Bog of Allen The Rapparees by this time were got to the end of the Bog of Allen about Twelve Miles from Dublin this Bog is the largest in Ireland for it reaches through a great part of the Country from hence as far as Athlone and is at least Forty Miles in length having several Islands full of Woods in the midst of it These robb'd and plundered the Country all about for they had an Island on this end of the Bog which they fortified coming out in the Night and doing all the Mischief they could This being so nigh Dublin it made a great noise so that Colonel Fouks with his own Regiment part of Colonel Cutts's and some of the Militia marched out towards them and coming near them in the Night at a place called Tougher Greggs at the entrance of the Bog of Allen he stay'd there till it was light and then advanced upon the Causey having Three Field-Pieces along with him Defeated by Col. Fouks The Irish at first seem'd to defend the Place but as we went forwards they quitted their Posts leaving our Men to fill up the Trenches they had made cross the Causey being Twelve in number Colonel Fouks marched his Horse over and so went to the Island of Allen where he found Lieutenant Colonel Piper who had passed thither on the other side at the same rate The Irish betook themselves to the Woods and we only got some little things they had left It 's thought they had a Thousand Foot thereabouts besides some Horse though most of them that made this Disturbance at this place were only Two Hundred Boys with an old Tory their Commander Who were admitted to administer the Oath and why And now the Lords Justices and Council issue out Two more Proclamations one forbidding all Persons whatsoever except the Lord Mayor Recorder and Sheriffs of Dublin to administer the Oath or give Certificates to the Papists Because some took upon them for Money to certifie they had sworn when they did not or else gave them the Oath without the word Allegiance as did Sir Humphrey Jervace who was imprisoned and fined Three Hundred Marks for it afterwards The other Proclamation required all that had bought any of the Train-Horses or Utensils to bring them in by such a Day For the Carters and Waggoners were very careless and either sold the Horses or suffered them to be stole Maj. Gen. Tetteau marches from Cork with a part of the Army About the time that Lieutenant General Douglas and Major General Kirk marched from the North and South Major General Tetteau marched also in the West towards the County of Kerry and if they all had pusht forwards at one time it had been a great advantage to our Affairs next Campaign All things seem'd to favour the Attempt especially the Weather better never being seen for the Season Major General Tetteau marched from Cork December 28. and on the 29 th was joyned by Brigadeer Churchill Sir David Collier Colonel Coy and a part of Colonel Matthews's Dragoons and the day following they marched through the Country which the Irish had for the most part burnt after they had carried away whatever they could month January On New Years-Day our Men attackt a Fort at a place called Scronclard which was intended to hinder their passage that way We took it in Two Hours though it 's said the Enemy imploy'd 500 Men for Two Months to build it This show'd their Diligence though not their Courage these Two Vertues are sometimes divided between us and them but not always both on either side Near Brewster's Field we discovered some of the Enemies Scouts whereupon Seventy of Eppingar's Dragoons and Colonel Coy's Horse having the Advance-Guard came near a Party of the Enemy of One Hundred
and Sixty These were mounted upon small Horses and retreated as did also their main Body burning the Country Our Men then went towards Ross wherein the Enemy had a Garrison of Six Hundred Men commanded by Colonel Mackartey We did not think fit to attack the Town but went towards a Fort near it which we attacked with Fifty Danes and Fifty of the Kingsale Militia We carried the Fort in which were Seventy Seven Men of whom Fourteen swam towards a Rock Five were taken and the rest kill'd Captain Baenburg and Captain Caroll the Commanders were both wounded the former with a Granade and the other shot through the Leg. Goes to Tralee From thence we marched towards Tralee which the Enemy deserted having therein Twenty One Troops of Dragoons and Seven of Horse Commanded by Colonel Sheldon The Enemy were much alarm'd on this side and if they had been pressed home on the other it had been much for our Interest But I heard of nothing further remarkable at Lanesborough except of one Captain Edgworth's defending a Pass with One Hundred Men against a much greater Body of the Irish and after our Men had laid there in the Cold for nigh a Fortnight they were ordered back being much harassed with Cold and Hunger The Boats were never brought to the River and Lieutenant General Douglas went as far as James-Town and then retired again into the North without doing anything remarkable This indeed is to be said for both sides That suppose our Men had passed the River at Lanesborough they must have gone Three Miles forwards before they could have seen any thing but Bogs and Woods The Irish no doubt knew of their coming and would have let them advance some Miles at least and then resolved with all the Force in their Power to attack them nor could Lieut. Gen. Douglas joyn them on a sudden so that seeing our Men were inferiour to theirs in number it was not the safest to go into the midst of their Troops and yet any that will but consider the Circumstances of the preceeding Story and put things together will find that it has been partly our own faults that Ireland has not been reduced already A short Description of the former State of Ireland The Soil of this Country is in all respects as good if not better than that of England And as to the People though this Country was in the Infancy of Christianity called Sanctorum Patria yet in process of Time the Irish did very much degenerate and did in a manner turn perfect Barbarians till at length they were partly civilized by the English Conquest of that Country and yet as the Nature of Man is apter to decline than improve instead of Reforming the Irish a great many of the English did dwindle into meer Irish both in Customs and Habit and are the very People that we are subduing at this juncture not One in Ten of them being of ancient Irish Extraction Most part of the North of Ireland is at present inhabited by People from Scotland The Reason of this may be because of the Vicinity of those Two Nations at that place they not being Three Hours Sail asunder or else it is because in the Ninth Year of King James the First the North of Ireland being then in Rebellion that King invented a New Title of Honour both in England and Scotland for all such the Number not exceeding as I remember Two Hundred in each Nation as would maintain Thirty Soldiers a piece for Three Years at the rate of 8 d. per diem in the Service of Ireland and yet they were to be Gentlemen and worth 1000 l. per annum those he called Barronets and made this Title Hereditary adding to each Man Phternal Cont the Arms of Ulster which is in a Canton or an Escatcheon which they please in a Field Argent a Sinister Hand Cooped at the Wrist Gules But this however was more taken notice of by the Scots than the English at least a great many of them went over themselves in Person into Ulster and after the Rebellion had Lands assigned to them and their Followers whose Posterity enjoy them still As for the other Provinces in Ireland viz. Lemster Munster and Conaught they were generally inhabited with English and Irish intermixt though the Irish were in a manner Slaves to the English and every Landlord was as absolute as a Prince amongst his own Tenants but in all other respects they had the English Laws and Customs and lived more plentifully than they did in any place of England Some may justly wonder to hear of all those multitudes of Cattle which have been at several times taken from the Irish but as they went off from any place they still drove along all the Englishment Stocks and certainly the Country affords abundance because it has never been throughly inhabited for those places that might be improved and tilled are for want of People stoct with Sheep or Cattel which was the Reason that in Queen Elizabeth's Days we read of one surly Boy in the North of Ireland who had a Stock of Fifty Thousand Cattel to his own share Of the Present State of the Irish Army But in short my humble Opinion of the Affairs of that Kingdom at present is First as to the Irish they are naturally a fawning flattering People they 'll down upon their Knees to you at every turn but they are rude false and of no Courage as D. Aquila complain'd when he came out of Spain with an Army to their assistance in Queen Elizabeth's Reign Give them but Encouragement and then there 's no People so insolent So that as Slaves there 's no way to deal with them but to whip them into good Manners and yet many of the Vulgar Irish have been abused in what they had who thinking our Soldiers in the fault they cut their Throats whereever they can get the upper hand As to their Army their Condition is not in some Respect much worse than it was before For 1. Their Men have seen more Service and understand the use of their Arms better being made good Fire-men at Limerick and Athlone 2 dly They are now in a much narrower compass which is easilier defended and they may in a small time draw their whole Army to any corner when as we are dispersed up and down and cannot so easily be got together upon any sudden occasion They have also most of the Passes upon the Shanon in their possession which could not easily be taken from any but Irishmen 3 dly They are very watchful and diligent having always good Intelligence which is the Life of any Action and yet it 's plain there is no such way to destroy the Irish as to imploy some to ruine the rest which they will certainly do their own Fathers for Money But then after all this they have a vast Crowed of People and will not nor cannot have convenient Subsistence for one half of them in a small
above two Bandileers full of Powder a-piece and the rest full of Salt which made us believe the Enemy at that time were scarce of Ammunition they killed us two Captains and six Men wounding a Lieutenant and Ensign It was thought very odd that not so much as a Field Piece should be left at that important Pass of Newry nor yet a party of Horse but the Reason of that might be because there were no Houses left standing to put them in nor any Forage thereabouts for them But after this the General ordered Detachements out of Colonel Viller's Colonel Coy's and those Regiments that lay most convenient to go to Newry and relieve by turns Col. Cambon views Charlemont On the 26 th of November Colonel Cambon went to view the Garison of Charlemont having 60 of Col. Levison's Dragoons along with him the Irish had lined the Hedges nigh the place where he was to make his Observations but were beat from thence by the Dragoons who alighted and killed two or three but about eight or ten of our Dragoons going too far from their main Body were surprized and taken Prisoners and most of them died before they could be relieved A Meeting of Country Gentlemen Towards the latter end of November the General summon'd all the Gentlemen in the Country to meet him at Lisburn where they presented him with an Address and agreed upon Rates for all sorts of Provisions which were commanded to be sold accordingly by the Duke's Proclamation but this was very disagreeable to the Country People who had made us pay trebble Rates before for every thing we had from them A party of the Irish Garison at Charlemont stole out one Night and burnt Duncanon a small Town some five miles off And November 29 Brigadeer Stuart having Intelligence that my Lord Antrim's Regiment in Dundalk designed again to attack Newry he with a party of about 250 Horse and Foot met them as they were coming and killed about thirty taking seventeen Prisoners some of whom were Officers month December Belturbet Surrendered December the 4 th Colonel Woolsely went in the Night with a party of Iniskilliners towards Belturbet upon whose approach the Garison being surprized they yielded upon the first Summons to be conducted to the next Garison though they had fortified the place very well The Duke goes to view Charlemont The 12 th of December the Duke went to view Charlemont they fired their Cannon upon him and his Party but however some of our Men took a Prey of Cattel from under the very Walls And about this time the General gave out Orders to be observed by all the Army which being very commendable in themselves if every one had endeavoured to put them in Execution it will not be improper therefore to mention some few of them Some of the General 's Orders 1. That the Captain or Officer commanding each Company meet at two a Clock at the Guard-House each Tuesday to punish Offenders and to consider what may be for the Good of the Regiment and that the Country have notice thereof that if there be any Complaints against the Souldiers they may be heard 2. That the Souldiers have strict Orders to frequent Divine Service every Sunday and that the Officers punish Swearing and all other Vices as directed by the Articles of War 3. That the Souldiers that are to mount the Guard be there by six of the Clock in the Morning and exercise till Eleven and that the Chaplain be there to read Prayers before the Guard be mounted 4. That every Captain take care of the General 's Orders for regulating the Foot and the Major-Generals for Exercising and diligently observe the same 5. That an Officer twice a Week visit the Sick and a Serjeant twice a Day and give the Chirurgeon and Chaplain notice that they may immediately repair to them And a great many more Orders there were to this purpose but these are sufficient to show the Care of the General in every Thing and that he was far from those Imperfections some People were pleased to reproach him with About this time there was a great Booty of Cattel taken by Lieut. Col. Berry who went from Clownish to Sligo with a Party he saw no Enemy but found their Cattel and brought them Home with him The Irish lessen their Brass Coin And now the Irish begin to make the Coin of their Brass Money less than it was at first Calling in the large Brass Half-Crowns and stamping them a new for Crowns they wanting Metal to go on with it as they first began They say it was a Quaker that first proposed this Invention of Brass Money but whoever it was they did that Party a signal piece of Service since they would never have been able to have carried on the War without it However the Quakers have been very serviceable to that Interest for I am assured by some in the Irish Army that they maintained a Regiment at their own Cost besides several Presents of value that they made to the late King Mr. Shales a Prisoner There were now great Complaints against Mr. Shales and those flew so high that he was secured by an Order from England and was sent with a Guard to Belfast and so designed for London He stayed some Days at Belfast before he could be ready and in the mean time fell ill of a Feaver recovering with a great deal of Difficulty Yet afterwards he went over but I heard of no Proceedings against him We had Stories at Dundalk and afterwards that the Beef and Brandy and what other things we received from the Stores were all poisoned but all this was Stuff and believed by no Body of Sense I heard indeed some Masters of Ships who had their Vessels laden with Provisions for Ireland say that he stop'd them all at High-Lake and Liverpool threatning to seize them if they came over for he had undertaken to provide the Army with every thing I am a Stranger to Mr. Shales and yet I believe him to be a Man of more Sense than that comes to and further I have heard some People say that were near him in his Sickness that he was not at all concerned as being not conscious to himself of any thing he had done which he ought not but yet he used to say that he would set the Saddle upon the Right Horse A great Mortality Col. Langston dies at Lisburn in a Fever and my Ld. Hewet and my Ld. Roscommon of the same Distemper at Chester and the Feaver was very violent at this time all the North of Ireland over insomuch that it was impossible to come into any House but some were Sick or Dead especially at Belfast where the Hospital was I have sometime stood upon the Street there and seen ten or a dozen Corps of the Towns People go by in little more than half an Hour Major General Mackarty Escapes Towards the latter end of
commanded by Major Morgison and Captain Carlile towards Lanesbrough Pass but they returned the next day without doing any thing that was Remarkable the Enemy having a Fort well mann'd towards the Bridge and four Companies of Foot in the Town That day one Captain Mackgill a Voluntier was kill'd at our Battery with a Canon-shot from the Castle Our Train at Athlone was only two twelve Pounders ten lesser Guns and two small Field Mortars which when planted against the Castle did it little or no damage This was a misfortune that Lieutenant-General Douglas found Athlone stronger than he expected for it 's said he had what Guns and Men he desired to reduce it withal The firing continued however on both sides and on Tuesday one Mr. Nelson our best Gunner was killed with a small Shot On Wednesday we had news that Sarcefield with 15000 Men was coming to raise the Siege which made the General send all his sick and wounded Men towards Mullingar Next Morning early the Besieged hung out a Bloody Flag which occasion'd smart firing and in the Evening the General called all the Colonels to a Council of War where he told them the necessity of Removing from the Town for we had very little Bread all the while and there was some reason to believe the Irish Army would cut off our Communication from Dublin So that we had Orders to be ready to march at twelve a Clock that Night we begun at the time appointed to send away our Baggage and at break of Day or a little after we marcht off the Enemy not so much as firing one Gun at us Reasons why it was not taken I know that whilst we lay here there were some that profferr'd to pass the River at a Ford a little above the Bridge and so beat the Irish out of their Works but this was sooner said than done for the Ford is naturally very deep and dangerous besides the Irish had fortified the other side with Breast-works two Batteries and a considerable Fort And then if we had forced our way over and could not have taken the Castle in a small time we must have been obliged to fight the greatest part of the Irish Army which was then drawing down upon us Nay if we had been Masters of the Town and Castle the Irish might so have ordered it as to have cut off our Communication from Dublin and so starved us for we were already glad of a very small Allowance of Bread Colonel Grace the Governor had been very active on the Irish side in the last Wars but was now very old and this was the third time that he had burnt that Town the Enemy had in it three Regiments of Foot nine Troops of Dragoons and two of Horse and more lay encamped not far off During our stay here which was from Thursday the 17th to Friday the 25th the Country People of all Perswasions begun to think us troublesome This must be said for Lieutenant-General Douglas that both whilst he staid here and all along on his march he constantly gave out very strict Orders against Plundering or Stragling from the Army But it were better that good Rules were not made than when they are so they should not be observed and the breakers escape punishment For some Peoples taking liberty to break Rules encourage others to lose their Reverence to them Example always goes further than Precept and most Men see better than they understand so that whatever Rules are made in an Army by a General they are to be observed by every one else with what justice can one be punished for the breach of those Orders which others make no Conscience in obeying What Men lost there We lost in this Expedition not above thirty Men before the Town and the Enemy very few but in our march too and again what with sickness hard marching the Rapperees surprising as they straggled and several other disadvantages we fell short of our Number three or four hundred though before we got to the Kings Army we killed and took Prisoners a great many thousands but more of these had four Feet than two All the poor Protestants thereabouts were now in a worse condition than before for they had enjoyed the benefit of the Irish Protections till our coming thither and then shewing themselves Friends to us put them under a necessity of retreating with us which a great many did leaving all their Harvest at that time ready to cut down c. and yet were hardly used by our own Men. On our first Days march backwards the General received an Express from the King some say it was to draw off and joyn the Army and that he had positive Orders before not to pass the Shannon at all And at the same time we had an Account of a Conspiracy in England against the Queen and that some French were Landed there having burnt some Towns on the Coast And it was reported also that the late King was Landed in that Kingdom We marched back that Day to Ballimore where we staid four Days on one of which there hap'ned the greatest Thunder and Lightning that has been heard of in those parts And about this time several of the Irish that had taken Protections when they could not have the benefit of them began to turn Rapperees stripping and sometimes killing our Men that they found straggling Lieutenant General Douglas marches to joyn the Kings Army On the 30 of July Colonel Babington's Regiment marched from Ballimore towards Dublin and the same day Leiutenant-General Douglas marched with all the rest of his party to Stony-Cross which is out of all publick Rodes from Dublin and so were most of our future marches till we joyn'd the Kings Army which was one reason why we had little or no Bread for almost four days together and after that but a very slender allowance From this place we marched to Balliboy and as we went a long the General ordered one of his own men to be Shot immediately for Morodeing as they called it The General had given out orders that none should stir out of their Ranks on pain of Death however this poor Fellow and four more were not so observant of their duty as they ought to be which the General espying caused them to be seized immediately and throw Dice for their lives month August We had an Account at Ballyboy that the Enemy was at Banoher Bridge with a very strong party to disturb our march which made us next day strike to the left to Roscreaugh instead of going to Bur as we designed for that way was full of Woods and narrow Passes where the Enemy had great Advantage of us We stayed at Roscreaugh the second of August and on the third in the Morning came twelve Troopers from the Kings Army who lay then at Goulden Bridge to hasten our march for the King exprest himself to be in trouble lest the Enemy should be too many for us in that place
Garison of 80 Foot and Dragoons Upon some complaints from the North of Ireland on the 15 th the King sends out his Proclamation Commanding all to pay Tythes as formerly These troublesome Times have fallen heavy upon the Clergy of Ireland who lived very plentifully before and yet it will be a great while ere they be so poor as their Predecessors For they say in times past they had no other Rents or Revenues but three Milch Kine a-piece which the Parishioners exchang'd for others new when they went dry as Adam Brenensis a German tells the Story from themselves as they returned that way on a time from Italy Tho I suppose the People were then as ignorant as the Clergy poor but now the Case is altered and they want neither Encouragement nor Respect Sunday the 17. Monsieur Cambon our Quarter-master General was very diligent in order to have the Trenches opened that night and all things being prepared Seven Battalions consisting of English Danes Dutch and French Foot commanded by the Prince of Wyrtenberg Lieutenant General Major General Kirk Major General Tettau and Sir Henry Bellasis Brigadeer The King I suppose by this mixture thinking to raise an Emulation in his Soldiers or further that they might instruct one another several Regiments having never been in Trenches before they were commonly Seven Battalions on at a time and relieved at Twelve a Clock at night but this method was altered for a reason to be given afterwards This night we advanced our Trenches and attackt the Irish at the two old Chimneys the Granadeers threw in their Granades and then endeavoured to get over this occasioned a general firing from our Trenches and also from the Town the King himself was at Cromwells Fort to see what happen'd as he was constantly every night The Irish in the Fort made no great resistance but after once firing they cry'd out Murder and Quarter but made the best of their way toward the Town those that stay'd in the Fort were knock'd on the head The firing from the Walls and Trenches continu'd for at least two Hours longer by which time we had secured this Fort from the Enemies retaking it A Battery planted Next day being Monday the 18. we planted a Battery below the Fort to the right of our Trenches and dismounted some of the Enemies Cannon All that day the Guns plaid briskly on both sides and at night the Trenches were relieved by Lieutenant General Douglas my Lord Sidney and Count Nassau as Major Generals and Brigadeer Stuart We made our Approaches toward the Fort without the Wall and Lieut. Gen. Douglas's and Brigadeer Stuart's Regiments were posted towards the right It was dark when they went on and they did not perceive the Enemy to be so near them as they really were for there was at that time scarce Twenty yards distance between them they were ordered to lye down upon their Arms which they did and a great part both of the Officers and Soldiers fell asleep The Enemy perceived this and attack'd them which put them presently into a Confusion and several of them gave ground but presently recovered themselves and fired but they did not know at what The Danes to the left took our own Men for the Enemy sallying and so fired upon them they believed the Danes to be the Irish and so return'd the Complement The Irish fired upon both and they at one another This Confusion lasted nigh two hours in which time several were killed nor did the King or any body else know what to make of it At last our Men found their mistake and the Irish were beat in crying quarter and murder as they used to do After this his Majesty ordered the Trenches to be relieved in the day and our Men marched always in and out in the very Face of their Cannon The story of the Irish Deliverer About this time we had an Account of one Balderock Rho O Donnel of the ancient Family of Tyrconnel this Man was born and educated in Spain But there being a Prophecy amongst the Irish that he should free his Country from the English doing great matters in his own Person and more by his Conduct he was sent for on purpose and came to Limerick It 's incredible how fast the vulgar Irish flocked to him at his first coming so that he had got in a small time Seven or Eight thousand Rapparees and such like People together and begun to make a Figure but after a while the Business cool'd and they were weary of one another and he is only now a Colonel in Limerick They had another Prophecy also That we should come to the Field above Cromwell's Fort where stands an old Church where on a Stone hard by we should pitch our utmost Colours and afterwards be undone with a thousand such like Fopperies not worth the naming Tuesday the 19th our Battery plaid upon the Walls and also the Guns from Cromwell's Fort upon the Houses in Town And the Enemy were not idle for their Shot flew very thick His Majesty had a narrow escape insomuch that the King riding softly up towards Cromwell's Fort directly as His Horse was entring a Gap a Gentleman staid His Majesty to speak to him and in the very moment there struck a Twenty four pounder in the very place which would have struck His Majesty and Horse too all to pieces if His usual good Angel had not defended Him it struck the Dust all about Him however tho' He took little notice of it but alighting came and laid Him down on the Fort amongst all the Dust That Night we planted Four Twenty four pounders at the Angle of our Trenches near the South-east corner of the Wall where we made the Breach afterwards A Fort taken from the Irish Wednesday the 20th Colonel Cuts's Granadeers commanded by Captain Foxon and my Lord Meath's by Captain Needham were placed conveniently in the Trenches for an Attack and at Two a Clock in the Afternoon the Signal being given by firing Three Pieces of Cannon they leapt over the Trenches and ran straight to the Fort which the Enemy had to the Right of us at St. John's Gate The Enemy fired from the Fort and from the Walls our Men did the like from the Trenches and the Great Guns went to work on both Sides The Granadeers threw in their Granades and Captain Foxon made an Attempt to climb up but was thrown down again but entred at the second Trial and his Men with him So did my Lord Meath's Men with Captain Needham and in a small time we were Masters of the Fort. There were about Fifty kill'd in it and Twelve with the Captain taken Prisoners and some made their Escapes to the Town The Firing continued however on both Sides for above an Hour and all possible diligence was used to bring down Faggots wherewith to make up that side of the Fort that was open to the Town Before the Attack a Party of our Horse