Drogheda's Regiment who finding themselves very much outnumbred and the Village no ways Tenible they retired all to a Mount nigh the middle of the same Village which they defended till the Irish were obliged to quit the place have killed us about 28 themselves leaving 16 dead upon the Streets besides several more that were killed in Plundering the Houses And several such Accidents hapned up and down the Kingdom most of which are already related in the former part of this History Towards the beginning of December his Majesty for the A Privy-Council appointed in Ireland better ordering the Affairs of that Kingdom appointed a Privy-Council and gave out new Commissions to supply the places of several Judges as yet awanting in the respective Courts of Judicature But though the Irish in and about Limerick and indeed in most other places within their Line were reduced to great necessities both as to Provisions and Cloaths yet this did not prevent them from having a very good opinion of themselves nor blunt the Edge of that Vain-glorious Boasting so peculiar to that sort of People as may appear by a pretended Declaration of the then Brigadeer Dorington's who after several invective Expressions against his Majesty and the English Government and Wheedling Insinuations to all Foreigners and others who he pretends were drawn in at unawares he promises to protect and receive into Pay all Officers or Souldiers that would forsake their Majesties Service and advance them according to their Merit or those that had no mind to serve should be Transported into France having all necessary Accommodation and be provided for in the mean time Dated at Limerick the 13th of December 1690. and Signed W. Dorington But this worthy Declaration had no other effect than to shew the folly and vanity of the Publisher only I cannot but observe what a scurvy Return those Officers and Souldiers of King William's to whom he addresses himself made him for his kind proffer since instead of going to him for his Pass into France they soon after sent his Worship himself Prisoner into England Monday the 15th of December Henry Lord Viscount My Lord Sidney goes for England Sidney being appointed one of the Secretaries of State for England set Sail for that Kingdom And on the 24th Sir Charles Porter another of the Lords-Justices came from thence being Sworn Lord Chancellour of Ireland on the 29th and then received the Purse and Great Seal from the late Commissioners We had now a part of our Army on their March towards Part of our Forces move towards the Shannon Lanesborough Pass Commanded by Major General Kirk and Sir John Lanier Lieutenant General Douglas was also upon his March towards Sligoe as was Major General Tetteau in Munster towards the County of Kerry The first Detachment beat the Irish from their Works on this side the River and staying there some time returned to Quarters as did also Lieutenant General Douglas Major General Tetteau Marched towards Ross taking a Fort called Screnelarld in his way after which the Irish set most of the Country on Fire and retreated He took also another Fort wherein were 80 of the Irish who being attacked by fifty Danes and fifty of the Kinsale Militia our Men carried the place and put most of the Enemy to the Sword Then our Party Marched towards Tralee where Lieutenant General Sheldon bad been with 21 Troops of Dragoons and 7 of Horse but with his Men had deserted the Town and made what haste they could towards Limerick resolving to force their way through Lieutenant General Ginckel's Troops who then was abroad also with a Party if they were not very much stronger or otherways to kill all their Horses and save themselves by crossing the Shannon in Boats But not being informed of this our Men returned without securing a considerable quantity of Provisiâ—â—â— then in Trallee which the Irish got afterwards to supply the Garrison of Limerick The Rapparees by this time were got to the end of the Rapparees in the Bogg of Allen. Bogg of Allen within 12 miles of Dublin and there Robb'd and Plunder'd the Country all about Fortifying an Island in the Bogg to secure their Prey which being so nigh Dublin it made a great noise So that Collonel Foulks with his own Regiment part of Collonel Cutts's and a Detachment of the Dublin Militia as also three small Field-Pieces Marched out towards them The Irish at first seemed to defend the place but as our Men advanced they quitted their Posts leaving us to fill up the Trenches they had made cross the Causeway which done Colonel Foulks Marched over into the Island of Allen where he met with Colonel Piper who had come in at the other side but the Irish betook themselves to the Woods and we only got some small Booty which they had left I have heard that my Lord Baltimore at his coming over from Ireland in King James the First 's time to give his Majesty an account of the State of that Kingdom amongst otherthings told the King That the Irish were a wicked People but had been as wickedly dealt withal I make no Applications of the Expression to our selves tho' most people that have been in that Country know how to do it But as to any publick Action little of moment hapned for some time after we returned to our Winter Quarters tho' the Rapparees being encouraged by our withdrawing were very troublesome all the Country over nor will it be amiss once for all to give you a brief Account how the Irish managed this Affair to make the Rapparees so Considerable as they really were doing much more mischief at this Upon what account the Rapparees were servicable to the Irish time o' th' year than any thing that had the face of an Army could pretend to When the Irish understood therefore how our Men were Posted all along the Line and what advantage might be hoped for at such and such places they not only encouraged all the protected Irish to do us secretly all the mischief they could either by concealed Arms or private Intelligence under the pretence of their being Plundered and abused but they let loose a great part of their Army to manage the best for themselves that time and opportunity would allow them to all these they gave Passes signifying to what Regiment they belonged that in case they were taken they might not be dealt withal as Rapparees but Souldiers These Men knew the Country nay all the secret Corners Woods and Boggs keeping a constant Correspondence with one another and also with the Army who furnished them with all necessaries especially Ammunition When they had any Project on Foot their method was not to appear in a Body for then they would have been discovered and not only so but Carriages and several other things had been wanting which every one knows that's acquainted with this Trade Their way was therefore to make a private appointment to meet at
themselves whether of English or Irish Extraction to advance the Power of England in that Kingdom Two main Objections answered Religion in the first place to be taken care of An Invasion from France upon that Kingdom England or Scotland at this juncture very improbable A Remark upon the last that endeavour'd it I Have now given you all that I know of this last unhappy Irish Wars that is fit at this juncture to be sent to the Press And it 's more possibly than some Men will thank me for or yet the following Remarks that I am going to make upon the Affairs of that Kingdom and its present Circumstances upon which if any please to throw away another half Hour tho' they find nothing worth taking notice of Yet I hope they 'll have no Reason to be angry since Opinion in things indifferent is free to all Men And we have no better way to conjecture what may be hereafter than by comparing our thoughts of it with what now is and formerly has been Ireland next to Great Brittain is the greatest Island The Circumference of Ireland in Europe esteemed by Sir William Petty at Ten Millions Five Hundred Thousand Irish Acres and by others at Ten Millions Eight Hundred and Sixty Eight Thousand Acres which they reckon to be above 17 Millions of English Measure 121 Irish Acres making about 196 English and yet Sir William Petty computes the Irish Acres to make not above 14 Millions of English accounting nigh two Millions of Acres in Mountains Bogs Strands and other unprofitable Land a great part of which however is capable of improvement and makes Ireland in circumference almost equal to England Wales excepted The Latitude of Ireland North is said to be parallel with Dumfrese in Scotland and South to St. Michael's Mount in Cornwal its Longitude West to the utmost point of Ire Conaght in the County of Galway and East to the head of Houth The Kingdom for many Ages past has been divided Itâ— Division into Provinces and Counties into four Provinces three of which before that Division were commonly distinct Monarchies and sometimes the fourth which by degrees as the English Interest prevailed were subdivided into Counties of which there are thirty two at this day in all the Kingdom The Provinces are Leinster Munster Conaght and Vlster Leinster has eleven Counties Dublin Wicklow and Wexford on the Sea-side East-Meath West-Meath and Carlow within Land tho' with a corner reaching to the Sea Kilkenny Kildare Kings-County Queens-County and Longford are Inland Counties also Munster has six Counties two within Land as Tipperary and Limerick but Waterford Cork Kerry and Clare all on the Coast Conaght has Galway Mayo and Sligo towards the Sea with Roscomon and Letrim within Land Vlster has six Counties on the Sea-side Fermanagh Donegal London-Derry Antrim Down and Louth and four within Land as Cavan Monohan Armagh and Tyrone In the Year 1151 according to Cambden Christianus Into Arch-Bishopricks and Bishopricks Bishop of Lismore Legate of all Ireland and Johannes Paperon Cardinal Priest according to Sir James Ware brought four Palls from Eugenius the third and held a Synod or Council at Kells as some say or at Mellefort according to others whereat were present the Bishops Abbots Kings Captains and Elders of Ireland when by General consent four Arch-Bishopricks were Constituted Armagh Dublin Cashel and Tuam under whom there were 34 other Bishopricks viz. ten subordinate to Armagh five to Dublin twelve to Cashel and seven to Tuam But now they are reduced to 21 in all and those divided into 2278 Parishes and those in a political capacity have eight that are called Cities Dublin Kilkenny Waterford Cork Cashel Clogher Limerick and London-Derry besides about ninety Boroughs and Corporations As to the Natural Advantages of Ireland many People The Soil of Ireland can confirm what Sir John Davis a Man of Wit Learning and Prudence has writ several Years ago viz. That having been in all the Provinces of that Kingdom he had observed the good Temperature of the Air the fruitfulness of the Soil the pleasant and commodious Seats for Habitation the safe and large Ports and Havens lying open for Traffick unto all the West parts of the World the long Inlets of many Navigable Rivers and so many great Lakes and fresh Ponds within Land as the like are not to be seen in any part of Europe the rich Fishings and Wild Fowl of all Kinds And lastly the Bodies and Minds of the People Endowed with extraordinary Abilities of Nature And however it has become a Proverb in England The Irish no such Fools as the World Commonly makes them to call a dull unthinking Fellow a Man of an Irish Understanding yet for any thing appears to the contrary they have acted a Prudent part for at least these Five Hundred Years nor is their crafty insinuating wheedling way as yet any thing abated and whosoever will look amongst the Natives of that Countrey at this juncture will probably find some Knaves but as few Folls as in any other Kingdom of the World But since I have mention'd so Judicious an Author Sir John Davis his Reasons why Ireland has been so long in reducing to the Crown of England as Sir John Davis I suppose it will not be unpleasant to hear some of his Reasons why it has been so long a time before Ireland was entirely subject to the Crown of England and why the English were more apt to run into the Irish Barbarous Customs and imitate their way of living than on the Contrary As to the first of these he mentions four main defects of the Armies that at different times were sent out of England to Conquer Ireland 1. They were for the most part too weak for a Conquest 2. When otherwise as in both the Journies of Richard the Second they were too soon broken up and dissolved 3. They were ill paid and 4. They were ill Govern'd a necessary Consequence of the former Which Inconveniences happen'd because the King 's of England for many Ages together were generally otherwise imploy'd either in the Holy-Land or in France or in their Wars with Scotland or else in that unhappy fewd between the two Houses of Lancaster and York So that they cou'd neither attend the Irish War in their own Persons nor spare a Competency either of Men or Money to compleat the Work which was only begun in King Henry the Second's days rather by a few private Adventurers than by any thing that had the face of a Royal Army And besides the standing Forces were seldom or never reinforced out of England that is in the times towards the beginning of the English Government only the King's Treasure there was spent and wholly spent in the King's service so that in the Reigns of four successive Kings Viz. Henry III. Edward I. Edward II. and Edward III. between the Receipts and Allowances this Entry is commonly found in the Pipe-Rolls In Thesauro
Prosperity of Ireland that thereby it might not only support it self in time of Peace but defend and maintain it self in War which nothing but promoting its Trade and Wealth will do For what Ireland cannot do in order to its safety England must supply to prevent its own danger since if ever a Foreign Enemy Surprize and Possess Ireland especially the French then England must maintain a greater Standing Force to secure themselves than wou'd have secured Ireland if imploy'd in its defence it being no groundless Saying of some Old-fashion'd Poet. He that wou'd England win Must with Ireland first begin For tho' in former times when little or no Shipping appear'd upon these narrow Seas and France and other Countries knew not what it was to have a Fleet and there was but small Commerce even between England and Ireland themselves yet in this active Age of the World it wou'd go very hard with England if the French shou'd possess Ireland who have all the Harbours from Dunkirk to Brest and if they had Cork Baltimire and Bantry where wou'd our Western Trade be Besides by the possessing the Eastern Coasts of Ireland they wou'd surround three parts in four of England and a great part of Scotland and cou'd Invade either when they pleas'd which wou'd necessitate England to be always at the Charge of a Considerable Standing Army and then farewell both their Wealth and long enjoy'd Liberty And so sensible have our Ancestors been of something or other to be done in this Affair that Sir Henry Sidney that most excellent Governour who had spent great part of his time in that Kingdom holding a Parliament Our Ancestors sensible of this there for a Subsidy in the Eleventh Year of Queen Elizabeth He with the Lords and Commons in the Preamble to the Act of Parliament thus express themselves to the Queen Considering the infinite masses of Treasure able to purchase a Kingdom that your Noble Progenitors have exhausted for the Government Defence and Preservation of Your Majesties Realm of Ireland c. Which Evils still remaining the Remedies are as yet The former Evilâ— still remain to be found out at least to be put in practice for tho' the War be now happily ended yet there are at this day at least three differnt Interests on Foot in that Kingdom the English Irish and Scots the first of which seem to be the least concern'd in their own advancement but the last gain ground daily in the North there being at least Ten Thousand People come thither out of Scotland within these Twelve Months which in time will make their Party Considerable for the People of England live better than the Scots at home and so are not so easily invited to look abroad Whereas the Scots their part of Ireland by this means in a few Years is like to be more than it has been And as to the Irish every one sees their indefatigable Industry in promoting the Interest of their own Party no discouragements being able to blunt but rather serve to sharpen their endeavours for the effecting of what they believe may be some steps towards their future Prosperity making every particular Man's Case a general Grievance and each assisting other as being all concerned in the same general cause whilst the English even in that Country who still feel the smart of their former Calamities will yet rather sett their Lands to an Irish Man or a Scot that shall give them Sixpence in an Acre more and never improve it further than to an English Farmer that if he had Encouragement wou'd in a few Years make good Improvements which will still continue one great reason why Ireland will not easily be made an English Country But I can carry the matter yet higher and affirm that The Interest of the Irish Papists themselves to Advance the Power of England it 's the real Interest of the Roman Catholicks of Ireland themselves whether of Irish or English Extraction to promote that of England as much as they can in their Country if they will but consult the future safety of themselves and their Posterity since without the support of some other Nation they can never hope of themselves to be an Independant Kingdom and if they were we scarcely can find out how they wou'd agree amongst themselves who should Command or who Obey which they never could yet from the beginning do and what did the Irish ever get by accompanying either their Lords or Followers into Rebellion Or what should they have gotten if the late Attempt had absolutely succeded but a more absolute Servitude under the French And therefore it 's better for them to have their old English Friends they have been so long acquainted with than run the hazard of either setting up new Tyrants of their own or having them come to 'em from abroad Besides if the English Interest were strong and powerful in Ireland this wou'd cut off the hopes of all disaffected People for ever thinking to withstand it and wou'd make them reject all Tenders from abroad and Inticements from their Jesuited Priests at home and never wou'd they more run such desperate Risks which still fall upon their own heads at last so that if the English Interest were so fortified that all hopes of removing it were cut off the Irish would not be prevailed upon to make such destructive attempts to themselves and Posterities as they often have done hitherto by the Insinuations of their Priests who have nothing to lose nor Families to provide for but only hazard the Lives and Fortunes of others that have both Since as Sir William Petty observes there are and ever will be in England Men ready for any Exploit and Change either by being discontented with their present Condition or otherways well inclined to the service more than are sufficient to quell any Insurrection which the Irish can make and abide by Which wou'd spare both the Blood and Treasure of England if those of that Nation in Ireland cou'd do it of themselves There are only two Objections that I know of which Two Objections answered seem to be considerable against this Opinion of promoting the Trade and Wealth of Ireland The first that if Ireland should be encouraged so far as to make it altogether an English Country it would drain the wealth and Inhabitants of England to that degree that we should impoverish our selves by putting our Trade into their hands who wou'd be equal if not Superiour to us in a small time since their Country lies as Convenient in all respects for Trade as ours and has several Advantages above it Answer This would rather incourage England to be more industrious in Trade and Manufactures when they saw their younger Sister of Ireland by having the same priviledges of Trade with her self begin to contend with her in this particular and would create a profitable emulation amongst the People of both Kingdoms since I have not that Opinion of Trade that
News to one another but not one in twenty either at work in the Fields or otherways Honestly imploy'd which is the Reason that at this very day most of the Goals of the Kingdom are filled with Thieves and the Streets with incredible numbers of importunate houling Beggars who yet most of them had rather Live so than otherways But I 'm afraid a great many People will think I have been too busie and therefore I have only this to say further that notwithstanding all the Wagers that have been proffer'd of late whether Ireland would not be in the French King's Hands by such a time I dare freely venture one of as great value as I am able that tho' he begin to morrow it will not be in his Power with all the Force he can spare to take it from that handful of Men left in that Kingdom for its security these Seven Years for if the Irish who were but indifferently provided for at best were able to hold it out so long against all the Power and Strength of England what can Men that have better Supplies and full as good Hearts do And as for those vain hopes of that unhappy Party An Invasion from France upon any of the three Kingdoms not very practicable at this time who are still buoyed up with the Fancy of the French King's Greatness and that he will at some time or other certainly make an Invasion either upon England Scotland or Ireland any who know what War means can assure them that it 's much sooner said than done For if his present Majesty of England was obliged to imploy nigh 600 Vessels when at his first coming he Transported only 14000 Men into this Kingdom and if the Irish War has for Three Years past imployed such a considerable number of Transport Ships in that narrow Channel between England and Ireland which lye so convenisently and contiguous one to another what Provision must needs be made in France for such an Attempt as an Invasion upon any of the Three Kingdoms which if it miscarries they are certainly undone For suppose the French still a match for our Fleet which I hope they will never be now whilst the World stands and the French Invasion designed upon England tho' there be a Factious and unnaturally discontented Party there that are no well wishers to the present Government vet there are so many Loyal and True Hearted English-Men still left at home that all the Ships in France are not able to Transport Men enough from thence to subdue them since we know their affection to both the French and Irish that are with them should they once indeavour to look into England whose Strength is in the Hearts and Affections of the People intirely devoted to Their Majesties Service I allow that 20000 well Disciplin'd and Experienc'd Men are able to beat four times the number of Raw unexperienc'd Country People but then I leave the English standing Army and a well Disciplined Militia especially in and about the City of London to shew how unwelcome the French wou'd be to them And as for Scotland its Soyl in most places is Naturally poor and barren and an Army of Foreigners Landed there must either eat Heath or one another in a small time if once they leave the Coast for admit they have Provisions brought by Sea into their Harbours yet the Country in few places is so level as to admit of either a marching Train of Artillery or of Provision Waggons which an Army has no Business any where without and soon wou'd look very foolish for want of suppose but an indifferent Enemy to oppose them Then as for an Invasion to be made upon Ireland the Country is already so destroyed by being the Seat of War that whosoever attempts it must bring all from abroad likewise as well Horses as Provisions which is no easie Task of it self suppose no opposition either at Sea or in the Country but then our Garrisons especially upon the Coasts are made so strong to our Hands by the Irish themselves by the help and directions of the best French Ingineers and are Manned with part of an Experienced and Victorious Army that it will not be the work of a few days to pick any of them out of our hands since there is Ammunition Artillery and Provisions suitable to each Garrison's Necessities And as an advantage to the established standing Army now in Ireland consisting of Colonel Woolsley's Horse Colonel Wynns and Colonel Eiklin's Dragoons Sir Jo. Hanmer's Briggadeer Stuart's Colonel Gustavus Hambleton's Earl of Drogheda's Sir Henry Bellisis Colonel Roe's Colonel Coot's Colonel St. John's Colonel Muthelburms and Colonel Creighton's Foot besides Colonel Frederick Hambleton's and three French Regiments all upon the Irish Establishment as also the Earl of Donegal's Foot and Colonel Cunningham's Dragoons now raising besides all these I say what deserves no mean Character is the Militia of Ireland being formerly at least Twenty Five Thousand Men and tho' they cannot make so many now this War having destroy'd a great many Protestants yet whoever serve now upon that account are all well Armed and Experienced Active Men which circumstances being all known to France they will scarce hazard all upon such uncertainties suppose they were really at leisure to do it as an Invasion upon any of their Majesties Dominions must needs prove It may also be remembred that the Spanyards in the A Remark upon the last that endeavoured it Year 1588 had not only a great mind to Ireland but with a powerful Army endeavoured also to Invade England in which Attempt their loss was so considerable that they have not as yet recover'd it And the disappointment that the French King met withall the very last Year in such another undertaking gives us more than ordinary hopes that thro' God's Blessing it will always so be done to the Enemies of England FINIS
in the Afternoon some of our Field-pieces came up which were immediately planted and then played into the Enemy's Camp the rest of the day was spent in our Army 's Encamping and in firing Great Guns one upon another from several Batteries without any extraordinary loss Whether His Majesty had already an Account of what had happened to the Confederate Army at Flerus I am not able to give an Account but it 's probable he had some intimation of it since in a Council of War held that night His Majesty seemed positive in passing the River next day and therefore gave Orders for his Army to be ready accordingly The late King had likewise another Council of War on his side the River wherein all the French and Irish Officers agreed which was the only time they ever did so before or after Not to give us Battel but to march off in the night and then retreat towards Athlone and Limerick filling all their Towns that were tenable as they went with sufficient Garisons to defend them And their reason was this as soon as Sir Cloudsley Shovel with his Squadron of Men of War had seen the King safe in Ireland he was ordered to sail immediately and join my Lord Torrington then at Sea with the English Fleet which the French having notice of and that all our Transport Ships with our Provisions and other Necessaries for War were left at Carigfergus-Bay with little or no Convoy and would have Orders to coast along as the Army marched they resolved to send Ten small Frigats and Twelve Privateers into the Channel and burn all our Ships which if it had been done then our Communication from England had been in a manner cut off and our Army forced to subsist upon the Countrey or starve at least we had been debarred those Necessaries without which the War could not have been carried on This Design of the French was not unknown to the King and therefore he was the more earnest in going forward It was advised therefore in the Irish Camp That seeing we had a better Army by much in the Field than theirs and might probably beat them if they engaged to march away and so protract the time till they saw what became of the Design about burning our Ships which they were confident would take effect But the late King himself was very much bent upon fighting alledging That if he retreated with his Army and left Dublin and other places to the Enemy the Irish who are soon disheartned and only judge according to appearance would all desert him by degrees and then himself and those that stood by him would be delivered up to the Mercy of the Enemy So that seeing him in this humour they were in hopes that a vigorous fit of Valour had seized him and that he would next day play the Hero in either Conquering Valiantly or Dying Gloriously and then having ordered the disposing of their Army they concluded to stay and watch our motion The Battle at the Boyne On the Irish side were killed my Lord Dungan my The number of the Dead Lord Carlingford Sir Neal O Neal with a great number of other Officers and about Thirteen or Fourteen hundred Soldiers and we lost on our side nigh Four hundred but the loss of Duke Schonberg who was killed soon after the first of our Forces passed the River near the little Village called Old-Bridge was much more considerable than all that fell that day on both sides whom his very Enemies always called a Brave Man and a Great General whose Name will make a considerable Figure in History whilst there are such places as Germany Flanders France England and Ireland Monsieur Callimot a brave and worthy Gentleman died soon after him of his Wounds having followed that great man in most of his Fortunes whose elder Brother the Marquess Ruvigny had Duke Schonberg's Regiment of French Horse bestowed upon him by the King For the further Particulars of this Battel and what hapned during the preceding Campaign and also the most material Circumstances of this I refer the Reader to the First Part of this History already printed Some will pretend to say That his Majesty was a little too soon in the passing his Foot over the River for the Left Wing of the Irish Army seemed resolved to fight Douglass but when they heard how things went at Old-Bridge they retreated immediately towards Duleek and so marched off untouched But there was a very good reason for what his Majesty did in this case for it was about a quarter past Ten when our Foot first entred the River and if the King had deferred it an hour longer then the Tide which generally comes up above Old-Bridge would certainly have prevented our men from passing either there or below so that the Right Wing of our Army had been exposed to the hazard of fighting all theirs and the rest not able to come to their relief till possibly it had been too late and this may serve to answer whatever can be objected in that case The late King at the beginning of this Battel stood by an old Church near the Village called Dunore but assoon as he saw his men give way he made haste to Duleek and from thence to Dublin whither he got that Evening by Nine a Clock and early next morning sent for the Popish Lord-Mayor with some other Officers of the City and gave them a charge not to burn it and then going towards Bray scarce looked behind him afterwards till he got to Waterford and so on Ship-board for France leaving his poor Teagues to fight it out or do what they pleased for him And what was more remarkable finding some of the Frigats at Waterford that were to go upon the Project of Burning our Ships he told them all was lost and that it was past time and so took them along with him which prevented any further Attempts upon our Ships Whilst his present Majesty King William gave his Army other kind of Proofs both of his Courage and Conduct having a Soul far above Fear or any thing that may look mean in so Great a Prince Nor ever had an Army a more entire Affection for their chief Commander than his Majesty 's for him his Resolution being always undaunted and their only Fear being for his Majesty's Person And whatever difference happens hereafter between his Majesty and his Army can only be this That they desire to stand between his Person and all Danger but he always has a mind to put himself between them and it May we long therefore have such a General in a King and he not only Soldiers but Subjects too of all other Professions that honour him to that degree Those of our English Forces that were engaged and had opportunity to shew themselves gave signal demonstrations of their Courage and Bravery the Inniskilliners and French too both Horse and Foot did good service and the Dutch Guards deserve no small Honour for their
Ginckel made Commander in Chief of the Army Lords Justices begin their Government The Earl of Marlborough sent with a Fleet into Ireland Cork and Kinsale taken The Irish make Attempts upon our Frontiers Part of our Army move towards the Shannon Rapparees in the Bog of Allen Those People serviceable to the Irish Interest and how My Lord Tyrconnel returns from France Sarsfield made Earl of Lucan The Irish defeated at the Mote of Greenoge Several Adventures with the Rapparees and Parlies of the Irish Army Some of our Regiments take the Field at Mullingar ON the sixth of September our Army marched to Tipperary about fourteen Miles from Limerick where they begun to disperse towards their respective Quarters And we had an Account by some Deserters that my Lord Tyrconnel and all the French Forces were Ship'd off at The French leave Ireland Gallway for France The reason of this was also enquired after by a great many that the French shou'd absolutely quit Ireland at a time when we had raised our Siege which might have given them hopes of re-gaining the next Year what they lost this at least to defend the Province of Connaught against us and so protract the War beyond what they cou'd have hoped for if the Town had been taken and that if the want of Provisions was an Objection it was easier to carry those to the Men than bring the Men to their Provisions But the reason that I have heard given for their departure was That the late King appearing very unexpectedly in France at a time when all People were over-joyed with the News of the Battel of Flerus won at Land and a Victory also gained at Sea to palliate matters therefore as to himself he laid all the blame upon the Irish that they wou'd not fight but many of them laid down their Arms in such order as if they had been Exercising which indeed some of them did Upon which the Fr. K. concluding that all was lost in that Kingdom he sent Orders to Count Lauzun to make the best of a bad Market and so come off for France as well as he could with all his Men. But the Irish taking heart of grace at our Fleets and the Dutch Armies misfortunes they held out beyond expectation And those Orders of the French Kings not coming till after His Majesty had raised the Siege of Limerick Count Lauzun waited about twelve Days for a Countermand but that not appearing he set sail for France tho' he met with contrary Orders at Sea but then it was too late For His Majesty had been a Fortnight at London before they heard at Paris that the Siege of Limerick was raised which shewed that whatever good Intelligence they might have from England or Ireland at other times they wanted it now but whether the Wind was cross or what else was the reason I am uncertain About the fourteenth we heard that Sarsfield with a part of the Irish Army had marched over the Shannon at Banoher-Bridge and besieged the Castle of Birr wherein Birr besieged by the Irish was only a Company of Colonel Tiffin's Foot who stoutly defended the Castle the only temble place but Major-General Kirk marching thither with a part of our Army the Enemy quitted the Siege and marched off At this time Count Solms who commanded in Chief was at Cashel where he received a Letter by a Trumpeter from the Duke of Berwick then at Limerick complaining that they heard of a Design of ours to send all those Prisoners we had taken at several places to be Slaves in the Foreign Plantations and withal threatning ours with the French Gallies But this was only a trick of the Irish Officers themselves to prevent their Soldiers from deserting making them believe there was a Contract to sell them all to Monsieur Perara the Jew for so much Bread which made the name of the Jew very terrible to the Irish But this was a mere Story of their own framing and therefore Count Solms sent the following Answer to the Duke's Letter Henry Count de Solms General of Their Majesties Army in their Kingdom of Ireland HAving never before heard of a Design to send those Numbers Count Solms's Answer to the Duke of Berwick's Letter of your Men we have Prisoners to the Foreign Plantations we detained your Trumpeter here for some Days in hopes we might have been able to trace this Report which you send us word is spread about of such our Intentions but no enquiry we have made giving us the least light therein we have reason to think that neither those Prisoners we have of yours need fear so long a Voyage nor those few of ours in your hands be apprehensive of yielding a small Recruit to the French King's Gallies However we think fit to declare that your Men shall severely feel the effects of any ill usage you shall offer to ours for which they may reckon themselves obliged to their Generals Given at our Head-Quarters at Cashel the 21st Day of September 1690. To the Duke of Berwick or the Officer in Chief commanding the Enemies Forces Soon after this Count Solms went for England and the Lieutenant-General Ginckel made Commander in Chief Baron de Ginckel was made Lieutenant-General and Commander in Chief of the Army who went to his Head-Quarters at Kilkenny Towards the middle of September Henry Lord Viscount Sidney and Thomas Coningesby Esquire two of the Lords-Justices went to Dublin where they took the usual Oaths of Chief Governors of that Kingdom before the Commissioners of the Great Seal and immediately begun their The Lords-Justices go to Dublin work of putting the Country in as good a condition of Safety as the nature of the times would bear Whilst the King was imployed in the Field with his Army against the Town of Limerick it was first proposed by the Earl of Nottingham to my Lord Marlborough and afterwards approved of in Councel as very Advantageous to Their Majesties Affairs to send a Party from England who joyning with a Detachment from the King's Army might reduce those two important Garrisons of Cork and Kinsale and provisions were made accordingly But not being ready so soon as was designed His Majesty upon His return for England sent the Earl of Marlborough with his own Regiment of Fusiliers Brigadier Trelawny's Princess Ann's Earl of Marlborough sent into Ireland Colonel Hastings's Colonel Hales's Sir David Collier's Colonel Fitz-Patrick's one hundred of the Duke of Bolton's and two hundred of the Earl of Monmouth's with my Lord Torrington's and Lord Pembrook's Marine Regiments CORK CITY After the taking of those two Towns the Irish that lay October 1690. in the County of Kerry made several Incursions and burnt some small Villages in the County of Cork and near the same time another Party burnt Balliboy a Village 8 miles The Irish make some attempts upon our Quarters from Birr wherein there was then six Companies of the Earl of
the General and State being entertained by my Lord Chancellor Porter the Night concluding with Bonefires and other Demonstrations of Joy An Order was directed to Abraham Tarner Esq Commissary-General Orders for Mustering ouâ— Army of the Musters to take a Muster of all their Majesties Forces both English and Foreign now in their Majesties Pay in this Kingdom dated Novemb. 5th by which Muster all their Accounts were to be stated and satisfaction given them for their Arrears of Pay due to them since their first coming into that Countrey November the 9th Major General Talmash who had full Power and Authority to transact all things necessary for the Transporting the Irish and now having seen them all from Limerick Major General Talmash leaves Limerick and the Town put into as good a Condition as the shortness of the time would allow he left the place and went to Dublin and from thence to England Lieutenant General Mackay being ship'd off some Days before And now greatest part of Their Majesties Forces in this Kingdom being at liberty to be imployed elsewhere Orders for the Danes to Ship off as there was occasion and His Majesty giving directions to that purpose the General sent the following Letter To the Duke of Wirtenberg Commander in Chief of the Danish Forces HAving received His Majesties directions for the Embarking with the first opportunity the Danish Forces employed in Their Service within this Kingdom under your Grace's Command I desire that your Grace will please to cause the several Battalions of Foot of the said Forces to March forthwith from their respective Quarters to Cork and Kinsale and Embark there upon such Ships of War and Vessels of Burden as shall be appointed to take them on Board and Sail with them for the Downs where they will receive further Orders from Their Majesties as to their Transportation to Ostend And of this your Grace will please not to fail Given at the Castle of Dublin the 10th of November 1691. Bar. de Ginckell November the 16th my Lord Lisburn's and my Lord Drogheda's Regiments March'd from Limerick lying Encamp'd without the Town ever since the Army lest that place the former went towards Ross and the other towards the North the poor Men enduring a great deal of Hunger and Hardship in so long a March. November the 21st Colonel Byerley's and Colonel Boucour's Regiments of Horse were Ship'd off at Dublin for England and near this time Colonel Gordon O Neal's and Colonel Phelim O Neal's Regiments being Encamp'd in the County of Kerry as part of the Irish designed for France they came over to our side as several others did daily being every Day more and more satisfied with the Indulgence of the Government towards them The 23 d the Barbadoes and Virginia Fleets which came in August and September last Sailed from Kinsale for England under the Convoy of Twelve Men of War but whether they wanted a Wind all this while which seldom happens in that Countrey or that they now took this opportunity of a Cessation others are more Competent Judges than I shall pretend to Colonel Brewer's and Colonel Herbert's Regiments March'd from Galway to Kinsale there to be Embarked And Two French Men of War with some of their Ships of Burden and the last of our Transport Ships in the River being in all Thirty Sail went thence for France November the 25th An Order was Signed for the Demolishing Fortifications at Mullingar and Ballymore demolished the Fortifications at Mullingar and Ballymore the Irish Souldiers Quartered in the Neighbouring Garrisons being ordered to assist when required And several Complaints being made to the Lords Justices and the General of the Irregular and Arbitrary Proceedings of some Officers and Souldiers in their Quarters another Order was Signed for the holding frequent Court-Martials at Limerick Galway and Athlone for the Redressing of such Inconveniencies and satisfying the Parties aggrieved Another Order was likewise Signed to break Six of the youngest Troops of Colonel Woolsley's Regiment according to directions from England The 28th Col. Hales's Regiment of Foot and Col. Langston's Horse came to Dublin in order to be shipp'd for England And now the Danes are got to Cork and Kinsale to be embarked also according to the former Order sent to the Duke of Wirtenberg In their March they committed some Irregularities knowing they were to leave the Kingdom without hopes of ever seeing of it more tho' to do them Justice they behaved themselves more mildly than Northern Soldiers generally do especially at their going off who often prove the Ruine of that Country who employ them And towards the Close of this Month some Ships arrive from England at Sligo with Supplies of Provisions and other Necessaries very much wanted before in that part of the Country December 1691. Tuesday December the 1st Colonel Monopovillon's Regiment of Horse came to Dublin and on the 3 d. Colonel Hales's Regiment set sail for the North of England The Lords Justices and the General being sensible that both the Country and the Souldiers were at a loss by reason a good part of the Money designed for the Armies Subsistence was forced to be given to the Danes the Irish and other Publick Uses they therefore Order a Proclamation to be Published to the effect following Charles Porter Tho. Coningesby Baron De Ginckel WHereas there are several Sums due from the Army A Proclamation to Persons in this Kingdom for their Subsistence in their Quarters as also from the said Persons to Their Majesties for Excise and other Branches of the Revenue which Debts or Arrears the said Persons are not able to pay by reason of the Debts due to them from the Army We do therefore require and authorize the several Collectors of Their Majesties Revenue to give Discharges to all such Persons as are indebted to Their Majesties upon any Branch of the Revenue or to their Assigns for so much of their Arrears respectively as shall be equal to the Sums hereafter certified to them by the Commissioners of Their Majesties Revenue to be deducted and stopt for the said Persons from the Pay of the Army And We do hereby direct the Commissioners for stating the Accounts of the Army to transmit Certificates to the said Commissioners of the Revenue of all such Sums as they have stopt or shall stop from the Pay of the Army writing therein each Person 's Name and Place of Abode for whom any part of the said Deductions have been made and particular Sums stopt for him And for so doing this shall be to the said Collectors a sufficient Warrant and Discharge on their Accounts as also to the said Commissioners appointed for stating the Accounts of the Army a sufficient Warrant Given at Their Majesties Castle of Dublin the Third of December 1691. By Command of the Lords-Justices and the Commander in Chief of Their Majesties Forces Geo. Clarke December the 5th Lieut. General Ginckel being accompanied The General goes