Mackarty Moor was in the Duke's Kitchen in the Camp which the Duke smiled at and did not invite him to Dinner saying If he had staid like a Soldier with his Men he would have sent to him but if he would go and eat with Servants in a Kitchen let him be doing When we took possession of the Stores the Irish had but one Barrel of Powder left tho some say they threw several more into the Sea to save their Credit The Irish march out On Wednesday the 28th of August about Ten a Clock the Irish marched out and had Sir William Russel a Captain in Collonel Coy's Regiment with a Party of Horse appointed for their Guard but the Countrey people were so inveterate against them remembring how they had served them some few days before that they stript most part of the Women and forced a great many Arms from the Men and took it very ill that the Duke did not order them all to be put to Death notwithstanding the Articles But he knew better things and so rude were the Irish Scots that the Duke was forced to ride in among them with his Pistol in his hand to keep the Irish from being murdered The poor Irish were forced to fly to the Soldiers for protection else the Countrey people would certainly have used them most severely so angry were they one at another tho they live all in a Countrey However this was laid at the General 's Door by the great Officers in the Irish Army and they would say That he had lost his Honour by engaging in so ill a Cause The Governour of the Town was Mackarty Moor but Owen Mackarty had a great Ascendent over both him and the Garison The Garison consisted of two Regiments of Foot lusty strong Fellows but ill clad and to give them their due they did not behave themselves ill in that Siege The number of the Dead on both sides They had about One Hundred and Fifty killed and wounded in Town and we had near that number killed and about Sixty wounded The Town it self is not very strong but the Castle is considerable it stands upon a Rock and has its Name from Fergus the first King of Scots who first brought the Irish into Britain and was drowned in this Bay as Camden tells you However it 's one of the most important Places in the North of Ireland and the taking of it gave an hopeful prospect of future success The General returns to Bellfast The Duke put Sir Henry Inglesby's Regiment into Carigfergus and on Wednesday the 28 th and the day following the Army marched to Belfast where they Encamped about a mile beyond the Town On Friday Duke Schonberg's Regiment of French Horse consisting of 500 men came to the Camp and on Saturday the last of August the Army was mustered being as follows Horse my Lord Devonshire's Regiment my Lord Delamere's Coll. Coys Duke Schonberg's and Coll. Levison's Dragoons Foot One Battalion of Blew Dutch Carlesoon's White Dutch Coll. Beaumont Coll. Wharton Lord Drogheda Lord Lisburn Lord Meath Lord Roscomon Lord Lovelace Lord Kingston Duke of Norfolk Coll. Herbert Sir Edward Deering Sir Tho. Gower Coll. Earle La Millioneir Du Cambon La Callimott month September September 1. A Letter sent from the D. of Berwick Whilst the Duke staid at Belfast there came a Letter to him by a Trumpet from the Duke of Berwick but 't was return'd un-open'd because it was directed only For Count Schonberg the Duke saying That his Master the King of England had honoured him with the Title of a Duke and therefore the Letter was not to him This is a piece of State that has been often practised amongst Great Men for when King Edward the III d. sate down before Tournay in France he sent to the French King whom he saluted only by the name of Philip of Valoys challenging him to fight a single Combat to prevent Bloodshed or with 100 men each and if those methods did not please then within ten days to join Battel with all their Forces near Tournay To which Philip made no direct Answer alledging That the Letters were not sent to him The King of France but barely to Philip of Valoys yet he brought his Army within sight of the English and by the Mediation of King Philip's Mother and two Cardinals a Peace was concluded till the Midsummer following But to return Our Train sent by Sea to Carlingford Our Artillery-Horses were most of them as yet at Chester and therefore the Duke gave Orders for greatest part of the Train to be Shipt and the Fleet to sail with those and all Necessaries for the Army to Carlinford-Bay within Eight miles of Dundalk And then on Monday the second of September we marched beyond Lisburn this is one of the prettiest In-land Towns in the North of Ireland and one of the most English-like places in the Kingdom the Irish name is Lishnegarvah which they tell me signifies the Gamesters-Mount for a little to the North-East of the Town there is a Mount moated about and another to the South-West these were formerly surrounded with a great Wood and thither resorted all the Irish Out-laws to play at Cards and Dice one of the most considerable amongst them having lost all even his Cloaths went in a Passion in the middle of the night to the House of a Nobleman in that Countrey who before had set a considerable Sum on his head and in this mood he surrendred himself his Prisoner which the other considering of pardon'd him and afterwards this Town was built when the knot of these Rogues was broke which was done chiefly by the help of this one man the Town is so modern however that Cambden takes no notice of it On Tuesday the 3 d. we marched through Hilsborough a place where the Enemy before our coming had kept a Garison near which on the High-way side were two of our men hanged for Deserting We Encamp at Drummore that night we encampt at Drummore the place where Lieutenant-General Hamilton routed the Northern Protestants the Inhabitants had all or most of them left the Town and there was not so much as a Sheep or a Cow to be seen our small marching Train came up with us here from Belfast and here the General had an account That the Duke of Berwick was at Newry with about 1700 Foot and Dragoons and two Troops of Horse designing to defend that Pass At Lough Britland Wednesday the 4 th we march'd to Loughbritland where we encamped in two Lines as from the beginning upon the side of a Hill beyond the Town the Inhabitants had deserted this place also and what little Corn there was some lay reapt and not bound up and the rest was spoiled for want of management As our Army was marching up I went Three miles beyond the Camp where I met with the Iniskillin Horse and Dragoons whom the Duke had ordered to be an Advance-Guard to his
each Regiment march by him enquiring the Officers names and what other things concerning them he thought fit The Commissaries taking an exact List of all the private Men both Horse and Foot that appeared in the Ranks And it was observable that with Heat Dust Marching and other inconveniencies most people in the Army had got very sore Lips nor was his Majesty himself exempt from this inconveniency for he had toild and labour'd as much as the best of them Because several people may be curious to know what Number of Men we had at the Boyn and also how many the Enemy were I have here inserted the Exact Number of our own Horse and Foot as it was taken at Finglass And likewise a List of the Irish Army as it was delivered first to the Duke at Lisburn and afterwards to the King An Abstract of the Private Men of his Majesties Army which appeared at the Review taken at Finglass the 7 th and 8 th of July 1690. Regiments Men. English Horse First Troop of Guards 140 Â Granadeers 47 52 Â unmounted 5 Third Troop 133 Â Granadeers 40 43 Â unmounted 3 Earl of Oxfords 368 Sir John Laniers 357 360 Â unmounted 3 Colonol Villers 244 245 Â unmounted 1 Col. Russel 242 Col. Coy 236 Col. Byerley 244 Col. Langston 225 Count Schonberg 242 Duke Schonbergs French 387 395 Â unmounted 8 Col. Woolsley 423 Captain Harbords Troop 38 Dutch Horse Troop of Guards 143 145 Â unmounted 2 Lord Portland 351 357 Â unmounted 6 Monopovillans 168 171 Â unmounted 3 Leuten Gen. Ginkel 148 152 Â unmounted 4 Col. Scholks 157 167 Â unmounted 10 Van Oyens 161 164 Â unmounted 3 Reidessels 173 174 Â unmounted 1 Bancour 176 178 Â unmounted 2 Nyenhuys 174 175 Â unmounted 1 Danes Horse Col. Jewel 264 268 Â unmounted 4 Col. Donop 250 263 Â unmounted 13 Col. Schescad 267 281 Â unmounted 14 Â Total of Horse 5881 Dragoons Col. Matthews Royal Reg. 406 Col. Levison 246 Col. Gwinns 260 Sir Albert Cuningham 337 358 Â unmounted 21 Col. Eppingers Dutch 618 621 Â unmounted 3 Â Total of Dragoones 1870 English Foot Major General Kirk 666 Brigadeer Trelawney 553 Colonel Beamont 526 Brigadeer Stuart 660 Sir John Hanmer 593 Colonel Brewer 571 Col. Hastings 606 Earl of Meath 678 Col. Fouks 439 Col. Gustavus Hambleton 560 Sir Henry Bellasis 628 Lord Lisburn 611 Lieutenant Gen. Douglas 648 Earl of Drogheda 660 Col. Earl 693 Briggadeer La Millineer 529 Col. Cambon 640 Col. Callimot 562 Col. Mitchelburn 664 Col. Tiffin 625 Col. St Johns 589 Lord George Hambleton 583 Â Total of English Foot 13335 Dutch Foot C. Solms 3 Battali 1850 1931 Â 2 Compan of Cadets 81 Count Nassaws Regiment 652 Brandenburg 631 Col. Babington 416 Col. Cutts 543 Col. Grobens 490 Â Total of Dutch Foot 4663 Danes Foot Regiment of Guards 698 Queens Regiment 634 Prince Fredericks 555 Prince Christans 547 Prince George's 547 Zealand Regiment 527 Juitland Regiment 554 Findland Regiment 519 Â Total of Danes Foot 4581 Â Dutch Foot 4663 Â English Foot 13335 Â Foot 22579 Â Dragoons 1870 Â Horse 5881 Â Total of Horse Foot and Dragoons 30330 Reform Officers of Horse 111 Reformed Officers of Foot 372 Â Total 483 Colonel Deering Colonel Herbert Colonel Hambleton Colonel White Were all in Garrison and not included And note that neither Officers nor Serjeants are included in the former List nor yet those that were sick or absent as several were but these all marched in the Ranks before the King so that the compleat number was much greater A List of the late King James's Army taken Apr. 9. 1690. Regiments of Horse Duke of Tyrconel 9 Troops in a Regiment 53 Men in a Troop Lord Galmoy Col. Sarsefield Col. Sutherland Six Troops in a Regiment 53 Men each Lord Abercorn Col. Henry Lutterill Col. John Parker Col. Nicholas Purcel Horse Guards Lord Dovers Troop 200. each Troop Duke of Berwicks Troop Troop of Granadeers Col. Buttlers 60 Dragoons Lord Dungan 8 Troops in a Regiment 60 men each Sir Neal O Neal Col. Simon Lutterel Regiments Col. Robert Clifford Six Troops in a Regiment 60 Men each Sir James Cotton Col. Tho. Maxwel Lord Clare Regiments of Foot Royal Regiment 22 Companies and 90 each Earl of Clancarty Col. Henry Fitz James Col. John Hambleton Earl of Clanrickard Earl of Antrim Earl of Tyrone Lord Gormanstown Lord Slane Lord Galloway Lord Louth Lord Duleek Lord Killmallock Lord Kenmare Sir John Fitz-Gerald Sir Maurice Eustace Col. Nugent Col. Henry Dillon Col. John Grace Col. Edward Butler Col. Thomas Butler Lord Bophni Col. Charles Moor. Col. Cormach O Neal. Col. Arthur Mackmahan Earl of Westmeath Col. Cavenaugh Col. Uxbrough Col. Mac. Carty Moore Col. Gordon O Neal. Col. John Barret Col. Charles O Bryan Col. O Donavan Col. Nicholas Brown Col. O Gara Sir Michael Creagh Col. Dom. Brown Col. Bagnal Col. Mackellicut Lord Inniskillin Col. Hugh Mac Mahon Col. Walter Bourk Col. Felix O Neal. Lord Iveagh Col. O Keyley These 44 Regiments were 13 Companies in each and 63 Men in each Company Regiments from France The Red Regiment The Blew Regiment Two White Regiments each divided into several Battalions being in all about 5000 Men. Regiments that were sent to France in Exchange Lord Mountcashels Col. Richard Butler's Col. Daniel O Bryan's Col. Fielding's Col. Arthur Dillon's Regiments that were Raised and never taken into pay but Disbanded Lord Castle Connel Col. Roger O Connor Col. Charles Geoghagan Col. John Brown Col. James Butler Col. Manus O Donnel Col. O Cahon Col. Edward Nugent Col. Charles Kelly Col. Brian Mack Dermot Col. James Talbot These last are all meer Irish and consequently good for little so that no wonder if they were broke But these were all the Forces that the late King had in Ireland and a great many were in Garrison in Munster and other places but as to their Numbers at the Boyn some of their own Officers call them five and twenty and others seven and twenty thousand About the eighth or ninth of July the King had an Account of the misfortune of the Dutch and English Fleets and Wednesday the ninth he divided his Army and went himself with the greatest part of it beyond the Town of Dublin in order to go Westwards sending at the same time Lieutenant-General Douglas with three Regiments of Horse two of Dragoons and ten of Foot towards Athlone which is fifty miles North from Dublin The Regiments that went upon this Expedition were these Horse Langston Russel and Woolsley Dragoons Sir Albert Cunningham and Gwin Foot the Lieut. Generals own Regiment Sir Hen. Bellasis Sir Jo. Hanmer C. Babington L. Droheda C. Gust Hambleton C. Mitchelburn C. Tiffin C. St. John's and L. Geor. Hambleton I shall leave therefore his Majesty going Westwards and give an Account of L. G. Douglas's Affairs till he joyns the King at Cariganliss within five miles of Limerick Lieutenant-General Douglas
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
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-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
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
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
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
December Major General Mackarty made his Escape from Inniskillin who had remained there a Prisoner ever since the Rout at Newtown-Butler he had been Sick and at that time writ to Major General Kirk to get leave of the Duke to have his Guard removed which he complained of was troublesome in his Sickness this was done but at his Recovery they say a Serjeant and some Men were put upon him again The Town it seems stands upon a Lough and the Water came to the Door of the House where he was confined or very near it He found means to corrupt a Serjeant and so got two small Boats called Cotts to carry him and his best Moveables off in the Night The Serjeant went along with him but returned that Night to deliver a Letter which and Mackarty's Pass being found in the Lining of his Hat he was the next Day shot for it The General was much concerned when he heard of Mackarty's Escape and said he took him to be a Man of Honour but he would not expect that in an Irish-Man any more Col. Hamilton the Governour of Inniskillin was blamed for his Negligence but he came to Lisburn and desired a Tryal which could not be for want of Field-Officers till the 15 th of March at what time he produced Major General Kirk's Letter to him by which he was cleared About Christmas there happened an unlucky Accident at Belfast Cranmer Bowls and Morley three Lieutenants in Major General Kirk's Regiment happened to kill two Masters of Ships and being tryed by a Court-Marshal the thing appeared so ill that they were all three Shot month January On the 8 th and 10 th of January there were several Regiments broke one into another by reason of the fewness of Men in them viz. The Regiments broke were my Lord Drogheda's Col. Zanchy's Sir Henry Inglesby's Lord Roscommon's Col. Hamilton's and the Officers were continued at hâ—lf Pay till there could be Provision made for them in other Regiments The 12 th 16 th and 20 th several Officers went over into England for Recruits And Sir Thomas Newcomb's House in the County of Longford Sir Thomas Newcomb 's house surrendred was surrendred upon very good Terms it being held out by his Lady against a great Party of the Irish for the House is strongly situated and she got about 200 of her Tenants into it who defended the Place till the Irish brought Field-pieces against it tho it was above 20 Miles from any of our Garisons Of the Men that were in it one hundred of them were entertained by Sir John Hanmer in his Regiment and the rest were provided for by the Duke at Lisburn But though our Army had been much afflicted with Sickness and Mortality yet this was little taken notice of by a great many who gave themselves up to all the Wickedness imaginable especially that ridiculous Sin of Swearing A Proclamation against Swearing of which complaint being made to the Duke by several of the Clergy then at Lisburn and frequent Sermons preached against it this occasioned the Duke to set out a Proclamation bearing date January 18. Strictly forbidding Cursing Swearing and Profaneness in Commanders and Souldiers which he said were Sins of much Guilt and little Temptation but that several were so wicked as to invoke God more frequently to damn them than to save them and that notwithstanding the dreadful Judgments of God at that time upon us for those and such like Sins fearing that their Majesties Army was more prejudiced by those Sins than advantaged by the Courage or Conduct of those guilty of them And therefore he commanded all Officers and Souldiers in his Army from thence forward to forbear all vain Cursing Swearing and taking God's holy Name in vain under the Penalties enjoined by the Articles of War and of his utmost Displeasure Commanding also the said Articles to be put in the strictest execution For no doubt the Debaucheries in Armies are the high way to Ruin since those both obey and fight best that are most sober Brigadier Stuart's Stratagem to fall upon the Irish January 22. Brigadier Stuart with a Party of 500 Horse and Foot went from Rostriver and Newry beyond the Mountains towards Dundalk and Carlingford burning most of the Cabbins where the Irish sheltered themselves and took a considerable Prey of Cattle The Irish had some People dwelt amongst us who had agreed upon giving them a Sign when any Party of ours was to march out which was by making Fires in several Places this the Brigadier understood by a Prisoner and so made Fires three or four times which alarum'd the Irish at first but when they found it done several times and no Party appear they neglected the Sign so that when our Party marched indeed they took no notice of it which gave the Brigadier opportunity of marching where he pleased without opposition There came one Mr. King an Attorney from the Enemies Quarters and gave the Duke an account how things stood at Dublin And about this time the Irish had got a trick having always good Intelligence to come in the night and surprize our Men in their Beds as they quartered in the Country in single Houses They stole five or six of my Lord Droghedah's Men nigh Tondragee which obliged the Officers to order all the Men to lie in the Town for the future The 25 th of January the Duke went from Lisburn to Legacory and so to several Places on the Frontiers as Lieut. Gen. Douglas had done before And a great Store was ordered at * Armagh is the Metropolitan of the whole Island where S. Patrick the Irish Apostle ruled in his life-time and they say rested after death tho there is as much Contention about his Grave as Homer's in honour of whom it was of such venerable estimation in that time that not only Bishops and Priests but Princes paid their great Respects Armagh and several others up and down the Country for the most conveniency to the adjoining Garisons month February On Sunday Febr. 2. a Party of my Lord Drogheda's Regiment of 100 Men with 20 Dragoons and about 60 of the Country People marched from Tondragee and Market-hill Their business was to surprize two Companies of Irish Foot who lay nigh the Mountains of Slavegollion and defended a great number of Cattel there The Enemy had some notice of their coming and seem'd to design fighting but considered better of it and ran away 17 of them took to a Bog in which were taken one Lieutenant Murphey and four more one Man being killed only our People brought home about 500 Cattel February the 8 th the General had an account that the Enemy were drawing down some Forces towards Dundalk and that they had laid in great Store of Corn Hay and other Provisions in order to disturb our Frontier-Garisons from thence The Duke sent a Ship or two towards Dundalk who burnt some of the Irish Gabbords The General draws some Forces into
a little out of Countenance to see it The Colonel of the Brandenburgh Regiment seem'd very much concern'd that he should come so far to fight against such Scoundrels as the Irish seem'd by their Habits to be some few of the Detachments being only as yet well clothed though their Arms look'd well enough and most of their Army had new Clothes afterwards The General himself went that morning from Legacory to see the Castle of Charlemont and after the Irish had marched about half a Mile from it they drew up in two Battalions about 400 Men in each and there stood till the General came to see them besides the Souldiers they had also above 200 Irish Women and Children who stood in a Body by themselves between the two Battalions A Description of the Governor Old Teague the Governour was mounted upon an old Ston'd Horse and he very lame with the Scratches Spavin Ring-bones and other Infirmities but withal so vitious that he would fall a kicking and squeeling if any Body came near him Teague himself had a great Bunch upon his Back a plain Red Coat an old weather-beaten Wig hanging down at full length a little narrow white Beaver cock'd up a yellow Cravat-string but that all on one side his Boots with a thousand wrincles in them and though it was a very hot day yet he had a great Muff hanging about him and to crown all was almost tipsy with Brandy Thus mounted and equipp'd he approached the Duke with a Complement but his Horse would not allow him to make it a long one for he fell to work presently and the Duke had scarce time to make him a civil Return the Duke smiled afterwards and said Teague's Horse was very mad and himself very drunk The General then viewed the Irish Battalions who all both Officers and Souldiers after they had made him a great many Legs stared upon him as if they knew not whether he was a Man or some other strange Creature for the Irish were generally wont to ask one another what is that Shambear that all this talk is of Of the Garison The Duke seeing so many Women and Children ask'd the reason of keeping such a number in the Garison which no doubt destroyed their Provisions He was answered that the Irish were naturally very hospitable and that they all fared alike but the greatest reason was the Souldiers would not stay is the Garrison without their Wives and Mistresses The Duke reply'd That there was more Love then Policy in it and after some small time returned to the Castle which he rid round first without the Palisado's and then within the Rampart And of the Castle The Place is very strong both by Nature and Art being seated upon a piece of Ground not four Acres in the middle of a Bog and only two ways to come to it which the Irish had partly broke down They had also burnt and destroyed all the Country about it being well inhabited formerly The Town of Charlemont stood by the Castle as we were told but the Irish had so levelled it that nothing remained to show that ever there had been any such thing yet they had cast up several Forts and Breast works to prevent our Approaches to the Castle which of it self is a very regular Fortification It 's first palisado'd round then a dry Ditch and Counterscarp within this a double Rampart and next a thick Stone-wall with Flankers and Bastions almost every way there are two Draw-bridges and both well fortified and within all stood the Magazines with a large square Tower where Teague his Officers and a great many of the Souldiers dwelt They had left no Provisions in the Castle but a little dirty Meal and part of a Quarter of musty Beaf And certainly they were reduced to great Necessity for as they marched along several of them were chawing and feeding very heartily upon pieces of dried Hides with Hair and all on In Teague's own Room I saw several Papers amongst the rest a Copy of a Letter writ formerly to some about K. James giving an Account of the State of the Garison and withal a very true Relation of our Proceedings in several things which shewed they wanted not Intelligence One thing tho was false for there it was said that the Creights by coming down and taking Protections from the General had furnished us with Cattle and Provisions when as we were ready to starve before But that was an Irish Fancy for several of the Creights came down and would have staid but we sent them back because they brought nothing with them and as to our selves we were well supplied either from the Stores or from the Country There were two Priests in the Garison and there happened a pleasant Adventure between one of them and a Dragoon of Col. Hefford's Regiment as they were guarding the Irish towards Armagh they fell into Discourse about Religion the Point in hand was Transubstantiation the Dragoon being a pleasant witty Fellow drolled upon the Priest and put him so to it that he had little to say upon which he grew so angry that he fell a beating the Dragoon but he not being used to Blows thrash'd his Fatherhood very severaly Upon which complaint being made to Teague as he was at Dinner with our Officers at Armagh all that he said was That he was very glad of it What te Deal had he to do to dispute Religion with a Dragoon The Duke ordered every one of the Irish Souldiers a Loaf out of the Stores at Armagh and the Officers were all civilly entertained which made them go away very well satisfied with the General and highly commending our Army There were in the Castle 17 Guns most of which were Brass one large Mortar-piece Bombs Hand-Granadoes Match and small Bullets a great quantity as also 83 Barrels of Powder with a great many Arms and other things of use I know a great many blamed the Duke for not taking this Castle before he went to Dundalk for then he might have had it for asking however it was not good to leave it behind him but it 's a mistake for the Irish had then a good Garison in it and the General could not at that time divide his Army nor yet whilst he lay at Dundalk was it safe to endeavour it Charlemont was built by Sir Charles Blunt Lord Deputy of Ireland who in Q. Elizabeth's Time had several Skirmishes with O-Neal Earl of Tirone in this Country and built this Fort a little below a former One that was called Mount-Joy and this he called after his Christian Name Charlemont It was afterwards improved by the present Lord Charlemont's Grand-father and sold to the King as being a Place of Strength and Conveniency to keep the Northren Irish in their Duty It stands upon the Black-water which runs from thence to Port-a-down where in 1641 a great many Protestants were drowned by the Irish But to return Bellingargy taken The same day that
Charlemont was surrendered Col. Woolsely went with a Party of 1200 Men to a Castle called Bellingargy in which the Enemy had a Garison of above 200 Men. This was seated in a great Water so that our Men must wade up to the middle to come at it Col. Foulks commanded the Foot and marched at the Head of them through the Water The Enemy fired and killed us several Men however they saw we were resolved to have it and so after several Fascins brought to fill up the Ditches and smart firings on both sides they hung out their white Flag and agreed to march away without their Arms. Col. Woolsely going down to encourage the Men was shot in the Scrotum but soon recovered We had 17 Men killed 43 wounded besides two Captains and an Ensign killed Three Gentlemen come from Dublin with an exact Account of the Posture of Affairs there About the middle of May came one Capt. King Mr. Wingfield a Lawyer and Mr. Trench a Clergy-men with five or six more from Dublin in an open Boat and gave the Duke a more exact Account than any he had formerly how all things went with the Irish As to the Civil Affairs the Government was in the hands of Five viz. my Lord Tyrconnel Sir Stephen Rice Lord Chief Baron Lord Chief Justice Nugent Bruno Talbot Chancellor of the Exchequer and Sir William Ellis All Business in Matters Civil was done by them and if a Protestant petitioned the late King it was referred to those and never any answer given except it was indorsed on the Back this solicited by such an One who must be some eminent Papist and then perhaps it was answered These Men ordered all the Protestants Goods to be seized that were fit for Traffick and sent to France The late King pretended to pay them the half value in Brass Mony but that was scarce ever got and often if a Man was known to have Mony he was sent to Goal under pretence of High-Treason Col. Simon Lutteril was Governor of Dublin As to the Churches the late King seemed to incline to continue Protestants in them but what endeavours he made to restore Churches in the Country they were frustrated sometimes under pretence that the King had no Power in those Matters and some say he never design'd they should and therefore his Orders were not to be obeyed or else his Clergy had not so easily disswaded him from performing what he had promised except in the Business about the Church of Limerick wherein he observed that when it was for the purpose of the Papists to have the Protestants turned out of Town then they were very numerous and consequently dangerous but when the contrary answered their Ends as in the Instance of desiring the Church of Limerick then the Protestants were made very few which he took notice of and the Protestants at Limerick keep the Cathedral all this while They gave an account also that our Churches were generally shut up upon any Alarm from Sea or Report from the Army and the Protestants imprisoned As to the Military Affairs they gave an Account that the French about 5000. Men came to Dublin some-time after their landing being well armed and clothed Soon after the possession of the Town and Castle were given to Lauzun whom the French acknowledged to serve and not K. James and they were generally at free Quarter upon the Protestants nor would Monsieur Lauzun set his Guards in Town till he had possession of the Castle That all care was taken to provide Clothes for the Army by obliging the Clothiers to make so many Yards of Cloth a Month the Hatters Hats the Shoemakers Shoes c. And that they had considerable Stores of Corn and other Provisions at Drogheda Trim Navan Dublin Cork Waterford Kilkenny Athlone and Limerick The Method they proposed to deal with K. William's Army was to make good the Pâ—sses upon the Neury Mountains and at Dundalk to spin out the War as by Order from France and dispute their Ground without a general Battel till they came to the Boyne and there to defend the Pass but still without a Battel if they could help it they hoping in a small time to hear some extraordinary thing from a Party for K. James in England and from the French Fleet. Those and several other things they gave an Account of first to the Duke and afterwards to the King Towards the latter end of May we had several small Parties that went abroad one to Finnah and another to Kells bringing off Horses Cattel and some Prisoners And the 6 th of June Count Schonberg came to Belfast At the same time arrived our Train some Arms Ammunition and 200 Carpenters and other Artificers for the Service of the Army month June The King arrives in Ireland And now the general talk and expectation was of the King 's coming over who left Kensington the 4 th of June took Shipping at Highlake the 12 th and on the 14 being Saturday he landed at Carickfergus about four a Clock in the Afternoon His Majesty went through part of the Town and viewed it and notice being given immediately to the General who had prepared Sir William Franklin's House at Belfast for his Majesty's Reception and was there attending his Landing his Grace went in his Coach with all speed to wait on the King Maj. Gen. Kirk and several Officers that were there expecting the King's landing attended the Duke his Majesty was met by them near the White-House and received them all very kindly coming in the Duke's Coach to Belfast he was met also without the Town by a great Concourse of People who at first could do nothing but stare never having seen a King before in that part of the World but after a while some of them beginning to Huzzah the rest all took it as Hounds do a scent and followed the Coach through several Regiments of Foot that were drawn up in Town towards his Majesty's Lodgings and happy were they that could but get a sight of him That Evening his Highness Prince George the Duke of Ormond my Lord of Oxford my Lord Scarborough my Lord Manchester the Honourable Mr. Boyle and a great many Persons of Quality landed only Maj. Gen. Scravenmore staid at Chester till all things were come over who has taken a great deal of pains in our Irish Expedition There came also some Mony a-shore but exceedingly short of what was hoped for Next day the King heard a Sermon preached by Dr. Loyse on Heb. 6. 11. Through Faith they subdued Kingdoms and the same day came several of the Nobility Officers Gentry and Clergy to wait on his Majesty And on Munday Lieut. Gen. Douglass came from Hambleton's Ban where he had been Encamped for nigh a Fortnight and Dr. Walker with a great many more of the Episcopal Clergy presented his Majesty with an Address being introduced by Duke Schonberg and the Duke of Ormond To the King 's most Excellent Majesty
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
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
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
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
were secured in other places The County of Cork was formerly a Kingdom and is the most fertile Country in Ireland This Kingdom was granted in the Time of Henry the Second to Sir Robert Fitz Stephen and Sir Miles de Cogan in these Words Know ye that I have granted the whole Kingdom of Cork excepting the City and Cantred of the Oustmans to hold for them and their Heirs of Me and John My Son by the Service of Sixty Knights At Cork was born one Briork a Famous Saint in the Days of Old The same Afternoon a Party of about Five hundred Horse were sent under Brigadeer Villars to infest Kingsale he sent a Trumpeter at his Approach to summon the Town but the Governor threatned to hang him up for bringing such a Message and then set fire to the Town and retreated to the Old Fort which our Horse seeing rid in and quenched the Fire killing seven or eight of the Irish that they found in Town On the 30th a Party of our Foot marched to Five-mile-House towards Kingsale and the Magistrates of Cork reassuming their Places proclaim'd King William and Queen Mary and put the Place into some order month October The Army marches to Kingsale On the First of October the Earl of Marlborough marched out of Cork to Five-mile Bridge and the next day came near the Town then in the possession of our own Men Towards the Evening the Lord Marlborough posted his Men towards the New Fort and Major General Tetteau with 800 Men the next morning early passed the River in Boats stormed the Old Fort in which he succeeded very well Several Barrels of Powder at the same time accidentally taking fire blew up nigh Forty of the Enemy the rest flying into an old Castle in the midst of the Fort were a great many of them kill'd before they got thither and all that made resistance as we scaled the Walls were cut in pieces The Old Fort taken So that of 450 Men in this Fort about 200 were blown up and kill'd and the rest submitting to Mercy were made Prisoners Some endeavoured to escape to the New Fort by Water but were most of them kill'd from the Shore The Governor and several Officers that would have prevented our Men from coming over were killed upon the Ramparts The New one besieged My Lord Marlborough having gained this Fort resolves to make as quick work as he could with the New one for the Weather was now very bad and Provisions were growing scarce and withal his Men began to fall sick which made him judge it was the best way to attack the Place briskly in which he was like to lose fewer Men than if by lying long before it he should have it surrendred He sends a Summons however to the Governor to surrender who return'd him answer That it would be time enough to talk of that a Month hence Batteries raised Whereupon the Cannon being planted we began to batter the Fort in two Places the Danes on the Left and the English on the Right On the Fifth of October the Trenches were opened and on the Ninth we were got nigh the Counterscarp On the Twelfth in the Morning Six Pieces of Cannon were mounted at the Danes Attack and Two Mortars at the English which fired all day and the Mortars continued all night On the Thirteenth Two Guns of Twenty four pound Ball were planted on the English Battery and on the Fourteenth Three more for the Danes on their side had made a pretty large Breach We then sprung a Mine with very good success and were preparing to spring another and being Masters of the Counterscarp on the Fifteenth the Cannon plaid all the Morning and every thing was ready to lay our Galleries over the Ditch But at one a Clock the Enemy beat a Parly and desired a Treaty about the Surrendry of the Fort The Fort surrendred which being done the Articles were agreed to and signed by which the middle Bastion was to be delivered up next Morning and the Garrison being about 1200 Men to march out the day after with their Arms and Baggage and be conducted to Limerick We had kill'd and wounded in our several Attacks about 200 but a great many more were sick and dead by reason of bad Weather In this Fort we received a very considerable Magazine and great plenty of all sorts of Provisions sufficient to have supported a thousand Men for a Year there were 1000 Barrels of Wheat 1000 Barrels of Beef Forty Tuns of Clarret a great quantity of Sack Brandy and strong Beer My Lord Marleborough did a considerable piece of Service in reducing those Places which will be of great advantage to the next Campagn In October 1601. Don John d' Aquila landed at Kingsale from Spain with an Army to assist the Irish against Queen Elizabeth calling himself Master General and Captain of the Catholick King in the War of God for holding and keeping the Faith in Ireland But by the Courage and Industry of Sir Charles Blunt Baron Mountjoy then Lord Deputy the Irish were defeated and the Spaniards forced to go home upon dishonourable Terms But to return again to Dublin and the Affairs of that part of the Kingdom On the 18th of October the Blue Dutch Guards set sail for England and a day or two afterwards landed Colonel Mathews's Dragoons and Count Schonberg's Horse from thence And now after the taking of Cork and Kingsale part of the Irish Army that was in Kerry made several Incursions and burnt all the Towns and Villages of the Counties of Cork and Limerick that had hitherto escap'd My Lord Duke of Berwick dined in Charlevil-house one of the Second-rate Houses of these Kingdoms built by the late Earl of Orrery and after Dinner order'd it to be fir'd and staid to see it in Ashes And those of the Irish Army that lay between Limerick and Athlone burnt Balliboy wherein were Six Companies of my Lord Drogheda's Regiment The thing was thus Lieut. Col. Bristow was at the Breaking-up of the Camp at Birr ordered to Kilkormack Castle a considerable Pass and within Two Miles of Balliboy but he liking Balliboy better as a Place of more Forrage and Shelter for the Men quitted the other and took most of his Men into that open Village which the Irish having notice of came in the night and lay in the Hedges nigh the Town Our Men had heard of the designed Attempt the day before and desired Colonel Bristow to deliver out Ammunition but he apprehending no danger took no care to prepare for such a Mischief However our Men sate up all that night and sent out a Lieutenant with Twenty Men mounted to learn Tidings of the Enemy who returned without discovering any for they were all this while close in the Hedges After Revallia the Officers and Soldiers thinking all safe went to their Lodgings all but the ordinary Guard They had not been dispersed half an hour till the
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