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
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
approach but nothing extraordinary hapned and yet if those of the Enemy that were in Carigfergus Bellfast Bangor and the Adjacent Garisons had attackt the Duke that night it might have bred him no small disturbance Garison of Carigfergus burn their Suburbs Next day being Wednesday the Fourteenth the Duke continued still encamped and the Garison of Carigfergus apprehending a Siege burnt their Suburbs The day following the Duke sent a Party of about Two Hundred and Fifty men commanded by Sir Charles Fielding to see what posture the Enemy was in about Belfast the Enemy was retired toward Lisburne and Sir Charles with his Party returned to the Camp and then the Duke sent Collonel Wharton's Regiment to take possession of the Place Friday the 16th Lieutenant-Collonel Caulfield of the Earl of Drogheda's Regiment was sent with a Party of Three Hundred Men towards Antrim who came there the next day and found the Town deserted by the Enemy The General marches to Belfast On Saturday the General marched with his Army to Belfast from whence he sent out Parties who took several of the Irish that were robbing and spoiling the Countrey And then to Carigfergus And Tuesday following being the 20th five Regiments of Foot were sent towards Carigfergus encamping before the Town and next day seven more went who almost surrounded it after which some Cannon and a Mortar were planted and also small Entrenchments begun The Town desired a Parley and sent out Lieutenant Gibbons with Propositions in Writing He presented them very submissively and the Duke went into a Tent to read them but when he found they desired time to send to the late King for Succours or leave to surrender he sent the Paper out and ordered the Lieutenant to be gone and then their Cannon plaid directly at the Tent where he left the Duke doing some Damage thereabouts but the Duke was gone abroad Our Cannon were as ready as theirs for we begun to play upon my Lord Denegall's House in the Town on which the Enemy had planted two Guns which disturbed our Camp Before next Morning our Men drew their Trenches several Paces nearer the Wall which occasioned very warm firing on both sides all Night We lost some men and had two Officers wounded and a Drummer that made his escape over the Wall gave the Duke an Account that there were about thirty killed in Town that Night Batteries planted Thursday The 22d was employed in running the Trenches nearer the Mortars and Cannon still playing upon the Town and upon the Half-Moon that was to the Right of the Castle This Day came a Fleet of about Fifty Sale into the Lough which brought over four Regiments of Foot and one of Horse The day and night were spent in smart firing four Regiments of Foot mounting the Trenches Friday the 23d the Besieged desired another Parly and would have marched out with Bag and Baggage Drums beating and Colours flying c. But the Duke would allow no other Terms but to make them Prisoners of War During this Parly the Duke visited all the Trenches and observed the Walls of the Castle and a poor Dutch-man was shot from the Walls making his Returns to Reproaches against the Prince of Orange our King saying That their King was a Tinker King he had nothing but Brass-Money he was not nimble enough at getting off when the Parly was over and so lost his Life for his Jests sake After this the Duke gave orders for the Ingineers and Gunners to go on as vigorously as possible Before we had only two Batteries one on the Wind-Mill-Hill with Mortars before the Castle Westward the other of four Guns against the North-gate The Duke then ordered a very large Mortar to be placed close under the Walls upon a New Battery near the Lord Denegall's House with two Small Guns which did great Execution This Night was spent in continual firing of great and small Shot and next Morning the Town was all over smothered with Dust and Smoak occasioned by the Bombs Coll. Richards wounded Collonel Richards was carried to Bellfast being wounded in the Trenches the Night before and there was one Mr. Spring made his escape out of Town who told the Duke That all the Soldiers lay continually on the Walls so that the Bombs only plagued the Protestants in Town as also that Mackarty Moor and Owen Mackarty were the only two that hindered the Town to be surrendred and that they resolved if we stormed the Town to retire all to the Castle in order to which they had laid in great store of Corn Beef Salt and other Provisions proportionable He gave also an account that they were straitned for Ammunition having only at first 30 or 32 Barrels of Powder with other things suitable This Afternoon several of them were observed to be very busy on the top of the Castle it was believed at first they were planting Guns there but we understood afterwards that they were pulling off the Lead to make Bullets Breaches increased Sunday the 25th The Siege continued and the Breaches were made wider particularly one a little to the East of the North-gate and yet the Irish were very industrious in making up at Night what we beat down in the day Next morning our Guns plaid furiously and the Breach notwithstanding all their cunning was increased which the Irish seeing and fearing that our Men would enter they found out this Stratagem viz. They got a great number of Cattel and drove them all as near the top of the Breach as they could force them to go keeping themselves close behind them and this served in some measure to secure the Breach for several of the Cattel were killed by our shot and as they fell the Irish threw Earth Stones and Wood upon them but this they thought would not hold long and so they desired another Parly which the Duke would not hear of but ordered the Mortars and Cannon to play without ceasing and the Men of War had orders to play their Guns from the Sea upon the Castle which so terrified the Irish that at Six a Clock next morning they put out their white Flag again and sent their Proposals to the Duke which at length he agreed to having more business before him and the Season of the Year beginning to alter Garison surrendred He gave them leave therefore to march out with their Arms and some Baggage and they were to be conducted with a Guard to the next Irish Garison which then was Newry Collonel Wharton at the Parley lay before the Breach with his Regiment and was ready to enter when the Duke sent to command his Men to forbear firing which with some difficulty they agreed to for they had a great mind to enter by force When firing ceased on both Sides several of our Officers went into Town and were treated by the Irish with Wine and other things in the Castle and the Articles were scarce agreed to till
left and so died and all of us had but indifferent Lodgings that Night amongst the Ruins of the old Houses at Newry So little did the poor Men value dying that some of them being in a Stable over-night the next day two were dead and the rest intreating me to get a Fire which I did coming about two hours after they had pull'd in the two dead Men to make Seats of The ninth Day the rest of our Army marched from Dundalk the Duke giving Orders first to burn some Arms and Provisions that could not be got off because the Waggons were imployed to carry the Men and some few sick Men were left that could not be removed those were at the Mercy of the Enemy who did not use them ill but buried several that were dead At their first coming to Dundalk they removed the Corps of our three dead Colonels out of my Lord Bedlow's Vault and buried them nigh the Church-door but did not abuse them as was reported Some Men killed As the Rear of our Army was marching off from Dundalk a small Party of the Enemy's Horse came as far as Moyery-Castle two Miles from the Town where they killed the Adjutant of my Lord Kingston's Regiment with two or three Souldiers that were behind the rest but a Party of our Horse advancing the Enemy retreated towards Dundalk which they had possession of within an hour after we had left it And that nothing might be wanting for the good of the Souldiers the General before he left the Camp viz. on the 23 d of October set forth an Order how all Subaltern Officers and Souldiers were to be subsisted and cleared according to which all Colonels and superiour Officers were to take care that their Men were paid as they would answer the contrary at their Perils A Remarkable Story Sometime after our coming to Quarters I was told a very remarkable Story relating to the manner of our decamping at Dundalk It was by one Mr. Hambleton of Tollymoore a Justice of Peace in his Country and a sober rational Man which was to this effect Himself and two other Gentlemen with their Servants coming from Dublin into the North at least a Year before our Landing As they came towards Dundalk about nine a Clock at Night they espied several little twinkling Lights in the Air with two larger than the rest They staid some time in the Town and designing for Newry that Night Mr. Hambleton went a little before his Company and saw the same Lights again as nigh as he could guess about the Ground where we afterwards Encamp'd On the side of the Hill as he was to go towards the Mountains he turned about and look'd at them and at the same time he heard the most dismal and heavy Groans in the World This startled him something and presently his Company came up who all saw the Lights and heard the Noise which continued till they got almost to Newry but the Lights they saw no more after they turned their Backs off the Plains of Dundalk They have a great many Stories of this kind in Ireland And the Inniskilling-Men tell you of several such things before their Battels but I have only the Reader 's Pardon to ask for the trouble of this How our Army was quarter'd The Army at our decamping was dispersed all over the North to Winter-Quarters which were but very indifferent and what with coming to warm Fire-sides with some and others having little or no shelter to secure them and very little Provisions the Country being all wasted and destroyed nor was it possible to send Provisions every where till Storehouses were fixed And then most of the Men being very weak before they left the Camp and marching in the Cold and Wett to come to those Places we had more that died when they came to Quarters than died in the Camp I have a Copy of the Order by me which directed how and where all Regiments were to be disposed but it 's needless to insert it only our Frontier Garisons were Green-Castle and Rostriver where quartered Beaumont and Stuart Newry where was Sir Henry Inglesby Taudrogee Sir Henry Bellasis and some of Levison's Dragoons Legacory had some of the French and at Armagh were Drogheda and Deering at Clownish Monohan and those places were Hastings and some of the Iniskilliners The General had his Head-Quarters at Lisburn and the Hospital was ordered to be at Belfast which is a very large Town and the greatest for Trade in the North of Ireland it stands at the head of the Bay of Carickfergus and the Inhabitants have lately built a very famous Stone-Bridg but the Wars coming on it is not as yet quite finished I doubt not but most People will be curious to know how many died this Campaign and in Quarters and what could be the occasion of such Mortality as likewise how many the Enemies Numbers were when they lay so nigh us and wonder why two Armies should lie so near together for our Front and theirs were for above a Fortnight not two miles asunder and yet so little of Action happen The Reasons of our Mens dying As to the first whatever the World may think yet I can attribute those Distempers amongst us to nothing else but the Badness of the Weather the moistness of the Place the unacquaintedness of the English to hardships and indeed their lazy Carelessness for I remember a Regiment of Dutch that Encamp'd at the end of the Town were so well hutted that not above eleven of them died the whole Campaign but it 's the same thing with the English whenever you take them first out of their own Country as it was here and let Men be in other things never so happy if they have Courage and know the use of their Arms yet when they come upon Duty if they have not Bodies inured to hardships they lie under a great disadvantage But in truth we could scarce have been more infortunate either in a Place or in the Weather than whilst we were there for it would often rain all Day upon us when there was not one drop in the Enemies Camp this they used to call a Judgment but it was because we lay in a Hollow at the Bottoms of the Mountains and they upon a high sound Ground the Enemy did not at first die so fast as we did because they were born in the Country and were used to bad lying and feeding but before they decamped they were nigh as ill as we and abundance died after they got to Quarters Chirurgions ill provided One thing I cannot omit and that is that our Surgeons were very ill provided with Druggs having in their Chests only some little things for Wounds but little or nothing that might be useful against the Flux and the Feaver which were the two raging Distempers amongst us and yet I cannot but think that the Feaver was partly brought to our Camp by some of those People that
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
goes to Athlone Lieut. Gen. Douglas and his party Encamped that Night nigh Chappel-Issard and next day at Manouth Friday we Encampt at Glencurry about five miles further and we had not got this length till we begun to plunder though the General gave strict Orders to the contrary Saturday the 12th we marched to Clenard Bridge here we staid all Sunday and Lieutenant-General Douglas took an account of every Man in his party that he might have Bread provided accordingly the Soldiers went abroad and took several things from the Irish who had staid upon the Kings Declaration and frequent complaints came already to the General but Plundering went on still especially amongst the Northern Men who are very dextrous at that sport Sunday morning Captain Aughmouty of Colonel Woolsley's Regiment went with a party of Horse towards the County of Longford And Munday the 14th they met the Army at Mullingar whither we marched and several of the Irish came in for Protections though when they had them they were of little force to secure their Goods or themselves Two Spies taken The party that was sent out brought in a great prey of Cattle from the Enemies Quarters and took two Spies with Letters from Athlone one was to Advise one Tute to Defend an Island nigh Mullingar in which he had store of Horses and several things of value Another Letter was from an Officer at Athlone to his Father in the Country telling him that my Lord Tyrconnel the Duke of Berwick and several more great Officers were come to Limerick with a good Body of Horse and that all their Army would be there in two or three days so that they would make either a Hog or a Dog on 't as he exprest it That the Dauphin was landed in England with a great Army that the French had beat the English and Dutch Fleets that Duke Schonberg was dead and it was said the Prince of Orange was so too that their King was gone for France but it was no great matter he said where he was for they were better without him Then he advised his Father not to take a Protection because those that did were lookt upon as Enemies And after his Letter was sealed he had writ on the out-side Just now we have an Account by a Gentleman that 's come to us from Dublin that Orange is certainly dead so that all will be well again Such were their Hopes and Expectations at that time But though they believed most of those things yet they did not certainly know what to make on 't for they had no good opinion of the late King as may appear by a great many instances for Sarcefield sometime afterward speaking of the Action at the Boyn swore if we would change Kings they would fight it over again and beat us For certainly the Courage and Countenance of the Chief Commander in Armies is a material Point in the success of the Action and especially in Kings for he that has a Genius to the War has Advantages above other Men that makes his Gentry Nobility and Officers strive to imitate his Example by which he is better served and commonly more fortunate The 15th we remained Encamped at Mullingar and about 500 Creights came from the County of Longford with their Wives Children Cattle and every thing that they could bring away their business was to procure the Generals Protection which was granted them and they moved homewards as the Army marched forwards but were most of them plundered afterwards There had been a Friery at Mullingar during the late Kings Reign but the Friday before we got thither the Fathers thought fit to go a Pilgrimage into Conaught This Evening a party of Col. Russel's Horse went towards Athlone and came within three miles of the place but did no feats worth the mentioning next day we marcht to Ballimoor where stands a strong House at the side of a Lough which the Enemy has since fortified Athlone Besieged And Thursday July 17th we came before Athlone and encamped within a quarter of a mile of the Town the Enemy playing their great Guns upon us as we marched but did us little dammage The General sent a Drum to Summons the Town but old Colonel Grace the Governor fired a Pistol at him and sent word those were the Terms he was for The Town it self stands on a narrow Neck of Land between two Bogs one on either side the Shannon and you cannot come to it much less pass the River any where up or down within six or eight miles except at the Town through the midst of which the River Shannon runs and is both very broad and deep being by much the greatest in these three Kingdoms Ptolomy calls this River Senus Giraldus Flumen Senense but the Irish call it Shannon that is the Ancient River It arises out of Theru Hills in the County of Letrim and running through an excellent Country and several Towns particularly Limerick and Athlone it falls into the Sea beyond Knock-Patrick a Mountain upon which St. Patrick conjured all the Venomous Creatures in Ireland and threw them into the Sea insomuch that nothing of that kind has appeared or will live in that Kingdom ever since if you 'll believe what the Irish do however this River is Navigable for above twenty Leagues That part of Athlone standing on the South-side the Shannon is called the English Town and that on the other the Irish Town where stands a very strong Castle Athlone is the head Town in the County of Roscommon and was formerly the Barony of the O Kelly's There is a very good Stone-Bridge between the two Towns which was Built by Sir Henry Sidney in Queen Elizabeth's time and because this is commonly accounted the Center of Ireland that Queen once designed to make it the Residence of the Lords Justices The English Town not being so easie to defend the Irish Burnt it the day before our coming and broke down the Bridge They had several very convenient opportunities to disturb us in our march to the Town because of the Bogs Woods and Passes that lay very advantageous for that purpose but they retired over the River to defend the other side about 200 Yards above the Town they had raised some Breast-works on the River side nigh the end of the Bridge they had cast up several Redoubts and other Works and had planted two Batteries of two Guns a piece besides what were in the Castle Friday we spent in contriving our Batteries and our Works and on Saturday we planted two Field-Pieces which did the Enemies Guns some damage then one hundred and fifty Men out of each Regiment were ordered to make and carry Fascines and in two days more we had a Battery of six Guns finished nigh the Bridge-end which plaid upon the Castle and made a small Breach to wards the top On Sunday the 20th the General sent a Detachment of Horse commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Barry and 150 Granadeers mounted
Carlow where he met with some Accounts from England upon which he exprest himself doubtful whether to go over or return to the Army However he went on as far as Chappel Izard and there he was employed for about Three days in hearing Petitions some of which related to the violation of Protections and the Outrages committed by Lieutenant General Douglas's Party As also others about Abuses and Inconveniences from the late Commission and several Complaints were made against Col. Trelawney's Regiment then in Dublin Here the King gave Orders that Count Sehomberg's Horse Col. Mathews's Dragoons Col. Hasting's and Col. Trelawney's Foot with one Troop of Guards should be shipt for England A second Declaration and on the first of August published a Second Declaration not only confirming and strengthning the former but also adding That if any Foreigners in Arms against Him would submit they should have Passes to go into their own Countries or whither they pleased And another Proclamation came out dated July 31. Commanding all the Papists to deliver up their Arms and those who did not were to be look'd upon as Rebels and Traytors and abandoned to the discretion of the Soldiers A Proclamation for a Fast And at the same time was likewise published a Proclamation for a General Fast to be kept constantly every Friday during the War in all parts of the Kingdom under his Majesty's Obedience for asking God's Pardon for our Sins and imploring a Blessing upon Their Majesties Forces by Sea and Land At this time also Mr. Poyne Mr. Reves and Mr. Rothford Lords Commissioners of the Great Seal began to act and received Instructions from the King how to proceed And now the King received a further account from England that my Lord Torrington and several more were secured and that several wicked Designs were discovered and prevented That the Loss at Sea was not so great as was at first reported and that the French had only burnt a small Village in the West of England and gone off again month August so that the danger of this being partly over His Majesty resolved to The King returns to the Army return to the Army he lessened his Baggage and Retinue giving his spare Horses to the Train and then on the 2 d of August went back towards his Army which he found then at Goulden Bridge on which day a Soldier was hang'd for mutining Here the King stay'd a day or two and had Accounts from several Deserters of the Preparations the Enemy was making for their own defence and safety On the 6 th the King with his Army march'd to Sallywood having the day before sent a Party of Horse towards Limerick And on the 7 th his Majesty march'd to Carigallis within five miles of Limerick Upon our approach thither the Enemy burnt and levell'd all the Suburbs as also set fire to all the Houses in the Country between us and the Town A Party sent toward Limerick On the the 8 th of August early in the Morning my Lord Portland and Brigadeer Stuart were sent towards Limerick with about Eleven hundred Horse and Foot who advanced within Cannon shot of the Town but met with little opposition from the Enemy and before they returned his Majesty went out with about Three hundred Horse being accompanied with Prince George the Heer Overkirk Major General Ginkle and several other great Officers When these went nigh the Town a Party of the Enemies Horse advanced toward them But Captain Selby of my Lord of Oxford's Regiment having the Advance Guard drew towards them with a design to charge them which they perceiving thought fit to draw homewards their Cannon firing from the Town several times Then in the Evening Lieutenant General Douglass with his Party join'd the Kings Army The 9 th of August in the morning early the King sends three Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons with a Detachment of One Thousand Foot commanded by Sir Henry Bellasis as Brigadeer my Lord Drogheda and Colonel Earle as an Advance Guard to make the first approach The whole Army make their Approach and all the Army both Horse and Foot followed in order About six a Clock our Advance Party discovered some of the Enemy upon the top of an Hill three Miles on this side the Town our Men drew up and then marched slowly forwards and as we proceeded the Enemy disappear'd by degrees till they were all gone off the Hill We drew forwards and about half a mile further we cou'd see a great part of the Town from a rising ground but could not discover the ways to it nor who were between us and it because of a great many thick Inclosures and Lanes in one of which the Enemy appeared again Our Men halted a little till the Pioneers had cut â—…wn the Hedges to the right and left which done they advanced and the Enemy drew back This took some time a doing and therefore the Front of our Army both of Horse and Foot came up The King was here at first riding from one place to another to order Matters as his Custom always was We cut the Hedges in a great many places and went forwards and the Enemy they drew homewards till they came to a narrow Pass between two Bogs within half a Mile of the Town The Neck of Land between these Bogs is not above 150 Yards over and this full of Hedges with a large Orchard a Stone Wall and also the Ruines of a great House upon the Lane-side which the Irish had burnt the Day before But there were Three Lanes that led this way towards the Town the middlemost being the broadest the Irish Horse stood in it on the Pass beyond this old House and whilst our Pioneers were at work the Front of our Horse went up so close that there were several little Firings but not much damage done on either side To the Right and Left of the Irish Horse the Hedges were all lined with Musqueteers of whom our Foot were got now within less than two hundred Yards The Pioneers laboured at the Hedges all this while and the Army made their Approaches in excellent Order The Detached Party of Foot was upon the Advance towards the Centre the Horse a little to the Right of them followed by the Earl of Drogheda's Regiment and Lieutenant General Douglas at the Head of them my Lord Drogheda himself being upon the Advance Guard The Danes were towards the Left led on by the Prince of Wirtemberg and Major General Kirk The Blue Dutch and several English Regiments were upon the Right All those were lined with Horse and these supported again with more Foot So that all Men that understood it said it was a most curious sight for though the Hedges were very thick and troublesome yet it was so ordered that the Front kept all on a Line except the advance Party who went always some distance before Whilst things were going on thus the King ordered Two Field-Pieces to be
planted towards the Left where they could bear upon the Enemies Horse These fired several times and the Enemy soon quitted that Post Our English Foot were so little concern'd that though they knew the Enemy to be in the next Hedges yet whilst the Pioneers were at work they would sit them down and ask one another whether they thought they should have any Bread to day for they began to want their Breakfasts though some few of them went to the next World for it The Danes to the Left stood with all the Care and Circumspection in the World but observing the Posture of some of our Men and hearing what they said they believed we had no mind to fight yet no sooner were the Hedges down and our Front advancing in a narrow Field but the Irish fired a whole Volley upon them from the Neighbouring Hedges which our Men seeing some of them cry'd aloud Ah ye Toads are ye there we 'll be with you presently And being led on by my Lord Drogheda and Colonel Earle they ran along the Field directly towards the Hedges where the Irish were planted which the others seeing immediately quitted and then our Men fired upon them as they retreated to the next Hedges and so beat them from one Hedge to another even to the very end of the Suburbs which then were all burnt and levelled During this Action the Danes advanced in the Left and the Blue Dutch with the English on the Right the Horse coming on in the Centre So that in less than half an hour from the first Volley the Irish were driven under their very Walls nor did we lose a Dozen Men in all this Action When as if the Irish had managed this Advantage of Ground and fortified the Pass as well as Ireton's Fort on the Right of it which was built by Ireton on his first coming before Limerick It stands on a Rising Ground and over-looks the Pass on one side and the Town on the other This we commonly called Cromwel's Fort they might have kept us some Days from approaching the Town at least they might have kill'd us a great many Men But the truth is they had not time for all this They had drawn up however several Companies of Men in the Fort but when they saw us coming on they retreated towards the Town without ever firing a Shot The Cannon play We were not as yet saluted with one Great Gun from the Town because their own Men had been between them and us but as soon as they retreated under the Walls they let fly amain amongst us and kill'd several as they marched in amongst others a French Captain had both his Legs shot off and died presently We drew Four Field-Pieces immediately to Cromwel's Fort playing them upon the Town and the Out-works and before Five a Clock in the Afternoon all our Army was marched in and most of them encampt within Cannon-shot In a Siege the first two things that are to be regarded is the safe encamping our Men and the drawing the Line of Countervallation to prevent the Enemy from Sallying but the latter of these we did not much mind because I suppose we did not much fear any desperate Sallies and the former was in some measure prevented by the situation of our Camp The Danes encampt to the Left where they found an Old Fort built by their Ancestors which they were very proud of and from thence they fired Three or Four Field-Pieces upon the Irish that lay entrenched between them and the Town The Detached Party kept an Advance Post till they were relieved about Nine a Clock and the Lord Drogheda's Regiment was placed next the Town nigh Cromwel's Fort where they were to stop the Enemies Career if they attempted a Sally The Town Summon'd As soon as our Army was posted the King ordered a Trumpet to be sent with a Summons to the Town and as we understood since a great part of the Garrison were for Capitulating but Monsieur Boiseleau the Governour the Duke of Berwick and Colonel Sarsfield opposed it with a great deal of Heat telling them that there were great Divisions and Insurrections in England That the Dauphin was landed there with Fifty Thousand Men and that the Prince of Orange would be obliged soon to draw home his Army into England The Trumpeter was sent back from Monsieur Boiseleau with a Letter directed to Sir Robert Southwell Secretary of State not sending directly to the King because he would avoid I suppose giving him the Title of Majesty The Answer That he was surprised at the Summons and that he thought the best way to gain the Prince of Orange's Good Opinion was by a vigorous defence of that Town which his Master had entrusted him withal That Evening a Party of Dragoons was sent to view the Pass at Annaghbegg Three Miles above Limerick where Six of the Enemies Regiments of Foot Three of Horse and Two of Dragoons were posted on the other side of the River where there stood a large New House with a great many Brick Walls about it and several convenient Hedges were adjoyning to the River They fired from thence upon our Men but did little or no Execution and that Night they marched off to the Town The Cannon play'd on both sides till it grew dark A Party pass the River and next Morning early being Sunday the 10 th the King sent Eight Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons Commanded by Lieutenant General Ginkle and Three Regiments of Foot under Major General Kirk who passed the River without any opposition and immediately His Majesty went thither Himself The Stream was very rapid and dangerous though the River has not been known to be so low these many Years The King at his Return left Major General Kirk with his own Brigadeer Stuart's and my Lord Meath's Regiments who encampt one beyond the Ford and two on this side having a Party of Horse relieved every Twenty Four Hours to support them A Cornet this Morning deserted the Enemy who told the King That a great many in Town were for surrendring but prevented by Sarsfield and Boiseleau That Count Lauzun with the French were encampt nigh Galloway the Irish refusing to receive them into Town because themselves had done so with the Irish some time before at Limerick That my Lord Tyrconnel with most of the Irish Horse and some Foot were encamped on the other side about Six or Eight Miles from Limerick That there were Fourteen Regiments of Foot with Three of Horse and Two of Dragoons then in Town The King sent that Afternoon a small Party of Horse to discover my Lord Tyrconnel but 〈◊〉 was then removed about Ten Miles further off towards Galloway The Town described But it will be convenient that I here give as good a Description of the City and its Situation as I can of a Place that I had not the liberty to go into though I have been sometimes very near it It 's
Garison of 80 Foot and Dragoons Upon some complaints from the North of Ireland on the 15 th the King sends out his Proclamation Commanding all to pay Tythes as formerly These troublesome Times have fallen heavy upon the Clergy of Ireland who lived very plentifully before and yet it will be a great while ere they be so poor as their Predecessors For they say in times past they had no other Rents or Revenues but three Milch Kine a-piece which the Parishioners exchang'd for others new when they went dry as Adam Brenensis a German tells the Story from themselves as they returned that way on a time from Italy Tho I suppose the People were then as ignorant as the Clergy poor but now the Case is altered and they want neither Encouragement nor Respect Sunday the 17. Monsieur Cambon our Quarter-master General was very diligent in order to have the Trenches opened that night and all things being prepared Seven Battalions consisting of English Danes Dutch and French Foot commanded by the Prince of Wyrtenberg Lieutenant General Major General Kirk Major General Tettau and Sir Henry Bellasis Brigadeer The King I suppose by this mixture thinking to raise an Emulation in his Soldiers or further that they might instruct one another several Regiments having never been in Trenches before they were commonly Seven Battalions on at a time and relieved at Twelve a Clock at night but this method was altered for a reason to be given afterwards This night we advanced our Trenches and attackt the Irish at the two old Chimneys the Granadeers threw in their Granades and then endeavoured to get over this occasioned a general firing from our Trenches and also from the Town the King himself was at Cromwells Fort to see what happen'd as he was constantly every night The Irish in the Fort made no great resistance but after once firing they cry'd out Murder and Quarter but made the best of their way toward the Town those that stay'd in the Fort were knock'd on the head The firing from the Walls and Trenches continu'd for at least two Hours longer by which time we had secured this Fort from the Enemies retaking it A Battery planted Next day being Monday the 18. we planted a Battery below the Fort to the right of our Trenches and dismounted some of the Enemies Cannon All that day the Guns plaid briskly on both sides and at night the Trenches were relieved by Lieutenant General Douglas my Lord Sidney and Count Nassau as Major Generals and Brigadeer Stuart We made our Approaches toward the Fort without the Wall and Lieut. Gen. Douglas's and Brigadeer Stuart's Regiments were posted towards the right It was dark when they went on and they did not perceive the Enemy to be so near them as they really were for there was at that time scarce Twenty yards distance between them they were ordered to lye down upon their Arms which they did and a great part both of the Officers and Soldiers fell asleep The Enemy perceived this and attack'd them which put them presently into a Confusion and several of them gave ground but presently recovered themselves and fired but they did not know at what The Danes to the left took our own Men for the Enemy sallying and so fired upon them they believed the Danes to be the Irish and so return'd the Complement The Irish fired upon both and they at one another This Confusion lasted nigh two hours in which time several were killed nor did the King or any body else know what to make of it At last our Men found their mistake and the Irish were beat in crying quarter and murder as they used to do After this his Majesty ordered the Trenches to be relieved in the day and our Men marched always in and out in the very Face of their Cannon The story of the Irish Deliverer About this time we had an Account of one Balderock Rho O Donnel of the ancient Family of Tyrconnel this Man was born and educated in Spain But there being a Prophecy amongst the Irish that he should free his Country from the English doing great matters in his own Person and more by his Conduct he was sent for on purpose and came to Limerick It 's incredible how fast the vulgar Irish flocked to him at his first coming so that he had got in a small time Seven or Eight thousand Rapparees and such like People together and begun to make a Figure but after a while the Business cool'd and they were weary of one another and he is only now a Colonel in Limerick They had another Prophecy also That we should come to the Field above Cromwell's Fort where stands an old Church where on a Stone hard by we should pitch our utmost Colours and afterwards be undone with a thousand such like Fopperies not worth the naming Tuesday the 19th our Battery plaid upon the Walls and also the Guns from Cromwell's Fort upon the Houses in Town And the Enemy were not idle for their Shot flew very thick His Majesty had a narrow escape insomuch that the King riding softly up towards Cromwell's Fort directly as His Horse was entring a Gap a Gentleman staid His Majesty to speak to him and in the very moment there struck a Twenty four pounder in the very place which would have struck His Majesty and Horse too all to pieces if His usual good Angel had not defended Him it struck the Dust all about Him however tho' He took little notice of it but alighting came and laid Him down on the Fort amongst all the Dust That Night we planted Four Twenty four pounders at the Angle of our Trenches near the South-east corner of the Wall where we made the Breach afterwards A Fort taken from the Irish Wednesday the 20th Colonel Cuts's Granadeers commanded by Captain Foxon and my Lord Meath's by Captain Needham were placed conveniently in the Trenches for an Attack and at Two a Clock in the Afternoon the Signal being given by firing Three Pieces of Cannon they leapt over the Trenches and ran straight to the Fort which the Enemy had to the Right of us at St. John's Gate The Enemy fired from the Fort and from the Walls our Men did the like from the Trenches and the Great Guns went to work on both Sides The Granadeers threw in their Granades and Captain Foxon made an Attempt to climb up but was thrown down again but entred at the second Trial and his Men with him So did my Lord Meath's Men with Captain Needham and in a small time we were Masters of the Fort. There were about Fifty kill'd in it and Twelve with the Captain taken Prisoners and some made their Escapes to the Town The Firing continued however on both Sides for above an Hour and all possible diligence was used to bring down Faggots wherewith to make up that side of the Fort that was open to the Town Before the Attack a Party of our Horse
towards Bi r and joyned our Horse who went that way the Night before Commanded by Sir John Laneir some Three Miles short of the Town There we understood that Sarsfield's Party in Bar was very strong and Major General Kirk thought it was too great a hazard to engage with those Men he had so sent an Express to Lieutenant General Douglas who was then at Mary-Borough some Twenty Miles off We returned to Roscreag that Night and next Morning being re-inforced with Douglas's Horse we marched forwards towards Bi r again The Enemy then had left the Town and encamped Three Miles from it towards the Shanon but their Out-Guards were within a Mile of Bi r and could over-look our Camp The General sent out all the Granadeers who took the shortest way over the Bog towards the Hill where the Enemy stood and at the same time sent out a Detachment of Horse who beat the Enemy off Thursday the 18 th our Army encamped beyond the Town and one Lieutenant Kelly of Levison's Dragoons as he was discovering the Enemy with a Party being surrounded was taken Prisoner He is since exchanged and gives us an Account of the Present State of Limerick which is something different from the Publick Friday the 19 th the Enemy decamped and marched to Banohar-Bridge though that Night a party of their Horse beat in our Out-Guards Saturday the 20 th our Army begun some Fortifications in Town it being only an open place before and part of them stayed here encamped for Ten or Twelve Days Some say also that here was a good opportunity lost in not falling upon the Enemy in their Retreat towards Banohar for they marched off in great Confusion But during our stay here the Soldiers either by the bad Example of others or making the Scarcity of Bread a Pretence they â—…gun to strip and rob most of the Irish that had got Protections which made it natural for them after this to turn Rapparees and do us all the Mischief they could And it did not stop here for there was scarce any distinction made of Papist or Protestant in this Affair Lords Justices come to Dublin Towards the middle of September my Lord Sidney and Tho. Coningsby Esq Lords Justices came to Dublin and on the 15 th they took the usual Oaths of Chief Governours of that Kingdom before the Commissioners of the Great Seal with all the accustomed Formalities the People by their Bonefires and other Signs of Joy expressing their satisfaction for the restoring of the Civil Government One of the first things they did was to consider of the Settlement of the Militia in such hands as might be most for the King's Service and the Countries Interest and in some small time after gave out Commissions accordingly The same Day they sent out a Proclamation to encourage all People to bring in their Goods to the Market at Dublin forbidding any Officers or Soldiers to press such Peoples Horses which has been a trick too frequent in that Country And whereas the Rapparees began to be very numerous in several places the Lords Justices issued out a Proclamation requiring all Papists to remain in their respective Parishes at least not to go Three Miles farther and only then to Market This bears date the 18 th And because the hardships that the Soldiers had endured occasioned a great many of them at the breaking up of the Camp to steal from their Colours and make the best of their way for England a Proclamation came out the 19 th Forbidding all Masters of Ships or Seamen to transport any Officers or Soldiers or other Person whatsoever except known Merchants and Persons of known Quality not belonging to the Army without a Pass from the Lords Justices or the General of the Army The Papists on the Frontiers were very angry at us and gave constant Intelligence to the Enemy of all our Affairs by which means our Men in small numbers were often surprized and murdered and several other Inconveniencies fell out so that a Proclamation came out on the 26 th Forbidding all Papists to dwell within Ten Miles of the Frontiers And another bearing the same Date Commanding all the Wives Children and Dependants upon any of the Irish in King James's Army or of those who had been kill'd or taken in that Service to remove beyond the River Shanon by such a Day or else to be proceeded against as Enemies and Spies And accordingly most of them went having a Guard to conduct them to our Frontiers And a Third there was dated that day also Forbidding any of the Protected Irish to Harbour any that belonged to the late King's Army or that robb'd and plundered the Countrey in the Night And because Coals were now very scarce at Dublin and other Firing not coming in so plentifully as formerly some Days before this there was a Proclamation published Promising Protection to all Ships and Mariners that should be imployed in transporting Coals from any part of the Kingdom of England or Wales to the City of Dublin One there came out on the 30 th Forbidding all people to buy any Goods but in open Markets because several Abuses were committed by the Soldiers taking peoples Goods and selling them at an undervalue And on the 7 th of October there was another Proclamation Forbidding any to pretend to be Soldiers in Colonel Fouks and Colonel Herbert 's Regiments that were not Those two Regiments being then in Town and several Abuses committed that way and some of the Soldiers affronting the Militia had like one Night to have made a great deal of Mischief upon which the Alarm was beat and several people wounded one or two being kill'd out-right All the Army in Quarters By this time the Soldiers every where had got to Quarters and it was proposed by several Justices of the Peace and Deputy-Lieutenants in the Countrey That if the Soldiers would be quiet and not take things at their own hands the Countrey should find them with Meat and Drink with whatever else they could reasonably think on which was very well liked by some Colonels but others for their own Gains sake ordered the Countrey-people to bring in most of their Corn to such and such places and secured it for their own private use allowing the Soldiers in the mean time to do what they would This made the Irish and English both plundered at all hands and if by chance an Englishman had any thing left the Rapparees being stript of what they had themselves were ready to come in the Night and steal that by which things were not in such order as good Men could have wished But before I go any farther this way it will be convenient to look back and see how Major General Scravemore and his Party went on and how the business of Cork and Kingsale was managed On the 17 th of September Major General Scravemore and Major General Tatteau sent Colonel Donap to burn the Bridge of Mallow and to view
Irish set both ends of the Town on fire The Officers and Soldiers made what haste they could to a Mount towards the middle of the Town where they staid till a Party of Dragoons came from Birr to their Relief for the Irish after some small time drew off and would not adventure to force them from the Mount tho' they were four times our number We had about Twenty eight kill'd and some wounded And Captain Henry Gore as he was going towards the Mount had a Rencounter with some of the Irish Granadeers in which with Club-Musket he had his Jaw-bone broke and several Wounds on the Head but he is since recover'd We kill'd several of the Enemy both in the Streets and in the Houses that they went to plunder The 21th some of the Rapparees march'd towards Philipstown in the King's County A Party of ours going out to discover them took two of their Officers and hanged them And the 23d being the Anniversary of the former Irish Rebellon was kept with great Solemnity a Proclamation being issued out the day before commanding the Sixteenth of November to be kept as a day of Thanksgiving for preserving the King and reducing three entire Provinces Which accordingly was obey'd On the 28th there came an Account from Meerscourt in the County of West-Meath that part of the Enemies Forces advanced from Lanesborough in the County of Longford and came within six Miles of Meerscourt but retreated without any harm done to either side If I am not much mistaken when we left Limerick it was our Business and Advice was given accordingly to secure all the Passes upon the Shanon which had been easie at that time our Army being together and in the Field for these and the Castles all along by the Shanon side might easily have been made tenable where our Men might have been secure and had a very plentiful Country at their Backs for their Relief and then might have made Incursions into Conaught when they pleased But in stead of that we retired further into the Country and left them all the Passes and Forts upon the Shanon by which means they are not to be kept in their own Province as they might have been but can both keep us out and also come amongst us when they have a mind to it Several Protestants come from Limerick About this time the Enemy gave leave to several Protestants to come off who gave account that all things were very scarce amongst them Wheat being generally about Ten pound Brass Money a Barrel Malt Nine pound Brandy Three pound a Quart Ale Two Shillings six pence Mens Shooes Thirty shillings Salt Twenty shillings a Quart And that the Irish Army were in a very miserable condition in all respects And yet it was not so bad as 't was reported This Week the Lords Justices had an Account That one Captain Long formerly Master of a Ship was in February last surprised in the Bay of Killibeggs in the North of Ireland and taken Prisoner to Galloway A Ship brought off from Galloway but whilst he was there he so ordered the Matter as with the help of some Protestants he seised upon a Frigat and brought her from Galloway to Carigfergus She had Twelve Guns and Four Patereroes month November And about the beginning of November a French Ship of thirty Tuns loaden with Brandy and Salt sailed into the Port of Kingsale coming to an Anchor under the New Fort believing that Place still to be in the Hands of the Irish but the Ship was soon boarded by our Men and made a Prize His Majesties Birth-day The Fourth of November being His Majesties Birth-day was observed with all the Splendour that Place could afford Dublin Militia all the Town Militia were drawn out being 2500 Foot two Troops of Horse and two of Dragoons all well Cloathed and Armed and at night the Lords Justices made an Entertainment for the most Considerable Persons in and about the Town The next day also being the Fifth of November was observed according to the Act of Parliament By this time Commissions being given out for Lords Lieutenants and Deputy Lieutenants as also for Officers of the Militia in the Country they had got Arms and were in a pretty good Condition And on the First day of the Term Mr. Sergeant Osburn Their Majesties Serjeant at Law moved the Court of King's Bench for Writs of Certiorari to remove all Indictments of High Treason found in several Counties of this Kingdom against those in Rebellion against the King and Queen which was granted and Writs Issued out accordingly Proposals were made also by the Commissioners for the Forfeited Estates to set Leases for a year of all Lands that are Forfeited in this Kingdom but I did not hear of many Tenants for amongst other things there Proposed the Farmer must give in an Exact Account of the Acres both Arable and Pasture of the Farm he designs to take contains and if upon view it appears to be more than to pay 28 s. for every Acre of Arable and 5 s. for every Acre of Pasture that was over-plus this indeed is a good way to get an Account of all the Lands but not to make any Benefit to the King of them for I 'm afraid several Acres will not yield 20 s. in many years An Exploit of Captain Archer's On Tuesday the 13 th of November Captain Archer one of the Militia had a scuffle with the Raparees in the County of Wicklow kill'd about Five and took Twenty three Prisoners with the loss of Five or six of his own Men and about this time the Enemy burnt Philip's Town the chief Town in the King's County so called from King Philip as Mary Borough is from Queen Mary for in this Reign those two Counties were settled and part of them given to Thomas Ratcliff Earl of Sussex though we had a Garrison in it for they came from a great adjacent Bog in the Night and having set the Town on Fire retreated thither again The General comes to Dublin At this time Lieutenant General Ginkle who Commands in Chief over His Majesties Forces in Ireland came to Dublin and on the Thirteenth Published several Orders and Rules how the Army should be subsisted and the Country paid and secured which are too long to insert but very Commendable if they had been observed And the General and Lords Justices consulting together the Justices send out a Proclamation the Fourteenth for regulating the Quartering the Army and assertaining the Rates of things as what should be paid by each Soldier for all sorts of Provisions and Confirming the General 's Orders Published the day before We had News brought from Limerick by a Lieutenant that deserted of several Inconveniencies the Enemy were put to but these were only true in part there was a Report also that a supply of Arms Ammunition and Money was come from France and this was true in some respect for at that time
time And further the French are retired and it 's to be supposed without design of returning else they would not have gone away Suppose therefore the Irish fortifie all those Places in their possession and have Arms and Ammunition with whatever else is needful from France yet all this will neither put Courage into them to defend those Places nor is it altogether in the power of France to supply them with necessary Provisions And lastly Of our own But Secondly As to our own Army I doubt not but we have several that are indifferent whether the War be quickly at an end or not for they find the Irish to be an easie sort of Enemy and if the War were done here they must expect hotter Service somewhere else They look upon it however as an Enemies Country which is the reason that great Spoils are made and Outrages committed nay which is worst of all no Distinction made of Papist or Protestant This it 's to be fear'd may bring a Famine and then all Peoples Condition in that Kingdom will be very severe For tho' there be Plenty enough in England yet the People of Ireland being poor no body will be at the pains to carry their Goods into a Country where there is nothing to be got in return of them But then whatsoever pains the Irish take in fortifying their Towns we take as much in carrying things to beat them out of them for there is a vast quantity of Bombs of the largest size with all things convenient for such a Design daily brought to Dublin And as to our Army our Numbers are the same as last Year except Two Regiments that are broke they are also much healthfuller and better acquainted both with the Country and their Arms and to encourage us the more the Parliament has granted His Majesty a considerable Fund to carry on the War as also to Equip His Fleet which we were in both defective last Summer Besides we have now at least Twelve thousand of the Militia in good order either to defend our Garrisons behind us or assist in our Army upon occasion for one should think that there is no body so fit to fight for their own Country or indeed to be entrusted with it as those People whose Concern it is And more than all this we shall have a great many Protestant Rapparees from the North and other Places that we can at least set against theirs for the Northern People are most of them arm'd either from our Men that died last Year or by some means or other so that I hope we shall have no want of Men. If therefore we have a mind to retrive our Losses we must encourage such as do well and reward them for their Valour and Conduct but punish Offenders though their Station be the greater And as to the Arrears of the Army they are not so very great as some People make them for though we have not had our Accounts stated for some time yet we have still received Money upon Account and the Soldiers have constantly been supplied with Bread and other Provisions But it 's usual with a great many that when they can have no other Excuse for their Extravagancies then they 'll say the King owes them so much but say not a word of what they have received And as to what the present Irish War both has cost and is like to do both as to Men and Money it is not to be named with that in Cromwell's time which any may see that will but read Burlace's History Nor can there be any Comparison between the present Government and that for then both Law and Religion were trampled upon but now they run in their due Channel But after all the Reason why Ireland was not reduc'd last Year was our late taking the Field and the Occasion of that was because the Affairs of the Army could not be put in a compleat Posture any sooner For England has a long time been used to Peace and Ease and therefore unprovided of those things that are absolutely necessary in time of War which were to come from abroad The King did as much as was possible in the time as any who have seen the Country may know for if Ireland were as well Peopled and Mann'd as the Soil it self will bear it may defie all the World besides You cannot see a Town or a small Castle but where there 's either a Bog or a River or both all Places being fortified as well by Nature as Art And in War there 's no doubt but time must be allow'd to regulate such Mistakes as may happen since no Man is infallible in that Art Nor was there a sufficient Fund of Money the Year past to supply the real Necessities of so great a Work which Inconveniency being now removed a fair Conclusion may be rationally hoped for As to the Charge of maintaining a competent Army there when Ireland is reduced the Country will night do that of it self since the Customs in that part of the Kingdom now in our possession amounted to Sixty seven thousand five hundred twenty six pound for the Six Months last past and what must the whole Kingdom come to in Times of Peace and a setled Establishment I have only this to add That when our Armies go out to defie our Enemies and yet at the same time in their Practice defie the Living God or if we should stay at home and fast and pray for their good Success never so heartily yet God will neither hear us nor help them if we are negligent in our Duty towards him If therefore we desire that our Armies and Fleets may make a considerable Figure in the World let us not grudge at and censure every thing our Betters do but be careful to do our Duty to God and Man then after the enduring for a Season the Inconveniencies of War we may hope to be happy in a lasting Peace Amen FINIS ADVERTISEMENT WHereas there are some mistakes occasioned by the Printer's oversight which the Author being suddenly call'd to his Post in Ireland had neither leisure nor opportunity to Correct the Reader may if he pleases supply such Defects Books lately printed for Richard Chiswell A New History of the Succession of the Crown of England and more particularly from the Time of King Egbert till King Henry the VIII Collected from those Historians who wrote of their own Times A Discourse concerning the unreasonableness of a New Separation on account of the Oaths With an Answer to the History of Passive Obedience so far as relates to Them A Vindication of the said Discourse concerning the Unreasonableness of a New Separation from the Exceptions made against it in a Tract called A Brief Answer to the said Discourse c. An Account of the Ceremony of Investing His Electoral Highness of Brandenburgh with the Order of the Garter at Berlin June 6. 1690. By James Johnston Esq and Gregory King Esq His Majesties Commissioners Dr. Freeman's Sermon at the Assizes at Northampton befote the Lord Chief Justice Pollexfen August 26. 1690. His Thanksgiving Sermon before the House of Commons November 5. 1690. Dr. Tenison's Sermon before the Queen concerning the Wandring of the Mind in God's Service Feb. 15. 1690. His Sermon before the Queen of the Folly of Atheism Feb. 22. 1690. Dr. Fowler 's Sermon before the Queen March 22. 1690. The Bishop of Sarum's Sermon at the Funeral of the Lady Brook February 19. 1690. His Fast Sermon before the King and Queen April 29. 1691. Mr. Fleetwood's Sermon at Christ Church on St. Stephen's day A full and impartial Account of the secret Consults Negotiations Stratagems and Intregues of the Romish Party in Ireland from 1660. to 1889. for the Settlement of Popery in that Kingdom A Ground Plot of the strong Fort of Charlemont in Ireland with the Town River Marshes Boggs and Places adjacent Drawn by Captain Hobson price 6 pence An Exact Ground Plot of London-Derry with the River Woods Ways and Places adjacent by the same Captain Hobson price 6 d. There is preparing and will shortly be Published A Prospect of Limerick bearing due West exactly shewing the Approaches of the English Army with the Batteries and Breach ANglia Sacra Sive Collectio Historiarum partim antiquitus partem recenter scriptarum De Archiepiscopis Episcopis Angliae à Prima Fidei Christianae susceptione ad Ann. 1540. Nunc primum in Lucem editum Pars Prima de Archiepiscopis Episcopis Ecclesiarum Cathedralium quas Monachi possederunt Opera Henrici Whartoni This Book will be ready for Publication by the Fourth of June next Subscriptions will be taken till the First of July Proposals for the same may be had of Richard Chiswell and most other Booksellers in London and the Country