direct you what course you should steer To which they replied Go home and make fair Weather You took this Advice and being come my Lord of Antrim and my Lady Dutchess of Buckingham soon followed and you were very well pleased with so good Company to spend your Provisions But in a short time the Irish came and drove away great part of your stock to a village near It being night you desired me to take your Servants and endeavour the recovery Which I did bringing with me two or three of the chiefest Conductors of this Rabble This enrag'd the Irish so much as you conceiv'd I was not safe there and therefore sent me to Dublin to attend the Justices Orders and assure them of your readiness to return on a Call they sending a Convoy Which they promis'd to do as occasion required When I went from you you thought it necessary that I should take with me all the poor English that were saved and to let them go with the Carts which were loaden with Wool for Dublin leaving only one of them who was a Sadler then my Lord of Antrims servant In the passage neer Rath-Cool the Rebels fell upon them and barbarously killed some and wounded others my self and one more escaping by the goodness of our Horses But a Servant of mine governing the Carts and being an English-man they took And whilst they were preparing to hang him Sir John Dungans Eldest Son Watt Dungan came forth of his Fathers house with a Party and rescued him with the rest of those that were left alive and brought them safe to Dublin where I was gotten The Sadler that I had left in my Lord of Antrims Service some time after met me complaining that coming for Dublin he had been taken by the Rebells by means of a Boy that served your Lordship and if I would not give him forty Shillings being he was damnified in so much he would complain I told him that the Boy he mentioned was no Servant of yours but kept out of Charity and to whip the Dogs out of doors being blind of an Eye and lame of a Leg. He replied that although he were blind and lame he had a Note from my Lord of Antrim to have him apprehended by those that were neither blind nor lame which he gave to them who took him Prisoner and carried him to the Garrison of Leixlipp kept by the Rebels I bad him do what he pleased for I would not give him one Farthing The next I heard of it was that he had complained and that your Lordship was Indicted of high Treason Vpon which I made my addresses to the Lords Justices again to let them know that they had not kept their Words with me in suffering this Clandestine proceeding against my Brother but however I would go and fetch you and to that purpose desired them to let me have a party of Horse But that they refused I then came down to you with some of my Friends and acquainted you with what had past You answered that you knew nothing of it and went immediately with me to Dublin where you addressed your self to my Lord of Ormond as I did my self in your behalf to the Lord Justices and Council to acquaint them that you were come They replied that they could say nothing to it till you appeared before them Which you did the next day and then they Ordered you to come the day following At which time without calling you in they committed you to Mr. Woodcocks House one of the Sheriffs of Dublin Now I seeing this rigorous usage towards you and being refused a Pass for my self to go for England made a shift to get away in a small boat and go directly to the King at York and Petition him that you might be sent for over to be Tried here by your Peers But his Majesties answer was that he had left all the Affairs of Ireland to the Parliament Vpon which I went to London and Petitioned the Parliament to the same effect Their answer was that they could do nothing without the King of which I gave you an account by Letter This was the last Correspondence I had with you being after that continually serving his Majesty in England But the King coming from Newark to Oxford he sent me with Dispatches to my Lord Lieutenant and Ordered me to go to you and use my endeavours to persuade you to hasten a Peace You received the Commission as very agreeable saying that from the beginning of the War you had always laboured for a Peace and that you hoped it would soon be done Before I returned I saw it proclaimed and it goes by the name of the Peace of 46. London the 17th of May. 1680. Now that you have seen what my Brother writes of the occasion of my longer stay in Ireland so much contrary to the design of my going thether I will hence forth in my own Method go on with the Story of my own adventures in that Kingdom But to this end I must once more place myself in Madenstown whether as you see in my Brothers Letter I was first retired by advice of the Lords Justices I continued there some five or six Moneths after in peace and quietness and for the greatest part of the time in so noble and excellent company as that of the Dutchess of Buckingham and the Lord Marquess of Antrim her Husband who did me that very great honour In the mean while Parties were sent out by the Justices from Dublin and the Towns adjacent to kill and destroy the Rebels and the like was done through all parts of the Kingdom But the Officers and Soldiers did not take care enough to distinguish between Rebels and Subjects but killed in many places promiscuously On which partly and partly on other provocations that preceeded and some too that followed the whole Nation finding themselves concerned took to Arms for their own defence and particularly the Lords of the Pale did so who yet at the same time desired the Justices to send their Petition to the King Which was refused And for their farther discouragement Sir John Read his Majesties Sworn Servant a stranger to the Country un-engag'd and an eye-witness of their proceedings then upon his journey to England prevailed with by them to carry their Remonstrance to his Majesty the late King of ever Blessed Memory and to beg his pardon for what they had done coming to Dublin and not concealing his Message was put to the Rack for his good will The said Lords having Tried this and other ways to acquaint the King with their Grievances and all failing an open War broke forth generally throughout the Kingdom and very unfortunately for me One Encounter happened in the sight of my House between my Lord of Ormond commanding the English and my Lord Richard Vicount of Mount-Garret the Irish The latter was defeated This Encounter goes by the name of the Battel of Kill-Rush and was fought the 15 th of April
Errata PAge 33. l. 24. Charge that defeated read Charge defeated p 35. l. 16. understood r I understood p. 62. l. 16. use r. used p. 64. l. 10. places r. place p. 97. l. 21. after that r after that p. 99. l 9. remembred r. remember p. 100. l. 3. forceâ—s r. forces p. 106. l. 10. note r. a note p. 124. l. 24. forceable r. foordable p. 115. l. 13. speak r. spake THE MEMOIR'S OF JAMES Lord AVDLEY Earl of CASTLEHAVEN HIS Engagement and Carriage IN The WARS OF IRELAND From the Year 1642 to the Year 1651. Written by himself LONDON Printed for Henry Brome at the Gun in St. Pauls Church-Yard 1680. TO THE KING SIR I Lay at your Majesties feet these my Memoir's and if your time may permit that you will read them they are contracted in so little a Volume the more to invite you to it I am persuaded that your Majesty will find amongst them some thing new though many years past The Stile is plain and simple otherwise it could not be mine But the Truth may make amends For I pass them on my Word not to contain a Lie or mistake to my Knowledge Your Majesties most faithful Subject and dutiful Servant Castlehaven Audley To the Reader I Being one day in S. Pauls Church-yard amongst the Stationers some Books fell into my hands lately set forth Histories of the Rebellion begun in Ireland in the year 1641. with the Wars and transactions that followed on that occasion and finding my self in many places cited acting as a confederate Catholick which in plain English is as a Rebel I thought fit to publish something setting forth my own story not to excuse the Rebellion for all the water of the Sea cannot wash it off that Nation it having been begun most bloodily on the English in that Kingdom in a time of setled peace without the least occasion given but what I write is chiefly to draw from the world some compassion my case being singular as I hope the Memoires will make out I take God to witness I never bad the least hint of the Rebellion till being one night at Supper with my Lord of Kery at his House in that County his Lordship being a Privy-Counsellor shewed me a Letter which he then received from the Justices setting forth the attempt on the Castle of Dublin and the Rebellion in the North from whence sprung that unjustifiable War in which I was unfortunately engaged But on my repentance purused by my actings to bring on the first Cessations and the Peace of 46. I had many testimonies from the late King of Blessed memory and his Lieutenant the now Duke of Ormond that my faults were forgiven me Since I have always purused my duty in faithfully serving the King and after his death his Majesty that now reigns for which though most unworthy I have received many marks of his favours and since his happy Restoration for my better security hath given me his gracious Pardon by virtue of which I have sate in the Parliament of Ireland as being a Peer of that Kingdom Now to gratifie the Reader for the trouble given by these Memoires and to induce him to a favourable construction I shall God willing e're long by the help of a Friend annex to this little Book an Appendix representing in short the state of Ireland from the year of the World 1756. to the year of Christ 1652. where among other things he shall find the true original causes of the late Rebellion throughly discovered Castle-Haven Audley James Lord Audley Earl of Castlehaven HIS MEMOIR'S SECT I. The occasion and Motives of his engaging in those Wars His being in Ireland in his way to France when the Rebellion brake out His Service proffer'd to the Lords Justices but rejected His retirement to his Country-house Indictment of Treason and Commitment to Sheriff Woodcocks at Dublin Sir John Read put to the Torture of the Rack The memory of the Earl of Strafford's Death The Kings answer at York to Colonel Mervin Tuchet His escape out of Dublin and flight to Kilkenny The Model of Government and Oath of Association WHat induced me to write these Memoires is to answer a wonder that reasonably may be made how I being a Peer of England and an English-man both by Birth and Descent on all sides should engage my self amongst the Irish in their Wars not speaking a word of their Language and having little in their Kingdom I say then that I never designed it but fell into those Troubles by chance and much against my will The Story thus I was newly come from my Travels abroad where my Genius leading me to see whatever was to be seen in Armies I went of purpose to the Siege of Turain in Italy After my return I attended the King at Berwick till the first Pacification with the Scots And then hearing that the Prince Cardinal Governor of the Spanish Netherlands was preparing to March towards the relief of Arras besieged at that time by the French I pass'd over again to Flanders and Artois and saw an end of that expedition and Arras yielded to the Besiegers In short my Inclinations were to War and so intended to make it my Trade by putting my self into the Service of some Foreign Prince To this effect having settled my Affairs in England I made as I thought a step into Ireland to do the like there But it proved a longer stay The occasion take out of the ensuing Letter to me from my Brother Colonel Mervin Tuchet HEaring your Lordship is writing a Narrative of your concerns in Ireland during the late War how you came to be engaged I having been at that time with you may possibly mind you of some Passages more in my knowledge than yours When the Rebellion broke forth in the North you were in Mounster and on the News you immediately repaired to Dublin to the Lords Justices Sir William Parsons and Sir John Burlace where you acquainted them with your willingness to serve the King against the Rebels as your Ancestors had formerly done in Ireland on like occasions To which they replyed your Religion was an Obstacle There being then a Parliament in that Kingdom sitting you were resolved to see the Event sending me to your House at Madingstown in the County of Kildare to secure and defend it in case there were any Rising in those parts Vpon my coming I found many poor English stript whom I took into the House and relieved defending them in the best manner I could Some time after the Parliament being dissolved you desired of the Justices a Pass to go for England But they refusing you acquainted them that your Estate there was not in a condition to maintain you in Dublin and desired that you might be supplied with some mony for your subsistance until such time that you could apply your self to the Parliament in England for a Pass to bring you over which they denied You prest them then to
I did only keep up a Bussel till the King and Cromwel had decided their Quarrel He therefore again sate down before Limbrick with a powerful Army on the County of Limbrick side I with what Force could be drawn together March'd to Killalow and there Encamped He kept a Guard on his side the River as I did against him at Bryans-Bridge and Castle Conel We lay in this manner a long time he attempting nothing either on the Town or River which was not yet for deable in any place My Lord Deputy being at Galway sent me a Letter in all hast to come to him On my Arrival he told me that the Abbot of St. Katherine was in the Harbour and in his Company many Officers with a quantity of Arms Ammunition and other Materials for War That they were sent by the Duke of Lorrain who pretended by some agreement to be Protector Royal of the Kingdom of Ireland with Power over all our Forces and Places And that he was to continue that Title and Dominion till after the War ended he were reimburst all his Expences and his Damages satisfied I was much startled at this News For though I strugled to keep up a Bussel I never intended to buy it so dear as to give Footing or colour of Pretence or Title to any Foreign Prince And having heard my Lord all out I took the boldness to ask him how far he was concerned in this matter He protested before God and upon his Honour that he never gave Commission for any such Treaty and as to the thing he knew no more than what he had told me other then that the General Assembly then sitting in the Town were in great joy for this Succour and prest him earnestly for the reception But I found him entirely against it Being thus satisfied I desired him to leave the matter to me and let me deal with the Assembly Immediately therefore I went and found them on the Debate To which in my time I spake and with much Detestation of the thing declared all Traytors that were for receiving this succour on those terms and that I would not sit more to hear of this Stuff but return to my Forces knowing what I had to do My Lord Deputy was much pleased with this round Discourse and publickly approved it So the Abbot with what he had returned from whence he came At my return which was without delay to Killalow I found all quiet And whether Ireton had Information of this Passage I know not but by a Trumpet I received from him a long Letter four sides of Paper close written in a small hand The drift was to set forth the justness of the Parliaments proceedings their great Power how short a time I could subsist what ill Company I was with and threw what durt he could on the King I served but concluded with great value of my person pitying my Condition and offering me that if I would retire and live in England privately I should not only enjoy my Estate but remain in safety with the esteem and favour of the Parliament I immediately shewed this Letter to Father Peter Walsh my then Ghostly Father whom I had always found faithful to the King and a lover of his Country With his advice by the same Trumpet I answered all his Points and rejected his proposition concerning my own person desiring him withal to send no more Trumpets with such Errands if perhaps he would not have the Messenger ill Treated From this time there was an end of all Messages and Letters between us Now Ireton remained still and quiet without any action or attempt expecting the coming of Sir Charles Coot on my back or the fall of the River Both came together and besides that a third unlucky accident For now some days I had kept Guards towards Conaught when Ireton by Treachery of the Officer one Captain Kelly made himself Master of Bryans-Bridge 'T is called so though there be no Bridge Whilst I was hastening with some Troops to oppose having left the defence of the Pass at Killalow to Colonel Fennel he cowardly or Treacherously quitted it and with all his Party fled into Limbrick Where upon the rendition of the Town which was not long after Ireton with more than his ordinary justice hanged him Some say he was carried to Cork and that it was done there He pleaded for his Defence not only this Service but how he had betrayed me before Toughal But his Judges would not hear him on his Merit but bid him clear himself of the Murders laid to his charge Now receiving Letters from my Lord Deputy of Sir Charles Coots approach I hastened to him with what Troops I had left viz. about three hundred Horse and found him drawn into Loghreah with his Forces not being able to keep the Field against Coot who was twice his number The Enemy did not think fit to attempt him and were gone by before my coming About this time Athlone gave up to them and so did Limbrick to Ireton some few Months after In the mean while my Lord Deputy and my self with what Troops we had retired towards Jerchonnoght under the Covert of the River that runs by Galway and so shifted up and down till Sir Charles Coot came before the Town on Loghreahs side and had taken a Castle a little above on the River Then we retired into Galway Where we had not long been before we heard of the Kings Defeat at Worcester A man now would think that this Noble Lord had discharged his part Yet his Zeal carried him farther He dispatch'd me for France to the King by the way of Iniss-bofin for the River of Galway was full of Parliament Ships with orders to set out the ill state of his Majesties Affairs in that Kingdom And that nevertheless to serve his Majesty he intended after Galway should be lost to make a Mountain War and give the Enemy trouble for some time if his Majesty would but send him five hundred Barrels of Powder with Match and Bullets proportionable and some Arms and appointed me to return with them to Iniss-bofin a fit place for our Magazine it being a large Island lying of Jerchonnoght three Miles into the Sea in which we had a strong Garison 'T is surrounded with Rocks and has but one entrance where there is a pretty good Harbour for Frigats and small Men of War I here Shipped my self and landed at Brest ordering the Frigate that brought me to expect my orders The Captain was Antonio Vandersipp of Brugis We had a sharp fight with an English Ship that we met in the way but foul weather parted us No great hurt was done other than that the Bishop of Down was Killed in the Cabbin 't is thought by the Wind of the Bullet or Fear for he had not the least sign of any hurt and lived near a quarter of an hour Being Landed I took post for St. Germains where I found the King Queen-Mother and my
Lord of Ormond I delivered my Letters of Credit and in a day or two had my Audience They seemed to take it to heart and Consulted Cardinal Mazerine and the chief Ministers But the truth of it is that the King of France's Affairs were at that time so much in disorder by reason of the Civil War that nothing could be done Having this Answer the King gave me a Letter to my Lord Deputy acknowledging his good Service ordering him that he should make the best conditions for himself and Party that he could and expect a better season Having thus discharged my Commission I dismiss'd my Frigate and with the Kings permission engaged my self in the Service of the Prince of Conde who was then joyned with the Spaniard But first I sent by a safe hand his Majesties Letter away to my good Lord of Clanrickard Of whom I have said so much already that I need add nothing but my own esteem for his worthy Memory as a pattern of Loyalty Between my leaving him and his laying down Arms I can give no account but have heard that he was driven to great extremity SECT X. Some few Reflections more of Castlehaven on himself And the last of all is an acknowledgment of a most extraordinary favour of God to him ANd so I have done my Story And you find by these Memoir's that no man could arrive to greater Trust and Credit than I had amongst the Irish though the War till the Peace of Forty Six was almost National And then they made me what they could by naming me to remain General of the Horse of the Kingdom in the Kings Service Which was a Right left to them by that Peace It remains now that I give those few Reflections more upon my self which may let the Reader know to what next God's blessing I impute that esteem and fortune I had among the Confederate Catholicks of Ireland In my beginning I was a great Partyman But considering my self and Soldiers but young beginners I meddled with nothing that was not almost sure remembring that young Hawks must be entred on weak game Having Marshal-law it was certain Death to take from any of our Friends the worth of a Hen. But withal I had care that my Soldiers should not want If any thing happen'd of that kind I sent out a Party with a sure Officer to bring in so many Beefs and at his return to tell me where he took ' em Then I issued my Order to the Commissioners to applot on the County or Barony from whence the cattle came their value and immediately to satisfie the Owners which was always allowed out of their Contributions This I held constantly during the War An other of my Rules no less punctually observed was That if by accident any want fell out to be in the Army I kept no Table and eat no better than the Soldiers did Though otherwise I did generally keep a good Table and my Officers were welcome to me I never took the worth of a crown for my self either from Country-man Officer or Soldier but lived still upon my bare Pay Though the Council never stinted me but left me at liberty to take besides what I should think fit out of the Treasure that commonly March'd along with the Army and was disposed of by my Orders I was a good Providore and had my Magazines well furnished and seated as I was to make the War For men eat every day but Fight seldom My Soldiers I called my Children and really had a Fatherly love and care for them And they by their duty bravery and affection made me a full return I punisht severely which made my Orders to be well observ'd and rewarded bountifully according to my power If an Officer or Soldier had done a brave Action I treated the Officer some days at my Table and took all occasions by talking to improve his glory and seldom either Officer or Soldier went without advancement or other reward I made it my business always to March and Encamp so as not to be engag'd to Fight without an enemy would come on great disadvantage My Intelligence and Spies cost me very dear But I had good Whenever I Fought or had a mind to Fight coming in view of the Enemy and being in order of Battle I rode to all the Battallions and Squadrons to observe their looks And then with a cheerful countenance acquainting them them truly with what I knew of the Enemy and our Condition I told them my own opinion for Fighting and if they liked it I would go on otherwise not This I did to engage them in judgment as well as duty I made it my business to get my Troops good Winter-Quarters But during the Field I was very strict in my Musters And ever and anon being not in danger of an Enemy I made the Battallions and Squadrons March by Companies that I might know their number just For a General will be cozen'd if he brings his men to Fight on sworn Relations I suffer'd no Officer to take from a Soldier the worth of a penny I do not remember that during the time I serv'd the Consederate Catholicks they ever gave me any Instructions what I should do but left all to my self Which made their business go the better I shall now conclude these Reflections with the greatest Reflection of all which is on my infinite obligation to Almighty God who hath so protected me that to this hour neither in those Wars of Ireland or any other that I have been in since either Army or Party of Army great or small was ever beaten so by an Enemy as to lose their ground to the end of the Fight where I Commanded in Chief FINIS
my March was soon given to Sir Hardress Waller or my Lord Brochil or both lying near Kilmallock with great Forces They pursued me and I coming to our appointed Rendevous no news there was of the fifteen hundred Foot Having lost this Anchor I was put to my Wits ends But not having much time to think the Enemy coming on I resolved to thrust into the next Fastness and save my self as well as I could But there was a Castle of the O-Machers that stood in the way possest by the Enemy And there being no other passage I sent to the adjacent Villages and got together Crows of Iron Pickaxes and what else that could be found necessary and making my Horse-men to alight I fell a Storming the Castle Which with the Assistance of the Limbrick Foot in three or four hours time was yielded I left my hundred men in this place to secure the Pass Now being pretty safe I lodg'd that night at my ease where Collonel Fitz Patrick came to me who had for some time kept in those Fastnesses with a good Party of Foot and some Horse My men being well refreshed I took the plain Countrey near Burras and after entring the Woods at the foot of the Mountain Sleau Bleauma I met Sir Walter Dungan then Commissary General of the Horse as was Ordered He brought with him only three hundred Horse but I finding my self still pursued with Horse and Foot besides what were gathering round on all sides I took leave of Sir Walter ordering him to return from whence he came and to stop all Forces that I had sent for as well from Vlster as Leinster So I with my thousand Horse marched into Conaught passing by the Bridge of Athlone Being there I posted to Loghreah where my Lord Deputy was with a General Assembly sitting in his House I coming into his Chamber found with him about a dozen principal men of the Assembly deputed to him setting forth the desperate Estate of the Nation with the impossibility much farther to hold out Besides that there were now come to the Town Mr. John Grace and Mr. John Bryan Commissioners from the Parliament or their Commander in Chief offering greater Conditions than was reasonably to be expected as the case stood Whilst this Address was making my Lord was glad to see me come in and ordered them to repeat what they had said I seemed much scandalized at the ill timing of their Proposals and therefore presently declared my dislike to it Then by my Lords permission weary and dirty as I was I went down into the Assembly as a Peer being a Member and exprest my detestation of what they had in hand demonstrating that if those fifteen hundred men commanded by one Collonel Burk had not failed I had probably now been Master of the Field besides that the noise of a Treaty might destroy all what could be hoped for of good from the Kings Endeavours against Cromwel that His Majesty as his own Letters spoke both to my Lord Deputy and my self made no doubt if he could gain fourty eight hours march before Cromwel towards England his business was done because all were ready there to joyn in assisting him And that he therefore conjured us not to hearken to any Treaty with the Enemy Then I set forth the state of the Forces of the Kingdom on all sides and concluded very severely against the two Parliament Commissioners So that they hastily packt out of Town and the Assembly let the matter fall Reynolds now besieged Tecrohan in Meath and my Lord Deputy came to Tyrrels Pace about twelve miles from it with two thousand Foot and seven hundred Horse A Councel of War being held I proposed that our Horse should alarm the Enemy whilst the Foot attempted to succour the Place taking their March through the Bogs 'T was alledged by all impossible to be done For coming near the place there were two necks of Land that did almost meet and that between them there was a great Way or Tougher with a large Ditch of Water on each side which must be ccossed and that in all likely hood the Enemy would plant their Guns on the firm Land at both ends of this Tougher and bring the strength of their Army to defend that Passage there being no other way seeing we had not force to attempt them on the firm Land I heard all this and knew it well yet did not agree to the Impossibility of entring the place Then addressing my self to the Deputy I begged pardon if I guessed at the thoughts of the Officers present which was that I being General of the Horse might well advance this Undertaking For I was to be with the Horse and so to have no share in this Danger But to shew them the contrary I desired his Excellency to give me the Command of this party of Foot which he did and himself to march with the Horse to alarm the Enemy on another side It being thus determined I entred the Bog which was eight miles long with my two thousand Foot and his Excellency took his March as was agreed Coming in sight of this Tougher I found the Enemy expecting as we had supposed for they saw me Marching from the first entring into the Bog I then put my men into the best Order I could in three Divisions two to attempt passing the Tougher the third to stand still faceing two or three Battallions that were drawn on my right hand fearing they would fall on my Flank or Rear I March'd on with my two Divisions Coming within Shot they raked me with their Cannon and great Volleys of small Shot But I advanced still and my men fought it on the Tougher with handy blows making those that Defended it retire to their Horse which stood drawn up at each end of the Tougher or firm Land Seeing this go so well I look'd back and saw my third Division which was to stand still coming after me I ran to it crying to the Officer that Commanded to attack the Battallions which he was commanded to look after on this he turned to his men and spake something in Irish that I do not know and March'd two or three hundred Paces in such a fashion that I could not tell whether he intended Fighting or Running away But coming to the Point where he must declare he plainly run away and all his Party followed him which when the two Divisions that had passed the Tougher saw they Marched on into the Place and I was left alone only some Gentlemen with me and by the favour of the night for now it began to be dark I got off and by the next morning returned to Terrils Pace where I had left my Lord Deputy who had all the Story before my coming and sending out took this Captain that had caused this Disorder who by a Council of War being condemned was shot to Death His name was Fox After this Ireton was not idle knowing our weakness too well and that