the Works in the Morning with a Captain Lieutenant and Ensign The Sutlers that were ready to go to Mullingar were to have a Guard at the Hospital where they were to take up what Men were sick or wounded And the Majors of each Regiment were to have a particular Care that the Mens Arms were fix'd and clean which Orders were often repeated June the 11th One Captain Taylor and two private Men desert from the Enemy who acquaint us that my Lord Tyrconnel by a Declaration dated May the 15th had ordered all the Rapparees into Connaught to recruit their Army and that the General St. Ruth at his going towards Athlone had ordered Brigadier Maxwel's Men to drive all the Cattle in those parts in the Rear of the Army for their support and that the Irish talk'd of giving us Battel tho' they were generally dissatisfied with the few and mean Cloaths sent them out of France and the small allowances of Provisions c. This Evening it was given out in Orders that the Chaplains should say Prayers at the Heads of their respective Regiments at ten in the Morning and seven at Night and to admonish the Men from Swearing a Vice too common at all times amongst us The 12th the Soldiers were prohibited Gaming and all Guards were to be relieved constantly at nine a Clock Our Line of Communication was then finished and we were working upon a Spur Half-Moon and Horn-Work with a good Ditch to cover the Draw-Bridge and Entrance to the Out-work There was also a Bastion begun to the Right towards the Lough and a large Half-Moon towards the Left both which command the new uttermost Work and the Fort was ordered to be amended by throwing part of it down and building it a new A Work was likewise designed along the Lough-side to cover those within that side being open and none could stir in the Fort but were exposed to Shot from the Hill A Platform was also designed for eight Guns on the top of the Mount The same Day ten Guns and three Mortars left at Mullingar were brought up and four Troopers desert the Enemy who confirm the Report of their being at Athlone with the greatest part of their Army June the 13th One hundred Prisoners were sent from the Camp to Carne-Castle a place three Miles hence where the Rapparees used to shelter themselves and demolished it And stealing being become very common in the Camp a Fellow was hanged for stealing an Horse which wrought some Reformation for a time The 14th and 15th we continued improving the forementioned Works On the 16th a strong Party of Horse was sent to view Athlone And on the 17th Lieutenant-Colonel Toby Purcell was left Governor of Ballymore with four Companies of Lieutenant-General Douglas's Regiment who went himself towards the North and from thence to Flanders The same Day my Lord Lisburn was sent out towards Lanesborough with a Party of two thousand Foot and five hundred Horse who meeting with a small Party of the Irish Horse kill'd two or three and the rest fled in haste towards the Shannon but mistaking the Ford one or two more were drown'd That Evening Orders were given out That no Sutler or other Person whatever should buy any Ammunition Arms or Accoutrements or any thing that belongs to the Soldiers on pain of Death because the Soldiers for a little Money would be apt to sell their Cloaths or Shooes And if as great Care were not taken of most of them as of Children they would soon be in a very indifferent condition June the 18th The Army march'd from Ballymore The Army march towards Athlone and is joyned by the Duke of Wirtenberg and encamp'd that Night at Ballyburn Pass near Twoy where we were joyned by that part of the Army commanded by the Duke of Wirtenberg and Count Nassau being all Foreigners and seven thousand in Number and now our Army is about eighteen thousand The General with a Party of Horse views Athlone where he could see several of the Enemy's Horse upon the little Hills nigh the Town and their Camp about two Miles beyond the River upon a narrow Neck of Land between two Boggs where they remain'd till the Town was taken June the 19th Very early in the Morning our Advance-Party We approach the Town march'd and by nine a Clock had beat the Enemy from several out Ditches to within the Walls of the English Town on this side the River our Men lodging themselves in the same Ditches For tho' the Irish quitted it the Year before and burnt the Houses both without and within the Walls upon the approach of Lieutenant-General Douglas yet they designed to show more Courage this time and defend this side the River also which made some blame Lieutenant-General Douglas as guilty of an Over-sight in not demolishing the Walls when he quitted it the Year preceeding but those that accompanied him in that Expedition know that he had not time for it And since the Irish seem'd so Brave the General was resolved to lose no time ordering three Guns to be planted nigh a Ford on Lanesborough-side which play'd all that Day upon a Breast-Work that the Enemy had on the other side About six in the Evening our Guns came up to a Battery planted between Isker and Athlone and that Night we were hard at work in raising another Battery on which we mounted nine eighteen Pounders And June the 20th about eight a Clock in the Morning Batteries planted our Battery began to play on a Bastion not far from Dublin-Gate by twelve we made a Breach the breadth of the Bastion and continued firing to prevent the Enemy from raising any Works within About three a Clock a Council of War was held wherein the following Rules were agreed upon in order to the storming the Place at five Which because they show the Method of Attacking Towns by Storm it will not be impertinent here to insert them Order of the Attack at ATHLONE the Twentieth of June 1691 at Five in the Afternoon There are to be Commanded from each Wing a hundred The Order of the Attack at Athlone and fifty Granadiers in all three hundred which are to be Commanded by a Lieutenant-Colonel and Major six Captains twelve Lieutenants twelve Serjeants and that Detachment shall be disposed of as followeth 1. A Lieutenant Serjeant and thirty Granadiers who as soon as they shall enter the Breach shall take to the Right towards the Bridge to prevent the Enemies getting that way into the Town but if they find any Retrenchment before the Bridge they shall Post themselves in Covert as well as they can thereabouts 2. After them a Captain two Lieutenants two Serjeants and fifty Soldiers 3. Then the Lieutenant-Colonel three Captains five Lieutenants five Serjeants with a hundred and twenty Granadiers who shall follow the two former Detachments towards the Bridge 4. After these the Major with two Captains four Lieutenants four Serjeants and a hundred and
day about 10 a Clock their Reer Guard of Horse stood on the other side of Melahy their Foot vanishing out of sight toward Balynasloe for Monsieur St. Ruth being out-done in so considerable a matter as the losing Athlone he was resolved to retrieve his loss or Dye since he could not be answerable to his Master that imployed him for what had already happened and therefore he used all the means possible to strengthen his Army find out a convenient place of advantage to try his Fortune in since he saw that we were not shye in affording him opportunities now he begins to be very kind to and familiar with the Irish Officers whom formerly he had treated with Disrespect and Contempt and to Caress the Soldiers tho a little before he would Hang a Dozen of them in a morning for very slender faults as they thought he draws therefore his Army into the most convenient posture he could to watch our Motions The first thing our General did after the Town was The Dead about Athlone Buried taken was to order the Dead in and about the Town to be buryed and in the Evening all our Army was drawn up and 41 pieces of Cannon fared three rounds being seconded by the Horse and Foot and then followed Bonfires for Joy that the Town was taken which had cost us 12000 Cannon Bullets 600 Bombs nigh 50 Tun of Powder and a great many Tun of Stones shot out of our Mortars But after the Town was taken the Soldiers were many of them unruly and committed several outrages therefore it was given out in Orders that night that no Soldier should go to the Town or over the Water on pain of Death and the Sutlers that went to Dublin were ordered to go to the Hospital and take up the sick and wounded Men. And here let me observe once for all that we had much better conveniencies for our Sick and Wounded this Campaign than formerly having a great many large Tents set up in form of a Quadrangle with Quilts and other conveniencies for every Soldier nor was Dr. Lawrence Physitian to the Army Charles Thomson Esquire Chirurgeon General Mr Thomas Proby and the rest of the Chirurgeons wanting in their careful industry to recover and heal the Sick and Wounded which no doubt must be a great incouragement to the poor Soldiers when they know that if any misfortune attends them they shall undoubtedly be taken care for The Enemy Resolve to give us Battle July the 2 d. We had an account by some Deserters that the Enemies Foot were gone beyond Balynasloe and their Horse were Encampt on this side of it that they resolved to stay thereabouts and Fight us tho at present they were in a great Consternation and seem'd doubtful of their own performances A great many of the Country people and Deserters came hourly in and the General gave them all protections assuring them that they shou'd be kept Inviolable against any of our Army or others resolving to punish the Offenders with Death but on the other hand expected all conformity of dutiful Subjects to their Majesties from them and if any were found to carry Intelligence to the Enemy or harbour succour or conceal them they should suffer Death for it This day the General had an account from one Capt. Aughmouty that the Enemy had quitted Lanesbourgh and that he with his Troop had possest himself thereof July the 3 d. The General commanded his Army The Works of Aâ—hlone repaired to begin the repairing the Works of Athlone which were strangely shattered by our Cannon and not one House left whole in all the Town Especially the Castle which was beat down to the ground on the Southeast side as was also the Tower within it we fell to work therefore and put some few shattered Houses in a condition to hold our Magazines and Stores which were daily coming up from Dublin and Mullingar and without which we could not march forwards That morning William Robinson Esquire one of the Pay-masters to the Army came with Money as also many Waggons and Carts with Ammunition and other Mecessaries A Trumpeter returns with an answer of a Letter sent to the Enemy about the exchange of Prisoners The Fourth proved very Rainy yet our Men were imployed in clearing the Streets repairing the Breaches and mounting four of the Enemies Guns taken in the Town upon some of our spare Carriages That Evening a Party of 20 Horse and ten of Kirk's Granadeers A party of our Horse surprized mounted were sent out to view the Enemies Camp being Guided and Commanded by one Higgins a Converted Priest but they fell into an Ambush of 400 of the Enemies Horse in the Woods of Clanoult our men defended a Bridge and fought stoutly for some time but were at last broke 15 kill'd and 4 taken Prisoners the rest escaping with Higgins who was sadly Wounded The 5th Major General Maxwell and other Prisoners were sent towards Dublin but some of them make their escapes Three out of Col. Parker's and as many out of My Lord Antrim's Regiments deserted to us The 6th The Prisoners sent to Dublin one of our men taken Prisoner two days before was released by Lieutenant General Sheldon and that Evening it was given out in Orders to be ready to march by 5 in the morning the left Wing over the Pontoons and the right Wing over the Bridge which was now repaired and every Soldier was to have 15 shot of Powder The 7th the Army marched over the River and a Prisoner that had made his escape going to Mullingar was taken nigh Banoher and having stole a Horse he was hanged with a Rapparee guilty of the like Fact Capt. Villers returns with 30. Horse from viewing the Enemy still at Balynasloe and the Militia possess some Passes upon the Shanon And because a Declaration published this day by the Lords Justices by direction from England made a great noise both in the Enemies Camp and ours as also all the Kingdom over during the remainder of the Campaign being that upon which the Articles of Galway and Limerick and all the Irish Capitulations were afterwards founded it will not be amiss here to give you the Declaration it self at large as it was Published By the Lords Justices of Ireland a Proclamation Charles Porter Tho. Coningsby SInce it hath pleased Almighty God to give so great Success to their Majesties Arms toward the Reduction of the Kingdom of Ireland that in all probability the whole must in a short time be brought under Their Majesties Obedience with great Effusion of Blood and Destruction of Their Majesties Enemies Their Most Excellent Majesties in Compassion to their Seduced Subjects to avoid further Effusion of Blood and that nothing on Their Majesties part be wanting to Incourage and Invite all who are now in Arms against Them to subject themselves to Their Obedience and Government have Commanded us And we the Lords Justices of this Kingdom
the Town but such a Guard as we think fit to send to one of the Gates which shall immediately be delivered to us according to the Custom of War III. That the Garison shall march out to morrow by Ten a Clock and be conducted by a Squadron of Horse to the nearest Garison of the Enemy and there shall be no crowding nor confusion when they march out IV. That nothing be carried out of the Town which belongs to the Protestants or other Inhabitants V. That the Governour obliges himself to deliver all Cannon and other sort of Arms Munition Victuals of any kind into the hands of such a Commissary as shall be ordered by us to receive them to morrow morning VI. That if there be any thing due from the Garison to the Inhabitants of the Protestant Religion it shall be paid and what has been taken from them shall be restored VII That a safe Conduct for all the Inhabitants of the Countrey and such of the Roman-Catholick Clergy that came for shelter to this Garison shall be allowed and that they go to their respective habitations together with their Goods and there be protected pursuant to King William 's Declaration bearing date the 22 d. of February last past VIII That care shall be taken of the sick and wounded men of the Garison that cannot go along with the Regiments and that when they are in a condition to follow the rest they shall have our Pass SCHONBERG Pursuant to which Articles the Irish marched out tho the Duke himself had much a-do to protect them from the Violence of the Countrey People the Injuries they had received in being plundered and stript by them were so fresh in their memories The Irish had about 150 killed and wounded during the Siege and the Duke near the same number and Wednesday the 28th and the day following the Army marched back to Belfast where they were joined by Duke Schonbergh's French Horse Sir Thomas Gowers Foot and some other Regiments sent from England On Saturday the last of August our Army was Our Army mustered at Belfast Mustered being Four Regiments of Horse one of Dragoons and Eighteen Regiments of Foot viz. Horse Earl of Devonshire's Lord Delamere's Col. Coy's and Duke Schonberg's with Col. Leveson's Dragoons Foot one Battalion of Blew Dutch Carleson's White Dutch Princess Anne's Col. Wharton's Earl of Drogheda's Lord Lisburn's Earl Meath's Lord Roscommon's Lord Lovelace's Earl of Kingston's the Duke of Norfolk's Col. Herbert's Sir Edward Deering's Sir Thomas Gower's Col. Earl's La Mellionere's Du Cambon's La Callimot's and a day or two after we were joined by most of the Inniskilling Horse who stayed with us during the succeeding Campaign The Duke having ordered most of his Artillery and Ammunition on Board at Carrickfergus our Train Horses being many of them as yet at Chester and then to go for Carlingford within eight miles of Dundalk he marched The Army march to Newry his Army forwards on Monday the 2 d. of September and came on the 6th to Newry which he found laid in Ashes by the Duke of Berwick who having been there with about 1700 Foot and Dragoons and two Troops of Horse had retired towards Dundalk the evening before and left Newry in a flame Here the General posted Capt. Palliser of Sir Thomas Gower's Regiment with Fifty men in an old Castle that was unburnt and on Saturday the 7th we Thence to Dundalk marched to Dundalk where the Army encamped on a low moist Ground nigh a mile short of the Town On Sunday the 8th Major-General Kirk's Sir John Hanmer's and Brigadier Stuart's Regiments join'd us from the North. The Irish Army were at this time in a great Consternation The Irish in confusion and it was debated whether they should quit Drogheda and Dublin and so retire towards the Shannon but my Lord Tyrconnel opposed it and when Marshal De Rose understood that Duke Schonberg halted at Dundalk He was sure he said that he wanted something necessary for their going forwards and therefore part of their Army advanced first to Ardee and then in a day or two to a place called the Bridge of Fane upon a small River within three miles of Dundalk whither the late King with his whole Army being about 28000 well arm'd and nigh Ten thousand indifferently arm'd men followed about the 15th at what time we began to intrench our Camp and also some shipping with Provisions came to us Friday the 20th we were alarm'd with the Enemies The Irish make a shew of fighting approach and they did appear upon the Hills above the Town next day drawing out their whole Army with a Train of Artilery which the Duke seeing ordered all his men to stand to their Arms and expected the Enemies attacking him but that they had no great mind to and after a Discovery of a Plot by some French to carry the rest over to King James one Du Plessy and five more being hanged as also Two hundred others sent for England the Enemy seeing that opportunity lost they returned with the main Body of their Army to Ardee where they encamped till about the 4th of November and then they marching off we thought it high time to do so likewise after being encamp'd almost Ten weeks in a very unwholsome place and pestered with all the disadvantages of bad weather by reason of which we lost in the Camp in our going to Quarters and in them and the Hospitals at least one half of our men the Army consisting then of Nine Regiments and Two Troops of Horse Four Regiments of Dragoons and Thirty Regiments of Foot whereof Two Regiments of Horse One of Dragoons and Six of Foot did not come to the Camp but were quartered in the Countrey The English Camp near Dundalk Towards the latter end of November the General ordered a Meeting of all the Countrey Gentlemen then in the North of Ireland to be at Lisburne where his Grace's Head Quarters were fixed at what time they presented the Duke with an Address and then agreed upon Rates for all sorts of Provision which by Proclamation from the General were commanded to be sold accordingly December the 12th Collonel Woolsly marched with a Party towards Belturbet which was surrendred to him by the Irish and on the 13th the Duke went to view Charlemont a strong-hold which the Irish then had and kept for some time afterwards Towards the latter end of December the Irish began to lessen the Coin of their Brass-Money calling in the large Half-Crowns and stamping them a new for Crowns and near the same time Major-General Major-General Mackarty makes his escape Mackarty made his escape from Inniskilling where he had remained a Prisoner ever since the Rout at Croom Castle Collonel Hambleton Governour of the Town was Tried by a Court-Marshal for it afterwards but producing Major-General Kirk's Letter to him wherein he desired that some further Conveniencies might be allowed Mackarty than formerly upon which it
he admitted my Lord Dover to a more particular Protection than ordinary because he had applied himself formerly by a Letter to Major-General Kirk to desire a Pass for himself and Family to go into Flanders His Majesty at his return to the Camp declared The King intends for England his Resolution to go for England and leaving Count Solmes Commander in Chief he went as far as Chappel-Izard nigh Dublin with that Intention ordering one Troop of Guards Count Sconberg's Horse formerly my Lord Devonshires Collonel Matthews's Dragoons Brigadier Trelawny's and Collonel Hastings's And sends some Forces thither Foot to be shipt off for that Kingdom And on the first of August His Majesty published a Second Declaration not only confirming and strengthening the former but also adding That if any Foreigners then in Arms against him in that Kingdom would submit they should have Passes to go into their own Countries or whither else they pleased A Proclamation was also published for all the Irish in the Countrey to deliver up their Arms and those who refused or neglected to be abandoned to the Discretion of the Soldiers As also another Proclamation for a Weekly Fâ—st And then His Majesty appointed Richard Pine Esq Sir Richard Reves and Robert Rochfort Esq Lords Commissioners of the Great Seal who began now to act accordingly But the King received a further Account from England But returns to the Camp That the loss at Sea was not so considerable as it was at first given out and that there was no danger of any more French Forces landing in that Kingdom they having already burnt only a small Village and so were gone off without doing any further damage The danger of that being therefore over His Majesty returned to the Army which he found encamped at Golden Bridge nigh Cashell and about seventeen miles from Limrick where His Majesty had intelligence of the Posture of the Enemy in and about that City August the 8th Lieutenant-General Douglas and his Limerick Besieged Party from Athlone joined the King's Army at Cariganlis And on the 9th the whole Army approached that strong Hold of Limerick without any considerable loss the greatest part of their Army being Encampt beyond the River in the County of Clare His Majesty as soon as his Army was posted sent a Summons to the Town which was refused to be obeyed by Monsieur Boiseleau the Duke of Berwick Sarsfield and some more though a great part of their Army were even then willing to Capitulate Next Morning early the King sent a Party of Horse and Foot under Major-General Ginckell and Major-General Kirk to pass the River which they did near Sir Samuel Foxon's House about two miles above the Town The same day some Deserters from the Enemy gave his Majesty an account of their Circumstances and one of our own Gunners did as much for us who informed the Enemy of our Posture in the Camp as also of Eight Pieces of Cannon with Ammunition Provisions the Tin-Boats and several other Necessaries then upon the Road which Sarsfield with a Party of Horse and Dragoons had the luck to surprize two Some of our â—â—ns surprized days after at a little old Castle called Ballynedy within seven miles of our Camp killing about Sixty of the Soldiers and Waggoners and then marched off with little or no opposition tho his Majesty had given Orders for a Party of Horse to go from the Camp and meet the Guns the night before Tuesday the 12th Brigadier Stuart went with a Party Castle Connel taken and four Field-Pieces to Castle-Connel a Strong-hold upon the Shannon four miles from Limerick the besieged being 126 under one Captain Barnwell after some time submitted and were brought Prisoners to the Camp Sunday the 17th at night we opened our Trenches Our Trenches opened which were mounted by Seven Battalions under the Duke of Wirtenbergh Major-General Kirk Major-General Tetteau and Sir Henry Bellasts beating the Irish out of a Fort nigh two old Chimneys where about Twenty were killed and next night our Works were relieved by Lieutenant General Douglas my Lord Sidney Count Nassau and Brigadier Stuart with the like number and the day following we planted some new Batteries which his Majesty going to view as he was riding towards Ireton's Fort he stopt his Horse on a sudden to speak to an Officer a Four and twenty pound Ball the very moment grazing on the side of the Gap where his Majesty was going to enter which certainly must have dash'd him to pieces had not the commanding God of Heaven prevented it who still reserves him for greater matters This I saw being then upon the Fort as I did that other Accident at the Boyne before Wednesday the 20th we attack'd a Fort of the Enemies A Fort taken nigh the South East Corner of the Wall which we soon took and killed 50 taking a Captain and twelve men Prisoners and about an hour after the Enemy sallyed with great Bravery thinking to regain the Fort but were beat in with loss there being killed in the Fort and the Sally about Three hundred though we lost Captain Needham Captain Lacy and about Eighty private men A PROSPECT of LIMERICK BEARING DUE WEST Exactly shewing the Approaches Batteries Breach ct Sold by R. Chiswell in St. Pauls churchyard Next day the Soldiers were in hopes that his Majesty would give orders for a second Attack and seemed resolved to have the Town or lose all their lives but this was too great a risque to run at one place and they did not know how our Ammunition was sunk especially by the former day's work we continued however our Batteries and then a storm of Rain and other bad weather begun to threaten us which fell out on Friday the 29th in good earnest upon which his Majesty calling a Council of War it was concluded the safest way was to quit the Siege without which we could not have secured our heavy Cannon which we drew off from the Batteries by degrees and found much difficulty in marching them five miles next day Sunday the last of August all our His Majesty raised the Siege Army drew off most of the Protestants that lived in that part of the Countrey taking that opportunity of removing further into the Countrey with the Army and would rather leave their Estates and all their Substance in the Enemies hands than trust their persons any more in their power His Majesty seeing the Campaign nigh an end went towards Waterford where he appointed Henry Lord Viscount Sidney Sir Charles Porter and Tho. Conningsby Esq Lords Justices of Ireland and then setting And returns to England sail with a fair Wind for England his Majesty was welcomed thither with all the Joy and Satisfaction imaginable CHAP. III. September 1690. The French Forces quit Ireland Birr besieg'd by the Irish who draw off towards Banoher Bridge Count Solms 's Answer to the Duke of Berwick 's Letter Lieutenant-General
early in the Morning Grace and Hogan two Rapparee Captains with eighty Men surprized a Castle called Camgart within six Miles of Birr kept all Winter by a Party of the Militia the news of which was brought some time after to Carolante where was a Garrison kept by the Earl of Drogheda's Regiment The Account of this was brought in haste and very imperfect so that Ensign Story who was there with another Officer thinking to hinder the Irish from getting into the Castle or at least if they were in to prevent the burning of it he goes with all speed with a Party of thirty Men from Carolante towards Camgart being not above an English Mile but the Enemy were got in long before and had secured all the Garrison and seeing our Party approach they kept themselves very close within the Works The Ensign and his Men coming nigh the place and seeing no appearance of either Enemies or Friends he posted his Men in an Orchard within Musquet-shot of the Castle and himself with two Men went up towards the Gate but being got too nigh the Works a Woman carrying Water to a Cabbin made a sign that the Enemy was within which occasion'd the Ensign to stop at which they fired a whole Volley upon him killing himself and one of the Men the Party could not bring off the Ensign's Body being so near the Castle but after some stay there they march'd off without any further trouble from the Enemy The other Officer Commanding in Carolante sent back a Drum for Ensign Story 's Body which the Irish made some scruple to deliver but proferr'd to bury him Honourably which they did allowing his own Drum to beat the Dead March before him and themselves fired three Vollies at his Grave acknowledging at his Death some former Civilities from him which is very rare with that sort of People But this particular I mention to show the incertainty of the things of this World for this Officer was well and at liberty at nine a Clock in the Morning but before twelve he was not only in the power but buried by his Enemies and that with great Formality And a Man that is at the Pains to Describe other Peoples Actions may be allowed the liberty to leave one Page to the Memory of his own Brother As soon as the General came to Mullingar he ordered the Works that had been made last Winter for the security of that place to be contracted into a narrower compass that fewer Men might be left for their defence and planted four Piece of Cannon upon the Mount towards the South-side of the Town Whilst the General continued here the Design of passing the Shannon at Melick and Banoher seem'd to be the most plausible and therefore June the 5th the General sent Mr. Trench a Clergy-man and one who has been Mr. Trench sent to the Duke of Wirtenberg very forward in Their Majesties Service to the Duke of Wirtenberg then at Bally-Boy as was expected with Directions to view the afore-mentioned places and encamp thereabouts till the rest of the Army joyn'd him or if he could to surprize a Passage over the Shannon whilst the Enemy were gazing upon the Motion of the other part of the Army Mr. Trench and his Party of thirty Horse with a great deal of difficulty got through the Enemy who then were at Bally-Boy and most of that Country thereabouts to the Duke of Wirtenberg whom he found encamped at Roscreagh but after Mr. Trench's departure the General and the rest of the Great Officers considering that should they decline to the left towards Melick and Banoher and leave the great Road leading towards Athlone if the Enemy would be desperate there was nothing to hinder them from marching even up to Dublin and therefore they sent another Express to the Duke of Wirtenberg on the 7th to march forwards in order to joyn the Army towards Athlone Now you must know the Irish having been very A Stratagem of the Irish to get Horses industrious all the Winter past and ever since to form a Body of Horse as well by stealing ours as by other methods most agreeable to their purpose their last Trick was to order all the Gentlemen Voluntiers in those Countries within their own Jurisdiction to appear with their best Horses and Arms by such a day at Limerick pretending to conferr marks of Honour and Distinction upon the forwardest by which means they Assembled a great many Men and most of them well Mounted who all being drawn up in the King's-Island the greatest part of them were on a sudden ordered to dismount and deliver up their Horses for the use of the Army who they were told could better manage them for the King's Interest In a day or two after this the whole Body They march towards Athlone of their Army being about twenty thousand Foot and five thousand Horse and Dragoons moved towards Athlone which way they understood by their Spies that our Army designed to march Saturday June the 6th the General with his Army Our Army march towards Ballymore march'd from Mullingar to Rathcondra between Meerscourt and Cairn-Castle being about six Miles leaving at Mullingar nine Twenty four Pounders one eighteen Pounder and three Mortars Within a Mile of our Camp we were joyned upon the march by Lieutenant-General Douglas with the following Regiments viz. Foot Lieutenant-General Douglas's Brigadier Stuart's Sir Henry Bellasis's Colonel Tiffin's Colonel St. John's Colonel Gustavus Hamilton's Colonel Herbert's and Colonel Creighton's as also Colonel Woolsey's Twelve Troops of Horse with Colonel Wynn's and Sir Albert Cunningham's Dragoons The same day a Deserter of my Lord George Hamilton's was hanged upon a Bush as the Army march'd by That night the General sent out a strong Party of Dragoons towards Ballymore as well to prevent relief from getting in as to secure the Enemy from stealing of in the night towards Athlone These meeting with some of that Garrison abroad killed four and brought in two Prisoners one of which was very much wounded and gave an Account That the Garrison in Ballymore was a Detachment of their best Men sent from Athlone being about a thousand in number June the 7th the Army march'd to Ballymore Ballymore besieged and by twelve a Clock had beat the Enemy within the Works and surrounded the Fort the Enemy firing their small Shot and two small Turkish Pieces that were mounted upon old Cart-Wheels But before I give you an Account of the taking this Fort it will not be amiss to give you a slender Description of it I do not find any thing Remarkable of this place The Place described in former times it 's only a small Village upon the Great Road between Mullingar and Athlone being ten Miles distant from each The place has always been very poor and had only two or three Houses of Entertainment in it the rest being all Irish Cabbins to the number of a hundred or thereabouts though
suffered for it That Night the Enemy raised two Batteries above The Enemy plant new Batteries the Castle the one close by the River the other at a greater distance from it upon a rising Ground the one of four the other of three six Pounders with the latter of which June 25. they play'd on the old Walls in the Town where our Men were lodged but did little or no harm with the other they shot into some of our Regiments encamped near the River which obliged them to remove to a greater distance Our Battery of six Twenty-four Pounders below the Bridge play'd on the Enemy's Breast-Work on the other side which did it very great Damage and also ruin'd most of the Houses that were as yet left standing which so exposed the Enemies other Works to our view that they were forced to quit most of their Trenches none appearing but some few behind the Castle The 26th was spent in firing from seven Batteries Seven Batteries now at work upon the Enemies Works and a great many were kill'd in endeavouring to repair them About thirty Waggons loaden with Powder come to the Camp and that Night we possess our selves of all the Bridge except one Arch at the farther end on Connaught side which was broken down and we repair another broken Arch in our possession and all Night our Guns and Mortars play most furiously For the Design of passing the River at the Ford being frustrate the General and the other Great Officers resolve to try what can be done in forcing our way through Athlone it self and therefore we labour hard to gain the Bridge but what we got here was Inch by Inch as it were the Enemy sticking very close to it though great Numbers of them were slain by our Guns And this Service cost us great store of Ammunition The 27th seven Rapparees were brought in being taken at Ballynehewen to which place the General ordered a Garrison of a Lieutenant and twenty Men. That Afternoon one hundred Carrs came from Dublin to the Camp loaden with Cannon-Ball And all that Day our Guns and Mortars fired without intermission We raised also a Battery of five Guns in the Meadow below the Town to stop the way the Enemy had on that side of coming into the Town And in the Evening our Men burn the Breast-Works the Enemy had on the other side the broken Arch with throwing their Granado's for most of these being made of Fascines and the Weather being hot they soon dried and easily took fire That Night we wrought very hard on the last Arch in the Enemies possession So that on Sunday the 28th in the Morning our Beams were laid The Enemy ruin our Works over and partly planked which the Enemy perceiving they detach'd a Sergeant and ten Men out of Brigadier Maxwell's Regiment being all bold and daring Scots these were all in Armour and came over their own Works with a design to ruin ours but were all of them slain and yet this did not discourage as many more from setting about the same piece of Service and they effected it by throwing down our Planks and Beams maugre all our Firing and Skill tho' they all lost their Lives as Testimonies of their Valour except two who escaped amongst all the Fire and Smoak This made us resolved to carry on our Work by a close Gallery on the Bridge which was done But all last Night and that Morning the Enemy were hard at work in repairing some old and making new Trenches in the Meadow opposite to our new Battery and our Guns are now playing very briskly especially on a place called Connaught-Tower which stood on the North-side the Castle and was so solid that it took up more time to bring down than any one part of the Castle This Afternoon a Council of War was held wherein A design to pass the Shannon it was concluded That next Morning we should attempt passing the Shannon one Party to go over the Bridge a second to pass upon the Floats and Pontoons and a third Detachment were to go over the Ford below the Bridge where our Horse were also to pass and second the Foot a large Breach being made on the other side for their entrance And accordingly at Night Orders were given out That forty three Granadeers eighty three private Men three Captains five Lieutenants two Ensigns and seven Sergeants out of each Regiment with fifteen Shots a Man and every one a green Bough in his Hat should be ready by six a Clock in the Morning under the Walls of the Town and all to be commanded by Major-General Mackay but the whole to be done with the greatest silence and secresie imaginable Killkenny was the Word that Night The 29th in the Morning our Men were ready according to Orders and march'd to the Town-Wall where they stood at their Arms but before our Boats and their Appurtenances could be drawn into the Town it was ten a Clock and all this Morning we observed great Bodies of the Enemy march into the Irish Town though our Cannon were very troublesome to them for the Irish guessing at our Design or rather being assured of it by some Deserters they drew a very considerable Body of their choicest Men to their Works But whilst these Preparations were making on both sides the Granadiers of both Parties that defended the Breast-works on the Bridge throwing The Enemy burn our close Gallery Hand-Granadoes one at the other the Enemies Granadoes set fire to our Fascines that lay close on the broken Arch where our Gallery was which suddenly flamed so violently that our Men could not endure the Fire and Smoke that blew in their faces and though they laboured very hard to extinguish it yet could not prevent the burning that part of the Breast-work next the broken Arch but preserved all the rest by raising another Breast-work on a sudden just behind the burnt one By this time it was past twelve a Clock and the Generals finding the Attack upon the Town that way like to cost many Lives they deferr'd it till new Measures were Consulted on nor knew they well what to think at present seeing themselves defeated in so great a Project and as it fell out Providence in all appearance had ordered it for the best for it 's probable that if our Men had really forced the Bridge at that time they would have run great hazards in storming the Town the Enemy being so well provided for them and then our Retreat could not have been without the ruin of more Men than it has pleased God we lost in all the Actions since All that Afternoon our Guns continue firing And also June the 30. Our Canon play without ceasing and in the Afternoon another Council of War was held wherein the difficulties of staying there any longer were represented all the Forrage being consumed A Council of War for several Miles round so that they must resolve to do something with Expedition
do us what mischief lay in their power and this was one reason that Col. Coys Horse and Col. Matthews Dragoons with Col. Hastings Sir John Hanmers Princess Anns Major General Trelawny's Col. Hale's the Bandenburgh and Danish Regiment of Foot were left in the County of Cork as well to keep in the Irish on that side as to secure those Garrisons from any foreign Invasion My Lord Drogheda's Regement was left in Westmeath and Col. Mitchelburns and Col. Venners in the A part of our Army left in the Country and why North and besides those we had in most places of the Kingdom under their Majesties Government a very active Malitia who were ready on all occasions to do Service Towards the beginning of June Major Culliford with a Party of Col. Matthews Dragoons and some Militia make inroads into the Enemies Quarters and bring several Preys from thence but with little loss of men to either side But hearing that a Party of the Enemys Horse and Foot to the number of 2000. or more as was reported were ordred to defend a part of the County of Cork and that of Kerry from whence the Irish had got greatest part of their Relief the preceeding Winter and were in hopes still so to do Major Culliford Major Culliford surprizes some of the Enemy with 120. of Col. Matthew's Dragoons and 50 Militia Foot surprised two of the Enemies Troops killed about 20. and pursued the rest to Newmarkit where we killed 15 more and took a prey and after that went four Miles further in hopes of a greater which we met with But Sir James Cotter being nigh the place with about 500. Horse and Dragoons fell upon our men as they were in disorder killed 20 and took as many Prisoners Major Culliford with 80. men made good their retreat and in the mean time 24. Militia and a 11 Dragoons got to a place called Drumaugh with part of the Prey and 20. of our men under Capt. Bower did the Enemy some mischief in their drawing off killing 23 or there abouts The same day Col. Hastings Col. Ogelby c. with 200. of the Army and 500 Militia being at Ballynagooly and understanding Major Cullifords danger they marched beyond Balycleugh to his Relief where the Enemy had lined some Hedges but our men forced them from thence and that Evening killed 50 next morning relieving those who took unto Drumaugh killing 13 and burning all the Country thereabouts Nigh the same time our Militia kill and take several Rapparees near Cashell and Major Welden with a party from Mountmelick kills 14. A party also of Col. Woolsley's Horse being Detached to scowre the Country about Bally-Boy killed 50. Rapparees at several times Judge Cox being made Governour of the Militia Judge Cox orders Iniskean to be Fortified in the County of Cork Fortifies Iniskean and puts a a Garison in it sending some of the Militia under Col. Townsend towards Bantree where they killed nigh a 100 Rapparees and brought off good store of Plunder and Col. Hastings from Cork seizes upon Drummaneer a considerable Post near the Black Water June the 17. A Party marched from Cashel and Clonmell who were in expectation of meeting with 400. Irish nigh Typerary but they having notice of it withdrew only our Party met with about 30 most of whom were killed and the Town Burnt The Rapparees near Roscreagh had a design to steal the Cattle of that Town but in the effecting of it 12. were killed and the Prey rescued Capt. White and some of the Militia went towards the Bogg of Allen where they killed 13 and the rest with Mackabe their Leader escaped for that time June the 19. A Party of the Earl of Drogheda's Regiment went from Athy to a place called Clonmellera having along with them Sir Thomas Atkins High Sheriff of the Queens County and a Party of the Militia their design was to surprize several notorious Rogues whom they had information were Harboured in that place they kill'd about 8. or 10. tho they did not meet with those Rogues that they expected June the 20. Two Rapparees were kill'd at Caperquin and two at the Gualtire and nigh the same time there was a party of a ragged Irish Regiment called the Prince of Wales's under one Delany a Franciscan Fryer near Castle-Town not far from Cashell who being frighted with a Rumour that part of our Forces were marching that way they all indeavour'd to shift for themselves Three of our Danes were surprized near Clonmell and carry'd to the Mountains but they and a Militia Trooper getting loose in a place where the Rapparees had bound them kill'd three Rapparees and got safe home Ten more were kill'd near Thurles and Twelve a day or two after near Bally-Boy as also two of Lutterill's Dragoons My Lord Blaney Lord Lieutenant of the County of Monahan having ordered the Militia of that County to be in Arms they kill'd 7 Rapparees at one time and 5 at another in the County of Monahan and two more in the County of Armaugh his Lordship by his diligence being very instrumental in keeping in the Irish from making Excursions from those parts about Sligoe And towards the latter end of June the Lords Justices by a Proclamation ordered the Weekly Fast to be renewed and every Friday to be set a part for craving the assistance of Almighty God in prospering of our Fleet and Army CHAP. VI. The Irish Army Decamp The Dead buried at Athlone The Enemy resolve to give us Battle The Works of Athlone repaired A party of our Horse surprized The Irish Prisoners sent to Dublin The Lords Justices Declaration to the Irish Our Army march from Athlone The Enemies Camp and Posture described The Orders that Night Monsieur St. Ruth 's supposed Speech to the Irish Our Army in sight of the Enemy The Line of Battle The Battle of Agrim A party of our Foot beat off Reinforced by Major General Talmash they beat the Enemy Monsieur St. Ruth kill'd Their Army Routed The number of the Dead And of the Prisoners Our loss at the Battle Instances in former Battles wherein the Irish have been Routed with little loss to the English An account of some Irish Prophecies Our Army lye upon their Arms that night Brigadeer Eppinger goes towards Portumna Loughrea deserted by the Irish Our Army march thither Then to Athenree July 1691. The General goes towards Galway The Town described Siege laid to it Major General Mackay passes the River A Fort taken The Irish beat a parley Hostages exchanged The Articles of Surrender Our Army return towards Limerick A Brief account of what happned in other places of the Kingdom during this Month. THE first of July My Lord Portland's Regiment of Guards Landed at Dublin and marcht in two or three Days towards the Camp upon our taking the Town Mons St. Ruth with the Irish Army The Irish Army decamp decamped that night and marcht towards Milton Pass and next
by Their Majesties special Direction and Command do by this Our Proclamation Publish Declare and Promise that All and Every the Private Souldiers now in Arms against Their Majesties in the Enemies Army who shall within three Weeks after the Date of this Our Proclamation surrender up Themselves their Horse Arms and Furniture to the Commander in Chief or any other Their Majesties Officers shall not only be paid a reasonable Rate for their Horse Arms and Furniture which they shall so deliver up but shall be fully and freely Pardoned of all Treasons and other Crimes and Offences against Their Majesties and that All and Every Person or Persons who now are Governours Officers Commanders or Souldiers of or in any Cities Towns Forts Castles or other Garrisons in Their Kingdom of Ireland not already under Their Majesties Power and Obedience who shall surrender deliver and yield up any such City Town Fort or Garrison unto the General or other Officer of Their Majesties Army within three Weeks after the Date of this Our Proclamation and All other Officers and Souldiers now serving or being in the Enemies Army or Quarters who shall within three Weeks time after the Date of this Our Proclamation come in and bring with them their Regiments Troops or Companies or some considerable part thereof and submit themselves to Their Majesties Obedience and deliver up their Horses Arms and Furniture of War they and every of them both Officers and Souldiers shall be fully freely and absolutely Pardoned of all manner of Treasons Crimes or Offences committed against Their Majesties Their Crown and Dignity and shall also be Restored to and put in Possession of all their Estates forfeited for such Treasons Crimes and Offences and if any Citizens and Inhabitants or other Persons Residing in the City of Limerick or Town of Galway shall within the time aforesaid either of themselves or by joyning with any other be Instrumental or assisting in delivering up either of the said Places to Their Majesties Obedience they and every of them shall be likewise fully freely and absolutely Pardoned of all manner of Treasons Crimes or Offences committed against Their Majesties Their Crown and Dignity and shall also be Restored to and put in Possession of all their Estates forfeited for such Treason Crimes or Offences and we do hereby further Publish and Declare that if any Officers and Souldiers now in Command in the Enemies Army or in any of the Cities Castles Forts or Garrisons of the Enemy not having any Estates forfeited or to which he or they can be Restored shall render unto Their Majesties any of the Services aforesaid such Person and Persons Officers and Souldiers shall be fully and liberally Rewarded by the General of Their Majesties Army in such or greater Proportion as the Services by them done shall deserve and such of the said Officers and Souldiers as shall desire to Enter into Their Majesties Pay shall be Received in the like or better Post and Condition as they now Serve under the Enemy and lest those who are to take Benefit by this Proclamation may be Apprehensive of being prosecuted for Exercising their Religion tho Their Majesties have sufficiently manifested to the World by the Rest and Quiet not only Roman Catholicks of this Kingdom but those of England have injoyed under Their Government may be sufficient to Remove any such Apprehensions we are commanded further to Publish Declare And we do Hereby Publish and Declare that as soon as Their Majesties Affairs will permit them to Summon a Parliament in this Kingdom They will endeavour to procure them such further security in these particulars as may preserve them from any disturbance upon the account of their Religion and we do hereby Advise and Admonish all such Persons who still Adhere to the Enemy Carefully and Prudently to consider the ill Estate and Condition whereunto they are Reduced and seriously to recollect into their Minds and Memory the Quiet and Blessed Estate and Security which they enjoyed under the English Government and the vast difference betwixt that and the Tyranny of France and withal the terrible Consequences which must follow if they any longer neglect returning to their Duty and thereby lose the Benefit of Their Majesties most Benign and Gracious Compassion and Intention towards them Given at Their Majesties Castle of Dublin the 7th Day of July 1691. in the Third Year of Their Majesties Reign God Save the KING and QVEEN July the 8th all the heavy Baggage was a passing over the River and it was ordered that the Officers of the Quarter-Guards should go frequent Rounds and send all the Souldiers they found Gameing or Drinking after Taptoe to the Provoe's the General being much displeased at such Disorders by means of which a great many irregular things were done especially Plundering and Robbing of Tents which yet was continued tho several were made Examples to the very end of the Campaign It was also ordered that an Account of all those that were killed and wounded since our coming to this Town should be returned to the Adjutant General which was about Sixty Killed and a Hundred and Twenty wounded And that the General might leave nothing unattempted which might contribute to the bringing the Enemy over by fair means he settled Allowances of Subsistance to all Persons that would come off according to their several Qualifications viz. Collonels of Horse and Dragoons 11 l. 10 s. per Month and Foot 10 l. per Month and so proportionably to every one July the 9th proved a very hot day till about 5 in Extraordinary Rains and Thunder the Afternoon when it fell a Raining and then such Thunder Hail and a Hurrycane of Wind as the like had scarce been seen before this continued for two Hours in which time two Men and a Boy were killed by Lightning and two or three more hurt in the Prince of Hess's Regiment The Town being now pretty well cleared and new Works raised on Conaught side On Friday the 10th Our Army March from Athlone of July the General having left Col. Lloyd Governour of Athlone with his own and Lieut. Gen. Douglas's Regiments he moved forwards with the Army and Encamped that Night at Killcashel 7 Miles nearer to the Enemy whence the General went to view the Pass at Ballynasloe a small Village upon the River Suck where stands a Castle built formerly by the Ancestors of my Lord Clanrickard from hence the Enemy was retired 3 Miles further Saturday the 11th we marcht to Ballynasloe and encampt along the River Suck upon the Roscomon side this is a good Pass and the Irish might have given us some trouble in gaining it but that they had found out a much better place as will soon appear As our Army was Encamping our Great Officers went to the Hills of Knocksdunloe in the County of Galway about a Mile distant from our Camp from whence they could see the Enemies out-Guards upon the Hills of Corbally who upon our
the General resolving to make all the Force he could they had also their part both of the Honour and Service of the Action And tho Brigadeer Stuart is there set down it 's only as to his Post for he was then at Dublin ill of his Wounds received at Athlone Col. Lloyds Regiment was also in Garison at Athlone and two more left at Balynasloe so that we were not altogether so strong as this Line of Battle makes us In this order the Morning proving Foggy our Army stood till nigh 12 a Clock and then were Commanded to Advance the General going with a party before to view the Enemy and perceiving some of their out Scouts upon the Hills ordered a party to beat them thence upon whose advance the Enemy retired from place to place till they were within half a Mile of their Camp by which means the General had an opportunity from an high Hill to the Right of the Enemy to view their whole Army posted as before described by which posture they had the advantage by at least 1000 men but being assured of the valour of his Army the General resolved to draw nearer and expect what further opportunities of advantage might offer in order to which and for the security of our own Army he saw the necesity of gaining that Pass to the Right of the Enemy called Vrachree where the Irish had some men posted he sent therefore a Danish Captain with 16 Troopers to force it but the men run away from a less number than themselves tho the Officer behaved himself very well and the rest retrieved their Honour afterwards upon this the General ordered two Hundred of Sir Albert Cunninghams Dragoons to march to certain Ditches nigh the said Foord to keep the Enemy from coming over and in the mean time our Army was marching forwards by this time it was Two a Clock and the General finding the necessity of having that Foord and other ways that led to the Right of the Enemy as the most proper ways to assault them he ordered Cunninghams Dragoons at the Ditch to advance towards a Party of the Enemy that stood on the other side were sustained by a considerable Body behind the House of Vrachree all which at the advancing of our Dragoons retired behind an Hill nigher their Camp and where a greater Body was posted then some of our Dragoons pressing on too far were obliged to retreat a little disorderly the Enemy sustaining their Men by several fresh Parties which the General perceiving he ordered Briggadeer Eppinger's Dragoons to get between them and their Camp but this was discovered by the Enemy who had the advantage of pouring in so many Men upon us that they would have been too hard for our Dragoons still if they had not been quickly seconded by greatest part of the Earl of Portlands Horse who behaved themselves with great Bravery and lost several Men and Horses in this part of the Action And what was at first only a Skirmish had by this time engaged a considerable Body on both sides fresh Parties being still sent out tho after about an hours dispute the Enemy were obliged to retire in some Disorder over the Brook that flanked the Right of their Army no considerable dammage being done as yet to either side Then all things seemed pretty quiet for a while and our General Officers coming together began to consult whither it was fit to give the Enemy Battel that Night considering the disadvantages we were to expect in Attacking them some therefore were for deferring the Battle that Night and so to fall on by break of day next Morning which was so far agreed to as that our Tents were ordered to be sent for and pitched along the other side the Bogg but then perceiving the Enemy to be in some Disorder by what had already happened they concluded not to delay their Attack lest the Enemy should March off in the Night and so afford us no more opportunities it was therefore agreed to prosecute the Battel on the Enemies Right by that means proposing to draw part of their strength from Aghrim Castle nigh which their main Body was posted that so our Right might have the easier Passage over to Attack their Left and then our whole Army might have opportunity to engage This I am told was the Advice of Major General Mackay a Man of great Judgement and long Experience and it had its desired Success Our Army was disposed of as you see in the Line of Battel only the General moved up and down as he saw occasion as did also the rest of the General Officers and before the Battel began there was no distance left between the first and second Line since a great part of the second Line were the first that engaged The Irish Army was commanded by Monsieur St. Ruth Lieutennant General D'usson Monsieur De' Tessec Lieutenant General Sarsefield Major General John Hambleton Major General Dorington and several other About half an hour past Four in the Afternoon a part of our Left Wing moved towards the Enemy and by Five the Battel began a fresh A Party of our Foot marched up to their Ditches all strongly guarded with Musketiers and their Horse posted advantageously to sustain them here we fired one upon another for a considerable time and the Irish behaved themselves like Men of another Nation defending their Ditches stoutly for they would maintain one side till our Men put their Pieces over at the other and then having Lines of Communication from one Ditch to another they would presently post themselves again and flank us this occasioned great firing on both sides which continued on the Left nigh an hour and an half e're the Right of our Army or the Centre engaged except with their Cannon which played on both sides All this while our Men were coming up in as good Order as the Inconveniency of the Ground would allow and now Major General Mackay and the rest seeing the Enemy draw off several Bodies of Horse and Foot from the Left and move towards their Right where our Men pressed them very hard they laid hold on that advantage and ordered the Foot to march over the Bogg which fronted the Enemies main Battel Colonel Earl Colonel Herbert Colonel Creighton and Colonel Brewers Regiments went over at the narrowest place where the Hedges on the Enemies side run furthest into the Bogg These four Regiments were ordered to march to the lowest of the Ditches adjoining to the side of the Bogg and there to post themselves till our Horse could come about by Aghrim Castle and sustain them and till the other Foot had marched over the Bogg below where it was broader and were sustained by Col. Foulk's and Brigadeer Steuarts Col. Earl advanced with his Regiment and the rest after him over the Bogg and a Rivulet that ran through it being most of them up to their Middles in Mudd and Water The Irish at their near approach to the Ditches
way some of them askt this Gentlman the name of that Castle who when he told them that it was called Aghrim one of them replied that was the place where a great Battle was to be fought and that the English men should think their Coats too heavy in climbing up those Hills This was also mentioned by Col. Gordon O Neal found stript amongst the Dead next day and made a Prisoner and several other of the Irish Officers after the Battle which kind of Predictions are never rightly understood till they are past for the Irish interpreted this to signifie the English mens running away from them but they found it by experience that the English thought their Coats too heavy in the pursuit of the Enemy tho some say this Prophecy is meant of the Hills near Ardee the day before the Battle at the Boyn which was so Hot that very few were able to carry their Coats Nor is there any other people more Superstitious in this point than the Irish and yet some of their Predictions are very remarkable especially at Kingsale when the Spaniards landed there where the Lord Montjoy then Lord Lieutenant was shewed the Ground several days before whereon the Great O Neal was defeated by him And this was done by an old Prophecy which puntually named and described the place Towards the end also of the former Wars in Ireland whilst Ireton lay before Limerick my Lord Broghill was sent with a Detachment out of the Army to a place called Knocknaclashy to observe a Body of the Irish My Lord found several people got there before him on purpose to expect the fate of the last Battle of Ireland to be fought on that Ground as their Prediction run and tho the Irish Forces were as then not upon the Spot yet it so fell out that the Battle was fought there the Irish Routed and this the last Field-Conflict that happened during those Wars I have heard also some of the Irish tell us before we got theither that we should not succeed at the first Siege of Limerick and they had no other reason for it but because one of their Prophesies said so But I have spent too much time in these trifles and Our Army lay upon their Armes all night therefore to return Whoever have been concerned in like Cases may easily imagine what satisfaction it was to the General and whole Army to find themselves entirely Masters of the Field and their Enemies all dipersed but the day being gone and few of our Tents come up the men were ordered to lye upon their Armes all Night their dead Adversaries who two hours before had made a considerable Bustle lay now very quietly by without disturbance Next day the General ordered a publick thanksgiving to be kept through the Army for this happy Victory and gave command that all our own dead should be Buried and those of the Enemy also that lay on the ground where our Tents were to be pitched But the rest of the Irish remained still unburied no Inhabitants being left in that part of the Countrey to perform it for it has been an Ancient Custom amongst them still to remove out of the way with their Cattle and all their Substance at the approach of an Enemy And Judge Cox observes that in the Year 1178 towards the beginning of the English Government in Ireland Conaught was invaded by Miles Coghan and Young Fitz-Stephens but they were forced to return for want of Provisions which has since frustrated more well contrived designs and great Expeditions than any other Accident But this was not our case at this time and the greatest mischief that happened by the Irish removing was to have the Carcasses of their Countreymen for want of Burial exposed to the Birds of the Air and the Beasts of the Field many Doggs frequenting the place afterwards and growing so fierce by feeding upon mans Flesh that it became dangerous for any single man to pass that way And there is a true and remarkable Story of a Greyhound belonging to an Irish Officer the Gentleman was killed and stript in the Battle whose Body the Dog remained by night and day and tho he fed upon other Corps with the rest of the Dogs yet he would not allow them or any thing else to touch that of his Master When all the Corps were consumed the other Dogs departed but this used to go in the Night to the adjacent Villages for Food and presently to return again to the place where his Masters Bones were only then left and thus he continued till January following when one of Col. Foulks's Soldiers being quartered nigh hand and going that way by chance the Dog fearing he came to disturb his Masters Bones flew upon the Soldier who being surprized at the suddenness of the thing unslung his Piece then upon his back and killed the poor Dog Next morning after the Battle one Fitz-Gerald and six Troopers came from the Enemy and told us that what of the Army was left made the best of their way towards Limerick But that they were so shattered and frighted that very few of their Foot would be got thither The same day Brigadeer Eppinger with a Party of 1200. Horse and Dragoons Brigadeer Eppinger sent with a Party towards Portumna was ordered towards Portumna and Banoher two Passes upon the Shanon where the Irish kept Garisons all last Winter And on the 14th those places were Surrendred upon Condition to march out with their Arms and Baggage First towards our Camp where they had liberty to lay down their Arms if they pleased or else to go on towards the Irish Army Loughrea Melick and other places thereabouts were also Deserted by the Irish who most of them took towards Limerick as the safest place of Retreat whither they went in no kind of order but rather like people going to a Fair the Roads as they passed being full of Hampers and other stuff which they had been in too great hast to lug along yet that very night after the Battle they Robbed and Plundred one another upon the Road. That Evening it was ordered that all the Officers that were not upon Duty should be at the General 's Quarters next Morning at 9 of the Clock to attend the Funeral of Major Gen. Holstaple and what Soldiers would bring in Muskets to the Artillery should have 6 d. a piece for them by which means they brought in a great many Waggon loads full of the Arms lost and thrown away by the Irish and tho the price was reduced to two pence afterwards yet there still came a great many in Our Hospital was then pitched at Garbally about three Miles nearer Athlone and it was likewise ordered that if there were any Sick or Wounded men that were not sent to the Hospital they should be brought to the Artillery at Five in the Morning where they would find Waggons to carry them to Athlone Six Hundred Waggons being then ordered to bring up Bread
four executed two more were hanged at Carlow by Sir Thomas Butler's Orders and one of Mackabe's Servants kill'd and thus ended the Month of August CHAP. VIII September 1691. Our Bombs set the Town on fire The Irish design a Salley but are repulsed by my Lord Drogheda 's Regiment Brigadeer Leveson routs a Party of the Irish in Kerry A Design to pass the River A new large Battery made towards the King's Island A Breach made Some thoughts of storming it Guns planted nigh St. Thomas 's Island The Cannon and Bombs play at the Cathedral and why Colonel Earl sent into England Rejoicing in the Camp for the Defeat of the Turks My Lord Lisburn killed A Party ordered to pass the River by a Bridg of Boats The Irish in a great Consternation The Castle on the Weir taken Debates whether the Siege should be continued or turned into a Blockade Orders in case of an Alarm Some Guns shipp'd Our Men pass the River a second time The Attack at Thoumond Gate Six hundred of the Enemy killed A remarkable Paper found in the Pocket of a Colonel in the Irish Army The Enemy beat a Parley A Cessation agreed to Hostages exchanged The Irish Proposals rejected by the General Articles agreed to The General 's Letter to Sir Ralph Delaval giving him an Account of the Cessation A brief Account of what happened in other Parts of the Kingdom during this Month. SEptember the First Col. Woolsley with a Party of 500 Horse and Dragoons went towards Killalow it being reported that Sarsfield was moving that way upon some secret Expedition into our Quarters All last Night and that Morning our Bombs and Cannon plaid upon the Town setting it on fire in some Places which was no small trouble to those within to put it out It Our Bombs set the Town on fire was ordered that Afternoon that most of our Guns and Mortars should be shipp'd again and at Night Maj. Gen. Tettan commands in the Works A little after our Guards were relieved we understood the Irish designed a Salley in order to which a considerable Body of their Men advanced towards our Works between Nassau's Fort and the great Battery where the Earl of Drogheda with his Regiment was then upon Duty His Lordship The Irish intend a Salley perceived the Irish were coming and therefore ordered his Men not to fire till they should advance within Pistol-shot of us and then to give them a whole Volley But the Souldiers perceiving the others Approach would not forbear to shoot amongst them which was the reason that the Irish could not be perswaded to advance any But are repulsed by my Ld Drogheda's Regiment further though they had then a very good Opportunity since there was but one Regiment at that time to defend above 300 Yards of the Works We had one Man kill'd and two wounded and were in a small time reinforced by Col. Venner's Regiment and a Party of Horse were sent down to remain all Night as near the Works as they could conveniently The Guns plaid and Mortars also for some part of the Night but the General saw that our Batteries were too far off and therefore new Measures were consulted on LYMRICK A Council of War was this day held and also a Court Martial whereof the Earl of Drogheda was President at which amongst other things a Woman was condemned for endeavouring to intice some of our French Souldiers into Town whom she took to be Roman Catholicks This Evening two great Mortars 18 Inches and an half Diameter that were brought from Ship-board were mounted and several Bombs thrown but they did not do the hoped-for Execution which occasioned the drawing them and the Guns off from the Batteries with a design to attempt something elsewhere or if it could be to pass the River which the Enemy having private A Design to pass the River notice of they removed their Horse-Camp about two Miles to the North-East of Limerick posting four Regiments of Dragoons to guard the Shannon below Anighbegg where they had three Regiments of Foot lay intrenched The Cannon however had been so troublesom to the Inhabitants that most of them left the Town and encamp'd under Sheets and Blankets with what else they could procure nigh a Party of their Horse where they and their Army wanted nothing so much as Salt The General seeing the Enemies Camp removed went to a convenient Place to view them The third the Guns and Mortars put on board were again unshipp'd upon new Measures being taken and brought up to the Artillery-Ground One of Col. Nugent's Dragoons deserted from the Enemy leaving them the Night before and says that 17 Regiments of Horse and Dragoons belonging to their Army were most of them at that time beyond the River but neither well equipp'd nor clad nor were the Regiments nigh full The 4th Lieut. Col. Peck with the Princess Ann's Regiment came to the Camp and in the Evening a Party of 300 Horse and Dragoons were sent to reinforce Brigadeer Leveson and some Reports there were that he was surrounded by the Enemy upon which the General sent to him to return but it proved only a Prey of Cows that the Enemy had taken from some of the Countrey-People who had bought them from the Brigadeer's Party at the Rout they gave the Irish However the Brigadeer had Orders afterwards to secure the County of Kerry and to endeavour the reducing the Enemies Garisons there six Guns being ordered for that Service For the Enemies keeping some small Garisons between our Camp and Cork was a great Disadvantage to us in point of Provisions which otherwise we might have expected Plenty of from that part of the Countrey The Duke of Wyrtemberg as 't is said by the Advice of my Lord Castle-connel who was come to our Camp had A new Battery contrived nigh the Kings Island now found out a Place for a new Battery nigh the King's Island on the River-side which was thought nearer the Town than the former and from whence we could batter the English Town more effectually This Place in our publick Accounts was said to be within Carbine shot of the Wall and yet it was at least 300 Yards from it Nor was there any Conveniency to raise a Battery any nearer against this part of the Town by reason of the River to the Right and a low Morass Ground on the Front But some Disputes about this new Battery were raised before it self though at last it was concluded on and several Regiments both of Horse and Foot were ordered to move towards the Right as well for the security of our Battery as to front the Irish Army who were gone that way before us We were at work also very hard upon a Line of Contravallation raising three or four new Forts between the old Church and the King's Island to secure the remaining part of our Army in case some of them should be commanded over the River September the 5th
Place where their black Battery was the Year before The Enemy had cast up a Blind to prevent our beating down Balls-Bridg but as our Battery was planted the Blind was ineffectual though we did not mind the Bridg much on that Side A great many Bombs and Carcasses were thrown into Town which set it on fire and we understood afterwards that several People were killed in the indeavouring to quench it That Morning all the empty Casks in the Army were ordered to be taken up and carried to the Artillery where they were to be made use of when there was occasion for Floats The Enemy that Afternoon made a Pretence of sallying and some of them came out to secure a Ditch not far from our Battery but were soon repulsed and several of them killed with the Loss of one Granadeer on our Side There was also a Work begun close to the River-Side adjoining to the Island but the Spring-Tide over-flow'd it next Day Though several Woolsacks were carried down in order to make an Attack Some thoughts of storming it upon the Island and from thence upon the Breach but this being found difficult the Woolsacks were left with a Sentinel upon them at Night which the Irish perceiving some of them came over the River in the Night in Cots and burnt several of the Woolsacks the Sentinel looking on and alledging for an Excuse That he had no Orders to fire The General gave Command to draw off the Guns from Mackay's Fort to some more convenient Place But Colonel Wythers Adjutant General informing him what Execution some that were planted there did in the Town the Year before he ordered them to continue firing which they did to very good purpose Sept. 10. There was an Order for a Pinnace and its Crew to attend Francis Burton Esq who made several Journeys into the County of Clare and had so ordered the Matter that Clare-Castle was to be delivered up to us though for some Reasons the General neglected the Opportunity till it was included in the General Capitulation In the Morning one Capt. Dobbin a Quartermaster and Serjeant desert the Enemy and told us that the Bombs did great Execution in the Town and had killed several Our Guns fire very hard all that Day and in the Evening a Bomb fell into a store of Wine Brandy Oats and Bisket spoiling a great part of it The Town was also set on fire in several Places which burnt great part of the Night And that Evening two Mortars were brought from on Board and planted at Mackay's Fort being managed by Lieutenant Brown Lieutenant Lieuten Brown our best Bombardeer to Capt. Pitts Miners who did more Execution than all the rest firing three for one of theirs and throwing the Bombs very exact he neither made use of Sand upon the Bomb nor fired the Fuse but putting it into the Mortar with the Fuse down the Flash of the Powder kindled the Fuse as it was discharged from the Mortar Colonel Wythers was sent by Sea and Robert Powley Esq by Land to hasten up our Fleet which we understood was at Cork the General having some Accounts that the French designed to relieve the Town On the 11th the Breach was widened at least forty Paces and Floats being prepared there were great Debates amongst the chief Officers whether it should be attempted by Storm tho most say it was only designed at first for the more conveniency of battering the Town Deserters telling us of a great Ditch without the Wall always full of Water and well pallisado'd besides several Works within which would have rendred the Attempt very hazardous but afterwards we found little Truth in this though indeed we could not do the Enemy a greater Pleasure nor our selves a greater Prejudice in all Probability than in seeking to carry the Town by a Breach before those within were more humbled either by Sword or Sickness for we understood certainly that they had as many Men within as we without besides the Hazard in getting into or keeping the King's Island where there stood a most excellent Fort with a double Line of Communication from thence to the Town mann'd for the most part by the best of their Dragoons dismounted Part of the Guns however were drawn off from Ireton's Fort to a new Battery which was to the Right of the great one and some planted nigh St. Thomas's Island to cut off the Irish Communication Guns planted near St. Thomas's Island by a large Causey that led that way towards the Town Five Deserters came off who tell us of some Officers killed upon the Key by a Bomb that they had only two Tuns of Powder in Town and that their Stores were a great part of them buried in Ruines Some of Sir Albert Cunningham's Officers gave the General an Account from Lieutenant Colonel Ecklin that Sir Albert was killed by a Party of the Irish at Colloony nigh Sligoe where they surprized him in the Morning early most of his Dragoons shifting for themselves and Balderock O Donnel who then had joined him very hardly making his Escape But the English Pacquets brought us better News of the Turkish Army's being defeated in Hungary and a great many Thousands slain The 12th most of our Guns and Bombs are directed The Cannon and Bombs fire at the Cathedral towards the great Church in the midst of the English Town because we understood that it was made their principal Store and four Deserters tell us what great Damage was already done in all Places of the Town But the Irish continuing obstinate and the indeavouring to reduce the Town by Force with such a little Army as we had seeming dangerous considering the very great Strength of their Works which were still intire though the Town was much shattered those and other Reasons were like to render it a Work of longer time than at first we hoped for and the Winter now drawing on apace therefore Orders were given to fit up Killmallock for a Place of Stores And On the 13th the General sent Colonel Earl into England Col. Earl sent into England to acquaint her Majesty with the present Circumstances of Affairs that if we should not take the Town this Season it would be absolutely necessary to send more Frigats in order to block up the River Shannon since Capt. Cole that commanded and other Marine Officers then in the River had given it under their Hands that they could post twenty Frigats so advantageously towards the Mouth of the River under some Islands that they should be able to live all Winter and keep off twice the Number if any Attempt should be made by the French towards the Relief of the Town and that in the mean time the Army was to make as nigh a Blockade as they could This was but melancholy News to both Officers and Souldiers who were all willing to undergo any Hardships rather than go away without being Masters of the Place The 14th some Dragoons
with an Officer desert the Enemy a Sergeant of theirs gave us notice where their Ammunition lay and our Guns fire very hard all Day at the Place the General and all the great Officers continuing the whole Afternoon at the Battery and were very well pleased to see a Bomb blow up some part of their Powder At Night our Works were double mann'd and our great Guns beginning to the right the whole Line made three running Fires which were seconded by as many from several Regiments both of Horse and Foot drawn up at the Heads of their respective Camps this was for Joy of the Christians Success in Guns fired for Joy the Turks were defeated in Hungary Hungary against the Turks but it alarm'd the Irish who stood at their Arms all the Night being much puzzled to know the meaning of it some saying that our Fleet had beat the French and others that it was only for a Blind at our going off and every one as they fancied Orders were now given for the demolishing Castle-connel Carick a Gunnell and other Places upon the Shannon and several Miners were at work upon them The fifteenth the Finnan Regiment of Green Danes march towards Clonmell in order to go to Waterford and most of our Guns were drawn off from the Batteries as a Blind to a Design at Night being a great many Men at work all day to prepare our Tin-boats and Floats That Afternoon my Lord Lisburn then upon Duty with his Regiment to the Left of the Great Battery his Lordship having laid down to rest him in a little Trench-Tent just in the rising up was unfortunately shot by a My Lord Lisburn killed great Gun from one of the Enemies Batteries being a Man of excellent Parts and who had shewed himself very diligent and forward upon all Occasions since the beginning of this War In the Evening it was ordered that four hundred Granadeers A Party ordered to march over the River so soon as 't was dark should parade at the Head of Major General Kirk's Regiment from whence they marched about nine at Night being joined with six hundred Workmen with the Tin-boats and sustained with five Regiments of Foot commanded by Major General Talmash and a Body of Horse and Dragoons under Major General Scravemore with six Field-pieces Those all march to a Place of the Shannon about two Miles above our Camp and by twelve at Night begin to lay the Boats over In the mean time the Granadeers commanded by Sir David Collier with Capt. Ketchmay of Sir John Hanmer's Captain Alnut of my Lord Drogheda's Captain Parker of Colonel Gustavus Hamilton's Regiment another Captain and eight more Officers were wafted over by the Tin-boats into an Island where the Bridg was laying and from whence it was fordable to the other side beating some few Straglers of the Enemy from thence who now and then fired at the Workmen but with little or no Loss to us for the Night being very dark and the Enemy secure because they judged us going off the Bridg was almost compleated before they suspected it The 16th at Day-light our Bridg was finished and A Bridg laid and our Men pass over it Colonel Matthew's Dragoons beginning to pass into the Island by which time Brigadeer Clifford had got the Alarm who was not far off with four Regiments of Dragoons he seemed not very forward in the Matter tho his Dragoons came down on foot and pretended to make some Opposition as did also a Body of the Enemies Foot being about four or five thin Regiments who advanced towards the Ford when Major General Talmash immediately commanded the Granadeers to wade thrô which done they possess'd themselves of an old House and an Hedg or two about an hundred Yards from the Enemy and were commanded not to be lavish of their Shot but receive the Enemies Fire till our Dragoons and some Horse were got over which were passing Then the Enemy endeavouring to flank our Granadeers on the Right the Major General commanded a Detachment of Colonel Matthews's Dragoons to beat them from that Post which being done and a good Party soon got over Major General Talmash ordered the Granadeers to advance being sustained by a Regiment of Foot commanded by Colonel Tiffin and Lieutenant Colonel Bristow a Party of Dragoons and a Party of Colonel Coys's Horse This was done and after some faint Resistance the Enemy run towards a large Bog and a Wood that was in their Rear throwing away their Granadoes Muskets and every thing that proved troublesom our Men pursued them and killed several upon the Bog taking a French Lieutenant Colonel a Captain and some more Prisoners Our advance-Party received Orders to halt till all were got over and then march'd to the Left up towards the Enemies Camp But by this time the News of our passing the River was got to their Horse and also towards the Town both Parties providing for their Safeties as well as they could for the People that were encamp'd without endeavoured to get into Town but those within drew up the Bridg and would not admit them and it 's almost incredible what a Noise and Confusion there was then at Thoumond Gate their Horse tho begin to buckle to Arms and made a shew of fighting which was only to gain time to secure their Tents and Baggage and their Dragoons having their Horses two Miles off at Grass were forced to shift for themselves Our Horse expected Orders to pursue them but they were commanded by the General and Lieut. Gen. Scravemore who were now come up to halt till a greater Body advanced to sustain them Some of the Irish were now pulling down their The Irish in a great Consternation Tents others driving away the Cattle and every one in a Hurry making what haste they could towards the Mountains and then the General ordered our Men to advance towards their Horse-Camp where they found Brandy Beef and a great many other things And a Party of our Granadeers met with about three hundred Dragoon Saddles and other Accoutrements which they burnt by Order We did not pursue however for fear of an Ambuscade but sent to observe the Enemies March The Irish also nigh the Town were very busy in breaking down two small Bridges cross a Causey leading to the Town but the firing of two of our Field-pieces put a stop to their Proceedings in that Place There is a small white House about half a Mile from the Town on Thoumond side nigh which two Squadrons of the Enemies Horse were drawn up and about a Regiment of Foot posted in the Hedges to secure their Lords Justices the Records all their chief Ladies and Treasure which all were there and had been as then no difficult though a very good Prize But after some of our Parties had seen them go off in the greatest Confusion that could be we set two or three Houses on fire and staying on that side till about two a Clock in
the Afternoon we had Orders to return leaving a Guard in a Fort newly cast up on the other side to secure our Bridg whenas it 's not improbable had we pursued our good Fortune the Irish Horse had been routed and the Town delivered upon our own Terms The Irish had still a small Garison in S. Thomas's Island which now submitted where we got two pretty small Brass Field-pieces There was also an Ensign with twenty Men in a Castle in the midst of the River a little below the Island who were made Prisoners This is The Castle on the Wier taken called the Wier Castle because it stands on a Salmon Wier In the former Wars the Irish had a Garison here also who deserting the Place betook themselves to the River but being shot at part of them came on shoar towards the West who had Quarter promised them by a Captain in Colonel Tuthill's Regiment and yet were stripp'd and killed by the Colonel's Orders who was tried and cashiered for it but the rest coming a-shore on the East where Colonel Inglesby was had better Treatment and sent to the Town Ireton being very angry at the others Breach of Faith We had only one Serjeant killed in all this Day 's Adventure and about twenty Men wounded and the Enemy lost not above fifteen or twenty at most One Capt. Taaf in the Irish Royal Regiment deserts and says the Besieged had not above ten Days Bread and that our Bombs had destroyed a great part of their Ammunition And that nothing might be left unattempted to shew their Majesties Clemency the Government 's Lenity and the General 's generous Compassion towards the Irish he orders the following Declaration to be sent them By Lieutenant General Ginckell Commander in Chief of their Majesties Forces ALthough their Majesties have already been more gracious than could be expected or the Behaviour of the Irish has deserved yet to leave no means untried that may bring them to a Sense of their Interest and Duty and this Kingdom to that quiet and settled Condition it formerly enjoyed they have been pleased to impower me to assure the Enemies Army and the Garison and Inhabitants of Limerick that if within eight Days from the Date hereof they shall surrender and submit themselves to their Majesties Obedience they shall have that Pardon of their Offences Restitution of their Estates and Reward of their Services and all the Benefits promised by the Lords Justices in their Proclamation of the 7th of July last from which they are not debarred by any Act of Parliament as they are falsly made to believe by some Persons who live by sacrificing their Country to the Tyranny and Ambition of France and ought for that reason to be excluded from Mercy by both Sides But if they shall still continue obstinate and neglect to lay hold on this Favour which is the last that will be offered them they must be answerable for the Blood and Destruction they draw upon themselves for I hereby acquit my self before God and the World and wash my Hands of it Given at the Camp before Limerick this 16th Day of September 1691. On the 17th a Council of War was held wherein it Disputed whether the Siege continued or a Blockade was hotly disputed whether we should go on with the Siege or march over the River and destroy all the Enemies Forage in the County of Clare and then make a Blockade and it was so far carried for the latter that an Engineer was ordered to go with a Guard towards Killmallock and fortify that Place but before he got out of the Camp he was countermanded and a great many Pallisado's were brought up to Mackay's Fort as if we intended to winter there three hundred Cars with Bullets Bombs and other Necessaries come to the Camp from Dublin and our Guns play still from the great Battery Eleven of the Enemies Troopers desert and a Standard was brought in that was taken the Day before and my Lord Lisburn's Corps were sent hence towards Dublin there to be interred Our Bridg of Boats was this Evening removed towards St. Thomas's Island but being too short it was carried to another Place where it had also the same Inconveniency The 18th Orders were sent to the Men of War and other Vessels in the River to set some Men on Shoar in the County of Clare to destroy all the Forage they could meet with since this was the time of Harvest and if we must needs remove the General was resolved to make the Irish Quarters as bare as possible and several of our heavy Cannon were put on Ship-board The 19th it being resolved to pass the River with a Party either to prosecute the Seige or at least to burn the Forage a Battery was raised between Ireton's Fort and the old Church to flank the Irish in Case of a Sally from St. John's Gate it being reasonable to expect one when part of our Army once pass'd the River and now our People were very busy in lengthning our Bridg which they found some Difficulty in fixing because the the Rains had swelled the River and we had not Boats enough to reach over but that Defect was supplied by some large Carts and Barrels that were industriously fixed next the Sides and so the Work was compleated a Guard being always on the other Side for its Security and my Lord Lisburn's and Colonel Creighton's Foot were encamp'd by it on our side This Afternoon four Mortars were brought from the great Battery to Mackay's Fort that Place being judged the fittest for bombarding since the whole Town lay in a Line from thence Three Rapparees were also brought in by the Militia and accused for murdering several of our Men as they straggled from the Camp to dig Potatoes one of them produced a Pass as being of my Lord Gallmoy's Regiment of Horse but this was an usual shift for in a Day or two there being evident Proof against them they were condemned by a Court-Martial the General gave Orders that they should be broke upon the Wheel but being told that this way of Torture was against the Laws of England they were first hanged and then their Quarters dispersed and hung upon the Hedges on the adjacent High-ways to the Camp That Evening the General was informed that the Enemy resolved to make a Sally and therefore most of our Horse and Dragoons were ordered to remain sadled all Night And in case of an Alarm the Commander in chief where it should be Orders in case of an Alarm given was immediately to acquaint the General with it upon which three Guns were to be fired from the Artillery to warn the Regiments those on the left were to defend the left Trench Kirk's Earl's and Hales's were to defend from the Place my Lord Lisburn was killed to the great Battery the other five Regiments of that Brigade were to defend from Mackay's Fort to the Well and those Regiments of the Prince of Hesse and
Balderock with a thousand Men was ordered to attack it This Place they say is very strong and at that time commanded by one of the O Connors who upon Sight of the Artillery surrendred upon Condition to march with his Party and Baggage towards Sligoe This done my Lord Granard marches to Sligoe having Advice that Colonel Mitchelburn's Regiment and some of the Militia under Lieutenant Colonel Caulfield had forced old Sir Teague and his Crew from several Out-works and Ditches and obliged them to retire into the Fort. The Earl of Granard and his Party were hard put to it in their March thither over the Curlew Mountains for their Draught-Horses being none of the best and several of them tiring the Men themselves were forced to draw the Cannon and that for several Miles which they performed very chearfully That Afternoon the Enemy beat a Parley but we found it was only to gain Time and therefore in the Evening we began to fire with great and small Shot and so continued most part of the Night without any further Loss on our Side but of an Ensign who had his Head shot off with a great Shot But the Enemy seeing a great many Carriages with my Lord Granard's Party they were perswaded that they had brought heavy Cannon with Mortars Bombs Carcasses c. So that they beat another Parley and after some time they consented to surrender the Sligoe surrendred to my Ld Granard Town upon the Articles that were agreed to on the 6th of August viz. Their Party to march to Limerick with Arms and Baggage and that all the little Garisons thereabouts in the Hands of the Irish should have the Benefit of the Capitulation The Fort was surrendred on the sixteenth being made of Turf and having in it six hundred Men and sixteen Guns and Colonel Mitchelburn was left Governour In former times the Castle of Sligoe was a good Fortification being built by Maurice Fitz-Gerald Lord Justice in the Year 1242. September the 17th the Dublin Militia return Conquerors home again having not lost one Man in their whole March and those of the North march towards Ballynewton and Castle-burk to have them surrendred according to the Articles of Sligoe many Robberies and Murders being committed in that Countrey particularly on Dr. Brooks an eminent Physician and three more the Rapparees first wounding them in several Places and then for security cutting their Throats September the 12th the Irish take a good Prey near Tallough and the Militia to be even with them take another Prey and kill one of my Lord Merion's Troopers with two Rapparees Captain Orfeur of Colonel Hastings's Regiment going out with a Party of the said Regiment and some of the Militia he killed twenty of the Rapparees near Lismore which so terrified the rest that the Countrey thereabouts was pretty quiet for some time On the 12th of August John Mackabe the notorious Rapparee who so much infested the Bog of Allen was brought with four of his Companions by Lieutenant Sheilds and Lieutenant Courtney to Dublin and on the 19th they were hanged up in Chains at the Naas This Fellow and another called the White Serjeant had been both in the Irish Army but broke there for some Rogueries and after a great deal of Mischief done to the Countrey they both got what they deserved the one being killed and the other hanged About this time one of the Militia was killed and several wounded by the Rapparees near Caperquin but in requital the Militia kill five of them Towards the latter End of September two Lieutenants of the Irish Army having deserted and got our General 's Pass to go home they were met withal by Hogan and his Party and stripp'd of what they had but neither himself nor any of his Crew could read the Pass else it 's probable they would have sent them the way they sometimes did our Militia when they fell into their Power Two Rapparees of one Higgins's Party are taken and himself desires a Protection Six more are killed near Mountmelick And on the 26th one Caloghan a great Rapparee and some of his Party come in under Protection at Edenderry for now they began to be sensible how things were like to go on their side and October 1691. therefore when they were afraid to lose the Power of doing Mischief they came in and not before And to conclude the Month Hogan and his Party meeting with some of our Militia Dragoons near Roscreagh murder seven of them and the eighth hardly escaped One Tiercy was seized and hanged And one Purcell after the Rope had broke with him promising to make a Discovery was saved and detected four more And nigh the End of this Month our Packets brought us an account of the Death of Lieutenant General Dowglass in Flanders CHAP. IX The Lords Justices come to the Camp The Irish General Officers come to the General 's Tent. Articles signed The Articles at large both Military and Civil with their Majesties Confirmation to both We take possession of the Irish Town A Lieutenant Colonel imprisoned for denying to go to France A Declaration from the General My Lord Lucan perswades the Irish to go into France Their Foot drawn out and put to the trial The Lords Justices return towards Dublin Our Army decamps from Limerick Some of the Irish march out OCtober the first upon a Complaint from Lieut. Gen. Sarsfield that some of our Men begun to plunder and strip theirs as they found Opportunities the General gave Orders that the Souldiers should not go beyond our own Works And now the Irish begin to make Hutts in the King's Island and draw several Regiments out of the Town thither keeping all their Gates fast-lock'd lest their Men should run away from them upon the news of going for France for how fond soever they might be of K. James's Service yet few of the common People have any stomach for travelling That Evening about nine a Clock the Lords Justices came to the Camp which being The Lords Justices come to the Camp signified to the Irish Officers on the 2 d about 3 a Clock in the Afternoon came Sarsfield Waughup and all the other Great Men of the Irish Nation Civil Military The Irish Great Officers come to the General 's Tent. and some Ecclesiastical only 't was observable that the French Lieutenant Generals kept in Town and pretended Indisposition tho they signed the Articles and yet the Matter was not great as to us whether they had or not tho it was material to the Irish as bringing them under the same Circumstances with themselves But tho things were in a manner adjusted before yet there arose new Debates about the Rapparees and other things that lasted till 12 a Clock at Night Then the Articles were ordered to be engrossed and the Irish return into Town My Lord Merion and my Lord Brittas were also now come from Kerry and their Party included in the Articles The 3 d most
much more so to others especially in an Age wherein so many Learned and Great Men have brought our Language to so great Perfection But all the hopes I have is That the most Learned Men are aptest to put the most favourable Construction upon a private man's Endeavour and will be ready to pardon a great many Defects in one that means well and as for all the Censorious men in the world I shall not be much concerned at what they say ERRATA PAge 1. l. 6. for 1690. read 1689. p. 27. l. 10. for Coltiers r. Cottiers p. 28. in the Marg. dele A List of Their Majesties Army p. 42. l. 2. dele a p. 46. l. 10. for have r. having p. 50. l. 29. for Raparees r. Raparee p. 53. l. 4. dele here p. 57. l. 15. for drawn on r. drawn up p. 90. l 10. for Handshot off r. Head shot off ibid. l. 32 for terrible r. terribly p. 109. l. 30. for in these r. these p. 116. l. 20. r. necessaries p. 126. l. 29. for 1000 r. 10000. p. 151. l. 13. for went r. going p. 162. in the Marg. for Monks r. Mackay ' s. p. 165. l. 16. for litera r. literae p. 181. l. 19. for bene r. breve p. 187. l. 17. for Connor r. Connel p. 191. l 25. for amounted r. mounted p. 215. l. 16. the word being misplaced p. 249. l. 5. for Commader r. Commander p. 254. l. 15. for Account r. which Account p. 260. l. 32. for each r. reach p. 292. l. 8. r. Major-Generals ibid. l. 11. r. Boats p. 295. l. 29. dele Sir p. 318. l 31. before the word Kingdom add King or p. 324. l. 35. for Conversation r. Conversing There are some other small Errors in Pages Months or Names which the Reader may please to Correct as he finds them THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. A Brief Account of the Cause of the War Page 2 The State of the Protestants in that Kingdom 3 The late King lands there from France Ibid. Protestants routed at Drummore Ibid. An Irish Parliament called 4 Derry Besieged and Relieved 4 5 The Irish beat at Croom-Castle Ibid. Duke Schonberg lands in August 1689. 6 Carigfergus surrendred with the Articles of Surrender 7 Newry burnt by the Irish 9 Our Army march to Dundalk Ibid. And encamp there nigh Ten weeks 10 Sligo taken by the Irish Ibid. A Party of the Irish repulsed at Newry Ibid. The Battel of Cavan 14 The Danes land in Ireland Ibid. 5000 French Foot land at Kinsale 15 Charlemont surrendred 16 CHAP. II. HIS Majesty lands in Ireland 18 Our Army marches towards the Boyne 20 His Majesty 's narrow escape the day before the Battel Ibid. The Battel at the Boyne 22 The Number of the Dead 23 The late King quits Ireland 25 Our Army march to Dublin 26 His Majesty's Declaration to the Irish 27 A List of our General Officers 28 And of those belonging to the Irish Page 30. The Number of men in both Armies 31 Lieutenant-General Douglass sent with a Party to Athlone ibid. A Commission granted by the King to secure Forfeited Goods 32 Wexford Waterford and Dungannon Fort surrendred to his Majesty 34 35 Limerick besieged 36 Some of our Guns surprized 37 A Fort taken then an Attack made upon the Town 38 His Majesty raises the Siege and returns to England 39 40 CHAP. III. THE French Forces quit Ireland 41 Bi r besieged by the Irish 42 Count Solm's Answer to the Duke of Berwick's Letter 43 Lieutenant-General Ginckle made Commander in Chief Ibid. Lords Justices begin their Government 44 Earl of Marlborough sent into Ireland Ibid. Cork and Kinsale surrendred 45 The Irish attempt our Frontiers 46 Part of our Army move towards the Shannon 48 Rapparees in the Bog of Allen 49 Those people serviceable to the Irish Interest and how 50 My Lord Tyrconnel returns from France 51 Sarsfield made Earl of Lucan 55 The Irish defeated at the Mote of Greenoge 57 Several Adventures with the Rapparees and Parties of the Irish Army 58 59 60 c. Some of our Regiments take the Field at Mullingar 68 CHAP. IV. THirty Rapparees killed 72 Major Wood defeats a Party of the Irish 73 Several Skirmishes between the Irish and Militia 74 75 Some of our Sea-men and Militia join and march into the Enemies Quarters 77 Monsieur St. Ruth lands in Ireland to command their Army 78 Our great Officers take the Field at Mullingar 80 CHAP. V. THE Fortifications at Mullingar contracted Page 85 A Stratagem of the Irish to get Horses Ibid. The Irish Army march towards Athlone 86 Our Army Besieges Ballimore 87 Its Scituation described ibid. The Fort surrendred 91 Its Fortifications improved ibid. Our Army joined by the Duke of Wertenberg nigh Athlone 94 That Town Attacked with the manner of it 95 The English Town taken Batteries against the Irish Town 98 A Design to pass the Shannon frustrated 100 The Enemy burn our Close Gallery 102 A Councel of War held 105 The Town Stormed 107 The Number of the Dead 108 A part of our Army left in the Country and why 110 What happened in other Places of the Kingdom during this Month ibid. CHAP. VI. THE Irish Army Removes 114 The Dead buried at Athlone ibid. The Irish resolve to give us Battel 115 Irish Prisoners sent towards Dublin 117 The Lords Justices Declaration to the Irish ibid. The Enemy's Camp and Posture at Aghrim described 122 Monsieur St. Ruth's supposed Speech to the Irish 123 The Battel of Aghrim 127 The number of the dead on both sides and of the Irish Prisoners 136 Instances in former Battels wherein the Irish have been routed with little loss to the English 142 An Account of some Irish Prophecies 145 Loughrea deserted by the Irish 148 Portumna Surrendred ibid. Our Army marches towards Galway 259 The Town Besieged 160 The Articles of Surrender with their Majesties confirmation of them 165 Our Army returns towards Limerick 174 An Account of what happened in other places of the Kingdom during this Month 174 175 CHAP. VII SEveral fresh Regiments ordered towards the Camp to recruit the Army 179 Brigadier Leveson sent with a Party towards Nenagh A Treaty with Balderock O Donnell 182 Our Army marches to Cariganliss 186 News of the death of my Lord Tyrconnell 187 Irish Lords Justices Act after his death 188 An Order about the Rates of Provisions 186 Another prohibiting the Buying of Cattel without the General 's License ibid. Our Army approaches Limerick 188 Ireton's and Cromwell's Forts taken 189 A Party sent to Castle Connell 190 Our Ships come up the River near the Town 191 Brigadier Leveson sent into Kerry 193 A brief Account of what happened in other places of the Kingdom during the Month of August 195 CHAP. VIII OUR Bombs set the Town on fire 240 The Irish design a Sally but are repulsed ibid. Brigadier Leveson routs a Party of the Irish in Kerry ibid. A Design to pass the River 205 A new Battery
contrived towards the King's Island 206 A Breach made in the Wall 210 Guns planted near St. Thomas's Island 213 Collonel Earl sent into England 214 My Lord Lisburn killed 215 A Party pass the River upon a Bridge of Boats 216 The Irish in a great Consternation 217 Debates whether the Siege should be continued or turned into a Blockade 220 Orders in case of an Alarm 222 Our Forces pass the River a second time 223 The Attack at Thoumond Bridge where six hundred of the Enemy were killed 224 A Remarkable Paper found in the Pocket of a Collonel in the Irish Army 225 The Enemy beat a Parley 228 A Cessation agreed to Hostages exchanged 229 230 The Irish Proposals rejected by the Generals ibid. Articles agreed to 231 The General 's Letter to Sir Ralph Delaval giving him an Account of the Cessation 232 A brief Account of what happened in other parts of the Kingdom during this Month 268 c. CHAP. IX THE Lords Justices come to the Camp 238 The Articles signed ibid. The Articles at large both Civil and Military with Their Majesties Confirmation of them 239 c. Our men take possession of the Irish Town 256 A Lieutenant-Collonel imprisoned for denying to go into France 257 A Declaration from the General 258 My Lord Lucan's Arguments to the Irish to persuade them to go into France 260 Their Foot drawn out and put to the trial ibid. The Lords Justices return towards Dublin ibid. Our Army decamps and goes to Quarters 263 Some of the Irish go towards Cork 264 CHAP. X. THE Campaign ended and Irish Prisoners of War released 268 Some Rapparees deliver up their Arms 269 A Proclamation of pardon to the rest ibid. The Ulster Irish return home with their Cattle 270 The French Fleet comes into the Shannon 271 Some Objections against the Articles of Limerick answered 275 The last of the Irish march from Limerick 281 The General goes to Dublin and thence for England 288 Major-General Mackay and Major-General Talmash go for England 284 The Danes ordered to be shipt off ibid. Fortifications of Ballymore and Mullingar demolished 285 Our Transport Ships that carry the Irish return from France 288 The Late King's Letter to the Irish at their Landing 289 Their Reception in France ibid. My Lord Lucan's Release to the General 292 The Irish that stay'd with us very unruly in their Quarters Orders and Instructions for breaking them all except two Battalions 294 295 The Oaths taken according to the New Act of Parliament 296 An Order to turn out all Papists from our Regiments 297 A Proclamation declaring the War of Ireland ended 302 CHAP. XI A Brief Account of the former and present Circumstances of Ireland 304 Its Division into Provinces and Counties Bishopricks and Parishes Cities and Corporations It s Soil c. 305 306 Sir John Davis's Reasons why Ireland has been so long in being intirely subjected to the Crown of England 307 What Tavistry is 309 This a Reason why the Irish did not improve their Country 310 Of Fosterings and Cosherings ibid. Ireland ought to be put into a Condition to bear its own Burden 314 What Methods the Irish first took to make the old English joyn with them 315 A brief Account of the Expences of the former War ibid. An Essay towards the Charge of this 316 A modest conjecture at the Numbers lost on both sides and in the Country during the VVar 317 The Interest of England to advance the power of the English in Ireland 318 Our Ancestors sensible of this 320 The former Evils still remain ibid. The Interest of the Irish-Papists themselves to advance the Power of England 321 Two Objections answered 322 Religion in the first place to be taken care of 323 An Invasion from France at this Juncture upon any of these three Kingdoms not practicable 326 A Remark upon the last that endeavoured it 328 A Continuation of the Impartial History OF THE WARS of IRELAND CHAP. I. A brief Account by way of Introduction of the Cause of the War The state of the Protestants in that Kingdom The Late King 's landing there The Sessions of Parliament in Ireland Protestants Routed at Drummore and other Places Derry Besieged and Relieved The Irish beat at Croom Castle Duke Sconberg lands in August 1690. Carigfergus Surrendred Newry Burnt The Army march'd to Dundalk And Encamp there nigh ten Weeks Sligo taken by the Irish A Party of theirs Repulsed at Newry The Battel of Cavan The Danes land in Ireland 5000 French Foot land at Kinsale Charlemont Surrendred THE Actions of Great Men have generally been esteemed so powerful for the instructing of those that come after that most Civil States have made it their Business to Transcribe and preserve them to posterity for their Example and Imitation Even the Irish themselves when they were far from being one of the most Reformed Nations in the World had their Bards and Ballad-makers who have taken no small pains in their way to render the Chieftains of their own Country as famous as others Nay the Greatest Generals and Emperors have in the midst of their Conquests imployed some of their time to leave the immortal Memory of their own and other Great Mens Actions in writing the omission of which has been a great defect in the middle Age of the World since those are commonly the most Competent Judges of the management of Affairs and ablest to give a true Account But because in this Fighting Age wherein we now live their time is other ways imployed and Great Men have scarce leisure to read much less to write great Books we must be contented to take the best Accounts we can get of their Actions from meaner Hands such as have been Eye-witnesses of them or at least have good grounds for what they tell us And forasmuch as the Disturbances in Ireland have made so great a noise in the Ears of all Europe whilst they lasted and my self as a constant Attendant on their Majesties Army having been an Eye-witness to the most Remarkable Occurrences I shall not scruple to tell the World all I know which as it is for the most part little else but the bare matter of Fact I hope it may not be despised though it come from so mean a Hand and in so homely a Dress I need not trouble the Reader with a long Discourse about the Occasion of the War The general Aversion of the People of England to Popery and their being ill treated by a Prince of that Persuasion made such a sudden Change in that Kingdom as the like never happened before in any Age or Countrey But Ireland was under different Circumstances the Roman-Catholick Party being there by much the stronger at least more numerous of whom my Lord Tyrconnell had during the late King's Reign been modelling an Army that might be ready on all Occasions to maintain the Popish Interest by which the Protestants in that Kingdom were brought upon the very brink of Ruine and then
get out again And the second Week in May several English a Brandenburg and Three Dutch Regiments landed By which time also all our Recruits were compleated and the Regiments Cloathed so that we had now an Excellent Army all over-joyed with the Assurance that His Majesty in person designed to make that Campaign in Ireland A part of our Army also begin to take the Field and Encamp almost round Charlemont Cannon and Mortars were sent up that way too in order to force old Teague O Regan the Governour from his Nest if he would not quit it otherways but their Provisions being spent and no hopes of Relief appearing on the 12th of May the Governour desired a Parley and after some time it was agreed That his Garison should march out with their Arms and Baggage which they did Charlemont surrendred on the 14th being about Eight hundred besides two hundred Women and Children four Companies of Collonel Babington's Regiment taking possession of the Place We found Seventeen Pieces of Cannon one large Mortar Eighty three Barrels of Powder with some Fire Arms and other useful Materials in the Castle The same day that Charlemont was surrendred Collonel Woolsley and Collonel Foulks with Twelve hundred men went to a Castle called Bellynacargy in which the Enemy had Two hundred men this was scituate in a small Lough so that our men were forced to march up to their middles in water to make their Approaches the Enemy fired smartly upon us killed us Two Captains an Ensign and Seventeen men and wounded Forty three but when they saw us resolved to have the Place they hung out their White Flag and agreed to march away without their Arms. A Ground Plot of the STRONG FORT of CHARLEMONT in IRELAND With the Town River Marshes Boggs places adjacent ct CHAP. II. His Majesty lands in Ireland Our Army takes the Field The King marches towards the Boyn His Majesty's narrow Escape the day before the Battel The Battel of the Boyn The number of the Dead The Late King quits Ireland Our Army marches to Dublin His Majesty's Declaration to the Irish A List of our General Officers and of those belonging to the Irish Army The number of men in both Armies Our Army divides Lieutenant-General Douglass marches with a Party towards Athlone A Commission granted by the King to secure forfeited Goods Wexford secured Clonmell quitted Waterford and Dungannon-Fort surrendred to His Majesty The King intends for England and sends some Forces thither But returns to the Camp Limerick Besieged Some of our Guns surprized A Fort taken An Attack upon the Town Our men draw off His Majesty raises the Siege and returns to England ALL People were now big with hopes of His Majesty's coming for Ireland who left Kensington the Fourth of June 1690. took Shipping at Hylake His Majesty Lands in Ireland on the 12th and on the 14th being Saturday he landed about Four in the Afternoon at Carigfergus from whence being upon the Road to Belfast he was met by the General Major-General Kirk and a great many more Officers of the Army that were there expecting His Majesty's Landing And that Evening landed his Highness Prince George the Duke of Ormond Earl of Oxford Earl of Portland Earl of Scarborough Earl of Manchester my Lord Overkirk my Lord Sidney with a great many other Persons of Quality some of them Officers in the Army and others Voluntiers The two following days His Majesty was attended by most of the Nobily Clergy and other Gentlemen inhabiting that part of the Kingdom He was presented also with an Address from the Episcopal Clergy and another from several Presbyterian Ministers both which His Majesty received very graciously The King stayed at Belfast till Thursday the 19th and having set out a Proclamation to encourage all People of what Persuasion soever to live peaceably at home His Majesty went to Hilsburrough giving Ordes for his Army to take the Field And on the All our Army takes the Field 22th His Majesty Encampt at Loughbritland with that part of the Army which had their Rendezvouz there and never laid out of the Camp except upon his Journey from Caruck to Dublin after that during his stay in Ireland That Morning a Party of Two hundred Foot and Dragoons going from Newry towards Dundalk to discover the Enemy who ere this had taken the Field and then lay encamped there our men fell into an Ambuscade of about Four hundred of the Irish at a narrow Pass upon a Bog nigh a place called the Four-mile House by which we lost Twenty two of our Party and Captain Farlow with another Officer were taken Prisoners but the Enemy did not gain much by this Attempt for they lost more in number than we did Captain Farlow was the first who gave the Late King a certain Account of King William's being in Ireland for till then he would not believe it June the 27th our whole Army joined at Dundalk making in all about Thirty six thousand though the World called us at least a third part more The Irish at our approach hither had removed to the Boyn And on Sunday the 29th our Army marched beyond Ardee which the Enemy had fortified much after the same manner as they had done Dundalk and early next morning our whole Army moved toward the The Army marches to the Boyn Boyne making their Approaches very finely After some time His Majesty sent down small Parties of Horse to discover the Ways and then rid towards the Pass at Old Bridge having a full view of the Enemy's Camp as he went along His Majesty stopt some time at Old Bridge to observe the Enemy's Posture and then going a little further His Majesty alighted to refresh himself and sate nigh an hour upon the Grass during which time the Enemy brought down two Field-pieces under Covert of a small Party of Horse and planted them at the Corner of a Hedge undiscovered and when His Majesty the Prince and the rest were mounted again and riding softly the same way back their Cannonier let fly and at the second Shot was so near the killing His Majesty His Majesty's narrow Escape from a Great Shot as that the Bullet slanted upon his Right Shoulder took away a piece of his Coat and struck off the Skin which might have been a fatal Blow to his Army and Kingdoms too if the Great Creator of the World who orders and governs all things had not been at his Right Hand where he always is and I hope will be as well for the defence of His Majesty's Sacred Person as the good of those he has undertaken to protect The Enemy then fired those two Pieces as fast as they could charge and discharge doing some damage amongst our Horse that were drawing up before them which made the King give Orders for his Horse to rein a little backwards and have the advantage of a Rising Ground between them and the Cannon About Three a Clock
Irish defeated at the Mote of Greenoge Colonel Earl's Regiment advanced on the other side the Irish quitted the Pass being followed by our Horse and Dragoons towards the Mote of Greenoge where a greater Body of their Army was Posted upon the side of an Hill and those also upon seeing what happened retired into the Town at the entrance of which there was a very defensible Ditch with a Pallisado'd Work which the Irish quitted and March'd towards Athlone our Advance Party being 10 of my Lord of Oxford's Horse 12 of Sir John Lanier's Commanded by Cornet Lisle and sustained by Lieutenant Monk's Dragoons those were four choice Men out of a Company in Major General Kirk's Regiment mounted on Horseback and Commanded by Lieutenant Monk who always did Dragoon service and a Party of Colonel St. John's Foot under Captain Worth and all Commanded by Colonel Woolsley those overtook the Enemies Foot before they were got out of Town very soon obliging them to disperse into the Woods and Boggs several being killed and whilst this was adoing our Advance Party of Horse followed the Enemies Horse so fast upon the great Road that leads towards Athlone that our Body of Horse behind could not come up though they endeavour'd it by marching very hard A great many of the Irish fearing to be overtaken quit their Horses Boots and Arms making what haste they could to their usual shift the Woods and Boggs and thus it continued for six miles till they were got near Athlone They lost all their Equipage and Baggage with a great many Horses and Arms and had about Two Hundred Kill'd two Hundred kill'd We lost only one Trumpeter and had four men more Wounded Major General Kirk stayed behind and took Cairn Castle and the General at his return took Castle-Conway in some few days dispersing his Men to their respective Quarters The 28th several Rapparees were killed and hanged by the Militia near Montrath they being usually more March 1691. severe upon those sort of People than the Army was March the 7th a Cornet two Quarter-masters and some other Deserters came from the Enemy to Dublin Some Deserters come in and encouraged by the General where the General then was and received them very kindly allowing them subsistence to encourage others to follow their examples Several Ships arrive at Cork Waterford Kinsale and Dublin with Provisions and other necessaries for the Army and the Militia kill some Rapparees and bring in their Heads a Custom in that Country and encouraged by a Law which allows so much for every Head according to the Quality of the Offender though the usual way is by Proclamation from the Government wherein the Offender and his Price are March 1691. named Nigh this time three of the Danish Soldiers deserting upon Major-General Dorington's Declaration or what other Inducements I know not but they were met upon the Road between Limerick and Cashel by four others that had belonged to the Irish Army and now deserting to us these very fairly set upon the Danes took them Prisoners and brought them back to Cashel where they were afterwards hanged A Party of Colonel Villers's and some Danish Horse march from Tallow within the Enemies Frontiers kill two and take some few Prisoners And Colonel Blunt High-Sheriff of the County of Tipperary with his Militia Troop of Dragoons a Danish Troop of Horse and others to the Number of 200 went from Clonmel as far as Mitchels-Town nigh twenty Miles within the Enemies Quarters in which Expedition they kill'd forty seven Rapparees took thirteen Prisoners and burnt several Cabbins where they used to shelter Captain Palliser of the Earl of Drogheda's Regiment went with a Party from Carolante towards Portumna where he surprized some of my Lord Galmoy's Horse and took several Prisoners as also good store of rich Plunder with Arms Cloaths and several other things of value Cornet Russel and one Crofton come from the Enemies Quarters and give an Account that Balderock O Donnel had got several Men together again but wanting Arms and other Accoutrements they begun to desert And we also heard that Judge Daily was secured for being suspected to endeavour the delivering up of Gallway to our Forces And that Provisions and Forrage were very scarce in Connaught The Lords-Justices and Councel to encourage the bringing of Arms and Ammunition into Ireland by Merchants and others they set out a Proclamation declaring A Proclamation to encourage the Importing of Arms. that they shall be Duty-free pursuant to which Her Majesty made an Order of Council in England dated March the 3d. That no Duty shall be hereafter demanded or payable in Ireland for any Arms which shall be carryed to such parts of that Kingdom as are or shall be at the time of Importation under Their Majesties Obedience provided that the Parties exporting Arms from any other parts of Their Majesties Dominions do enter into sufficient Bonds for landing the same in such Parts of Ireland as aforesaid and no others The Rapparees at this time were very troublesom nigh Several Rapparees kill'd in the County of Longford Fox-Hall in the County of Longford till Lieutenant-Colonel Toby Purcel at three several times kill'd about one hundred of them in the last of which they kill'd fifty two and returning towards Quarters they were way-laid by the greatest part of Sir Donold O Neal's Dragoons Our Party were thirty five Dragoons and one hundred and forty Foot one Quarter-master Topham being with nine Dragoons commanded as an Advance-Party to view the Enemy as soon as discovered by us and seeing them in a confusion at his appearing he charged their Front who running away made all the rest of the same humour every one endeavouring to get first to their Garrison at New-Castle three were kill'd and one Dillan with four more taken Prisoners This Party its said was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Barnwell Upon this Defeat one Mack-Guire comes from the County of Longford with several hundreds of the Creights and most of the Stock that was left them for which and themselves they obtained Protections About the 10th of March we had an Account by some Protestants that came out of Connaught that the Irish a little after my Lord Tyrconnel's landing being out of humour with the Brass Money little or nothing being to be The Irish cry down their Brass Money had for it they cry'd it down by Proclamation the Crown piece to three Pence the Half-crown to three half-Pence the Shilling to a Penny and the Six pence to an half-penny After which the Soldiers lived upon free quarters Provisions also being scarce and no Markets for want of Money those Parts begun to be under worse Circumstances every Day We had Notice from Tallough that Sarsfield had Rendezvous'd part of his Army and some of the Irish Militia at Knockhany and that he had detached ten Men out of a Company and as many out of each Troop to Attack the Pass at
indeed the Militia were as active to suppress them However the White Serjeant with one Mackabe and Cavenagh were very troublesome nigh Kildare Those were three Fellows all under the same Circumstances who running away from the Irish Army they got small Parties of Rogues together and haunted the Bogg of Allen and other places of the Country thereabouts which were particularly well known to them and by that means gave the Inhabitants no small disturbance They were hunted by the Militia nigh this time and three of the White Serjeant's men Shot at one time and two of Mackabe's at another and soon after three more were killed near Murney And our publick Accounts tell us of a hundred and ten Rapparees killed by Captain Baggott's Militia Dragoons since the beginning of this Month in several Parties But Cavenagh and his Men being afraid to trade any more in the Bogg of Allen they remove towards the Mountains of Wicklow where Lieutenant Cooly met with them and killing fifteen took their Captain upon which the rest dispersed or joyned with Mackabe and the White Sergeant May the 20th Mark Baggot formerly spoke of Mark Baggâ— hanged being condemned and reprieved till now was this Day hanged having said nothing to the purpose but that our best places to pass the Shannon were Melick and Banoher May 24. Major Welden of the Militia and Captain Phillips of Colonel Earls's Regiment kill thirteen Rapparees near Montmelick Captain Vnderhill of my Lord Lisburn's Regiment with sixty Foot and ten Dragoons goes to Ballenderry May the 26th where they met with a Party of nigh three hundred of the Irish Army whom they engaged killing Captain Geoghagan and four more Officers and as the Account was fifty private Men. Next Day the same Captain went out with only twenty four Men and kill'd twelve but being set upon by a good Party of the Irish commanded by Colonel Geoghagan he made his retreat to Dunore Castle having only one Man kill'd and another wounded The same Day some Dutch Horse being come to the Camp now at Mullingar a Party of them went abroad kill'd several Rapparees and brought in thirty Prisoners At this time Lieutenant-General Douglas was marched Lieutenant-General Douglas encamps with a Party at Ardagh out of the North with a Body of Men and encamped at a place called Ardagh in the County of Longford twelve Miles from Mullingar And the Duke of Wirtenberg was gone towards Thurles where the Foreigners that quartered last Winter in Munster were ordered to Rendezvouz and to be ready to joyn the rest of the Army nigh Banoher where our Great Men had some thoughts at that time of passing Our Train of Artillery was also upon their march from Dublin to Mullingar being such an one as never had been seen before in that Kingdom Major-General Ruvigny is now at the Camp at Mullingar Our Great Officers take the Field whither went Major-General Mackay on the 28th who came lately from Scotland Major-General Kirk and Sir John Lanier go for England and land at Neston on the thirtieth And much about the same time the Duke of Leinster's Regiment of Horse formerly my Lord Devonshire's landed in England and march'd towards Coventry Major-General Talmash being sent by His Majesty to assist the other Great Officers this Campaign in Ireland landed at Dublin the latter end of May having with him Sir Martin Beckman chief Ingineer and in a Day or two he went towards the Camp About this time the Gentlemen of the County of East-Meath meeting at Trim agreed to scoure the Red Bog nigh that place where the Rapparees haunted and had done much mischief during the last Winter the issue was that thirty five were kill'd and six more fairly hanged Some were also kill'd by the Militia of the County of Waterford and others near Kilmallock by Parties that advanced so far By Packets from England the General had an Account by Letters from Monsieur de Opdam Lieutenant-General of the Horse in Holland who went to Breda about the exchange of Prisoners taken at the Boyne Cork Kinsale c. with the Dutch taken at the Battle of Fleur that the French refused to release the Irish Officers under such Characters as they gave themselves but left them under very ill Circumstances upbraiding them in terms very disrespectful tho' they released the Irish Soldiers and sent them to Thoulon Marseilles c. for the Sea-service This Month now draws towards an end and all People that had any business towards the Camp are resorting thither in order to which the Lords-Justices set out a Proclamation Commanding all Sutlers and others to carry no Ale or other Liquors to the Camp but what was good and well brewed and to be at least six Days old to prevent Fluxes and other Distempers There was also another Proclamation Commanding all Persons that designed to be Sutlers to come to Dublin for Licenses and to renew those each Journey But this being found inconvenient for the Army it was recalled May the 30th Lieutenant-General Ginckel went The General goes to the Camp from Dublin and lying that Night at Tycroghan next Day his Excellency came to the Camp at Mullingar where he found Foot viz. Major-General Kirk's Lord Meath's Lord Lisburn's Lord Cutts's Colonel Foulks's Colonel Brewer's Lord George Hamilton's and Colonel Earls's Horse Sir John Lanier's Brigadier Villers's Colonel Langston's Rydesel's Roucour's and Monopovillon's with Colonel Leveson's Dragoons who before his coming over was made a Brigadier by His Majesty The Soldiers every Day in one Regiment or another began to appear fine in their new Cloths and before the Army took the Field the Lords-Justices with the Advice of the General appointed several Officers that had been or were actually then in the Army to Command the Militia in different places of the Kingdom not as being Absolute but rather Superintendents of the whole As in the County of Cork Major Stroud was imployed in the Counties of Wickloe and Wexford Major Brooks and Captain Phillips as were also Major Tichburn Lieutenant-Colonel Toby Caulfield and others in several other places CHAP. V. June 1691. The Fortifications at Mullingar contracted into a narrower compass A Stratagem of the Irish to get Horses The Irish march towards Athlone Our Army goes towards Ballymore That place besieged Its Situation described Four Batteries planted The General 's Message sent in writing A Parley beat The Fort surrendred Ballymore better fortified The Army march towards Athlone and joyned by the Duke of Wirtenberg We approach the Town Batteries planted The order of the Attack The English Town taken Batteries against the Irish Town The Enemy ruin our Works A design to pass the Shannon The Enemy burn our close Gallery A Councel of War held A Party ordered to pass the River The Town stormed An Express sent to St. Ruth A part of our Army left in the Country and why Major Culliford surprizes some of the Irish Inniskeen fortified JVne the 1st Very
or else to remove with the whole Army to some more likely Pass which wanted not its inconveniencies neither since by this means the Enemy were encouraged and our own men disheartened at the beginning of the Campaign and not only so but upon our removing there was a way open for the Enemy even to Dublin it self at least into all the Countries adjacent by which means we must expose at least our Provisions to hazzard and so be forced to go back to make a defensive instead of an offensive War And on the other hand to make an Attack upon the Town not to succeed and then be forced to remove wou'd be of more fatal Consequence However the Duke of Wertenberg the Major Generals Mackey Talmash Ruvigny and Tetteau urged that no brave Action could be attempted without hazzard and considering the goodness of our own men and the faintness of the Enemy in all great Attacks that had been made upon them hitherto they stood up for the probability of the attempt proffering themselves to be the first that shou'd indeavour to force the Enemies Works in their own persons particularly Major General Talmash very forward and instrumental in promoting was of it which they happily performed accordingly for the Detachment drawn down the day before was ordered still to be in a readiness and A Party ordered to pass the River the General gave Command that they should be all brought three days before by three of the Danes one being a reformed Officer who with two more boldly ventured in the face of all their Works and in opposition to their Vollies which were made at them and that at Noon-day and found passable so that all things being in this order six minutes past six a Clock Capt. Sandys and two Lieutenants led the first Party of 60. Granadeers all in Armour and 20 a Breast seconded by another good Body who all with an amazing resolution took the River the Stream being very Rapid and deep at which time our Great and Small Shot began to play from our Batteries and Works on our side upon the Enemies Works on the other and they fired as thick as possible for them upon our men that were passing the River who forced their way thro Fire and Smoak and gaining the other Bank the rest laid Planks over the broken part of the Bridge and others were laying the Bridge of Boats by which our men past over so fast that in less than half an hour we were Masters of the Town and all the Trenches except one beyond the Town for the Irish being amazed at the suddenness of the thing and the resolution of our men with no great difficulty began to give ground and soon after made the best of their way towards their Camp tho a great many of them were killed in their Works and yet it 's observable that our men when they saw themselves really Masters of the Town were not at all forward to kill those at their mercy tho it was in a manner in the heat of Action but the Rubbish and Stuff thrown down by our Cannon was more difficult to climb over than a great part of the Enemies Works which occasioned our Soldiers to Swear and Curse even amongst the Bullets themselves upon which Major General Mackay told them that they had more reason to fall upon their Knees and thank God for the Victory and that they were brave men and the best of men if they would Swear less The Soldiers however got good store of Plunder What Stors were â—â—und in Town amongst the Ruines and a great many dead men were found in the Castle there were six Brass Guns and two Mortars in Town with about 20 Barrels of Powder 12 Hogsheads of Meal some Wheat and a great many other things We lost in this Action only 12 men and Lieutenant Col. Collumbine with 4 more Officers and 30 Soldiers wounded The Enemy they say lost 500 at this attack and as many more during the Siege as made them 1200 amongst whom were Col. O Gara Col. Richard Grace Col. Art Oge Mackmahon two of the Mack Genuess and several others there were taken Prisoners Major General Maxwell a French Adjutant General Capt. Dalton one Capt. more and two Lieutenants with about 60 private Men. At our mens first entering the River an Express An Express sent to Saint Râ—th was sent from the Town to Monsieur St. Ruth then in the Irish Camp signing Articles against My Lord Tyrconel as some say but going out a shooting as others report who when he heard the news said it was impossible that the English should pretend to take a Town and he so near with an Army to Succour it but being very soon assured that the English were actually possest of the place he lamented his misfortune extreamly and ordered several Detachments to beat the English out again but then he was sensible of a former oversight in not demolishing those Fortifications of Athlone next his own Camp for now the English possest their own Works entire against themselves Tho some say that St. Ruth had given orders for those Works to be thrown down the next day several Parties however of the Irish both Horse and Foot came in all hast towards the Town and stopt their men that were running away at the furthest Trenches Upon which Col. Gustavus Hambleton advanced with a Party of Granadeers and there was a pretty warm dispute for some time and Major General Maxwell newly made a Prisoner was confident they would beat us out again but when he saw them retreat upon our mens advancing and firing he was soon convinced of his mistake Athlone it seems in the last Wars was neither well fortified nor provided for Sir Charles Coot with 2000. choice Horse and as many Foot went towads Sligoe and made a shew of sitting down before it but slipt over the Curlue Mountains and with no great difficulty took Athlone as also Portumna whilst Ireton with the main Body of their Army forced Killalow Pass and sat down before Limerick But this last was an Action that is scarce to be parallelled in History that a strong Town shou'd be taken by Storm cross a great and rapid River when a powerful Army lay within less than two Miles to support it but the same providential attendance that waited upon us at first did now and afterwards assist us But it will not be improper to leave the General and his Army for a while at Athlone and see what happened in these active times in several other places of the Kingdom for tho the Irish had drawn most of their Forces towards Athlone with a design if possible to oppose our passing the Shannon yet they being at this time all of one side and consequently very numerous they ordered matters so as a great many Rapparees and some of their Army were left in different parts of the Kingdom especially in the Counties of Cork Sligoe and Kerry who waited all opportunities to
sired upon them but our Men contemning all Disadvantages advanced immediately to the lowest Hedges and beat the Irish from thence The Enemy however did not retreat far but posted themselves in the next Ditches before us which our Men seeing and disdaining to suffer their Lodging so near us they would needs beat them from thence also and so from one Hedge to another till they were got very nigh the Enemies main Battel But the Irish had so ordered the matter as to make an easie Passage for their Horse amongst all those Hedges and Ditches by which means they poured in great numbers both of Horse and Foot upon us which Colonel Earl seeing encouraged his Men by advancing before them and saying There was no way to come off but to be Brave As great an Example of true Courage and Generosity as any Man this Day living But being both flanked and fronted as also exposed to all the Enemies Shot from the adjacent Ditches our Men were forced to quit their Ground and betake themselves to the Bogg again A Party of our Foot beat back whither they were followed or rather drove down by main strength of Horse and Foot and a great many killed Colonel Earl and Colonel Herbert were here taken Prisoners the former after twice taking and retaking got free at last tho not without being wounded Whilst this was a doing here Col. St. Johns Col. Tiffin Lord George Hambleton the French and several other Regiments were marching over below upon the same Bogg The Irish in the mean time laid so close in their Ditches that several were doubtful whether they had any Men at that place or not but they were convinced of it at last for no sooner were the French and the rest got within twenty yards or less of the Ditches but the Irish fired most furiously upon them which our Men as bravely sustained and pressed forwards tho they could scarce see one another for Smoak And now the thing seemed so doubtful for some time that the By-standers would rather have given it on the Irish side for they had driven our Foot in the Centre so far back that they were got almost in a Line with some of our Great Guns planted near the Bogg which we had not the Benefit of at that Juncture because of the mixture of our Men and theirs M. G. Ruvigny's French Horse and Sir John Laniers being both posted on the Right were afterwards part of Our Horse pass the Bogg near the Castle of Aghrim them drawn to the Left where they did very good Service And the Right Wing of our Horse in the mean time were making what haste they could to succour our Foot for seeing their Danger and indeed that all was in hazard by reason of the Difficulty of the Pass they did more than Men in pressing and tumbling over a very dangerous place and that amongst Showrs of Bullets from a Regiment of Dragoons and two Regiments of Foot posted conveniently under Cover by the Enemy to obstruct our Passage Our Horse at this place were sustained by Major General Kirks and Colonel Gustavus Hambleton's Foot who after we had received the Enemies Fire for a considerable time marched under the Walls of the Castle and Lodged themselves in a dry Ditch in the throng of the Enemies Shot from the Castle and some other old Walls and Hedges adjoining Those that have seen the place and considered the Disadvantages that our Men had at such a Juncture to encounter withal must needs Acknowledge the Action very Brave For it s reported that Monsieur St. Ruth seeing our Horse draw that way and then begin to scramble over at a place where only two a Breast could pass and that too with great difficulty after all which they had no other way to march but to go within thirty yards of the Castle The French General seeing our Men attempt to do this askt What they meant by it And being answered That they would certainly endeavour to pass there and Attack him on the Left he is said to reply with an Oath They are brave Fellows it s a pity they should be so exposed or Words to that purpose Our Horse with much difficulty made good that Pass Sir Francis Compton with my Lord of Oxford's Regiment being one of the first that could be in a posture to Engage he fell at Random in amongst the Enemy and charged them briskly with Sword in Hand and tho his Men were once or twice Repulsed yet being seconded with part of Major General Ruvigny's Horse Colonel Langston's and some of Colonel Byerley's Horse as also Brigadeer Leveson's Dragoons they soon made Good their Party on that side tho' not without the loss of several both Men and Horses The Major General Talmash seeing the Disadvantage Major General Talmash Succours our Foot our Foot laboured under in the Centre he shewed at once an extream concern for his Countrymens being repulsed and as much Generosity and Courage by hastning to Succour those that at that time stood most in need of it coming up therefore in all haste with some fresh Men he gave Orders for our broken Regiments to halt and face about which they did immediately and returned the same Measure to the Irish that some of themselves had met withal the very Minute before that is they knockt them on the Head for the Irish followed us toward the Centre of the Bogg which tho not two hundred yards from the lowest Ditches yet before the Enemy could recover those again our Men had killed above three hundred of them and then marched boldly up to their old Ground again from whence they had been lately beat which is only natural to English Men for it 's observable that they are commonly fiercer and bolder after being repulsed than before and what blunts the Courage of all other Nations commonly whets theirs I mean the killing of their Fellow Soldiers before their Faces At the same time Major General Mackay had fallen upon the Enemy with a good Body of Horse on their Left and then Major General Ruvigny went along the side of the Bogg with another Party of Horse who did extraordinary Service bearing down all before them then the Horse and Foot of our Right and their Left mixing there was nothing but a continued fire and a very hot dispute all along the Line The Irish indeavouring to defend their Ditches and our men as forward to beat them from thence But the thing was doubtful not much longer for Mons St. Ruth when he first saw our Foot in the Centre repulsed in a great Ecstasy told those next him that he wou'd now beat our Army back to the Gates of Dublin But seeing our Horse press over towards the Castle he ordered a Brigade of his own Horse to march up then Riding to one of his Batteries and giving orders to the Gunner where to fire he was marching towards the place where he saw us indeavour to come over but was
Sligo to view the Posture of the Enemy thereabouts and it being reported that Lieutenant General Sheldon's Horse were in that part of the Country two hundred Horse and Dragoons were sent abroad to discover the Truth of it Lieutenant Colonel Ramsey with the rest of the Party marched to Ballysedara Bridge four Miles from Sligo where he found old Sir Teague O Regan with eighty Horse and about two hundred Foot very Advantageously posted to hinder our passage that way but our Party attacking them they gave ground after some time and Sir Francis Hambleton with some of the Militia and a Troop of Colonel Winn's Dragroons coming in the mean time the Enemy were pursued almost to the Fort of Sligo about thirty of them killed and ninteen taken Prisoners amongst whom were two Lieutenants and an Ensign and the Store-keeper of Sligo Sir Teague himself narrowly escaping for his mean Appearance was the reason that a Lieutenant was seized instead of him The Earl of Drogheda's Regiment had now Orders to march from the Queens County to Mullingar where the men were daily imployed to improve and strengthen the Works my Lord himself marched always with his Regiment and then took a great deal of pains as well in seeing the Works compleated as in forwarding the Stores and also in hearing and redressing Complaints and Grievances relating as well to the Army the Country A Party of the Militia bring in some Prisoners from the Island nigh Lanesborough who were afterwards sent to Dublin Seventeen Rapparees were killed in the County of Kildare by two Parties of the Militia and three hanged at Edenderry five hundred of the Militia of the County of Cork under the Command of Colonel Beecher met with about four hundred of the Irish beyond a place called Shibbareene and after a small dispute the Enemy were put to flight by which means our Party had almost surpriz'd Mackarty Moore and Colonel O Donavan who were not far off the Enemy lost nigh sixty and the Militia got a considerable Booty of Cattle and nigh the same time one Barry a Captain with ten of his men deserted from the Enemy On the Thirtieth of July part of the Militia of the County of Wickloe being two Troops of Horse two of Dragoons and five Companies of Foot rendezvoused on the Murrough five Miles from Wickloe where they were viewed by Major Brooks and Captain Phillips appointed by the Government as Superintendents of the Militia of that County And thus ended this active month of July in Ireland where more execution was done then in all Europe besides notwithstanding the great Preparations CHAP. VII Several fresh Regiments ordered towards the Camp to Recruit the Army Brigadier Leveson sent with a Party towards Nenagh that place deserted by long Anthony Carol. A Treaty with Balderock O Donel. The Army marches to Cariganlis The General with a Party views Limerick News of the Death of my Lord Tyrconel Irish Lords Justices act after my Lord Tyrconels death A Party sent to meet our Guns Colonel Lumnley goes with a Party towards Charlevil A Spy returns with an account of the Estate of Limerick An Order about the Rates of Provisions Another prohibiting the buying Cattle without the Generals License Our Army goes to Limerick Iretons Fort taken then Cromwels Fort. Col. Donep killed Our heavy Cannon came up A Party sent to Castle-Cannel Our Ships come up nigh the Town Batteries planted The Enemy afraid of our passing the River Brigadier Leveson sent into Kerry Some Protestants released from St. Thomas 's Island Major General Talmash commands in the Trenches A brief Account of what hapned in other places of the Kingdom during the Month of August THe General being assured that the Irish were Fresh Regiments sent for to the Camp using their utmost skill and industry to rally and re-inforce their shattered Army and not knowing how far despair might carry Men that were come now to their last Stake considering also that we had a strong Town before us which would be the work of some Time to reduce if the Enemy made what Resistance might justly be expected his own Troops being likewise harrassed by continual labour and toil suffering often through scarcity of Bread and other Necessaries by reason of continual marching Those and other Considerations prevailed with the General to send for all the Regiments that had been left in Munster and other places except Colonel Hastings at Cork and some Inniskilliner's in the North and some of them being already upon their march we were joyned on the First of August at Banoher The Army marched to Banoher Bridg. Bridge by Colonel Matthews Dragoons and Colonel Lloyd's Foot the latter upon further consideration being ordered back to Athlone for that Balderock's Party was still on foot Banoher is about fourteen miles from Athlone down the River towards Limerick and is a very strong Pass at which the Irish kept three Regiments all the precedeing Winter building small Huts to shelter thâ—mselves from the Weather The Bridge it self consists of seventeen large Arches one of which was broke down by the Irish and another is since fallen At the Bridge end on Leinster side had been a considerable Stone Fort built in the former Wars now demonished by the Irish but on the other side of the River they had cast up a Work close to the Bridge and there planted four Field peeces behind which stood an Old Castle not to be forced without Cannon and nigh that a very Regular Fort and well palisado'd so that it was not so easie a thing to force this place at any time during the former Winter as some Coffee-House Generals and pot valiant Souldiers made it but Men that have been bred up that way and are actually upon the Place are commonly best Judges of what is fit to be attempted in such a Case though it is not convenient they should alwayes give Reasons for what they do to every one who pretend to be concern'd Our Army encamped here on a narrow Neck of Ground left by the slopeing of the River on the Right and a vast Bog on the Left The Encampment being so strong that it had been impossible for any Army or numbers of Men to have forced us from our Ground August the Second the Army halted and a detachment Brigadier Leveson sent forwarwards with a Party of four Men out of each Troop of Horse with a Party of Dragoons making in all five hundred men under the Command of Brigadier Leveson were sent forwards to scowre the Country On the Fourth this Party went to Nenagh where stands the Remains of an Old Castle built by King John and now the Inheritance of the Duke of Ormond The Roof of this Castle was burnt by a Party of our Army at our decamping last year but the Walls and some other conveniencies remain still being possest all Winter by long Anthony Carol whose Party was now about five hundred Hearing therefore of Brigadier Levesons approach he
the Afternoon Hostages exchanged my Lord Cutts Sir David Collier Colonel Tiffin and Colonel Piper were sent into the Town for whom were sent out the Lords Westmeath Iveagh Trimblestowne and Louth The 27th the Irish sent out their Proposals which were 1st That their Majesties will by an Act of Indemnity The Irish Proposals pardon all past Crimes and Offences whatsoever 2dly To restore all Irish Catholicks to the Estates of which they were seized or possessed before the late Revolution 3dly To allow a free Liberty of Worship and one Priest to each Parish as well in Towns and Cities as in the Country 4thly Irish Catholicks to be capable of bearing Imployments Military and Civil and to exercise Professions Trades Callings of what Nature soever 5thly The Irish Army to be kept on Foot paid c. as the rest of their Majesties Forces in case they be willing to serve their Majesties against France or any other Enemy 6thly The Irish Catholicks to be allowed to live in Towns Corporate and Cities to be Members of Corporations to exercise all sorts and manners of Trades and to be equal with their Fellow-Protestant Subjects in all Privileges Advantages and Immunities accruing in or by the said Corporations 7thly An Act of Parliament to be past for ratifying and confirming the said Conditions These Propositions were very unreasonable and they say mightily insisted upon by Mack Guire and others of the Priesthood this Man I 'm told was Chaplain to the Spanish Ambassador at Rome when Plunket the Titular Primate was hanged about the Popish Plot in Ireland and few People daring to assume that Title at such a Juncture the Ambassador procured it from the Pope for him When those Proposals were brought out to the General he was so far from granting them that he returned Answer Though he was in a manner a Stranger to the Laws of England yet he understood Rejected by the General and new Batteries ordered to be raised that those things they insisted upon were so far contradictory to them and dishonourable to himself that he would not grant any such Terms and so returned them ordering a new Battery to be immediately raised to the left of Mackay's Fort for Mortars and Guns Then the Irish sent again to know what Terms his Excellency would please to propose to them who after a Consultation sent them in twelve Articles much the same in Substance with those afterwards agreed upon and said he would allow of no other He sent them however all the Prisoners that we had of theirs in the Camp in Requital of ours that were released before their wounded Prisoners having always the same Conveniences with our own Men. The 28th early in the Morning Sarsfield Waughup Articles agreed upon the Titular Primate Baron Purcell of Loughmoe Arch-Bishop of Cashell Sir Garret Dillon Sir Theobald Butler and Colonel Brown the three last Counsellors at Law with several other Officers and Commissioners came to the General 's Quarters whither he sent for all our General Officers and after a long Debate Articles were agreed on not only for the Town of Limerick but for all the other Forts and Castles in the Kingdom then in the Enemies Possession as Ross Clare c. The same Afternoon an Order was signed for part of the Transport Ships to sail from Cork to the Shannon and there to take on Board some of the Irish Forces The following Letter was also sent by the General to Sir Ralph Delavall who he understood was upon the Coast with a Squadron of English Men of War Camp before Limerick Septemb. 28. 1691. SIR I Have notice from my Lord Nottingham that you The General 's Letter to Sir Ralph Dalaval were to come with the Squadron under your Command into these Seas which makes me send this to acquaint you that I have entred into a Treaty with the City of Limerick and the Irish Army which is now just come to a Conclusion In the mean time we have a Cessation of Arms at Land and have agreed there shall be one too at Sea upon the Coasts of this Kingdom since several of the Irish Army are to be transported and to make use of French as well as English Ships for that Purpose and therefore I must desire you will not hinder the Transport Ships of France from coming into the Shannon nor the rest of their Fleet into Dingle Bay The French Intendant here has written his Part to the Squadron of their Men of VVar that is expected and gives Assurance that no Hostility will be committed by them and you will please to observe the same on your Side which is very necessary for their Majesties Service and the speedy finishing the Affair we have in hand to which I am sure you will contribute what you may as well as SIR Your most humble Servant Bar. de GINCKELL The 29th all our Horse and Dragoons commanded by the Marquess Ruvigny go to encamp beyond Six-mile-Bridg for the Conveniency of Forage and a friendly Correspondence begun between the Irish and us several of our Army going into Town and others of them coming into our Camp The 30th most of the Irish General Officers dined with the Duke of Wirtembergh nothing further being to be done till the Arrival of the Lords Justices who were sent for to confirm the Articles according to Agreement And by this time the Irish Souldiers and ours were also pretty well acquainted they coming into our Camp and our Men being admitted to view all their Works where we will leave them asking strange Questions one at another and look back a little upon the Actions that hapned in other Parts of the Kingdom during this Month. For whilst the Army was busied in the Field against A brief Account of what hapned in other Places of the Kingdom this Month. the main Strength of the Irish the Government was not wanting to order the Militia in several Parts of this Kingdom to suppress the skulking Tories and other mischievous Persons who laid hold on all Occasions to do Mischief On the 5th of September a Party of Rapparees near Tallough rob some Carriages belonging to the Officers in the Princess Ann's Regiment and got away into the Woods The Militia kill three Rapparees near Caperquin and four more nigh Lismore The 6th our Barbadoes Fleet came into Kinsale under Convoy of the Princess Ann and the Bristol Frigats and the same Day the St. Albans and Soldadoe brought 7 French Prizes into Cork The Militia of Dublin and eight hundred more from the North being joined by Balderock O Donnel with about twelve hundred Irish were at Abby Boyle the 9th of September on their March to Sligoe and on their way they summon'd Loughlin commanded by Colonel Theobald Dillon and another Place commanded by Colonel Charles Kelly both strong Castles and garison'd by the Irish which surrendred and then the Earl of Granard Commander in chief sent to summon Ballymott which refusing to surrender