a Retreat it being the only Fort in Down and Antrim excepting Carrickfergus which lay convenient for the Defence of the Frontiers and was at that time a Magazine of all their Arms and Ammunition yet they rejected all offers that were made in pursuance of their former Designs and neither suffered the Trenches to be Scoured nor Commanded any other thing to be done which was necessary for the Defence of it tho the Inferior Councils being more sensible of their Duty Fortified and secured many places of less consequence Tyrconnel's Forces being advanced under the Command of Lieut. Gen. Hamilton within an easie days March of the North the whole Countrey seeming more apprehensive of the dangers that might attend their former security busied themselves in a warmer application to their General and Council who being now sensible of their credulous Error promised to use their utmost Endeavours against the approach of the Enemy upon which they made a show of drawing the Forces of the two Counties into one Body which being above 10000 men would in all probability been able to have disputed if not defended the Countrey from the farther advance of the Irish Army tho it must be confessed the greatest part of them wanted the Exercise and Arms of a well Trained Militia but that might have been in a great measure supplied by the Prudent Proposals of some Gentlemen who advis'd that the Passes might be Guarded by their best men and such only left to secure their Countrey as were less Serviceable If these Measures had been taken we should have certainly impeded the Enemies Progress and have thereby given time enough to the more Northern Counties to have joined their Numbers who had been engag'd to advance upon the first Alarm but the General and Council instead of following this advice only continued their Forces in motion still keeping them at their former distance which Method was the great occasion of our ensuing Miseries for the several petty Divisions desparing of any Success from their own Strength never durst encounter the Enemy who always Marched in a main Body The first instance of this Nature hapned at Loughbrickland a place within 3 Miles of the Newry where only a Detachment of Sir John Macgil's Regiment and an inconsiderable party of Sir Arthur Rawden's Dragoons were posted who no sooner heard that Tyrconnel's Army had enter'd the Newry but they retired in such confusion that the whole Countrey seemed struck with the Retreat The Enemy making the right use of this accident immediately possessed themselves of Loughbrickland and soon afterwards advanced towards Drummore which was Garison'd by 300 Horse and some Foot under the Command of Sir Arthur Rawden and Mr. W who having notice of their March posted a Detachment of Horse at the 2 Mile Bridge with strict Orders to Skirmish the Enemies Scouts and to give what other diversion they could to their Main Body but having engaged too far several of them were cut off and the rest obliged to a hasty Retreat Sir Arther Rawden coâ—tinued in the Town ' very minute expecting to be inforc'd with a considerable Supply but was much surprized to receive the General 's Orders to Retreat to Hilsburgh which was three Miles behind Drummore This sudden disappointment made him resolve upon his own Methods and instead of Retreating to Hilsburgh he marched his men within view of the Enemy whom he discovered to be very numerous and advancing in great haste but excellent Order which made Sir Arthur halt and consulting with his Officers what was fit to be done he found his Right Wing surrounded and concluding the Enemy designed to hem in his Party they all agreed upon a Retreat and the only doubt that remained was who should be formost Lieut. Price and two others after the Retreat of the rest bravely charged the Enemy and Price having shot Col. Sheldon's Horse by which he very much endangered his Life was afterwards by the failure of his own exposed to the Revenge of the Irish The bold Attempt of these three men gave a considerable diversion to the whole Army so that in pursuit of the Protestant Party which hasted full Gallop to Hilsburgh there were not above 20 men kill'd but if the Fort had not put a stop to the Irish Career they had certainly cut off the rest who under that shelter made good their escape some to Colrain others to Portferry every one steering such a Course as he judged farthest from the present Danger The General and Council had hitherto resided in Hilsburgh which was the place appointed for the heart of the North from whence the several Counties were to have derived their Principles of Motion and yet they were so careless of defending a Post so considerable that the day before this Rout it had not the ordinary Provision of a Garison for on that day Mr. West Major to Mr. H ton of T was commanded to advance with such of his men as were fit for service who in pursuance of their Orders enforced the Town with 120 men and proposing the Defence of it with the only addition of 500 more at least till such time as the scattered Forces of the North might be drawn together who might have been able to have raised the Siege had his offer resisted tho there were at this time in Lisburn 2000 Soldiers sent from the County of Antrim and the only reason given by the General and Council for rejecting West's Proposal was the want of necessary Provisions for so great a body The Major not being well satisfied with the Measures taken by the Council was however resolved to use his best Endeavours towards securing the Town and only desired to be furnish'd with such Instruments as might serve to scour the Trenches and that the Trees which grew nearest the Town might be cut down lest they might prove serviceable to the Enemy in case they should attempt to Scale the Walls but these requests were also rejected the first for want of Money to buy such Necessaries as were desired and the other for fear of disobliging the Owners these slight Excuses made the Gentlemen of the Countrey suspect some other Designs which were soon afterward plainly discovered by the Resolutions taken in the next Council The General having declared the Town not tenable turned every man over to his own shifts The Soldiers were so much surprized with this sudden opinion that they would not be induc'd to a belief of it 'till their General left the Garison exposed to the rage of the Enemy and in great haste posted towards Portferry where he met with the conveniency of being transported out of all danger Mr. H ton of T having particularly recommended the care of his Regiment to their own Conduct hasted towards Belfast in such a hurry that he left behind him a Portmantue of the publick Papers and 150 l. of the Counties Stock tho he refused the day before to advance so much Money as would have brought the Forces together
Reputation but it made a disterent impression on the General and Council who believing this easie Compliance to have proceeded from an inward distrust of their own Strength concluded that nothing was wanting but a bold Attempt to make themselves Masters of that Garison This Design was chiefly promoted by H ton of T hoping thereby to make amends for his past Miscarriage and countenanced by the General who never failed of a ready Assent to such Methods as the other thought fit to propose Mr. Hamilton of Bangor was particularly concern'd to forward the Attempt fearing lest the Neighbourhood of that Garison might prove dangerous to his private concerns being sensible of the provocations he had given them by detaining the Earl's Boat and Provision Sir W F was likewise engaged in promoting the Attempt for having rendred himself particularly obnoxious to Tyrconnel by his Correspondence with him he resolved to rescue himself from the apprehensions of falling into his hands by leaving the Kingdom but being at that time entrusted with the Command of a Regiment and his Soldiers having Notice of his Designs forced him against his Inclinations to Stand to his Arms which made him willing to undertake any Attempt how desperate soever hoping thereby to wipe off the Aspersion of his past Endeavours These were the secret Springs upon which this Project turned against the general Opinion of the rest of the Countrey and these Gentlemen with some of the disbanded Officers were the chief Promoters of this Enterprise which was oppos'd by Sir Rob. Celvill Mr. Vpton and most of the Countrey who easily foresaw the difficulties that attended it and would have disswaded them from engaging in a design that would infallibly end in a discovery of their own weakness and in all probability would hasten down Tyrconnel's Forces against them which they were in no condition to oppose but all these Objections were answer'd by the strong Reason which was always ready upon such occasions viz. That they knew best what was fittest to be done and that to question their Resolutions after the Trust repâ—sed in them tended only to Disorder and Confusion Having resolved to attack Carrickfergus the following Stratagem was agreed on as the best Expedient to effect it Mr. Davis an Inhabitant of that Town whose Hospitality and good Humour had rendred him very much esteemed by the Popish Officers was engaged to give them such a hearty Welcome as might drown all sense of their Duty and make them incapable of opposing the Protestant Onset the Design being thus laid in the Town Circular Letters were dispatched from Belfast to summon the Countrey Regiments to Rendezvous by Five the next morning near Carrickfergus who notwithstanding the short Warning great Distance and Winter Season were very punctual to the Commands of their General and appeared at the Time and Place to the Number of 3000 and tho they had undergone the Fatigues of a Rainy nights March in a very deep way yet were they so forward to approve their Courage that nothing but the positive Commands of their Officers could prevent their falling on the Enemy whose chief Commanders were so well secured by Davis's Eiquor that it 's generally believed our Soldiers might have taken the Town by killing only the Out Centinels but here our General and his Council tho to blame before for their sudden Resolutions thought fit to act with greater deliberation and instead of executing their former Resolves they now began to consult anew by which means they gave the Officers time enough to sleep themselves sober and the Garison an opportunity of calling a Council of War who believing the Town not to be in such a Posture of Defence as would oppose the sudden assault of an Enemy provided with all things necessary for a general Attack judged it convenient to beat a Parley which was readily accepted by our General and Col. Talbot being sent from the Town to manage the Conference entertain'd our General with such Trifles as it plainly appeared that nothing was designed by the Enemy but the discovery of our Strength and the gaining so much time as might prepare them for a defence for having mann'd their Walls and lin'd some Hedges without the Town they took no farther notice of the Parley but Sallied on the Suburbs Killing Plundering and Firing all that lay before them Upon this treacherous Abuse and the discharge of their Cannon it was proposed that Col. Talbot should be secured for a breach of the Truce but our General judging it neither Honourable nor convenient dismiss'd him with a safe Convoy to the Town and having afterwards advis'd with his Council they unanimously agreed upon a general Attack tho they had neither Cannon to Batter nor Ladders to Scale nor any other Provision fit for such an Attempt It is not yet known what Passion moved them to this desperate Resolution only it is said by some that it was chiefly undertaken out of a fear they had that the E. of Antrim would lay down his Arms to save his Estate which was so considerable that they had rather give him this fair opportunity of offending than not oblige him to a forfeiture for certainly they could not be so stupid tho we have no great reason to commend their Prudence as to flatter themselves with the hopes of taking a Wall'd Town well Mann'd and Fortified with the only Artillery of Pikes and Muskets Whatever the Motives were that induc'd them to a Project seemingly so unreasonable their Resolves were confirmed and the Army divided into several Battalions for a general Assault who upon the first Word of Command in defiance of the Enemies Cannon marched up to the very Walls of the Town which they would have undoubtedly taken if Pikes and Scythes could have prevailed but having spent their Ammunition and experienced the impossibility of the Attempt they were at last obliged to retreat which they perform'd with no great loss but their Preservation was rather due to Providence and the indiscretion of their Enemies than to the Care or Conduct of their Geral or Council who after they had given Orders for the Attack left their Soldies exposed to the Cannon and retired under the Shelter of a Barley Field and Pidgeon-house hoping thereby te secure themselves from the Noise and Danger of the Enemies Shot The news of this Retreat having advanced as far as the Head-Quarters the General and his Council concluded upon a Parley and being resolved it should end in Peace the Soldiers were commanded to their former Quarters in this conjuncture it was thought the Town might have proposed their own Terms but Col. Talbot being willing to return the Civilities lately received only insisted upon the same Proposals that had been formerly made by the Earl of Antrim and desir'd that a Cessation might be punctually observed on both sides 'till such time as fresh Supplies should be sent from Dublin The General and Council facing their ill Success with the pretended Advantages they boasted to
This with much more Plunder of a considerable value besides 15 Barrels of Powder and a brass Field-piece were left as a prey to the Irish who have since made use of the Papers as a publick Testimony against the persons concerned in the Association upon which has been grounded the corruption of our Blood and forfeiture of our Estates Tho H ton of T had been thus careless of what concern'd the Publick yet he shew'd more prudence in the preservation of his private Fortune For very well knowing what would happen he engag'd his Brother the night before the Break at Drummore to hasten home and provide against the Storm that was then gathering Hilsburgh being wholly deserted by the General and Council Major West who had earnestly pressed them to other measures was still resolv'd to sell the Place at as dear a price as he could and therefore proposed the Defence of it to such of the Soldiers as yet remain'd in the Fort assuring them of his firm adherence to their endeavours and urging the many difficulties that would necessarily attend their retreat But all these Arguments could not engage them to stand the test of an Irish Attack for the Example of their General and the Advice of the Council so far influenc'd their wonted Courage that only Sixty of them could be prevail'd with to run the Major's Fate who dispos'd of them in such order as made the Irish believe they were many times that number upon which they sent a Trumpeter to summon the Town and a Parley being agreed on both sides Capt. Kirk was dispatched with Conditions of Surrender importing a free Pardon for what was past and a Protection for the future which being embrac'd by the Garison and confirm'd by the Lieutenant-General the Irish were admitted into the Town and finding the Gates only shut with a Half-Pike admired the Majors courage and condemned the General and Council for making no better preparations towards the defence of a place so considerable Major West and his Soldiers notwithstanding their Articles were for the first night kept close prisoners under the pretence of protecting them from the insolence of the Soldiers tho the true reason was to prevent a discovery of the ill circumstances the Irish Army was under from the fatigue of their tedious Winter March which was so harass'd that it 's believed a very little opposition would have obliged them to a retreat The melancholly news of this Rout coming to Lisburn and the dismal accounts given in by the Runaways from Hilsburgh struck the Soldiers of that Garison with such terrible apprehensions of the Irish Force that they unanimously agreed to follow the example of their General and Mr. H of T. after he had for some time condol'd the misfortunes of the Countrey with the People of Belfast he assured all such as had any dependance on him that would retreat to Colrain that he had resolved either to repair the distressed Condition of the Countrey or to permit the the Attempt This Resolution encouraged several of his Friends to march towards Colrain but Mr. H ton taking a private Path to the Sea-side met with a Vessel purposely prepared to Transport him for Scotland The Irish Rabble of the whole Countrey were now employed by Publick Authority to plunder and destroy the Lives and Fortunes of the Protestants which they performed with such Cruelty that the Insolencies of the Standing Army seemed favours when compared with the bloody Outrages of those barbarous Cannibals and now the publick Cries of such as had escaped the Irish Fury for the loss of their dearest Friends and the naked Appearances of those who had been most inhumanly stripped cast the whole Countrey under such a general Consternation that it was impossible to revive the hearts of the dejected Protestants so that no hopes were left to rally the broken pieces of the English Army and the Enemy by this means became absolute Masters of the whole Countrey without the expence of many drops of Blood for the Counties of Down and Antrim being the only Inlets to the Northern Province we may very well date the loss of Vlster at that time the only remaining terror to the Irish from the evil Success that followed the Councels of that Countrey I shall now refer the remaining Series of this Affair to the relation of others who by being Witnesses to the Truth thereof are only fit for so publick a Work having in this Treatise with all Sincerity and Justice imaginable given the Reader the whole matter of Fact which to my own knowledg occurr'd in theâ—e Counties And that he may have nothing from me by hear-say I shall now leave him to judg by whom and in what manner Ulster has been exposed to the Fury of the Irish whose Mercies are Cruelties And how all the Nobility and Gentry thereof have suffered as well in their Reputations as in the loss of their Estates for the Miscarriages of a few FINIS