Errata PAge 33. l. 24. Charge that defeated read Charge defeated p 35. l. 16. understood r I understood p. 62. l. 16. use r. used p. 64. l. 10. places r. place p. 97. l. 21. after that r after that p. 99. l 9. remembred r. remember p. 100. l. 3. forceâ—s r. forces p. 106. l. 10. note r. a note p. 124. l. 24. forceable r. foordable p. 115. l. 13. speak r. spake THE MEMOIR'S OF JAMES Lord AVDLEY Earl of CASTLEHAVEN HIS Engagement and Carriage IN The WARS OF IRELAND From the Year 1642 to the Year 1651. Written by himself LONDON Printed for Henry Brome at the Gun in St. Pauls Church-Yard 1680. TO THE KING SIR I Lay at your Majesties feet these my Memoir's and if your time may permit that you will read them they are contracted in so little a Volume the more to invite you to it I am persuaded that your Majesty will find amongst them some thing new though many years past The Stile is plain and simple otherwise it could not be mine But the Truth may make amends For I pass them on my Word not to contain a Lie or mistake to my Knowledge Your Majesties most faithful Subject and dutiful Servant Castlehaven Audley To the Reader I Being one day in S. Pauls Church-yard amongst the Stationers some Books fell into my hands lately set forth Histories of the Rebellion begun in Ireland in the year 1641. with the Wars and transactions that followed on that occasion and finding my self in many places cited acting as a confederate Catholick which in plain English is as a Rebel I thought fit to publish something setting forth my own story not to excuse the Rebellion for all the water of the Sea cannot wash it off that Nation it having been begun most bloodily on the English in that Kingdom in a time of setled peace without the least occasion given but what I write is chiefly to draw from the world some compassion my case being singular as I hope the Memoires will make out I take God to witness I never bad the least hint of the Rebellion till being one night at Supper with my Lord of Kery at his House in that County his Lordship being a Privy-Counsellor shewed me a Letter which he then received from the Justices setting forth the attempt on the Castle of Dublin and the Rebellion in the North from whence sprung that unjustifiable War in which I was unfortunately engaged But on my repentance purused by my actings to bring on the first Cessations and the Peace of 46. I had many testimonies from the late King of Blessed memory and his Lieutenant the now Duke of Ormond that my faults were forgiven me Since I have always purused my duty in faithfully serving the King and after his death his Majesty that now reigns for which though most unworthy I have received many marks of his favours and since his happy Restoration for my better security hath given me his gracious Pardon by virtue of which I have sate in the Parliament of Ireland as being a Peer of that Kingdom Now to gratifie the Reader for the trouble given by these Memoires and to induce him to a favourable construction I shall God willing e're long by the help of a Friend annex to this little Book an Appendix representing in short the state of Ireland from the year of the World 1756. to the year of Christ 1652. where among other things he shall find the true original causes of the late Rebellion throughly discovered Castle-Haven Audley James Lord Audley Earl of Castlehaven HIS MEMOIR'S SECT I. The occasion and Motives of his engaging in those Wars His being in Ireland in his way to France when the Rebellion brake out His Service proffer'd to the Lords Justices but rejected His retirement to his Country-house Indictment of Treason and Commitment to Sheriff Woodcocks at Dublin Sir John Read put to the Torture of the Rack The memory of the Earl of Strafford's Death The Kings answer at York to Colonel Mervin Tuchet His escape out of Dublin and flight to Kilkenny The Model of Government and Oath of Association WHat induced me to write these Memoires is to answer a wonder that reasonably may be made how I being a Peer of England and an English-man both by Birth and Descent on all sides should engage my self amongst the Irish in their Wars not speaking a word of their Language and having little in their Kingdom I say then that I never designed it but fell into those Troubles by chance and much against my will The Story thus I was newly come from my Travels abroad where my Genius leading me to see whatever was to be seen in Armies I went of purpose to the Siege of Turain in Italy After my return I attended the King at Berwick till the first Pacification with the Scots And then hearing that the Prince Cardinal Governor of the Spanish Netherlands was preparing to March towards the relief of Arras besieged at that time by the French I pass'd over again to Flanders and Artois and saw an end of that expedition and Arras yielded to the Besiegers In short my Inclinations were to War and so intended to make it my Trade by putting my self into the Service of some Foreign Prince To this effect having settled my Affairs in England I made as I thought a step into Ireland to do the like there But it proved a longer stay The occasion take out of the ensuing Letter to me from my Brother Colonel Mervin Tuchet HEaring your Lordship is writing a Narrative of your concerns in Ireland during the late War how you came to be engaged I having been at that time with you may possibly mind you of some Passages more in my knowledge than yours When the Rebellion broke forth in the North you were in Mounster and on the News you immediately repaired to Dublin to the Lords Justices Sir William Parsons and Sir John Burlace where you acquainted them with your willingness to serve the King against the Rebels as your Ancestors had formerly done in Ireland on like occasions To which they replyed your Religion was an Obstacle There being then a Parliament in that Kingdom sitting you were resolved to see the Event sending me to your House at Madingstown in the County of Kildare to secure and defend it in case there were any Rising in those parts Vpon my coming I found many poor English stript whom I took into the House and relieved defending them in the best manner I could Some time after the Parliament being dissolved you desired of the Justices a Pass to go for England But they refusing you acquainted them that your Estate there was not in a condition to maintain you in Dublin and desired that you might be supplied with some mony for your subsistance until such time that you could apply your self to the Parliament in England for a Pass to bring you over which they denied You prest them then to
all this my Lord Lieutenant continued his design of going into Mounster and I think to Limbrick and March'd with all his Party But coming to Carrick a house of his own Word was brought him there that Mac Thomas had declared for the Nuncio and was drawn up near Clonmel with three or four hundred Horse I was sent to him by his Excellency as thinking my Interest might have gained something on him because he had served most of the Wars under my Command When I came and delivered him my Message he answered me that he was engaged with the Nuncio according to his Conscience and would not quit him I acquainted his Excellency with this answer and that I saw no hopes of reclaiming this man Yet my Lord Lieutenant would go on and took his March towards Cashel Mac Thomas Marching for the most part in sight of us Coming near the Town and making halt his Excellency received Notice I think from my Lord Dillon residing at Athlone that O Neal was Marching against him with all the force he could make Whereupon my Lord was pleased to call me to him telling me his intelligence askt my opinion what was to be done I gave it quickly that he should immediately March back the shortest way and endeavour to gain Laughlin Bridge He followed my advice And passing near Kilkenny sent his brother Sir George Hambleton and my self to let the Magistrates of that City know what Intelligence he had from all hands However if they pleased he would come to them with the Party he had and venture his Fortune with them They received the Message with all kindness and duty and answered that if he pleased to come to them they would serve him with their Lives though they did believe it would be the loss of him and them together On our report his Excellency kept on his March for the gaining of Laughlin where there was a Bridge that crossed the River of the Barrow and a Fort at the end on the County of Catherloe side Commanded by Colonel Walter Bagnal Having gained this point we lost no time in our March to Dublin Where coming near I think the whole people of the City came forth to meet his Excellency with as much joy as ever man was received having for several days judged him and his Party lost Coming near the Subburbs his Excellency honour'd me with carrying the Sword before him through the City and into the Castle I can give no reason for it besides his own goodness other than that I had been always a promoter of the Peace and the only of the Confederate Catholicks that came with him and never left him in these his Adventures The Nuncio now thought all his own committing to several Prisons such of the late Supream Council and others as he called of Ormonds Party And having gotten his Forces together March'd them in one Army though they took for their better conveniency in their March two different ways towards Dublin O Neal and Preston as Generals Commanding under him They were noised so numerous and powerful that in good earnest the people Officers and Souldiers did not know what to make of it and shewed apprehension enough His Excellency perceiving this as it was too plain called for me and we discoursed the whole matter I took the boldness to give my Opinion Which was That this Army of the Nuncio could no longer subsist in any place then as they found Provision where they came That neither of his Generals ever had any Magazines during the War That they undertook this matter in Confidence of the plenty they should find in his Quarters That I thought it was a thing of too great hazard to oppose them in the Field and yet if they were not stopped they would come on and at least live upon him till they had eaten all Lastly that on consideration of the whole I thought it best to prevent their coming too near Which could not be done any other way then by destroying the Quarters His Excellency was of the same Opinion and therefore sent Orders immediately to all people within eight Miles of the Town to bring in whatever they had giving them three or four days for it And what was found abroad after the time prefixt Parties were ordered to burn and destroy particularly Forrage and Mills for now all the Harvest was in This was all effected before the Nuncio and his Army were come to Kilcullin-Bridge And yet how disappointed soever they were they advanc'd as far as Leixlip and Newcastle both which places lying within three Miles distance one of an other and six from Dublin they made their Head-quarters Preston at Leixlip and Owen O Neal at Newcastle the Nuncio with his Council remaining at Seginstown some six Miles farther off But not being able to live long by the Air for from their own Countries they expected not much and the continual rains and prodigious swelling of the River Liffy hindering that little that was coming to them for all the Bridges over it were broken and great jealousies even more than the ordinary old ones arising 'twixt the two Generals and 'twixt the Nuncio also and Preston they returned several ways in greater hast than they came The Quarters being destroyed and Athlone betrayed to the Nuncio by Dillon a Fryer and the Harbour of Dublin blockt up by Parliament Men of War my advice was ask'd by his Excellence in this extremity with which of his Enemies he should Treat I answer'd that I was confident he had resolved that before there being no question in the case For giving up to the Parliament when the King should have England he would have Ireland with it but to the Nuncio and his Party it might prove far other ways and the two Kingdoms remain separate What weight this discourse had I know not But immediately my Lord Lieutenant engaged himself in a Treaty with the Parliament During which Treaty his Excellency was forced to March into the County of Westmeath and other parts to feed his people Where we were not much at our ease For by Owen O Neal we were kept in continual Alarme Now all being agreed for the delivery of the places under his Command to the Parliament I took my leave of his Excellency resolving to go for France though with much grief of heart to leave this Noble Lord who had shewn so much Loyalty Justness and steddiness in his proceedings during these Transactions even from the meeting at Seginstown to the Conclusion of the Peace made with the Confederates and now again to the giving up of his Government to the Parliament For which I doubt not but he shall remain in Story as he deserves a Fixed-star by the light of which others may walk in his steps But alass whilst this Noble Lord was acting above board with the Confederates there was another Game playing under him and in the dark between the Earl of Glamorgan and those of the Nuncio's party This Earl I
my March was soon given to Sir Hardress Waller or my Lord Brochil or both lying near Kilmallock with great Forces They pursued me and I coming to our appointed Rendevous no news there was of the fifteen hundred Foot Having lost this Anchor I was put to my Wits ends But not having much time to think the Enemy coming on I resolved to thrust into the next Fastness and save my self as well as I could But there was a Castle of the O-Machers that stood in the way possest by the Enemy And there being no other passage I sent to the adjacent Villages and got together Crows of Iron Pickaxes and what else that could be found necessary and making my Horse-men to alight I fell a Storming the Castle Which with the Assistance of the Limbrick Foot in three or four hours time was yielded I left my hundred men in this place to secure the Pass Now being pretty safe I lodg'd that night at my ease where Collonel Fitz Patrick came to me who had for some time kept in those Fastnesses with a good Party of Foot and some Horse My men being well refreshed I took the plain Countrey near Burras and after entring the Woods at the foot of the Mountain Sleau Bleauma I met Sir Walter Dungan then Commissary General of the Horse as was Ordered He brought with him only three hundred Horse but I finding my self still pursued with Horse and Foot besides what were gathering round on all sides I took leave of Sir Walter ordering him to return from whence he came and to stop all Forces that I had sent for as well from Vlster as Leinster So I with my thousand Horse marched into Conaught passing by the Bridge of Athlone Being there I posted to Loghreah where my Lord Deputy was with a General Assembly sitting in his House I coming into his Chamber found with him about a dozen principal men of the Assembly deputed to him setting forth the desperate Estate of the Nation with the impossibility much farther to hold out Besides that there were now come to the Town Mr. John Grace and Mr. John Bryan Commissioners from the Parliament or their Commander in Chief offering greater Conditions than was reasonably to be expected as the case stood Whilst this Address was making my Lord was glad to see me come in and ordered them to repeat what they had said I seemed much scandalized at the ill timing of their Proposals and therefore presently declared my dislike to it Then by my Lords permission weary and dirty as I was I went down into the Assembly as a Peer being a Member and exprest my detestation of what they had in hand demonstrating that if those fifteen hundred men commanded by one Collonel Burk had not failed I had probably now been Master of the Field besides that the noise of a Treaty might destroy all what could be hoped for of good from the Kings Endeavours against Cromwel that His Majesty as his own Letters spoke both to my Lord Deputy and my self made no doubt if he could gain fourty eight hours march before Cromwel towards England his business was done because all were ready there to joyn in assisting him And that he therefore conjured us not to hearken to any Treaty with the Enemy Then I set forth the state of the Forces of the Kingdom on all sides and concluded very severely against the two Parliament Commissioners So that they hastily packt out of Town and the Assembly let the matter fall Reynolds now besieged Tecrohan in Meath and my Lord Deputy came to Tyrrels Pace about twelve miles from it with two thousand Foot and seven hundred Horse A Councel of War being held I proposed that our Horse should alarm the Enemy whilst the Foot attempted to succour the Place taking their March through the Bogs 'T was alledged by all impossible to be done For coming near the place there were two necks of Land that did almost meet and that between them there was a great Way or Tougher with a large Ditch of Water on each side which must be ccossed and that in all likely hood the Enemy would plant their Guns on the firm Land at both ends of this Tougher and bring the strength of their Army to defend that Passage there being no other way seeing we had not force to attempt them on the firm Land I heard all this and knew it well yet did not agree to the Impossibility of entring the place Then addressing my self to the Deputy I begged pardon if I guessed at the thoughts of the Officers present which was that I being General of the Horse might well advance this Undertaking For I was to be with the Horse and so to have no share in this Danger But to shew them the contrary I desired his Excellency to give me the Command of this party of Foot which he did and himself to march with the Horse to alarm the Enemy on another side It being thus determined I entred the Bog which was eight miles long with my two thousand Foot and his Excellency took his March as was agreed Coming in sight of this Tougher I found the Enemy expecting as we had supposed for they saw me Marching from the first entring into the Bog I then put my men into the best Order I could in three Divisions two to attempt passing the Tougher the third to stand still faceing two or three Battallions that were drawn on my right hand fearing they would fall on my Flank or Rear I March'd on with my two Divisions Coming within Shot they raked me with their Cannon and great Volleys of small Shot But I advanced still and my men fought it on the Tougher with handy blows making those that Defended it retire to their Horse which stood drawn up at each end of the Tougher or firm Land Seeing this go so well I look'd back and saw my third Division which was to stand still coming after me I ran to it crying to the Officer that Commanded to attack the Battallions which he was commanded to look after on this he turned to his men and spake something in Irish that I do not know and March'd two or three hundred Paces in such a fashion that I could not tell whether he intended Fighting or Running away But coming to the Point where he must declare he plainly run away and all his Party followed him which when the two Divisions that had passed the Tougher saw they Marched on into the Place and I was left alone only some Gentlemen with me and by the favour of the night for now it began to be dark I got off and by the next morning returned to Terrils Pace where I had left my Lord Deputy who had all the Story before my coming and sending out took this Captain that had caused this Disorder who by a Council of War being condemned was shot to Death His name was Fox After this Ireton was not idle knowing our weakness too well and that