the Popish Part in England was by much the least of Three things were so well managed on that Side as to make the Protestants fall foul upon one another not only with hard Names and Characters of Reproach but in other Actions that seem'd more severe by which means the Interest of both Parties was not only considerably weakned but that of the Papists incredibly strengthned Then what by the dexterous management of the Presbyterian Plot and some improvements made of that by the Observator by which the Popish Party obtain'd a great Reputation and people begun to think that the Devil was not so black as he is painted in the height of which when they say some measures were thought of to reduce the D. of Tork and his Favourites King Charles died King James proclaimed The Duke of York was proclaimed King by the universal consent of all People and afterwards as generously assisted in the West as the Circumstances of the Nation would allow But then when the Parliament came to address his Majesty and beseech him That for the satisfaction of the Nation the Popish Officers and others might be removed from Places of Trust and have competent Pensions allowed them he gave a very positive Answer which was in effect That they were his best Friends and he would not be without them After this things grew every day worse than other for then all mens eyes were opened and every body could discern the Storm approaching Ruines his own Interest Accordingly the Rain came and beat violently upon the House but it being founded upon a stock thanks be to God has stood And as God often brings Light out of Darkness and can by ways unthought of or not look'd into by men turn things contrary to what they design or intend them P. of Orange comes so in the midst of our Necessities he rais'd up an Instrument who by his Virtue and Wisdom contrived and by his Valour put our Deliverance in execution How prosperously this succeeded in England is known to all the World for besides the natural Inclinatiof the people to Variety their general aversion to Popery made the thing at that Juncture very easy tho the Prince was then in a manner a Stranger to the Nation in general The State of Ireland at that time But tho all things succeeded so happily for the Protestant Interest in England yet there was a Cloud in Ireland that seem'd to threaten us if due care was not taken in time to disperse it My Lord Tyrconnel during the Late King's Reign had been framing and modelling an Irish Army that might be ready to serve the Popish Interest on all occasions part of which was sent over into England some time before the Prince Landed and after his being proclaimed King my Lord Tyrconnel having still a considerable Body of men in Arms refuses to deliver up the Sword Some say that it was not demanded from him and more That he had been easily forced to it at first or at least there might have been a Method taken to have persuaded him But the management of this was entrusted to Major General Hambleton a profest Papist Lieut. Gener. Hambleton sent over and so well did my Lord Tyrconnell and he with some other play their Cards that they got Hambleton sent over against the advice of most that understood the Affairs of that Kingdom by which means Succours were delayed and Hambleton as soon as he was safe in Ireland was so far from persuading my Lord Tyrconnell to yield that he ordered all the Horses that were left in Protestant hands and fit for Service to be seiz'd for the Late King's use and treated those whom he believed King William's best Friends at Dublin very harshly for which Service he was made Leutenant-General of the Irish Army The State of England at that Juncture But the Affairs of England did not admit of present Succours to be sent to the Protestants in Ireland who now were groaning under several Afflictions for a great part of the old Army was disbanded or sent into Holland the Dutch were sent home and it 's thought some unseasonable Disputes and Heats about Matters of Religion did no small disservice to the Publick There was also a hot Report about that time at London and indeed all over England that King James was dead which Report was only spread abroad by his own Party and several other such little Artifices were used on purpose to make others more secure month March King James lands in Ireland March 12. 1689. for shortly after we had a certain Account that he landed from France at Kingsale in the West of Ireland having about 1800. men with him This was on the 12. of March and after some small time he came to Dublin where he was received with all the Demonstrations of joy imaginable by my Lord Tyrconnell and all the Popish Party who look'd upon him as their only Support Champion and Deliverer tho several of them have since changed their minds A little before this the Protestants in Ireland were in daily expectation of Arms Ammunition Commissions and some Forces from England and it 's more than probable that if they had got them or not hop'd for them the Business had cost neither so much Blood or Treasure as since it has yet some advised not to make any shew of discontent till they had an Opportunity and were in a condition to make their party good by the arrival of Succours from England But the greater part impatient of delays begin to list Men and with what Arms they could get to make a shew of forming an Army Rout at Drummore March 14. Against those in the North Lieutenant-General Hambleton marched with about One Thousand of the Standing Army and nigh twice as many Rapparees in a distinct Body they met at Drummore in the County of Down and on the 14 of March the Protestants were routed with no great difficulty and no wonder for they were very indifferently provided with Arms Ammunition and Commanders nor was their Discipline any better This was called afterwards The Break of Drummore a Word common amongst the Irish Scots for a Rout At the same rate were some others served shortly after at a place called Killeleigh under one Hunter and those that resisted had the same Fate at several other places In the mean time Major-General Macarty by the same measures and some little Artifices brought the Protestants of Munster under the same Circumstances This gave occasion to King James and my Lord Tyrconnell to take the Arms and Horses from all the Protestants of that Kingdom except those that fled to Londonderry and some few that went towards Iniskilling but a great many that could get away for either England or Scotland made what haste they could and in some few Weeks after those that went that way were actually shut up in Derry On the 25th of March they had Arms and Ammunition brought
That day we marched beyond the Devils Bit and all along as we passed we could see the Rapparees looking upon us from the Mountains but we had now so many Cattle Horses and Attenders on our marches as made us look as big nigh hand as the other part of the Army and the Souldiers used to say that the Cattle and Sheep themselves could tell by their different tones to whom they belonged From this place all down to Cashel and so towards Clonmel and Waterford one way and towards Tipperary and Limerick another is one of the finest Countries I ever saw if it had Inhabitants accordingly Great part of it is called the Goulden vale On the 4 Colonel Woolsleys Horse Colonel Tiffins and St. Johns Foot marched back from hence towards Mullingar to secure the Country they came so far lest the Enemy should attack us and now we being secure they marched back another way We marched on the 5. to Holy-Cross nigh Thurles which of old enjoyed several peculiar Priviledges and Freedomes granted in Honour of a piece of Christs Cross there found as the Story goes This place by K. Henry 8. gave the Title of Barons to the Buttlers The General I believe had heard that several people had enjoy'd great priviledges at this place in the days of old and therefore he gave his Souldiers liberty this afternoon to take what they pleased for their sustenance but the true reason was because we had no Bread The 6. we marched to a Village called Dundrum a little to the North of Cashel one of the most Ancient Cities in Ireland famous of old for the Preaching of St. Patrick where afterwards was built a very considerable Cathedral it was made an Archepiscopal dignity by Eugenius the third Bishop of Rome and had under it in times past many Bishopricks and Suffragons As you go up to this Church there is a Stone upon which Antiently all the Kings of Munster used to be Crowned I suppose it was after the same manner with the Ulster Kings which was by throwing an old shooâ— over their heads and sometimes by killing a white Cow c. There are several Monuments of good Antiquity in this Church In the year 1318. The Archb. of Cashel was both Lord Justice and Lord Chancellor and it was remarkable in the late Wars for my Lord Inchiqueens killing all the Priests that were got into it and pretended with a Body of the Irish to defend the place which naturally is pretty strong and it s called at this day the Rock because it stands on the top of one On the 7. We marched to Cullen and on the 8. to Carriganliss whither the Kings Army was gone from Goulden-Bridge It s therefore convenient that I should give the best Account I can of their march from Dublin thither month July The Kings march towards Limerick On the 9. of July His Majesty with his Army Encamped at Cromlin within two miles of Dublin westwards where he settled the method of granting Protections according to his Declaration And gave a Commission to the Bishop of Meath my Lord Longford Dr. Gorge Captain Fitz Gerald Mr. Coughland Dr. Davis and Captain Corker to save all forfeited goods and to see that those and the Corn upon the Estates of all Absentees were safely kept or disposed on for the Kings use The Bishop of Meath whether out of dislike to the proceedings of the rest or averseness to business soon forbore his Attendance at their meetings the rest went on in their Business but in such a method as was neither to the Kings advantage nor satisfaction and not much to their own Credits The 10. in the morning his Majesty set forth a Proclamation to put a stop to the passing of Brass mony only at the valuations following viz. Every large half Crown and new stampt Crown at a penny the small half Crown at three farthings the large Copper Shilling at an half penny the small Shillings and six pences at farthings c. And the same day the Army Encampt between the Ness and Racoole Little hapned remarkable except the Kings great care to keep the Souldiers from Plundring the Country and every night it was given out in orders that on pain of death no man should go beyond the line in the Camp or take violently to the lest value from either Protestant or Papist The 11. the Army marched to Kill Kullen Bridge the King this morning passing by the Ness saw a Souldier Robbing a poor Woman which inraged his Majesty so much that he beat him with his Cane and gave orders that he and several others guilty of the like disobedience should be Executed the Monday following some people were so wicked as put a bad construction on this Action of the Kings but it had so good an effect upon that part of the Army that the Country was secured from any violence done by the Souldiers during that whole march two of the other Sufferers were Iniskillin Dragoons On Sunday the Army rested and on Munday they marched to Tommalin several of the Country people and some Gentlemen that were Papists coming in to whom the King ordered Protections We heard all long on our march of the Confusion the Enemy was in and had Accounts daily of their resorts to Limerick and other strong places whilst we were here several came to us from Killkenny who gave his Majesty an Account of the State of that Garrison that part of the Enemies Horse and Foot were there still but with thoughts of quitting the Town upon our approach and at their going off they made the Inhabitants give them a sum of mony to save the Town from plundring From Tommalin we marched to Castle-Dermot where stood in old time two or three Religious Houses the Ruins of which as yet remain one of these was of the Fryars Minors Sackt and Plundred by the Scots under Bruce in the year 1316. In which year the Irish were here also overthrown by Edward Bottilar or Buttler Lord Justice of Ireland Here the King received some Packets from England giving him a further Account of his Fleet and Sea affairs which was easily understood not to be very grateful and as is supposed was the occasion of our slow marches Several Protestants every day came to the Camp all expressing their great Joy and Satisfaction for his Majesties Presence and their Deliverance We had also an Account here of some that took Protections and yet in the night made their escape to the Enemy having only got those Protections thereby to procure a better opportunity of going off with what they had upon which parties were lent out on all hands to clear the Mountains and Woods near the Army which kept the rest at home from hence Colonel Eppingar went with a party of 1000 Horse and Dragoons to secure Wexeford which some time before was deserted by the Irish Garrison this Town was first taken by Fitz Stephen in the Reign of King Hen. 2.
them by Captain James Hambleton and all the World knows they behaved themselves very well month April April 13. Succors sent to Derry On the 13th of April Collonel Richards and Collonel Cunningham were sent to their relief with two Regiments who came into the Lough but returned without doing any thing and were broke for their pains Maj. General Kirk in the Lough Then went Major General Kirk with his own Sir John Hanmer's and Brigadeer Stuart's Regiments of Foot the Winds were cross and the Irish fortified the River that it was difficult to relieve the Town and our Ships laid at least two Months in the Lough the poor Soldiers as well in Town as on Board endured great hardships all this while But the Dartmouth Frigat at length forced her way month July July 31. Siege Raised and the Siege was raised on the last of July Some condemn the Irish Politicks mightily in sitting down before this Town whenas if they had let it alone the people would either have submitted of themselves or however they had been at leisure to have sent a part of their Army into Scotland which was an easy thing as then to do and would no doubt have hindered any Succours going over that year from England but Providence orders all things and rules the Actions and disposes of the Councels of men accordingly Mackarty taken Prisoner The day before the Siege of Derry was raised the Iniskilliners hearing of a Body of about Six Thousand of the Irish Army Commanded by Major General Mackarty that was marching towards them they very boldly and bravely met them nigh twenty miles from the Town of Iniskillin and at a place call'd Newtowne Buttler fought and routed them taking Mackarty Prisoner killing and drowning nigh Three Thousand there being of the Iniskillin-men in all both Horse and Foot not above Two thousand losing not above Twenty and having about Fifty wounded This Story seem'd to me at first very Incredible but I was told it partly hapned by a Fatal Mistake in the Word of Command amongst the Irish for the Iniskillin-men charged the Irish Right Wing very smartly which Mackarty perceiving ordered some of his Men to face to the Right and march to relieve their Friends the Officer that received the Orders mistook and commanded the men instead of facing to the Right to face to the Right about and so march the Irish in the Reer seeing their Front look with their Faces towards them and move thought they had been running and so without more ado threw down their own Arms and run away the rest seeing their men run in the Reer run after them for company and were most of them cut off or drowned in Boggs and Loughs so unhappy may a small thing prove to a great Body of men and at other times a little thing in appearance proves very advantageous For we read of a Roman at plough who stood with his Ox-yoke in a Gap and stopt the Soldiers that were running away this made them face about and win the Field though I believe in that Action of the Iniskilliners as well as Derry there was a great deal due to their Valour and more to the Providence of God Forces raised in England During these Transactions in Ireland the King gives out Commissions in England to raise 18 Regiments of Foot and four or five of Horse for the Service of Ireland Most of those had their Commissions dated the 8th of March 1688 9 and the Levies went on with all imaginable speed for greatest part of them were raised armed and cloathed in less than Six weeks I was in the Armories at the Tower when the Arms were to be delivered out to the new Levies but there was not half so many there as would do it for the Arms were most squandred away or lost in the late hurry of Affairs and though several Proclamations were sent abroad to bring them in yet His Majesty was forc'd to have most of his Arms out of Holland which was both expensive and troublesome March to Chester This Army was mustered and disciplin'd as well as the time would allow My Lord Devonshire and the honble Mr Wharton being appointed Commissioners to view them in their several Quarters and in July most of them were commanded to Chester in order to be ship'd for Ireland I am a Stranger to the Reasons of State why they went no soonner yet that that seems considerable to me was that my Lord Dundee had left the Convention at Edenbrough raising a powerful Faction for the Late King in the North of Scotland and the Castle of Edenbrough was not as yet surrendered by the Duke of Gordon it might not therefore be thought prudent to part with an Army out of our own Kingdom till the Danger were over from that Quarter so that it was the beginning of August before our Army got to Chester month August August 8. Encamp at Neston and then embarque Most of them encampt about a Week at Neston and then on Thursday the 8th of August about Six a Clock in the Morning His Grace Duke Sconberg General of all Their Majesties Forces Count Solmes General of the Foot and several great Officers more with not Ten Thousand Foot and Horse embarqued at Highlake for Ireland The Winds being cross they lay on Board till Monday the 12th when at Four a Clock in the morning the Wind being S. S. E. and S. E. the Bonaventure Frigat Captain Hobson Commander fired a Gun and put his Light in the Main Top-mast Shrouds that being the Sign for sailing There was also The Antilope the James Galley c. The Cleaveland and the Monmouth Yats with between 80 and 90 Vessels more who all were under sale at Six a Clock and at Eight the Bonaventure put out an Ensign in the Mizen-shrouds for all the Captains and Masters to come on board which done they received Orders to sail directly to Carigfergus-Bay in Ireland In case of bad weather so that they could not reach thither to sail for Loureau in Galloway in Scotland and if they fell short of that Ramsey Bay in the Isle of Man to be the place of Rendezvouz Tuesday the 13th at break of day the greatest part of the Fleet was up with the Mountains of Dundrum in the County of Downe these are commonly called the Mountains of Mourne and are said to be the highest in Ireland on the top of one of the highest stood a famous Monastery in time of old About Three that Afternoon the Fleet came up the Lough within a mile and a half of Carigfergus at Four they came to an Anchor in Bangor Bay and immediately the General ordered his Flag to be put out at the Yats Main-yard-Arm that being the Sign for landing our men which was done accordingly Land in Ireland and they encamped that night in Fields adjoining to the Shoar they lay upon their Arms all night having frequent Allarms of the Enemies
Carlow where he met with some Accounts from England upon which he exprest himself doubtful whether to go over or return to the Army However he went on as far as Chappel Izard and there he was employed for about Three days in hearing Petitions some of which related to the violation of Protections and the Outrages committed by Lieutenant General Douglas's Party As also others about Abuses and Inconveniences from the late Commission and several Complaints were made against Col. Trelawney's Regiment then in Dublin Here the King gave Orders that Count Sehomberg's Horse Col. Mathews's Dragoons Col. Hasting's and Col. Trelawney's Foot with one Troop of Guards should be shipt for England A second Declaration and on the first of August published a Second Declaration not only confirming and strengthning the former but also adding That if any Foreigners in Arms against Him would submit they should have Passes to go into their own Countries or whither they pleased And another Proclamation came out dated July 31. Commanding all the Papists to deliver up their Arms and those who did not were to be look'd upon as Rebels and Traytors and abandoned to the discretion of the Soldiers A Proclamation for a Fast And at the same time was likewise published a Proclamation for a General Fast to be kept constantly every Friday during the War in all parts of the Kingdom under his Majesty's Obedience for asking God's Pardon for our Sins and imploring a Blessing upon Their Majesties Forces by Sea and Land At this time also Mr. Poyne Mr. Reves and Mr. Rothford Lords Commissioners of the Great Seal began to act and received Instructions from the King how to proceed And now the King received a further account from England that my Lord Torrington and several more were secured and that several wicked Designs were discovered and prevented That the Loss at Sea was not so great as was at first reported and that the French had only burnt a small Village in the West of England and gone off again month August so that the danger of this being partly over His Majesty resolved to The King returns to the Army return to the Army he lessened his Baggage and Retinue giving his spare Horses to the Train and then on the 2 d of August went back towards his Army which he found then at Goulden Bridge on which day a Soldier was hang'd for mutining Here the King stay'd a day or two and had Accounts from several Deserters of the Preparations the Enemy was making for their own defence and safety On the 6 th the King with his Army march'd to Sallywood having the day before sent a Party of Horse towards Limerick And on the 7 th his Majesty march'd to Carigallis within five miles of Limerick Upon our approach thither the Enemy burnt and levell'd all the Suburbs as also set fire to all the Houses in the Country between us and the Town A Party sent toward Limerick On the the 8 th of August early in the Morning my Lord Portland and Brigadeer Stuart were sent towards Limerick with about Eleven hundred Horse and Foot who advanced within Cannon shot of the Town but met with little opposition from the Enemy and before they returned his Majesty went out with about Three hundred Horse being accompanied with Prince George the Heer Overkirk Major General Ginkle and several other great Officers When these went nigh the Town a Party of the Enemies Horse advanced toward them But Captain Selby of my Lord of Oxford's Regiment having the Advance Guard drew towards them with a design to charge them which they perceiving thought fit to draw homewards their Cannon firing from the Town several times Then in the Evening Lieutenant General Douglass with his Party join'd the Kings Army The 9 th of August in the morning early the King sends three Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons with a Detachment of One Thousand Foot commanded by Sir Henry Bellasis as Brigadeer my Lord Drogheda and Colonel Earle as an Advance Guard to make the first approach The whole Army make their Approach and all the Army both Horse and Foot followed in order About six a Clock our Advance Party discovered some of the Enemy upon the top of an Hill three Miles on this side the Town our Men drew up and then marched slowly forwards and as we proceeded the Enemy disappear'd by degrees till they were all gone off the Hill We drew forwards and about half a mile further we cou'd see a great part of the Town from a rising ground but could not discover the ways to it nor who were between us and it because of a great many thick Inclosures and Lanes in one of which the Enemy appeared again Our Men halted a little till the Pioneers had cut â—…wn the Hedges to the right and left which done they advanced and the Enemy drew back This took some time a doing and therefore the Front of our Army both of Horse and Foot came up The King was here at first riding from one place to another to order Matters as his Custom always was We cut the Hedges in a great many places and went forwards and the Enemy they drew homewards till they came to a narrow Pass between two Bogs within half a Mile of the Town The Neck of Land between these Bogs is not above 150 Yards over and this full of Hedges with a large Orchard a Stone Wall and also the Ruines of a great House upon the Lane-side which the Irish had burnt the Day before But there were Three Lanes that led this way towards the Town the middlemost being the broadest the Irish Horse stood in it on the Pass beyond this old House and whilst our Pioneers were at work the Front of our Horse went up so close that there were several little Firings but not much damage done on either side To the Right and Left of the Irish Horse the Hedges were all lined with Musqueteers of whom our Foot were got now within less than two hundred Yards The Pioneers laboured at the Hedges all this while and the Army made their Approaches in excellent Order The Detached Party of Foot was upon the Advance towards the Centre the Horse a little to the Right of them followed by the Earl of Drogheda's Regiment and Lieutenant General Douglas at the Head of them my Lord Drogheda himself being upon the Advance Guard The Danes were towards the Left led on by the Prince of Wirtemberg and Major General Kirk The Blue Dutch and several English Regiments were upon the Right All those were lined with Horse and these supported again with more Foot So that all Men that understood it said it was a most curious sight for though the Hedges were very thick and troublesome yet it was so ordered that the Front kept all on a Line except the advance Party who went always some distance before Whilst things were going on thus the King ordered Two Field-Pieces to be
was taken exactly next day In Lieutenant General Douglas's Regiment Wounded Sir Charles Fielding Capt. Rose mortally wounded Capt. Guy Capt. Trevor Capt. Rose junior Capt. Wainsbrough Lieut. Wild mortally wounded Lieut. Wybrants Lieut. Lacock Lieut. Rapine Lieut. Lloyd Ensign Goodwin Ensign Burk Kill'd Major Hambleton Lieut. Ennis Lieut. Morison Ensign Tapp Ensign Pinsent In Colonel Cutts's Regiment Wounded Colonel Cutts Capt. Newton Capt. Foxon Capt. Massham Lieut. Levis Lieut. Barrock Lieut. Cary. Lieut. Trenchard The Adjutant Mr. How 's a Voluntier Kill'd Capt. Hudson Ensign Mead. In the Earl of Meath's Regiment Wounded The Earl of Meath L. C. Newcomb mort wounded Lieut. Blakeney Lieut. Hubblethorn Kill'd Lieut. Latham Ensign Smith In Brigadier Stuart's Regiment Wounded Brigadier Stuart Major Cornwall Capt. Pallferey Capt. Galbreth Capt. Stuart Capt. Casseen Lieut. Stuart Lieut. Cornwall Lieut. Cary. Ensign Stuart Kill'd Capt. Lindon Capt. Farlow Lieut. Russell In my Lord Lisburn's Regiment Wounded Major Allen. Capt. Adair Capt. Holdrich Capt. Hubbart Lieut. Hillton Lieut. Goodwin Ensign Hook Kill'd Capt. Wallace Capt. West Ensign Ogle These make in all Fifty nine whereof Fifteen were killed upon the Spot and several dyed afterwards of their Wounds the Granadeers are not here included and they had the hottest Service Nor are there any of the Forreigners who lost full as many as the English so that I 'm afraid this did more then countervail the loss that the Irish had during the whole Seige at least in the numher of Men. Next day the King sent a Drummer in order to a Truce that the Dead might be buried but the Irish had no mind to it and now the Soldiers were in hopes that the King would make a second Attack and seem'd resolv'd to have the Town or dye every Man But this was too great a hazard to run at one Place and they did not know how scarce our Ammunition was it being very much wasted the day before this day however we continued Battering the Wall and it begun to Rain and next day it was very Cloudy all about and Rain'd very fast so that every Body began to dread the Consequences of it The King therefore calls a Council of War wherein it was Resolv'd to quit the Town and Raise the Siege which as the Case stood then with us was no doubt the most prudent thing that could be done The Siege Raised We drew off therefore our heavy Cannon from the Batteries by degrees And on Saturday August the 30. we marched greatest part of them as far as Cariganliss the Guard being the Earl of Drogheda's and Brigedeer Stuart's Regiments The Rain which had already fallen had softned the ways and we found some difficulty in getting off our Guns especially since for the most part we were obliged to draw them with Oxen a part of our Train Horses being disposed of to the Enemies use before and this was one main Reason for Raising the Siege for if we had not granting the Weather to continue bad we must either have taken the Town or of necessity have lost our Cannon because that part of the Country lies very low and the Ways are deep Therefore on Sunday the last of August all the Army drew off having a good Body of Horse in the Rear As soon as the Irish perceived we had quitted our Trenches they took Possession of them with great Joy and were in a small time after over all the Ground whereon we had Encamped two days before we Raised the Siege a great many Waggons and Carriages were sent towards Cashell and Clonmel with sick and wounded Men which was the Reason that we were forced to leave a great many Bombs Hand Granades and other things behind which we buried in the Artillery Ground but with a Train to blow them up so that when it took Fire the Irish were mightily afraid and thought we were beginning a new Seige from under Ground But yet they dug up most of our dead Officers and Soldiers only to get their Shirts and Shrowds month September The Army removes The Army Encamped that day at Cariganliss and then the Artillery marched forwards to Cullen whither the Army followed the day after but as soon as the Protestants that dwelt in that Country understood that the Army was drawing off they prepared to march along with Bag and Baggage which most of them did and lookt something like the Children of Israel with their Cattle and all their Stuff footing it from Aegypt though most of those poor People had no Promised Land to retire to but were driven into a Wilderness of Confusion for I saw a great many both Men and Women of very good Fashion who had lived plentifully before yet now knew not which way to steer their Course but went along with the Croud whither Providence should direct them In a day or two after we were removed from before Limerick Monsieur Boisleau the Governour made a Speech and told the Irish Monsieur Boiseleau's Speech to the Irish That with much ado he had perswaded them to defend the Town which with Gods help they had done but assured them it was not Fear but Prudence and Policy that had made the Enemy quit the Siege as might appear by their slow Marches and withal he told them his Opinion that the next time the Enemy came they would have it Which said he took leave and went to the French Forces then at Galloway and designing for France His Majesty goes for England His Majesty that day we Raised the Siege went to Cullen and so to Clonmel from thence to Waterford in order to take shipping for England accompanied with the Prince the Duke of Ormond and several of the Nobility From Waterford His Majesty sent back the Right Honourable Henry Lord Viscount Sidney and Tho. Conyngsby Esq to the Camp Lords Justices Appointed they with Sir Charles Porter having a Commission to be Lords Justices of Ireland The King set Sail with a fair Wind for England where he was received with an universal rejoicing and the Two Lords Justices on the Fourth of September came to the Camp then at Cullen where they staid till the Sixth in which two days they and the General Count Solmes ordered all Affairs relating to the Army And here we received Money which was very acceptable for it had been very scarce all the Campaign both with the Officers and Soldiers and yet every body were content and our Wants were no Obstruction to our Duties as His Majesty was pleased to take notice afterwards in His Speech to the Parliament From Cullen we marched on the Sixth to Tipperary blowing up a strong Castle when we Decamped and the two Lords Justices took their Journey towards Dublin in order to enter upon their Government Some that are Men already prejudiced will pretend to be Judges in this Affair though they never saw the Place or the Country and affirm that the Irish made never a false step but one during this whole
or about the City of Dublin after the 25 th of December next And now His Majesty designing for Holland and having thoughts of making my Lord Sidney one of the Secretaries of State sent for him over who on Monday the 15 th of December Embarqued with a Fair Wind for Chester leaving every one sorry for his departure in that by his Affable and Courteous Demeanor and his Diligence in His Majesties Service he had gain'd the Hearts of all People And on the 24 th Sir Charles Porter one of the Lords Justices came from England who on the 29 th was sworn Lord Chancellor receiving the Purse and Great Seal from the late Commissioners Part of the Army march to Lanesborough We had now a part of our Army on their March towards Lanesborough-Pass Commanded by Major General Kirk and Sir John Laneir the Foot were my Lord Lisburn's Regiment my Lord George Hambleton's part of Col. Brewer's some of Major General Kirk's and several others A Party of the Militia also were ordered from Dublin and those in the Country were to be up on all hands At the same time Lieutenant General Douglas was to march towards Sligo and fall upon the Irish on that side On Wednesday the 31 st of December part of our Army under Colonel Brewer went towards Lanesborough The Enemy appeared on the Bog on this side the Town being as they say nigh Three Thousand and had cut several Trenches cross the Causeys that go through the Bog towards the Town these they disputed for some time but losing some of their Men they retired into Town and from thence to beyond the Shanon defacing the Fort on this side and breaking the Bridge behind them You 'll say they were not very closely pursued that had time to do all this However our Men took possession of the Town and Fort as they had left it and if we had had the Boats we might have gone over the Enemy quitting the other side for at least Three Days but then we were too small a Party and before the rest of our Men came up Three Regiments of the Irish were posted on the other side the River and then little hapned of moment only some small Firings and sometimes they made Truces Colonel Clifford and the other Irish Officers drinking Healths over to our Men and those on our side returning the Complement When this Party marched to Lanesborough there was a Detachment of 300 Men out of L. Drogheda's Sir Jo. Hanmer's and Col. Hambleton's Regiments ordered from Bi r to joyn them and so to cross the Country from Bi r to Mullingar But in their March they were set upon by about Fifteen Hundred of the Irish Army and Rapparees Our Party had but Thirty Dragoons with them and the Enemy brought several Squadrons of Horse and though we were attack'd for at least Five Hours together and that at several places of great disadvantage yet they fought their way through and went that Night to Mountmelick having lost only Six Men and Captain Jeffreys of Sir John Hanmer's Regiment but the Irish got all our Baggage This Party was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Bristow and Major Caulfield Rapparees in the Bog of Allen The Rapparees by this time were got to the end of the Bog of Allen about Twelve Miles from Dublin this Bog is the largest in Ireland for it reaches through a great part of the Country from hence as far as Athlone and is at least Forty Miles in length having several Islands full of Woods in the midst of it These robb'd and plundered the Country all about for they had an Island on this end of the Bog which they fortified coming out in the Night and doing all the Mischief they could This being so nigh Dublin it made a great noise so that Colonel Fouks with his own Regiment part of Colonel Cutts's and some of the Militia marched out towards them and coming near them in the Night at a place called Tougher Greggs at the entrance of the Bog of Allen he stay'd there till it was light and then advanced upon the Causey having Three Field-Pieces along with him Defeated by Col. Fouks The Irish at first seem'd to defend the Place but as we went forwards they quitted their Posts leaving our Men to fill up the Trenches they had made cross the Causey being Twelve in number Colonel Fouks marched his Horse over and so went to the Island of Allen where he found Lieutenant Colonel Piper who had passed thither on the other side at the same rate The Irish betook themselves to the Woods and we only got some little things they had left It 's thought they had a Thousand Foot thereabouts besides some Horse though most of them that made this Disturbance at this place were only Two Hundred Boys with an old Tory their Commander Who were admitted to administer the Oath and why And now the Lords Justices and Council issue out Two more Proclamations one forbidding all Persons whatsoever except the Lord Mayor Recorder and Sheriffs of Dublin to administer the Oath or give Certificates to the Papists Because some took upon them for Money to certifie they had sworn when they did not or else gave them the Oath without the word Allegiance as did Sir Humphrey Jervace who was imprisoned and fined Three Hundred Marks for it afterwards The other Proclamation required all that had bought any of the Train-Horses or Utensils to bring them in by such a Day For the Carters and Waggoners were very careless and either sold the Horses or suffered them to be stole Maj. Gen. Tetteau marches from Cork with a part of the Army About the time that Lieutenant General Douglas and Major General Kirk marched from the North and South Major General Tetteau marched also in the West towards the County of Kerry and if they all had pusht forwards at one time it had been a great advantage to our Affairs next Campaign All things seem'd to favour the Attempt especially the Weather better never being seen for the Season Major General Tetteau marched from Cork December 28. and on the 29 th was joyned by Brigadeer Churchill Sir David Collier Colonel Coy and a part of Colonel Matthews's Dragoons and the day following they marched through the Country which the Irish had for the most part burnt after they had carried away whatever they could month January On New Years-Day our Men attackt a Fort at a place called Scronclard which was intended to hinder their passage that way We took it in Two Hours though it 's said the Enemy imploy'd 500 Men for Two Months to build it This show'd their Diligence though not their Courage these Two Vertues are sometimes divided between us and them but not always both on either side Near Brewster's Field we discovered some of the Enemies Scouts whereupon Seventy of Eppingar's Dragoons and Colonel Coy's Horse having the Advance-Guard came near a Party of the Enemy of One Hundred
AN IMPARTIAL HISTORY OF THE AFFAIRS of IRELAND DURING The Two Last YEARS WHITE-HALL APRIL 30. 1691. LET this be Printed by Order of the Right Honourable the Lord Viscount SYDNEY one of Their Majesties Principal Secretaries of State W. BRIDGEMAN A TRUE and IMPARTIAL HISTORY OF The Most Material Occurrences IN THE Kingdom of Ireland DURING The Two Last YEARS WITH The Present State of Both ARMIES PUBLISHED To prevent Mistakes and to give the World a Prospect of the future Success of Their MAJESTIES Arms in That NATION Written by an Eye-witness to the most Remarkable PASSAGES LONDON Printed for Ric. Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard MDCXCI TO The RIGHT HONOURABLE CHARLES LORD VISCOUNT MORPETH AND The RIGHT WORSHIPFUL Sr WILLIAM LEVISON GOWER Bar t. Both MEMBERS Of the Honourable House of Commons These PAPERS About the AFFAIRS of IRELAND ARE HUMBLY DEDICATED THE PREFACE THese Papers were not designed to be published till after the surrender of the City of Mons to the French for since there are some and those too calling themselves Protestants who upon all occasions make it their business to advance the Conquests of that King and at the same time to lessen the Conduct and Success of His Present Majesty representing his Affairs to be in such a Condition at Home and his Army so inconsiderable in Ireland that they presently from thence expect such a Turn of State as if it should happen would certainly prove unfortunate and destructive to themselves as well as other people tho they have no mind or at least do not seem to see it I do not pretend nor do I think it possible to make such men sensible of the folly of their unaccountable Behaviour at this Juncture only I think it a good Opportunity to let Them and the World know the impartial Truth of the most material Passages of the Two last Campaigns in Ireland with the true State of both Armies as it stood in January last which possibly may serve to mortifie all their Expectations from their Friends in that Kingdom And as to the Matters of Fact I defie all the Enemies of our Government and Religion to contradict me tho at the same time I assure them That I have done their Side all the Right that the thing it self will bear and have concealed nothing that I think could make any way for their Advantage But before I come to this I will take the liberty to speak out since I am to treat of an Affair that concerns all that value either the publick Safety Honour or Peace of their Native Countrey it being every day more apparent than other that we are designed as a Prey to that Nation to whom we nor our Fathers were never yet in Bondage This is no vain and groundless Fear or Pretention but the Reasons for it are many Amongst the rest take only these few First The Late King by his unhappy Management has given up the Cudgels to the French whom it 's not to be doubted he had rather should govern the Nation than those who at present do by this means placing his own Interest and that of all English Protestants in a diametrical opposition to one another since it 's plain that unfortunate Prince has been made instrumental and is so still by the Zealots of the Church of Rome to advance their Religion on the one hand and by his most Christian Majesty on the other to promote his Glory All the Care and Pains that has been taken of late by the Priests in a Business of the greatest moment was not to propagate King James's Family but his and their own Religion for they value not tho He and His Name perish if their Work go but on And suppose the P. of W. really what our Adversaries would have him who can ever imagine that a Successor that there was so much pains taken about will either be bred a Protestant or made serviceable to that Interest especially since he is taken out of the Kingdom and put into the hands of the greatest Enemy to our Nation And as to the French King's part can any one think that he does all this out of a Principle of Honour and Love for the re-establishing of King James All people know that his Generosity extends no further than his Interest Those that will not believe this let them only look back upon his treatment of the same individual Prince some years ago for it 's plain that he has no other Prospect nor regard to Men and Things but his own Greatness and Ambition not spearing even those of his own Perswasion when they stand in his way Every one sees that hsi Brother of Constantinople and he agree much better than his Holy Father at Rome and he ever did or are like to do because the former is more favourable to his Designs than the other If then he falls out with him whom his own Religion obliges to pay all Deferrence and Respect to and honour as a Father what can Protestants nay even English Papists themselves expect but to submit to his Yoke if they once give way for his Admission When the Late King appear'd all on a sudden last Summer in France after the Defeat at the Boyn it was observable that tho the French King was surprized at his Presence yet he received him with all the seeming joy in the World thinking it not fit to discourage a Prince whom he had still further occasion for This has already been seen into by some great Officers even in the Irish Army who begin to be at a stand how to manage since they can have no other Prospect from the success of their own present Affairs but future Ruin to their Countrey Secondly Suppose the War already ended and the Late King sent into England with all the Grandeur that France could afford him and received here by the consent of every Body Yet the French King has a very large Bill to bring in which he 'll certainly pretend cannot be discharged with the Possâ—ssion of Ireland what then can be more rationally intended than that one day or other England may be brought to a severe account for those vast Expences and the non-repayment of them shall be a sufficient Pretence for a War when he finds an Opportunity tho King James himself sate at the Helm For how easy a thing it is to break all Rules whatever when a man has the Power in his own hand is known to most men Those then who favour him most will only have the honour to be last devoured and even those of his own Persuasion will have cause to wish themselves rather under a Protestant Prince than a Popish Tyrant We see further that His Present Majesty has not declared it a War of Religion but is linked in a Confederacy with a great many Princes of the Romish Church that have all the same reason to dread the growing-Power of France who neither spares Protestant when he has an
opportunity nor a Papist when he can gain by it And yet if we look narrowly into the thing the present War of Ireland is both more difficult and expensive for him to support than it is for England both as to the distance of place and multiplicity of other Diversions for tho he 's a great Prince yet his Power is not without limits Thirdly It neither was nor is the Interest of Their present Majesties only that we are struggling for but under them for the Liberties of England and that against the most dangerous Enemy that our Nation ever had this most men think themselves obliged to do tho the King 's natural Life should end to morrow which God forbid since for his own sake all that have had the honour to be Eye-witnesses of those Noble and Heroick Personal Actions of His Majesty in pursuance of what he so generously undertook at first dare and will serve him even to death it self what he pleases to command them for the Quarrel is not Whether the Late King or the Present shall Rule in England but whether the French King shall have our Countrey or we keep it to our selves Neither is it only the King and Queen's Quarrel that we spend so much Treasure in and lose those Men as is frequently objected but it 's the King that makes himself a Drudge for ours if I may so express it running all Hazards and suffering all Hardships possible upon that Account He was a Rich and Great Prince before and wanted neither Glory nor Power to have lived happy and magnificent nor is it likely he had any Design to provide for his Posterity in what he did since we are as yet deprived of so great a Blessing And whatever may be called unnatural in this War is for the Father of his Country to endeavour the depriving both his Natural and Legal Children of what God and Nature have made them Heirs to Fourthly King James might have been one of the greatest and happiest Princes in Europe notwithstanding his Religion and the Roman-Catholicks enjoyed the same Privilege as to the exercise of theirs that other Dissenters do at this day if that would but have pleased them but it was an odd thing to all men of thought that the hundredth part of a Nation as the Papists are no more at best should think to bring all the rest over to their Side and that against both their Humours and Interests but it 's now plain that the Affairs of England and Rome cannot be reconciled And I would fain ask any Protestant Whether in King James's time he would not have been willing with all his heart to have been secured from the approaching Danger Or whether he thinks it pâ—ssible this could have been done more easily or more to the satisfaction of the Nation in general than it was But this is the mischief of it we all would be out of harms way but then every man must do it as he himself thinks fit or else it all stands for nothing If King William had made his entry through a Sea of Blood this had pleased some People better and made others more afraid the Easiness of the thing was the greatest Providence in it and yet by our fickle Factious Humours we begin to make it both more expensive and hazardous but let us take heed lest if we tread in the Steps of our Forefathers in Divisions and homebred Jarrings we also run the same fate in being subject to a Nation of Foreigners and yet it 's to be feared that the real ground of some Peoples Discontents is not that they at first disliked the Present Government but that they were disappointed in their hopes of some Preferment that they thought themselves best deserved and yet God be thanked I cannot see any great Injury that those People can do to the Present Establishment since the King Parliament and People are all of a side and as for the Malecontents they are neither Popular nor Considerable There is a Story in Josephus something parallel to our Case that was The Jews were commonly very strict in the observance of the Sabbath and amongst other Tenets of that nature they held it unlawful so much as to defend themselves tho attackt by the Enemy on that Day this their Enemies came to the knowledge of and put them upon the trial cutting a great many to pieces which made the rest grant that it was lawful to stand upon their own defence but not to press upon the Enemy and they met with a second Disadvantage upon that score but finding to their Cost the folly of such Conceits it came at last to this That when they were undertaken a third time out of hopes of like success they not only defended themselves but defeated their Adversaries most effectually This Story I apply thus That notwithstanding of late we have mixt Matters of Religion and Policy too much and advanced the Arbitrary Power of Princes by stretching the Doctrine of Passive Obedience beyond its due limits yet let not our Adversaries believe that we want either Hearts or Hands to opppose a Foreign or Vnlimited Power and that too without either departing from the Principles of Religion or so much as wavering in our Profession Let those then then that will be fond of the Garlick and Onions of Egypt for my own part I cannot see how we can make one step backwards without the danger of being poisoned by them For certainly there are several Questions now in hand not to be resolved by the Rules of our Church but by our Legal Constitution which in some Cases binds the Ecclesiastical it self And for all that specious Objection which some People make That our Laws as well as our Religion are against the Deposing Doctrine Yet it will endure no serious thought That God has made so many Millions of People to be subject to the Humour or Interest of any one particular Man For whatever has been said to the contrary of late it 's both agreeable to the Principles of Reason and Religion that Salus populi suprema Lex Government no doubt is Jure Divino of which if we were destitute nil sane brutis amantibus praestaremur says Melanction but then it 's not necessary to have it terminated in this or that Individual for tho it 's an undoubted Truth that any private person had better suffer Injuries than hazard the publick Peace of his Country by endeavouring to redress the same and it cannot be lawful for every one to fly in the face of Authority when he 's injured or at least thinks himself so yet neither the Laws of Nature Reason or Religion oblige us to sit still and see the Fundamental Constitutions of our Country overturned without any indeavour of ours to obstruct it And tho there may be danger in endeavouring to stem such a Tide yet I may go further and say That those People do not deserve good Laws but rather are the Betrayers of them
Mackarty Moor was in the Duke's Kitchen in the Camp which the Duke smiled at and did not invite him to Dinner saying If he had staid like a Soldier with his Men he would have sent to him but if he would go and eat with Servants in a Kitchen let him be doing When we took possession of the Stores the Irish had but one Barrel of Powder left tho some say they threw several more into the Sea to save their Credit The Irish march out On Wednesday the 28th of August about Ten a Clock the Irish marched out and had Sir William Russel a Captain in Collonel Coy's Regiment with a Party of Horse appointed for their Guard but the Countrey people were so inveterate against them remembring how they had served them some few days before that they stript most part of the Women and forced a great many Arms from the Men and took it very ill that the Duke did not order them all to be put to Death notwithstanding the Articles But he knew better things and so rude were the Irish Scots that the Duke was forced to ride in among them with his Pistol in his hand to keep the Irish from being murdered The poor Irish were forced to fly to the Soldiers for protection else the Countrey people would certainly have used them most severely so angry were they one at another tho they live all in a Countrey However this was laid at the General 's Door by the great Officers in the Irish Army and they would say That he had lost his Honour by engaging in so ill a Cause The Governour of the Town was Mackarty Moor but Owen Mackarty had a great Ascendent over both him and the Garison The Garison consisted of two Regiments of Foot lusty strong Fellows but ill clad and to give them their due they did not behave themselves ill in that Siege The number of the Dead on both sides They had about One Hundred and Fifty killed and wounded in Town and we had near that number killed and about Sixty wounded The Town it self is not very strong but the Castle is considerable it stands upon a Rock and has its Name from Fergus the first King of Scots who first brought the Irish into Britain and was drowned in this Bay as Camden tells you However it 's one of the most important Places in the North of Ireland and the taking of it gave an hopeful prospect of future success The General returns to Bellfast The Duke put Sir Henry Inglesby's Regiment into Carigfergus and on Wednesday the 28 th and the day following the Army marched to Belfast where they Encamped about a mile beyond the Town On Friday Duke Schonberg's Regiment of French Horse consisting of 500 men came to the Camp and on Saturday the last of August the Army was mustered being as follows Horse my Lord Devonshire's Regiment my Lord Delamere's Coll. Coys Duke Schonberg's and Coll. Levison's Dragoons Foot One Battalion of Blew Dutch Carlesoon's White Dutch Coll. Beaumont Coll. Wharton Lord Drogheda Lord Lisburn Lord Meath Lord Roscomon Lord Lovelace Lord Kingston Duke of Norfolk Coll. Herbert Sir Edward Deering Sir Tho. Gower Coll. Earle La Millioneir Du Cambon La Callimott month September September 1. A Letter sent from the D. of Berwick Whilst the Duke staid at Belfast there came a Letter to him by a Trumpet from the Duke of Berwick but 't was return'd un-open'd because it was directed only For Count Schonberg the Duke saying That his Master the King of England had honoured him with the Title of a Duke and therefore the Letter was not to him This is a piece of State that has been often practised amongst Great Men for when King Edward the III d. sate down before Tournay in France he sent to the French King whom he saluted only by the name of Philip of Valoys challenging him to fight a single Combat to prevent Bloodshed or with 100 men each and if those methods did not please then within ten days to join Battel with all their Forces near Tournay To which Philip made no direct Answer alledging That the Letters were not sent to him The King of France but barely to Philip of Valoys yet he brought his Army within sight of the English and by the Mediation of King Philip's Mother and two Cardinals a Peace was concluded till the Midsummer following But to return Our Train sent by Sea to Carlingford Our Artillery-Horses were most of them as yet at Chester and therefore the Duke gave Orders for greatest part of the Train to be Shipt and the Fleet to sail with those and all Necessaries for the Army to Carlinford-Bay within Eight miles of Dundalk And then on Monday the second of September we marched beyond Lisburn this is one of the prettiest In-land Towns in the North of Ireland and one of the most English-like places in the Kingdom the Irish name is Lishnegarvah which they tell me signifies the Gamesters-Mount for a little to the North-East of the Town there is a Mount moated about and another to the South-West these were formerly surrounded with a great Wood and thither resorted all the Irish Out-laws to play at Cards and Dice one of the most considerable amongst them having lost all even his Cloaths went in a Passion in the middle of the night to the House of a Nobleman in that Countrey who before had set a considerable Sum on his head and in this mood he surrendred himself his Prisoner which the other considering of pardon'd him and afterwards this Town was built when the knot of these Rogues was broke which was done chiefly by the help of this one man the Town is so modern however that Cambden takes no notice of it On Tuesday the 3 d. we marched through Hilsborough a place where the Enemy before our coming had kept a Garison near which on the High-way side were two of our men hanged for Deserting We Encamp at Drummore that night we encampt at Drummore the place where Lieutenant-General Hamilton routed the Northern Protestants the Inhabitants had all or most of them left the Town and there was not so much as a Sheep or a Cow to be seen our small marching Train came up with us here from Belfast and here the General had an account That the Duke of Berwick was at Newry with about 1700 Foot and Dragoons and two Troops of Horse designing to defend that Pass At Lough Britland Wednesday the 4 th we march'd to Loughbritland where we encamped in two Lines as from the beginning upon the side of a Hill beyond the Town the Inhabitants had deserted this place also and what little Corn there was some lay reapt and not bound up and the rest was spoiled for want of management As our Army was marching up I went Three miles beyond the Camp where I met with the Iniskillin Horse and Dragoons whom the Duke had ordered to be an Advance-Guard to his
above two Bandileers full of Powder a-piece and the rest full of Salt which made us believe the Enemy at that time were scarce of Ammunition they killed us two Captains and six Men wounding a Lieutenant and Ensign It was thought very odd that not so much as a Field Piece should be left at that important Pass of Newry nor yet a party of Horse but the Reason of that might be because there were no Houses left standing to put them in nor any Forage thereabouts for them But after this the General ordered Detachements out of Colonel Viller's Colonel Coy's and those Regiments that lay most convenient to go to Newry and relieve by turns Col. Cambon views Charlemont On the 26 th of November Colonel Cambon went to view the Garison of Charlemont having 60 of Col. Levison's Dragoons along with him the Irish had lined the Hedges nigh the place where he was to make his Observations but were beat from thence by the Dragoons who alighted and killed two or three but about eight or ten of our Dragoons going too far from their main Body were surprized and taken Prisoners and most of them died before they could be relieved A Meeting of Country Gentlemen Towards the latter end of November the General summon'd all the Gentlemen in the Country to meet him at Lisburn where they presented him with an Address and agreed upon Rates for all sorts of Provisions which were commanded to be sold accordingly by the Duke's Proclamation but this was very disagreeable to the Country People who had made us pay trebble Rates before for every thing we had from them A party of the Irish Garison at Charlemont stole out one Night and burnt Duncanon a small Town some five miles off And November 29 Brigadeer Stuart having Intelligence that my Lord Antrim's Regiment in Dundalk designed again to attack Newry he with a party of about 250 Horse and Foot met them as they were coming and killed about thirty taking seventeen Prisoners some of whom were Officers month December Belturbet Surrendered December the 4 th Colonel Woolsely went in the Night with a party of Iniskilliners towards Belturbet upon whose approach the Garison being surprized they yielded upon the first Summons to be conducted to the next Garison though they had fortified the place very well The Duke goes to view Charlemont The 12 th of December the Duke went to view Charlemont they fired their Cannon upon him and his Party but however some of our Men took a Prey of Cattel from under the very Walls And about this time the General gave out Orders to be observed by all the Army which being very commendable in themselves if every one had endeavoured to put them in Execution it will not be improper therefore to mention some few of them Some of the General 's Orders 1. That the Captain or Officer commanding each Company meet at two a Clock at the Guard-House each Tuesday to punish Offenders and to consider what may be for the Good of the Regiment and that the Country have notice thereof that if there be any Complaints against the Souldiers they may be heard 2. That the Souldiers have strict Orders to frequent Divine Service every Sunday and that the Officers punish Swearing and all other Vices as directed by the Articles of War 3. That the Souldiers that are to mount the Guard be there by six of the Clock in the Morning and exercise till Eleven and that the Chaplain be there to read Prayers before the Guard be mounted 4. That every Captain take care of the General 's Orders for regulating the Foot and the Major-Generals for Exercising and diligently observe the same 5. That an Officer twice a Week visit the Sick and a Serjeant twice a Day and give the Chirurgeon and Chaplain notice that they may immediately repair to them And a great many more Orders there were to this purpose but these are sufficient to show the Care of the General in every Thing and that he was far from those Imperfections some People were pleased to reproach him with About this time there was a great Booty of Cattel taken by Lieut. Col. Berry who went from Clownish to Sligo with a Party he saw no Enemy but found their Cattel and brought them Home with him The Irish lessen their Brass Coin And now the Irish begin to make the Coin of their Brass Money less than it was at first Calling in the large Brass Half-Crowns and stamping them a new for Crowns they wanting Metal to go on with it as they first began They say it was a Quaker that first proposed this Invention of Brass Money but whoever it was they did that Party a signal piece of Service since they would never have been able to have carried on the War without it However the Quakers have been very serviceable to that Interest for I am assured by some in the Irish Army that they maintained a Regiment at their own Cost besides several Presents of value that they made to the late King Mr. Shales a Prisoner There were now great Complaints against Mr. Shales and those flew so high that he was secured by an Order from England and was sent with a Guard to Belfast and so designed for London He stayed some Days at Belfast before he could be ready and in the mean time fell ill of a Feaver recovering with a great deal of Difficulty Yet afterwards he went over but I heard of no Proceedings against him We had Stories at Dundalk and afterwards that the Beef and Brandy and what other things we received from the Stores were all poisoned but all this was Stuff and believed by no Body of Sense I heard indeed some Masters of Ships who had their Vessels laden with Provisions for Ireland say that he stop'd them all at High-Lake and Liverpool threatning to seize them if they came over for he had undertaken to provide the Army with every thing I am a Stranger to Mr. Shales and yet I believe him to be a Man of more Sense than that comes to and further I have heard some People say that were near him in his Sickness that he was not at all concerned as being not conscious to himself of any thing he had done which he ought not but yet he used to say that he would set the Saddle upon the Right Horse A great Mortality Col. Langston dies at Lisburn in a Fever and my Ld. Hewet and my Ld. Roscommon of the same Distemper at Chester and the Feaver was very violent at this time all the North of Ireland over insomuch that it was impossible to come into any House but some were Sick or Dead especially at Belfast where the Hospital was I have sometime stood upon the Street there and seen ten or a dozen Corps of the Towns People go by in little more than half an Hour Major General Mackarty Escapes Towards the latter end of
and well Clothed and Armed Monsieur Callimot with his Regiment was posted upon the Blackwater nigh Charlemont and had kept them in very much on that side during Winter On the 8 th of March he took possession of a little Village within less than two miles of the Castle the Enemy at first pretended to dislodg us but having lost three of their Men they retired Monsieur Callimot's Design upon Charlemont Bridg. On the 12 th at Night Col. Callimot went with a Party of his own and some of Col. St. John's Regiment being in all about 80 Souldiers and 20 Officers with those he designed to cut down the Bridg at Charlemont it being Wood and so to prevent the Irish from making Excursions in the Night as they used to do In order to which he put his Men into three Boats and coming up the River within a mile of Charlemont he landed his Men and though they were discovered at a distance yet he marched up to the Bridg and set Fire to it taking a Redoubt at the Bridg-end as also another near the Gate that leads to Armagh killing about 20 But Day coming on the Colonel thought it convenient to retreat having lost only five or six Men but Major De la Bord was killed as he went off Lieut. Col. Belcassel and a Captain whose Name was Le Rapin wounded This Attempt was very brave for the Castle it self was within Musquet-shot of the Bridg and nearer to those Works that we took About this time were four Prisoners brought to Lisburn that were taken nigh Charlemont they gave an Account that the Garison had been relieved some time before and that the Souldiers and Officers who came in lately did not like Tongue O Regan's Government that Bread and Salt were scarce within and that they believed the Garison could not hold out long if they had not fresh supplys of Victuals All this while the General was daily sending up Provisions to our Stores upon the Frontiers so that our Men were pretty well supplied every where but the Ways were very bad and Carriages scarce so that the Trouble and Charge were both extraordinary His Majesty's Expedition into Ireland ascertain'd We had News before this that his Majesty designed to come in Person for Ireland against the succeeding Campagne and now it was made certain which was great Satisfaction to all both Officers and Souldiers and that upon several Accounts some had been displeased judging they had not fair play in their Preferments others hoped to show themselves worthy the King's Notice by their future Actions and most People expected a considerable Sum of Mony to pay off the Army Then every one knew his Majesty's Industry Courage and Resolution to be so great that he would endeavour to make a quick dispatch and therefore upon some account or other all our Friends were pleased with it and the greatest of our Enemies daunted to hear the News The French Land at Kingsale The 14 th of March about 5000 French Foot landed at Kingsale with two Generals Count Lauzun and the Marquess de Lery K. James sending back Maj. Gen. Mackarty with as many Irish Our Fleet was then attending the Queen of Spain which made this Undertaking very easy to the French The 23 d of March Col. Woolsely sent out a Party beyond Cavan to bring in some Cattel for the use of his Garison they got 1000 Head and were pursued by the Enemy but they brought off their Prey and kill'd about 20 or 30. Clothes Arms Ammunion and Provision arrived daily at Belfast from England month April Killishandra taken April the 6 th Col. Woolsely with a detach'd Party of 700 Men went to Attaque the Castle of Killishandra about seven miles from Belturbat which after he had fix'd his Mines and made some brisk Attaque on it the Men firing in upon the Enemy at their Spike-holes they surrendered to him there being 160 Men in it commanded by one Capt. Darchey We lost about eight Men in this Action and left 100 Men in Garison there Near the time of Col. Woolsely's return the General sent a Battalion of Danes to reinforce him at Belturbet On the 8 th Col. Cutts and Col. Babington's with a Regiment of Danish Horse and some Recruits landed at Whitehouse and marched to Belfast And on the 10 th Col. Tiffin sent out a Party from Bellishannon who brought off a Prey from the Neighbourhood of Sligo and killed about 16 of the Enemy as they pursued them Sir Clousley Shovel's Expedition to the Bay of Dublin Sir Clovesly Shovel came on the 12 to Belfast as Convoy to several Ships that brought over Necessaries for the Army and there having Intelligence of a Frigat at Anchor in the Bay of Dublin and several other small Vessels loaden with Hides Tallow Wools some Plate and several other things designed for France he sailed April the 18 th being Good-Friday to the Mouth of the Bay of Dublin and there leaving the Monk and some more great Ships he took the Monmouth-Yatch and one or two more with several Long-Boats and went to Polebeg where the Frigat lay being one half of the Scotch Fleet that was taken in the Channel the Year before having sixteen Guns and four Patteraroes King James when he heard of it said It was some of his Loyal Subjects of England returning to their Duty and Allegiance but when he saw them draw near the Ship and heard the firing he rid out towards Rings-end whither gathered a vast crowd of People of all sorts and there were several Regiments drawn out of it were possible to kill those Bold Fellows at Sea who durst on such a good Day perform so wicked a Deed as they called it Capt. Bennet that commanded the Frigat run her on Ground and after several firings from some other Ships of theirs as also from that when they saw a Fireship coming in which Sir Clovesly had given a Sign to they all quitted the Frigat being at first about 40 but they lost six or seven in the Action Sir Clovesly was in the Monmouth-Yatch where Capt. Wright was very serviceable both in carrying in the Fleet and in time of Action In going off one of our Hoys ran a-Ground and was dry when the Tide was gone the rest of the Boats were not far off being full of Armed Men and a Frenchman one of K. Jame's Guards coming nigh the Boats to fire his Pistols in a Bravo had his Horse shot under him and was forced to sting off his Jack-Boots and run back in his stockings to save himself some of the Sea-men went on Shoar and took his Saddle and Furniture When the Tide came in they went off with their Prize to the Ships below K. James went back very much dissatisfy'd and 't was reported he should say that all the Protestants in Ireland were of Cromwel 's Breed and deserved to have their Throats Cut but whatever his thoughts might be I suppose his
Ground at Duleek and thereabouts will say that it 's scarce possible to make an orderly pursuit at such a place for whilst an Enemy continues in a Body there 's no going after them as if Men were a Fox-hunting since nothing encourages even a flying Enemy more to rally and fight again than to see a disorderly pursuit of them The Passes therefore were so narrow and troublesome that before we could get over a Body of Men sufficient to attack the Enemy they were got a mile or two before us and new difficulties between us and them nor was the case the same with them for they got over any where as well as they could except the Rear who kept their order as far as we could see them As for his Majesty himself he chose the Field drew up his Army gave his General Orders to his Officers and the best Orders wherever he was in Person but the greatest Captain that ever was or will be is not nor can be of himself sufficient to redress all Disorders or lay hold on all Advantages in an instant when Armies are once ingaged And further his Majesty having committed a considerable part of his Orders to the care of his General the death of him must needs be a disadvantage to the whole Army Another thing they pretend to find fault with was in not sending ten thousand Men immediately from the Boyne towards Athlone and Limerick since we were as nigh those places here as at Dublin and if we had gone behind them Limerick and Galloway would certainly have yielded for it was at least a fortnight before any number of their Army got thither and then they say the Irish Army must either have fought again in the Field or else submitted since Dublin is not to be kept by those that are not Masters of the Field But there are very good reasons why this was not done for his Majesty knew at this time that the French Fleet was hovering nigh the English Coast and therefore would not divide his Army nor draw them from the Sea nor did his Majesty know as yet whether the Irish would not stay for him between that and Dublin and so fight again And before he was assur'd of it the News of the French Fleets success at Sea altered both his and the Irish Peoples measures for this put them into heart again especially when it came with a report spread a broad I suppose on purpose that King William was dead as well as Duke Schonberg and that the Dauphin of France was landed with an Army in England But though there was little of Truth in these reports yet they animated the Irish who of all men living are the soonest discouraged but up again with the least hopes and to work they went in making provisions to defend their Towns especially beyond the Shannon but this I 'm afraid will be thought impertinent at least it 's out of order and therefore to return King James's Carriage at the Battle and after King James during part of the Action at the Boyn stood at the little old Church upon the Hill called Dunore but when he saw how things were like to go he marched off to Duleek and from thence towards Dublin the first news that went to that place was That K. James had got the day our General killed and the Prince of Orange as they call'd him taken prisoner this was very afflicting to the poor Protestants who were shut up in Prisons all over the Town but towards night they observed several Officers come to Town in great confusion some wounded and others looking very dull upon the matter which they thought were no sings of Victory and then begun to hope better things About nine a Clock King James came to Dublin with about two hundred Horse with him all in disorder My Lady Tyrconnel met him at the Castle-gate and after he was up-stairs her Ladyship askt him what he would have for Supper who then gave her an Account of what a Breakfast he had got which made him have but little stomach to his Supper He staid all Night in the Castle and next Morning sending for the Lord Mayor and some others he told them That in England he had an Army which durst have fought but they proved false and deserted him and that here he had an Army which was Loyal enough but would not stand by him he was now necessitated to provide for his Safety and that they should make the best Terms for themselves that they could and not to burn or injure the Town and immediately after took Horse and with about twelve in Company went towards Bray and so to Waterford where he took Shipping for France The Irish Horse came most of them into Dublin that Night and most of the Foot next Morning And before Night on Wednesday they were all gone taking the City Militia along who were all Papists but they released all the Prisoners not out of love to them but for fear lest we had been at their Heels Some say that K. James sent Sir Patrick Trant and another Gentleman towards Waterford to provide Shipping for him before-hand for fear of the worst but I have not heard the certainty of it However this was not the way that Heroes used formerly to take in England for the Romans burnt their Ships when they landed there that their Men might have no hopes of a Retreat but to conquer or die And so did the Duke of Normandy who soon after got the name of Conquerour King Williams But King William gave his Army better proofs of his Courage and Conduct nor can I pretend to be able to give his Majesty the just commendation his merit forces from his very Enemies only this I am sure of that he dare do any thing and has not a Soul subject to fear or any thing that 's below a Prince never had an Army a better opinion of a King than ours of him their only fear was that he would expose himself too far and whatever difference happens between him and them can be only this that they desire to stand between his Majesty and all danger But he alwayes has a mind to put himself between them and it may we long therefore have such a General in a King and he not only Souldiers but Subjects of all professions that love him as well Prince George accompanied his Majesty in most of his dangers and in the greatest of them was always near him and nothing but the bravery of such a King could hinder him of the greatest Charracter in this Account As to our English Forces there were few of them that had an opportunity at this place to shew themselves but those that had acquitted themselves very well the French and Iniskilliners did good service and to give the Dutch Guards their due they deserve immortal honour for what they did that day I enquired at several who they were that managed the retreat the Irish made that
day so much to their advantage for not to say worse of them then they deserve it was in good order so far as we could see them I mean with the Horse and French Foot whatsoever they did afterwards but I could hear of none in particular only Lieutenant Gen. Hambleton says it was my Lord Gilmoy who is not thought an extraordinary Souldier but this is certain that the French were towards the left of their Army that day and so did little or no service except it was in the retreat whereas if they had posted them instead of the Irish Foot at the Pass we had found warmer work of it But Providence orders all things and amongst those the Counsels of the greatest The night after the Battle we lay upon our Arms at Duleck and next morning were sent a Party back out of every Regiment to fetch up our Tents and Baggage from beyond the Boyn As likewise Brigadeer La Millinier was sent with a Party of a thousand Horse and Dragoons about three hundred Foot and eight peice of Canon to summon Drogheda Drogheda surrendred The Governour received the first Summons very indifferently but then he had word sent that if he forced the Canon to be fired on them they should have no quarter The Governor at length considered better of it and believing the Irish Army to be totally routed he surrendred upon Condition to be conducted to the next Garrison which was Athlone And the next day about 1300. of them marched out without their Arms having a Convoy according to Agreement Colonel Cuts's Men took possession of the Place where they found good store of wine and other things that were considerable and took great care to preserve the Town from any violence of the Souldiers This Town is one of the best in Ireland unto which King Edward the Second for Theobald Verdens sake granted License for a Market and Fair and succeeding Kings confirmed many and great Priviledges to it amongst others that of a Mint Cromwel at his first landing in Ireland took it by Storm and put above 2000. men to the Sword in it The River Boyn runs thro' the Town which takes its name from swift running for Boin both in Irish and Brittish signifies Swift as the Learned say It s a great and rapid River and whatever it has been formerly it will be famous in succeeding Ages for this Action I have shewn the spot of ground to some who design to erect a Pillar where the King escaped so narrowly to perpetuate so memorable an Action Near the ground where we encampt stands Mellifont-Abby founded in the year 1168. by Donald King of Uriel and is much praised by St. Bernard it was given afterwards by Queen Elizabeth to Sir Edward More of Kent for his good service in the Wars both at home and abroad and is now the Seat of the Earl of Drogheda But this I 'm afraid will be thought a little out of my present rode and therefore Wednesdy the 2 of July we marched not above a mile to convenient Ground and there pitched our Tents I remember we had a kind of Alarm that afternoon and some say it was five Troops of Horse and three Regiments of Foot that came from Munster to joyn King James's Army who appeared in the flank of us but sending two Spies to discover who we were they were taken and hanged tho the Party marched off untouched Mounsieur Cambon had almost set his own and my Lord Drogheda's Regiment by the Ears by ordering a Detachment of his men to take away by force the Grass from the Rear of the other Regiment The matter came so high that both Parties were charging their Peeces but my Lord Drogheda ordered his men to their Tents and Lieut. Gen. Douglas ordered Mounsieur Cambon to desist from his pretensions this might have been of dangerous consequence and yet my Lord was so kind to Mounsieur Cambdon as not to acquaint the King with it King William marches toward Dublin On Thursday the 3. of July his Maiesty marched forwards with his Army to a place called Bally Brighan and there encamped on his march he had an account by one Mr. Sanders whom the Bishop of Meath Dr. King Captain Fitz Gerald and other Protestants that had taken upon them the protection of the City had sent for that purpose that the Irish had left Dublin towards which the Duke of Ormond marched with 1000 Horse and found Captain Farlow Governour who two days before had been a Prisoner The Dutch Guards were sent also who took possession of the Castle as the Duke of Ormond did of the out Guards of the Town with his Horse next day we lay Encamped and above 300 Citizens came out from Dublin to wait upon the King and to welcome our Army and abundance of people flocked from all places to see our Camp The Country all hereabouts is most of it Inhabited with old English and is called Fingal that is a Nation of Foreigners It s scarce worth the Relating what is writ in the Irish Annals of a Country man nigh this place that in the year 1341 found a pair of Gloves in drawing on of which he Barked like a Dog and from that present the Elder in that Country Barked like big Dogs and the young ones like Whelps and this continued with some for eighteen dayes with others a month and with some for two years and entred also into several other places and they tell you likewise of the men in the County of Tipperarys being turn'd into Wolves at a certain time of the year but these are trifles for they are commonly Dogs or Wolves in their Nature but no otherways Encamps at Finglass Saturday the 5 of July we marched to Finglass two miles wide of Dublin his Majesty did not go to the City but staid in the Field with his Army yet next day being Sunday he went to St. Patricks Church and returned on Horseback to the Camp to dinner A Description of Dublin This City of Dublin is by much the Largest and Best in all Ireland and inferiour to none in England except London most of the Houses and Streets are very Regular and Modern and the people as Fashionable as any where It s called by Ptolomy Eblana the Irish call it Bala Cleigh that is the Town upon Hurdles because they say it was built upon a Fenny Boggy place but whatever it has been the Ground about it is now very sound and the Air wholsome it was much afflicted in the Danish Wars and afterwards came under subjection of Edgar King of England then the Norvegians possessed themselves of it and we read that Harold of Norway after he had subdued the greatest part of Ireland built Develin And hither King Hen. 2. after he had gain'd a great interest in this Kingdom sent over a Collony of Bristow men who were the first English Inhabitants of this City In the year 1220. was the Castle of Dublin
built by Henry Londres Arch-Bishop of that Sea And in the Reign of King Ed. 2. Alexander de Bicknor Arch-Bishop of Dublin began to incourage the profession of Learning having obtained from Pope John the 22. the priviledges of an University to the Colledge of Dublin which he builtin the place where of old stood the Monastry of All-hallows the first Master hereof was Fryar William Hardite In times of War and Tumult it was defac'd but rebuilt in Queen Elizabeths time and endowed with several priviledges being ever since a Nursery of Protestants till they were turn'd out by King Jams's Souldiers and it made a Guard House but now at King Williams coming restored to the Protestants with their other possessions Monday the 6. Several parties of Horse were sent up and down the Country and next day the Bishop of Meath the Bishop of Limerick and all or most of the Clergy then in or near the City of Dublin waited upon the King the Bishop of Meath made a Speech telling his Majesty The Bishops and Clergy Address the King That they came not to Beg his Protection for he had given sufficient demonstrations of his affection towards them by ventring his Royal Person for their deliverance but they came to Congratulate his Arrival to pray for the continuance of his good success and to give his Majesty all the assurance possible of their Loyalty and Obedience intreating his Majesty not to think worse of them for staying in Ireland and submitting to a Power that it was impossible for them to resist since they had been as serviceable to the Churches interest and his Majesties by staying as they could have been otherwise with a great deal more to that purpose The King made Answer that as he had by the blessing of God succeeded so far he doubted not but by Gods Assistance to free them absolutely and that in a small time from Popish Tyranny which was his design in coming Then the Bishop of Limerick desired his Majesty to give them leave to appoint a day of publick Thanksgiving and to compose a Form of Prayer upon that Occasion to which his Majesty assented Money left in the Treasury The Irish went away in such haste that they left 16000 l. Brass mony in the Treasury and a great quantity of French peices called Souses I enquired of some People concern'd in the Treasury in King James's time and they told me that there had not been much above 1100000 l. Brass mony Coyned during all the time it passed On Tuesday July the 7. the King sent out his Declaration to the Irish assuring all under such a Quality of his protection and because the not observing of it has since done a great deal of prejudice not only to his Majesties affairs but also to all sorts of People belonging to that Country it will not be improper here to insert it The Declaration of William and Mary King and Queen of England Scotland France and Ireland c. To all Our People of Our Kingdom of Ireland whom it may concern William R. K. Williams Declaration AS it hath pleased Almighty God to bless Our Arms in this Kingdom with a late victory over Our Enemies at the Boyn and with the Possession of Our Capital City of Dublin and with a general dispersion of all that did oppose us we are now in so happy a prospect of Our Affairs and of extinguishing the Rebellion of this Kingdom that We hold it reasonable to think of Mercy and to have Compassion upon those whom we judge to have been seduced Wherefore We do hereby declare We shall take into Our Royal Protection all poor Labourers Common Souldiers Country Farmers Plowmen and Cottiers whatsoever As also all Citizens Trads-men Towns-men and Artificers who either remain'd at home or having fled from their dwellings shall by the first of August next repair to their usual places of abode surrendring up what Arms they have to such Justices of the Peace as are or shall be appointed by Vs not only to receive the same but also to Register the Appearance of such of the said Persons as shall come and submit to Our Authority For Our Royal Intention is and We do hereby declare That We will not only pardon all those seduced people as to their Lives and Liberties who shall come in by the time aforesaid for all violences they have committed by the command of their Leaders during the time of the War But We do also promise to secure them in their Goods their Stocks of Cattle and all their Chattels personal whatsoever willing and requiring them to come in and where they were Tenants there to preserve the Harvest of Grass and Corn for the supply of the Winter But forasmuch as many of them have a Legal Right to the Tenancy of several Lands some holden from Protestants and some held from Popish Proprietors who have been concern'd in the Rebellion against Us. Our Will and Pleasure is that all those who held from Our good Protestant Subjects do pay their Rents to their respective Landlords and that the Tenants of all those who have been concern'd in the Rebellion against us do keep their Rents in their hands until they have notice from the Commissioners of Our Revenue unto whom they are to account for the same And as we do hereby strictly forbid all violence Rapine and Molestation to any who shall thus come in and remain Obedient to us We do hereby Charge and Require that they be not disquieted in any sort without Our particular Command For the desperate Leaders of this Rebellion who have violated those Laws by which this Kingdom is united and inseparably annexed to the Imperial Crown of England who have called in the French who have Authorized all Violences and depredations against the Protestants and who rejected the Gracious Pardon We offered them in Our Proclamation of the 22 of February 1688. As we are now by Gods great favour in a Condition to make them sensible of their Errours So are we resolved to leave them to the Event of War unless by Great and Manifest demonstrations We shall be convinced that they deserve Our Mercy which We shall never refuse to those that are truly penitent Given at Our Royal Camp at Finglass neer Dublin the 7 th of July 1690. In the Second year of Our Reign This Declararion was published in the Camp two days after and had it been punctually observed according to the intent of it we had had fewer Enemies at this day by at least 20000 For tho' the King was punctual in his observance of it some Officers and Soldiers were apt to neglect the Kings Honour and the Honour of our Country and Religion when it stood in Competition with their own profit and advantage July the seventh and eighth the King took a view of his Army by distinct Regiments and though it often Rain'd very fast yet his Majesty sate on Horseback in the midst of it and saw
commanded by Major Morgison and Captain Carlile towards Lanesbrough Pass but they returned the next day without doing any thing that was Remarkable the Enemy having a Fort well mann'd towards the Bridge and four Companies of Foot in the Town That day one Captain Mackgill a Voluntier was kill'd at our Battery with a Canon-shot from the Castle Our Train at Athlone was only two twelve Pounders ten lesser Guns and two small Field Mortars which when planted against the Castle did it little or no damage This was a misfortune that Lieutenant-General Douglas found Athlone stronger than he expected for it 's said he had what Guns and Men he desired to reduce it withal The firing continued however on both sides and on Tuesday one Mr. Nelson our best Gunner was killed with a small Shot On Wednesday we had news that Sarcefield with 15000 Men was coming to raise the Siege which made the General send all his sick and wounded Men towards Mullingar Next Morning early the Besieged hung out a Bloody Flag which occasion'd smart firing and in the Evening the General called all the Colonels to a Council of War where he told them the necessity of Removing from the Town for we had very little Bread all the while and there was some reason to believe the Irish Army would cut off our Communication from Dublin So that we had Orders to be ready to march at twelve a Clock that Night we begun at the time appointed to send away our Baggage and at break of Day or a little after we marcht off the Enemy not so much as firing one Gun at us Reasons why it was not taken I know that whilst we lay here there were some that profferr'd to pass the River at a Ford a little above the Bridge and so beat the Irish out of their Works but this was sooner said than done for the Ford is naturally very deep and dangerous besides the Irish had fortified the other side with Breast-works two Batteries and a considerable Fort And then if we had forced our way over and could not have taken the Castle in a small time we must have been obliged to fight the greatest part of the Irish Army which was then drawing down upon us Nay if we had been Masters of the Town and Castle the Irish might so have ordered it as to have cut off our Communication from Dublin and so starved us for we were already glad of a very small Allowance of Bread Colonel Grace the Governor had been very active on the Irish side in the last Wars but was now very old and this was the third time that he had burnt that Town the Enemy had in it three Regiments of Foot nine Troops of Dragoons and two of Horse and more lay encamped not far off During our stay here which was from Thursday the 17th to Friday the 25th the Country People of all Perswasions begun to think us troublesome This must be said for Lieutenant-General Douglas that both whilst he staid here and all along on his march he constantly gave out very strict Orders against Plundering or Stragling from the Army But it were better that good Rules were not made than when they are so they should not be observed and the breakers escape punishment For some Peoples taking liberty to break Rules encourage others to lose their Reverence to them Example always goes further than Precept and most Men see better than they understand so that whatever Rules are made in an Army by a General they are to be observed by every one else with what justice can one be punished for the breach of those Orders which others make no Conscience in obeying What Men lost there We lost in this Expedition not above thirty Men before the Town and the Enemy very few but in our march too and again what with sickness hard marching the Rapperees surprising as they straggled and several other disadvantages we fell short of our Number three or four hundred though before we got to the Kings Army we killed and took Prisoners a great many thousands but more of these had four Feet than two All the poor Protestants thereabouts were now in a worse condition than before for they had enjoyed the benefit of the Irish Protections till our coming thither and then shewing themselves Friends to us put them under a necessity of retreating with us which a great many did leaving all their Harvest at that time ready to cut down c. and yet were hardly used by our own Men. On our first Days march backwards the General received an Express from the King some say it was to draw off and joyn the Army and that he had positive Orders before not to pass the Shannon at all And at the same time we had an Account of a Conspiracy in England against the Queen and that some French were Landed there having burnt some Towns on the Coast And it was reported also that the late King was Landed in that Kingdom We marched back that Day to Ballimore where we staid four Days on one of which there hap'ned the greatest Thunder and Lightning that has been heard of in those parts And about this time several of the Irish that had taken Protections when they could not have the benefit of them began to turn Rapperees stripping and sometimes killing our Men that they found straggling Lieutenant General Douglas marches to joyn the Kings Army On the 30 of July Colonel Babington's Regiment marched from Ballimore towards Dublin and the same day Leiutenant-General Douglas marched with all the rest of his party to Stony-Cross which is out of all publick Rodes from Dublin and so were most of our future marches till we joyn'd the Kings Army which was one reason why we had little or no Bread for almost four days together and after that but a very slender allowance From this place we marched to Balliboy and as we went a long the General ordered one of his own men to be Shot immediately for Morodeing as they called it The General had given out orders that none should stir out of their Ranks on pain of Death however this poor Fellow and four more were not so observant of their duty as they ought to be which the General espying caused them to be seized immediately and throw Dice for their lives month August We had an Account at Ballyboy that the Enemy was at Banoher Bridge with a very strong party to disturb our march which made us next day strike to the left to Roscreaugh instead of going to Bur as we designed for that way was full of Woods and narrow Passes where the Enemy had great Advantage of us We stayed at Roscreaugh the second of August and on the third in the Morning came twelve Troopers from the Kings Army who lay then at Goulden Bridge to hasten our march for the King exprest himself to be in trouble lest the Enemy should be too many for us in that place
And hereabouts were the first English planted in Ireland they were a Colony of West-Country men and retain their old English Tone and Customs to this day I am credibly informed that every day about one or two a Clock in Summer they go to Bed the whole Country round nay the very Hens fly up and the Sheep go to Fold as orderly as it were night The Duke of Ormond goes with a party to Killkenny The Army rested a day at Castle Dermot and the next day marched beyond Carlow sending forwards a party of Horse under the Command of the Duke of Ormond to take possession of Kill Kenny and to secure the Protestants and other Inhabitants in the Country about from being Plundred by the Enemy for by this time some of them adventured to look behind them and to return to take along what they had not time nor conveniency to carry off at first here the Army staid a day also and the next day marched to a place called Kells two miles beyond Loughlind Bridge and the day following to Bennets Bridge three miles to the Northest of Kill-Kenny upon the same River The 19. his Majesty dined with the Duke of Ormond at his Castle of Kill Kenny this House was preserved by the Count de Lauzun with all the Goods and Furniture and left in a good Condition not without the Cellars well furnished with what they had not time to drink at their going off Killkenny signifies the Cell or Church of Canick who for the Sanctimony of his Solitary Life in this Country was highly Renowned this was one of the best Inland Towns in Ireland the Irish Town has in it the said Canick's Church now the Cathedral of the Bishop of Ossory The English Town was built by Randolph the third Earl of Chester and fortified with a Wall on the West side by Robert Talbot a Nobleman and this Castle by the Buttlers Ancestors to the present Duke of Ormond On Sunday the 20 th They marched six Miles farther and Encamp'd at a Place called Rossed-Narrow upon the Estate of one Mr. Read where the King had an Account of one Fitz Morrice Sheriff of the Queens County that was under Protection and afterwards went off in the Night with his Family and all his Stock the King had also News that the Enemy had quitted Clonmel whither Count Schomberg marched with â— Body of Horse This is one of the strongest Towns in Ireland and cost Oliver Cromwel at least 2000 Men in taking it the Irish made some Pretensions to hold it out now in order to which they levelled all the Suburbs and Hedges but all they did was to make the Inhabitants pay them 300 l. to save the Town from being burnt or plundred it stands upon the River Sure in a pleasant and fruitful Country Here my Lord George Howard and some more came in and submitted who had Protections The Army goes to Carruck Monday the 21 st The Army marched to Carruck situate upon a Rocky Ground whence it took its Name being called from Carruck Mack Griffin the Habitation formerly of the Earls of Ormond which together with the Honour of Earl of Carruck King Edw. II. Granted unto Edward Boteler or Buttler whose Posterity the present D. of Ormond still enjoy it There the King received an Account of the State of Waterford by some that escaped from thence and of the Resolution of the Garison to hold out There also the King had some Intelligence of the Condition of the City of Cork and that County with great Sollicitations from the Inhabitants to hasten to their Relief which at that time they represented as a thing very easie On the 22 d. Major General Kirk with his own Regiment and Colonel Brewers as also a Party of Horse went towards Waterford more Forces designing to follow Waterford summon'd The Major General sent a Trumpet to Summon the Town who at first refused to surrender there being Two Regiments then in Garison their Refusal however was in such civil Terms that we easily understood their Inclinations for soon after they sent out again to know what Terms they might have which were the same with Drogheda but not liking those they proposed some of their own which were That they might enjoy their Estates The Liberty of their Religion A safe Convoy to the next Garrison with their Arms and proper Goods those would not be Granted and then the heavy Cannon were drawn down that way and some more Forces ordered to march And Surrendred but the Irish understanding this sent to ask Liberty to march out with their Arms and to have a safe Convoy which was granted them and accordingly on the 25 th they marched out with their Arms and Baggage being conducted to Mallow In the mean time the Fort of * This Fort was also given John Talbot Earl of Shrewsburry but afterwards by Act of Parliament it was annexed to the Crown for ever Duncanon Seven Miles below Waterford was summon'd This is a Strong and Regular Fortification being at that time Commanded by one Captain Burk and well furnished with Guns and all other Necessaries the Governour required Seven days to Consider of it which being denied him he said he would take so much time but upon the approach of our Forces and the appearing of some Ships before it he surrendered upon the same Terms with Waterford The day that Waterford Surrendred the King himself went to see it and took great care that no Persons should be disturbed in their Houses or Goods Here we found my Lord Dover who was admitted to a more particular Protection he having formerly applyed himself when the King was at Hillsborough by a Leter to Major General Kirk to desire a Pass for himself and Family into Flanders The City of Waterford was built first by certain Pyrates of Norway and afterwards won from the Irish by Richard Earl of Pembrook The Citizens hereof had large Privileges granted them by King Hen. 7. for demeaning themselves Loyally against Perkin Warbeck It was Granted by Patent from King Hen. 6. to John Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury and his Heirs who by the same Patent were to be Senescals of Ireland But this City afterwards was annexed to the Crown The King speaks of going for England At the King 's returning to the Camp His Majesty held a Council wherein he declares his Resolution to go for England In the mean time our Horse Encamped between Carruck and Clonmell and the Earl of Granard came to wait on His Majesty he receiving at the same time an Express from Lieutenant General Douglass who gave but an indifferent Account of that Expedition On the 27 th the King left the Camp at Carruck and went towards Dublin in order for England which occasioned various Conjectures and some Apprehensions that the Affairs of England were in no pleasing Posture Count Solmes left General His Majesty left Count Solmes Commander in Chief and went that night to
therefore for Circumference one of the largest in that Kingdom except Dublin and the Houses are generally built very strong within the Walls being made most of them Castle-ways with Battlements It stands upon the River Shanon and though it be nigh Sixty Miles from the Sea yet Ships of Burden can come up to the Bridge for the River below the Town looks like an Arm of the Sea One part stands on Munster side and is called the Irish Town being compassed about with a very strong Stone Wall and without this a Counterscarp with Pallisado's and also several Forts and Bastions and on the in-side the Wall they had cast up a vast Ditch with an huge Bank of Earth and Stones having only a place left to go in and out The River about a quarter of a Mile above the Town splits it self in two and between the Branches lies a most pleasant spot of Ground called the King's Island being about Two Miles Circumference on the lower end of which stands the greater part of Limerick where there is a Castle and a Cathedral Church This also is invested with a Stone-Wall and is called the English Town between which and the Irish Town there is a very large Stone-Bridge and beyond the English Town upon the further Branch of the River there is another Bridge that leads into the County of Clare near which stands a considerable Fort of Stone and the Irish cast up several more of Earth and made great Fortifications in the King's Island at which they were busie all the while we continued there Here the Irish kept continually a strong Guard having also during our stay Two or Three Regiments entrenched opposite to the Danes on Munster side towards the West of the Irish Town This Place was first won from the Irish by Reimond the Gross an Englishman and Son of William Fitz Gerald but afterwards burnt by Duvenald an Irish Petty King of Thoumond and then in process of time Philip Bruce was infeoffed of it and it became an English like Town being fortified with a Castle and wall'd by King John In the late times Cromwel was called over into England before his Army reached that Place and Ireton managed the Seige who died here afterwards He laid a great many Months before it and did not take it at last Colonel Fennel and others of the Irish in some respect betray'd the Town to him for against the Governour 's Consent they drew up Articles and sending them to Ireton's Camp on the 27 th of October 1651. they received Two Hundred Men at St. John's Gate and more into another Fort called Price's Mill next day getting possession of the Town Ireton hang'd several of those that were still for defending of it But to come again to our business The Irish erect Forts The Irish began also to make Two small Forts between us and the Irish Town one nigh the South Gate about the middle of the Suburbs where stood Two Chimneys and it had that Name the other towards the East nigh that part of the Wal where we afterwards made a Breach They had a Citadel towards the West whereon they had several Guns which plagued us till we kill'd that Gunner and then we were more at ease from that Quarter There was a Spur at the South Gate whereon the greatest of their Guns were planted and at another small Gate with a Sally-port called St. John's Gate towards the East they had also a Battery of Three Guns which from its Colour we called the Black Battery This was just under the place where we made our Breach Our Camp was ordered thus The King's Camp was to the Right in the Second Line next him the Horse Guards and Blue Dutch then some English and Dutch Regiments then the French and Danes and behind all were the Horse though after some time we rather encamped conveniently than regularly Whether it was that His Majesty was made believe the Town would surrender upon Summons or what else was in it I know not but when we sate down before Limerick we had only a Field-Train though we had been a Month in our March from Dublin thither and whether it be usual to go before a Town without sufficient Materials to force it I am no Competent Judge However there were Six Twenty Four Pounders Two Eighteen Pounders a great quantity of Ammunition much Provisions our Tin Boats and abundance of other things all at this time upon the Road from Dublin under the Care of Two Troops of Colonel Viller's Horse Notice of our Guns coming up by a Deserter The Day after we got to Limerick a Frenchman as was reported a Gunner of ours run away from us into Town and gave the Enemy an account where our Train lay as also of those Guns and other things that were coming up the manner of our encamping and where the King's Tents stood with all the Particulars that were material for them to know They had always a plaguy spight at our Guns and therefore on Monday Morning early they play'd theirs most furiously towards the place where our Train lay I hapned to be not far from the place that time and in less than a quarter of an hour I reckon'd Nineteen or Twenty great Shot that fell in a manner all in a Line This place grew presently so hot that we were obliged to remove our Train beyond an Hill further off They fired also all this day and the next at the places where the King's Tents stood killing some Men as also Two of the Prince of Denmark's fine Horses His Majesty was advised to remove to some more convenient and secure Ground which he did Monday the 11 th in the Morning we planted six Twelve Pounders at Cromwell's Fort which dismounted one of the Enemies best Guns upon the Spur and did further damage to the Houses in the Town The same Morning came one Manus O Brian a substantial Country Gentleman to the Camp and gave notice that Sarsfield in the Night had pass'd the River with a Body of Horse and design'd something extraordinary Sarsfield passes the River For when Sarsfield heard what the Frenchman had told he was pretty sure that if those Guns Boats and other Materials came up to us the Town would not be able to hold out and therefore he resolves to run a hazard and destroy them in their March if it were possible if he succeeded then he broke our Measures but if not he then design'd for France if he did but survive the Attempt In order to which he takes all the best Horse and Dragoons that were in Town and that very Night marches over the Shannon at a Place called Killalow a Bishops See on the Shannon Twelve Miles above our Camp The Messenger that brought the News was not much taken notice of at first most People looking upon it as a Dream A great Officer however called him aside and after some indifferent Questions askt him about a Prey of Cattel in
and Sixty These were mounted upon small Horses and retreated as did also their main Body burning the Country Our Men then went towards Ross wherein the Enemy had a Garrison of Six Hundred Men commanded by Colonel Mackartey We did not think fit to attack the Town but went towards a Fort near it which we attacked with Fifty Danes and Fifty of the Kingsale Militia We carried the Fort in which were Seventy Seven Men of whom Fourteen swam towards a Rock Five were taken and the rest kill'd Captain Baenburg and Captain Caroll the Commanders were both wounded the former with a Granade and the other shot through the Leg. Goes to Tralee From thence we marched towards Tralee which the Enemy deserted having therein Twenty One Troops of Dragoons and Seven of Horse Commanded by Colonel Sheldon The Enemy were much alarm'd on this side and if they had been pressed home on the other it had been much for our Interest But I heard of nothing further remarkable at Lanesborough except of one Captain Edgworth's defending a Pass with One Hundred Men against a much greater Body of the Irish and after our Men had laid there in the Cold for nigh a Fortnight they were ordered back being much harassed with Cold and Hunger The Boats were never brought to the River and Lieutenant General Douglas went as far as James-Town and then retired again into the North without doing anything remarkable This indeed is to be said for both sides That suppose our Men had passed the River at Lanesborough they must have gone Three Miles forwards before they could have seen any thing but Bogs and Woods The Irish no doubt knew of their coming and would have let them advance some Miles at least and then resolved with all the Force in their Power to attack them nor could Lieut. Gen. Douglas joyn them on a sudden so that seeing our Men were inferiour to theirs in number it was not the safest to go into the midst of their Troops and yet any that will but consider the Circumstances of the preceeding Story and put things together will find that it has been partly our own faults that Ireland has not been reduced already A short Description of the former State of Ireland The Soil of this Country is in all respects as good if not better than that of England And as to the People though this Country was in the Infancy of Christianity called Sanctorum Patria yet in process of Time the Irish did very much degenerate and did in a manner turn perfect Barbarians till at length they were partly civilized by the English Conquest of that Country and yet as the Nature of Man is apter to decline than improve instead of Reforming the Irish a great many of the English did dwindle into meer Irish both in Customs and Habit and are the very People that we are subduing at this juncture not One in Ten of them being of ancient Irish Extraction Most part of the North of Ireland is at present inhabited by People from Scotland The Reason of this may be because of the Vicinity of those Two Nations at that place they not being Three Hours Sail asunder or else it is because in the Ninth Year of King James the First the North of Ireland being then in Rebellion that King invented a New Title of Honour both in England and Scotland for all such the Number not exceeding as I remember Two Hundred in each Nation as would maintain Thirty Soldiers a piece for Three Years at the rate of 8 d. per diem in the Service of Ireland and yet they were to be Gentlemen and worth 1000 l. per annum those he called Barronets and made this Title Hereditary adding to each Man Phternal Cont the Arms of Ulster which is in a Canton or an Escatcheon which they please in a Field Argent a Sinister Hand Cooped at the Wrist Gules But this however was more taken notice of by the Scots than the English at least a great many of them went over themselves in Person into Ulster and after the Rebellion had Lands assigned to them and their Followers whose Posterity enjoy them still As for the other Provinces in Ireland viz. Lemster Munster and Conaught they were generally inhabited with English and Irish intermixt though the Irish were in a manner Slaves to the English and every Landlord was as absolute as a Prince amongst his own Tenants but in all other respects they had the English Laws and Customs and lived more plentifully than they did in any place of England Some may justly wonder to hear of all those multitudes of Cattle which have been at several times taken from the Irish but as they went off from any place they still drove along all the Englishment Stocks and certainly the Country affords abundance because it has never been throughly inhabited for those places that might be improved and tilled are for want of People stoct with Sheep or Cattel which was the Reason that in Queen Elizabeth's Days we read of one surly Boy in the North of Ireland who had a Stock of Fifty Thousand Cattel to his own share Of the Present State of the Irish Army But in short my humble Opinion of the Affairs of that Kingdom at present is First as to the Irish they are naturally a fawning flattering People they 'll down upon their Knees to you at every turn but they are rude false and of no Courage as D. Aquila complain'd when he came out of Spain with an Army to their assistance in Queen Elizabeth's Reign Give them but Encouragement and then there 's no People so insolent So that as Slaves there 's no way to deal with them but to whip them into good Manners and yet many of the Vulgar Irish have been abused in what they had who thinking our Soldiers in the fault they cut their Throats whereever they can get the upper hand As to their Army their Condition is not in some Respect much worse than it was before For 1. Their Men have seen more Service and understand the use of their Arms better being made good Fire-men at Limerick and Athlone 2 dly They are now in a much narrower compass which is easilier defended and they may in a small time draw their whole Army to any corner when as we are dispersed up and down and cannot so easily be got together upon any sudden occasion They have also most of the Passes upon the Shanon in their possession which could not easily be taken from any but Irishmen 3 dly They are very watchful and diligent having always good Intelligence which is the Life of any Action and yet it 's plain there is no such way to destroy the Irish as to imploy some to ruine the rest which they will certainly do their own Fathers for Money But then after all this they have a vast Crowed of People and will not nor cannot have convenient Subsistence for one half of them in a small